by Stella Inox
Less than two hours after he let her run free, the hunt drew to a close.
She’d made it to the foothills and begun to climb, hoping to outwit the pack, the extra height allowed her to see when they flowed out from the forest. She froze in fear, her elevated point of view giving her clear sight as the largest male loped up the base of the mountain. He slowed and then stilled as if he could feel her eyes on him, his lupine gaze catching her own. She was high amongst the rock and scree that made up the hillside and she watched his ears perk and his head cock as he thoughtfully considered how to best corner his target.
She fled again, scrambling up the precipice, rocks and pebbles falling and tumbling to clatter down the slope. Casting a frantic eye backwards, she watched in dread as the wolves tackled the rocky crag, paws slipping in the loose shale. The huge male wasn’t in evidence anymore and Ryannon desperately tried to squeeze more speed from tired limbs.
Her clothing was filthy and torn from an earlier slip and blood stained the knee of her tightly fitted combat pants. She reached the top of the incline and found a clear path. The bluff might slow the pack down but it wouldn’t stop them. She needed to find a place to hole up. At best she could hold them off, or try to force them to come at her one at a time, but she had a sinking feeling that it wouldn’t be enough to save her.
The fleeing woman cast another glance over her shoulder at the edge of the crag, then unwittingly ran at full speed straight into Cernunnos’ s embrace. She smacked into his chest with an ‘oof’ that would have been embarrassing if she wasn’t so intent on survival.
His arms automatically encircled her to stop her stunned body from falling, and despite her headlong flight she found herself wrapped securely in the strong male embrace of the very person she was running from. She was winded and terrified but still fought with everything left in her. She wrenched left and right and kicked back like a mule, trying to make him release her captive form. She even tried to strike him on the nose with the back of her head. Her struggles were violent enough that her feet left the ground.
He restrained her escape attempts with ease, wrapping her slim form in banded arms of iron. She was plastered hard against his body, his strength feeling boundless. Her spine was curved into his chest and belly, the heat between them electric with promise.
He let her exhaust herself, calmly holding her all the while, until she stilled and her head dropped, lungs bellowing and sweat streaking her brow and spine. She sagged helplessly, waiting for him to kill her or hurt her. The tiara came to life, a low hum breaking around them in warning and light kaleidoscoping off the rocks, bright and almost cheerful in the dim night. Cernunnos did nothing but continue to enfold her steadily in his strong arms, cradled almost gently in his uncompromising hold.
They stood together for several long minutes until her panic abated and she could breathe evenly. Reason returned as animal fear waned and then subsided. She was caught fast, but he hadn’t harmed her yet. Her will was strong, and she was on her guard for any tricks. She wouldn’t fall the same way her predecessor had.
He turned her in his arms carefully and as her sight lifted to his face, she was struck anew with his beauty. His feral attractiveness was so different from the vanquished Herne.
Where the previous Lord of the Forest had exhibited an icy perfection that hid a bone-deep rot, Cernunnos was somehow more real and raw. The tall male was more masculine then the slender Herne, his arms and chest rippled with the muscled strength that held her tightly. His forest gaze was tranquil as he examined her, almost meticulous in his scrutiny, assuring himself that she remained more or less unhurt although he eyes lingered on the bloodstains that streaked her attire.
The antlers, which had been mere nubs the last time she saw him were now branched into a sleek rack with twisting and razor sharp tips.
He was as lethally dangerous as Herne but without the ‘mad dog’ edge that had terrified Ryannon so thoroughly in her previous meeting with former God. He felt different to all her senses as well. Where Herne had been a turbulent and muddy churned river, Cernunnos exuded the impression of clear but still waters that ran deep.
Although she’d been attracted to Herne, that feeling of wrongness had twisted around them to the point that she was always conscious of being in grave danger. But being held by Cernunnos, she wanted to let go, to sink into him, find comfort and warmth in his strong male charisma. He was appealing to all her senses. She yearned to let him pick up the burden she carried. She was so very tired of being afraid.
He was gentle as he smoothed a couple of wayward tendrils of silver blonde hair behind her ear.
“Are you well?” he queried quietly.
It was not a question she expected to be asked by her future slayer.
“As well as can be expected” she responded sharply. He smiled at her tart rejoinder, the flashing white teeth and blazing smile warming the ice deep inside her. Something within Ryannon relaxed for the first time in months. “What are you going to do with me?” she asked diffidently over her shoulder.
“First I’m going to feed you.” His smile spread into a full grin at her befuddlement. “You’re weary and cold. I’m considered hospitable by those who truly know me and it wouldn’t do to damage that reputation. Will you come with me freely?”
This whole situation wasn’t going according to any expectations that Ryannon had allowed herself to form.
“If I say no?”
“The choice is yours. Where will you flee to this time if I let you wander my lands little one?” He sighed and blew a slightly exasperated breath out between pursed lips. Her eyes lingered on the lips alongside her face, suddenly remembering what they felt like pressed to her own and her cheeks heated, warmth blossoming in her visage at the change in her thoughts’ direction.
Mischief sparkled in his gaze and he leaned closer looking at her searchingly. “The choice will always be yours, but I urge you to accept my invitation. On blood and bone, I swear that my intention is not to cause you harm.”
“But I can walk away if I choose to? Even though you captured me fairly?”
“Yes.” He drew the word out slowly and pulled her closer, his strong thighs bracketing her own. “You’re free to leave at any time but I have a proposition for you.”
Ryannon stiffened, affronted.
“Not that sort of offer” he said, shaking his head, “Although I won’t deny that I desire you.” The last was said with a slyly sensual look before he paused, his gaze becoming serious and peering off into the distance. “I seek to lay a down a new future for this land and its people and undo the damage done by ignorance, cruelty and fear. I would ask that you help me with this but I will not force you.”
Ryannon nodded her understanding cautiously, and he continued, buoyed up by her wary acceptance of his words He turned her in his embrace slowly, not releasing any part of her as she swiveled to face him.
“This is not the place to speak of such things” he whispered and Ryannon snapped out of her beguilement enough to find that she was leaning into him, her hands on the firm pectoral muscles of his chest. Her eyes had been locked on his mouth as his lips had shaped the words. His presence had lulled her.
She leaned back, embarrassment flooding her face with a crimson tinge, and was mortified to find that they were ringed with wolves. The intrepid predators had crept up while her attention was otherwise engaged but they weren’t seeking to attack or harm her.
They were sprawled around the rocks in a comfortable fashion, some watching with curious eyes while others observed the land around them, as if suspiciously defending their Lord and his paramour. She pulled backwards and he let her go reluctantly, releasing her slowly as if mourning that she no longer touched him. He held an entreating hand out to her.
“Will you come with me?”
The Half sprite studied him warily, alert for anything that might prove that he played her false, but her instincts were silent. As she reached the conclusion that he really didn’
t intend to hurt her, the lights from tiara faded as if the head piece was standing down from its readiness.
Cernunnos’ s eyes drifted up to where the circlet faded and pleasure lit his expression from within.
“It suits you” he said simply.
Ryannon touched the circlet self-consciously.
“Why did you create it?”
He wiggled his fingers enticingly.
“If you come with me, you’ll gain answers to many of the questions you have.”
As if it was foreordained, she clasped his hand, throwing herself on whatever mercy he had. For good or for ill, she accepted his offer. He curled his fingers between hers so that he held her tiny hand securely. Using his hold as leverage, he pulled her in close to his body again, sliding his hand up her tense back to bury it in her silver hair. He cupped the back of her head and guided her face closer to him. She watched him breathlessly, anticipation crawling up and down her spine.
He tugged until she was pressed completely against his hard form and then touched his lips to her fore head. His power rose around them in a dull roar and they were gone.
Chapter Eight
Between one moment and the next, they flashed in and out of existence, trans-located to a lightly wooded clearing. Although it was still night, the space was filled with an ambient light and darting flashes of living color.
Ryannon looked around in wonder. It was magical, the trees appearing healthy and beautiful rather than bent and dark like so many others scattered in the forest. Wonderful wildlife teemed here, abundant and marvelous in color, shape and variety. The half sprite was charmed as pixies darted around them, flashing bright hues and bringing life and energy to the atmosphere. It was charming and somehow right in a way that the rest of this land wasn’t. Her soul uncoiled in complete and perfect joy.
This is what should be.
She spun in Cernunnos’ arms, the first smile to ever grace her visage in Otherworld alive on her face. He was watching her reaction with enjoyment and a quiet satisfaction.
“What is this place?”
“It’s my home” he responded artlessly. “Do you like it?”
‘It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen” she blurted in honest appreciation.
His smile became wider and he traced her upturned lips with deliberate finger.
“You’re stunning when you smile” he whispered.
She stepped backwards in confusion, her smile faltering, flustered at his words and rubbed her neck self-consciously. He let her leave his embrace and turning, walked towards the largest tree in the clearing, inclining his head for her to follow him.
When she did, he guided her up steps that seemed to have formed from twisted roots and branches as they rose in height. It was a natural form of construction. They wound around the massive trunk as they climbed higher and higher until they reached the majestic crown. A platform high in the canopy of an ancient oak was where this Lord of the Forest made his home.
The roof was a mixture of branches and a woven lattice of green life that trailed flowering ivy, perfuming the air with a delicate touch and Ryannon recognised a single note of the complex scent that Cernunnos emanated.
It was a house in the top of tree. There were well ordered rooms that were neatly sectioned off by the trailing vines and the glimpse of huge bed made from living wood bought a flush to her face at the reminder that he desired her but he lead her past that screened entrance without a word. That same ambient light cast a rosy glow over everything.
They reached a dining area and she was enchanted anew at the tidy section. There was more furniture made from living wood, the table formed from filigreed branch shoots. The chairs were antiques that had somehow grown from a single piece. In comparison to what she’d heard of the opulent coldness of Herne’s cave quarters, this was warm and welcoming.
Pixies and other unique and fantastic creatures were busily setting a repast for them as they entered and Cernunnos chuckled, greeting the tiny individuals in a lilting tongue as some of the beings sprang up to circle them excitedly. Others dropped berries and nuts into a platter set on the table whilst another intrepid group hand banded together to lift a loaf of bread. They wobbled in the air as the tiny creatures hefted the loaf but made it safely to the table to deposit their offering.
They piped a farewell as they departed, zooming around in a cheerful goodbye before flying out between the gaps in the greenery and leaving them alone. Calm and collected, Cernunnos selected the stems of two goblets and filled them as he regarded her thoughtfully.
“Would you care to bathe before you eat?”
A blush heated her Ryannon’s face as she became aware of how absolutely filthy she was and how badly she smelled. Her armor had been dented in the fight with the Green man and the slips and falls had torn her clothing leaving it dusty and blood stained from gashes courtesy of unforgiving rock. The sour smell of fear sweat tainted her as well.
She curled her dirty hands in shame and felt the myriad small cuts protest. The crushed section of armor on her back was pressing into her kidney and Ryannon would have given a year from her life to feel clean but she was wary of accepting anything in case it left her beholden to Cernunnos. He seemed to understand her hesitation.
“Freely offered if willingly accepted” he said considerately.
She nodded with relief. He tipped his head towards another screened off area and Ryannon hurried away, eager for fresh water and soap.
He entered the room shortly afterward, as she made her third frustrated attempt to free herself from the chest plate. The dent had put pressure on the buckle and her tired fingers couldn’t get it to release. He was carrying a fluffy towel and one his shirts which he hung over a spare branch. When he saw how she struggled, he stepped behind her and gently forced her fingers away, seeing to the buckle himself.
His exhale fell warm and scented on the flesh of her neck and she shivered, aware of his closeness. She might still be in danger but she wanted him. She stood tense as he fumbled and then froze, her blood turning to ice as he pulled his blade free but all he did was cut through the buckle strap to release it. She groaned in relief as it came free, taking her first unrestricted breath since doing battle with Jack in the Green.
He helped lift it over her head, grabbing handfuls of her hair to guide it through the neck hole so that it didn’t get caught. She dropped it to the floor with a stifled curse, glad to no longer be so encumbered.
Hyper awareness made her still when she felt his warmth radiating closely against her skin. One of his hands settled on her waist while the other moved to lift the undergarment free from her hip. He examined the bruising with fingertips that gentled when she hissed in pain.
“We’ll see to that after you’ve had opportunity to cleanse yourself.”
Ryannon wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or disappointed when he released her. She cursed her own foolishness and longing as he departed courteously so that she might undress and get clean. She examined the room for a bowl but couldn’t see anything, but the sound of trickling water guided her to the edge of the platform and she parted the curtain of ivy to look with delight upon the inside waterfall.
Water fell in a warm stream flowing down a sculpted branch before dropping onto a crafted block that caused it to spray out in a fan pattern. She tried to see where the source of the flow was, considering that they were in a tree, but lost it amidst other branches. Shrugging, she stripped hastily, gratefully dumping her filthy clothing.
Soap was balanced on a flat place on a close by growth and she grabbed the fragrant bar and set to scrubbing with a vengeance.
~
The still damp Ryannon walked back into the dining area with her head held high. She was barefoot and wearing nothing but a shirt that belonged to the Horned God who awaited her but she refused to let her lack of armor cow her.
He was waiting patiently at the table, one booted leg resting elegantly crossed against the other. He took in her state
of undress with a single glance and his regard became intense, heated and slightly possessive as if seeing her adorned in his clothing pleased him immeasurably.
He never said a word though, and merely continued to look at her appreciatively as she cautiously came to the table. He nudged the filled goblet towards while unfolding enough to push the chair out for her with courteous foot. She seated herself and clutched the cup in a nervous fist. To cover the awkward silence, she took a hasty gulp. Which was unfortunate since it was liquid fire! It burned going down and she coughed frantically, gasping and then hiccupping embarrassingly as she tried to swallow.
It certainly broke the awkwardness.
He tried not to laugh at her. He struggled manfully with his amusement until he saw her trying to wipe surreptitiously at tearing eyes. He lost the battle with his levity and exploded in mirth. His guffaws were genuine, full bodied and from the belly as he threw his head back, antlers flashing.
She glared at him from still streaming eyes, and he howled even harder. It was hard not to smile at his good cheer but she resisted, keeping her face stern. He grappled with his unappreciated humor and wrestled it down, one clenched fist in front of his lips as he sought to control himself. It was a few moments before he succeeded in wiping all trace of it away. He assumed a serious mien but the amused gleam in his eyes gave him away.
She took a much more cautious sip of the concoction and found it better the second time. A sweetly floral liquor that lingered on the palate. It still had kick though. She thumped her chest and coughed again.
He’d just taken a sip himself so his explosion of repeated sniggers left him in much the same condition as her. He coughed and choked in between the chortles and was forced to resort to using a napkin to clean away the fine spray of liquor that coated his hands and stained his lips with a sticky sweetness. He wrestled it down again but the quivering of his lips left her in no doubt as to his enjoyment.
