Tamed by the Prince (Elven Lover)

by Cathy McAllister

  “Why did you do that?” she whispered, upset.

  His gaze bored into hers and she closed her eyes, annoyed. These strange pupils had hypnotic powers and that was making her still more nervous than she already was.

  “Because I could not simply let you walk away,” he replied in a hoarse whisper.

  Cherry’s heart beat faster. She did not dare open her eyes and look at him. When he suddenly took her in his arms she screamed in shock. She had not heard him approach. His lips stifled her scream. The initially hard, almost punishing kiss gradually became gentler and she relaxed into his arms. With a quiet groan she fell against his hard body. Her soft figure fitted into his hard figure until they seemed to have melted into one collective body.

  She could feel desire charging though her veins like electricity, making her body tingle. Her body could remember all the exciting things that Merlon could do to it. Panic arose deep down inside her. What was she doing here? She had never wanted to see him again and she was on the point of giving herself to him once again.

  She pushed him away from her roughly and, breathing heavily, she gasped for air. Merlon looked at her, confused.

  “Stop! Why did you bring me here?” she again demanded to know.

  “I’ve already told you. I couldn’t let you go. I had to see you again.”

  “Why?”

  “I missed you. Haven’t you thought at all, then, about the beautiful days that we spent together?”

  “Yes, I have,” she said dryly.

  Cherry’s heart almost stopped. He did not say that he loved her. He had missed her. He had thought about the days of passion with her and wanted to see her again. Was that it? She could not ask him. She could not lay bare her emotions and ask him how deep his feelings for her were. But would he not have said if he loved her?”

  “Cherry,” he murmured and wanted to pull her to him again.

  “I can’t!” she resisted and turned to the side so that she did not have to look at him.

  He was too damned attractive. She desired him against all reason and she knew that her body would give her away if she was not careful. Damn it, how could she trust him when she could not even trust herself?

  “I know that you haven’t had good experiences, but I’m not like Justin. I would never hurt you.”

  ‘Not physically, but sooner or later you’d break my heart. If you haven’t already!’

  “I … I demand that you take me back immediately!”

  Merlon sighed.

  “I can’t,” he whispered and climbed out of bed.

  Without looking at her again he left the room and bolted the door behind him. Cherry threw her hands up to her face and began to sob.

  ***

  In frustration Merlon wandered up and down the big lounge in his hunting lodge. His heart was pounding and his innards felt as if they had knotted. He was not sure what he had expected, but definitely not this rejection. He felt himself about to growl. What should he do now? If anyone found out that he was holding a human woman captive here he would be in such a lot of trouble that his little slip-up in the palace would, in comparison, seem like a harmless, childish prank. This time his father would not grant him a pardon and even his mother would not be able to do anything for him. For the abduction of a human being he would definitely be given the death penalty.

  “Damn it!”

  He had not counted on it turning out like this. He had planned to make love to her until she finally agreed to never leave him again. But what was he supposed to do now that she had pushed him away like this? He could hardly take her by force. If only he had not listened to Coreena. He should have tried to simply forget Cherry. But he could not do that! This was precisely the problem. Cherry was constantly in his thoughts. She was under his skin. In his heart. She was like a parasite attacking his whole body. Nothing could free him from her any more. And he did not want that anyway. He wanted her to share his feelings. He did not want to believe that it was only sex for her. What prank had fate played upon him, giving him a mate that did not return his feelings? Was he damned?

  “Damn your stubborn heart, Cherry. I’m not giving in. You belong with me,” he murmured quietly.

  He glanced at the bolted door, behind which Cherry was locked. At least he had her where she belonged. In his bed! A sensual grin appeared on his face. He would fight with all his might, even if it took weeks, months or years. She was stubborn? Fine! He was, too. Let’s see who is the most stubborn. In a much better disposition he left the lodge to get something to eat.

  ***

  Someone saw the elf prince come out of his hunting lodge and disappear into the forest. It was not unusual for Prince Merlon to spend time in his hunting lodge, but this person just had a feeling that something was not quite right here. When a banging sound could be heard from inside the lodge, followed by a lot more such sounds, the person knew what it had sensed. Prince Merlon was not spending time in the lodge alone. Someone was with him and judging by the sounds this someone was in the lodge right now.

  “Let me out! Damn it!” sounded the voice of a woman suddenly.

  “So that’show it is,” the person said quietly to itself. “Have you brought yourself a plaything from the world of the humans? Very silly, Your Highness. Naughty, naughtyboy.” The person uttered a joyless, quiet laugh. “I’ll have to do something about this.”

  With these words the figure turned and crept quietly away.

  ***

  Cherry looked around in horror at the chaos that she had created. It was not like her to get so enraged. But the fact that Merlon had simply abducted her and brought her here was driving her crazy. He was not even responding to her calls, but had just locked her in here. The only window in the room was closed with shutters from the outside. She could not get out of here without help. An unpleasant thought crept into her mind. Could he have left her all alone? Had he simply left just because she had not fallen joyfully into his arms? Well! She had, in fact, fallen into his arms, she had to admit to her shame. When he was near her she could not trust herself. That was precisely the reason why she had sought distance and left New York.

  At least she had stopped him this time. She should actually be proud, but the only thing she was feeling was an empty feeling of loss. She sank onto the bed and closed her eyes. Hot tears surged from beneath her closed lids and ran down her cheeks. She had wanted to protect herself from this pain by leaving New York, but she had fled too late. And she had not run far enough away. She wondered how it had been possible for Merlon to find her? Would he have found her anywhere? And the same questions again and again – What did he want of her? What did he feel for her? After all the brooding, and exhausted from crying, Cherry finally fell asleep.

  Someone was shaking her gently by the shoulder and she awoke from her dream. It had not been a violent nightmare, like the dreams about her stepfather or Justin. Nevertheless the dream had upset her deeply and her body was covered with a fine film of sweat. She had last had this dream as a child. She was walking through the house looking for something. She did not know what it was, only that she could not find it. The strange thing about the dream was that the rooms kept on changing and when she wanted to go out of the front door her legs gave way on the threshold. She was not able to leave the house.

  “Is everything OK?” Merlon asked with concern, stroking a damp strand of hair out of her face.

  “I was just dreaming,” she whispered, without looking directly at him.

  “I’m sorry that I had to take somewhat drastic measures to bring you here, but I had not counted on you taking it so badly that you would wreck all of my furniture.” There was a slight hint of humour in his voice, but still Cherry blushed at the mention of the damage that she had caused. She would have understood if he were now cross with her.

  “I thought you’d left me here. Everything was bolted and I couldn’t get out.”

  “Did you really think I’d leave you here alone? Why would I go to all the trouble of a
bducting you just to then leave you here alone?”

  “Because … because I pushed you away. I thought … I couldn’t think straight. I was afraid that the candles would go out and leave me in darkness. I couldn’t even open the window. Why did you leave me here alone?” she cried, distressed and again tears ran down her cheeks.

  Merlon looked at her, upset, and he wanted to take her in his arms, but she pushed him away again. She was angry and confused.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice flat. “I hadn’t thought … I’m sorry.”

  He got up and left the room, leaving the door open. A little later she heard a noise at the window, then it suddenly became lighter, as the window shutters opened and daylight flooded in.

  She sat on the bed for a while and tried to sort her chaotic thoughts and emotions. Her eyes wandered to the open door. She could get up now and go through this door. But what then? Even if he were to just let her go, where should she go? She was trapped in Merlon’s world. She had no idea how to get back to her world. She doubted that Merlon would help her.

  She could try to get help from other elves. But she did not expect to find anyone here who could help her. This was clearly a hunting lodge and they were usually found a long way from civilisation – probably surrounded by forests and perhaps mountains. That was probably why he had brought her here – because she would not disturb anyone here.

  As the seductive smell of roasting meat came into the room Cherry realised how hungry she was. Her stomach began to make itself heard. But she did not want to go to Merlon and so she carried on sitting stubbornly on the bed. The smell grew stronger and the rumbling in her stomach grew louder. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on something else, but she could not. The enticing aroma began to torture her and she noticed that her anger with Merlon moved into the background at the prospect of a tender piece of meat. To make matters worse the smell of freshly baked bread was added. That was not fair. Cherry felt faint with hunger. She groaned quietly.

  After another quarter of an hour of torture Cherry gave up all pride and anger and got out of bed. With weak knees and a pounding heart she went to the open door. She stood in the doorway and looked into a large lounge with an open kitchen. There Merlon was dealing with the food. She watched him for a while. It surprised her somewhat to see him cooking. She had not thought him the sort of man who would know about such things. And yet he seemed to be really good at it. At least if one used the delicious smell as an indicator.

  “Do you want to stand there all day or are you going to come here and help me lay the table?” he teased, without looking up from the lettuce that he was cutting into strips.

  Cherry gave herself a nudge and crossed the lounge that was fitted out with a cosy seating area in front of the chimney and a table with four chairs by the window. The kitchen area took up a good quarter of the room and almost looked like a modern kitchen apart from the fact that there was no electrical equipment. The stove was heated with wood and likewise the oven from which came the smell of delicious bread.

  “The plates are there,” said Merlon and pointed to the cupboard. You’ll find the cutlery in the middle drawer.”

  Without a word Cherry began to lay the table, then she returned to the kitchen and leant against the work surface. Merlon had finished chopping the salad and was mixing everything together in a bowl. Then he lifted the lid of the huge roasting dish that was on the stove and the smell of roasting meat became still more intense.

  “What is it?” she asked and sniffed.

  “Bagol. That’s an animal that looks a bit like a rabbit only with a long snout and short ears. And it tastes more like wild boar than rabbit. I’m sure you’ll like it. I’m a good cook.”

  “And so modest,” she said dryly.

  Merlon grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Elves are not raised to hide their skills under a bushel.”

  “So you’re probably the best at everything, hmm?”

  He winked.

  “Not at everything. But I’m happy to show you what I am good at.” His eyes wandered meaningfully over her body and she blushed.

  “Mind your bread doesn’t burn,” she said, without entering into his innuendo.

  Merlon studied her with an unfathomable look. She had to force herself to resist his gaze. She had sworn to herself that she would no longer show weakness in his presence. She was certain that he was not a sadist like Justin and that there was no threat of physical danger from him. But the danger that he presented to her heart should not be underestimated. Just looking at him made her body tingle and she knew that he could smell her desire. She could see his nostrils slightly quiver and a knowing expression enter his eyes. She cursed her tell-tale body.

  “The food’s nearly ready. Do go and sit down,” he said at last, as if the tension between them had never existed.

  Cherry looked away somewhat too hastily and murmured a shaky ‘OK’.

  “Do you like wine?” asked Merlon from the kitchen.

  Cherry had already sat down at the table and was restlessly putting the cutlery straight.

  “Yes. That would be … yes, please.”

  Merlon appeared with a jug and two silver cups and put everything onto the table. Then he served the roast with vegetables that Cherry did not recognise. They looked like beans, only these were red and in pairs. He also offered her fresh bread, and butter seasoned with herbs. He poured the wine and made a toast.

  “To peace?”

  She nodded and they both put their cups to their lips. The wine tasted superb. It was a strong red colour and tasted a little of blackberries with a hint of almonds. It was not sweet, quite dry. After a few sips, though, she realised that it was stronger than the light taste suggested. She would have to be careful not to drink too much. The alcohol was already affecting her.

  “Try the Bagol,” said Merlon and looked at her expectantly.

  She cut a piece of the dark meat and put it into her mouth. She closed her eyes involuntarily as she began to chew and the taste of the tender meat exploded on her tongue.

  “Hmmm,” she said and forgot the tense situation she was in. “That is good!”

  “I told you,” said Merlon with satisfaction.

  Cherry opened her eyes and looked at him. Her heart warmed to the beautiful smile he was giving her. It was not damn fair that he was so attractive. That word did not do him justice. He was much more than attractive. He was stunning, mouth-watering, overpoweringly sexy.

  “What sort of vegetable is this?” she asked, to hide her nervousness.

  “Tika. It’s one of the most popular vegetables in my kingdom. Try it. It goes really well with bagol.”

  She cut a tika in half and tasted it. The taste was not at all like beans, but rather a combination of mild chilli and carrots.

  “Good,” she declared, putting the other half into her mouth.

  Merlon cut a thick slice of the crispy bread and spread it with the seasoned butter before passing it to her.

  For a while they ate in silence and drank their wine. Cherry relaxed and enjoyed the meal. It was the best food that she had had for a long time and, without envy, she had to admit that Merlon’s culinary skills were better than her own and she considered herself to be a good cook.

  ***

  Merlon surreptitiously watched Cherry during the meal. He was pleased that she was obviously enjoying the meal and to his relief she seemed to relax a little. Perhaps it was down to the wine, but for whatever reason she was now much more chilled. He intended to give her time to get used to her situation. To let her go was out of the question anyway. Even if she were to request this. He could not do it. Even if that was quite selfish of him, he could not help himself.

  In the silence he wondered how long it would take before she was ready to become his queen. He could not stay away from the court for a long time. He had to at least show up there now and then and that meant that he had to then leave Cherry here alone. He did not like the
thought of that. He did not want to lock her in, but he could also not risk her running away from him. Moreover, no one was to find out that she was here. Not until she stayed with him of her own free will.

  Chapter 10

  Cherry was woken up by the feeling of a wet tongue moving over her face. She jumped and opened her eyes tentatively. All she could see was hair. And a lot of it. She sat up jerkily and screamed. She heard chuckling. That sounded like Merlon. No! The sound was not coming from this hairy monster that looked like a cross between a dog and a bear and was about the size of an Alsatian.

  “Quax! Come here! The lady’s frightened of you,” she heard Merlon’s laughing voice say.

  The monster jumped off the bed and ran to its master who was leaning against the door frame, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” he asked, clearly in a very good mood.

  Cherry could only stare at him. Why did he have to be so unashamedly attractive? She should be angry with him for abducting her but she could not be. She even regretted sleeping alone in that huge bed that night. Merlon had clearly decided to give her time. He had spent the night on the couch and he looked fresher than she did although she had slept in a comfortable bed.

  “I … yes, thank you,” she said sleepily. “What’s that?” She was pointing at the supersized furry ball at his feet. The animal’s fur was so thick that its eyes were barely visible. It had a short, round snout and ears like a bear. Even the shape of its body was like a bear, only this animal had a long tail that was wagging like a dog’s.

  “That’s Quax. He’s a lofot. You must excuse his somewhat clumsy behaviour. He’s still a baby.”

  “A baby?” she asked in dismay. Going by his size she had presumed that this was a fully-grown animal. “How … how big will he be then, when he’s fully grown?”

  “His mother’s shoulder-height is about here,” he said, indicating the height of his nose. “His father is a bit bigger. These aren’t pets.