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Carly
Tiny balls whooshinto the water as Annie pours bath salts into the tub. Like everything in this house, it's enormous, and I bet ten people could bathe in it comfortably. A tile ledge is around the perimeter, and it extends all the way to a big window that takes up almost the entire wall. While it's dark now, I imagine the view of the forest is spectacular. The scent of lavender fills the room.
Brady begins to take off his clothes, and I look over at Annie in shock that he's undressing in front of her.
She smiles. "Get used to men stripping in front of everyone. They have no shame."
Brady snorts, "Oh, please, women do it too. You have to if you want to keep your favorite clothes."
"True, brother dear, but we're more civilized about it."
She winks at me. "Roar if you need me."
I smile at her little joke even though I'm on the verge of a major crying jag. Brady climbs into the tub and moans in pleasure.
He says, "C'mon, I'll wash you."
The buttons of the shirt I'm wearing are slippery in my fingers, and I fumble a moment before I begin to feel the ache in my hands.Crap on a cracker, I'm shifting.Before panic can set in, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I listen to the air fill my lungs and then blow it out steadily. My body seems to get the message, and the ache subsides.
Brady's voice makes me open my eyes. "Well done. You're quick to catch on."
Pride surges in me, and I wonder why the hell I care what he thinks. Yeah, I'm a little bitter about the changing thing. I manage to get the shirt off by pulling it over my head, and I step into the water. It's almost too hot, but I sink in and let it flow over my shoulders.
Brady moves behind me and pulls me against his body. His cock throbs and thickens behind me. "Sorry, natural reaction to you. But I don't think sex is a good idea right now."
I nod and lean back into his embrace. Desire overpowers my lingering anger. "How does sex affect shifting?"
"I'm not sure how it works with women, but for men we shift when we want to dominate." I stiffen as a vision of Keith coming toward us replays in my mind, and Brady says, "It can be controlled. Nobody does the bestiality thing."
I hadn't even considered that, and the idea makes me want to cringe. He wiggles a bit behind me. "That's why I bit you when I lost control. It's a way to stop shifting and common for two shifters to do to each other. I'm sorry; I never planned on hurting you."
He drops his head to my shoulder and speaks into my neck. "I'll never lose control with you like that ever again. Watching you change was the scariest thing I've ever done. I thought I'd killed you, Carly, and I wanted to die too."
His voice is shaky, and I turn to look into his eyes. They're glassy with moisture. "Oh, Brady." I kiss the tear that escapes as they fall down my face too.
He finds my mouth and kisses me with desperation, as if I'm the very breath he needs to survive. And I suppose I am, because he feels like mine. I'm struck by the intensity of our connection and fall into it. The need to cry dissipates as his love flows through me.
When we break apart I ask, "Did we form some bond? Did that happen when you changed me?"
"It's from sexual mating. But I wouldn't be surprised if we discover a strong connection of some sort because of what happened. Keith put our mothers on the research, and tomorrow we'll have a meeting to talk it through."
Brady soaps up a washcloth and lifts my arm to wash it. I ask, "Wait, I'm meeting your mother tomorrow?"
Brady smiles at me. "You are, and she's going to love you, don't fret."
"Okay, but I hope I don't embarrass myself and shift in front of her. I'm guessing that's kind of a faux pas." I giggle. "Oh dear, now I'm speaking French."
Brady chuckles. "You're adorable." He twists my shoulders back and washes my back. The water is like silk on my skin.
I inspect the bite on my wrist and see that it's only a faint red outline. "Wow, I do heal fast now. You bit me, and this is all I have to show for the earth-shattering experience it caused? I feel like it should look much worse."
Brady places a hand over my heart. "I think I left the scar here. I hope I can win back your trust some day."
I place my hand over his. "Don't. I'm not thrilled with my new furry features but–" I lift his palm and kiss it. "I trust you with my life."
I turn around and straddle his lap, even though I'm dangerously close to sliding onto his cock. "I love you, Brady Le Roux."
He grabs my face and kisses me with a passion that rolls through me. I pull away panting. "I want you inside me, but what happens if I shift on you during sex?"
