Hop On #5
Summary:An overweight omega puts his life in the hands of a battered and bruised alpha...
Captain Aries did not escape his last mission unscathed. His work with the Elite Force is always dangerousâitâs not easy protecting an entire town of trusting shifters from outside threatsâbut Aries blames himself for the danger he put his team in. To make certain that will never happen again, he decides to resign after one last mission: to protect a VIP named Arthur on his way to Morningwood. Aries failed as a Captain, he wonât fail as a bodyguard.
Arthur has lived his life alone and on the run. Hiding from his sadistic twin, Arthur keeps a low profile. Overweight and afraid, he cloaks himself in clothes and never engages with shifters, despite being one himself. His evil brother taught him that shifters only bring danger. But when a ruggedly handsome Captain from Morningwood shows up at his house to escort him to the shifter community, for the first time, Arthur wants to believe he could be safe. Arthur isnât just concerned with himself though. He has his adopted daughter, Harlow, to care for. At two, she should be years away from her first shift, which makes her ability to spontaneously turn into a tiny bunny strange. Not to mention the troubles it causes around bath time.
Aries is drawn to Arthur from the first moment, but who would want a battered alpha like him? He has no right to put a claim on Arthur. Aries knows the single father is perfect just the way he is and deserves perfection in return. But when a rival alpha approaches Arthur and offers him the safe life he craves, will Aries stand back and watch his future family be whisked away?
Hop On: Welcome to Morningwood Book Five is a full-length omegaverse romance with equal parts heart, angst, humor, and steam. It can be read as a standalone or in order and has a definite, you donât gotta worry âbout it HEA.
Summary:
A classic tale of hawk meets mouseâŠand falls in love.
Last summer, Gus and Blaze were just life-long best friends. They made the leap from friends to lovers and now, several months later, Gus loves Blaze more than ever. Recently, heâs wondered if Blaze still feels the same way. Gus thought their honeymoon phase would last forever.
Blaze is on cloud nine. He has his best friend and his mate. He always knew Gus was his, and now that his best friend has realized that too, Blazeâs life is perfect. He canât wait to spend eternity with Gus, but recently, his little mouse has been acting strange. Like something has changed in him.
A sudden mission with the Elite Force comes at the worst time, separating the two when they need to talk the most. Blaze waited too long to have Gus in his arms. Heâll deal with the human hunters encroaching on shifter land and heâll do it quickly enough to make it home in time for the big Easter barbecueâand to convince Gus that theyâre mates now and forever.
Love Nest is a Welcome to Morningwood novella that continues the love story of Gus and Blaze. and contains all the steam and laughs you expect from Morningwood and can be read and fully enjoyed as a standalone.
Hop On #5
Original Review March 2024:
At first I had a bit of a difficulty getting into this story which I fully blame on my brain not wanting to let go of the characters from Sack of Gold. It only took a chapter, maybe a few pages less than to fully be absorbed in Hop On. As I said in my Sack review recently, I am unfamiliar with this series as a whole and though I found it bit darker than other omegaverse and mpregs from other authors, I couldn't speak to Burrelli's Welcome to Morningwood. Well, I think there are definitely some more disturbing if not full-on dark elements in Hop, I won't spoil them but just know that my heart hurt, physically hurt, for Arthur and his little girl, Harlow. How he found the strength to face it as he did, I'm not sure but he did but I don't think Arthur sees himself in full survivor mode which only added to the hurt my heart felt.
As for Aries, well the name is more menacing than the man but don't count this injured Elite Force Captain out, he may be recovering from the mission that took Arthur's evil brother down but he's not as helpless or unlucky to those around him as he thinks he is. Hop On is only my second read in Morningwood series but I can't think of a better bodyguard to bring Arthur back to recover his brother's belongings and ID him through said belongings. At first glance they couldn't be more opposite but truth is as we get to know them better they aren't so different in their hopes and fears.
And I can't forget little Harlow. What a sweetie with such a heartbreaking past but in Arthur she has found a sense of family and love. She has seen too much in her young years but you know that with Arthur and perhaps Aries(I won't spoil anything) she'll never go unloved.
As I stated in the beginning, Hop On definitely has dark and sad elements but they are all prior to the start of the story but they have left a lasting impression so not only do we see the heartache through Arthur's inner thoughts but also the stranglehold they have left on his present. There is plenty of goodness in this story too, the darkness does not win, does not overshadow, but the author shows how it takes time to overcome those demons. Heartbreaking but also very heartwarming story that lifts you up. Definitely the perfect second read to continue my want to discover more from this author.
Love Nest #8
Original Review March 2024:
When I saw Kiki Burrelli had another Easter-y themed entry in Welcome to Morningwood I had to read it now which means I jumped ahead a couple of entries(again something I rarely do, as in 99.999% never do). I don't think I missed out on anything that I can't go back and catch up on in the coming months but time will tellđ.
On to Love Nest. Unlike the two I have read, Sack of Gold and Hop On, there really is no darkness here other than relationship drama that yes, mostly comes from non-communicating but as I often feel, without drama you can't enjoy the happy. Personally, sometimes not talking things out happens, it's just human nature to keep things tight to one's chest once in a while for a variety of reasons. For Gus and Blaze, those reasons I think is fear of disappointment in each other's decision to leap from friends to lovers, very understandable.
In their shifter form, hawk and mouse, they couldn't be more opposites attract but as we know, in non-shifter they have been BFFs most of their life so friends to lovers it is and there is no denying their chemistry and passion for each other. Sometimes no amount of chemistry and passion can allay those fears of crossing the friends/lovers line. I get it, it is frustrating and more than once I wanted to shake the pair yelling "TALK TO EACH OTHER!" but it's that frustrating that sucked me in so thoroughly that before I knew it, the last page was swiped.
Whether you're like me and went looking for Easter themed stories are are just on the hunt for a fun read, Love Nest is definitely worth the read. There is a brief mentions of Arthur and Aries from Hop On the biggest being the Easter BBQ is at their home so it was nice that I read that entry first and knew what that pair went through to get their HEA but it's not essential reading to fall in love with Gus and Blaze's journey. Another great holiday gem.
Hop On #5
Chapter One
Aries (Captain)
"Fuck, shit, dammit!" I clenched my hands into fists to keep from slamming them against the dashboard. This was a rental, and I didn't think the Elite Force would want to foot the bill for my aggressive outburst. Then again, they wouldn't be getting many more bills from me. Not if this went like I wanted it to.
I sucked in the cool early morning air, taking a moment to breathe through the rage like my appointed therapist had instructed me to do. My jaw ached from the pressure and movement. It felt so tight I wouldn't be surprised if soon it simply snapped in two, right off its hinges, leaving me with a floppy horror movie mouth.
But at least the breathing distracted me from my non-functioning leg. For half a second. I yanked the keys out of the ignition to stop the relentless dinging and grabbed onto the door ledge. Pulling my left half, I negotiated my injured leg out of the car. It had been a long drive from Morningwood to Monterey, and I'd chose to drive straight through, rather than take breaks like my doctor suggested.
I was so close to being rid of Golden Bone, thoughâand my current lifeâthe idea of stopping, delaying that for even a moment, felt unacceptable. My days with the Elite Force were numbered, and once I transferred Golden Bone's remains to the right person and out of my life, all the other parts of me that had refused to heal would start to do so. They had to.
All I had was this one last task. Captain Stellers was too smart a shifter to take over my team without first making sure the most notorious hitman to ever enter Morningwood was completely taken care of. Golden Bone. The golden retriever shifter hitman who moonlighted as a serial killer was cursing me even in death.
He'd met his end, brutally, but not before leaving a wake of destruction behind him. I was still alive. I was one of the lucky ones. But I wanted my life from before, the one where I could walk and move freely, without pain. The life where I didn't need to see the bottom of a bottle of whiskey to fall asleep and where my muscles didn't twitch at the slightest sound or movement.
Which was why I found myself parking on the side of a quiet street with large, fenced-in homes. Stately oak trees lined the sidewalk, their branches breaking up the bright blue sky that stretched overhead, decorated with large, puffy white cloud formations. This was a road where nothing bad happened. I almost couldn't believe anyone related to Golden Bone could live here. Finding a next of kin had been nearly impossible. Everyone at the station told me to just forget it, to let the hitman's remains rot in the holding storage. But even knowing his ashes were in the same city as me would not do. That, and Stellers wouldn't take over otherwise. He was a dot your i's, cross your t's kind of guy.
I hadn't told my team I was leaving. They'd put on airs, pretend to be surprised or disappointed, but we'd all been waiting for this day. Ever since Golden Bone snapped my leg in two and made me a fool in front of my team.
I shut the car door and stepped onto the sidewalk, wincing. Just a few more steps became my personal mantra. The leg wouldn't stop hurtingânothing could make it do thatâbut it would loosen up. My body would remember after the long drive in one position how to compensate with my other limbs.
Most people would still be bedridden after the injury I'd sustained. A double compound fracture with torn ligaments and tendons on both ends. That was fancy talk for Golden Bone stepped on my leg hard. The bones stuck through my skin, and then he shook them like a dog with a bone. Exceptâjokes all aroundâas a golden retriever shifter, he had literally been a dog with a bone.
The break had been bad enough. The torn ligaments on both sides were worse. Even my enhanced shifter healing was having a hard time bringing me back to one hundred percent. I was beginning to think I simply didn't go that high anymore.
"Harlow!" an urgent whisper came from ahead. "Harlow, get back here. No! Don't youâ!"
I checked the street address, noting the whispers were coming from behind the fence of the home I was walking toward.
Fear, as jagged as broken glass, lodged into the top of my throat. Was this Golden Bone's next of kin? What sort of person would I find? They were a paranoid sort, proof from the fact that they refused to come to Morningwood alone and would not even entertain the idea of signing for the ashes unless I could personally ensure their safe travel.
If there had been any way to mail the remains, I would have. But the mayor had been adamant that we do things by the booksâdespite the fact that nothing had been done that way before this pointâwhich meant this person was required to come to Morningwood and personally sign the documents that would transfer ownership.
"If you don't get over here right now, that's it, Harlow. No cookies for lunch. No Peppa!" the voice threatened.
I couldn't be sure, but I thought the person was either a man trying to sound quiet while being loud or a woman who had smoked most of her life. At the thought of smoking, I patted my shirt pocket, relieved by the small cardboard lump I found there.
Quitting the first time had been difficult, but after the attack, those deathsticks were the only thing that kept me sane when the sun was out.
I'd made it to the front gate. The fence was double layered with staggered wrought iron poles that made it very difficult to see inside unless a person stood at the exact right angle. I tried to look in before pressing the intercom button, but all I saw was a bundle of movement. Someone wearing a puffy jacket in the middle of an expansive yard.
On the other side of the fence came a trilling noise. I pressed the intercom again. The noise happened a second time.
"That'sâoh no," the voice said. "Harlow! Harlow!" The person on the other side had reached panicked levels.
The Elite Force agent inside of me urged me to remain calm so that the person on the other side would be calm. I guessed I should be impressed that someone could still sound more panicked than I felt. That had to be why I wanted to soothe them. I knew what it was like to feel like you were stuffed into skin too tight that was slowly shrinking even smaller.
"Excuse me," I called out loudly. "I'm on the other side of the fence and can hear you." There was no answer so I kept speaking. "I'm the one you've been corresponding with." Still no answer. "Regarding the remains?" Bile rose up my throat, and I swallowed it down. The taste still lingered, sharp and acidic.
"Yo-you're with the Elite Force?" the voice asked timidly.
"I'd like to discuss that inside if I may." No one who lived on this street was supposed to know the Elite Force existed. Our duty was to keep the unique all-shifter town of Morningwood safe and, most importantly, a secret from non-shiftersânormal humansâor as we called them, normies. Golden Bone had landed on the Elite Force's radar by using his shifter abilities to kill people for money. It had been only a matter of time before he would've been caught by the normie FBI and then who knew what secrets he would've told.
He wouldn't be talking now. Or hurting anyone else.
"Are you alone?" the person asked.
"Yes, as you requested." I'd nearly canceled the whole trip when the next of kin had asked that I come by myself. It had felt unnecessarily dangerous, but up until that point in our communication, my contact had simply seemed frightened, but earnest. Now they were standing on the other side of the gate, and I was even more curious about what type of a person this was. A type with a petâI could assume that much already.
"Do you see the lens on the gate? It's nestled inside the zero in the address plate."
I peered more closely at the gate. Sure enough, inside the zero there was a small camera lens. "I see it."
"Stand exactly four feet back with your body directly in front of the camera. Arms stretched out to your side."
I did as he asked, hoping the additional strain on my leg that standing in that position gave me didn't show on my face. I waited that way for five seconds. Another five, and my left leg began to shakeâa precursor to giving out entirelyâand thenâ
"Stand back. The door swings out."
I didn't need to shuffle back, but I did. The door opened, revealing a wide, deep green lawn. Behind the lawn was a sprawling garden with bushes that lined the walk way and so many different kinds of plants I was momentarily awed. A garden this size and vibrancy must've taken a lot of work, dedication, and talent. It managed even to outshine the stately mansion behind it.
Standing to the side, looking utterly out of place with his multiple layers of dark clothing, black cap, and sunglasses stood a man. I could only assume he was my contact. Juxtaposed against the vibrant background, his unassuming presence only piqued my curiosity further.
"Are you Golden Bone's next of kin?" I asked quietly once the gate had closed behind me.
"Golden Bone," the man spat. "That's a dumb name." He spoke with so much hatred, so much vitriol, I didn't think he could be talking to me. "He probably loved it," the man said.
"And you are�" I prompted, stepping closer. My contact had given me very limited information.
For every step I hobbled closer, he slunk back like a cat toward a mouse. "My name is Arthur. You already know I'm related to the d-deceased so I don't see why I need to give you any more information."
True. The task of finding someone related to Golden Bone had been difficult. From what we knew of him, he came from an affluent shifter family that did not grow up in any of the more common shifter towns. No place was quite as secure as Morningwood, but Dix Wallow was another popular shifter town, as well as a few others.
Golden Bone had never wanted for moneyâhadn't even needed the fees he'd collected while working as a hitman. While that fact had narrowed the list, it hadn't pointed toward any place or family in particular. After a while, I'd focused only on the rich families that weren't answering my calls.
Eventually, I'd crossed every name off my list except for an old number for a home in Connecticut. I'd spoken to an elderly woman who had given me a forwarding address which had led to another vacant house with another number to call that turned up an old email address, and the rest was history. And honestly, even if Arthur wasn't Golden Bone's next of kin, if he could just pretend long enough to take the ashes away, I'd be fine. I'd done my job and could wash my hands clean of the situation. Finally.
"My name is Captain Aries Canis. I amâ"
"Your actual name is Captain?" Arthur asked.
"No. I am a Captain. I command a team. I'm in the Elite Force. We protect our town from outsiders. It's all very important workâŠ" Why couldn't I shut up? And I wasn't going to be a captain for much longer anyway. "You know what, forget the captain part, just call me Aries."
"Hmm, Aries," Arthur repeated. He brought his hand up to the top button of his shirt. I spotted at least two other layers beneath that one. He worried at the button. "God of war or astrological?" he asked, and something about his tone made me wish I could see his eyes more clearly.
"Astrological," I replied.
"Hm," Arthur replied.
That single noncommittal noise filled me with so many questions. Who was this man, really? What was his connection to Golden Bone? Even with the glasses on and a pale beard covering some of his face, I could make out his tense, fearful expression. He wore clothes like they were a suit of armor, as if he could put on enough dark layers to protect himself. But from what? I let my eyes travel over his body. There wasn't much I could make out, not through the jacket, button up and undershirts. He was an average height, but stockier than most shifters, and I would've wagered that a luscious ass lurked beneath those slacks.
I cleared my throat. I'll take inappropriate musings for a thousand.
"Were you looking for something?" I asked. "When I walked up?"
"Oh! Shi-oot!" He spun from me, inching toward a large oak tree in the corner of his yard. It was so large, I'd seen the branches hanging over the fence from the other side. "Harlow!" he shouted, running to the trunk and looking up into the branches above. "Stay there. Don't move. I'll get the ladder, andâŠ"
I walked up behind him, peering up as well. There, nestled among the branches, was a tiny bunny with fur made of every shade of brown. Its miniscule ears stuck straight up on either side of its head. The animal couldn't have been very old at all and looked down at us with black, unblinking eyes.
"Your pet?" I asked.
Arthur gave me a double take, and I couldn't tell if he was more shocked by my sudden presence beside him or the bunny stuck in the tree.
"I've heard that they aren't great climbers but can climb. He should make his way back down."
"She's a she," Arthur replied. What I could see of his face had lost a considerable amount of color.
If this was freaking him out so much, I didn't see why I should let it continue. I reached for the tree. The bunny squeaked as Arthur snagged my arm. His fingers felt hot and pressed firmly into my skin.
"What are you doing?"
"Going to get your pet. You want her right?"
He pulled me back, letting me know that while his voice and mannerisms seemed timid, he was strong. "I'll do it," he said uncertainly. "She'll just hide from you."
I stepped back. I wasn't going to fight this, I'd just wanted to help Arthur relax a little, and he'd seemed unable to do that with his pet in the tree.
He took a deep breath and started to climb. I could see immediately that, like bunnies, he also wasn't much of a climber. He reached for a branch, and when I saw he meant for it to hold his weight, I stepped forward, opening my mouth in warning.
The branch snapped before I got a sound out. Arthur fell back. I caught him but wasn't prepared for the sudden change in weight, and my left leg gave out from under me, causing us both to tumble to the ground. Thankfully, I was able to turn my upper half to absorb the bulk of the force, but Arthur scrambled like I had my arms around him to kidnap him. He ripped his body from my embrace so quickly it knocked his sunglasses of his face.
At least now I'd be able to seeâ
The same eyes that had been haunting me for weeks.
"Golden Bone," I hissed, my hand going to my waist. I didn't know if I was reaching for a weapon or my radio, but neither was attached to my belt. One blink later and I was back to that night from my nightmares, frozen cold, hunched over Malcolm Amari's dining room table, paralyzed from the drug Golden Bone had slipped us. "Youâyou're dead." I still sounded like a tire quickly losing air.
Arthur pulled his hat off, revealing a head of golden locks, the exact shade of Golden Bone's but not near as long. "I'm not him. Though I can tell by your reaction he's hurt you too. His name isn't Golden Bone either. It's Artemis. He was my brother. My twin brother."
"Twin?" I echoed.
Arthur's face twisted into a scowl. "Give or take a hundred pounds." He gave a short, humorless laugh.
All that told me was that Arthur had seen Golden Bone before his demise. And not many people alive could say that. "Did you know about what he was doing?" I asked sharply. Even if he didn't take part, knowledge of his brother's crimes should put him in prison for a long time.
"Of course I did," he snapped, but he sounded more tired than angry. "I always found out, after. Always after. Do you think I would've let him get away with anything if I'd known before?"
I was going to reply that I didn't know him so I didn't know what he was capable of when I noticed a brown shape soaring through the air.
Arthur also noticed a split second after me. He shouted, "Harlow!" and reached for the runaway bunny.
Using my good leg, I hopped up, managing to pluck the tiny creature from it's trajectory before it slammed into the ground.
Arthur shouted again, like I'd done the wrong thing.
I turned to tell him I was just worried about the thing breaking its leg when I felt it move and wriggle in my hands. I looked down, watching the bunny morph from a furry baby animal to a child that couldn't be older than two. She continued to shift, back and forth from bunny to child. I recognized the response. It wasn't all that uncommon in shifters during periods of heightened stress. Particularly immature or juvenile shifters. What was odd, however, was that this shifter was nowhere near puberty, which was the generally accepted age when shifters were first able to transform into their animal counterparts. Some were able to a little earlier, but earlier by months, not by eight years.
Arthur snatched the child from me, cradling her to his chest. She relaxed immediately. Her shifts grew less frequent until she gave a tiny sigh and settled into her human form.
I stared at the odd pair. One the twin brother of a devious hitman and the other a child with abilities that shouldn't be possible. "What the hell is going on here?"
Love Nest #8
Chapter One
Gus
The warm spray washed away the aches of the night. With my eyes still halfway shut from sleep, I reached for my moisturizing conditioner. My fingers knocked into the navy-blue bottle. I'd been expecting it to be heavier than it was, and my miscalculation sent the container flying.
The corner of the lid landed hard against my big toe, and I growledâeven though such a thing wouldn't have been possible for me in my mouse form. My lip curled.
"Blaze!" I howled. He wasn't home. He'd earned early PT for mouthing off while in the field on our last mission. "I'm going to pluck you and stuff you into a pillow!"
He couldn't hear me. Not even Blaze's hawk hearing was sharp enough to pick up my voice from across town, but threatening him made me feel better all the same. If this had been the first time he'd used my product, I wouldn't be so angry, but Blaze had been making a habit out of using my deep moisturizing hair mask as body wash for weeks now.
Yes, standing in the shower for ten minutes while the cream soaked was excessive, but I liked to spend that time thinking or jerking off. Now I'd have to go my whole day minus my think time and without my stress relieverâall of this while I had frizzy hair.
At the moment, nothing was actually keeping me from masturbating. I glanced down at mini-Gus. He was especially mini at the moment thanks to my annoyance, and I sighed. I'd use this time to enjoy a second cup of coffee before I left instead and save myself from the glop they served down at the station.
Rinsing quickly, I reached outside the shower curtain for my towel, grasping an empty towel rack instead. I wrenched the shower curtain open. My towel lay crumpledâsoaking wetâon the floor. I must have missed that when I'd climbed into the shower half asleep. And yep, there were no more towels in the bathroom cupboard. Why would there be? It was Blaze's turn to do the laundry.
It had been months since I'd agreed to move into Blaze's place. Before that, my entire life had been spent pining for the man. When a bizarre accident blew away the barriers between us, I discovered he felt the same way I did. At least, I'd thought he had. Blaze was my boyfriend and my roommate, but before he was either of those things, he'd been my best friend.
I stepped from the tub to the door, shaking like a dog to knock off the excess water. I'd have to air dry today. The only one who would be upset by the water droplets I left on the floor behind me was me. And I decided to forgive myself as I padded, buck naked, into our kitchenâstopping in my tracks.
The kitchen had been spotless last night. Now, coffee grounds were strewn across the counter. A small pile sat in a puddle of milk, turning it a light tan, while the milk dried to a flaky finish. Sighing, I grabbed a paper towel and wiped up the mess. I opened the cupboard under the sink to throw the paper towel away and discovered the trash can as overflowing as it had been last night when I'd asked Blaze to take it out.
When we'd first moved in, things had been perfect. Blaze's roommate, Kyle, had been our biggest hurdle, and it hadn't taken long before Kyle begged to move out, claiming our lovey-dovey behavior made him ill. I'd smugly helped him pack and carry furniture, all the while assuming that the stage we'd been in was how Blaze and I would be forever.
I didn't understand what had happened. I still loved him as much as ever. When I looked at Blaze, my stomach fluttered the same as it used to. But I was beginning to fear the same couldn't be said for him. I didn't know what had happened. Had I changed? Maybe I wasn't taking the changes in our living situation as stoically as I thought.
I tied up the garbage and set it outside the front door, planning to take it to the can on my way to the car.
The state of the kitchen had looked like Blaze had tried to make coffee. Tried and failed, if the amount of grounds on the counter was anything to go by. During mornings when we got ready together, making the coffee was one of my tasks.
I sipped my first cup, the nutty, earthy flavor waking me up in a way the shower had been unable to. I looked around the kitchen with new eyes. My relationship with Blaze wasn't in such a bad shape; it was mostly my lack of caffeine that had made me so morose. I took another sip, doing a spin on the tile to judge my dryness.
I caught my reflection in the living room mirror and posed. Nothing had changed in my looks. Lifting my arms over my head, I flexed like one of those oiled-up body builders. My lips turned down in a frown. Maybe my body had looked a little more⊠put together.
As a mouse shifter, my metabolism ran at a level most people would have to make a deal with the devil to achieve, but maybe my age was finally catching up to me. Blaze had been teasing me about how I liked caramel sauce in my coffee instead of sugar or honey. Maybe the teasing had been a cover, and he was actually annoyed. And unhappy.
My fingers were slow and unsteady when I dressed in my Elite Force uniform. I winced, my pants feeling just a little tighter than they normally did. Ignoring my finished reflection, I went back into the kitchen and brewed myself and Blaze a fresh cup, placing them both in our travel mugs. I'd bought them our first weekend together, smiling as I imagined all the things we'd do together while sipping on our matching mugs. This way, when I saw him at the office, he'd be relieved to see me.
The drive through town was short, and it was only minutes before I'd parked and walked down the sidewalk to the joint building that the Morningwood Elite Force shared with City Hall, the police department and the morgue.
"Good morning, Gus," Arthur greeted me outside on the path in. He had an Elite Force hat shoved over his blond curls and a leather satchel draped over his shoulder. Captain Aries must have had to go into the office early because he was absent from Arthur's side. Captain always went in when one of us had to go in early, saying he'd never asked one of us to do something he wasn't willing to do.
"Morning, Arthur. How's the little one?" I asked.
Arthur and the captain had enrolled Harlow, their daughter, in T-ball in the hopes that the sport would help her keep climbing out of her shell.
"You should've seen it," Arthur said, already smiling. "Aries bought her the entire outfit, pads, and helmet, and she refused to take any of it off all weekend. I didn't mind. Less bumps and bruises that wayâouch." Arthur rubbed his elbow after accidentally knocking it against the building wall.
"Maybe you should've gotten your own pair," I teased, reaching for the door to pull it open.
"Did you guys make a decision about Easter yet?" Arthur asked, going through the entrance I held open.
I frowned. "Easter?" The holiday was coming up this week.
"For our Easter barbecue this weekend? We wanted to throw a shindig where everyone could enjoy themselves. I know the town comes together, but that's mostly for the kids, and some of you guys have yet to settle down and pop any out. "
My face burned red. Arthur spoke like I should know what he was talking about. Clearly, he'd asked Blaze, but Blaze hadn't mentioned a word of the party to me. Why? Because we hadn't settled down and popped any out? "Blaze and I just⊠we hadn't made plans toâŠ"
Arthur's eyes widened. "No! I didn't mean you two specifically. Oh, man, that was rude of me, wasn't it?"
I hurried to respond. "No, no, it's fine. I know what you meant. So, anyway, you're throwing an Easter barbecue?"
"I gave Blaze the invitation. He said he wasn't sure but would ask you. It's Easter, starting anytime you want to come over in the afternoon. We'll be at the parade and the gold hunt before then. You don't have to bring anything. Aries and I want to treat all of you. I don't think we ever officially thanked you as a team for just how amazing you all were when Aries was going through his stuff and then with accepting me so warmly as part of the team."
I shrugged, uncomfortable with his praise. He made the way we'd all been decent humans sound like we'd done something special. "We're more than coworkers in the Elite Force, Arthur. We're a team only as strong as our weakest link." I gasped, thinking about what I'd just implied. It felt like we just kept taking turns sticking our feet into our respective mouths. "Not that you were our weakest link."
"Uh-oh," Bruno said when the two of us reached the Elite Force lobby. He was a giant of a man with a wiry beard that covered a blocky, square-shaped face and short dark hair. "Someone let Arthur and Gus alone together. They're socially awkwarding themselves into a hole." Bruno's voice boomed as loudly as his laugh.
Arthur blushed a deep red while I flashed Bruno the finger. That only made him laugh harder.
"Mouse has a bite?" he bellowed.
Blaze walked through the lobby, coming from the other side. He'd changed out of his PT clothes into his uniform, and, as I always did, I took a second to simply stare. He wore the Elite Force uniform like a second skin. His dark hair, streaked with blond from hours out in the sun, was half dry but styled neatly. He looked up at me with amber eyesâlike twin pools of whiskey. I wanted to drink him dry.
"Hey there," I purred, forgetting all the little annoyances that had clung to my back, weighing me down on the drive over. This was probably why nothing ever changed between us. The moment I stood within talking distance of the man, I became a formless puddle of goo. "I brought you a coffee."
Though I'd done the same thing hundreds of times, even before we'd started dating, I still felt shy, like someone would recognize I liked him. And after hiding my love for Blaze for so many years, it was ingrained in me. His fingers brushed over mine as he grabbed the travel mug, and our eyes met. I waited for that glorious moment where the rest of the world would fall away, and the only two things that existed were him and me. Blaze and Gus.
"Thanks," Blaze murmured. "But the coffee I had this morning gave me the shits. I think it's those fancy beans you insist on. Bruno, you want it?"
"Sure, I don't mind the shits. Gives my day some excitement," he guffawed. He took the mug from Blaze, popped off the lid, and proceeded to dump in an ungodly number of sugar packets from the small coffee station.
I glared at him. Those were my home beans! I had to have them specially delivered to Morningwood. Blaze knew that. Blaze knew everything about me. The fact that we'd been best friends since birth meant he'd seen me in every state of life: sad, happy, goofy. We'd had farting competitions and had been entirely too open with our bathroom behavior.
Dread made my gut uneasy. Was that what was wrong here? Most couples took years before they knew so much about each other. We'd jumped into a relationship already aware of the other's most embarrassing moments because we'd been there when it had happened. Before dating me, Blaze had no shortage of men and women willing to give up the chance for forever in exchange for a mind-blowing night of sex with him.
Our relationship had popped up so quickly. At the time, we'd also been fighting for our lives. Had enough time passed since then that Blaze now realized he'd made a mistake?
"How come you didn't tell me about Captain's barbecue?" I asked, the question sounding random and angry since no one else was in my head, and they hadn't been there for the mental lead-up.
Blaze's smile faltered. "The what?"
Captain poked his head out of his office. "Good morning, love," he said to Arthur before his tone hardened to address the rest of us. "Morning briefing, thirty minutes. Don't be late."
I pushed my wet hair back, tucking the strands behind my ear. Embarrassment made my cheeks burn. I should have waited until it was just us two before asking about the barbecue. Maybe Blaze hadn't wanted to go and not asking me was just a cover. One that I'd ruined.
"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?" Bruno looked between Blaze and me like we were two players in a tennis match. "That didn't last long. Is your old apartment even cold yet?"
Any second, Blaze would correct our coworker. He'd tell him there was nothing wrong with us. No trouble.
Except Blaze didn't say anything. He looked at me. "Do we need to step outside?" he asked warily.
I lifted my chin, both as a reflexive and defensive movement. "Maybe we do."
"Oooo," Bruno howled.
I spun away, facing the door so I wouldn't have to see Bruno's annoying smiling face. Blaze charged ahead of me, and we walked outside together in silence until we lingered at the side of the building.
"Did something happen at home?" Blaze leaned with his shoulder balanced against the building, managing to keep his distance but also shield me from anyone walking behind him.
I sighed loudly, wondering how we'd gotten to this point so quickly. "No, nothing happened. I'm just wondering why you didn't bring up the party at Arthur and Captain's? Do you not want to go? Is that why?"
"Of course I want to go, Gus."
I folded my arms. "Oh so you just don't want me to go."
"That isn't what I said at all, Gus. What the heck? What is wrong?"
I didn't know how to verbalize what I felt. Individually, my complaints felt so petty. If I said them out loud, I'd only see how silly I was being. But they didn't feel petty. My anger simmered just hot enough to keep steaming while never exploding into a full boil.
"Are you upset because I wasn't there this morning?" Blaze asked, his tone turning deep and husky. "You know that wasn't my choice. Captain's orders. I prefer waking up with you."
My stomach clenched as my dick twitched. I was no closer to controlling my sexual reactions around Blaze now as I was able to fly without his help. Blaze and I had sex. Lots. It wasn't like our last time together was all that long ago, but my body reacted like we hadn't had sex in months. I slumped back against the wall, my arms dropping to my sides. "Maybe that's it. I don't like mornings where we don't get up together."
Blaze leaned in, his face free of the stress wrinkles that had been there moments ago. "Then I know just what to do." He kissed my nose. "Shift."
He shifted first, wiggling from his uniform and flapping his wings as he blinked expectantly.
I was wary, unsure of what his plan was. I shifted, scurrying down the sleeve of my uniform to peer up at him. Blaze swooped down, reenacting the scary part of a nature documentary as he secured me in his talons. We'd been flying together for years; it had been our favorite thing to do once we were both mature enough to shift. I still squeaked because even though it was exhilarating and amazing to soar up into the clouds, it was really freaking scary.
Though the ground quickly grew too far away, I knew I was safe in Blaze's talons. He might try to eat me later, but we'd both enjoy that.
Blaze didn't take us back to his house on the bluffs, though; he flew us to the very edge of the Morningwood city limits, over the park and forest to the boundary line where we'd constructed our top secret tree fort when the two of us had been ten. He flapped his wings, soaring in through the open window, where he released me on to a pile of cedar shavings.
I shifted and caught my footing quickly. "I didn't know you meant here, Blaze. We're gonna be late for the briefing."
Blaze surged forward, pushing my back to the wall, his front pressing against mine. "A quickie." His lips massaged my neck as he spoke, kissed, and nibbled his way down my chest.
I looked over his head at the familiar four walls. How many hours had we spent in this space as children, dreaming about the type of people we'd become? Blaze had always wanted to work in law enforcement, but in his younger years, he switched between wanting to work for Morningwood Police or the Elite Force. I'd only ever wanted to be where he was, by his side.
I sighed, wishing I could talk to the younger version of me who used to beat himself up.
"What is it?" Blaze asked, pulling back to allow a few inches between our faces. "Where are you in that head?"
Our gazes collided, my blue eyes clashing with his amber ones. "I'm here, Blaze. I think⊠sometimes⊠this is all a little surreal, you know? How many times did I imagine being with you like this, while I sat in this treehouse with you?"
Blaze smiled and kissed my nose. "I'm sorry I wasn't more confident back then. We could've been together the way we were meant to be for so long by now." He dropped to his knees and looked up from under my erection. We hadn't brought our clothes with us, so we were both still completely naked. "I'm still not finished catching up for all that lost time, though." He parted his lips and slid the head of my cock into his mouth, suckling just the tip while tiny explosions of pleasure went off over my body.
I didn't know how Blaze made other parts of me feel so good when he was really only touching my penis, but he knew every trick and tip to make sure I felt each lick and suckle everywhere. He could lick my elbow and make my big toe shiver with pleasure. The sounds of his mouth on my cock alone were nearly enough to bring me to orgasm. Lewd, sloppy, and wet, my moans were like the melody to his erotic percussion.
He took me deeper, his nose brushing my groin as his chin collided with my balls. He gripped my ass cheeks, pulling them apart with a growl that was as possessive as it was seductive. I wasn't in heat, so we didn't need to worry about protection.
Blaze withdrew, letting my dick fall out of his mouth with a sharp pop. "Grab the branch," he ordered, and my hands flew to the tree branch overhead that grew out of the window.
The tree creaked, but it was sturdy enough for me to hang my weight from, and I did as Blaze rose to his feet, lifting me with my legs around his waist.
"I promise I'll be on my best behavior from here on," he said as he lined our bodies up.
"Your what?" I frowned.
"So I don't get morning PT. You're always grumpy when I have morning PT."
That wasn't one hundred percent accurate, but Blaze thrust inside me in the next moment, stealing my breath and my concentration. Sometimes, he took hours lovingly preparing my body to accept him. Other times, our lovemaking was more primal. I loved both types, but right now, I needed his dominating strength. It was possible that he was more correct than I gave him credit for. Maybe it really was just his absence that got to me. I closed my eyes and pushed the thoughts out of my mind. While my alpha's cock was inside meâgiving me a good dicking, as Blaze would call itâI would think only of him and now. Of us.
He kept one hand gripped tightly over my nape, holding me in place while his other hand held my hip. My feet were off the ground as I remained suspended, helpless. I couldn't control the rate of his thrusts or the speed. All I could do was hang on and let my alpha fuck me in the exact manner that he desired.
In our old childhood treehouse.
"You're milking my cock," Blaze growled. "So tight and hot. You're my hole, my perfect hole."
Fuck, that shouldn't have thrilled me as much as it did, but when Blaze started talking like that, I was lost. It felt like something else inside of me took over, like Gus had taken a break, and some other version, one that was needy and wanton, took over. I squeezed my legs around his hips, earning me another low growl. "I can't hold it back," I gasped. I'd done all I could to keep my orgasm from crashing. I'd hung suspended on the precipice for so long that it didn't take long to plunge me into pleasure.
"Don't," Blaze commanded. "Don't ever hold back, my omega."
There was no one around to hear us, and that was a very good thing. The noises I made had likely cleared our section of the forest, spooking small and large animals alike. My vision blurred, going dark before snapping back into perfect clarity. Seeing Blaze fuck me was almost as much fun as being fucked, and I didn't want to miss a single moment, not even while I was coming so hard I'd feel the aftershocks all day long.
Blaze continued to buck and thrust, drawing out both of our orgasms until I could do nothing but collapse against him, sweaty, panting, and satisfied.
"I'm gonna need a second shower," I groaned.
"Don't worry, sweet cheeks. I have that covered," Blaze said, jumping to his feet with an exuberance I wasn't capable of right just then. "Shift. I'll get us washed up and bring us back."
There wasn't any time to argue; we were likely late as it was. But the ridicule we'd get for returning sweaty-faced and smelling like sex would be unbearable. I shifted and waited.
I was still me as a mouse, but my thoughts were clearer, more focused. It was almost like as I shrunk, so did the world, my problems and worries, all of it, shrinking right along with me. But Blaze was still big. He grabbed hold of me with his sharp, brown talons and then took off.
My tiny mouse stomach flew into my throat, and I squeaked but kept my eyes open. The ground below zoomed away before rapidly growing close again. I looked up, but I couldn't see Blaze's face in this position. His beak was pointed down, in the same direction we were flying. When he said he'd handle the problem, I thought he'd fly us home really quickly, but that wasn't the direction we were going. We went down, through the canopy of trees.
The blue of Morningwood Lake grew larger and larger. I squeaked loudly, realizing what Blaze had planned. He screeched as if to tell me to calm down and that he had it all under control. At the last moment, I sucked in a breath and then nearly lost it the moment we plunged beneath the ice-cold water. My heart pounded rapidly, and my lungs stretched tight, demanding I inhale.
Blaze took us back up, using his wet wings to get distance between us and the water. If he tried to dip us a second time, I already decided I would bite his foot and take my chances falling. His wings lifted us higher. The wind whipping by was cold, but it also helped dry my fur so that by the time I spotted the Elite Force building below, I was nearly dry.
That had been my second shower for the day, and I couldn't help but compare the two. I much preferred this one, even if there still wasn't a towel waiting for me after.
Saturday Series Spotlight
Kiki Burrelli lives in the Pacific Northwest with the bears and raccoons. She dreams of owning a pack of goats that she can cuddle and dress in form-fitting sweaters. Kiki loves writing and reading and is always chasing that next character that will make her insides shiver. Consider getting to know Kiki at her website, on Facebook, or send her an email: kikiburrelli@gmail.com.
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