Already Freakn' Mated (17 page)

Meeting Patricia at the restaurant, Sheng stuffed his damp hands in his pockets. Nervous? Him. About what? Surely he didn’t care that much about the outcome of their talk. Jiao was the one who wanted things to change. Sheng didn’t have a problem with the status quo. Or so he tried to convince himself while he ignored how Gina’s face kept popping into his head – wearing nothing but her cop hat and boots while swinging her cuffs.

If Patricia thinks it’s safe to drop the ruse, I could technically take the she-wolf up on her erotic offer.
Sate himself with her body so that she ended up evicted from his fantasies. However, Gina wasn’t his only reason for wanting to end the fake marriage.

His sister needed a chance to find happiness, whether Sheng approved of her choice or not. He suspected Jiao snuck around behind his back and saw the wolf despite his orders. As if he couldn’t smell the dog all over her. With fate intervening, Sheng knew he didn’t have long before the inevitable happened and Jiao mated with Chris.

Ugh. A dog for a brother in law. How distasteful. Funny, though, how he didn’t have a problem contemplating bedding the handyman’s cousin, who also shared the same wolfish heritage.

The two are different.
For one, Sheng had no intention of making it forever. As a mature male in charge of his own destiny, he wouldn’t kowtow to some ridiculous notion that a hormonal reaction – or otherworldly force – would have him do something he didn’t want or plan to do. And that’s what it was. Hormones. Lust. A healthy dose of attraction easily cured with a few rounds of naked wrestling.

Meowrr! What the hell? His inner cat did not just snicker? Impossible. It seemed he’d kept his other half caged so long he now imagined things.

The bell above the restaurant door tinkled as he stepped in. The aroma of home cooked fries and sizzling burgers just about overwhelmed him and covered him in a light sheen of grease. How his RCMP friend managed to eat the calorie laden, artery hardening food, he still couldn’t decipher, but, every meeting, she extolled him to join her at a new spot to taste the wares.

Spotting Patricia at a booth in the back, her short blonde bob distinctive, he made his way over and slid into the seat across from her. She’d already ordered him a Coke with no ice. How well she’d gotten to know him over the years.

She peeked up from the menu. “Hey Jack. How are things going?”

“I’m well thank you, and yourself?”

A wry twist of her lips accompanied a shoulder shrug. “Things are going. My boyfriend back west has decided he can’t handle a long term relationship, so I might make the posting out here permanent.”

“I’m sorry,” he replied automatically. Not really though. Sheng met the guy once and thought him too weak willed for the strong willed RCMP officer.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s kind of a relief. I like it out here. More than I expected. The job is great. The place I rented is twice the size I could get out west. As for being single? Acquiring a new boyfriend is the least of my worries. But, who cares about me. How’s it going with you and Jill?”

“It’s going well. Too well. She also likes it here and is hoping we can drop the marriage ruse.” Nothing like diving in and laying it all out.

A crease appeared on Patricia’s brow. “Not so quick. If we hadn’t already planned to meet, I was going to call you in. We might have a problem. I spotted some nibbles.”

Sheng almost choked on a mouthful of soda as panic suddenly rushed up to consume him. “What do you mean by nibbles?”

“Someone pinged both yours and Jill’s driver license.”

“Who? And why?” And most of all, how? How had Kaleb found them? Were they in danger? Should he call Jiao and tell her to pack up?

“The who wasn’t readily evident, but whoever it is works in the Ottawa area as a cop because the request for info came from a local precinct. As to why, you tell me. Have you spotted anything suspicious? Done anything that might have roused an officer’s weird-o-meter?”

Oh, he’d roused a cop alright, a certain she-wolf in uniform who showed way too much interest in him – as a man. “I don’t think you need to worry about it.”

“How can you be sure? Do we need to contact my guy about getting some new id? Should I be planning for a relocate?”

Two weeks ago, Sheng would have said yes just for paranoia’s sake. But, now? Now, he doubted Jiao would agree. He also wasn’t sure he wanted to start over again. And, in all honesty, he didn’t think Gina posed a danger. She showed a curiosity about a new couple in the shifter community, but she worked as a cop. Could he blame her?

Yes, but that was something he’d discuss with Gina. Later – while wearing clothes, despite what his dirty mind thought. Sheng turned the discussion to other things, as they ate the good, if bad for his health, food. When Patricia went to the washroom, he placed a quick call to his sister. Forget going home right after his meeting with Patricia. He had a stop to make and a discussion to have with a certain wolf. And no, he didn’t plan to silence her by stuffing a certain part of his anatomy in her mouth – despite what his cock thought, and even if it was the only idea he came up with. But, he didn’t completely veto it, because he never knew, he might need to go that route as a Plan B.

After Jiao hung up with her brother, and Chris agreed to stay, she wondered what to do with him. Her body still throbbed, but not with the hungry insistence of before. She also knew Chris didn’t take his pleasure. Innocent perhaps in some ways, she still understood the basic mechanics of sex. Would he want to resume where they left off? Was she about to become a woman in all senses of the word?

The thought both excited her and roused her nervousness. Once they made love, there was no turning back. And no hiding her virgin state which would lead to more questions, valid questions she wasn’t sure she could answer without betraying her brother’s trust.

“Is your cat feeling frisky?”

His odd question took her by surprise. “My cat?”

“Yes, your inner kitty. Is it spinning right now? My wolf certainly is.”

“Yes. My feline found our, um –” A blush heated her cheeks. “– activities quite invigorating. Why?”

“It’s a beautiful evening. What do you say we take our inner friends for a run?”

Oh the temptation. Damn the reality. “I can’t.”

“Why not? I’d love to see your cat.”

And she’d love to let her cat out, but Sheng’s warning rang in her head. “I can’t,” she repeated miserably.

His brow knit into a frown. “You’ll have to do better than
I can’t
, baby. What’s the problem? Is it related to the fact you need a gym before the next full moon? Does your kitty have something weird going on like two tails, or no fur?”

“There’s nothing wrong with my cat,” she huffed indignantly. But her reply did nothing to chase the curiosity from his face. What could she tell him? How about a sanitized version of the truth? “My feline is not common to North America. If the wrong person sees me…” She trailed off and let him draw his own conclusion.

“You’re afraid?” he seemed slightly incredulous. “Baby, there isn’t a soul who’ll hurt you out in those woods. And not just because you’ll be with me. First off, you don’t have to worry about hunters. They’re not allowed near the residential areas and it’s not hunting season. As for someone seeing you, say like a human, they’ll either assume you’re a local species despite your coloring, or you’ll become one of those urban legends like alligators in the sewers.”

“But –”

“Trust me. I’ll keep you safe,” he winked. “Come on. It’s already dark outside. No one will see a thing. We’ll head into the woods before changing, and go for a little run. Stick to the shadowy areas and not a soul will be the wiser.”

She shouldn’t. It was dangerous. Stupid. Contrary to her brother’s wishes. None of the excuses stopped her from following Chris into the shadowy forest.

The serenity of the woods quickly enveloped her. Dark, the scantily laden bows of the trees hung over their heads, a piece of wildness preserved among the suburbs. The scent of decay, the leaves and foliage of summer dying, tickled her nose. But it was interspersed with life as well. There was the subtle musk of a family of squirrels still frantically playing and storing before the true chill of winter.

Underfoot, the layer of dry leaves crinkled, their short lived beauty of green, red, and shades of yellow orange, all faded to a uniform brown, their last stage before crumbling back into the arms of the earth.

How quickly and easily she felt at home. Her cat purred in excitement, kneading her claws at the edge of her mind, raring to go. Jiao tilted her head back, closed her eyes and spread her arms. She inhaled deep. “I love fall,” she admitted.

“You do?” Chris sounded surprised.

“Oh yes, I do, because fall is the still moment before the deep hibernating chill. That moment where the earth finishes giving us her bounty, and if we’ve harvested her well, we’ll survive the frigid grip of winter. Then, witness the renewal of the earth, as everything comes to life again.”

“Gee, and I would have probably said I loved fall because of pumpkin pie.”

“What?” Snapped from her dreamy thoughts, she blinked at him.

“See, I love fall too. But if I had to rank why it’s so special, pumpkin pie would win first place. While jumping into leaf piles comes a pretty close second.”

Jiao’s mouth fell open and she stared at Chris. Shirt off, shoulders hunched, jeans hanging low on his hips, he gave her a sheepish grin.

“What can I say? While I think it’s pretty, I’m a man. We’re more tactile.”

It wiggled its way out from deep inside, a giggle so liberating, she at first fought to muffle it with her fist. She didn’t. Instead, she let her laughter burst free, growing in tenor, releasing the tension in her body. It eased something inside her, a heavy darkness, a suffocating fear, a crushing burden, and left her light. Buoyant and happy, and finally ready to shed it all.

To be free!

Stripping took her only a moment, a blink of an eye, then she changed and her cat rejoiced.

Landing on four feet, she didn’t wait or look to see what Chris did. Off she went, leaping through the brush, streaking like the wind on furry paws. How she’d missed the freedom of her feline side. The crisp scents. The sharp vision. The great hearing. But best of all, she loved the chase.

Tail high as she whipped through the woods, she heard the rustle of someone following her, a certain wolf who yipped in excitement. If she’d still possessed her human mouth, she would have laughed with exhilaration. Instead, she contented herself with a chuffing sound of pleasure.

She slowed down, and let him catch up, then leapt away when he would have pounced. His rumbling growl conveyed his amusement at her maneuver. She tossed her head in triumph. He’d still missed.

Sprinting ahead, she ran full out before coiling herself and jumping up into a tree, her paws digging into the bark of a thick limb, her toes curling for grip. It might have been years since she last climbed a tree, but a body never forgot how. Perched in her hiding spot, she waited and watched the shadows below. Soon enough, a large shaggy shape came barreling through, then stopped short as he lost her scent trail. Nose to the ground, Chris sniffed while she watched.

She knew the moment he figured it out. His body stiffened, and he raised his muzzle. Brilliant eyes regarded her, and she flashed her teeth.

Surprise!

Leaping from branch to branch, she took off again, keeping to the heights while he followed on the ground. When she heard the sound of water, she slowed until she crouched on a thick bough overhanging a sluggish moving creek.

Chris didn’t pause, emerging from the forest and splashing into the water. He changed shapes, one moment a wolf, the next a man, a very naked man with slick wet skin that shone in the feeble light filtering down from the stars and waning moon.

Jiao shifted as well. “Isn’t that cold?” she asked with a shudder. She perched on the branch, legs dangling, the rough bark digging into her cheeks.

“Nah. It’s more like invigorating.”

“If you say so.”

“Oh I do. You should give it a try?”

“No thanks.” She wrinkled her nose. It looked pretty freakn’ chilly.

“Don’t tell me my kitty doesn’t like water?”

“I like water, when it’s more than ninety degrees. Anything less is barbaric.” And reminded her too much of her nightmare swim down that raging river so many years ago. Having no desire to repeat that teeth chattering experience, she stuck to heated pools, hot baths, and scalding showers.

“So does that mean you won’t come down and warm me up?” Chris slogged to the shallow end until he stood below her, hands on his hips, with his head tilted to peek at her. As for further below his waist, and in large evidence, jutted his cock, a proud prow.

She looked away, cheeks heating at his evident arousal. But, she couldn’t glance away for long, not when the sight of him enthralled her. And enflamed her.

“Come down here.” He crooked a finger.

“And if I don’t?”

“You’d make a poor wolf climb a tree?” He pretended affront.

She laughed. In a move learned in her youth as part of the act, she swung down and landed with a slight bend of her knees.

“Nice move. Gymnastics?”

“Of a sort.” Try high wire circus act whose sole purpose was to perform deadly stunts while flipping between forms.

“Just how flexible are you?” Chris murmured pulling her into his arms.

Gasping at his cold skin, she skirted his embrace. “You’re freezing.”

“So warm me up.” He gave her a devastating smile.

Jiao almost gave in, but a chill breeze swept up and brushed her cooling skin, dimpling it. “Only if you can catch me.” Off she dashed, keeping her human form for now, having ascertained during her run as her cat that nobody roamed the woods this night, well no one human, that was, according to her nose.

Streaking naked held a certain liberating quality. Different than when she wore her cat, she was more aware of her body instead of her surroundings, such as how the air kissed her skin. How a light sheen of sweat covered her. The sting of branches as they lightly whipped her in passing. The decadence of flesh against flesh when a certain long legged predator caught up and swept her into his arms.

Lacing her arms around his neck, Jiao laughed as he jogged back towards her house. She pondered her happiness, knowing it owed a lot to the man carrying her, but also a part to the freedom of their actions. For so long she kept herself from the small pleasures in life like shifting and going for a run. Chasing and playing for the sake of fun and laughter. How wonderful to know freedom tasted and felt so good.

And to think, passion tasted even better.

She didn’t doubt for a single moment what would happen when they arrived at the house. Nothing would stop them from making love. And, despite their tangled mess, she didn’t think she could stop herself from claiming this man.
I just hope he can forgive me when I can finally tell him the truth.