Henry then held the reins of the newly colored Braveheart out to her. Without hesitating one second, Elizabeth took the reins from Henry and mounted her mare. “I choose to be with you, Henry Edwards.” She said and leaned over to kiss him. When their lips touched the other members of the Wild Hunt broke into cheers and wild applause. The giant hounds began to bay in approval.
At long last, the kiss ended and a full moon broke the horizon, flooded the surrounding forest with white light. “Come, quickly, let us ride!” Henry said, and sounding his horn, the Master of the Wild Hunt rode off, with his new lady right by his side.
Chapter 6
And so their new life together began.
This night was even more beautiful than what she’d remembered of her old life. The nocturnal sounds that she once paid so little attention to now were extraordinarily vivid and clear. Elizabeth could hear the multiple crackling noises of Braveheart’ shoes as she rode atop the leaves of the forest. She heard every bit of stick cracking, breath took, and wind blow. She was not afraid of her newfound self, knowing that her immortal lover was beside her in full stride.
She was more alert than she had ever been, and like a newborn baby opening up its eyes for the very first time, discovering its new surroundings, Elizabeth was astonished at the gift of her eternal life, without knowing the full concept of what experiences her new world reality would intertwine with her mortal fantasies.
“I wonder where the hunt will lead us this time?” she called out to her lover, with a carefree grin, slicker than the fox they imaginably hunted.
Henry’s shining armor illuminated through all of the darkness; the moon’s light served him justice through the 3am black of night. He turned back with a grin, and said, “The dogs will lead the way, love. For now we ride with the nightfall.”
But he knew there was more to it than that. He knew that Elizabeth would soon realize the gift he’d given to her to be more bewildering than any gift she would have received in her mortal world. Elizabeth was still in awe. As the wind brushed across her face she realized she could not feel its tingle as she would have normally, though her sense of smell was greatly heightened.
She then caught a whiff of the pack, the distinct smell of the men’s and the women’s musk, the canter gaiting horses and the running hounds. She picked up on deer, owls, and even insects; the grinding noises ants made when they feast together. She could almost taste berries and sap from nearby trees and bushes they had just passed.
The freshness of the wilderness was enthralling, almost breathtaking. She was comfortable enough to close her eyes and tilt her head back to the intoxicating aroma within an instant. But was she really comfortable? Maybe her eyes locked and her head was tilting involuntary.
She began to feel as if she was in ecstasy. She was in a fixated state of mind where her vision blurred and her body became light as a feather. Maybe it was a dream. But she could see only darkness, unaware of her vision being lost within this magnificent high.
Before long she had begun to pick up the scent of something else other than wildlife and her immortal family, the aroma she had just acknowledged unlike any of that which she had recalled, it came and went in a flash as she rode on under the moonlight. It immediately brought on a feeling of uncertainty, an awkward sense that the presence of danger was lurking somewhere near, and then it went away just as fast as it had came. Did it come from above her somewhere perhaps? She was completely caught off guard.
She heard talking amongst the group, but couldn’t make out the words or conversation, if there was one, during her distraction. Was this happening only in her mind? Surely it couldn’t be. When she finally thought to speak, she had to force her mouth open. It was like someone held her jaws shut, and she had to pry them open with every bit of muscle tone in her face. When she finally succeeded, nothing escaped from between her lips. She searched for the words, but there were none. The two words that she wanted to utter were ‘help me,’ which never made it to the ears of the other members.
The hounds barked, the horses in her group galloped away, and she could make them all out, dwindling further away into the nothingness. As Elizabeth was going out of it, falling further and further into darkness, no longer being able to withstand the potent effects of her high, she built up enough strength to pull on the reins. Without being fully aware of her actions her weight shifted to the left, and she unwillingly pressed her right knee into Braveheart’s side.
At that point Elizabeth was the source of a thump that was heard by only one when she collided with earth’s carpet, in a swept area encased within many trees. She didn’t feel a thing really – except maybe a distant pat to her thigh. It was strange how far away her body felt right now. She hadn’t a clue where she was, her body was paralyzed. Or she was possibly just exceptionally overwhelmed by her new senses. She wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but as she passed into the darkness she was strangely fine with it. Then everything went black.
When she had finally awoken, the sun was up. It was brighter than it had ever been, and Braveheart was there nipping at the grass beside her riders head. She was a loyal steed, and Elizabeth wouldn’t trade her in for anything in the world times two. She bobbed her strong head a couple times and made that noise horses make, blubbering with the lips, before shifting her head toward the woods in the direction from which they had entered this open area last night.
Elizabeth wiped at her face and then sat up. “We came from there, huh, girl?” She looked around, wiping her eyes and stretching. “I wonder where everyone’s at.” She looked back to Braveheart. “Well, I guess we’re alone again.” She thought for a spell trying to dust the cobwebs from her foggy brain. She wondered what had happened to her. She also wondered if Henry was even out searching for her. Why didn’t he come back in the night?
Ultimately she remembered more of her earlier first new experiences, and then her spill into the abyss became more clear. She stood up, stretched a bit, wiped herself off, grabbed the reins dangling on the ground and walked around to Braveheart’s side, threw her left foot in the stirrup and grabbed the cantle of her saddle. Just as she was about to swing her right leg over and pull herself up a voice whispered to her out through the woods.
“Hello, are you alright?” the person said.
It was a person was it not? The voice was so distant one couldn’t possibly make the distinction of man or woman, boy or girl. Maybe it was the wind. Elizabeth gazed through the trees and could see nothing. Whoever it was appeared to have seen and knew what took place during that past night, off the trail. She wondered if it was the unverified smell she had sensed during that mesmerizing moment of ecstasy, the scent of danger. But would a dangerous person be as kind as into asking the well-being of another?
Elizabeth removed her foot from the stirrup, stepped down and cautiously moved toward the direction of the voice, it came exactly from the direction Braveheart now gazed.
“I’m fine. Who are you?” Elizabeth asked.
No response.
Elizabeth stopped walking toward the hushed voice. She had an uneasy feeling about the potential source of the voice that spoke to her now through thin air, although it was neither threatening or peaceful. She spoke again to see if it would respond. “Who are you?” After all, it did call out to her first.
Just then, a whistling noise broke out behind her. It was a high pitched whistle that spooked Braveheart off her front legs and compelled Elizabeth to turn around in a mouth gaping panic. Her fingers parted and her arms stretched across her face, she whelped as she caught a glimpse of her most prized possession in absolute hysteria. Braveheart looked onto Elizabeth with red eyes filled with fury. Smoke blew from her stout, and she charged.
Elizabeth screamed.
“Wake up! Wake up my love!” Henry shouted, shaking Elizabeth at the same time.
It was night, the same night. That same night. She now opened her eyes to her knight in shining armor, and reached out and grabbed him knowing she
was again safe.
“What happened?” she asked, gently caressing his face in both hands.
“I don’t know. The hounds picked up the scent of —” he paused. He was more concerned about her than the hunt. “Are you alright? Can you remember anything?”
“Well, just that… the sun was up, and Braveheart was there…” She thought hard, placed a hand over her forehead and feeling exasperated said, “I can’t remember. What’s happening to me?”
Henry gently grasped her cheek. “Nothing at all… The fall… you fell just a few minutes ago, that fall I believe, has shaken you up a bit. When you are stable enough to stand we will ride out together. I shall stay with you, here, for the meantime.”
He said he would wait with her and he did. Henry was definitely a man of his word. He knelt by her and eventually detailed the events of that nights hunt before he noticed her missing. As it turns out Elizabeth was unconscious only for a few minutes before he revived her. He left the rest of the club members deep in the woods to come back and search for her. He informed her that if it were not for Braveheart’s companionship, maybe he would still be searching for her, possibly in the wrong location.
Elizabeth’s mind was somewhere else when Henry spoke. She was now lying flat on her back staring to the moon. She had felt no pain in her body at all, and knew Henry was aware of it. She remembered her dream and the voice that called out to her in it. Now coming to think about it, she figured it could have been Henry’s voice she heard, he did ask if she was alright. But then she remembered the odd scent up in the trees that lasted for only a split second, and she immediately thought of what it might have been.
She hadn’t spoken of this to Henry, nor would she. Now what happened within the dream to Braveheart was something she knew was not possibly capable of happening, nothing to neither speak on nor ever need be mentioned. Hopefully, soon she would be able to forget that wretched sight.
“So, what did you smell?” Henry asked as they sat there waiting for Elizabeth to feel better.
“What?”
He laughed. Maybe he asked the question too soon. “Did you enjoy this night?”
She now knew he was aware of her secret. He had to have been, the whole time. She lifted her head just a bit from the ground, smiled into his eyes. “I did…”
He stood up, dusted off his armor and, as he made his way back to her, he extended his hand. “Are you ready?”
She looked up to him with a radiant smile, even through the night. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of him and she giggled a bit to herself, feeling embarrassed and even a little silly about the whole event. Henry smiled in return, understood her body language and removed his helmet. He knelt down beside her before she grasped hold of his hand.
He was pleasant when he said, “I yearn for you. I shall forever and always want you, my love. If this is where you wish to be loved, then I will fulfill the request your heart so sensually desires, your inner most parts so passionately crave…” Then he rose from his position, keeping grip of her hand. “But the time here is not right, my love.” He pulled her to her feet.
“Why isn’t it?” she said, flustered.
Henry gazed around through the woods of the open area. He did not say what was on his mind, nor did his movements give his thoughts away. You could almost say he was nervously searching for a predator; the one Elizabeth smelled in the trees and heard in her dream perhaps, but if you were to think that, then it would also be fair to say that he would also be able to sniff out the threat, if there was one.
“Can you hear them?” he asked, still slowly looking about the forest.
She opened her ears to the sounds of the wild. She focused on what it could have been that he wanted her to perceive, and again her senses heightened. She heard everything she’d heard before, all the sounds of the outdoors. She enjoyed it. It was beautiful, and with just a bit more focusing she heard them. She heard what Henry wanted her to hear, the reason he refused her love, or to give her his.
“Yes,” she said. “I can. They’re coming this way. But how… how do they know?”
He pressed a hushing finger to her lip. “Shh… we mustn’t speak.”
She took his finger in her hands and kissed it softly. She looked him in the eyes and made her move within his tightening grip. A quick kiss before the others arrived was all she had time for. And then the hunting party was there with what seemed like hundreds of questions for the pair to answer.
But they had time for that now in the safety of the group, as the hounds bayed, the horses stomped and all the riders dismounted and surrounded them here to check Elizabeth’s safety. They had time for many things now, even though that mystery scent instilled a feeling of curiosity and foreboding in the pair at what it may be.
“Time will tell, my beautiful Elizabeth. Do not fear,” Henry whispered into her ear amid all the chaos of the group members return. She turned to him and smiled as her pulled her close and kissed her once again.
End Notes
Did you like this book? I certainly hope that you’ve enjoyed being in the land of immortals, if only for a few moments. I also enjoy writing about shape shifting Were’s, wolves and she-cats too. And even kids books from time to time too!
And if you are looking for even more books by Susan G. Charles please feel free to check out some of my other works below:
Animal Heat: A Paranormal Romance – the first book in The Animal Sagas series. In it little sister, Sonya is kidnapped, and Lynda, the oldest, must do her best to get her back – using any means possible.
Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance – The Animal Sagas continues on with Lynda mated into the Strongheart werewolf pack and expecting twins, and Sonya chafing under the rules that came with living as an unmated Yukonia cougar in the middle of a werewolf pack. Sonya even has a body guard, a werewolf named Clay, that she finds pleasure in tormenting, until the day she realizes she can solve both of their problems in one fell swoop.
Toots and Poots in a World Full of Snoots: The Amazing True Story of One Boys Gas-tly Abilities – is the story of a kindergarten aged boy, Timothy Oscar O’Toole, AKA, Toots, with a talent for farting – a skill he obviously loves to share with all his friends. A great story for kids of all ages!
For the most up to date information about the works of Susan G. Charles, please feel free to visit her facebook page, website or her Amazon author profile.
Free Chapter Preview: Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance
I hope you enjoy this free Chapter Preview as found in my other book, Animal Nature: A Paranormal Romance:
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The Seron sisters, as they were known about town, were about as different as two sisters could be. Lynda, the oldest by only six years, was a very to-the-point kind of person. She said what was on her mind and was not afraid to get her hands “dirty” if necessary in the midst of any under taking in which she became a part of. She was a doer – not a talker, and had a hot temper if crossed. But she was also loyal to her friends and family, super intelligent, brave and, invariably, somewhat of a loner too. Most people just annoyed her to no end so she grew accustomed to spending a lot of time by herself. And that was fine with her – must be due to her catamount alter ego she often mused.
As far as Sonya, the baby Seron sister, was concerned, she was much more of a “girly” girl. Just the opposite of Lynda in so many ways. Lynda’s younger sister was much more of a free spirit with a happy-go-lucky kind of personality. She had lots of friends and loved to talk on the phone or type whatever on Facebook. As the baby in the family she had been doted on her entire life and had almost come to expect things to be handled for her with very little work on her end. The act of having her parents pass on suddenly like they did had definitely slapped her with the reality paddle! Unfortunately the effects of said paddle didn’t last very long.
No longer did she have Mom and Dad to give her everything she asked for, or take her everywhere she wanted to go or buy her everything
she so desperately desired. She did not know how to do much of anything either really, and poor Lynda found that out the hard way immediately after moving back. Expecting Sonya to know how to do, and then to actually complete even the most mundane of chores, was met with an instant, and negative, acknowledgement by Lynda. Sonya was simply oblivious to reality and refused to do anything at first. Why should she mop the floors, fold clothes or wash the dishes? And don’t even try to discuss her doing any thing at all outside because that was definitely below her!
So Lynda had to “train” Sonya how to do so many things on top of all her other tasks that now needed to be done. “Thanks mom and dad!”, she often thought to herself in their first six months together after the accident. Fun times – no, you couldn’t say that even on the best of days the first few months after the accident – but now they had come to an agreement of sorts with Sonya finally agreeing to help her sister out while big sis did all the heavy lifting. In the midst of it all Sonya did lose her cell phone privileges – because if she couldn’t pay the cell bill, she wouldn’t have a cell phone – Lynda’s Rule #1. It was the least she could do to help bill-wise around here – but Lynda was happy with the progress they were making over all.
So, for now at least, she left all the house keeping chores to Sonya since she wasn’t much help to her otherwise. Hell, she wasn’t a lot of help to her indoors either but Sonya had learned not to push her sister too hard when all she was trying to do was keep a roof over their heads. At least Sonya was good at feeding the hungry dishwasher now and heating up frozen dinners. And if it was a good day, and Sonya really felt on top of things, she would even cook something as complex as a meatloaf and maybe mashed potatoes and green beans right out of the can. Lynda could only remember having had that meal twice so far since she moved back home, though.
Lynda decided that an additional hand around the farm was needed – but she wasn’t sure how successful she’d be in finding someone good, reliable and trust worthy – who would be willing to work in return for food and board only. There were only so many things Lynda could do by herself, in her mind she knew that, but it hurt like hell to acknowledge that she just might not be as resilient and resourceful as she needed to be to save the farm – and her and Sonya too. But she decided she’d wait on that decision until having the time to talk to Sonya about it – not so much for her approval, but just to see what thoughts she might have about potentially having a third person around the farm full time. So much to do and so little time – but wasn’t that always the way?
The Master of the Hunt: A Paranormal Romance Page 3
