Part I here

Melanie regarded the hard-backed chair facing her make-up table with an admixture of dread and resolve; not that she made the least move towards it. Instead she stood with her hands on her hips from where tentative fingers sallied out to probe the dusky burgundy flesh of her behind. Her upper thighs ached somewhat too and every time she took a step forward she felt more than a little pain in her bottom. This now colourful part of her anatomy had been left exposed to the cooling air, although even this seemed futile to her just then.

Having listened to Melanie’s punishment with a combination of sympathy and prurient fascination, Rain had waited for Jared to leave and her sister-wife’s tears to abate before slipping into their room. She now stood leaning against the wall with folded arms as she contemplated the gloriously well-punished hiney in admiration. What a man and what a woman, she thought, enjoying some memories of her own.

Melanie shot the watching woman a rueful glance, and rain returned it with a suitably sympathetic wince. Despite her embarrassing discomfort, the punished blonde swallowed an unbidden smile until a small hissing laugh escaped her lips.

Rain joined her until both women were in fits of giggles.

“Oh, oh,” Melanie groaned suddenly, “It really isn’t funny.”

“It kind of is,” Rain chuckled, but she now crossed the room and took Melanie’s arm. “Come on, let’s have face down on the bed. I have something for that tender tail or yours.”

“Ooh, I don’t think I am gonna sit down for a week,” the red-bottomed girl groaned as she crawled forward onto the divan.

“A week? That’s an optimistic call,” Rain laughed as she now took a closer look at Melanie’s sore bottom. “A month would be my guess right now. Leastways I am sure I wouldn’t contemplate a chair if it was my tail end.”

“If it were your tail end I am sure that would be true,” Melanie sighed as she finally lowered herself face down. “Your ass is half the size of mine.”

“Half the size means half the spanking,” Rain teased.

“Don’t remind me,” Melanie said in a mock wail, “It is so unfair.”

“Don’t knock it girl, what I wouldn’t give for an ass like yours.”

Melanie looked back over her shoulder appreciatively and murmured, “You do alright, you have the pert delicate derriere of a goddess,” and then poked out her tongue.

“Why thank you ma’am,” Rain said with a mock curtsey. “Now lie still while fetch some cold cream.”

“And some ice,” Melanie said as Rain moved away.

*

A large group of men stood on the rise above the ranch. There were 19 in all, mostly clad in a mix of leather and denim suggesting a biker convention was in progress. Most were gathered together around the five principles surveying the forest and the rise and fall of the land towards town. That and the setting moon as it touched the trees.

Even in the morning daylight the blue-white moon looked huge above the treeline. It wasn’t quite full, that was another two nights away, but already the younger men were getting skittish.

Sundance smiled indulgently and catching Garrick’s eye nodded at an anxious group of boys standing apart from the others. These three young men were new bloods and not yet enjoyed a full season of the hunt. Garrick nodded and winked; he remembered his own first days.

Jared followed the old men’s and scowled. The newbies were scarcely out of high school and as yet little use to anyone. He turned back to his brothers and nodded.

Adam was suggesting that this month’s hunt should have out-rangers. It was a sound enough idea. There were strangers in town and lone wolves ahead of the pack could give an early warning of trouble without seeming unduly unusual if they were seen. The elder twin matched Jared’s temperament, making him an able second in these matters.

“If you are serious about the possibility of trouble,” John put in, “There we should use some of the women for scouting duties. That way we won’t weaken the main pack if there really are hunters.”

Jared nodded. John was the clever one, even if he was a little soft where the females were concerned.

“Makes sense, we only have 16 males,” Adam agreed.

“Nineteen,” John corrected him and nodded to the three boys.

Jared snorted derisively.

Sundance made a half turn, his ears and eyes missed nothing.

“Why not let these eager new bloods act as scouts and save the able females for guarding the ranch?” the old man suggested.

A suggestion from the ancient Navajo was not lightly discarded and Jared glared.

“There are some feisty new girls among pack if you wanted more than three scouts,” Adam put in, “That way we neither weaken the guard or the hunt.”

The Navajo was still watching him closely so a non-committal Jared shrugged and folded his arms.

“It is settled then,” Garrick spoke for the first time.

The group relaxed and began to break up.

“Jared,” Garrick spoke again and beckoned to his son.

Only Sundance remained in earshot. The three quickly formed a conspiratorial triangle.

“You said there were two strangers in town?” Garrick continued.

“A woman, a city type, Adam tells me,” Jared snarled. “John thinks she is harmless, but I hear she had been asking after you.”

Garrick nodded. “Find out who she is. John is probably right, but this close to a hunt…” he shrugged casually and then added, “Have it looked into.”

“Yes Sir,” Jared agreed.

*

Alice sat in front of the mirror and dragged her brush angrily through her long auburn hair as if she might pull it out. Her previous fantasies about gathering her probate signatures within a day now seemed foolish. Idiotic enough for her to phone the office and finally she settle on a pleasant country guest house. She had told the over-smiling proprietor that she might stay at least a week.

“A week?” The smile had vanished from the proprietor’s face. Alice stopped mid brush and pondered that. Why had an extended stay not pleased her? What was it she had said, “Full moon tomorrow?” She frowned.

An untamed red-brown cascade of hair fell over her face and she blew it aside like the fairy-tale wolf and scowled at the woman glaring back at her. How dare he; a thought not far from her mind since the diner? At least sticking around gave her time to get back at him. It bothered her that it should matter so much. It bothered her too that she could not picture one brother in her mind without the other. But it was Adam Stone that held her rage. He said he would spank, like irritating teen, like she didn’t matter… like… like some air head in a black and white movie.

Pulver was like a town from an old post-depression story, full of savvy hicks and mysterious strangers. What was all that about vampires and dime novel mysteries? Stacy Dane had obviously been watching too many movies.

Then she thought again about Adam. “How dare he?” Spank me, spank… me, she glared furiously at her reflection and threw down the brush. She thought about his bad-boy biker jacket and his firm thighs and compared it to John’s easy smile and sympathetic shrug.

“Well I need to talk to them,” she said testily as she strove to regain professional superiority. “I need them to get to their father,” she added to her mirror unconvincingly.

*

The woman in the sharp business skirt-suit strode down Main Street like she had decided to buy it. The townsfolk, usually indifferent to passing strangers, shot concerned glances at her as she passed. By now everyone knew she was the city lawyer here on business, and everyone knew she had been asking after Garrick Stone.

One or two of the glanced at the morning sky and checked their watches. In Pulver everyone knew the cycles of the moon by heart. Today moon rise raced the sunset and by nightfall not one of them would be abroad.

Not one of them ‘knew’ why. No one ever spoke about it. The odd fool who even hinted at local legends was not heard and people were given to coughing loudly and hurrying on when they did. At least this Eden woman had not had the bad grace to mention it. Maybe her business was as mundane as she claimed.

Alice was not quite oblivious to this as she made her way to the diner, but she was too canny to notice and for the most part she put it down to being a stranger in town. Her appointment with Dr Anderson was not until 2.30 and by then she hoped to have some idea how to reach Garrick Stone. Her only leads so far were Stacy Dane and… the spanking threat brought renewed colour to her face and she pursed her lips… the Stone twins.

As she hoped Stacy was sitting in the same corner of the diner scratching at a note pad while sipping coffee.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked grudgingly.

Stacy barely glanced at her and shrugged.

“I thought you might…” Alice began but Stacy made to shush her with one finger and waved her hand at the opposite seat.

“I thought you might tell me where Garrick Stone lives,” Alice continued in a softer voice as she sat down.

“Sure,” Stacy said lightly, finally looking at the lawyer. “If you can tell me what business you have with him.”

“I’m sorry, but that is confidential,” Alice said sharply.

Stacy shrugged. “Yeah, I kinda feel that about the way to the Stone ranch.” She smirked and took a sip of her coffee.

Alice was still contemplating what, if anything, she could tell this woman when the twins walked in.

The room fell quiet, although no one except Alice so much as glanced over as the two men made their way to a window seat. She, on the other hand, sat with her mouth slightly open and tried to quell the sudden churning in her belly. The unfamiliar sensation hadn’t troubled her since high school and when her conscious mind finally identified it she blushed and quickly looked away.

“See something you like?” the other woman teased, still smirking.

Alice glared at her and then suddenly occupied herself with examining the table top. What am I, a college freshman? She chided herself. Then looking up she gave Stacy a superior look and calmly stood up.

With a cat-like poise she strolled across the diner with her sights firmly set on the two Stone brothers. As she walked a feline tongue delicately dampened the light pout on lips as cool fingers smoothed over the curves of her skirt-hugging bottom as if to emphasise her charms.

“I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot,” she said pleasantly as she drew up alongside Adam.

The hard-eyed man slowly swung his gaze to assess her. “Did we?” he said.

“After all I am new around here and I only wanted to introduce myself,” Alice said silkily, trying not to let his manner intimidate her. “I do have some legal business with your father. It is a matter of some property.”

Adam Stone was not the first tough and difficult man she had met and she usually gave as good as she got. But this man unsettled her and she could feel her heart racing as he watched her.

“Legal business you say?” John cut in cheerfully. “May I ask what it concerns exactly?”

Alice smiled as warmly as she could manage and told him, “I would rather discuss that with your father, but it concerns the Stephens house.”

John knew that old man Stephens had owned one of the houses in town, but had died a few months back. No doubt his father had contrived to have some legal interest in the property; his usual way of regulating unwelcome development in Pulver.

“I’ll be sure and mention that to him ma’am,” he said placating her, “Maybe we can arrange something next week.”

“But…” Alice protested, she almost blurted that all she needed was a signature. What was she supposed to do in Pulver for a week?

“Do you have a card?” John asked as he cut her off.

“Oh… yes,” Alice said, now thoroughly deflated. She reached into her purse and handed him a simple white embossed business card.

“Thank you,” John said with finality, shooting a significant glance at Adam.

Alice nodded back and backed away. She had been dismissed. Smiling stiffly she turned on her heel to offer them a clear view of her sassy behind before sauntering back across the room to Stacy.

“Looks like this woman is no big deal,” John chuckled as he admired her retreating bottom, “She certainly doesn’t seem a threat. Maybe I can conduct some business of my own with her once the hunt is past.”

“Jared asked us to check her out. I suggest you call her office and have our lawyers in the city check out her credentials,” Adam grunted.

“Doesn’t she do anything for you at all?” John chuckled.

Adam cast a glance at Alice and shrugged. Whatever she did or didn’t do for him was his business.

Alice dropped into her seat with a sneer and with her eyes dared Stacy to laugh.

The only response from the strange lawyer was a ‘told you so’ shrug. “So you are a lawyer,” Stacy pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps maybe I can help you after all.”

To be continued…