Late Post. Pretend It's Still Wednesday, Please...

Sorry, forgot to post yet again. I have seriously been having trouble writing anything but Star Wars fanfic here lately, which means not only did I forget to post, I actually have no flash fiction to post that has anything to do with shape shifters or romance at the moment. So, here's some pictures. Have a great "Wednesday."

~Rebecca

One pic for shape shifters.

One pic for Romance.

And one last pic for sheer beauty!

LOVE LIKE SNOW IS A FOUR LETTERED WORD

Gill glanced out the window.  White everywhere and more fell from the sky.  The outside thermometer showed minus five degrees.  Inside behind him, a fire roared.  Phil and his crew toasted marshmallows prepping them for the smores Chloe and Miss Ellie asked for.  The children sat near Vernon who entertained them with shadow puppets and tale tails from his youth.   No matter the temperature outside inside the mayoral mansion, warmth, love, and acceptance abounded.

Chloe hadn't blinked an eye when the weather turned worse as the adults played cards and the children watched television.  Somewhere into the first twenty hours of the storm, his wife turned into a hostess that gave and took without problem.  Gill smiled watching Miss Ellie set out the bowls filled  chocolate and graham crackers.  A stack of dinner sized paper plates sat close by as well as a stack of napkins.  A pot of green tea and mugs occupied the table too.  Smaller mugs sat next to a pitcher filled with warm milk.  Bedtime snacks were about to commence. 

Seregi's loud singing filtered down the stairs as he showered.  He'd romped with the children making snow angels and tossing snowballs at each other for almost two hours.  The petite mixed breed shapeshifter traveling with Phil and family caught Seregi's eye.  Her wolf and timber fox mix caused most to shun her according to her.  In the Peak, folks accepted people for who they were.  What their hearts and values said about them.  If they walked the talk about what they said, short of those who sought to hurt and took delight in it---not BDSMers--well they could find another place to call home.

"See the bright star in the sky?" Vernon asked, pulling back the curtain, motioning the children to him.

"Yes, Mr. Vernon," one of Phil's youngest said.

"Know always where that star is.  It will lead you home."  Vernon dropped the curtain and faced the children.  "Many of us chose this spot to claim as home.  The one place where we love and help each other because we all matter."

Miss Ellie walked over to Vernon, holding out a plate with two smores on it.  She leaned toward him, lips puckered.  Vernon ducked his head and came up with his lips puckered too.  Their lips met.

"Dad, Miss Ellie and Mr. Vernon are at it again." Gill looked over at his son sticking out his tongue and making a face.

"You don't think your mother and I do that?"  Gill asked, walking over to Chloe.  He slipped his arm around her waist, hugging her close.  "Shall we show them?"

Chloe laughed.  She pointed toward the fire.  Phil took turns kissing each of his wives.  They faced the kids.  Arms spread and lips puckered, they moved toward the children making exaggerated kissing noises.  Phil followed them calling out. "Hug Monster on the loose.  Kissing one too."

Giggles erupted.  Laughter flowed.  Tickling matches started.  Soft 'love you' sounded followed by 'love you mom' or 'love you dad.'  Minutes passed as the joy of love enveloped everyone.

"I'm in the mood for love..." echoed down the stairs followed by Seregi's growls.  The children giggled more as they ran to hide under the table.

"I see there is chocolate, marshmallows, and crackers.  All this will give me a large belly ache.  Who will help me eat this?"  Seregi  poured himself a mug of tea.  He sipped and waited. 

Trina, the mixed breed shapeshifter, rose from her place close to the fire.  She moved toward the table, pointing at it.  "I'll help.  I think these mice under it will help too."

The children popped out one-by-one from under the table calling out.  "I want to help."

Soon smores and mugs along with glasses littered the table as all ate and shared their favorite joke.

The grandfather clock in the hall chimed ten times drowning out the laughter filling the room.  Gill held out his hand to Chloe who in turn held hers out to Miss Ellie and she to Vernon until all present formed a circle holding the hand of someone next to them.

Gill cleared his throat, drawing everyone's focus.  "Earlier we learned snow is one of those four lettered words."

Chuckles sounded.

Gill continued as the gaiety died down.  "I think we learned another four letter word tonight.  Love.  The love of friends, family, community, and for ourselves too." 

He raised his and Chloe's joined hands.  "All together now.  Here's to love and us."

Other joined hands raised repeating the words.

The warmth and love filled the room and mayoral mansion heating it in a way that those present understood and cherish.  Cherished very much.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Weekend Gang!
Cold got you down?  Put on a warm blanket, cuddle up with your spice and share a good book or two together.  We at the Spice Homestead are.  Spring is a few weeks more off. 

I hope you enjoyed today's flash fiction piece.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

Until next week, keep warm--share a book or two along with a warm blanket with your spice and loves.  It creates a lot of lovely warm feelings and nurtures a linger heat deep in the heart.

Smiles,
Solara

Roll With It?

“French Vanilla Cappuccino, Mistress.”  Dom set the frothy cup before his friend and at one time mentee, before sitting across from her and sipping his own black coffee.

“Ah Dom, you know me well, thank you.”

She sipped the brew as she did all things, with firm intent and a touch of sex.  When they’d first started she’d had some idea that she needed to submit to a strong man.  He’d known differently.  Penelope was no submissive, she was a Domme through and through. 

Except for that small piece…

“How’s Burgess these days?”  He raised an eyebrow knowing she would understand what answer he was looking for.

“He’s wonderful, Dom.  And yes, he’s still on his dominant kick.”

Another sip of coffee and a deep breath later told Dom nearly everything he needed to know about the distress Penelope had been feeling since her lovers return.  “But…”

“How do you always know there’s a ‘but’?”

No words were necessary between them at this point, just a look.  He knew she would open up to him once she prepared herself.

“Yes, there is a ‘but.’  I’m worried… I’m scared our connection has been broken.”

“In what way, poppet?”  Dom purposely used the endearment he’d given her back when he’d trained her.  Reminding her that she was safe with him, always.

“I’m a Domme, Dom.  We’re struggling for the top position and, I’m afraid, Daniel will be the one to suffer.”

“When you play is Daniel the only one submitting?”

Her silence spoke volumes inside their private booth at the soon to be opened club, Haven.

“Poppet?”

She sighed before speaking.  “No, I submit as well.”

“And do you hate it?”

Fidgeting as she was it wouldn’t take the fully trained Dominant he was to read the truth.

“No, I don’t.  But Dom, how long can it continue, really?”

“Penelope, there are two people in your life that your body begs to submit to, me and more importantly, Burgess.”

“What?! N…I mean, what?”

“Can you deny it?”

“This is ridiculous, Dom. Please stop.”

“That was not an answer, poppet.” Dom smoothed his tie and watched her eyes follow his hand, from his chest down to almost his crotch. “Let me ask you this,” he said, slipping into his lower register, dominant voice. “If I told you to kneel, right here, and take me into your mouth.  What would you do?”

##

Penny’s mouth watered and she nearly went to her knees, right there in her new club.  Two things stopped her, first, was Dom’s hand on her wrist.  He wouldn’t make her do that as this was a discussion between friends, confidants, not a session.  The other thought was that the first time she knelt inside her club it would be for Burgess. 

“Well, poppet?”

“I get your point.  No, I can’t deny needing to submit to Burgess, but it confuses the Domme inside of me.”

“Talk to him.  You might be surprised to find he’s as confused as you are, then roll with it, Penelope.”

“Roll with it? Really, Dom, that’s your advice.”  Penny sat back in her chair and huffed at the laughably simple answer.

“Trust me, Penelope, rolling with it is not as easy as it sounds.  To truly ‘accept what is or roll with anything’ you need an inner strength of steel.”
Penny looked at her indigo penguino as he stepped into the bar.  Dom was right, but did she have the strength she needed to change the dynamic of her relationship with Burgess for good?
~~~

So Mistress P surprised me with some new insight into herself today and I'm passing it along to you.

Have a great weekend!

Serena

The Only Thing That Matters

Quiet nights like this were supposed to be restful. Instead, clear nights with a bright moon and plenty of stars tended to make Damien Hancock stalk the halls of his mountaintop stronghold and snap at whatever wolf had the misfortune to cross his path. Soft breezes only prickled the hairs on his neck, and moonlight made it harder for his aging eyes to see his enemies coming. An alpha wolf in his position had foes at every turn.

Tonight, though, the next turn in the corridor simply brought him to the servants’ wing. Here the Hancock low-ranks who saw to the household had their meager rooms. Damien rarely bothered to patrol here. He must not have been paying attention.

A group of maids were clustered around a flat-screen TV, watching a movie. Those too low on the ladder to rate a seat lolled on the floor in wolf form. On the screen, Gerald O’Hara tongue-lashed a sullen Scarlett on the importance of land. It’s the only thing that matters, he insisted.

Damien’s lips curled. Territory. Holding one’s turf. Sometimes the monkeys got it right.

Wolves also knew the importance of territory. Land meant power. Land meant wealth. Dealing in real estate had made Damien a wealthy alpha and the Hancocks a powerful pack. He’d had the foresight to buy property before the interstate went in, back when land was cheap. Now he had a hotel on Boardwalk and restaurants on Park Place, so to speak. He wondered sometimes what the apes would think if they knew those pizzas and Chinese dinners they shoved into their gaping monkey mouths were being provided by werewolves. He doubted they would even slow in their chewing.

The Talbots hadn’t had such foresight. Look where they were now.

Damien’s smile twisted into a half-snarl. He shouldn’t have thought of the Talbots. They’d claimed the land and founded the town and built their own secluded mini-empire. Now they only served as a reminder of how fragile it all could be. How quickly power could be lost, and territory stolen.

He whirled and charged from the low-rankers’ enclave, back to his seat of power. The she-wolves caught up in Gone With the Wind hadn’t even noticed his presence.

# # #

The Hancock mansion’s alpha suite had belonged to Damien for almost thirty years. From his chair behind his huge mahogany desk he could gaze out the wall-length window at the surrounding peaks, or step out onto the balcony and peer down at the town snuggled at the mountain’s foot. Of late neither view could cheer him, so he welcomed the dark. Night turned the outside to shadowy dreams, and shrouded day’s stark reality.

For the first time in his three-decade reign, Damien faced competition.

Not from within the pack, of course. He was still strong. Still undisputed. His sole legitimate offspring, Devon, showed no inclination to challenge him. Frankly, Devon showed little inclination for anything other than fast cars, strong drink, and lovely tail. He wouldn’t last ten seconds as the Hancock alpha, which suited his sire just fine.

The threats that ate away at him came from outside sources.

His glare stayed fixed on the view straight ahead, but his thoughts turned to the west, and the Fledermaus spread. Those damn bats had been a thorn in the Hancock flank since his own sire’s time. The Flying F should be Hancock land. He’d made his move to grab it after old Johann’s unfortunate “accident.” But Johann’s son Brandon had proved tougher than expected, canny in the ways of power and with the money to back it up. After a number of futile sorties Damien had been forced to back off.

No matter. Brandon had no sons and, given his choice to date outside his species, was unlikely to sire any. Ditto for his psychotic brother, Jack. With no heirs as backup, Brand’s hold on the spread remained tenuous. Damien had only to sit back and wait for the inevitable crack in his defenses.

That left the tiger, Zhere Ghan.

A growl ripped out of him unbidden. Ghan posed a bigger threat than any flighty bat. He was a cat, for starters. Cats were patient, and given to stalking. Cats never played by the rules. You couldn’t meet them in a straight-on confrontation. They were always leaping on you from behind.

Worst yet, Ghan had sons. Four legitimate, and Lupa only knew how many bastards. The younger two were bigger idiots than Devon, and his agents reported the second-born, Ravi, had returned to India. But the oldest, Tasman … there lay the problem. He had a cat’s sly brain and Ghan’s aptitude for business without the elder tiger’s vicious streak. His ability to keep a cool head and not give in to instinct made him a deadlier foe than all the other tigers combined. Only the knowledge Tasman would take command had kept Damien from going after Zhere. Why the cub hadn’t deposed the old rug already, Damien had no idea.

Perhaps he actually honored his sire. Perhaps that was a weakness Damien could use.

He’d better move fast. The damned stripies had opened a nightclub on what should have been Hancock turf, and prelim reports said it was already doing a healthy business. The downstairs sex rooms catered to anyone with sufficient funds. Including, his spies told him, low-rank wolves. He trusted his betas and the sub-alphas of the many Hancock satellite packs, but low-ranks, all too often, could be bribed or bought. It was one of the many reasons they were low-ranks.

Something had to be done about the stripies. And the bats. And all those flat-toothed herbies walking the streets of his town like they owned the scatted place. For Lupa’s sake, that feeble-brained McMahon mutt had gone and married one. What the hell was up with that?

He’d put an end to that, by Lupa, and to everyone else who threatened him. He’d put the Hancocks back on top again, and this time keep them there.

Power. The only thing that mattered. The hardest thing to hold.

The Key is to Blend...

“DJ, of course.”

“Ridiculous, it needs to be live music…something slow and sexy.”

“That is what Sunday is for.  Saturday night needs to be dance music, perhaps techno, and that cannot be created by some sappy band.”

Penny continued to stare at the finely-dressed llama, loathing to admit that he had a point.  A gay bar with a Saturday night dance club would probably draw patrons better than catering to the BDSM crowd who would spend more time in the upstairs dungeon anyway.  Her loathing had more to do with the Domme in her who hated to give in to anyone, but if they wanted Haven to succeed she needed to bend.

“…besides, the lifestylers will be hanging around upstairs anyway.”

Annnnnd, the nail on the head.  “You’re right.  A dance club makes more sense on Saturday night.  Slot that as a DJ night.”

She watched as Whit made notes in his Haven ‘to do’ binder, then reached for the paper next to him.  “Now, how about the flyers,” he said, setting the colorful paper in front of her.

Welcome to Haven!

Come to play with Liza, Freddy and Ziggy, plan to stay for the delights of the flesh.  Dominate your senses and submit to the feasts that surround you.

Get your pride on!

Open: Thur. thru Sun 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Penny looked the sheet over and smiled at the picture.  “I can totally see Lamar eagerly posing as Lola, but how did you get Jamie to agree?”

“Ha, that was easy, I found a beefy hunk to model with Lola instead.  Jamie quickly changed his tune…and growled, loudly.  It was kind of funny, he totally shocked both himself and Lola.”

Penny smiled, “that boy is far more alpha than he realizes when it comes to Lamar/Lola.  I love it.  And I love the flyer.
Are you going to rainbow color the paper?”

“Absolutely, but are you sure you don’t want anything more about the BDSM club upstairs?”

“Nope, those in the lifestyle will know but what we have there, plus we have a large network around the state, so word has already been put out about the opening.” Penny stood and straightened her dress.  “We’ll want to have a sub at the door to direct patrons to the correct areas, though.”

“Agreed.”

“I think we’re ready, Whit.”

“We are.  The final decorating will be done this week and then next week we can open.” 

Whit fidgeted just slightly, but still enough for Penny to witness his discomfort.  “Was there something else Whit?”

“Yes, well, one more time, are you okay with putting these flyers out, outside of Talbot’s Peak?”

“I am.  It’s time we brought in fresh blood.  Limiting ourselves to shifters only will put a large bullseye on our town.  The key is to blend.”

“Then blend we shall…”
~~~

Just a peek this week to see how renovations were coming along for Mistress P and Whit's new place.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Serena

Maybe Baby

“So, Doctor,” Brandon Fledermaus said, “what’s the good word?”

Lin Hu bit her lower lip. Normally no-nonsense and direct, she found it difficult to face the owner of the Flying F ranch in this instance. Brand was quite wealthy, and generous with that wealth. Currently he was funding her special research project. True, he stood to benefit from it, but so would many others. Financial aid aside, she liked the man. He was polite and pleasant, for a bat. And never once had he made any jokes regarding her name and that silly TV show.

How could she look this man in the eye and tell him she had failed him yet again?

“Doctor?”

“Not so good,” she said at last. “The word, I mean.”

Curse it all, it was as she feared. The eagerness, the hope, slowly seeped out of his face. “That’s not to say it’s totally out of the question,” she hastened to add. “I’ve put out a call for volunteers. Those of mixed ancestry, human and shifter. For some reason humans have no trouble interbreeding with shifters. The offspring nearly always have some shifter ability. If I can isolate the genetic factor—”

“No.” He was already reaching for his Stetson. “It’s not that important, not at this time. Leona and I haven’t even discussed marriage yet, let alone … ” That part trailed away. “I’ll continue to contribute to the clinic, of course. You do vital work here. You’re needed.”

Vital to the varied denizens of Talbot’s Peak, perhaps. And to him, though he wouldn’t admit it. Lin touched his arm. “It’s not as if one of you were a bird or a reptile shifter. You’re both mammals. And your bat is at least partly carnivorous, which helps. The odds—”

“The odds of a bat and a jaguar conceiving, let alone birthing a healthy child, fall somewhere between slim to none,” he said, with a wry, humorless smile. “It’s fine, Doctor. I have the ranch, and Leona’s involved with her career. It will be a long time before either of us is ready to have a child. I suppose we can always adopt.”

“But it isn’t the same,” she said. “I know. I feel it too, more often than you know. The beast in us cries out to reproduce. I’ve as much chance of finding a compatible male panda as you do of breeding with a cat. Even if I were still in China. But although the odds are microscopic, they are not nonexistent. And so I keep looking. As I will keep looking, on your behalf.” She tilted her head to peer at him. “You’ve discussed this with Leona, of course?”

“We’ve touched on it. She says she has no interest in becoming a mother right now. Jaguars do tend to be solitary. But sometimes I catch a look in her eyes … I know she’s been thinking about it. I have too. My father and grandfather worked hard, and built an empire. I’ve worked just as hard to keep it successful. I don’t want it all to fall apart when my time comes. I’ve got something I’d be proud to pass on to a son. Or a daughter.” He winked at Lin. “A little girl with Leona’s courage and drive would be a world-beater.”

“There’s still your brother,” Lin reminded him. “Unless that’s out of the question?”

Brand snorted. “Jack hasn’t shown any sign of settling down. I don’t even know where he is right now. But if it came to that … hell, I’d take in a child of his in a second. Even a bastard child. Jack’s borderline psychotic, but he’s still family. If he ever has children, I’ll welcome them. Even leave the ranch to them.” He shrugged and offered up that crooked grin again. “Bats aren’t even that territorial. It must be an alpha male thing.”

“Must this child be a bat? Or part bat?”

“It would be nice. Helpful, even. But beggars can’t be choosers. If we adopt, we’ll have to take whatever breed is available. And hope they want to run a ranch when they grow up. That’s a risk Leona and I will face even if we do conceive together. Children do tend to grow up being who they’ll be.”

Liar, she thought. He spoke so glibly of adoption. The truth, his real desire, his need, still lurked within his eyes. The bone-deep, ancient need to create life and pass on one’s genes to a new generation.

If pandas were lacking she, at least, could fulfill her drives with a raccoon or a human. Brandon and Leona had fallen in love. Two breeds whose genetics would deny them the one thing their most powerful instincts wanted above all.

She’d seen a lot of this in Talbot’s Peak. Shifters, humans, joining, mating, playing mix and match. Sooner or later they all wanted that one basic thing. Some had a fighting chance. Those her gynecological training could help. Others were reproductively doomed from the start. Those she saw as a challenge.

Even if she never had a child of her own, she could see that others weren’t denied.

“I will keep looking,” she promised. “As I said, you’re both mammal shifters. You have a running start. We need only find a way to blend your genes. You may need to find a human surrogate. I can’t guarantee Leona could carry a hybrid to term. Humans seem capable of birthing anything. Genetically they’re quite resilient.”

“You don’t need to do that,” he said, too quickly. His eyes continued to lie. To plead.

She smiled. “Let me continue anyway, for my own amusement. The research is sure to help someone.”

“Yes, that’s true. Especially here. Thank you, Doctor. If you need anything—”

“I will call you. And I will be sure to keep you apprised of my progress.” She lowered her voice. “At some point, I will have to speak to Leona. And run tests.”

Brand grimaced. “Good luck. She’s tough to pin down, and she hates doctors. Better let me talk to her first.” He sighed. “We’ll work something out.”

“I’m sure the three of us will. Good day to you, Mr. Fledermaus.”

A girl entered her office as Brand went out. “You the doctor looking for medical volunteers?” she asked. “I heard you pay.”

“Let’s discuss the details first. You may change your mind. You’re a human-shifter hybrid?”

Her head bobbed. While she spoke, she hopped from foot to foot. “I’m supposed to be. Mom said Dad was human. I don’t know, I never met him. Mom’s a hare. When I shift, my ears are too short and my ass is too big, so who knows? Dad wasn’t a bunny, that’s for damn sure.”

This was good. This was excellent. Rabbits and humans were the most fertile of the breeds. Their genes mixed with practically everything. If she could isolate the common factor— “A simple test will determine your ancestry. Yes, I will pay you. Anything beyond that we’ll have to discuss.”

“Kewl.” The girl was staring at her medical credentials, framed on the wall. “Your name’s really Dr. Who?”

Lin swallowed an ancient Chinese curse. “If you’d please come this way?”