Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Tell me what to do.”

Killian hesitated a moment. He’d never coached a human before. The young ones he’d coached had always been around shifters and been born with an animal inside of them. How did he even begin to explain to someone that had never had that other presence with them?

“Killian?” Blythe’s voice brought him back to the present.

“I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before. I’m nervous because I know you’ll be in pain and don’t want to tell you wrong.”

“Why don’t you shift and let me watch you? Maybe that will help me,” she suggested.

“Okay,” Killian replied. Killian took a deep breath and quickly stripped. He tossed his clothes onto the bed and then pictured his tiger in his mind. He felt the change sweep over him and embraced it. In seconds, he was standing on four legs and looking at his mate through clearer eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” Blythe muttered, patting his head and scratching his ears. He licked her hand and she giggled. “Change back and tell me how you did it.”

Killian shifted back, standing before her completely naked. Blythe looked him up and down and Killian felt his cock stir. “If you stare at me like that any longer, I will throw you on this bed and sink into your pussy before you can say my name. Do you understand?” he warned. Blythe nodded and licked her lips. She reached forward and touched his chest.

“I want you,” she breathed.

“You want to change,” he reminded her; he was giving her one last chance. His cock was fully erect now and ached to be inside his mate’s sweet pussy.

“I do, but we have time,” Blythe leaned forward and kissed his chest. She trailed her mouth up his chest to his neck. Then she nibbled on his ears. Killian snarled, grabbed her, spun, and threw her on the bed. Blythe squealed with delight and quickly started undressing. Killian was on her as soon as she threw her last piece of clothing aside. They were both naked and wanting each other.

“I need you,” Killian told her.

“Don’t hold back. Fuck me,” Blythe commanded. Killian snarled and shoved her legs apart. He sank into her with one hard thrust. Blythe gasped, loving the feeling of being filled by her mate. Killian picked up the pace, thrusting into her hard and fast. There was nothing romantic or sweet in this lovemaking. This was fucking and Blythe loved it. She dug her claws into his back and he bit her neck. She smelled his blood and hers and it mixed with the scent of sex.

She felt her body preparing for her orgasm. She tensed and wrapped her legs around Killian’s back. It gave him a better angle and he sank even further into her with each thrust. She screamed his name when he hit the right spot. His pelvis pressed into her clit with each thrust and she was quickly coming to the climax she ached for.

“Come for me,” Killian mumbled around her neck. Blythe came with a shout, her head falling back. Killian pumped into her faster and then he was coming inside of her. When he was done, he removed his fangs from her neck and pulled his cock out of her pussy. He kissed her neck, licking it to help it heal. He pulled her into his arms and they lay there, both breathing hard. Blythe snuggled closer, placing her head on his chest.

“That was totally worth it,” she commented.

Killian laughed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I really have to tell you no in the future. Now you’re going to be really sore.”

“I loved every second of it,” Blythe told him. “I don’t care that I’ll be sore. I’ll be sore for all the right reasons. My mate loved me well.”

“I love you,” Killian whispered into her neck. Blythe tilted her head and kissed him.

“I love you too, dearest.”

“Are you ready to shift, or do you want to take a nap first?”

“I’m never going to shift, am I? Part of me thinks you gave in so easily because you’re scared of me shifting,” Blythe stated.

“That’s not it!” Killian denied.

“Mhm,” she sighed.

“You know that I’m happy you’re a shifter now. But I’m worried about you not being able to get pregnant. I mean, just because Shannon is a shifter now, doesn’t mean we’ll be the same. She was pregnant beforehand. And if you were before Leo got ahold of you, there’s no chance the baby lived. What if we can’t have kids?” Killian murmured.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Blythe asked him, pulling away enough to look him better in the eye.

“I was worried you would only think I wanted you for kids.”

“Never. We’ve been through so much. If you wanted someone for kids, you would have gotten rid of me long ago.”

“That’s true,” Killian smirked at her. She hit him and he laughed, catching her wrist as she tried it again.

“Way to hurt a girl’s feelings.”

“You are beautiful and everything I could have ever wanted in a mate. If we can’t have kids, so be it,” Killian replied.

“You mean that?”

“Yes. If it happens, it happens.”

“Let’s take a nap and then we’ll try to shift,” Blythe yawned. “You’ve worn me out. I think all I do is eat, cook, and sleep around here. I feel useless.”

“You enjoy cooking. You provide meals for the men. That’s not useless,” Killian reminded her.

“True. Good night,” Blythe told him, closing her eyes and resting her head back on his chest. Killian knew the moment she fell asleep. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. He loved holding her in his arms. He would never let her go. She meant the world to him. Closing his eyes, he joined her in sleep.

***

Seth knocked on the door, looking up and down the empty hall. It was the middle of the day, yet the hall seemed eerily empty on this half of the building. Where was everyone? No one answered, so he knocked again. He knew they were in there. He’d checked the cafeteria before coming here.

“I told you people to leave us the fuck alone,” Merrick snarled as he threw the door open. He took in Seth and his angry face turned into one of indifference. “Oh, it’s you. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to check on Shannon and the baby. How is she?”

“I have no idea. She’s locked herself in the bathroom and won’t come out. She’s been sleeping in there on the floor. It’s ridiculous,” Merrick told him.

“You let her sleep in there?”

“What else am I supposed to do? She screams when I get near her. She’s afraid of me,” Merrick snarled. “I won’t hurt her, but she won’t listen to me.”

“Let me talk to her.” Seth pushed his way past Merrick and into his room. The space looked barely lived in. It had only a bed. Piles of clothes littered the ground. “This is disgusting.”

“Yea, well, I wasn’t expecting company or a live-in guest, so mind your own fucking business,” Merrick told him. Seth shrugged.

“Shannon, it’s me, Seth. Can you open the door? I want to check on you and the baby,” Seth called out.

“Tell Merrick to leave,” Shannon replied. Seth turned to look at Merrick and pointed to the door.

“This is my fucking room,” Merrick crossed his arms.

“Go stand by the door and don’t let anyone in,” Seth rolled his eyes. “Shannon, he’s over by the door. He won’t bother us.”

“I’m not coming out,” she told them.

“Then let me in,” Seth commanded.

He waited a moment and then finally the bathroom door opened a crack. Seth pushed it open more and stepped into the small bathroom. He closed the door behind him and turned to find Shannon in the same clothes she’d had on the day of the trial. She didn’t look like she’d taken a bath either.

“Why are you locking yourself in here?” Seth asked.

“He could be just like Leo. I don’t trust anyone,” Shannon replied, looking him in the eye.

“You don’t trust me? What about Blythe and Killian?”

“I trust Blythe. That’s it.” Shannon crossed her arms protectively.

“You know I won’t hurt you.”

“I don’t know that. Your people let the monster that raped and abused me for years live and will let him see his child. He deserved to die right then. How is this all fair?” Shannon spat at him.

“I’m not like them. If I could get my hands on him, I’d kill him myself.”

“You say that now, but you’d probably free him and let him kill me.”

“Let me examine you. I need to do a full assessment to see how everything is going. I’m going to listen to your breath and heart sounds and try to hear the baby,” Seth told her.

“Fine.”

“Lift your shirt.”

“No way,” Shannon shook her head.

“I have to have skin to hear.” Seth pulled the stethoscope off his neck and stuck it in his ears. He waited for Shannon to push her shirt up. Finally she did, but she didn’t look happy. He listened to her heart and then her lungs. He did it on her back and sides as well. Everything sounded good. He pulled out his light and checked her eyes, which were both reacting the way they should be. He then checked for bowel sounds and palpated the abdomen. He then listened for any sounds of the baby.

“I can hear the baby’s heartbeat,” Seth commented.

“Can I hear?” Shannon’s eyes lit up.

Seth removed the stethoscope from his ears and handed it to her. She placed them in her ears and listened. Seth saw tears pool in her eyes and then run down her cheeks. Then Shannon broke down and started bawling. She ripped the stethoscope out of her ears and threw it at him. Seth stared at her, unsure as to what he should do.

The bathroom door flew open and Merrick stood there. He took in the scene and glared at Seth. “What the fuck did you do?” Merrick grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him out of the room. He shoved him up against the wall. “Why did you make her cry?”

“Let him go,” Shannon called. She got up and wiped at the tears in her eyes. “Merrick, I said to let him go.”

“What did he do?” Merrick turned his gaze on Shannon while he held Seth by the neck against the wall.

“He let me hear the baby’s heartbeat.”

“Excuse me?” Merrick stared at her. “You’re crying because your baby is alive?”

“I’m all emotional! It has to be the hormones and being pregnant. I’m not normally like this,” Shannon told him. “Let Seth go. He was only doing his job.”

Merrick released Seth, who then punched the other male in the face. Merrick stumbled backward and then, with a snarl, launched himself at Seth. Shannon screamed and covered her face. Merrick stopped in mid-leap and looked from Seth to Shannon.

“Fuck man, look what you made me do. Get the fuck out of my room,” Merrick growled. Seth threw his hands in the air, gathered up his stuff and then left.

As he walked, he thought back on the whole situation. He thought that Merrick might have feelings for Shannon. He at least cared for her. Seth didn’t have to worry about her getting hurt. Merrick would watch over her. Those two had to figure out their relationship themselves, though. Shannon didn’t seem afraid of Merrick. Her reactions toward him indicated something different. Shrugging, Seth let his thoughts go on to other things, not wanting to get involved in other’s problems.

***

“You’re thinking too hard,” Killian laughed. Blythe was straining so hard that her face was turning red.

“Maybe it didn’t work. Maybe I’m not a shifter after all,” Blythe pouted. She opened her eyes and threw herself backward on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling. She and Killian had been at this for over an hour now. She still had yet to shift.

“It will come,” Killian told her. “You are definitely a shifter.”

“Why is this so hard for me?” Blythe asked.

“I have an idea,” Killian said suddenly.

“What is it?”

“I’ll be right back. Wait here.”

“Hurry,” Blythe called as he disappeared out the door. What was Killian up to? What was his idea? She lay there, swinging her legs, watching the door. Finally, the door was thrown open. Blythe jumped to her feet as an unknown man entered her room. She’d never seen him before.

“Who are you?” she asked.

The man didn’t speak, instead he just kept coming toward her. She backed up until her back hit the wall. She looked all around for a way to escape, but there was none. The door was closed and he blocked the way to it.

“What do you want?”

“You,” he snarled. He lunged forward and Blythe screamed. Where was Killian? Was this his idea? What was he playing at?

“Get out of here! Leave me alone,” Blythe shouted. She grabbed a shirt and threw it at him. Whatever she could grab became a weapon. The man advanced toward her. Soon she was backed into a corner and he was in front of her. She hissed at him and felt something inside of her shift. Her skin rippled and she felt something take over her. Her back arched and she cried out. She gasped and hit the ground as her legs started breaking and re-growing. She grabbed at her shirt, ripping it off as it became restricting. She ripped her pants with claws sprouting from her fingertips. She felt her teeth grow in her mouth. She tilted her head back to scream, but a roar came out instead.

“Killian, get your ass in here!” the man shouted. The door flew open and Killian came running inside. He took in the scene and told the man to get out.

“Blythe, dear. I’m here. Let it happen. Let the animal take over. Don’t fight it. It will only be worse if you do,” Killian coaxed. Blythe swatted him with a hand that was now growing fur and turning into a paw. She looked at him and snarled. Jerking forward she tackled him. He lay under her and she gave a cry as the last transition hit her and she was now on four legs, pinning Killian under her. “Are you mad at me?”

Blythe snarled.

“I take it that means yes. I knew your tiger would come to the surface to protect you. Look at you, babe. You’re beautiful.” Killian wiggled out from under her and she let him. She sat back on her haunches, her tail flicking. He could tell she was pissed at him.

Blythe was scared and excited at the same time. The shift had taken a lot longer than Killian’s shift, and it had also been painful. Hopefully that lessened with time. She didn’t want to go through that again. She felt like she’d been ripped apart and put back together. The animal was at the forefront of her mind, but she was in control of her body. She eyed Killian as he slowly started to shift. She licked her lips and started purring. The sensation was extremely erotic and she lay down, placing her head on her paws as she watched him.

Killian shed his clothing slowly, knowing that Blythe was watching him. He stood before her completely naked. He smiled at her and cupped himself. She jumped to her feet and walked over to him. He shifted quickly, taking her by surprise. He longed to be out in a forest, the feeling of wet grass under his paws from the morning dew. He wanted to show his mate what it felt like to run in the wild. That could never be.

He bumped into his mate and pressed his side against hers. He was imprinting his scent on her. She truly was beautiful. She was darker than him and had more black than orange. She was also smaller and leaner. She stared at him, her eyes a golden orange that reminded him of fire. His tail flicked her in the face and she bit down on it gently as a warning. He huffed and paced around her. She watched him, wondering what he was up to. Suddenly he darted forward and jumped, landing on her back. He took her down easily and she growled under him, trying to get free. He laughed in his head and let her up, wanting to see what she would do.

She looked like a wounded kitten. She lay down and placed her head on her paws. She closed her eyes and lay there. Killian didn’t know what she was doing. Had he truly hurt her feelings? He walked over and nudged her. She didn’t move. He nudged her again and then licked her face. All of a sudden she moved, knocking his feet out from under him with a swipe of her paw. His face hit the ground and he rolled. He jumped back to his feet with a snarl and saw her watching him, a twinkle in her eye.

Killian shifted back, wanting to hold his mate. He loved sharing this moment with her and seeing her happy and playing. He was starving though and knew that she needed plenty to eat after her first shift.

“Let’s go get something to eat,” Killian told her. She looked frantic for a moment and he realized her dilemma. “Think of your human body. Picture it in your mind.”

Blythe closed her eyes and then suddenly Killian was helping her to her feet. She was back in her human form. It hadn’t hurt her at all. She lunged at Killian, wrapping her arms around him.

“I did it,” she cried.

“Yes, you did. I told you that you would,” Killian reminded her. “I’m sorry for how it had to happen. Maybe now you can do it without me scaring you every time.”

“That was seriously a low blow. You could have told me,” Blythe punched him in the arm.

He laughed, rubbing the spot. “That would have defeated the purpose.”

“How did you know he wouldn’t really hurt me?”

“That’s Rhino. He’s a big teddy bear. He’s a panther, but I swear he should have been a bear. He hibernates more than anyone I know. He doesn’t get out much.”

“Maybe he just needs a mate or something to keep him occupied.”

“Maybe. He’ll have to wait two years until our turn to do the Running. Bears and birds are next.”

“Let’s go get some food,” Blythe told him.

“Lead the way.”

Just as Killian closed their bedroom door behind them, he saw Derek stalking toward them.

“I’ve got some news. I can make it happen. Give me three days,” Derek said. He turned and left without another word.

“What was that all about?” Blythe asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Killian smiled. “One you’re going to love.”