Page 5 of Once Upon a Dance Club Wish

“It’s not a dream.” I decided to rub his back, hoping that would at least calm him a little. I couldn’t take him to Banir in such a state. The leader wouldn’t be happy that I already upset the outer-worlder who could end up being his mate. “There are many shifters in the Enchanted Forest. I can introduce you to the others, too. Would you like to go now?”

“No.” He shook his hand, palm toward me. “I need a minute. Or several. Maybe some water. Do you have any water around here?”

Water. I could do water. I stood up, ready to get some from the pond. Then I remembered what Ahmed had said. Switching directions, I headed to the well. I worried about leaving Nelson on his own, but he didn’t seem dangerous. And I hadn’t observed any weapons on him. Hopefully, he would be okay for the moment.

Making a mad dash for the well, I hadn’t realized until I arrived that I would need something to put the water in. Luckily, someone had left behind some containers tightly woven by Marcel, a mallard duck shifter. And I didn’t have time to search elsewhere for a clay cup.

A woven bowl probably wouldn’t hold all the water, but it would get some to Nelson if I hurried.

When I returned to the outer-worlder, he had some strange device in his hand and held it up in the air while pacing between the meadow and the forest. “There is no signal anywhere.”

Signal? What kind of signal was he looking for? I shrugged. I doubted he would find anything up in the sky. At least not until nightfall when the stars came out to help guide us.

I didn’t think I would ever understand what happened in the outer-world and was glad it wasn’t the other way around, where we had to leave the Enchanted Forest to find a mate.

“I...have some water.”

Nelson’s body tensed as if I’d startled him.

“Sorry.” I held the bowl of water out to him, the bottom wet, but most of the liquid had remained inside. “This is all I could get in a hurry, but there is more to eat and drink in the village.”

“Thank you.” He scooped some water into his hands to drink before splashing more onto his face. “I’m still finding all this hard to believe. It feels like a dream. I know I said that manytimes already, but it’s the only way I can try to understand things I always believed weren’t real or were impossible.”

“I think I can understand that. Your world would be just as confusing to me.” I rubbed my hand behind my neck, unsure how to get him moving so I could take him to the council. I did not believe force was appropriate or warranted in the situation. He was cute, so I didn’t mind spending time with him, but I didn’t want to get into trouble with the council for not bringing him to them right away.

His eyes grew wide, and his cheeks flushed as he let out a soft moan. My cock bobbed in response to the sound.

Okay, maybe cute wasn’t the right word. He was alluring, and I was tempted to hide him from the council and keep him for myself. Nelson must have seen the shift in my clothing as his line of sight darted down my body before he gasped.

I quickly covered my erection. “Sorry. That was inappropriate. I must get you to council.”

“And what if I don’t want to go?” With his arms crossed, he pouted in a way that made my shaft even harder. Almost painful.

“Then I will be forced to put you over my shoulder and carry you to the village.” I had to get him there one way or another. Regardless of my body’s attraction to him, he wasn’t deemed to be my mate.

The corner of Nelson’s lips turned up in a half smile. “Maybe that’s what I want.” He put his forearm to his forehead. “After all, I do feel weak.”

I couldn’t deny the outer-worlder what he wanted. And if it was the only way to get him moving, I had to carry him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I heaved him over my shoulder before we started on our way. As we got closer to the village, he began to wiggle, so I held my palm to his backside, ready to give it a tap if needed. Yet, my touch settled him quickly enough.

Chapter Five

Nelson

I couldn’t believe a hot, nearly naked man had me on his shoulder, and carried me through a forest with his hand on my ass. If this wasn’t some kind of strange fantasy, it was pretty close to one. If only Holden would stop at the clearing ahead, have a blanket magically appear, and ravage me on top of it.

It was a disappointment every time he recited I wasn’t meant for him. I wasn’t sure if he kept reminding me or himself of that fact and it made no sense to me anyway. If I hadn’t arrived in this place to meet him, why was he the first shifter I’d met? It wasn’t like he seemed attached to anyone.

Though his shoulder dug into my stomach, I didn’t ask to be let down. His touch was exactly what I wanted at that moment. Only, I wanted it everywhere on my body. We reached the village too soon. I could tell we were there when the pathway widened immensely. Instead of trees and bushes, I saw huts and fire pits.

I hadn’t expected the village to be like that, though I should have, with all the fantasy novels I read as a teenager. While I once believed I wanted to live like that, I came to prefer hotels over the glamping experience. Yet, the village in front of me was full-on rugged living. No oven for cooking. No running water. And definitely no pillowtop mattresses. Though I hadn’t seen inside any of the huts. Wasn’t sure I wanted to. Maybe I should have tried harder to find that card I’d used to get there so I could wish my way home. Yet, that place held no appeal either. Sure, it had amenities the Enchanted Forest lacked, but I didn’t have a job, a home, a boyfriend, or even a family to return to. Jack might realize I was missing after a few days, but I doubted he would put too much thought into my disappearance. At least the place I’d wished myself to had beings who wanted me there.

Right after Holden set me down, I adjusted my clothes so they weren’t stuck in crevices that pinched off important parts of my body. I worried I was overdressed if everyone wore the same type of clothing as the turtle shifter. All those I saw in human form seemed to sport only one piece of clothing, sometimes a tank top or T-shirt, or a pair of shorts. Some donned shoes or covered their heads with a random hat, yet no one had been completely naked like Holden had been when I’d first arrived.

As I watched the beings crossing our path—always sure to say hello to Holden and greet me as a newcomer—I wondered what type of shifter they were and the location of the other magical creatures my guide had mentioned.

Suddenly, the village seemed to hush when a man in a royal purple robe exited one of the huts. He had gray, wavy hair and was tall and lanky. I wasn’t sure how he had the power to walk with the heavy-looking garment, but as soon as he saw me, his face lit up and he started in our direction. A minotaur came out behind him, his nostrils flared, and his fists clenched. I grabbed Holden’s arm and slid behind him, not wanting to get in the way of that creature.

“Ah, Holden!” The man held out his arms as I leaned to the side to catch a glance of him. “You found our first outer-worlder and brought him to me. Thank you, my friend.”

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