Tangled Heart

by Zenina Masters

  He dropped like he was shot. Aster laughed. She shed all of the leaves she was using for moderate modesty, and she knelt to straddle him. His arms rose, and he cupped her hips, his fingers flexing against her skin before stroking around in a deliberately slow exploration.

  Aster smiled. “You have enough patience to take your time?”

  Huron shook his head. “I do not, but there is a bonus to being bonded to a god.”

  She chuckled. “Fine, explore as you will, but when you would like to be inside me, let me know.”

  He slid one hand against her sex and slowly moved his digits in a thoughtful exploration. His other hand stroked up her hip and moved to cup one breast, and then, he twisted his arm to cup the other.

  Aster ran her hands over the ridges and muscles of his abdomen, she stroked his nipples and bent forward to take one between her lips. His inhalation was sharp, so she moved to the other.

  He slid a finger inside her and twirled it lightly around. Huron closed his eyes. “You are so soft and warm.”

  She chuckled. “It is all a ploy to lure men’s cocks inside. Once they know how good it feels, they seek it out relatively constantly.”

  He eased a second finger into her with incredible care.

  Aster reached down and caressed his cock, moving her fingers up and down gently before she wrapped her hand around him, and she pumped slowly.

  He began to shake violently. “I think I need to be inside you now.”

  She smiled. She eased his fingers out of her and settled on him. Aster pressed the weeping head of his cock against her, and she slowly sank onto him.

  She braced her hands on his abdomen and began to rock on him before she lifted and lowered her hips in a slow rhythm.

  Huron’s expression was contorted. His eyes were shut, and his hands were fists next to her knees as she rose and fell.

  Aster whispered, “What are you focused on?”

  “Not ending this. I want it to end, but I want it to go on forever.”

  She paused in her movements, and he groaned. She leaned forward as far as she could and whispered, “We can do this more than once, you know.”

  His eyes opened in surprise. “Right away?”

  “That is up to you. For me? Yes. I can enjoy this for hours, in multiple rounds.”

  He blinked. “I can touch you?”

  “Of course.”

  His hands gripped her hips, and after a few false starts, he found the beat that he was looking for. She was still leaning forward on him, so her clit was getting direct pressure.

  She whimpered and held back until his fingers dug in and he began to shake. His utterance of surprise preceded the pulse of power that started at the end of his cock and used her to exit into the world.

  Aster gasped as the power ran through her in hot pulses, and her orgasm milked every last twitch out of his cock.

  Musk was heavy in the air. Aster chuckled. “And that is why I didn’t want the first time in the cabin. We would have blown the doors off.”

  Huron was grappling for his senses. She remained motionless on him and looked around. The crescent of the new forest had begun.

  Trees, saplings, and bushes were springing up in a thick border around all parts of their meadow, with the exception of their original pathway.

  Huron’s hands slowly stroked her hips.

  She looked down and smiled. “So, how was it?”

  “I was glad you were able to join me.” His eyes were earnest and shining.

  “Well, I was nearly there, but the forest god cheated. So, we were both winners.” She stroked his cheek.

  He grinned. “So, you said we could do it again?”

  She chuckled. “Yes, yes, we can.”

  She moved her hips, and he was aroused again, still deep inside her. If she wasn’t mistaken, the last event had been his first. She rode him slowly. “So, what would you like to do?”

  He blinked. “I can choose?”

  “Of course. Whether a lover or a mate, you have the right to request anything you like of your partner. They don’t have to say yes, but you can ask.”

  He paused. “I have seen animals in the wild...”

  Aster grinned. “We can do that.”

  Chapter Six

  The meadow grasses were sweet where she crushed them under her hands. She held tight as Huron plunged and retreated.

  The sharp slap of their bodies was the only sound in the world. She breathed faster as the swing of his balls struck her sex and gave her the stimulation that she needed.

  She was almost to the edge when he groaned and collapsed; she bore his weight and sighed. There was no pleasurable interference this time. It seemed the forest god needed more time between rounds.

  Huron had an arm around her waist, and he lifted his head from her shoulder. “You were not with me that time.”

  She chuckled. “I was right until the end.”

  He grunted. “What can I do?”

  He seemed to want to learn, so she took his hand and guided it to her clit. Her sex was slick, but she instructed him on how she liked to be stroked, and as he followed her instructions, she gasped and shivered, her orgasm bright and tight within her. Where the first release had been a heavy throbbing, this was a giggling shiver. No two releases were ever exactly alike.

  He kept going, and she squeaked, pulling his hand away. She whispered, “Sensitive.”

  He nodded and chuckled. “I promised myself I would learn. It seems to be going well.”

  “I am going to collapse now. Just a warning.”

  She dropped to the grass, and he followed her, still inside her.

  He slid out of her and rolled to his side, pulling her with him. “I think I prefer it when I can see your face.”

  She smiled and turned to look at him over her shoulder. “I prefer it to. Do not get me wrong, there are all kinds of sensations that can be had from me having my back to you, but I like watching your expression. It helps me gauge what is going on.”

  He reached around and cupped her breast. “I would have to agree that being able to see is part of the delight.”

  She smiled and looked toward the reddening sun. “Do you regret not finding a nice camper to seduce?”

  Huron’s voice became somber. “No, this body was selected for you and you only.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean the child was with family, wandered off and fell into a stream. I was able to breathe life back into him, but I would have let the water keep him if it wasn’t for you.”

  She blinked and looked at Huron, and she got the image in her mind. The toddler was only fifty feet from his family when he fell into the fast-moving stream. The entire situation was remarkably silent. The child was swept away in the high waters of spring. The forest god stepped into the water and scooped the child into the air on his horns. He stepped out of the stream, put the child down, and by now, the family was rushing toward them. They stopped when they saw the giant elk, and two of them transformed into normal elk and bowed.

  The forest god moved into the child and coughed out the water. The small form sat up, and one of the elks came forward, wearing a ranger uniform. A quick discussion and the family understood that Huron must now remain in the forest.

  Aster blinked. “Oh. So, you have a family.”

  Huron’s mouth tensed. “Yes, but this body was chosen for you.”

  “Because a giant elk can not be a proper mate.”

  He nodded. “You are not physically equipped for it.”

  “I don’t even think a regular elk female could cope with that.”

  He blushed slightly.

  She twisted against him and removed his green crown. “I believe that it is no longer necessary. What is necessary is a stream or a fountain.” She chuckled. “I am sticky.”

  He lazily reached out behind him, and he smiled. “That I can do.”

  A small cascade of rock heaved up
and out of the ground. Water sprouted from the top, and a channel of rocks wove itself into the edge of the forest and twisted into forming a pool.

  “That is a handy skill.”

  “It is how I kept water near your tree but not too close to erode the roots.”

  She smiled. “That is very thoughtful.”

  “She told me what she needed. It seems to be a shared trait.”

  Aster laughed.

  Huron was serious. “Can you really create dryads in my territory?”

  “I can. Well, she can, but she can’t do it without me.”

  “You were also serious about children?” He sounded hopeful.

  “I was. This is the perfect time for half-breeds. Mixing different genes is ideal right now. All governments are accepting them, and the shifters are even able to pass for half-elves in certain areas. It is a good time to have magic.”

  He nodded and got to his feet, walking over to the new fountain and stream, and splashing water first on his neck then his chest and finally he splashed his cock and balls, removing the residue of their coupling.

  She waited until he stepped away before she got up. Rivulets of semen slowly left her and snaked down her inner thigh. The white stood out against the green of her skin.

  She took handfuls of grasses and wiped the fluid off first before she cupped a handful of the icy water and applied it to her overheated skin.

  He watched her. He watched every drop of water that ran down her breasts and moved around the spot where her navel should be.

  “You do not have a...” He pointed at his own navel.

  “No, I stepped out of my tree. No umbilicus needed. That is how dryads are born. The mother oak makes the acorns and her dryad plants it. They nurture it, and when the new dryad has gathered enough energy from the world around her, she steps out and meets her mother for the first time. She also sees her tree and begins to tend it to make it stronger.”

  “You travelled with yours.”

  “Yes, the humans came into my wood, my mother had already faded. I was her last act. I unearthed my tree and fed her on my energy while I travelled, looking for a place that would let her grow strong and uninterrupted.”

  He smiled. “You did manage that.”

  She laughed and splashed more water on her skin. “Yes, I did manage that.”

  She felt much less sticky, and where his cum had hit the grass, wild roses were growing.

  Aster smiled, and she walked over to the growing pond, sitting on the stone-lined edge and soaking her feet in the cool water.

  Huron asked, “What happens now?”

  “We spend the night together; tomorrow, we return to the Crossroads, and we complete the balance ceremony.”

  He sat next to her and soaked his feet in the rising water. “What will happen then?”

  She inhaled and exhaled. “You will receive half of what I am, and I will receive half of what you are. It is a good thing that I am qualified as a demi-god in some societies, or this would hurt.”

  He chuckled. “He says he will hold back.”

  She shook her head. “That isn’t how this works. He will have no choice. We will hold hands, the spell will be cast, and the power will begin its route through the match mage and into us again.”

  He exhaled. “I hope we don’t hurt him.”

  She chuckled. “I have the feeling that we are practice for someone. The timing is rather convenient.”

  “Really? My guardian suggested this to me weeks ago, but I had to put protections into place for the hunting season.”

  “So, there are animals and trees on alert to stop hunters?”

  “And the forest rangers. There are four of them on duty to protect the clearing with the oak.”

  “Good. I hate to think of her undefended.”

  “Me too.”

  They sat there until the orange of the sky turned red. She smiled. “If we are getting used to each other, I believe that you should use what you have learned so far to see what you can do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean if there is any point in life where you can pursue sexual gratification, this is it.”

  “I can’t pursue it while we are together in the human worlds?”

  She chuckled. “You can, but they have cameras, satellites, and they will be trying to see in. Special efforts will have to be engaged in for privacy.”

  He sighed. “That does seem awkward.”

  “They will lose any fascination that they have with us shortly. The fey king is taking a bride, and that will focus the photo seekers to try and take pictures of them.”

  Huron nodded. “He came to me and spoke with my guardian, telling us that the time for me to seek my mate was now.”

  She slowly turned her head. “He what?”

  “King Larion came to my woods, and he spoke to me and gave me the instructions on how to get here, and he told me that you would be arriving soon.”

  Aster exhaled. “Of course. And the bride told me that you were here, so I came to get your agreement to let me speak with my tree.”

  He grinned. “You have gotten my agreement.”

  She laughed and elbowed him. “Funny. I am not fond of being manipulated like that.”

  “It seems they had your best interests at heart or, at least, mine.”

  She laughed. “They want me to take a place in the bride’s court. It would mean some commuting.”

  “Once you are with your tree, she can send you to the court. She is very good at being a bridge between worlds.”

  “Is she? I am perversely proud of her.” Aster chuckled.

  “She is very kind and stately. My guardian says she is like an aunt or grandmother.” He smiled. “I only know she is kind and powerful.”

  “Good.” The water had crept up to her calves, and she had gotten enough of the liquid through her skin.

  The blue fabric of night was overtaking the sky, so she looked to Huron. “I am heading into the cabin to see if more food has shown up.”

  He grinned. “I have worked up a bit of an appetite.”

  “Funny that.”

  He got to his feet and extended his hand to her. She placed her fingers in his, and he pulled her up and against him. She glanced up and smiled. “You are growing horns.”

  “What?”

  “Little ones.” She reached up and touched the small velvety protrusions.

  He frowned. “I haven’t had those in this form before.”

  “He is fusing to your human form. He has kept separate until this point.” She stroked his cheek. “I think this is how it happens. I have heard of other great deer who became horned men and Hern over time. I never realized that the human body was part of the evolution before.”

  Huron grinned. “You can examine them at leisure, whenever you like.”

  She shivered as she caught onto the gleam in his eyes and the hot bar of flesh pressed against her abdomen. “I might.”

  “The offer will stand.”

  She chuckled. “It is a good thing we got together now then. You are about to become very specifically conspicuous.”

  “I think I will be able to conceal the horns with a glamour once they are complete.” Huron’s speech was changing. He was less the human and the forest god and more... both at the same time.

  She nodded. “So, shall we adjourn to the cabin?”

  He smiled and lifted her off her feet. “I believe you mentioned being able to have sex standing up?”

  She took the hint and wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling herself upward, using his shoulders for her grip.

  He reached between them and pressed his cock against her. There was some resistance, so she tilted her hips. He began to slide inside, and she shivered as his hands stroked up her back, supporting her.

  He whispered, “Lean back.”

  She leaned, and he kept her in position with the hot brand of his cock inside her, and so
on, his lips were on her breast sucking strongly at the left first then the right. Her brain sent a fleeting thought that he was a fast learner, but her body told her to shut up and simply enjoy his attention to progressing in his education.

  He kept one arm behind her, gripped her hips with the other, and he began to rock against her, moving slowly until she pulled herself up to face him, kissed him, and ground her hips against his.

  The moon climbed above them as they wrestled for release, and when Aster let out a soft cry and shivered against him, Huron murmured, “Thank the falling leaves.” He groaned and shook inside her.

  She chuckled and leaned against him as he stroked her slick back, and their hearts resumed normal beating. He took a few steps back and fell into the small pond that he had created.

  The splash separated them, and she laughed and took the opportunity to rinse off the sweat and other accumulated materials. When she stepped out of the pond, she looked around at the thick forest that surrounded them. “Wow. It appears that our interaction could assist in reforestation.”

  He chuckled and picked her up, holding her against him. “If we ever gain someone to take care of our forest for a few days, I am more than willing to visit a few foreign lands and share what we have learned.”

  He carried her back to the cabin.

  “Shared the information with whom?”

  “The land itself. There are other gods under the surface who have not woken. If there was a dryad to wake them, they could walk the world.”

  “Finding homes for my daughters before they are even acorns?”

  He grinned. “I am getting into this future planning. It is fun.”

  She sighed and opened the door for them. He carried her inside and sat at the table in front of the meal that was still steaming slightly. There was the scent of meat in the food, so Dira had gotten the memo from the café.

  They had dinner, curled up on the bed together, and woke up twice in the night. Aster started it the first time, and Huron woke her again three hours later. Exhausted, they finished their night of privacy together and waited for the dawn.

  Chapter Seven