LA Shifters: Shifter Romance

by Sky Winters

  Reaching the bottom of the stairs she glanced around; the hall was empty and she had to step lightly over the stone flagged floor to avoid making a noise. Reaching the door she pulled on the great iron handle, the heavy oak frame creaking as it slowly opened before her, letting in the cold damp air of the morning.

  He had left the door open, probably the only chance she would have of escaping this place or its owner, but not just yet. She was still dressed in her under garments and wrapped in a blanket and would need much more protection against the elements; food and supplies too. That would take at least a day or two to plan and she needed to get her bearings.

  Gently closing the door, Lady Davina skipped up the stairs and back along the landing to her own room and jumped back into the bed to warm herself. For the next half an hour she patiently listened until the old clock struck the hour, 6 o clock. Just after the 6th chime she heard a creaking in the floorboards above her; within 10 minutes the castle was full of sounds and voices as the servants awoke and went about their daily tasks.

  A half hour window, that’s all that she would have but it would be enough time to escape.

  Before long there was a gentle tap at her door. Pretending to be asleep, Lady Davina closed her eyes and inched below the blankets. It was only a young girl, come to make up the morning fire and she could relax, maybe the girl could tell her more about the area?

  “Girl, what is your name?”

  The young woman jumped in alarm. The request had been made kindly but in her position she was rarely addressed by the servants in the household, let alone the mistress.

  Her large grey eyes were red with tiredness and a look of weariness shadowed her young features, adding years to her youth – a sure sign of poverty and hardship.

  She hardly dare look at the Lady as she spoke.

  “It’s Roberta madam”, her voice wavered slightly in the local dialect as she dropped into a clumsy curtsey, unsure how to present herself. Her clothes were grey and her stockings wrinkled.

  Lady Davina smiled; such a grand name for such a plain and simple creature.

  “I’m the new mistress Roberta and I’m very pleased to meet you. I’ve never been to the castle before and I was going to go out later for some air and I wondered how far it was to the nearest village?”

  The girls eyes widened and her mouth made a little ‘O’ shape before she started to speak.

  “Oh Ma’m, I’m afraid there isn’t much around these parts for miles and miles. Even the nearest cottage would take more than an hour in a carriage Ma’m. I’m afee’red that the ground round here is rough and stony and not good walking for such a lady as yourself. I’m sure the master will take you trips into town, but that be nearly a day’s drive from here”.

  Lady Davina could feel her heart start to sink at the words, although the smile remained fixed on her face. If she did escape, where could she go? With no village and no house within walking distance there seemed nowhere to run to.

  “Lord Edmond does ride most places Ma’m, perhaps it’s something that you could try? The Masters got a lot of ‘orses Ma’m”

  She could have rushed to the girl and kissed her. Of course, horse riding, she had not thought of that. She wasn’t a great horsewoman but she knew the basics and had often gone out riding back home. All she would need to do was to find a good natured horse and a saddle and she could have at least half an hour’s advantage on him, maybe more if she was lucky. She could be miles away by the time they discovered she had gone.

  A plan was slowly forming in her mind. Her aunt had made her pack some sensible clothing for the weather and she also had her old riding habit and boots. A couple of extra blankets from her bed would serve as extra protection against the elements.

  Clapping her hands together in anticipation of her plan, Lady Davina realised that the young girl was still in the room.

  “Will that be all Ma’m?”

  “Yes Roberta, that is quite enough for now and thank you”.

  Left alone Lady Davina began to devise a plan. She would need to find a horse that would suit her and the only way around that would be to somehow persuade Lord Edmond to give her a horse of her own. She would need to work with him and not against him and although the thought repulsed her, she would need to be agreeable to him whilst still keeping him at arm’s length. She was not worldly or womanly wise enough to know the art of keeping a man dangling, but she would have to try. It was her only hope.

  The morning light had started to spill through the window and into the room and she stepped over to the casement to look out. There was a mist rising from the dark fields below and in happier circumstances the place would have appeared magical, ethereal almost in the soft early sheen of morning. To Lady Davina it appeared bleak and menacing, a lost place that she had to escape from.

  As she was about to turn back into the bedroom, a figure approaching through the mist caught her attention. It was Lord Edmond back from his morning walk with both dogs at his heels, long pink tongues lolling from their drooling mouths. There was a knock at her door as a servant entered with her breakfast and she moved quickly away from the window before she could be seen.

  Closing the door carefully behind her she paused for a moment before descending the stairs to seek out Lord Edmond. After spending the last hour arranging and re-arranging her dress she had decided on a gown of green velvet and wore a ribbon of matching colour in her hair. The darkness of her curls contrasted beautifully against her pale skin and the emerald of the dress set of her eyes perfectly. For one so innocent she had learned quickly and knew that her appearance would beguile. Still, underneath the layers of finery she was only a young and naive girl and her hand visibly shook as she smoothes down the front of her skirt.

  Taking a deep breath she steadied her hands and headed downstairs.

  The hall was deserted and as she looked around wondering which way to turn, the sound of laughter filtered through from the kitchen area. One voice was light, the soft yet shrill tone of a young woman, the other the deep bass voice of Lord Edmond. The laughter grew louder as the sound of footsteps echoed towards her. Lady Davina’s first instinct was to run and hide but she stood her ground. If she was to escape this place she would need to be brave.

  At first he didn’t notice her, his attentions were too closely fixed on the young servant girl, who appeared in some state of undress. It was only when the two women almost collided that the young woman looked up in horror at having been caught red handed with her mistresses intended. Lord Edmond hid his initial surprise well, and as he let the poor girl out of his clutches he stood with arms folded, his lips curled into a sneer.

  “Well well my Dear, I didn’t expect to see you up so early. I thought you might be exhausted after yesterday’s adventure?”

  Everything he said seemed to hint at something sordid and unholy and Lady Davina could feel herself start to blush again. The young servant girl coughed embarrassedly as she adjusted the bodice of her smock. Her hair hung loose from the white cap she was wearing and her face glowed scarlet at her predicament.

  “You may leave us Rosie, but don’t forget I will be back for something later.”

  He smacked his lips and laughed as the young girl ran past him to the kitchen, relieved to be out of sight.

  Lady Davina could feel his eyes burning into her, even before she raised her own eyes to look directly at him. He gazed at her from head to toe and then back again, taking in each savoury detail of his young captive.

  “So my Lady, what will be your pleasure today?”

  Ignoring the lewdness of the comment she tried to smile. It was difficult to act natural and as she opened her mouth her voice was shrill and stuck in the back of her throat.

  “I thought I might explore the place a little, it is to be my home after all. I would like to explore the grounds too”

  She lifted her chin a little higher and met his gaze. So, she was a feisty creature after all?

  He approached her slowly and de
liberately, and she stood her ground he reached over and cupped her breasts in his hands, watching her eyes for a reaction.

  “Well my dear, I too feel like a little exploration this morning. Now, what would you like me to show you?”

  Before she could answer he had taken her hand and was rubbing it against the crotch of his breeches. She could feel the swell of his cock against the heavy material and could not help letting out a small gasp of fright.

  “What is it my dear, have you never felt such a large cock? Wait, I am forgetting myself, your pure and virginal hands have probably never touched a man before eh?”

  With that he undid the buttons on his fly and pushed her hand inside the folds of material. Her fingers brushed the large and thick cock encased within and she resisted the urge to pull away her hand. Her eyes widened as his face lurched against hers and once again his sickly lips rubbed against hers. This time she accepted the attack with a grim determination, his sticky tongue probing her soft mouth as she tried to block out all thoughts of him and imagine she was far away.

  Pushed against the wall, she could feel the weight of his body pressed against her, his groin grinding into her soft body.

  “Well my dear, you are not the frigid convent schoolgirl that I first took you for. I can see that we shall spend some very pleasurable evenings together. I can teach you what pleases me and you will learn quickly, of that I have no doubt.”

  Holding her very firmly by the chin he pushed her head against the wall, before reaching down with his wet and ugly lips. His breath was no sweeter than the evening before and she held her breath as his lips slobbered against hers.

  If she didn’t manage to escape, she would be subject to this on a daily basis and worse!

  The sound of someone knocking at the main doors saved her. Lord Edmond released her and straightened his clothing as one of the male servants approached to open the door. It was the Estate Manger, come to speak to the master on business. As he entered the hallway, Lord Edmond smiled slyly at his young bride to be.

  “Perhaps we can pick up where we left off later this evening My Lady?”

  She willed herself to smile sweetly back at him, and with some effort she managed to look natural and almost glad to be with him.

  “Perhaps my Lord,” she whispered, as suggestively as she could imagine.

  Edmond scratched his chin in puzzlement at the strange dark haired creature, before turning to his man.

  She had heard the wheedling tones that women often used with their men folk and she needed every trick she could think of.

  “Oh Edmond?”

  It did the trick and stopped him in his tracks as he glanced over his shoulder, back at the girl.

  “Edmond, I was thinking. I enjoyed riding at home and seeing that the countryside is so beautiful around here, I wondered if I might go riding, if there might be a suitable horse in the stables here for me; something with a gentle temperament and not too feisty?”

  It had not struck him that the girl might ride. He had expected sewing and playing the harpsichord and a little singing but nothing too boisterous. He liked his women with spirit as well as beauty and his expectations of his bride suddenly increased.. He walked back over to her and smiled.

  “Well my dear, this is a surprise. I had not supposed that you were the outdoor type. It will be my pleasure to take you out riding sometime; unfortunately today I will be tied up in business, but maybe at the weekend?”

  Lady Davina’s heart sank. She did not know how long she would be able to keep Lord Edmond at bay. She had been lucky so far but if she stayed too long, all would be lost; there would be no escape.

  Seeing her eyes downcast, Lord Edmond seemed to be seized with an uncommon feeling of generosity; although it was probably that he wanted to be seen as the ‘big man’ in the eyes of both his steward and Lady Davina.

  “I suppose there is nothing to stop you going into the stables today. Old McTavish will be there –I will have a word with him to saddle up Bess, she’s a gentle old mare that will serve you well. You can give her a try, but don’t go far; I would hate you to get lost”

  The last sentence was spoken as almost a threat and Lady Davina stuck out her chin and smiled politely. Her plan was going well, so far, so good.

  Lord Edmond kept to his word and soon Lady Davina was dressed in her riding habit and sat astride Bess, a beautiful white mare, flecked with grey patched across her flank. The large, brown trusting eyes looked gently into Davina’s and she knew instinctively that she would be safe with this old girl.

  After 15 minutes trotting around the fields she returned to the stables, carefully noting where the saddles and reigns were kept. Old Mctavish didn’t start work until 8 o’clock unless the Master needed his mount earlier, but that was seldom. It fitted perfectly with her plans.

  The rest of the day she spent preparing for escape. At every meal time she saved a little bread, cheese or meat to pack away for the journey. She didn’t know how long she would be riding for and needed to ensure that she would have enough provisions.

  Lord Edmond had been busy for most of the day and she had hardly seen him, which was a good thing. As the sun started to set she heard his voice in the hall below. Her one mission now was to avoid direct contact with him at any cost. She had been lucky on two occasions, but dare not leave a third encounter to chance.

  Calling for one of the female servants, she asked that her excuses be passed on to Lord Edmond, but that she had caught a slight cold from riding earlier in the day and would need to be excused from dinner that evening. A small plate of food would be sufficient, brought to her room, and after a good night’s sleep she was sure that she would be feeling better.

  The evening passed slowly. Lady Davina paced the room before lying quietly on the bed to listen to the sounds of the castle around her. As the clock on the stairs struck 11 she could hear the thud, as Lord Edmond ascended the stairs. She held her breath as the footsteps approached her door and stopped. His breath was loud in the silence, heavy and oppressive and she guessed that he had been drinking. If he entered her room tonight it would be difficult to hold him off and she would be ruined, be his for life. She closed her eyes and prayed.

  The moment seemed to be held, suspended in silence, with only the ticking of the old clock to count the seconds. At last his feet shifted, the floorboards creaking as he walked away from her doorway and on to his own room, and she sighed, almost crying with relief. Her prayers had been answered.

  Now all she had to do was wait.

  The chiming of the clock heralded the passing of night into early morning. Lady Davina did not sleep but lay wide awake, eyes staring into the blackness of her room, her plan whirling round and around inside her head. If her plan failed then she had no idea what she could do but accept her fate. The plan had to succeed; she would rather die than stay here with Lord Edmond.

  With some relief the clock struck 5 and she climbed out of bed to dress in her riding habit and pack her smallest bag. Blankets, spare clothing, and food were all she could fit inside. It would have to be enough.

  The castle was eerily silent as if deserted and she tiptoed carefully onto the landing and down the stairs. Heading for the kitchen she found some old bread and more cheese and stuffed them into her bag along with a flagon of ale for the journey, before walking into the hallway.

  It was dark and silent, and she shivered slightly on the cold and drafty floor. The corners were filled with dark shadows and she did not feel safe. The clock on the stairs was ticking the time away and very soon Lord Edmond would be waking, walking down those stairs and out into the early morning air. She had to hide. There was a small recess leading off to the right of the doorway that she had spied earlier. If she could squeeze herself in there and stand as close to the wall as the small space would allow, then she should not be seen in the darkness. Slipping silently across the floor she pushed into the gap: a grown man could not have stood in there but there was just enough room for a slight 18
year old girl.

  Standing in silence, her heart hammered in her chest until she was sure that the sound would awaken the whole house.

  What if he did not come down today at his usual time? What if she was still standing here when the household awoke - what would she do then?

  The waiting seemed forever, but as the old grandfather struck the half hour there was the sound of footsteps walking about on the floor above. Very soon his large booted footsteps could be heard clattering down the steps, followed by the lighter scratching of the two mastiffs.

  "Reaper, Dylan, here boys," he shouted gruffly at the two animals as they raced past their master, only to quickly to fall back in place at his heels, their tails curled under their bellies in submission.

  Lady Davina thought she would faint as the large, dark shape of Lord Edmond came into view, pausing only a few feet away from where she hid. Pulling a great key from his pocket he turned it slowly in the lock before unbolting the heavy oak doors.

  For a moment he stood looking out into the cold air, breathing in the new day as she held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. One of the dogs moved across to where she was standing, its ears pricked at the scent of her.

  "Come Reaper, Dylan" Edmond roared as he strode through the open door, both dogs hot on his heels. As the door closed she let out a sigh of relief, she had almost been found out.