I expected there to be at least one bear in my bed when I woke up. Instead, the mattress on the floor empty; I'm alone in the guest room. I yawn and stretch, wondering how long I've slept. I feel more or less awake, so it must have been quite a while. I had a lot of sleep to catch up on.
Reluctantly, I leave the bed, putting on my bra but staying in the silky nightgown. I don't fancy putting on the clothes I've been wearing for days again. And I could really do with a shower - yes, a sniff of my armpits confirms that. Oh well, my growling stomach has priority. Time for food.
I make my way into the kitchen. Again, it's empty, like all the other rooms I've passed. Where is everyone?
"Hello?" I call, feeling slightly silly.
"We're in the living room," Arnold shouts from two doors down the corridor. I find him sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring at a chessboard. Bertrand is grinning widely - looks like he just did an especially clever move and is now waiting for his partner to deal with it.
"Do you play chess?" the panda shifter asks me and I shrug.
"I know how to, but I've not had much chance to practice."
"Once I win this round, we can have a match," he promises and Arnold groans.
"Don't play against him, dear. You'll lose. I've been losing against him for years."
I smile at his dramatic demeanour. "I like a challenge."
"I suppose you do, travelling with four bears," Bertrand chuckles. "How did that come about?"
"I'd love to tell you but I'm starving. Do you have any food I could have?" I'm a little embarrassed by how brazen I am, but my hungry brain is a demanding brain.
Arnold grimaces. "I'd love to get you something but I need to figure out a way to beat Bertie. Darling, would you mind making our guest a sandwich?"
Bertrand gets up and motions me to follow him into the kitchen, but from the corner of my eye, I see Arnold exchange a tower with a rook on the chessboard. I wonder if his partner will notice he cheated. But somehow, I doubt this will change Arnold's fate.
"Where are the guys?" I ask Bertrand while he takes a massive sandwich from the fridge. Looks like they already made some food earlier for the others.
"They needed to shift. Torben insisted on staying but I managed to convince him that you're safe with us." He hands me my plate and puts the kettle on. "They seem very protective of you."
I shrug. "I almost wish they weren't." No, I don't. I love how they all care for me. But I won't admit that.
"It's very sweet. I remember when Arn and I were like that... young love... it's beautiful." He sighs and I'm glad he turns around to make the tea so he can't see me blushing. Young love? Seriously?
"How did they find you?"
"I ran away from home and managed to get to their island. They took me in and gave me a place to stay while my ankle healed." I don't tell him that it was their fault I injured it in the first place. "Then our house was damaged in a storm so they decided to leave the island earlier than planned. I'm very glad we managed to find this place... I didn't even dare to hope that there may be friendly people living on Inchbrach."
Bertrand nods. "Not many of the islands out here are inhabited. People left when the land became too boggy to be used for farming. We're lucky that we're not human. We can hunt without the need for weapons and ammunition. It makes living off the land a lot easier."
I imagine him as a panda, running over the hills of this island and have to hide a smile. "I didn't know pandas hunted."
He smiles sadly. "In times of need, we all do things we usually wouldn't. But don't let that worry you. For now, here's some human food and the most amazing Earl Grey tea. I can't stand that jasmine stuff. Thirty years of living with Arn and I still haven't got used to it."
"Have you always lived on this island?"
"I think we've been here for two decades now. it was actually a peninsula when we first moved here, although that changed of course. We're lucky that the village was at a good altitude so it wasn't destroyed in the Drowning like so many others. Still, most people left until it was only Arnold and me. We've never been very social people, but it does get a bit lonely here sometimes."
He shrugs and pours us three large mugs of tea. "But it's made me very good at chess. Arn, not so much. Want to head back to the living room? It's warmer by the fire."
He gives my nightgown a pointed look, but it's not like I have any other clothes to put on besides the ones that urgently need washing. I follow him, noticing that my limp is almost gone. Finally. Although I'll miss being carried by the guys.
We sit down on one of the sofas and Arnold joins us, sighing in disappointment that he's not getting any jasmine tea. Seriously, what is it with these men and tea? For a panda and a spectacle bear, they are certainly very British.
We sip our tea in silence, the sound of the crackling fire the only thing distracting me from my thoughts. I can't imagine living in one place for twenty years as these two have. I've always wanted to travel, to explore the world and discover new places. Meet other people who might be more open and friendly than the folks on Salvation Island. And escape my uncle's reign, of course. I'm pretty sure that even if he hadn't forced a marriage on me, I would have run away at some point. But I didn't want to leave the people of the island without a healer. I wonder if my uncle is looking for a replacement for me. I'm not sure how he'd go about that, though, although I wouldn't put kidnapping past him.
I'm so glad to be away from him. I can make my own decision now. Like travelling with four bear shifters.
"Do you know when they'll be back?"
Arnold checks the clock on the mantelpiece. "Shouldn't be long. They've been out for quite some time now. I think their bears were hungry and demanding to be let out. Running over the ice is not the same as running on land for fun."
"Do I get to see you two-shift?" I blurt out and immediately curse myself. That wasn't very polite. But luckily, they seem to be amused rather than offended.
"We no longer need to shift as often as your companions, but yes, I'm planning to go for a run tonight," Bertrand says with a smile. "I might be able to get us some meat for dinner."
I'm still having trouble imagining a hunting panda, but hopefully, I'll get to see him in action later today.
"We've already spoken to Torben about what happens next. You're welcome to stay with us, but the house is rather small and you might want some privacy. Two of the houses in the village are in good condition, so you might want to move into one of them for as long as you stay on Inchbrach. When they left, many people didn't take all their belonging with them, so you might find some useful stuff there as well."
"Aye, there used to be two sisters living in the pink cottage, the furthest one from here," Arnold adds. "They left some clothes, but as we didn't have use for them, they should still be in their wardrobes."
"Thanks, I'll take a look," I say, already excited about it. Sounds like a proper treasure hunt. But I better get dressed first, it looks cold outside and more snow has fallen overnight. Walking around in a nightie is definitely a bad idea, no matter how pretty it is.
"I think you should wear this."
Húnn is holding a little black dress that makes me shiver even from looking at it.
"Have you looked outside recently? It's winter, I'm not walking around in that... rag." I put my hand on my hips to reinforce the message. Sometimes I have to be firm with the bears. What am I saying, sometimes? Always. Especially when they're rummaging through a woman's wardrobe, trying to persuade me to put on the flimsiest clothes they can find. And the worst is that they've started to gang up on me. All four bears insisted on coming with me. They seem to see it as a shopping trip. I see it as torture.
"How about this?" Húnn hands me a red dress that has holes in some very inappropriate places. Strangely enough, it looks like it's supposed to be like that. And that neckline... let's just call it a boobline.
"No chance."
Instead of giving up like he has before, he holds it in front of me as if he's trying to imagine me in it.
"One day, I'll make you wear this." He winks at me and a shiver runs over my back, caused by my ovaries blushing and giggling. He's already looking at me with barely disguised desire right now, so I can't even imagine when he'll do if I wear that dress... I should definitely do it.
I turn around to the other three guys who are sitting on the dust-covered bed opposite the wardrobe. I thought they'd be bored by now. Instead, they look like they're enjoying this.
"Húnn, give her that dark green thing," Ràn suggests, pointing at a long emerald dress that could easily be from Victorian times. Not to say that it isn't pretty though... in fact, I rather like it. It covers all the important places but still has a feminine shape.
"Oh go on then," I sigh dramatically. I won't let them know that I actually like it. "I'll try it on. In the other room."
"No, do it here," Torben demands, his voice husky. Damn, he makes my insides melt with the look he's giving me. Like he's about to jump up and eat me whole. I wonder if he's been planning this all along. Get me naked in front of the others while pretending to look for clothes. And naked in front of him. My polar bear. The first man I've ever kissed. Damn, why do I find that so exciting?
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," I mumble, torn between my sense of decency and the arousal that is running through me.
"Why not?" The heat in Torben's eyes is almost unbearable to look at.
The other three are not looking much different. The predators in them are close to the surface and they want out. They want me. Or maybe that dress.
I can't help myself, I take off my jumper, once again just in my bra. Finn should be used to the sight by now, but he sucks in a shallow breath, his eyes fixed on my chest. I'd call him impolite, but it's flattering.
Next are my jeans. They're tattered at the ends and stiff from dirt, so I'm glad to get out of them. Doing the washing is next on my to-do list. After I deal with my horny bears.
Now just in my underwear, I hold out my hands to Húnn, demanding the dress he's still holding. Reluctantly, he hands it over. With a smile, I pull it over my head, enjoying the soft feel of it on my skin. It's clean, even though it smells a little like mothballs. Nothing some soap won't fix though.
I turn my back to Húnn. "Zip me up, please."
The zip on the dress reaches far down, almost to my bum. I'm sure he can see my panties, but he pulls it up as asked, not even touching my skin by accident. I wish he had.
I turn to the guys and do a mock curtsy. "Like it?"
Torben gets up and spins me around by the shoulders, inspecting me from all sides.
"Exquisite," he whispers and pulls me close. His hands are on my waist, steadying me as he looks deep into my eyes. My ovaries are close to fainting. So am I. In his arms, I feel special. He comes closer, ever closer, until his lips touch mine. It's not a kiss, just a gentle meeting of skin and breaths.
But then, he turns it into a kiss, a wild and demanding one. He's claiming me in front of the others, making it clear that I am his. The alphas'.
His tongue brushes against my teeth and I'm tempted to gently bite down, but I don't want to bring out the bear in him. I let myself flow into his kiss, responding when he nudges me, giving him access when he needs it. We are melting together, the border between us disappearing. Something strange is happening. I feel like... more. Like my awareness has expanded and is no longer confined to its previous limits. I feel so much more. My senses are sending me signals I've never received before. I can suddenly hear the breaths of the guys on the sofa as if they were standing next to me. The cold room is no longer as icy as if the heating had been switched on. And my thoughts are more... wild. Feral.
I want more.
I break the kiss and tear off Torben's shirt, not stopping to think why I suddenly have the strength to rip fabric this easily. He's not wearing anything below and his abs are calling to me. I run my tongue over his skin, tasting him. He is salty and masculine, and I want more. So much more.
My fingernails are leaving marks on his back and he groans as I go lower, drawing a wet line down to his jeans. His belt is in the way so I rip it off, the metal clasp breaking into two pieces. His button flies through the air as I pull down his trousers, exposing a hard cock waiting for my attention. I kiss his tip and grip him hard, causing Torben to groan again.
"Isla, stop," he says hoarsely, but I couldn't care less. He is mine and I'm having him. End of.
I take him into my mouth, enjoying the sensation of his taste mingling with my own. I begin to suck, no idea how I suddenly know what to do. But his moans are enough to tell me that it's the right thing to do. He's enjoying it, and so am I. I grip his buttocks hard, causing him to jerk forwards, his cock pushing deep into my throat. I moan against him, echoing his own sounds.
When I pull back to take a deep breath, I'm suddenly lifted up and put down on the bed which is now empty. I look around in confusion. Where are the other guys?
"It's only me and you now, Isla," Torben whispers huskily, lifting up my skirts and spreading my legs. I am only wearing my panties below, and those are wet, probably translucent. Torben kneels on the bed, looking at me with an unreadable expression. It's no longer hunger, no, it's something deeper.
"I should have warned you," he says but instead of explaining more, he kisses me between my legs. I shudder at the intensity of what his light touch is causing in me. I'm close to coming already, and he's not even started touching me with anything but his tongue. He pulls my panties to one side and begins to lap up my juices.
It's almost too much. I'm strung tight, waiting for a release that I'm not allowing myself yet. His tongue is doing things to me I've never felt before. Yes, I've never been with a man, but I have explored my body. But my fingers have never managed to get me to this point of bliss that Torben is now leading me towards. He slides a finger into me... nobody's ever been in there before. It feels good, no, amazing. I need more.
"More," I whimper and he adds a second finger. It hurts slightly, but the pleasure it brings makes the pain go away immediately.
"I shouldn't do this," he whispers, more to himself than to me. But he doesn't stop. He moves in me, making me shiver every time his thumb touches the most sensitive spot of them all. His hand still in me, he stands up and pulls me closer to the edge of the bed.
His cock is waiting to meet me. Torben is looking at me and I return his gaze, silently telling him that I'm ready. I've been ready for a while.
His fingers leave me and I feel empty until he presses against my entrance. He is so much bigger than those two fingers and I know it's going to hurt. Everybody says it does. But I'm sure it will be worth it.
Surprisingly slow, he pushes in and my inner walls begin to stretch to accommodate him. He is big and I'm starting to doubt that he will fit.
A sharp pain makes me yelp and he stops immediately.
"Are you okay?" He looks a little confused, then his eyes widen as he realises that he's my first. "Oh..."
"Don't stop," I moan and after a moment of hesitation, he continues to enter me. Finally, he's all in and the pain has been replaced with a feeling of fullness. Completeness. I was incomplete and now I'm whole.
"Tell me if it hurts," he warns and begins to move out again. And in. He begins to set into a gentle rhythm and my mind is going blank. At this moment, nothing matters but him. I shut out all other sensations and focus on the connection between us that is pulsating through me like a beacon. We're creating something beautiful here, I'm sure of that.
He carries me closer to the end, increasing his pace in response to my moans.
Then, I'm lifted into the heavens as a final thrust makes me shatter. I break into pieces and my mind scatters, lost.
From the haze, I feel pain in my fingers. In my mouth. I move and then there's something new, a new taste. I like it. I suck, swallowing the bright light into me. The pain subsides enough for me to open my eyes and look into Torben's horrified face before it returns a thousandfold and I let myself be carried away by it, into the dark.