Twisted Tales of T’irla – Goldilocks and the Three Weres

After two months of alone time with Maelan, our adventurous T’irla is restless. So she kissed her Headless Horseman goodbye and set off on a journey.

Four days of travel through the forest was more than a little boring. T’irla rubbed the side of her horse’s neck, and wondered, not for the first time, if she should go back home.

Her stomach growled, resonating above the chirp of crickets and the sounds scurrying of animals in the early evening. It had been a long day. The muscles of her shoulders and back protested, tight and sore.

“Looks like I’m camping out again.” She dismounted and tied her faithful steed to a tree.

She unpacked her bedroll, fished out a few pieces of jerky, and plopped down. It was almost completely dark when she finished her meal, and she searched the ground for firewood.

It took little time to get a blaze going. She got comfortable, closed her eyes, and drifted off.

Cool drops of liquid roused her from her slumber, striking  her forehead, eyelids, cheeks, and lips in random spots. When she opened her eyes, the heavens opened up, sending a deluge of rain down on her.

She swore, and rolled up her bed. She untied her horse, and tried to navigate through the trees between the flashes of lightning. After awhile, the acrid smell of smoke wafted into her nostrils, and she strained to see into the distance.

Did someone have a fire out here?

The smell was faint, but she did her best to follow it. When the scent of roasting meat mixed in with the aroma of the burning wood, she knew she was close.

She walked with careful steps, moving as quickly as she could. Another flash of lightning allowed her to see a cottage nestled in a clearing in the trees. She hurried toward it.

She raced up to the door and pounded hard, soaked to the bone and trembling beneath the weight of her cold clothes.

When the door opened, her jaw dropped. A tall, burly man with dark hair and eyes looked down at her. His eyes widened, as if he was just as stunned to see her as she was to see him.

“I uh, I got caught out in the rain. Don’t suppose you’d be open to helping a lady out?” Her teeth chattered as she spoke, but the sight of the fine specimen in front of her sent a flare of heat through her blood.

He stared at her, his gaze moving over her.

“Who’s there?” It was another man’s voice, and when he came to stand in the doorway, her knees nearly buckled. They looked exactly alike.

“Twins?”

“Come on in. We need to get you out of that rain before you freeze to death.” The second man elbowed the first and they both stepped to the side to let her in.

“I tied my horse outside. Is that okay?” She stepped across the threshold, feeling the heat in the room. She didn’t know if it was from the blazing fireplace, or from her.

“That’s fine.” The first man continued looking her over, his full lips quirking into a grin. He wore a flannel shirt, and it was unbuttoned, showcasing his defined torso. His body was dusted with dark hairs that angled down.

Her eyes followed the trail. He wore a pair of low slung jeans, the hair from his belly mixing in with the ones creeping out of his waistband. She swallowed hard, and for a moment, she was unable to think. That didn’t stop her from talking.

“How long have you two been twins?” She closed her eyes the moment she said the words and cursed under her breath. What the hell kind of question was that?

“We’re not twins.” A third man entered the room, looking just like the other two.

“Dear God in heaven…” She’d arrived at the promised land, where the streets flowed with milk,  honey, and triplet sex gods.

“I’m Michael.” The third brother walked over. He wore a pair of pajama bottoms and nothing else. He reached for her hand, but she was too stunned to lift it.

She wasn’t cold anymore. In fact, she was sweating.

“I’m Steven.” The second brother smiled, flashing straight, white teeth.

“I’m Lucas.” The brother who answered the door seemed to have trouble speaking, as if the words didn’t want to leave his lips.

They stepped closer at the same time, each inhaling deep into their noses.

“You smell really good.” The baritone of Lucas’ voice deepened, and he narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, really good.” The muscles in Michael’s arms twitched, the movement almost hypnotic.

“Tell us your name.” Steven stepped closer and inhaled before clenching his fists.

“I’m umm…” She was almost surrounded by them, the feel of them so close doing things to her insides that were probably against the laws of nature. She felt weak. Her hands ached to move over their chests and abs, but she only had two arms. There were three of them! She felt light headed as she pictured the what it would be like to kiss them, to pull them close. Come on, get it together, T’irla. That’s it! ”T’irla. My name is… T’irla.”

“Pleasure.” Lucas leaned in, sniffing just next to her neck.

“Yes.”

“A real pleasure.”

T’irla looked between them, each of them feasting on her with their hungry gazes. She felt like she’d combust under their scrutiny. Her chest heaved, her vision blurred. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she hoped she’d put on enough deodorant.

“Tell us, T’irla. How do you feel about bears?” Michael’s voice was smooth and velvety, reaching into her, finding places that made her tingle.

“I… I love bears.”

“Do you really?” Steven grinned and licked his lips.

“Would you love bears?” Lucas was so close she could feel his breath on her skin.

“Yes!”  She could barely stand still as they circled her, their nostrils flaring, their eyes slanted. Her skin tightened beneath her clothes, tingling, awaiting their touch. “Can I see… your bears?”

They stilled their pacing, pulled off their clothes, and shifted into three large grizzlies in front of her eyes. They were massive, their paws as wide as dinner plates. Long white teeth flashed with menace in their jaws. They each stood their ground, still sniffing her.

She felt small in their presence, vulnerable, and her blood pumped fear through her veins. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

They all shifted at once, their hands on her arms and in her hair.

“We didn’t mean to scare you.” Michael frowned.

“We can stay in this form. It makes it easier to be closer.” Steven pulled off her jacket, tossing it to the floor.

Lucas didn’t speak. He simply leaned in and stole her lips in a kiss so passionate, she nearly fell backward.

She moaned as his smooth lips bruised hers, wrapping her arms around his waist.

It was a fantasy come true. Not one, but three gorgeous bear shifters, all focused on her, clamoring for her.

Lucas pulled back and Steven stepped in, pulling her close, nibbling on her ear. “Do you want to lay by the fire?”

She couldn’t answer. She barely had the wherewithal to nod her head. Her skin heated, burning from the inside out.

Steven lifted her from the floor, carrying her in his arms to the woven rug in front of the fire place. He rested her on the floor, and hovered over her. Michael was at her feet, pulling at her pants, Lucas at her head, stroking her hair.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe as they pulled at her garments.

Micheal buried his mouth in her neck, making her close her eyes. ”Tell us how you want it.” His voice was low, and strained.

“I… I…” She spoke through panted breaths, her skin on fire. Her nose tingled, and before she could blink, she sneezed. “Excuse–” Another sneeze.

“T’irla?” Michael lifted his head and sucked in a breath. “You’re all red!”

She sneezed again, and again. The brothers all sighed in unison and backed away from her.

“Where… Achoo! Are you… Achoo! Going?” Her eyes were swollen and itchy.

“We’ll bring you a few things to keep you comfortable, but we’ll keep our distance.” Steven shook his head and turned around to pick up his clothes.

“Why? Achoo! What happened?” T’irla had pictured how this night would go. It didn’t involve the brothers putting their clothes on until morning.

Lucas tensed his jaw and spoke through his teeth. “Because it appears you’re allergic to bears.”

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What inspired this tale? T’irla has an obsession with bear shifters. It’s addiction level status! I thought it’d be fun to give her her greatest desire, with a little twist.

What did you think?

Tagged as: fiction, flash fiction, Nulli Para Ora, paranormal, Romance