Page 6 of Shifting Hearts

Birds sing their song in reply to my ridiculous question. A chuckle escapes me at the absurdity of everything going on around me.

“Why would you follow him?” a voice asks from behind me.

Turning, I all but trip over my own feet. I feel myself falling and clench my eyes shut but I never hit the ground. Instead, strong arms band around my waist, and I find myselfdrawn against a broad chest. I stare at the expanse of naked skin before making my way up, along the column of a muscular neck, over a dark beard, until I reach a set of the darkest, most soulful eyes I have ever seen.

My breath lodges in my throat as I take in the man I saw earlier tonight at The Gin Room. His scent surrounds me, woodsy and fresh, and my entire body breaks out in a shiver. Dear God, he is even more handsome up close. I fight to keep my hands from running through his long, dark hair as he frowns down at me.

“Why would you follow him?” he asks again.

“Who?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

“The damn bear.” He frowns, irritation lacing his words.

“What bear?”

His frown deepens into a full-on scowl. “There was a big ass black bear in the meadow. And the moment he disappeared into the trees you decided to join him.”

“Oh, that. He invited me.”

“Invited you?” he asks with a quirked brow.

I enjoy having his arms around me for a moment, breathing in his intoxicating scent. I wiggle in his grasp, feeling his erection against my belly. A rush of heat flows through me as arousal dumps into my system.

His eyes darken even more as he releases me, stepping back. It’s only then I notice he is fully nude. His thick cock stands erect, pre-cum coating the crown, and I can’t help but lick my lips. I wonder what he would taste like.

His large, scarred hands obscure my view as he tries to cover himself but fails miserably. My gaze clashes with his once more, taking in the deep blush that sits high on his cheeks.

“Why are you naked?” I question, my voice husky with need.

When did I become this wanton creature? I’ve neverwanted to climb a man like he’s a damn tree but that’s all I want to do right now. Or maybe fall to my knees and beg him to fuck my face.

“I can explain,” he says but his words are muffled.

In the background a noise continues to interrupt my dream. I don’t know what is happening as he slowly starts to fade from my view, his voice drifting off. I can’t hear what he is saying and as I try to reach for him, he is gone.

Sitting upright, I take in the apartment around me as the sun starts to rise, light streaming in through the windows, and once more I am bereft at the loss of a man whose damn name I don’t even know. How can it hurt so much to lose someone I never even had?

My hormones are still running rampant, and I know I won’t be able to concentrate on anything else until I orgasm. Reaching over to the bedside table, I remove my neon green vibrator, switch it to high, and lie back down.

Chapter Six

Korvin Slater

Exploring

For the first time in my life, my animal is quiet. He is there, I can feel him moving around in the recesses of my mind, but he isn’t fighting me for dominance or trying to force me to shift. I think it may be because I finally have a plan to talk to our mate. I just need to wait for her to come out of her apartment.

Less than three hours ago, the scent of her pussy, her arousal, permeated the entire building, nearly taking me to my knees. Knowing she is here, close enough to touch, has me making rash decisions, but I can’t hold back. And to be honest, I don’t want to.

After taking care of my raging erection, again, I showered, dressed, and now I find myself waiting downstairs outside the apartment building for her to emerge. I don’t know if she will want to leave her apartment today, having worked late at The Gin Room, but I will wait all day if I have to.

As luck would have it, I don’t have to. I’ve only been loitering outside like a weirdo for twenty minutes when she walks out. Her face is tilted to the sky like she is catching the rays of the sun like a sunflower. Her skin shimmers beneath the rays, begging me to touch her while her red curls bounce in the late morning breeze. For the longest moment I just stare at her.

She turns toward me and freezes. A small smile plays at the corner of her lips as she takes me in.

“Hello.”

“Hi.” I feel stupid the moment the word falls from my lips, but I don’t know what else to say.

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