“I don’t want to die this way!” The ragged scream tears through the air and I realize that it wasn’t one of the cult members yelling before, but someone else. Through a shift in the crowd, I see that there’s someone tied to the tree that everyone is standing around. She’s pleading with them, but no one is paying her any attention, just muttering some sort of chant or prayer. “Why are you doing this to me!”
I would’ve made a move to save her anyways, but when I catch the word “sacrifice” among the cultists’ chanting, I realize that I’ve got to act very quickly. Who knows what they plan to do to the poor girl, as helpless as she is tied to a tree. They could stab her, set her on fire, or just leave her out here to die from exposure! I have to put a stop to this, now. A few quick jabs on the remote sends a signal to the nearest speaker. It’s about ten yards away from the tree the girl is tied to, convenient.
When the animal sounds start up, Boss and Joe join in the cacophony, howling and growling, bolting towards the crowd of cultists. As they do, the breeze picks up into a wind. The combination of animal noises is enough to scare them, and the crowd disperses, some crying out in fear. Perfect.
Chapter 6- Freya
As my biological mother’s “friends” surround the tree I’m tied to, they chant and I’m overwhelmed with the realization that I, most likely, am going to die right here and now. The forest around me certainly doesn’t help. It’s gotten dark, and cold, and the wind is picking up.
Suddenly, a terrifying noise comes from somewhere behind me. It sounds like some type of animal. I wonder if I was right with my earlier guess, that there’s a bear or mountain lion in the woods that they’re planning to feed me to.
Whatever it is, no one in the crowd in front of me wants to face it. They turn and run, some shouting, but none of them make any effort to help me out. They just leave me tied to the tree. Waiting to be eaten.
“Don’t just leave me here! Wait! Someone help me! Please!” I scream after the fleeing people, but no one turns around, not even Sage. Instead, two dogs emerge from among the trees, barking and growling. They’re bigger than any domesticated dog I’ve ever seen in the city and I slowly come to realize that these aren’t dogs: These are wolves. There are two wild animals standing right in front of me, wild animals with big, sharp teeth. Are they going to attack?
Despite my fear, the wolves don’t attack me. They don’t even touch me. Instead, they circle the tree that I’m tied to, sniffing at the ground and whining slightly. The roars and growls coming from the woods behind me taper off, and the wolves—or are they truly just dogs?—settle down.
There’s movement among the trees to my right. Is that a person? At first, I think that Sage has come back to help me, some dormant maternal instinct come to life. It only takes a second glance for me to realize that the person coming towards me isn’t Sage. This person is a man, almost twice the size of her. Who is this?
Chapter 7- Apollo
Once the cultists scatter, I shut off the recorded animal sounds and make my way towards the girl tied to the tree. She looks utterly terrified, so I try to hurry. I don’t know her, but I can tell that she certainly doesn’t want to be where she is right now.
“Please don’t hurt me!” She exclaims as I step closer to her. “I don’t want to die!”
When I register that she seems even more scared than before, if that’s possible, I realize that I forgot to take my mask off. I wear a modified ski mask when I’m traipsing around the woods. My first week living up at the cabin and roaming the forest to survive, I got smacked in the face by stray tree branches so many times, I got a black eye. Who knew that I’d come closer to loosing an eye after I stopped fighting than I ever did in the ring? So, the reinforced ski mask it is.
To put the girl at ease, I peel it off and stuff it into the pocket of my jacket. Whipping out a pocketknife, I set to work cutting through the ropes binding her to the tree. “Are you okay?” I ask.
“What? No! Of course I’m not okay, I’m tied to a tree! Who are you?”
I bite my lip to keep from chuckling at her indignant response. I finish cutting through the rope around her shoulders and step back to give her some space. A quick appraisal of her surprises me. She’s younger than I thought, barely twenty if that. Her long light brown hair is slick and shiny, and despite her circumstances, she’s got a clean glow around her. In other words, I don’t think that she’s a member of the local cult. She doesn’t look anything like the rest of them often do. She’s dressed in an ill-fitting prom dress that’s been twisted around in her efforts to break free and is rubbing at some chaffing on her bare arms.
She looks so lost, standing there. I decide to take her back to the cabin with me. I suppose I could go and get the ATV that I use when I need to run to Hood River for supplies that I can’t procure out here in the woods, but it’s getting late and it’s already dark outside. Besides, I think she needs to be taken someplace warm before she falls down. I want her taken care of, and I want to be the one to do it.
Chapter 8- Freya
I don’t know the man standing in front of me, but I do know that he isn’t what I expected at all. He’s not a member of the cult, that I’m sure of. After all, they wanted to leave me tied to a tree, but he cut me free. Is it for his own nefarious purposes? I’m not sure.
“Who are you? What do you want with me?” I demand. Well, as much as I can demand, given that I don’t know where I am or what I’m going to do. I’m lost and I have no power here.
“My name is Apollo, I live around here.” Without the ski mask, he’s a lot less scary. Apollo’s voice is softer than I expected from such a large man, and I realize that he might be younger than I suspected too. I can’t see too well in the dark, but by what little light the rising moon casts I see that the look on his face is… gentle. Again, not at all what I expected. Part of me was afraid that he was a predator, but he hasn’t made any move towards me aside from cutting me free from the tree. Can I trust him?
Trusting strangers hasn’t worked out so well for me in the past several hours, but I don’t have much of a choice right now, so I decide to give this Apollo a chance.
“I’m Freya,” I offer. I take a step forward to shake his hand—or, I try to. Being dragged around by my mother’s crazy friends and then tied to a tree has taken a lot out of me and I stumble. I almost fall to the ground, but Apollo literally swoops forward and catches me. An easy shift of his weight and I’m being cradled in his arms.
“Whoa, there. Okay Freya, I know that you’re probably pretty scared, but I’m going to take you to my house, okay? I live just up the hill there. I’ve got a cabin with water, a fire, some food. You could probably use the rest after all of this, huh?” As Apollo talks, he starts walking, taking me with him. I guess I really don’t have much of a choice, now do I?
I don’t say anything as he carries me up the hill. Neither does he. Instead, the trip is accompanied by the playful yips and barks of the two dogs that I noticed earlier. Instead of being frightening, they’re now bounding along through the trees, occasionally chasing each other. They seem relaxed, carefree. Well, if the dogs are happy and comfortable, Apollo can’t be so bad, can he?
He carries me to a cabin that is far less creepy than what I had made up inside my head. It looks homey, the type of thing that you would find in a lifestyle and homes magazine. Apollo lets us in and moves me to sit on the couch. I’m surprised to see that there are electric lights when he flips a switch. In fact, the entire cabin is modern and comfortable. It’s got an open floor plan, with all the amenities and accessories of your average house.
Apollo must notice my look of surprise. “I’ve got the place set up with solar energy, primarily. The river nearby generates some, so does the wind but the majority of the energy for electricity comes from the panels I’ve got wired up on the roof.”
“You did all this?” I’m amazed.
“Well, not all of it—the cabin itself has been in my family for generations but
when I moved up here, I did some renovations.” In the light, he seems to blush a bit at the attention. The light is very kind to him, I must say. He’s in extremely good shape, with sand colored hair that falls across his forehead. He turns to look at me after picking up a blanket and I meet his eyes. They’re a soft color, like warm honey. Apollo drapes the blanket over me, and I wonder how I was ever afraid of him. One look in his eyes and I can see his kindness.
Settling down in an armchair across from me, he places a glass of water on the coffee table. After I down half of it, he starts talking. “Freya, what was going on out there?”
I take a deep breath and tell him my story.
Chapter 9- Apollo
Freya’s in the bathroom, taking a hot shower to wash off her experience with the local cult. I told her where everything was and gave her some clothes of mine to change into for when she’s done. Knowing that she’s safe, here with me, I can relax and process everything that she just told me. Because damn, there’s a lot there that needs to be processed.
What Freya told me tracks with what I already know about my so called neighbors. They’re a cult that worships nature, and they’re afraid of me. I told Freya that I’m probably the “beast” that they planned to sacrifice her to. She seemed a bit embarrassed about the fact that she, as she put it “fell for all that crap” from her birth mother, but I was quick to reassure her that she didn’t do anything wrong. She wanted to know where she came from, there’s nothing wrong with that.
The part about her being a virgin was surprising. Freya wasn’t embarrassed by it, just included it in the story. I’m not sure where the cult got the idea that they needed a “virgin sacrifice” either. Neither Freya nor I are too keen to find out, either.
Finding out that she’s a virgin hasn’t helped staunch the rapidly forming attraction that I feel towards her. As she sat there, I was torn between wanting to bundle her up in the blanket and protect her or to toss her back on the couch, pull that ugly dress off, and have my way with her. But I kept my self-control and did neither.
I shake the thoughts of Freya away and go to the kitchen to put together a couple of sandwiches. Boss and Joe each get tossed some bread, meat, and cheese as I assemble the late dinner. They did good today.
The quiet creak of the water pipes shifting as the shower is turned off catches my ear. Now I’m thinking about how gorgeous Freya would look in the water, smooth limbs glistening. The mental image is enough to get me rock hard in my jeans.
I’m considering whether I should do something about it or not when Freya walks into the room. The sight of her doesn’t help my current situation. She forewent most of the clothes that I offered her and is wearing just one of my old t shirts. It’s baggy on me, so it’s huge on her, landing a couple of inches above her bruised knees. Bruises?
“Are you okay? I thought you told me earlier that you weren’t hurt.” I walk over and squat down in front of her, lightly pressing my fingers against the discoloration I see on her skin.
“I’m fine, just a little banged up,” Freya says.
“Nothing’s swollen, so you should be fine.” I glance up at her, barely resisting the urge to stroke my fingers up her thigh as I stand up.
“Are you a medic or something?” She asks, curious.
I laugh. “No, not even close. Come on, I made us some sandwiches. I’ll tell you about it while we eat.”
Chapter 10- Freya
I can’t sleep and it’s all Apollo’s fault.
You would think that the trauma of being kidnapped by my biological mother’s cult would be what kept me up at night, but no. It’s my handsome host that’s holding my attention.
Apollo told me his story while we ate. I was moved by his honesty. We bonded over the connection that we feel to the outdoors (nothing as extreme as Sage and the other cultist neighbors, thankfully) and how suffocating city life can be. When I started to yawn and list in my chair, he offered me the bed set up in the corner of the cabin. Eyeing how tall he is and how short the couch is, I proposed that we just share the bed instead. I can’t explain why, but I trust Apollo. I know that he won’t hurt me while I sleep.
Not that I can actually get to sleep, I’m too worked up. As I lay there, I realize that there is something I could do to take the edge off.
Slowly, I slip a hand under the hem of my borrowed shirt and shift my leg so I can slide a finger against my core. It doesn’t take much before I start to feel the heat build in my belly.
I’m laying on my side, facing away from Apollo so I don’t notice when he wakes up… but I do notice when a hand that isn’t mine starts to shift the t shirt that I’m wearing higher against my back.
“Let me help you with that,” he whispers, voice hoarse with sleep or desire. I wonder what woke him up: Did he hear me? I thought I was being so quiet!
Despite the forwardness of Apollo’s words, his hands are gentle around my waist as he hitches the shirt up around my shoulders, leaving my breasts and stomach exposed. I know that if I ask him to stop, he will. The sudden wave of trust I feel only amplifies how turned on I am.
Apollo kisses the back of my neck as he breaches me with his fingers, the tension in my belly a tight band of anticipation. His fingers mimic the actions I was taking with my own earlier, but his touch feels so much different, so much better.
All I can hear in the silence of the cabin is my own whimpers and Apollo’s harsh, panting breath. I start coming uncontrollably, I squirm under his touch from the sensations I’m experiencing. It’s like nothing I’ve ever been able to achieve on my own.
Aside from the sound of our breathing, it’s quiet in the cabin, and I can hear as Apollo shucks off his sweatpants before pressing close and hitching my leg back over his. I can feel his throbbing bulge as he presses up against me from behind. His erection feels so good at my entrance, my anticipation builds as he gently circles my clit with his fingers.
Starting to thrust he begins making his way inside of me, inch by inch, filling me to the hilt. It hurts a first, when he enters me. Apollo is quick to distract me from the sting I feel as he pushes through my hymen, by tilting my chin with a finger, turning my head to press his lips to mine. He slowly starts to move, driving me to pleasure over and over. I scream out as ecstasy floods through my body.
Chapter 11- Apollo
I wake up with a feeling of contentedness that I haven’t had in a long, long time. And it’s all thanks to the woman curled against me. I want to feel like this forever.
Easing myself from the bed, I throw on a pair of sweatpants and walk over to the kitchen. Quietly assembling some breakfast. I watch Freya as I do. She looks perfect, sprawled as she is in my bed. I want to make this permanent, more than I’ve wanted anything in my life before.
But this isn’t her life—she lives in California. Coming to Oregon was only about meeting her biological mother, nothing more. I have to keep telling myself that: Freya isn’t staying. But what if there was a way that she would? Could I ask that of her?
Or maybe… I could go back to California with her? If I’m being honest, that’s not what I would want. I would have to leave the cabin that’s become my home, that I’ve put so much of myself into. I would have to leave Joe and Boss behind, because wolf dogs wouldn’t adapt well to city life. I would be leaving the peace of the forest behind.
But, I decide as I start to scramble some eggs, Freya would be worth it. I could adapt to living in the city again. It would take a lot, but I could do it. I would probably need to contact my agent again, reactive some of my bank accounts so that I would be able to pay rent on an apartment. But what would I do for work? I don’t need to worry about money up here and my time is spent working the land around me. Just the thought of moving back to the hecticness that is the city is enough to make me feel anxious and trapped.
My mind is racing so much, I almost miss the sound of Freya waking up.
Chapter 12- Freya
“Morning,” a voice calls out gently.
/> I hum in response and nestle deeper into the sheets of Apollo’s bed. I’m a little sore from what we did last night, but it’s the good sore, the type of sore I get after I run an extra couple of miles. I feel languid and content, and not just from the sex. I’m happy to have the opportunity to spend more time with Apollo in these beautiful woods. Who would have thought that looking for my birth mother would lead me to this? Sure, I was almost killed by a cult, but that lead to me meeting this amazing man… who is making me breakfast.
The smell of brewed coffee is enough to rouse me from my half sleep. I pull on the shirt I was wearing last night and wander into the kitchen. Apollo more than fits his name, standing as he is next to a beam of sunlight. He smiles at me, holding out a mug of coffee. I thank him and we settle in for breakfast.
“So… what were your plans for the day?” Do my ears deceive me, or does he sound nervous?
“I don’t have any. What did you have in mind?” Honestly, Apollo could tell me that he wants to read me the dictionary and I would happily listen. I want to spend as much time with him as I can.
“You know how I said there’s a river nearby? How would you like to go swimming?” There’s a spark in his warm honey eyes that’s irresistible.
“Yes!” I exclaim and hurriedly finish breakfast.
I have to borrow clothes from Apollo again, since the bag with all my things is in Sage’s car, which is who knows where. This time, he loans me some basketball shorts and a smaller t shirt. In lieu of shoes, he tosses me some slip-on sports sandals. They’re big on me, and not ideal for traipsing around the woods, but they’ll prevent me from cutting open a foot on a stray rock.
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