by Viola Grace
He drew out of her with a wet sucking sound, then drove forward, reentering her with a smooth thrust. His claw came up to tease at her clit as he continued to pull out, then plunge back in. The stimulation of his entry over and over had her body clenching feverishly to keep him inside her. But she was denied.
Sweat was pouring off of her and her nerves were stimulated over and over until her whole body was shaking with the need to cum.
Her body arched in a bow, completely open to anything he should choose to do to her, and finally he began to thrust in earnest. His own release beckoned and had to be addressed. Deep punching thrusts that smacked his balls into her ass rocked the bed, and her breathless cries rang in the room. His thumb on her clit circled gently and she screamed in the most violent release that had yet come upon her.
Her body locked as he tried to drive into her once again, but she was just too tight for him to move. Her body tugging at his, she moaned as he howled his release, holding her hips in a bruising grip.
He pulled free of her body to curl around her in sleep once again. It was his last night as a wolf, if she was successful at breaking the curse. She swore to herself that instant that she would make sure that this was the last fuck the wolf would have.
Chapter Ten
The last ten days of the curse drifted past in a pile of mundane tasks. Beds were repaired, sheets cleaned, staff hired for the castle to begin on the day after the curse was over, and the gold left behind by the devils put into the treasury so that Alak would once again be a wealthy prince who was in demand as a husband.
She was helping him to plan his first back-on-the-marriage-market ball for all the eligible women in the land. Eligibility consisting of virginity, of course. Nothing else would do for a noble of his standing.
Nakedella had extensive contacts in the food industry, as well as entertainers and chandlers. She made those contacts available to Alak so that he could have the best chance possible at obtaining a new bride.
Drygan had an excellent color sense, and he assisted Nakedella with her preparation of the details. She would, of course, be long gone by the time the ball was held, but with Drygan there to keep tabs on things, she was confident that it would run smoothly.
It was with a certain wistful sadness that she watched Alak and Drygan work on the preparations. Their time together had been fun, and now it was almost over.
Each day dawned with her in Alak’s arms, Drygan occasionally joining them in the large bed. A day of planning and domestic tasks followed by a night of passion as the prince reveled in the freedom that was just around the corner.
The tenth day began as the days before it; dull and tedious tasks that had to be done to make a portion of the castle habitable. In the afternoon, Drygan came to her and told her to take the rest of the day to relax and rejuvenate herself.
“Why?”
“Alak has something special planned for you. He does request that you wear the gown in your room for this evening, though. Consider it a last request.” His smile was blinding. “The dinner planned will not be prepared by our hands for a change. More of the villagers have come to us seeking employment, including a chef.”
She grinned back at him, the thought of food that wasn’t roasted over a spit making her mouth water. It seemed forever since she had tasted pastries or sauces, a month or more. “Just this once, Drygan, but only because there will be proper food.”
“Don’t worry, he will not let it go to his head. Now, shoo.” He pulled her away from the sheets she had been darning. “Go and have a bath.”
Bemused, she walked through the halls that they had already cleaned. The wood of the tables and mirrors gleamed, and the stone shone in the sun that was streaming in through the opened shutters.
His chamber had been attended after they had left in the morning, the sheets and a fur covering smelling fresh and clean. No mean feat, considering that they had been tangled together in a trio of sweating bodies for most of the night.
The gown across the bed was more of a shift than a gown, nothing that would irritate her skin. It seemed to be spider-goblin silk. The neckline would almost plunge to her navel, and the sides were cut to allow her full movement. With more gowns like that, she might start getting dressed again.
The bathing room was festooned with roses. Rose petals covered the floor, and rose-scented soaps were at the side of the bathing pool. She sat back, glorying in the heat of the water and the wonderful floral scent that filled her senses.
She must have nodded off, for Drygan came to her side to rinse her hair and help her finish her ablutions. Without a word, he washed and dried her body with casual familiarity, letting his fingers wriggle in places that he had come to know rather well.
“No tickling!” She squealed and slapped his hands away.
“Well, then, finish your bath and let me dress you. It is almost time.” He climbed out of the bathing pool, and held out his hand for her to follow. With her hand in his, she rose from the water and left the scented sanctuary.
The bathing sheet wrapped around her, she looked over at Drygan for the first time this day. He was wearing the clothing of a gentleman. Tight leather pants tucked into matching boots, a flowing white spider-goblin shirt and a vest gleaming with jewel-tone embroideries. He looked fantastic.
He beckoned to her, then held up her new shift. “It will look lovely on you. Let me help you dry off.” The dress was laid aside, and he set to work chasing droplets of water across her body with the length of toweling. When she was dry, he took charge of her hair, working his brush through the long strands until she was sighing and completely relaxed under his hands.
A few deft twists of her locks had them held in place with a few of the roses. The dress barely concealed her blatant nudity, making subtle suggestions as to the flesh only inches away.
Somewhere, deep in the castle, a gong sounded.
It was time for dinner.
In silence, the unicorn and the silk-clad dairymaid proceeded to the main hall.
A table had been set for three. Crystal goblets and china had been set into place by the servants, and a bottle of wine was cooling in a nearby bucket.
“Hmm. A slight departure from our normal meals for the last twenty-eight days,” Nakedella commented.
“Just wait.” He smiled suddenly as Alak came forward in all his royal finery to greet them.
“My lady.” He bowed deeply before her, then took her arm and led her to the table. “I trust that your bath met with satisfaction.”
“It did. Drygan had to rescue me, though. I fell asleep.” She smiled, then relaxed as she realized that this was to be a solemn occasion.
He held out her chair for her, then took the space across from her. Drygan took the one between them.
Course after course flowed past, each more delightful than the last. Nakedella’s stomach was groaning after the fourth course, and yet each one beckoned her more strongly than the one before.
She began to see a pattern in the food. Each course was an elfin symbol for curses or infidelity.
As the realization shot through her, the food-induced stupor was burned off by adrenaline. “Alak, why did the chef come back today and not tomorrow?”
“They wanted to create a great feast for the final day of the curse.”
“How did they know it was the final day?”
The table froze as yet another course was brought to them. Drygan kept his voice polite, but asked the servant, “May we congratulate the chef on the fantastic meal that he has prepared?”
The young woman was surprised. “Oh, yes, my lord. I will tell him immediately.”
They waited in silence.
Finally the door opened, and a chubby man in white appeared at their table.
She started. “I just wanted to tell you that the food was fabulous, Ylwyn. I haven’t had this many elvish sedatives in a long time.”
Ylwyn took on her own form, a creature carved of translucent crystal. She was beautiful. “I
was just testing you.”
“You will, of course, check back tomorrow to make sure that the curse is over.”
“Of course.” A flash of light and she was gone.
“Boys, let’s get to bed. Now. Those sedatives are going to kick in in moments, and we don’t have much time to lose.” She could feel her fingers getting heavier, and rose to her feet to tug Alak to his. Drygan latched onto Alak’s hand, and she ended up pulling them the entire way to the bedchamber.
She shoved them down on the bed with Alak between them, Drygan‘s arm and one leg holding him in place. Winding her limbs around Alak and flinging the furs over them just as her body succumbed to sleep were the only precautions she could think of.
Gripping him in her sleep had been an excellent idea, as the slender hands of Ylwyn woke her. They pried at the hand she had threaded through his hair, trying to loosen her grip.
“Ylwyn, I am not letting go. At dawn, he is free. Find another human and leave this one to restart his life anew.”
“How can it be that you are not under the influence of the herbs?” She had no fear of the men waking up; they had eaten far more than Nakedella had.
“A friend in the Dark Forest has been teaching me herb lore. He is one of the most powerful elves in the area, and he loves to communicate with others who have similar interests.”
“Is he single?” Ylwyn looked hopeful.
“Yes. He recently attended his half-brother’s wedding. Without a date.”
“Do you think that you could give me a map to his home? I would like to introduce myself.”
“Do you think that you could let Alak break the curse, and try and piece together the life you ripped apart?”
She had the grace to blush. “Yes. It has been long enough. When he wakes, it will be over.”
“Fine, then I will draw you your map right now, so you will be able to restart your own life.” Nakedella climbed out of the bed, walking over to the desk that had been recently restocked with ink and paper.
The map was swiftly accomplished, and she sprinkled sand over it after she had used the blotter. “Here you are. Stop at the Poisoned Apple if you want some excellent hospitality and great food. They are just on the outskirts of the Dark Forest.”
Ylwyn focused intently on the map. “Do they have pie?”
“Some of the best in the land. A lovely spiced apple that will either addict you or make you sweat.”
“Thank you, and sorry for wrecking your evening.”
“No harm done, thankfully. Enjoy your trip.”
With that, the fae who had originally cursed Alak left the room through the window in a shimmering of crystal light.
Nakedella groaned and crawled back into place with one hand cupping Alak’s head and the other holding Drygan’s hand. A small tear formed in her eye at the thought of this being the last time that they would lay like this, and then she was asleep.
She was shaken awake by two eager hands and sat up, blinking against the spirals of light filling the room. The light was coming from Alak. The curse was leaving him, and Drygan had woken her to witness it.
It was as if he had been coated with a suit of shimmering crystals that burst apart one by one, leaving his body clean and unencumbered.
She leaned back into Drygan’s arms, sighing happily. Mission completed. Prince Alak was free. Free to start his life over.
She was now free to go back to her normal routine. She had better get her payment and find a horse to take her home. It would take the better part of a month, but she would eventually get there, even if she had to dress for riding.
She waited until Alak had relaxed after his transformation into a normal prince once again, then broached the subject. “I hate to interrupt this moment, but I need to be getting back to my little village. As soon as I am paid, I will be out of your hair and you can resume your pursuit of a new wife.”
His face darkened for a moment. “So you are leaving this instant?”
“Well, I could have a full day of travel ahead of me. It would get me home sooner. I’m guessing that a regular horse wouldn’t be nearly as quick as a unicorn, so I will be on the road for well over a month. Why wait to start?”
“Fine, I will arrange a mount for you as part of your payment. The other items that I have selected as your reward will suit you and come in handy on your travels.” He calmed somewhat when he saw the tears filling her eyes and threatening to spill over. “Meet me in the courtyard in an hour. Drygan, please follow me.” He swept out of the room, every inch the prince.
Drygan turned her to look at him, and his mouth swept down on hers in a kiss that left her shaking. She felt a portion of her heart break at the loss of his touch. While Alak was her match physically, Drygan had touched her heart. Part of it would be left here with him.
She waited an hour, removing the beautiful gown and draping it over one arm. She would ask if she was allowed to keep it. She looked around the room, where she had spent so much time, and sighed. No sense putting it off.
She walked slowly to the courtyard, waving at the few members of staff that she had met. They had all gathered to see her off.
Alak was standing next to a black horse with several objects over his arm. Drygan was nowhere in sight. “Nakedella, you had no reason to believe that you would survive the challenge of breaking my curse. That you did so without demanding payment in advance shows the aspect of your character that tries to help people achieve their goals and needs.
“In return for your selfless acts, it is time for a few of my own. The first item that I will give to you is the bag of holding that has been in my family for generations. It will always come when you call, and confine what you require.
“The second is a woven leather belt to hang the bag on, as you don’t wear clothing.
“The third item is a cloak that was given to one of my ancestors by a gryphon. I do not need invisibility, and you earned it for your actions at the bridge.
“Finally, you mentioned needing a horse.” He held out his hand and the beast wandered over to his side, facing her, the silvery horn rising from his forehead an obvious reminder of his position as a bodyguard.
“Drygan and I discussed it, and he wishes to be with you on your journeys. You need protecting, if only from yourself on occasion.”
Tears were flowing freely from her eyes, and she sniffled. “Thank you so much, but can I also keep the gown?”
Tears welled in his own eyes as he strode forward to grip her in a close hug. “Of course. It was made and designed just for you the day we arrived at the castle.”
“Thank you. You know where to find me if you ever need anything else. Drygan can have me here in no time.” She rubbed her thumb across the tear trickling down his cheek. Then she turned to Drygan. “Now, you know I have no skills at riding horses, and only occasional skills at riding unicorns. Are you sure that you want to come with me?”
The enthusiastic nod was all she needed. She mounted up with the move she had practiced on the trip in, and took the gifts that Alak proffered to her. She tucked the gown and cloak into the bag, then tied the bag around her waist with the belt.
Her heels rubbed Drygan’s sides as he nodded farewell to Alak, then bolted out of the castle gates and into the future that he and Nakedella would share.
There was always another adventure around the corner.
Viola Grace
Viola Grace is a proud Winnipegger, living in Manitoba, Canada. She has written all her life, but only recently begun to show her work in public.
Her favorite things are sci-fi/fantasy and avoiding housework.
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