Shifters of Grrr 2 (45 page)

The music was magical. With my eyes closed, my arms spread before me as if I was dancing with an invisible partner, and the tips of my toes barely touching the floor, I waltzed and waltzed until I felt like I was flying. The music just kept going on and on, not stopping when I would have expected it to stop. I soon came to the conclusion this was an endless waltz, and now that I had started it, there was no way I could stop even if I wanted to. It didn't bother me. I felt like I could dance like this for an eternity. Then, I felt cold fingers sneak into my right hand, while a strong arm came to encircle my ample waist. I opened my eyes and I was met by a pair of deep, black orbs, perfectly framed by straight eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a noble, slightly upturned nose. The man smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Aimée..." he whispered, and his deep, soothing voice went straight to my core.
 

He took the lead and guided me on the dance floor, and I felt myself melting in his firm embrace. He had short, dark brown hair, and he was dressed like a prince. Even though he was well-built, his body was also extremely elegant and gracious. It was the first time I was waltzing with such an experienced dancer. He moved naturally and effortlessly, and it drove me insane with desire. The reaction of my own body surprised me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He smiled. "Aimée..." He pulled me closer to his body, and I felt the strong muscles in his thighs brush against my hip through the silk dress. "I've been waiting for you."

"Is this why we're alone in the ball room?" It sounded like a silly question, but then again, all the things we say and ask in dreams are usually silly.

"Yes. I've been waiting for a very long time."

"Well... I... I'm here now."

"Indeed, you are."

We danced like this for hours, looking into each other's eyes and smiling. Now I truly wished the waltz would never end. Unfortunately, it did when the handsome stranger stopped in the middle of a step and suddenly let go of my waist and hand. Heavy silence enveloped the room. I could almost feel it pressing down on my shoulders, and I couldn't understand what was happening.

"Why did we stop?"

His gorgeous smile faded, and his black eyes fixed my green ones as if he was trying to see straight into my soul.

"Aimée, you have to help me."

"Help you? How?"

"I'm trapped."

"Where? In this..." I took a second to look around me, as I wasn't sure where we were. A castle, probably? But as my eyes took in the tall ceiling and the beautiful tapestry on the walls, the ball room started changing its shape and colors. A second later, I realized we were in the supposedly abandoned mansion. The man's strong hands on my bare shoulders snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Aimée, listen to me." There was fear in his eyes. Fear and... something else. A cold shiver ran up my spine when I realized his fear was mixed with impatience. Urgency. That was exactly what I saw in his eyes: urgency. "We don't have much time. I've been trapped in here for years and only you can help me escape."

"Why me?"

"Because he wants you. He's never wanted any woman in his whole life, but he wants you, and you have no idea how incredible that is. I finally have a chance to break free from this prison!"

"Who... who wants me?" I tried to close the space between us and press my hands against his strong, wide chest. I didn't know why, but I had this dreadful feeling that I was going to lose him soon, that the dream was about to break. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I wasn't sure I could feel his hands on my shoulders anymore, even though I knew they were there.

"The brown bear. The beast. The...
thing
. He wants you, and you must marry him."

His words sunk in and I wiggled myself out of his arms. The pain and hopelessness I read in his eyes when he understood my refusal made my own heart ache. My green eyes softened, and I reached for his hand. I knew I was touching his fingers, I could see my small hand disappearing into his, but I couldn't feel him. The dream was dissipating. We had to move fast.

"Who are you? Who trapped you in here? Tell me, and I'll help you. I promise I'll find a way."

"There is no other way..." His voice was fading. My eyes were losing focus, and it was like I was looking at him through a thick fog.

"Tell me your name. I promise I'll help you escape."

"Gabriel..."
 

That was the last thing he said, or the last thing I heard. I woke up with a start and I almost broke down in tears when I realized where I was. "Gabriel..." I forced my mind to focus on his name, on his handsome face, deep, beautiful eyes, and full, smiling lips. "Gabriel... are you real?" Maybe it was foolish of me to read so much into a dream, but it had felt so tangible. Almost as tangible as the cold stone floor I was lying on.

***

Unable to fall asleep again, I curled up in a corner and waited for dawn. I took my time to analyze the dream and decide if Gabriel truly existed. I didn't believe in dreams, and I had never tried to determine if any of them meant anything. At most, they were expressions of our deepest insecurities, desires, feelings. Seeing a dream as real was the same thing as believing in magic. On the other hand, since I stepped over the threshold of the gothic mansion, it did feel like the world had shifted on its axis. An unnaturally big brown bear communicating through telepathy, calling itself... himself... the master of the house... A maid who didn't seem to mind her master was a beast... Acceptance came with the first sunray reflected in the dirty window: yes, there was magic in the world. If the brown bear was real, then Gabriel could have been real too. Maybe he was also a prisoner in this mansion. Maybe his cell was not far from mine. I had so many questions, but I wouldn't get the answers I needed if I was locked up in this dark, filthy place. So I made my decision.

Corinne brought me breakfast. While she unlocked the door and came into the cell to place the tray on the floor, the beast watched us from the other side of the bars. I pushed the tray away and looked him in the eyes.

"Tell your maid to take this to the dining room. I'm going to eat there after I take a bath."

The bear growled, but his "voice" in my head sounded soft and... cautious.
"Does this mean you're accepting my offer?"

"I accept part of it. I will live here, with you, and I promise I will never leave the grounds of the mansion. I can't marry you just yet, however. You see... I've always dreamed of the day when I'd meet the one. A child's dream, of course, but I need... I need some time." What I was about to say was going to sound so stupid that I took a few seconds to find my words and make sure I sounded convincing. "I need time to get used to you and this place. I need time to... fall in love with you."

The bear didn't say anything. He kept fixing me with his small, black eyes. Maybe he was trying to determine if I was playing some kind of game.

"I'm not a noble woman," I continued. "My family was quite rich once, but because we had made our own fortune and didn't depend on anyone, my sisters and I were free. Father never wanted to force us into marriages that would benefit his business or social status, so we knew we were free to marry whomever we wanted. Marrying a man you actually love and desire is a privilege." I did my best to produce a couple of tears to add more weight to my tragic situation. I had no intention of spending my life in this stupid house, but the bear couldn't know that. "All I'm saying is... I need time to... to..."

The beast entered the cell, which forced the maid to press her back against the wall.
 

"To get used to the idea that you're not free anymore..."
he finished my sentence.
"You think I'm a beast, but you're wrong. I understand you, and I can't stand to see you suffer. I will never hurt you. I promise I will do my best to earn your trust and friendship, maybe even your love. And I will wait. I will wait for as long as it takes."

I looked up into his eyes and managed a weak smile. So far, so good. My plan was working.

CHAPTER THREE

My bedroom was at the topmost floor. It was beautifully furnished, with a huge, comfortable bed, a mahogany bookcase filled with classics, and a small toilet table I immediately fell in love with. The balcony offered a splendid view of the forest and the town far in the distance. Corinne took my measurements and made sure to buy the most exquisite dresses and shoes for me. My wardrobe was so full that I rarely wore the same dress more than once. If I weren't a captive in this house, I would have rather enjoyed my staying. Having my father and sisters with me would have also helped. I missed them more and more with each passing day.

The brown bear kept his word and allowed me to explore the house and the immense garden freely. Most of the time he left me alone, but he always kept me company for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He never ate with me, which was a relief, really. His cook was absolutely incredible. I had never tasted such delicious dishes and desserts in my life! While I ate, the bear watched me with interest, told me about his day and what he had seen in the forest and around town, and encouraged me to eat everything on my plate. My body had always been on the curvy side, and the only reason I had lost weight in the past year was because we didn't afford to eat as well as we used to. After a week at the bear's mansion, my generous waist and hips were back to normal.
 

I couldn't say I was getting bored. I spent my days reading, exploring the grounds, sneaking into the dungeons to investigate and see if there were other prisoners and always getting out of there empty handed, and the evenings talking with my captor about everything and anything. I soon learned how knowledgeable and wise he was. Listening to him talk about history, literature, and philosophy was a real pleasure. We often ended up debating a theory or a concept late into the night, each of us learning something new from the other. When I was too tired to contribute to the discussion anymore, I would end up studying him as he lay on the floor in front of my armchair, a mountain of soft, brown fur, bulging muscles, and enormous paws. I couldn't believe this huge beast had such intellectual interests. Those were the moments when I wondered if there wasn't more to him, to the brown bear who had always refused to tell me his name. No, I had no intention to marry him. How could I? What kind of marriage would that be? But I could be his friend. The only thing that irked me (besides the fact that I was a prisoner in his home, that is) was that he refused to talk about himself. I was ready to shout at the top of my lungs that I believed in magic, curses, and fairytales. Maybe he was human once. Otherwise, why would he want a human wife? But he wouldn't tell me, and neither would his servants. I tried befriending Corinne, but even if she was pleasant and friendly, she never talked about her master. Why was everyone so secretive? What were they hiding? Being kept in the dark was frustrating and infuriating.
 

So, I couldn't exactly complain about my days just as I couldn't complain about my nights. My dreams had become so vivid that I was now sure everything that happened in them was real. It had to be. It had to be because I was falling in love with the handsome, mysterious Gabriel.

***

He was holding me from behind, his arms around my waist, his lips trailing hot kisses from the back of my ear down to my shoulder. Every time he stopped to nip at the sensitive skin of my neck, I shuddered and thrust my hips back against him. Oh, how I would have loved to get rid of the big, heavy ball gown and feel the strong muscles in his thighs and the entire length of his rock-hard cock against my heated skin. His every touch and kiss made my body sing with desire.

"Gabriel..." I whispered. I wanted to ask for more. I wanted to beg him to rip off my sophisticated dress and run his hands all over my body.
 

"Aimée... My sweet, lovely Aimée..."

There was nothing that turned me on more than his sultry voice chanting my name. Okay, there was... his hands moving up my corset to cup my heavy breasts. He squeezed them lightly, and I cursed the stupid corset for being in the way.

"More..."

His lips found my ear and he sucked the lobe into his mouth. I moaned when he bit down, the gesture sending a jolt of pleasure straight to my soaking pussy. His hands felt nice on my breasts, but more than anything, I wanted them between my legs.

"You're wonderful," he whispered. "I love your body, your long, curly hair..." he licked the shell of my ear, "... the way you taste..."

"Mmm... please..."

"Please what?"

"Touch me..." I pushed my butt against his crotch and rolled my hips. The sweet friction drove both of us insane with lust. I reached behind me to grab his clothed erection, and I gasped in excitement when my palm rested on his impressive bulge. I rubbed it tenderly, enjoying the little sounds he made in my ear.

"I want you," he said.

"I'm yours, Gabriel. Just take me..."

With both his hands cupping my breasts, he squeezed me tighter against his body. I loved how he could cover me completely. Wide shoulders, bulging arms, and a perfectly sculpted chest... I couldn't believe this man wanted me, curvy Aimée. I had never been ashamed of my curves. In fact, I loved my round hips, ample waist, and big breasts. I had everything I needed to fill a corset well, and I would never change that if I had the choice. However, I was neither blind, nor stupid. At the various parties my sisters and I used to attend, enough men had ignored my attempts at making conversation, afraid they'd have to dance with me afterwards. There weren't many men who liked and appreciated big girls, and sometimes it hurt. I would have a crush on a guy and more often than not I would be ignored or rejected. But Gabriel... Gabriel was perfect. I really hoped he wasn't only in my dreams.