Eudora
Before I know it, my second practice date has arrived. This date is with Leon. Leon has always been playful, so I'm sure whatever he has planned will be fun. After the sun has set, Leon picks me up at my door. He is carrying a blanket and a picnic basket. He takes my hand and we walk out of the building and to the forest. He stops right at the edge of the trees and drops my hand.
"Are we going to have a picnic here?" I ask.
"Nope. I know a perfect spot. It's my secret place so you have to promise you won't tell anyone about it before I take you there."
"I promise." I tell him.
He grins at me, his cheeks dimpling. "Good." He retakes my hand and guides me into the trees. We aren't on any trail that I can tell. After 15 minutes of walking I start to hear water. Another 10 minutes later, we enter into a clearing that takes my breath away. A waterfall pours into a clear pool of water. The moonlight lights up the water making it look like it is glowing. The place is so beautiful, it feels like magic.
"Oh wow, how did you find this place?" I ask Leon.
"My first year at Tremont, I was struggling a lot and I tried to run away. I had been lost in the woods for hours, when I stumbled upon this place. I was so tired and thirsty that the sight of water brought me to tears. I shifted and went for a swim. I swam and relaxed in the pool for hours until I felt strong enough to return to the academy.
"How did you find your way back?"
"I followed that stream to the ocean." Leon points at a small stream trickling out of the pool. "And then just walked along the beach until I made it back to campus. I come to this place anytime I need to recenter myself."
"Wow, for someone who acts like a brat half the time, I didn't expect you to have a quiet place to relax."
"Hey, I am not a brat!" Leon says in fake outrage. He spreads out the blanket and sits on it, placing the basket in the middle. I sit down on the other side of the basket.
"Yes you are! You cry whenever you don't get enough attention."
"Crying is a reasonable way to express feelings of sadness."
"Except your tears are crocodile tears. You just cry to get attention."
"They are not crocodile tears! I am genuinely sad when I don't get attention." Leon pouts and turns away from me.
"Don't be like that! How can I make it up to you?"
"You can go swimming with me."
"Isn't the water too cold?"
"The best part of this place is that the water is warm."
"Really? I wonder how"
"My best guess is that water from an underground hot spring bubbles up here."
"No way! Well, then we have to go swimming." I give him a teasing grin. "It's too bad we don't have swim suits."
"Oh no!" Leon looks genuinely sad. "I knew I was forgetting something."
"It's okay. I'll just go in my underwear."
"I thought you were shy about your body."
"I am a little more shy than most shifters, but my bra and panties cover the same parts a swimsuit would, so I'm sure it will be fine."
Leon grins, "Yeah that's right." He jumps up and strips out of his clothing. He then runs naked towards the water. "Last one there is a rotten egg!"
"No fare!" I shout at his back. I peel my shirt over my head and unzip my skirt, dropping it to the ground. I step out of it and then run. The autumn night air is chilly on my skin. Leon makes it to the water first and cannonballs right in. He resurfaces and looks at me as I leap in.
"I win! I beat you!" Leon taunts swimming in a circle around me. The way he moves through the water is so graceful. Leon dives under water and resurfaces with his cheeks full of water.
"Don't you dare!" I shout at him. I try to splash his approaching figure but it doesn't even slow him down. Once he gets within range, he releases the water from his cheeks squirting me directly in the face.
"Ewww gross!" I wipe the water from my eyes and then look at Leon.
Leon smiles and then rolls over onto his back.
I swim over to his floating form. "So what is it like to shift?" I ask.
"It feels like your whole body is being torn apart and put back together."
"Does it hurt?"
"No, it's more like being caught in a violent windstorm."
"Leon" I say seriously
"Yeah" He looks at me
"Why are you in shifting level 1 as a 3rd year?"
He sighs and then looks up at the stars. "Like you, I was a late bloomer."
"You were?"
"Yeah, I had my first shift at 19, while I was serving in the military."
"What was it like for you growing up without shifting?"
"It was not good. My pheromone assessment as a baby showed that my pheromones were particularly weak. When I didn't shift at a normal age, the kids in my school teased me about it. Girls refused to talk to me, and guys didn't want to be associated with me."
"That must have been hard."
"It was, but after I shifted for the first time it got better. And after I got my acceptance letter for Tremont, people thought a lot more highly of me. Some people were still mean to me, saying that the school must have accepted me by accident, but others suddenly wanted to be my friend because they thought I would become important."
"I didn't know there were still packs where weak shifters are ostracized. I thought after having non-shifter children became more common, non-shifters and weaker shifters were more accepted."
"That is true for most packs, but my pack is one of the smallest in the Aquatic Kingdom, and its elders hold onto their old beliefs."
"What happens to the non-shifter children?"
"Nothing really, the girls, of course, were treated the same as the shifters, but the boys were ignored. They had their own friend group in the school that, unfortunately, wanted nothing to do with me because, even though I couldn't shift, I was still a shifter."
"That's horrible. I would have been your friend."
He smiles and looks at me. He stops floating, letting his feet sink to the floor and he faces me. The water is just deep enough that his shoulders are out of the water. I, on the other hand, am a few inches shorter than Leon, so only my head is above water. "I know you would have. We actually have a lot in common, we are both late shifters, and we are both inexperienced when it comes to relationships."
"You haven't dated a lot?"
"Between being an outcast in my pack, and then the weakest shifter in my troop, I didn't have a lot of luck with girls. I've been out on a few dates with non-shifters, but none of them went very well."
"Have you ever kissed anyone?" I pause and think then ask a second question. "Can you kiss without shifting?"
He laughs. "I can kiss non-shifters without any issues. The pheromones from getting too close to shifters I'm attracted to… well you saw what happened when you fell on me. I got a little turned on and then one sniff of your sent and poof seal form. I did manage to keep my human form while fooling around with one of the guys in my troop. He was hot but kind of a jerk, so that made it easier for me to stay focused on keeping my form."
"Do you think it would be harder to focus on keeping your form with me if we fooled around?" I give him a sly grin. I swim over to him and brush my hand down his arm.
He groans, "Yes definitely."
"We are partners in shifter class, it would be prudent for us to practice." I usually don't flirt so blatantly. Something about the warm water, seclusion, and Leon opening up to me has me feeling bold.
"It would be studious for us to practice. I think, since we are both such dedicated students, practicing is a good idea."
I put my arms around Leon's neck, lean my body into his, then I lick my lips and kiss him softly. I pull away and we are both surprised to find he is still in his human form.
"You didn't shift!"
"I don't know how I managed it! Maybe, since you are mostly submerged in water, it's keeping most of your pheromones from me.
"That sounds plausible. Want to test it further?"
"Yes."
I lean into him again and kiss him deeper. His arms wrap around me as our tongues meet. The kiss with Leon isn't as intense of a fire as the one I shared with Aren after the bonfire, but it is more playful and fun. Leon tastes like candy. I bite his bottom lip gently and he groans, then grabs my ass and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he carries me to the edge of the pool, placing me on some rocks. He kisses me down my neck, and then suddenly, he shifts into a seal.
I break into laughter. Leon flips his fin at me and then starts swimming laps around the pool. I walk back up the hill to our blanket and sit down watching Leon swim gleefully. After a few minutes he shifts back and joins me on the blanket.
"So, what did you pack for food?" I ask him.
Leon opens the basket and pulls out two large sandwiches, a large container of potato salad, an actual salad, chocolate covered strawberries, and a bottle of wine.
"Jeez, were you expecting 4-5 people to crash our date?"
Leon looks sheepish, "Is it too much? I told one of the cooks that I was planning on taking a girl on a moonlit picnic and asked if there was any extra food I would bring. She got really excited about the idea and packed all of this food for us."
"That was really sweet of her." I smile at the thought of the cook joyfully preparing this food.
"Well, we shouldn't let this food go to waste. Dig in!"
After we have both eaten ourselves sick, we decide it's time to pack up and head home. Instead of walking through the dark woods again, we opt to walk down the beach. Leon and I are chatting about the secret pool, when we spot two figures sitting together on the beach.
"Is that Aren?" Leon asks.
I look harder at the figures and Aren's form is undeniable.
My stomach plummets, and all of the joy I felt from my date with Leon disappears when I realize that I recognize the girl he is with. It's Olivia. They may not be spending nights together, but I can't pretend any longer that they aren't seeing each other. I have no right to be upset about seeing Aren with Olivia. He has every right to see other women.
I am in a dark mood all the way back to Leon's dorm where Gia and the rest of his suitemates wait for us to give them a run down of our date.
"So how did it go?" Gia asks as soon as we walk into the common room.
"It went well." I smile at her and raise my and Leon's connected hands, emphasizing to the group that we are holding hands.
Where did you take her?" Koda asks, directing his question at Leon.
"That is a secret."
"Oh come on!"
"We had a picnic." I say.
"What feedback do you give the date?" Gia asks.
"I am going to give it five stars. Everything about it was perfect." I smile at Leon who smiles back.
"I thought a date would only be 5 starts if you ended up getting lucky." Ryland drawls from the couch.
"Who's to say he didn't?" I ask Ryland.
"Judging by the fact that he can't keep his human form around you, and you don't seem like the type of girl who would fool around with a seal, I think it's pretty safe to say your date was platonic." Kaden states.
"Think what you like, but I won't kiss and tell." I smirk at them.
"You have to tell me though." Gia cuts in.
I wink at her and mouth the word, later.
We all decide to hang out and watch a movie together. Half way through the movie, Aren gets home.
"So how was your date?" Leon asks.
"I wasn't on a date." Aren retorts a little too defensively.
"Sure you weren't, Ora and I saw you on the beach looking cozy with some girl." Leon teases.
"We were just talking." Aren looks annoyed.
"Can't you see Aren doesn't want to talk about it." Jay says, defending Aren. Though, he ruins it by saying, "Let's go talk about your date in our room."
They both leave, escaping to their bedroom and closing the door behind them.
"Do you really think Aren was on a date?" Gia asks.
"I don't see any other reason why he would be alone with a girl on the beach." Ryland says.
"Ryland, guys and girls can be just friends with each other." Gia argues. "Hanging out doesn't mean they were on a date."
"Sure, hanging out isn't necessarily a date, but sitting alone on a beach watching the stars, that is a date." Ryland retorts.
"I think it's time for bed." I say standing suddenly.
"But we haven't finished the movie yet." Leon whines.
"You can finish it without me." I pretend to yawn. "I am suddenly really tired."
"I'll go with you." Gia stands and walks over to me. "I am also really tired."
Back at our room Gia is impatient to get the details about the date from me.
"So did anything happen?" She asks as soon as we are alone.
"Lots of things happened. We went swimming, had a picnic, and we talked about his life back at his pack."
"That's not what I meant and you know it. Now spill."
"Fine, you got me." I throw my hands up, but grin at Gia. "We made out."
"Nice! Was there tongue? Was there any… touching?"
"Yes tongue and yes touching."
"I'm impressed Seal Boy was able to pull it off."
"Me too. His pheromone control and strength is improving."
"So was it good?"
"Yes, it was very fun."
"Good." She says and then turns serious. "We need to talk about your reaction to seeing Aren with another girl.
I sigh. "He was with Olivia."
"Again! I thought Charlotte told you they weren't a thing."
"All Charlotte said was that Olivia hasn't had any guys over and hasn't spent the night away."
"Still if Charlotte doesn't think they are together, then I am going to trust her." Gia smiles at me. "Charlotte knows more than she's letting on and I have a magical ability to sense relationships. You can trust me when I tell you, Aren does not have any romantic feelings for Olivia."
"Thanks, that does make me feel better."
"Just because he's not interested in her romantically doesn't mean they aren't banging though."
"Jee, thanks." I say in a deadpan.
"I'm just saying." Gia says. I throw a pillow at her, which shuts her up.
Aren
"So what did Olivia have to report?" Jayden asks me once we are alone.
"She let me know that Madison has been spending a lot of time off campus, but she doesn't think Madison is planning anything right now. She will keep us informed if she learns about anything."
"She needs to be paying closer attention to Olivia. After the fiasco with James, we need to be more careful about watching her." Jay says. "Thanks for handling these meetings for me. We can't have rumors of me spending time with Olivia getting back to Madison. Having you meet with her is safer for everyone."
"I know. I don't like that people think we were on a date."
"It's better if people do think that, they will be less suspicious of you talking alone with her.
Eudora
The next day, I don't have any classes and I'm still a little shaken up about seeing Aren with Olivia, so I decide to get away from campus and visit my parents. I call a cab and relax during the drive, watching the landscape fly by. I know that I have feelings for Aren, but I also am enjoying getting to know the other guys. If Aren and I get a string I hope he will give me a chance, but there are so many great guys who I could also get a string with. Ryland's fake proposal was wild and the way Leon opened up to me on our date, made me feel really close with him. If Aren isn't meant to be with me, then at least I know there are other guys who could make me happy. There isn't any point in worrying anyway. Once the strings show up, then I can figure things out with Aren.
The carriage pulls down the long driveway of my parents estate and stops in front of the main entrance. A butler comes down the steps and opens the carriage door for me. I thank the driver and leave. The trip from campus to my parent's palace is an hour and a half, so they won't be expecting me to show up unannounced. I enter the drawing room where my mom is surprised, but overjoyed to see me.
"Your father is very busy, but I'll let him know you are here. Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Mom stands and walks over to one of the maids stationed by the door.
"I'm okay mom."
"Are you sure? I could ask the chef to fix you up a sandwich."
"That's okay."
"Okay, no food." She then turns and asks the maid to inform my father of my visit, before returning to the couch. She sits next to me and asks, "So, how come you decided to stop by today? Is something bothering you?"
"I'm just nervous about coming of age and I still haven't had my first shift."
"There is nothing to worry about. Your first shift will come. Your pheromones seem to be pooling, so I am sure it is going to happen soon"
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "That's good to hear."
"That can't be the only reason you're here." My mother perks up. "Are you having any boy trouble?"
I sigh. "It's Aren."
She claps her hands together with glee. "I knew it! You too have always gotten along so well, and I always suspected love would bloom."
"It's not like that, well at least not for him. We kissed and it was amazing, but since then he's been keeping a distance from me. Plus, I've caught him out alone with one of my suitemates twice now."
"Oh sweetie, it's normal to go on dates. He's probably waiting to see if you have a string before he gets involved with you?"
"You think so?"
"Yes and in the meantime you should see other men."
"I have been."
"Good!" Just then my father enters the room and takes the seat across from me.
"I'm glad you're here. There is something I want to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"As you know, our Kingdom's population has been declining, and you, as a female shifter, are worth a lot. Now I am not saying this is definitely happening, but the Emperor has been reaching out about arranging a marriage with you and his oldest son.
"An arranged marriage! You can't be serious."
My mother looks shocked. "Richard, an arranged marriage? Why didn't you talk to me about this?"
My father responds, "She is only your adoptive daughter. I am her father and I am the one who makes decisions about her future and the future of our kingdom."
My mother gasps and tears fill her eyes.
My father, looking at his distraught mate, tries to change tactics and comforts her. "The marriage will only go through if Eudora has a string with the prince. It is illegal to force a marriage between two shifters who don't have a string."
"You can't just spring this on me. Why are you even considering this?" I nearly shout at him.
My father turns to me. "Having you on the throne would guarantee the future of the Forest Kingdom. We would be a priority for the Empire. It would give us more safety and power."
"You'd trade my future for power?" I ball my fist and stand up.
"You're overreacting, Eudora. I am giving you a better future. You would be an empress. Besides, it's likely the arrangement will fall apart in talks."
"I can't believe you." Tears stream down my face and I run out of the room. I run out of the main building of the palace and into the woods. I don't even realize where I am going until I arrive at my mother's grave. I fall to my knees and sob over it.
"What troubles you so, child?" I hear an unfamiliar voice and look up to see an old lady dressed in all black stepping into the small clearing.
"Who are you?" I ask. My voice is raw from crying.
"I am your fairy godmother."
I look at her up and down taking in her tattered clothing and bent nose. She doesn't look like a fairy godmother, but who am I to judge? I shrug and then ask hopefully, "Really?"
She cackles. "No! Of course I'm not. I am a witch."
"Oh okay, what are you doing here?" I ask her, wiping tears from my face and standing up.
"I was just out for a stroll when I heard you crying." I didn't believe that this witch just happened to be walking nearby.
"What do you want?" I ask, getting nervous.
"I just wanted to give you a message."
"Okay. What is the message?" Now I know for sure she didn't just happen across me here. Somehow she knew where to find me and when I would be alone.
"The answers you seek can be found in your locket."
"How do you know about my locket? I ask a little too forcefully.
"I know your mother."
"My mother is dead."
"Sure she is."
"That's it. You find me alone in the woods, and all you have to say to me is that I should look inside a locket that doesn't even open?" I'm starting to get angry now.
"All I can tell you is that the locket will help you find the moon goddess. That is all the information I can give you right now. You're not ready yet. When you open the locket, you'll be ready."
"Wow, more cryptic things. Can you stop talking in riddles and just tell me what's going on. Is the moon goddess alive?"
"In a way." The witch grins and turns to walk away.
"Wait, can you at least tell me how to find you again?" She looks back at me.
"I live in the Dark Forest. Go there and I will find you." With that she walks away, disappearing among the trees.
...
I return to my dorm well after sundown. I am feeling rather hot as I enter the room. I stop in my tracks when I see that Gia is not alone. Bennett is licking her pussy like it's his favorite flavor of ice cream. Gia lets out a loud moan and I quiver. The heat in my body rises and my underwear is suddenly drenched. The scent of my arousal gets Bennett's attention. He stops his licking and turns his head seeing me standing frozen in the doorway.
"Oh shit. Ora is back." Bennett tries to cover them but Gia stops him.
"You wouldn't mind if Ora watches, would you?"
Bennett looks back and forth between the two of us and then he grins. "Hell yeah she can watch."
This unfreezes me. I close the door and walk to my bed. Gia slides open her nightstand, reaches in and pulls something out, tossing it to me. I look at what toy she has given me to use and my eyes widen when I see that it is a tentacle dildo. A tentacle dildo is fitting for watching her fuck an octopus shifter. While I am studying the toy in my hand, Bennett has returned his lips to Gia's cunt. He sucks on her clit and she moans again. While his mouth is focused on her clit, he uses his fingers to ease her pussy lips open and he inserts a finger inside. My body feels so hot and I am entranced watching them. I slowly unbutton my shirt until it is fully opened, without looking away from Gia and Bennett. I slip my shoulders out of my shirt and let it fall off of me. I unhook my bra and release my boobs. I rub and then pinch my nipples, I moan adding my own voice in with Gia's moans. Bennett glances over at me and his eyes darken when he sees my naked breasts. He pulls his fingers out of Gia and then looks me in the eye as he shifts his arm into a tentacle. I watch as he slowly pokes at her entrance with his large tentacle. Gia moans even louder.
"Please, more, I want it. Please give it to me." She begs. Bennett slowly pushes his tentacle arm past her lips and inside her. "Yes, yes, yes!" She screams. I continue to play with a nipple with one hand and I drop the other hand to the unbearable heat between my legs. I hike up my skirt to my waist and rub myself vigorously. Bennett's tentacle starts to pick up pace plunging in and out of Gia while his mouth continues to suck mercilessly at her clit.
"Fuck I'm coming!" Gia shouts as her whole body shutters. Bennett stops his sucking and looks up at Gia.
"Let's see how many times you can come." Gia just nods at him hazily. Bennett slowly pulls his tentacle out of her pussy and licks it. He then reaches it up to Gia's mouth.
"Suck on it." He orders. She opens her mouth wide and sucks on his tentacle. Once Gia's juices have been licked off of Bennett he shifts his arm back into a regular arm.
"Did you like that Ora? Do you like watching your roommate get fucked by a tentacle?"
"Yes." I respond.
"Don't you think your roommate wants to watch you to get fucked by a tentacle?"
I'm confused at first thinking he is offering to give me the same treatment, but then I remember the dildo on the bed next to me. I pick up the dildo and notice it has a switch. I turn it on and it slithers around while vibrating. "Good girl. Now give us a show while we fuck."
Bennett slips his pants off and he is now completely naked. He makes sure I have a good view of them, before he lines herself up at her entrance. He slowly pushes his head against her opening but stops before going inside.
"Do you want to watch me fuck your roommate with my cock?" Bennett asks me.
"Yes."
"Then take those panties off." He orders me. Bennett and Gia watch as I slowly slide my panties down my thighs and kick them onto the floor. I spread my legs so they can both get a good look at me. I slowly pick up the gyrating vibrator and rub it along my folds. Pleasure runs up my spine. I have never been so horny before in my life. I slowly line the vibrator up with my opening and tease it inside. I am so wet and the tentacle vibrator slides in smoothly. Just as the vibrator enters me, Bennet plunges himself into Gia. She screams with pleasure. I watch as Bennett slams his dick into her again and again. I hungrily watch them as the heat from vibrator pulsing inside me builds.
Bennett flips Gia over onto her hands and knees. He swiftly continues his pounding but now he turns his arm back into a tentacle. He uses the suckers on his tentacle to reach around and tease her nipples. I moan in unison with Gia. The vibrator is writhing inside me hitting my walls just right. Bennett releases her nipples and then spits on the tip of his tentacle and he lines it up with her back entrance. He presses down putting a little bit of pressure on Gia's ass hole.
"Yes please, fill both my holes. I want you to fill me as much as possible. Please, this feels so good." Gia begs him.
Bennett presses his thick tentacle into her and then starts pumping it in and out. Gia screams with a second release, but Bennett doesn't stop. Gia and I are both loudly moaning together.
"More, more, more!" she screams. Bennett responds by shifting his other arm into a tentacle and shoving it down her throat. She is completely filled by him. I pump the vibrator in and out of me in unison with Bennett's strokes. I feel my body start to jerk with need and my hips lift off of the bed. I am so close. Gia's body tenses and then quakes again and this time I come with her. Bennett pulls his dick and tentacle out of her and then comes on her ass.
"Holy shit!" He exhales as his cock continues to pump come all over Gia.
"That was so hot." Gia exclaims, then she turns to me. "Having you watch made that ten times hotter."
"Your pheromones are pretty strong right now. I think I should leave, before I end up fucking Gia all night." Bennett says to me. He then gets off the bed, throws Gia a towel to wipe herself with and gets dressed.
"See you later." He says to Gia as he walks out the door.
Gia turns to me and grins. I grin back. That was a much needed release.