Bearing the Shifter (Shifter World - Book Four) (Series of 13 Short Stories)

“I’ll be okay,” Maddy whispered as she held Rolando.

“I’m so sorry you had to see that.” He kissed her forehead. “I promise we’ll be out of here today.”

She nodded and held onto him tighter.

Rolando sighed. He hadn’t thought they’d be so rude to her. Yeah, he remembered the rules, but he’d thought at the time that they were more of a joke.

He knows most of them share their partners, but most of those women are either cheerleaders—here to screw any and all players. And others were bunnies, ready to fuck them all as well.

He has never seen a single one of them bring a girlfriend over. And maybe that stupid rule was why. God, he was stupid to bring his mate here.

“Rolando, stop sweating it. We’re going to pack and get out of here. We’ll stay in a hotel tonight if we have to. But none of those assholes are going to touch your mate.” Gerald swore with a growl.

Rolando nodded, then kissed Maddy on the forehead.

“I-I didn’t know football players were such….”

“Assholes?” Rolando finished for her. She nodded. “Yeah.” He said, holding her close. “We didn’t know how bad these assholes were until we’d already signed our contracts.” Rolando looked at Gerald.

Gerald nodded.

He and Gerald have been friends since college, more than ten years ago, and decided they would join the same team if they could. Not realizing, the team they’d joined was full of assholes who treated women like pieces of property to fuck and leave at the side of the road. And they know several of the players have done that.

Maddy’s stomach growled, and the men chuckled.

“Let’s pack our clothes, and we’ll have movers retrieve the rest of the crap later,” Gerald said as he unlocked the door. “Then we’ll go get breakfast.” He winked at Maddy and left the room.

Rolando moved from Maddy, locked his door, and then turned to her with a smile. “Change while I pack my clothes, then we’ll get out of here.”

She nodded, then turned to her bags and searched for a change of clothes.

~🏈~

It took them less than an hour to pack and be in the car and off the property. The looks the “guys” gave Maddy as they left made Rolando want to tear each of their heads off. If he’d known what kind of men they truly were, he’d never have brought Maddy into the house.

They went to a café and ordered breakfast. The people around them gave them funny looks and looked at Maddy as if she was someone to pity.

He could tell that Maddy saw the looks, too. Instead of shying away from him and Gerald—under the pressure of her species—she curled against Rolando as if to say—yes, this is my man; get used to it.

Rolando wondered if they were looking at her like that because he and Gerald are shifters or because they’re black and she’s white. Being a black shifter meant double the scrutiny. But he was proud of the way Maddy responded, and he kissed her on the top of the head.

If he was honest with himself, he was already falling hard for her. And they only just met last night.

But she’s his other half. The part of himself he didn’t even know was missing—until last night.

“You’re deep in thought,” Gerald said, watching Rolando.

Rolando shrugged. “Was just thinking about how happy I am,” he said, smiling down at Maddy.

Maddy smiled up at him, and his heart sang.

“Here you go,” the waitress said with a forced smile as she delivered their food.

“Thanks,” Rolando said, looking at the food.

“Thank you,” Maddy whispered as she sat up from his shoulder.

The waitress leaned over the table and looked at each of them. “After you have eaten and paid your bill, please leave quietly and never return.”

Rolando and Gerald glared at her.

Maddy leaned in closer to the woman. “Is it because they’re shifters or because they’re black?”

Rolando looked at his mate. Fuck, she’d been thinking the same thing.

The waitress cleared her throat. “This isn’t the fifties,” she said as she stood. “If you’re in trouble, honey, just call out….”

Maddy leaned over Rolando and grabbed the woman’s apron, pulling her so hard the woman fell over herself.

“Look here, you stupid human,” Maddy said with a growl that sounded like a mama bear protecting her cubs. “These men are better than any man you will ever come across. And if you didn’t notice, they’re the local football heroes from last night’s game. So, if you don’t want bad PR about your café, I’d shut the fuck up and let us eat, and let us return any time we want!”

At this point, Maddy was screaming, and everyone could hear every word. When people started recognizing them, their gazes turned to admiration and something Rolando couldn’t read.

“Hands off my staff,” a man said as he entered the dining area.

Maddy let go of the woman. The waitress fell backward and almost tripped over her own feet.

Rolando held in his laugh as he helped his mate back into her seat.

“I don’t give a fuck if they’re the king of fucking England! Their kind are not welcome in my café!” the man bellowed.

The café became eerily quiet, then every football fan—which was almost the whole café—stood from their seats and walked out the door.

“See if you get any more business after that speech,” one of the men said as he turned and flipped off the owner of the café.

“Did they pay!?” the owner bellowed at the waitress.

Her face was a rosy-red as she shook her head.

“Mother fuckers,” the owner growled.

“You brought this on yourself,” Maddy said as she started eating her breakfast as if she’d had no part in any of this.

Rolando chuckled to himself. Damn, she’s something else. And strong as hell. The bonding really worked.

“Listen here, you shifter slut….” The owner started to say when he turned to them.

Rolando got up from his seat, grabbed the man by the throat, and lifted him off his feet. “NO ONE insults my mate,” he said with a feral growl.

“Rolando,” Maddy whispered. “Put the human down and finish your breakfast. We’ll pay our bill, then leave here and never return. Don’t worry, love. I’ll be sure to add this place to my site,” she said calmly and matter-of-factly.

‘Site?’ Rolando wondered as he looked at his mate. He knew she’d been here to take pictures of animals in their own environment, but he didn’t know she had her own site.

Rolando released the man, then sat back in his seat. The man took a deep breath and glared at Rolando.

“Sofie, call the police,” the owner ordered his waitress.

But Sofie was too busy staring at Maddy.

“I thought I recognized you,” Sofie whispered. “You’re Maddy Trenton.”

Maddy looked at Sofie and gave her a fake smile. “That I am,” she said, then returned to eating.

“No fucking way,” Gerald said, watching Maddy eat.

Maddy looked up at him and winked.

Gerald laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned.”.

“What’s going on?” Rolando hissed.

Gerald smiled at Rolando. “You bagged yourself a real celebrity there,” he said with a smirk.

Rolando looked at Maddy.

She shrugged. “I guess, according to the web world, maybe,” she said with a cheeky grin.

He chuckled and kissed her cheek.

“I said, call the police,” the owner growled.

“Stan, you really don’t want to piss them off any more than you have.” Sofie frowned. “The café is going to be on your blog now, isn’t it?” she asked, looking at Maddy.

Maddy shrugged. “Yep.”

“I am so sorry for my part in this.” Sofie pulled her apron off and tossed it onto the counter. “I quit,” she said, then walked to the door.

“Where the fuck are you going?!” Stan demanded.

Sofie turned to him. “I’m getting out before this place sinks.” She turned and left.

Maddy held in a laugh. She hasn’t had this much fun in a while. And yes, after this kind of harassment, she’s putting it all on her blog. Stan will be lucky if he gets a single customer after this.

‘Pity,’ she thought. Because their food wasn’t half bad.

~🏈~

“Wow, really, you’re a star blogger?” Rolando asked as they walked to the car—after finishing their breakfast and paying their bill.

It turned out that the customers who’d left had paid their bills, leaving the money on the tables before storming out. Not that they really gave a shit.

“Yep.” Maddy smiled.

“So, how does it work?” Rolando asked as he opened her door.

She shrugged. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime.”

He smiled. “I’d like that.” He closed the door once she was situated in the car.

“Dude, this is some crazy-ass shit.” Gerald glared at the café. “How many times have we eaten there without a single problem?”

“Plenty,” Rolando growled.

“Do you think it’s maybe because we were there with a human?” Gerald asked.

Rolando looked in the car at his mate and smiled. “I don’t think she’s human anymore. Did you hear that growl?”

Gerald chuckled. “She sounded like a mama bear that found out someone wanted to hunt her cub.”

Rolando nodded. He’d heard the same.

“The book said something about this happening,” Gerald said.

“It did?” Rolando asked. Maybe he’s not up to that point yet.

“Yeah. Once you two bonded, she’s no longer considered human. She’s not a shifter either. But she’s part of the Supernatural world now.”

Rolando nodded. “A Fated Mate.”

Gerald slapped Rolando on the back. “Let’s go find us a place to live. You have a mate to look after now.”

Rolando grinned. “I do, don’t I.”

“Yeah, you do.” Gerald laughed. “And she looks like she’s getting impatient.”

Rolando looked at his mate and smiled when he saw the look on her face. “All right, Mafilia, we’re coming.” He chuckled.

Once they were belted in, Rolando started the car and drove to the supermarket to pick up a paper. They sat in the parking lot looking at the places for rent—until they found the perfect place.

~🏈~

“I love it,” Maddy said as they walked around the small apartment that was in the price range for the three of them. She could afford much bigger—but she feels they won’t be here beyond the first month.

“How long of a lease are we talking?” the manager asked.

She turned to him. “Month to Month.”

Both her shifters looked at her, their eyes wide.

The manager tapped his chin, then nodded. “As long as you pay upfront.”

“Of course.” Maddy pulled her checkbook from her purse.

The guys watched her as she wrote up the amount the man said. She knew she’d get back the enormous deposit when they moved out.

“We planned to split it,” Rolando whispered into her ear.

She smiled up at him. “I know, love, you two can pay me your parts once we get settled in.”

Rolando pulled Maddy into his arms and kissed her.

The manager cleared his throat, and Rolando reluctantly let her go.

Maddy didn’t want Rolando to let her go—any more than he wanted to let her go.

She handed the man the check, and he grinned.

“You can move in any time,” he said as he handed her the keys and left.

“Our own place,” Maddy said, turning to them.

“This is great.” Rolando smiled as he lifted her into his arms and spun her around.

“Now we need furniture,” Gerald said, looking around the empty apartment.

Maddy nodded as Rolando set her back on her feet. “We’ll go shopping later. Right now, I want my mate,” she said, taking hold of Rolando’s hand. “We get the master bedroom.” She smiled and winked at Gerald.

Gerald chuckled. “Whatever you say, Sweetpea.”

She grinned at him before she and Rolando disappeared into the master bedroom.

Rolando stared at his mate. He was finding himself more and more attracted to her the more he got to know her, and it didn’t have anything to do with their bond.

“Now,” she said, turning to him. “There’s no bed, so….” She squealed when he grabbed her and pinned her to the wall beside the door.

“Don’t need a bed,” he said, then he was all over her.

“Oh my God,” she moaned.

Their clothes were thrown all over the room, and she giggled when he removed her panties with his teeth.

“Fuck, I love being able to see you in the light,” he said, looking her up and down.

She started to cover her body, and he stopped her.

“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t ever cover yourself from me.”

She smiled as she dropped her arms to her sides.

“You are perfect,” he whispered.

His body pinned hers’ to the wall, and he grabbed her ass, lifting her off her feet. She moaned as she wrapped her legs around his hips. He kissed her throat and moved his hand between their bodies, his fingers finding her throbbing clit.

“Yes,” she moaned. “Oh, hell yes.”

Rolando grinned as he played with his mate’s clit. Her smell intoxicated him so much he licked her throat.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “You taste so good.”

“Mmm,” she moaned, then started to pant as he moved his finger across her clit. She cried out, and her body shook with her orgasm.

“Fuck yeah,” he mumbled against her throat, then took hold of her hips and impaled her with his cock.

She screamed, and her body vibrated with another orgasm.

“Fuck, that feels good,” he groaned when her pussy tightened around his cock with her orgasm.

“More,” she moaned.

“Anything for you, Mafilia.” He started to move inside her.

“Yes,” she cried out. “Harder!”

He chuckled. “You’ve got it,” he said, slamming into her so hard he watched her eyes roll to the back of her head. “You okay there, Mafilia?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, focusing her eyes on him. “Go faster.”

He laughed. “All right,” he said as he picked up the speed.

She cried out his name as another orgasm spun her out of control.

“Fuck yeah.” He growled as he held onto her hips and slammed into her, hard and fast. “You’re insatiable.”

She smirked. “Go deeper,” she demanded, and he complied.

“Damn woman!” he hollered, pushing his cock deeper inside her.

The speed and depth of their fucking was going to make him cum so hard that he wasn’t sure he’d survive.

“More!” she hollered.

He grunted as he slammed into her as hard, fast, and deep as he could.

“Rolando!” Maddy screamed as an amazing orgasm took over her body, making her see stars.

“Fuck!” he cried out. He grabbed her hands and pinned her arms to the wall as he slammed into her. “I’m going to cum so deep inside you; you’ll be leaking me for weeks,” he growled into her ear.

Maddy moaned at his words and felt the connection to him through their markings. “You cum in me now, and later I’ll suck your dick so hard you’ll go blind.”

He laughed. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

She groaned as they continued to move together. His cock was so deep inside her that she wasn’t sure where he ended and she began.

“Rolando!” she cried out as another orgasm took her—body and soul.

“Damn, Maddy.” Rolando groaned when he felt his seed spill deep inside his mate. Soon after, his knot stretched her even further. “Fuck.” Rolando had a hard time catching his breath.

“Wow.”

“Sex has never been this good.” He kissed her throat.

She nodded. “I know what you mean.”

Rolando looked at Maddy. He wondered how many men she had before him. He shook his head. That doesn’t matter.

She’s his now, and that’s all that mattered.