Melody used the bathroom after Malcolm returned. When she returned, he was asleep. She drank her wine as she watched the night through the wall of windows. Gods, if there were eyes out there looking back, they must have a great show. She couldn’t help but touch her bare flesh, remembering what his touch felt like and how it made her feel. She feared that she’d want to get used to being with him. But even if she stayed, they’d agreed it would end Monday. When they left this place. Her heart wept at that because she couldn’t harden it now. The fun and games were too real right now.
She had to remind herself that this was for the best. That she couldn’t maintain this. Right now, she was all too aware of the surrounding scents. The scent of their mingle passion lit up the room. Even after a shower, she could smell him on her body. It did things to her that made her knees go weak. Now she’d climb into bed beside him and attempt to sleep.
When she slipped naked into bed with Malcolm, even in sleep, he pulled her to him. His shaft nestled between the globes of her bum, made her all too aware of the places that begged for it to nestle in again.
She didn’t understand why she was so greedy for him, but it is what it is, as they say. She lay there waiting for sleep, her core again melting in need of him.
The next morning Malcolm woke up to his usual morning wood and a willing entrance to receive it. So. Melody woke to find Malcolm settling into the place she ached most for him.
It was long and slow. The emotions she felt tore at her heartstrings as he made love to her slowly. That was the only way she could describe it. He made love to her, slowly teasing her to the brink and, after a while, he sent her over the end along with him. He knotted inside her, and they lay quietly as their bodies accepted and enjoyed the feel.
“I’ll bring breakfast up here. We’ll eat and then I’ll take you out on the water for a trip around the lake.” Malcolm said as he finally slipped from her and the bed.
Melody lay there purring to herself, enjoying the after shocks of how she woke up. Birth Control. She scrambled for her purse and grabbed out her birth control and her scent blockers. Melody popped them in her mouth and swallowed them dry. She knew he wouldn’t be gone long. Panicked, she looked at the clock. Good, she took the scent blockers in time. She had twenty minutes or so before she risked them failing.
She just got them into her purse as Malcolm returned.
“I know how you love your morning muffin. So, I have muffins instead of toast, and yogurt with granola.”
“Now I thought you were an English breakfast type of guy.”
“Only if I know I’m not eating right for most of the day. Then I’ll add eggs or bacon to this.”
“Ah, so no kippers.”
“Not if I can help it. If I remember correctly. You eat a lot of chicken, don’t you?” All Melody thought as she tried not to wince visibly was ‘like a fox in the henhouse.’
“I don’t know. I like lots of things, but chicken is easy to come by and the restaurants usually cook it properly.” She wouldn’t tell him it was her preferred choice, and she was a cliché of a fox shifter. It was embarrassing.
He nodded, smiling. Clearly, he didn’t believe her. But he was too nice to say more.
They ate naked on the bed and watched the sun come up. Whoever built the house designed and built it so whoever stayed in this room could see the sun from sunup to sundown. The colours were beautiful, and she wondered how the view changed with the seasons. “The fall colours must be absolutely beautiful.”
“Yes, dawn and dusk during the fall is magnificent for colours. Even in winter, the view is like an old painting.” Malcolm smiled as he talked about the different seasons there. “If we plan to take the boat out, we should get dressed and go. The water can get busy sometimes and it will slow us down. There’s a place a distance away from here where we can hike and have lunch. Spend the day in nature.”
Melody stopped and looked at him. “That sounds amazing. I won’t be long.” Picking up her purse and overnight bag, Melody hurried into the bathroom to dress.
Malcolm entered before she got out of the shower and joined her. “If we shower together, we’ll save water and time.” With a devilish smile, he took her shampoo from her and washed her hair. His fingers caressing and touching her head, neck and back.
“You’re cruel. We’ll never get out of here like this.”
“I told you there’d be fun and games.” Next, he used the body wash as an excuse to touch her from the top of her hair to the tips of her toes. Her body was thrumming by then and she teased him by rubbing her soapy body over his. Suds were everywhere and bodies were slippery. He sat on the shower seat and pulled her into his lap, facing away from him. His hands parted her thighs. Fingers tested her core.
“You truly are giving me a run for my money. So perfect. His shaft drove home now, and he pulled her along with him to new heights of pleasure. She couldn’t keep track of his hands. His shaft knotted within her, and it only made things so right, so perfect.
After they caught their breath, they dressed. Melody made sure she put her scent blockers into her day pack. A small waterproof backpack Malcolm gave her to use. Then they were off to the dock. A boat now sat tied to the dock. They got in with Malcolm at the wheel and they were off.
She could see why fairly quickly what Malcolm meant by the water being crowded in places. But after an enjoyable and relaxing hour-long trip, he tied the boat to another dock and helped her out of the boat and onto shore.
He carried a backpack and a picnic basket. “Follow me and we’ll set up a base before we explore a little.” Melody didn’t know they were now standing on property owned by himself and his pack. He’d made it clear the pack should stay away from here this weekend so they wouldn’t run into Melody and scare her.
“This looks like a magnificent spot.” He’d had a folding table and chairs setup with space for a blanket to sit on and cuddle after they took a swim.
Normally, he kept his encounters to the cottage. But Melody, he had to see her in nature. No idea why he needed to, but he had to. Jordan outdid himself by following Malcolm’s instructions to the letter. Everything was there and ready.
Later that day, they swam after lunch. He took his phone out, needing to record this. Usually, he didn’t record his lovers. They were just a way to blow off steam. Shifters were highly sexual, and their drive was legendary.
Melody looked like a merfolk in her barely there bikini. The bottoms were almost just string that got lost between her bum. He loved it. With pictures of her secreted away, he joined her on the blanket. He was glad this spot was secluded because he would have torn any man apart who saw Melody like this. Gods, this wasn’t him. He didn’t get jealous of fictional people. But those breasts were on display and her bum was bare. He wanted both now, and to rend any man who got too close.
That aggressive nature found its way into a heated encounter there on the shore, with him taking her like the animal he knew he was. It was all he could do to not lose himself and bite her. The urge was stronger than ever before, and it scared the crap out of him. This he had to unpack before he went too far. “What time is it?” He’d knotted inside her again and she tried desperately not to say she knew what that meant. Melody prayed her birth control would work because him taking her like this was bliss incarnate. “Four thirty-four. Why?” She couldn’t tell him. Gods, she should have taken a scent blocker half an hour ago. “It’s nothing. I’ll be back in a moment.” She grabbed her daypack and moved into the tree line. Crap, she was screwed if he scented her fox and with all the sex, she was sure her fox would fly her colours from here to North Bay if it weren’t for the pills. She popped another pill and tried to hang out while it took effect. This was a mess she cou
She tried to speak; he saw her lips move and his hand gripped his shaft harder. His mind’s eye seeing those lips wrapped around him earlier. “I’m going to ask again. Should we go slower?” “As you wish it, Sir.” “Good answer.” He turned the dildo back on. This time, he changed the tempo of the vibration. Her back arched as she felt it. He’d have to do something with her soon. His hand wasn’t cutting it to soothe his desires. With a feather, he traced her body, breasts, belly, inner thighs. She was lost in her space, and he gloried in a job well done. He toyed with her, intrigued by her in every way. Now he was getting lost in his own focus. Now he had time to think. Time passed, and he stretched her desires out. Slowly wringing her of her resistance. His mind went to the things he’d thought and felt that were so different this time. Oh, each encounter was different, but this one. This one had teeth and legs. He studied her legs from every angle. Touching and
Melody returned to the sleeping Malcolm, saddened knowing that she’d have to leave. She climb back into bed with him and lay there until morning came. In the bathroom, she got ready for the day. Packed her things and tucked them back into her overnight bag. Melody found Malcolm in by the fire. It was raining outside. She stood at the windows, watching it for a long while. Her mind trying to go over where she could have lost the scent blockers. Gods, she felt like a fool. She couldn’t ask Malcolm for help to look for them. He’d ask her what they were for and, as a wolf, he’d know if she lied. Melody wandered the main room where she’d left the daypack, hoping against hope she’d find the bottle in a corner or some hidden place. But she had to be subtle about it. So she pretended to look at artwork and organize the already clean room. “Everything alright Melody?” “Just restless, I guess. Maybe it’s the rain.” “Hmm…” Melody knew that sound. He didn’t buy it.
Malcolm awoke alone. He stretched and found the place beside him was cold. Sitting up, he went still, trying to locate the sound of her moving around. But everything was silent. Worried something may have happened to her, Malcolm searched the building. Nothing. She wasn’t inside the house. He started looking outside and stopped dead in his tracks. Her car was gone, her bag too. She left without a goodbye. He checked again for a note, nothing. Malcolm stood there stunned, in disbelief. No goodbye, no reason for leaving early. He tried to call her phone, and she didn’t pick it up any time he called. Finally, he called Jordan and told him what had happened. Jordan told him she’d probably explain on Tuesday when she saw him. That maybe she had a family emergency and reminded him about the cute Ellie. She’d not wanted to talk about it. Perhaps that was the case. He still wanted to change the rule of their agreement. Now it would have to wait. He cleaned up the
Malcolm paced the cottage’s spacious living room, searching the late afternoon outside the window. He kept expecting her to drive up and come in with some surprise, but she hadn’t. Gods, where was she? There was no note. Her things were gone. His enforcers had searched for evidence of where she could have gone. All they could find was a security video of her leaving their territory. She’d been alone in the vehicle, at least. But she didn’t say anything about leaving. Had he done something wrong? He knew nothing really about her family. Could she have had a family emergency? Why wasn’t she answering her phone? He was useless at finding her, because he kept following her scent back to the bedroom they shared. Jordan called and informed him that her apartment was the wrong address, or she’d moved out. The neighbours weren’t home to ask anything else. What was going on? People don’t just walk away from their lives like this. He couldn’t stay here any longer. Every
Melody missed working in the office. She enjoyed healing well enough. But it didn’t make her happy. She felt like a fraud and a failure. No one was ever happy around her and it boggled her mind how many women came to about either, then asked how she found working outside of the den. One or two even asked how they could do it. The greatest fears were being excommunicated from the den, and the large population of wolf shifters. Melody couldn’t mention that she worked with wolf shifters. It was bad enough when her pregnancy became obvious. The Elder women of the den loved the idea of a new kit or two around the den until she wouldn’t name the father. Their tune changed to a more malicious and quiet tone. They said nothing to her face, but their words got back to her through Ellie. Ellie who now moved in with her to the old and rundown apartment. The tiny place was too small for her healing practice, to load because they surrounded apartment with public spaces, and ther
Stanley Curdle, the only person who could tell Malcolm what for in the firm, stood by the windows of his office, silently trying to pick his words for Malcolm. “Malcolm, I know it’s been hard working on the project without Melody. She would have been your perfect match. Your yin to your yang. But you need help with her gone. Your work is suffering. Please, I gave you a list of candidates, pick one. If you can tell me what happened between you and Melody. Then when we find her, we’ll try to repair the damage. You’re both too good to lose.” Stanley pointed to the files on his desk he left there for Malcolm to study before he decided. They were all good, not as good as Melody. But he could pick one blindly and they’d do the job. Malcolm heard the words perfectly together, and Stanley was correct. They had been perfect together, and that’s what kept him up at night, watching the video and remembering every detail of how perfect they were together. He’d hired Edward Toulouchi
Ellie had to make another run for the post office. To avoid too many eyes on her, she packed the trunk of her old Buick after most people were asleep and hit the road early so she could miss the elder foxes snooping on the den looking for someone to disapprove of and to avoid line ups at the post office. Today Melody and she had to make house calls to several foxes. Several kits were down with a common virus. Miserable, but they would be fine in a week. Then there were the Elder foxes, who expected to be catered to at what Ellie believed was everyone else’s inconvenience and at times detriment. But honour thy elder was firmly planted in their den in life. She then wondered if this was the case with other dens. Just like why didn’t they move to a location more friendly to fox shifters? Though Ellie had a theory on that, and Melody agreed. Once they settled, they’d search for another den and find out if Ellie’s theory was correct. She suspected the elders were desperate to hold