33. Could Anyone Hear Us
Bailey
Sacha inundates me daily with photos of Rhapsody, claiming that she is the cutest cat in the world. He’s adorable with her, even leaving work at a reasonable hour to be sure she is fed and taken care of.
I’m sex sore nearly everyday because it’s impossible to keep away from him at night. Sometimes we even fool around in his office, banging quietly and illicitly makes it even hotter. He is sweet and genuine and really talented with his tongue. When Sunday rolls around I’m almost not even nervous about meeting his whole family. Almost.
Sacha drives us in a large white SUV with leather interiors that probably cost more than the house I grew up in. It doesn’t have any trouble climbing the steep mountain roads to the end of a dirt path. We still have a twenty minute hike into the deep forest to the location where the Bigfoots have their Solstice celebration.
My chest is full of buzzing nerves as we approach, I slip my hand into Sacha’s and squeeze it for comfort. The party is in full swing when we walk up. The weather is perfect for this, Bigfoots are everywhere. It seems like every kind of outdoor sport is represented; frisbee, soccer, dodgeball, kickball, everything. All played by large, mostly naked, Bigfoots. Hair flies everywhere. Dicks and breast flop freely in the sun. It seems awkward to me, but none of the other guests seem to even care.
I almost feel overdressed in my yellow sundress and white sneakers. I’m not quite ready to show off my body the way these Bigfoots do.
“You look perfect.” Sacha assures me when I ask if my outfit is appropriate. He wears a shirt and shorts in line with human ideals of modesty. I hope he isn’t doing it on my account.
There’s a row of tables, piled high with food. Every type of meat imaginable, some of it even cooked enough for human consumption.
Sacha’s parents pounce on us as soon as we appear. It”s really nice to see them again, they are just as welcoming as the first time I met them. Yvette immediately envelops me in an intense hug. Abe is pleased to tell me about the deer that he’s smoked to perfection for the party, immediately launching into a story about finding the perfect white oak to chop down and cook with. It’s charming.
Despite Sacha’s assurances that my presence wouldn’t be noticed, other guests seem immediately aware I’m a newcomer, and many take it upon themselves to perform their introductions. It turns out Bigfoots come in a bunch of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are a bit scarier or more pungent than others, but I’m surprised to discover the party isn’t entirely Bigfoots.
“There are a lot more humans here than I expected.” I say as we pick in a shady spot to eat.
A few trees away sits a large human man, with muscles so well defined I can count the veins in his arms, his legs intertwined with the even larger legs of a Bigfoot. They laugh and feed each other fruit. Several humans intermix with the other groups of Bigfoots, along with sprinklings of other cryptid species.
“Plenty of Bigfoot have mated with humans. Particularly since the Decrypting.” Sacha kicks a couple rocks out of the way before he spreads a large picnic blanket over the grass. “There’s room for all kinds here.”
“There are so many of you. Are all of you actually related?” I ask as we settle in.
“It’s more of a community gathering. Mimi is the matriarch, she invites everyone, but we aren’t all blood related.” Sacha’s hand creeps across the blanket to wrap around mine. “Before the Decrypting it was different. Bigfoots had to live in secret, so we weren’t found out. These types of gatherings were the only times we knew where we could find one another. Now, since we can easily buy plane tickets and use cars, the events have started to expand.”
We are nearly knocked to the side when a pair of child-sized Bigfoots chase each other across our picnic blanket and shoot off, dodging between their parents” feet, tackling each other with growls. A few adults carry infants close to their chests chatting as they watch the children play. The camaraderie of it all makes my chest ache. It’s the kind of family bonds I’ve always longed for. I can feel tears pricking in my eyes, and I try to turn away from Sacha.
“Are you alright, Beast?” He asks.
“It’s fine.” I dab at the corners of my eyes. “It’s just really nice to see everyone get along.”
His arm slips around my side and he presses a light kiss to my cheek. “They already like you, you know. You’d be welcome if you wanted to come back, even if you didn’t—want to come back with me.”
My heart breaks at that thought. “Of course I want to come back with you.”
“I will always be happy to bring you.” His voice is a bit huskier than I expect as he presses another kiss to my cheek.
We spend the whole day with his family. Sacha even joins in on some of the games, although they look a little too rough for me, he seems pleased to remove his shirt and gain a few grass stains. As the evening gets later, the shadows get longer, and the crowd thins out, I find myself hoping, maybe, if I don’t fuck everything up this time, I could join Sacha here again.
“I think we should pack up,” Abe says to his mate, “Leave the evening to the young ones. We still have a couple hours walk back to the cabin for the night.”
Yvette wraps me in another of her long comforting hugs, before the two of them disappear into the forest on foot. Their ability to navigate long distances is impressive, I have no idea which direction their cabin would even be from here.
“Can I show you one more thing, before we go?” Sacha asks.
“Alright.” I say, not quite ready to end the evening anyway.
“The timing is just right, it’s a bit up into the mountain.” He gestures toward a path, “It’d be quicker if—if you don’t mind?—”
“What?” I ask suspiciously, folding my arms across my chest
“Could I carry you?”
I feel a deep blush rushing up my cheeks at how much I like that idea.
“You won’t get tired?” I ask.
He shakes his head furtively and answers with a low growl, “I will not get tired, my Beast.”
He picks me up by the waist, and with a shocking display of strength easily maneuvers me onto his back. My hands grasped around his shoulders, my legs wrapped around his waist. It’s feels deliciously naughty as he starts to move through the woods, his back muscles flexing beneath my body. I assumed he was just looking for an excuse to be close to me, but he proves to move far faster than I ever could on my own.
It’s impressive, feeling him run full tilt through the trees, totally in his element, dodging trunks and leaping over bushes. I squeak in fear a few times as he speeds up, but start to laugh as he eventually hits his stride. His broad hands supporting me to be sure I don’t lose my grip.
“Here,” he says, finally stopping to set me on the ground. We’re at an overlook, high in the mountain, we’ve left all of his family and friends behind, several miles down the mountain.
And the view. The view is phenomenal.
“Wow,” I whisper, leaning into him. I understand now, and his timing is perfect, the cloud cover is low over the mountains but there’s a beautifully clear view of the valley below, misted in the colors of the sunset. “It’s beautiful.”
His hand circles my waist, tucking me against his body with a contented sigh.
“I always liked this spot,” he says quietly. “I wanted to share it with you now, in case I didn’t get another chance.”
“This wasn’t just a ploy to get me alone?” I tease.
“If I wanted you all to myself we never would have left my condo this morning,” he grumbles in my ear. “I like when people see us together. I like that they know that you are mine.”
The words bring a heat to my stomach. I shouldn’t enjoy being claimed as much as I do, but there’s something about this male that makes me giddy. I like the feeling that I belong somewhere. I like that the place I belong is in his arms. Sacha’s fingers drag along my waist, spreading the heat in my stomach everywhere, he has the ability to light up my whole body with one touch and a mild implication.
I turn in his arms and press my face into his chest. Soaking in his warmth, and his smell, and everything good about him, before I pull his face to mine for a kiss. He’s soft, gentle, his big hand traces up my back, his fingers dig into the base of my neck.
I tug him a little closer, deepening the kiss, slipping my tongue into his mouth, trying to pull more from him. Egging him on by wrapping my teeth around his lower lip and fisting my hand into his shirt.
“Do you think anyone could hear us up here? Or are we completely alone?” I ask.
“Beast,” he murmurs in a little warning.
“What?” I ask innocently.
“You know exactly what you are doing.” He growls, but his hand brushes against the back of my neck, teasing the sensitive nerves there.
“I know what I want to be doing.” I step away from him, feeling bolder, warmer, more sure of myself with each inch that I put between us. “I was just thinking about going for a run.”
His eyes darken.