Rock Hard Seal: A Navy Seal & A Virgin Romance

by Rye Hart

Slowly, Eva felt herself begin to come close to the edge; her body began to tighten around him, while her mind became consumed only by the thought of pleasure.

  When the moment came, she panted as her body shivered with the strength of her own release. Her cries of ecstasy became mixed with Bhradain’s as he joined her in climax.

  As they came down from their passion, Eva couldn't help but enjoy the sensation of his body, as it remained connected to hers.

  Eva couldn't explain it, but she knew that there was something special about the highlander in her arms.

  Chapter Nine

  Eva awoke cold and alone. The fire had gone out some time ago and, she quickly realized as she looked around her frantically, Bhradain was gone.

  "Damn it,” she fumed. He had deliberately left her alone to take back the castle on his own. She couldn't believe that he would make love to her one moment, and then abandon her in the middle of the woods without so much as a warning the next.

  Eva could barely contain her pent up anger. Frustrated, she grabbed a baseball sized rock near her foot and tossed it petulantly into the smoldering embers of the fire. The impact of the stone disrupted the small pile of burnt wood and sent bits of ash into the air.

  Why should I wait around here?

  She thought they settled the matter. Obviously he had just been placating her.

  Well when he gets back, there is no way I'm going to be sitting on my derriere, waiting for him. Eva knew she deserved to be involved in the take-down of the scheming druids, since it was her life they had threatened on more than one occasion. With that final thought, Eva had made up her mind.

  She quickly got dressed, as she still was naked from their passionate encounter. Even though she was angry at Bhradain for leaving her behind, her body still had an intense physical reaction to the thought of him. She blushed as she remembered the way he touched her, the moment their bodies had been joined together, and the ecstasy of their shared climax.

  Oh Eva, she thought, whatever are you going to do about him? She knew she was in too deep; the enigmatic and infuriating highlander had already begun to get under her skin. She knew in her heart that she was meant to be here with him, whatever that meant. And although she was angry at him at the moment, she knew that the intense pull between them would make it difficult for her to stay so for long.

  She reached to the spot where Bhradain left a small sword for her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted the silvery weapon in the grass at her feet. At least he left me something to defend myself with, she thought begrudgingly.

  She looked up into the sky and noticed the sun begin to peak over the horizon; she had slept most of the night away.

  She quickly picked herself up and proceeded to go in the opposite direction of the rising sun. She knew that they had set up camp at a safe distance from the keep, but they also were close enough as to not waste too much time trying to walk there.

  Eva thought that it wouldn't take long to find the keep, but as she continued to walk through the woods, she started to feel less sure that she was going in the right direction. She tried to use the sun as a guide, but as time wore on and it continued to rise higher in the sky, Eva’s heart sank and she realized that she was horribly lost.

  This is Laird Drummond's fault, she thought with annoyance. If he hadn't left me in the middle of the woods...

  Her thoughts trailed off as she heard a strange noise. She stopped walking and paused, holding her breath while she listened.

  She heard nothing but the sound of birds chirping and small animals running along the forest floor.

  "I told ye she would be here," echoed a chillingly familiar voice behind her.

  Eva's heart began to beat fiercely in her chest as she realized the druids had found her.

  Eva whipped around holding the sword that Bhradain had given her shakily in front of her.

  She saw nothing.

  "Shall we take her to see m’lady?" asked the female druid.

  Eva spun around desperately; the voice now sounded like it was coming from the opposite direction. Once again, Eva's eyes fell on nothing but empty trees.

  "Where are you?" Eva called out. She tried her best to steady her nerves, but she was having a difficulty. The druids had already tried to kill her once, she was sure they had come back to finish the job.

  "We are here to bring ye to the lady," the chanting voices of both druids echoed in unison.

  Eva still couldn't see them, but knew they must be close.

  "What if I refuse to come with you?" she asked. Eva didn't want to go anywhere with them, knowing they intended to do her harm.

  The druids' voices grew incoherent as they consulted with each other in hushed tones. Eva strained to make out what they were saying, but was unable to decipher a word.

  "We will nae harm ye," the male druid's voice suddenly broke through.

  Eva suddenly felt as though she was losing control of her senses – almost as though there was something controlling her logic and physical movement. It was like an out of body experience she never before felt.

  "Ok," Eva said warily. "I will come with you," she surrendered.

  A moment later, the druids appeared next to Eva, their cloaks still concealing their faces. "This way," they said in unison. They motioned to Eva to follow them deeper into the woods.

  "This way," the female druid said as she led Eva toward a large tree.

  Eva gaped as she watched the druid disappear into the trunk of the tree. "How?" she sputtered as she looked at the spot where the druid had stood only a few seconds ago.

  "There is a veiled door," the male druid explained blankly. His voice continued to hold no hint of emotion as he spoke. "Follow me," he said flatly, right before he, too, disappeared into the tree.

  "Okay?" Eva took a step closer.

  But as Eva moved nearer to the spot where the druids had disappeared, the sun caught the tree trunk on an angle and brilliantly illuminated the optical illusion. Indeed, a concealed entrance opened up to a passageway that led into the base of the tree.

  Eva looked wildly around her. Now was her chance if she chose to try and outrun the two druids. But even as Eva considered her option of simply running away, she couldn’t move her body.

  The tree had opened into a passageway connected directly to the castle. Eva had followed the druids silently down the dimly lit corridor as they made their way into the keep.

  I wonder if Bhradain knows about this passageway? Eva wondered. It was a brilliant invention, as it would allow one to move about the surrounding lands with precise efficiency. It was probably how the druids were able to find me so easily, she thought.

  It didn't take long before their small party was back inside the stone fortress. The druids guided Eva down deserted hallways as they made their way to the center of the keep.

  They stopped abruptly before two large double doors that Eva suspected led into the castle's great hall.

  "We leave ye here," the female druid said mysteriously.

  Eva had a sudden sense of déjà vu. She remembered the moment when Lady Drummond had left her to the druids and she had narrowly escaped their attempted murder.

  Eva nodded her agreement. She still felt like she was trapped inside of a body she had no control over. She turned toward the large doors and pushed them open.

  Eva was relieved that her nostrils weren't assailed by the sickly smell of incense. Rather, it was a typical great hall, with long tables placed along edges for when the household took their meals. However, the shutters were closed against the noonday sun and the only light came from a large fireplace and a few candles placed about the room.

  "Close the door lass," Lady Drummond said in a gentle voice from across the room. She was seated in a large chair situated near the fire. She had been so quiet when Eva first entered the room, that she hadn't even noticed the small woman at first.

  Eva moved toward Lady Drummond, waiting for her to start explaining why she was here and why she kept se
nding her druid henchmen after her.

  "Will ye take a seat," Lady Drummond nodded in the direction of a chair perfectly situated across from her.

  Eva was a bit hesitant of becoming too comfortable, but neither did she want to aggravate Bhradain's mother. Eva took a cautious seat.

  The whole time Lady Drummond kept her gaze trained on Eva, as if examining her every move. It made Eva feel especially fearful.

  "Why did you bring me here?" Eva asked one of the hundred questions swirling in her brain.

  Lady Drummond laughed softly. Her voice sounded like a hauntingly sad ballad, as if she was struggling to hold back intense grief. The thought made the hairs on the back of Eva’s neck stand on end.

  "Is Bhradain ok?" Eva blurted out.

  Lady Drummond didn't speak at first, but rather she studied Eva warily. "Bhradain is nae fine," she said softly. "Today is the day of his birth," she added cryptically.

  Eva looked confused. "What do you mean?" She looked wildly around the room. "Where is he?" she asked before turning her attention back to the elderly woman.

  "I do not ken," the woman tossed her hands up in the air. "I believe ye would ken the answer to that," she said pointedly.

  “Well I don’t know where he is!” Eva nearly shouted. “If you were so concerned about his whereabouts, why did you send him away?” she asked in frustration.

  She stood to face Eva, her eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and sadness. "I am the reason why he is controlled by the beast within, I brought the curse upon him, and now I must watch as it robs him a future," she bellowed. Her voice continued to rise, as her tone grew more urgent. "I went to a witch all those years ago with a sick babe," she lamented, "and in order to save him, I agreed to the curse," she wailed sorrowfully. "And now, I have lost him to the beast within." The woman collapsed in a pile back in her chair, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Eva was too shocked to move. All along, it had been his mother who had cursed him in an attempt to save his life. The burden that threatened to destroy him was the reason why he was even alive today. Eva suddenly saw the situation with new eyes, and her heart went out to Lady Drummond.

  Eva crouched down before her. She brought her hand up to stroke the mother’s hair as she tried to comfort and sooth the distressed woman. "It was not your fault, he is here today because of you," she added.

  "Nae, he will be dead before the night is over because of me," Lady Drummond sputtered in between sobs.

  Eva froze. No, she thought. She had just seen Bhradain last night. "What are you saying?" she asked shakily.

  Lady Drummond took a moment to compose herself long enough to form a coherent sentence through her tears. "The curse needed to be lifted before his twenty sixed year of birth. Tomorrow is that day," the woman said bluntly, her eyes conveying their tragic meaning.

  "NO!" Eva cried. She backed away from the weeping woman. Her eyes began to sting with their own tears, but she refused to allow them to fall. If I mourn him, it means it is true. "But there is still time?" she nearly shook the older woman. "Tell me there is still time!" she cried out.

  Lady Drummond slowly raised her eyes to meet Eva's. "There is only one way, but I ken nay ask ye to pay that price..." she trailed off.

  Eva didn't need Lady Drummond to voice the words in order to convey the meaning. "I can still break the curse, can't I?" Eva could feel the tears welling up, "It's my life or his -" she broke off before she could finish.

  "Aye," Lady Drummond nodded. "But you would not only be saving Bhradain, but the entire kingdom from the darkness that has slowly been encroaching us."

  "I'll do it," Eva nodded while tears streamed down her face.

  Eva shuddered when she felt the chilling presence of the druids as they in beside her. She hadn't realized that Lady Drummond and her were not alone, but then again, she couldn't help but feel that everything that had happened to her over the past few days was meant to lead up to this moment; and with that realization, a hypnotic calm settled over her.

  "Here milady," the male druid's chilling voice resonated through Eva. She felt him take her right hand and wrap her shaking fingers around the cold hilt of a dagger. Eva could barely see the glint of metal as it was reflected off of the dim lit of the fire; so bleary was her vision with tears.

  "What do you need me to do?" Eva asked through muted sobs. She wished she had done more with her time with Bhradain. He would be devastated to learn what had to happen, but she knew that the strong, resilient, fearless man would know that the sacrifice she was about to make was for him and for the kingdom he loved so dearly. "I love you," she whispered to the one man who was not here with her.

  "Here," the male druid guided the point of the blade until it was positioned over her heart. "The blood of a willing sacrifice," he murmured gently.

  "Ok," Eva said shakily. "I am ready -"

  Eva's words were broken off by a loud, frightening growl that chilled the very air in the room. The fire went out pitching the room into darkness. The room went deathly silent in response as everyone froze.

  The clamor of the dagger hitting the hard stone floor set the room off as the deafening sound of battle erupted.

  Eva lost sense of what was happening around her, as cries of the druids and Bhraidain's beast echoed off the walls and enveloped her. She couldn't see a thing, but she could feel the air as the whipped around her with inhuman speed. She dared not move, afraid that she would be hit.

  "Enough!" Shrieked Lady Drummond as the room came ablaze with light as the fire roared back to life.

  As the room was illuminated, Eva saw that Bhradan was in full beast form and had cornered the two druids. He growled, his eyes appearing feral as they darted between the trapped druids and his mother.

  Only Lady Drummond no longer looked like the regal, aging queen. Instead, a striking, young, hauntingly beautiful woman stood before them.

  Eva balked at the sudden change as her mind attempted to wrap around what had just happened.

  "Oh stupid girl," mocked the woman. "Have ye not figured it out by now?" Her laugh was both beautiful and chilling, the fire whipped menacingly in response to its mistress. "You're not the witch here, I am."

  Bhradain's beast emitted a sickening roar as his body tensed before the beastly form began to melt away. As soon as the man appeared before them, the druids took the moment to strike when he was at his most vulnerable. In a second, they had his arms bound and a chain looped through a hook in the wall and wrapped around his neck in a tight bind.

  "How could ye," Bhradain spat at the new figure of Lady Drummond.

  The woman tsk'd. "Oh Lord Drummond," she feigned a shocked expression, "how could ye be so rude to your mother." As she spoke, she slowly twisted the dagger that, moments earlier, Eva had thought she had dropped to the floor.

  "Ye are no mother of mine," Bhradain roared once again. "I sense the evil in ye, the darkness that is within ye is the same darkness that enveloped my kingdom."

  The woman eyed him with amusement. "Ye were always such a smart lad. It's too bad that you weren't my own son. But then again, we would nae be here if ye were."

  "What have you done with the queen?" Bhradain roared as he strained against his chains.

  "Oh stop that, I don't want ye to hurt yourself. At least not prematurely." The witch moved toward the fire and brushed her hand against the mantle as she thought upon her next words. "Your mother made the ultimate sacrifice, all those years ago, when you were just a babe," the lady spoke in a menacingly gentle voice. "Your life for hers," she said as she stared into the roaring fire.

  "Murderer!" Cried Bhradain. The chain clanged as he strained against it.

  "Oh Bhradain," the lady sighed. "I did not kill her directly. She was nae the strongest witch I ever thought, but she was the cleverest." The woman's voice conveyed amusement. "When I had successfully cursed ye with your beastly affliction, I thought ye mother retaliate with magic and I would easily overpower her and then destroy all of ye and finally take this
kingdom for my own," she explained. "But the crafty woman gave her life to save ye, and it has been that spell that has kept me and my powers at bay for almost twenty six years." The woman placed the dagger on the mantle and moved toward where Bhradain was still chained to the wall. "Poor babe," she mocked.

  All this time, Eva had remained silent. She was shocked by the revelation, but the moment that they took Bhradain her mind went into overdrive as she looked for a way to save them both. Perhaps, if I could get the dagger - Eva made an attempt to move toward the mantle.

  "Not so fast dearie," the witch blocked Eva's meager attempt. "I am not done with ye yet!"

  "Do nae touch her!" Bhradain cried out. In that moment, the chain and his bindings snapped and he once again was in a stand off with the two druids. Bhradain cast the witch a murderous look from where the druids blocked his path.

  "But she is the final piece!" the witch mocked. "The death of someone who loved ye is what had protected ye, but the death of someone ye love will undo the enchantment," she revealed.

  Bhradain froze. "It ken nae be," he breathed.

  In a moment, the witch had an arm banded around Eva's throat and the cool steel of the dagger resting against it. Eva struggled against the bind, but when she felt the sharp prick of the edge of the blade she stopped.

  "Never," Bhradain spoke menacingly a moment before all hell broke loose. In a second the two druids were on the ground, the blade was whipped away from Eva's neck, and Bhradain had the witch pushed against the mantle, his hand slowly closing around her throat.

  "Ye are making a mistake," the witch threatened Bhradain between strained gasps for air.

  "I think the tables have turned," Bhradain mocked back.

  The witch began to laugh. "Oh dearie," she mocked before she raised her hand to point behind him. "Just look."

  Eva felt the chilling hands of a druid grasp her arm, but before she could register what had happened, the world around her shifted and began to fade away. She watched in horror as Bhradain faded from view and the world slowly went dark.

  Eva knew that she wasn't dead, as she could hear herself breathing.