Authors: Carmella Jones
Chapter 10
When morning did come, I woke alone back in Nik’s bed. I wiggled slightly and could tell I was still undressed, so the events of the night had not been a dream.
I put my clothes on from the previous day and tried again to make my way through the maze of halls and stairs to the kitchen. I ended up lost again, but found a bathroom. After attempting to make myself less disheveled I continued my search for the kitchen.
After a few turns I thought I detected a hint of coffee and bacon wafting through the air. The smell got stronger as I followed this new direction. When I finally reached the kitchen, Nik was not there. Instead, I found a plate, cup of coffee, and a note with my name in his handwriting.
I ate a piece of bacon as I read. He had left to search for Acidalia without me. He felt this was best since now I could be tracked more easily. He asked that I remain inside with the door locked, but said I should feel free to explore his home.
As I finished eating I gave the entire situation more thought. If anyone was going to find Acidalia, I was the best candidate. She had spent the most time with me and apparently Hermes planned to use me for bait anyway. If I was prepared I could defend myself, hopefully. I began trying to find my way through the cavernous corridors to where we came in last night. Instead, I ended up deeper in the cave.
After some time, I began to hear sounds of water. As I followed the sound I could tell it was a bubbling rushing sound. I reached an underground river and followed the direction of its flow. After several minutes and a few places where the cave descended sharply I saw the light of a natural exit. When I reached the opening, I stood at the top of a waterfall. As I looked down and out I could tell it was the waterfall in both of my dreams.
Standing on a rock formation in the center where the waterfall pooled, the woman from my dreams smiled up at me and beckoned me to her.
Chapter 11
As I raised a hand to wave and call out I slipped on a wet rock and began falling with the waterfall. At the bottom, instead of the splash I expected, I found myself caught by the arms of the dream woman. She was even more beautiful in person. I couldn’t explain the warmth and love that rushed over me as she smiled at me.
She stood me beside her in the water and eyed me closely. I looked at her, the shimmer of the water, and up at the water fall that parted to fall around us.
“Acidalia?” I asked.
I hoped she was my bear and not a strange beautiful wanderer. She half nodded.
“You may be more familiar with me as Aphrodite, Goddess of Love,” she replied. “My bear form was just to get to know the woman we had all been watching date the current successor of the Orrin line.”
I tried not to allow my jaw to drop, but she could clearly see my surprise and was amused. I had questions about the “we” she mentioned, but there were more pressing matters at hand.
“You have been watching Nik and me? Then, surely you know the trouble we are in. Hermes is here somewhere looking for all of us,” I said panicked.
“I can manage Hermes, so long as your ‘Nik’ does not find him first. He will fight, but there will be nothing he can do without the help of the Gods, and Apollo helped his family enough centuries ago,” she said still looking me up and down.
“Well, we should find them. Let’s hurry, there may not be much time,” I pleaded.
“All is well. You are with me now,” she said smiling about herself. “They will come to us.”
She sniffed the air then waved her arms in an almost conjuring, come-hither fashion.
“Yes, between Nik’s love for you and my natural appeal to Hermes, I expect they will both be here any moment,” Aphrodite said with a smile.
She gesticulated again in my direction and my clothes became a reflective, shimmering white gown similar to her own golden garment. Then she took my hands and began to play and splash in the water as if we were girls on school break at a beach or pool.
As if under a spell I felt happy to play with her and enjoy the water. Just as I cupped water in my hands and released it over my head down my body, I looked around and Aphrodite was gone. I felt new eyes on me that made me somewhat uneasy.
Chapter 12
“I see you are ready for me, though there is a change in the air around you,” Hermes said appearing from the treeline surrounding the water. “Someone has had you first. No matter, this will still be fun and I shall still have the recompense I seek.”
Hermes appeared a golden blur as he ran across the last stretch of grass, he lifted just slightly to run atop the water toward me. I heard a familiar guttural growl and saw a bear, one I hoped was Nik, charging my way from the opposite direction. I stepped back into the waterfall as the two collided and clashed in a flurry of gold, fur, and cascading water.
“Aphrodite! Aphrodite!” I called, hoping the goddess would be true to her word and end this.
Instead, Hermes was using his agility and speed to attack Nik from a different angle with every moment. Nik launched a paw out and managed to slam Hermes into the water, but the nimble God only laughed. He stood, ready for their game to continue.
Nik stepped back to the waterfall to see if I was okay. As the water fell on his bear form, he seemed to morph again. I could see that he felt the shift as his shoulders tensed and he rounded his neck and head back and forth almost like a stretch.
“Nik, you are in a transition state,” I said, surprised. “Aphrodite did this.”
He looked at his hands, arms, and chest and saw that he had become a combination of the bear and manly states he had known. Hermes watched, smiling as though the fight might be more interesting now.
“This is the true state of my ancestors long ago. Something is changing the curse,” Nik said.
“No matter. I don’t care if it is paws or hands and feet. I will have retribution to bring forth to Zeus on Olympus,” Hermes cried out, lunging toward us.
Nik growled more fiercely than I had ever heard. As the two went to collide again they were interrupted by bubbling and singing rising from the water between them. As the bubbles climbed higher a shapely, womanly form began to present itself.
“What are you doing here?” Hermes said somewhat annoyed, yet flirtatiously.
Aphrodite had presented herself in all her glory. She glowed now more than before, more than in any of my dreams.
“I have come to declare that this dispute is settled. My ire has been quenched and it is due to this young lady, Vanessa,” she said with a smile.
She gave me a wink and blew a kiss.
“I am under the order of Zeus,” Hermes declared.
“Go see him yourself; your orders have changed,” she said simply.
Hermes bit his lip as if he weren’t sure what he felt towards Aphrodite at the moment. Then, with great speed, he ran climbing the very air until he was far from site.
Chapter 13
We stood in the water, Nik in his new “were” state, me in my gifted attire, and Aphrodite in all her glory. Nik kneeled before her. I felt I should, too, so I kneeled at his side.
“Thank you, but you can both feel free to stand. I feel like we are old friends,” Aphrodite laughed.
“Why did you spare me?” Nik asked.
“I didn’t,” Aphrodite said. “She did.”
“What? What did I do?” I asked.
Aphrodite took each of us by the hand and led us to the rocks I saw her sitting on when I first arrived. She sat us each down, then lounged on the higher rock above us.
“Dear Vanessa, you have no idea the power of loving body and soul. Neither did Polyphonte all those years ago. She defied me and ran, so I had to punish her,” she said.
Nik and I looked at each other and shifted, a little bit uncomfortable that she knew our activities and at dredging up his family’s history.
“The truest love comes from sharing yourself fully with someone. She refused to love in any form. Her punishment and the punishment bestowed on her family was about wanting to hold on to a selfish life and childish freedoms. My gift to the world is fully connecting and bonding with another. When this is fully realized, humans can live selflessly in the greatest love for another,” she explained.
“Then why have we all been living these torturous dual lives all these generations?” Nik asked, seeming more comfortable in his newest transformation.
“Because, Apollo’s blood runs through your veins as it did hers. By her own right she waged a war with me in refusing to experience what my role in her next phase of life was to be. Each of her descendants to follow also had their own agenda, seeking love on their own time. You, however, were the first to do differently. Despite the curse, we watched from Olympus as you didn’t just actively seek a mate. You sought a love to share in this great expression with you,” she said with a knowing smile.
“Wait a moment, Nik?” I asked, looking to him, confused.
“I dated those women you read about. I wanted to fully experience love, but I knew they were not the one. I met you, and I knew you were someone I wanted to spend every season with,” he said looking me in the eyes.
“So you were a virgin as well?” I asked surprised.
“He was,” Aphrodite smiled. “You two balanced Polyphonte’s debt in ways I couldn’t have expected. You both waited for love and even with the curse you both willingly shared every level of yourself with each other. Your secrets, fears, bodies. Now, with my blessing you may share a normal life, or whatever life you choose.”
With that, Aphrodite sat upright and blew us each a kiss. She vanished leaving only a golden haze.
Chapter 14
We hugged and rested for a few moments enjoying our success and freedom.
“I wonder what she meant by ‘any life we choose,’” Nik said.
“I think I might know,” I said.
I stood and walked over to the fall. I dipped my fingers in, and the water that ran down turned a glistening gold.
“I think this waterfall has the power to change the curse,” I said. “She has been appearing to me in dreams since all this started. In the first, she transformed me to a bear. In the second I transformed you into a man.”
“Is that what you want?” Nik asked.
I thought for a moment.
“I just want you to be yourself,” I said.
He was still in his blended form. I smiled at him and caressed his furred cheek.
“I love you in any form and would gladly join you as such just to be close to you,” I said.
Nik thought a moment. He touched the water and the same golden effect happened.
“Vanessa, I think Aphrodite has granted that wish,” he said.
At once I understood. I took his hand and we stood under the waterfall together. We each watched as the other morphed human, beast, and in between, still holding hands.
As we left the water, we were in our human forms. Nik held me in his arms and kissed me tightly. When he pulled back he released a strong growl of joy that shook the very mountain. I echoed his joy with a ground-shaking growl of my own.
THE END
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Loving the Lion
For Kassie, life seemed to be going at a stagnant pace. She didn’t really have much going for her so far, and the only thing she could really look forward to was the next day off she would have from Gene’s Diner. It was the only place in town that wasn’t some crappy fast-food joint. Gene’s diner was the place everyone went to, and that’s where she worked for the past three years of her life.
“Can I get a refill?” a customer asked as he pushed his coffee towards Kassie.
“Sure, sir. Give me just a second,” she replied. She didn’t really know much about the guy, other than the fact that he was a trucker who would frequent this place every so often. He usually went out of his way to be nice, so Kassie didn't mind waiting on him.
“Hey, I want my food!” someone said rudely. Sure enough, it was that family of four who were always so demanding when they came in. They frequented this place every Sunday after church. The diner was a nightmare during this time, but the tips were better than usual. She hated these really busy kinds of shifts, but would often volunteer to work them anyway.
Kassie fulfilled the orders that the customers barked at her all while mentally swearing and yearning for 5pm when she got off. She could already feel the excitement coursing through her body. She would get to go home, sit her butt down on the couch, sip some wine, and maybe even watch some reality TV.
Of course, she wouldn’t mind introducing some more exciting plans into her stagnant, single life. She hoped that one day, she would finally get to meet someone she could connect with. She didn’t know when that day would come, but she was always keeping her eyes out. Unfortunately, the diner usually only brought in the worst of people.
However, a few hours later, there was the familiar ring of the bell. It was nearly 4:30, which meant that it was probably going to be her last customer of the day. She assumed it was just another frequenter, but was taken aback when her and the new customer made eye contact.
He was an attractive man with blue eyes, and a built body. His once shaven head was beginning to grow back, but she recognized that cut. He was clearly in the military. The diner did get military guys now and again, but Kassie had never seen this one before. She twirled her brown hair while she tried to figure out how to speak to him. He seemed so much different than the customers she was used to dealing with, full of vibrant life and energy. His eyes met hers, and immediately, she squeaked:
“Sorry, let me get you seated,” she said nervously with an overly high-pitched voice.
“It’s fine. I’m OK with waiting,” he said.
“No. I should’ve been a bit more on the ball than that,” Kassie explained.
“Really, you’re fine. Trust me. I know you're busy,” he said.
His voice was deep and soothing, and immediately Kassie could feel her face becoming red. She had to try to not her nervous flutters get the best of her.
“Well let me get you started. What would you like?” she asked him.
“A black coffee would be great. By the way, what’s your name? I figure I should get to know the people I’ll be seeing in town,” he said.
“Kassie. And you?” she asked.
“Brandon. I’m ex-military, Army to be exact. I just moved into the area” he said.
“Nice to meet you.” Kassie chirped. “I thought you may have been in the army, but I didn't want to assume things,” she admitted.
“So how long have you been here?” he asked her.
“About three years. Been trying to get myself together. It’s been hard though, a lot has gone on,” she told him. A few years ago her mother and father passed on, leaving her with a substantial debt. She finished school, but her degree didn’t matter here, and she yearned to get out and start a new life somewhere else.
“Yeah. I had my own share of drama as well in the past that I’m looking to bury,” Brandon said.
“Well I hope that you’re able to do that. If you ever feel like you need to talk with someone, I’m all ears,” she said to him.
“Thank you Kassie. It might be hard for you to understand it, but maybe I’ll explain eventually,” he said.
“That’s fine. Let me get your order in though,” she told him.
The two of them continued to talk after she put his order in. The diner had started to thin out, and the other waitresses were able to take care of any of the remainder of the customers. Kassie could see that this guy was definitely a strong and kind soul. They talked a bit about where he was from, a city she had never heard of but seemed interesting nonetheless. He apparently joined the army when he was 18 and left at 23. He got out due to a personal issue and had mixed feelings on whether he missed it or not. Kassie felt like she met a kindred spirit, and she ended up staying an hour past her shift to talk to him. Brandon felt the same way, but also couldn't help it as his primal instinct guided his eyes to her large breasts and thick hips.
As they parted ways, Brandon turned around and noticed Kassie's round ass. He was a military gentleman who didn't usually look rudely at women, but Kassie's ass looked so big and succulent that he couldn't help but stare.
He left her a tip, way more than she normally got. Written at the bottom of the check was a message. As Kassie read it out loud, she immediately blushed.
“I would love to get to know you better. Here’s my number 778-985-1243.”
*****
Kassie looked at the number on the receipt, wondering what she should do. It had been a while since a man asked her out, especially one as handsome as Brandon. She decided she would call later, when it didn’t seem so overwhelming.
She went home, and sipped on some wine while turning her TV to a random cooking show. She watched it absentmindedly, trying to figure out if she should call him or not. This was the first time in a while she had been courted like this. It was a small down, and the pickings were scarce. She didn’t want to come off as too forward, but he did offer her his number, so it wasn’t like she was stalking him or anything.
A couple of days passed, and Kassie was still working to build up the courage to call. He didn’t come back to the diner yet and that made her a bit uneasy. Her friend and coworker Bianca looked at her, shaking her head.
“You know, ogling that piece of paper won’t make him magically come out and talk to you. I don’t think that receipt is a spell to summon him either,” Bianca said.
“No, but I’m worried about how this will go. This is the first time I’ve ever been given a number by some guy I’ve just met. I don’t want to seem desperate,” she told her.
“Honey, hanging on to this will only make you feel worse. Trust me, I’ve been there before. I used to be married, and I remember that when I first got courted and it was terrifying. But you have to go through with it. Hiding in the corner isn't the way to get what you want out of life.” Bianca said.
Kassie nodded. She knew that Bianca had a point. She took it upon herself to call him after her shift, hoping that she didn’t seem too desperate. Of course, the entire night she was fumbling around, distracted by her thoughts. She tried to save face because she didn’t want to miss out on tips, but it was difficult. It was definitely not an easy feat to keep herself composed while she mulled over how the conversation would pan out.
When her shift ended, Kassie practically raced out the door. She went to her car, dialing his number and holding the phone in earnest trying to breathe evenly. She needed to stay calm. This was just a guy, not the end of the world. After three rings, he spoke.
“Hello?” he asked.
“Hey there. It’s Kassie. From the diner,” she stated.
There was a pause, and then he spoke once again.
“Oh hey there Kassie! Wow, I’m shocked I finally got to speak with you again. How you been?” he asked.
“Good,” she chirped, an octave higher than how she normally sounded.
“That’s good. I’ve been all right. Sorry I haven’t made it out to the diner. I’ve been really busy,” he told her.
“That’s fine. It’s not the end of the world, it happens,” she told him.
“Well, I’m glad you’re not worried. Anyways, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out. I have this place out by the lake, and there are some cool trails out there. I think it would be a fun thing for the both of us to do” he said.
Kassie thought about it. This would be the first time in a while that she would get to go out on a date with a guy. She hadn't met too many ex-military guys, and the fact that this one was so stringent about wanting to hang out made her heart flutter.
“Sure, that’s fine. Are you off Friday?” she asked him. It was one of her rare nights where she wasn’t working.
“Sure am. Let’s hang out then. I’ll text you the address,” he said.
“Great,” Kassie chirped.
They hung up, and Kassie finally breathed again. It had been so long since she talked to a man on this level. She pondered why she took so long to call in the first place. That didn't matter, though, she was going to hang out with him and she was beyond excited!
The next couple of days were like a blur to Kassie, most of them spent slaving away at the diner and thinking about Friday. When it came, Kassie, spent the entire day trying to figure out what to wear. She finally settled upon a black pair of skinny jeans and a blue shirt that accentuated her coke-bottle figure. The black jeans were tight, showing off her shapely ass which jiggled slightly with every step. The shirt was low enough to show just a hint of her shapely beasts, but not too low to be considered slutty. She did her hair and dotted her face with makeup before she headed out. Kassie was trying to relax, but the fact was that she could barely contain her excitement.
She headed over to his place, a small and quaint cottage on the edge of town. She walked up to the door and knocked. She heard a crash inside followed by dead silence. Kassie wondered what the hell was going on, but then Brandon appeared.
“Hey there,” he said, smiling warmly at her.
“Hey there. Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Just getting ready,” he said with a familiar smile.
“Well that’s great. So what’s the plan?” she asked him.
“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go hiking? I mean, it’s not like there is a ton to do around here,” he offered.
He was right about that. The town was small and boring, but this part was quite pretty. She also hadn't been spending much time outside, so she was excited to get out into nature.
“Sure, that’s fine. Let’s get out of here,” she replied.
The two of them walked out, with Brandon locking the door behind him. They started to trot down the path, the two of them smiling pleasantly. There was silence so far, both of them trying to figure out what to say. Kassie was a bit nervous, but couldn't help but feel an overwhelming feeling of safety and security around Brandon. Brandon's composure was cool and calm, but he couldn't help his eyes from glancing over and admiring her deliciously thick figure.
“So what made you want to move here of all places? It’s not like this town is the liveliest place on earth,” she asked him.
“Well, to be honest, I really didn’t have anywhere else to go. I needed to some place cheap that had privacy and this area fit the bill. I also write and find wooded areas like this very inspirational,” he told her.
“I wish I could get out of here. The art degree that I got doesn’t mean shit in the real world. I do a bit of painting here and there, but not enough to make a living. I would love to leave one day,” she told him.
“I can relate, but for me this has been the nicest experience I’ve had. It’s been rough for me, ever since I was a child. I’ve had a hard family life and going into the military felt like my only option after high school. I also had something else happen, something that I’m not very comfortable with telling anyone, and it’s been aching at me and eating away at me for a very long time,” Brandon explained.
Kassie paused, looking at him for a second. He seemed to be scouring the area, almost like he was looking for something. Could there be something dangerous out here?
“What was it? I know that military life could be harsh and I am all ears if you feel like sharing.” Kassie inquired.
“I didn't have your typical military life. So many things happened that I haven't shared with anyone yet. I’m sorry if I’m being vague Kassie, but I’ll explain in due time. I want to come to terms with it myself before I tell anyone. I’m also on the lookout for something, something I have to take care of. I don’t want to get you involved Kassie, that’s the last thing I want,” he said.
Kassie nodded, trying to comprehend it all, but feeling very confused.
“Well if you ever feel like you’re ready to spill the secret, I’m all ears. I won’t judge you. I know that we all have our demons from the past that we must come to terms with, and I’m not your enemy,” she told him.
“It’s not you Kassie, it’s me. I’m afraid of letting others know because I'm afraid they won't understand. Maybe you’ll find out eventually, but to be honest, I would rather you not.” he replied.