Chapter 4
“I’m really sorry I scared you like that, Mari. Felix, man, I can’t apologize enough to you either. It was stupid of me considering the situation. I really did just want to comfort Mari, though, and maybe take her mind off the big scary thing we’re dealing with here.” Gage looked at the pair over a late lunch, their meals devoured and coffee steaming as they waited for dessert.
“It’s cool, Gage. Mari’s fine, which was my concern at the time, and she hasn’t run away screaming from both of us. I knew she’d have to find out eventually but I hadn’t planned on disclosing that little nugget of information quite like that.” Felix responded, stirring cream into his coffee.
“I’m fine with it, really. And I know why you didn’t tell me but now that I do know, let me just say, it’s not going to ever be told by me. I know what would happen to you. I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way like that.” Mari tried to express her promise with her voice, hoping that Felix would understand that she cared for him far too much to ever put him in danger like that.
Felix took Mari’s hand, letting it go as their server brought their orders and waited until the woman had left.
“Thanks, Mari. To answer a few questions I’m sure are buzzing in your head, yes, there are bear shifters, some cats, even wolves, and a few otherworldly types. I’m actually around 280 years old, I’ve never been sure because I was found as a toddler by a group of settlers up in the mountains if West Virginia. I’ve since lived in every state with the exception of Hawaii. Something about crossing all of that water just sets my nerves on edge.” Felix ended his little speech by taking a bite of his food.
“But your parents?” Mari led into another question, not wanting to ask bluntly if they were alive too.
“I never knew who they were. As I said, I was found when I was between two and three years old, or thereabouts. One assumes that anyway. We reach adult at the same rate as normal humans but it can be slower for some. The aging process slows as we reach our early twenties and we can live for about 500 years. So yes, I’ve been alone for a long time. I left the family that raised me around the time they started to wonder why I still looked like I was eighteen when I was in my thirties. I’d managed to hide my bear form but not my lack of aging.”
“Your childhood must have been overwhelming. You had no answers as to who or what you were, and no guidance. I take it you met someone, erm, like you, along the way?” Mari asked.
“Yeah, I met Gage.” Felix said, looking over at the friend who’d been awfully quiet since they’d stopped.
“What?” Mari asked with a raised eyebrow, looking over at Gage.
“Let’s get to the cabin; we can discuss it more there.” Felix finished his last bite of cake and they all filed out after paying.
Mari lifted her face to the last rays of sunshine as the sun started to set and thought about the day. The wind started blowing against her as she leaned with Gage’s bike, taking the first curve to the cabin Felix rented. Her bottom might be sore, her world might have been turned upside down by a strange stalker, and finding out the two men she adored the most in the world were far more than they appeared but right now, she was in heaven.
An hour later and they were all sat around a fire, a bed of pillows, blankets, and cushions creating a soft play to rest their weary muscles and bones. Mari stared into the fire, wondering when one of them was going to start speaking when Gage finally spoke up.
“I’m a bear as well, Mari. I have an entire clan but I left to find my own way for a while. I have parents that I do go home to see, as you know, and a brother, twin sisters, and a few nieces and nephews. I’ve had everything Felix hasn’t. That’s why he’s such a loner and I’m not. He’s spent a lot more time making his way in the world than I have. We met in Georgia and came out here, looking to make a name for ourselves. Something that we could eventually walk away from if questions started getting asked.” Gage broke off, taking a sip of the red wine they were all sharing.
Mari’s body relaxed as she rested flatly on the pillows, her thigh brushing against Gage’s before she propped her calf on his thighs where he sat crossed-leg, inviting him silently to touch her. His large hand rested against her thigh there, lightly brushing against the denim of her jeans. Felix sat on the other side of her, watching the pair languidly from his position. Propping himself up with his hands, his feet reaching for the fire, Felix looked happy where he was for the moment.
“So, that’s the story of that, little sister. The police will be contacting our local officers; we’ve rented a truck and a trailer for the motorcycles we’re picking up tomorrow to take us home, and then we can spend the rest of this vacation wherever we want to. Where would you like to go?” Felix moved as he spoke, moving so her head was in his lap.
“I don’t know.” Mari sighed as she looked up into Felix’s enticing eyes. “Right here’s not bad.” She wanted to kiss him but didn’t want to move. It was so peaceful where she was.
Felix obliged her and moved once more, bringing his lips to hers in a tantalizing way that had her pushing up to shorten the distance. Felix growled that low rumbling sound that thrilled her so much and buried his hands in her hair, holding her to his mouth as his tongue entered her mouth, exploring the dark wine-flavored regions.
Mari heard Gage moan as Felix kissed her deeply, obviously enjoying watching them. Mari liked the idea that Gage might like to watch, so she provoked him, moving her hand underneath Felix’s black t-shirt to touch his warm flesh. Mari felt Gage shiver under her leg and knew she was right. Gage liked to watch.
Mari pulled herself up then, straddling Felix as he sat up completely, pulling her to him while pulling her own shirt off of her at the same time. A quick glance back revealed an enthralled Gage so Mari kept up her game. She ground down on Felix, hearing him moan in response as Gage did. Felix cupped her breasts through her shirt, pulling the lace down to reveal her dark rose-tipped breasts to him. He took the globes in his hands sucking at one, then the other until her head fell back in surrender.
Mari’s breath sucked in as she opened her eyes and saw that Gage had moved closer, on his hands and knees as he watched them, his lips almost touching her brow. Mari held her hand out, wanting him to join them, to feel him and touch him. His lips took over hers as Felix sucked at her nipples, his hand sliding down to cup her mound in his palm.
Her moist heat tempted him and his two middle fingers slid into her depths, stroking her until she cried out. Felix stirred her passion with his fingers, his palm pushing into her clit, as his mouth explored her breasts. She leaned back into Gage, his arms supporting her now, as Felix thrust his fingers into her, mimicking the sex act she wanted him to do.
Mari’s lips broke away from Gage as she cried out her pleasure, the feeling too strong to bottle up. Felix moved, placing Mari in a position to enter her before he removed his clothes. Mari’s thighs came up as Felix came back to her, pulling him into her body as Gage moved over her, his lips brushing her breasts before moving down, his tongue finding her clit just as Felix moved into her.
Gage’s probing hands pulled at Mari’s flesh, pulling her clit up to his tongue. His flicking flesh almost skidded away as her lips wrapped around his own hard flesh, the sensitive head of his cock plunging deep into her throat as she sucked at him. Mari stilled, letting Gage fuck into her throat as Felix pushed into her below, his body fitting perfectly between her thighs.
The only person able to make a sound was Felix and his cries of pleasure and delight urged the other two on as he watched them. Felix moved into Mari, watching as Gage’s hips plunged down and down, always into Mari’s mouth, filling her at both ends. Felix tried to hold back his pleasure as he watched them but the pleasure was driving up his balls, into his cock and he simply couldn’t stop it.
Mari felt the first pulse of Felix’s hot cream and her body arched into him, wanting every drop he had to give her. She pushed back into him, wanting to prolong his pleasure but he moved away, pulling Gage with him to take his place. Gage groaned as he once more slipped inside of Mari. His home, his favorite place in the world.
Felix sat back and watched as the pair consumed each other, Gage embracing her, pulling her to him as Mari did the same. They created a tangled web of limbs that Felix could barely decipher as they moved together, their bodies joined not just in pleasure but somehow in a spiritual way. Felix had felt the pleasure of being inside Mari, had felt things he’d never felt before, but he knew this was not his final resting place. The thought made him sad but he’d be honest with the pair. They were meant for each other, but he wasn’t going far, not now. He had far more to explore with his two best friends than a one night stand. Far more.
As Gage found his release Mari joined him, a moment of passion that took her breath away. She felt something deep inside click and she knew, she knew that Gage was it for her for the rest of her life. They were one now. The moment was marred with sadness as she caught her breath and looked over at Felix.
“You’re mated now, my love, my little sister. But we can still play and I will always be there for you. Just because we are not mated as well does not mean I can’t be your lover as well. It’s something about us bears, we mate for life but we don’t have to be monogamous. We can be quite shocking when we’re together in fact. Quite shocking.” Felix told Mari with a grin that she knew held promises he’d keep.
Gage pulled her over him on their pallet and put her between him and Felix once more, more than willing to share the woman he’d now claimed as his own. An odd thought, he observed, but still, she was his but he would not stop her mating with anyone she desired. And tonight that included Felix.
They all settled for the moment, a long day that started off with fear and shock ending in peace and bliss. Felix turned to Mari and she turned to Gage, a blanket appeared, and soon they were all asleep, content that life was as it should be.
But it wasn’t.
At 3 am Mari awoke to the sound of metal tinkling against glass. Confused by the sound she stood up, pulling another blanket around her as she went, deciding that she’d go to the bathroom during her search for the odd noise. It was a strange place for her, the cabin, so the noise might be normal, she didn’t know. It wasn’t anything to wake the men over, she knew that much.
Walking over to the kitchen she saw nothing that could be making the sound and followed her ears, listening for the sound. It seemed to be coming from the bathroom. Good, she was heading in that direction anyway, she thought to herself.
Mari went into the bathroom and suddenly the darkness became deeper and filled with pain that exploded in her head. As she fell to the floor Mari knew something had hit her but had no time for any other thought before she lost consciousness.
Mari awoke with a moan, her hand moving to her head. Or it tried to. Something was holding her arms down. Mari struggled until she realized she couldn’t move at all and her eyes seemed to be covered with something. What terrified her the most, however, was the cold water she seemed to be floating in. She must be in the bathtub. As she finally came to her senses Mari also noticed a thin reedy voice, singing a bizarre song about loving the dead and dancing with corpses. A band across her mouth wasn’t enough to keep her from screaming in total fear and horror as she filled her lungs and yelled as loud as she could.
In an instant Mari heard twin roars coming from somewhere in the house and storming feet. The bathroom door caved in, or so she suspected, and Felix and Gage were there, the sound of a body thumping against a wall with a screech telling her the captor was in hand. A ferocious growl broke out from one of the men and the man screamed, a sound filled with pain as his skin sliced open on sharp claws.
Then Mari heard Gage’s voice. He spoke quietly, the promise of death in his tone.
“Why are you here?” He asked.
“The woman, I’ve come for the woman. She expressed her love to me in the gas station with her touch but you two have made her unclean. I had to make her clean once more. She is mine; you must let me have her.” The thin voice of a man came to Mari’s ears.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t let her mate kill you?” Felix threatened.
“Because she is mine! We are to dance in the fairy circle at dawn and gather wildflowers by the light of the moon.” The man’s quavering voice was shaking with doubt, but not fear.
“Gage, don’t let him up but don’t kill him. This man is obviously off his rocker. I’ll call the police.” Felix strode back into the living room, putting his phone on the speaker function as he pulled Mari from the water and wrapped her in a towel. He spoke into the phone, telling the police the address as he carried Mari into a bedroom, making sure she was alright before he went back into the bathroom, carrying the rope he’d removed from Mari.
“Right, I’ll tie him up then you shift Gage. The police will just take his tale of bears as more of his lunacy. Come on then buddy, let me tie him up.” Felix tried to shift Gage but he refused to budge.
Gage’s right front paw was on the man’s throat and for a moment Felix thought Gage was going to kill the man. He could see it in Gage’s eyes, the desire to kill, to protect his mate. Then it was gone and the man fell limply into Felix’s arms.
Later that evening, in a hotel far away, the men bathed Mari in a whirlpool tub filled with bubbles as the detective on Gage’s phone relayed the information he had to them.
“His name’s Lonny Evans. He’s got a record for petty stuff but nothing more. He’s been unbalanced for a while now. This will get him locked up for a while and we’ll keep you informed. Mari will get her phone back when we’re done with it. We won’t let the pictures leak, by the way. Or the video.” The detective sounded a bit embarrassed so they all let that pass.
“Thanks detective, we appreciate it. Keep in touch.” Gage turned the phone off, not an easy accomplishment with a soapy bubble covered hand.
“Hopefully that’s that then. We can get back to what’s really important now. Which one of you is going to get inside of me first tonight? Because I need you both and Felix promised me something I’d dearly love to try.” Mari said with an inviting smile that had both men throbbing instantly.
“Oh, little sister, you are a bad one.” Felix growled at her as he joined her in the tub, his robe falling away.
“I think I have an idea about that promise. And I call bottom for that if we’re doing that in this tub. I can get a good grip with my feet as Felix takes you from the front, Mari. Oh my, you are going to be a puddle soon aren’t you my love?” Gage asked as Mari moved to him.
Mari couldn’t help but smile a grin of satisfaction. Their journey had been bumpy, filled with more than one shock, and had been a trial over the last 24 hours but the ending was their new beginning. Felix would eventually go his own way, Mari was sure of that, but she had him for now. It would hurt when he left but she knew he’d be going on to bigger and better things. He deserved everything a woman had to give him, after all.
And Gage would love her, would fill that gap. Gage who whispered in her ear now of how he’d always loved her but thought she’d never want him. Gage who now promised his devotion, his entire being to her. Mari slipped into his arms, longing to feel him joining her as Felix did the same, and knew that this really was only the beginning. The beginning of something out of this world that would change them all forever. That would make them far more than friends, it would make them partners in every sense of the word.
The End