by Glenda Diana
"I don't wish to hurt you, but if I must ... "
"Please," she whispered.
"Then cease your fight."
Arysa stopped moving. "All I want is my grandmother. I care naught about anything else. She needs me."
"You want her so that you can hide and shelter her."
"Aye." There was no need in lying. He knew already, she could tell by his voice, so it would do little good to hold her tongue. "I will not have her punished because of me."
"What would you give for such a prize?"
Fire began boiling in her veins. The cur could have whatever he wanted for she could not in truth stop him ... not yet. "Anything," she replied, closing her eyes to hide her anger.
"Hmmm ... I find that a most pleasing offer." His laughter made her eyes spring open and the heated glare was more than obvious. "Do not make bargains that you do not wish to uphold. Now, do you wish to listen on your own accord or do I have to keep you pinned beneath me. Not that I mind where you are, but I find it difficult to speak when I'm hard to have you."
It took her a moment to understand his meaning. The movement of his hips brought his import across in a way that words could never have expressed. His hard male member was pressed tight to her woman's core and the only thing that separated them was the material of his loincloth. Her heart faltered and then lurched as he moved again. Memories of his powers moving over her and exploring her came to mind making her juices flow and dampening the outer surface of his loincloth.
"Can you behave if I let you go?"
Arysa reluctantly nodded her head. The beast of a man knew he had made her wet, she could tell by the arrogant smile upon his face. Slowly, he released her, bracing his arms against the ground he raised his upper body, which in turn pressed his heat more intimately against her wetness. White teeth flashed when a breathless moan escaped her.
As soon as she was free from his weight she began searching for the cloak. He shook his head and again flashed a smile. "Listen and worry about covering yourself later. It's much too late to be modest with me. I have seen all of you ... and soon I will take great pleasure in touching and tasting all of you."
"Only a braggart would make such a claim," she stated, with a lift of her chin. "It is not much of a boast when you have to use your powers to accomplish your goal."
"I am neither a braggart nor do I boast." His gaze moved over her, stopping at her breasts where the nipples stood out like hard pebbles, then his gaze moved down to her woman's mound. "I have your wetness to prove my claim." He touched the damp spot on the front of his loincloth.
Her cheeks turned warm and she bit her tongue to keep her words inside.
Turning to lie on his side, he leaned up on his elbow and stared at her for several long seconds. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.
"Aye," she replied angrily. "My grandmother warned me that you would be coming. She told me that the High Ruler had given me to you before my birth. But, it will do you no good ... you will have to use your powers to hold me here for never will I stay willingly."
One black brow rose and a smile twitched upon his lips. "You have such anger and fierce emotions. I did not expect that."
"Do not laugh at me! I was raised to travel a path of my own choosing and I do not choose to be here with you."
The slight smile faded from his face and he nodded his head. "I want you to use your powers ... focus on me."
Suspicion filled her. "Why?"
"Because I ask it of you. You must get used to my presence and my powers and there is no better way for you to do this than to use your powers on me."
"What if I hurt you?"
He laughed. It was not so much her words as the sarcastic way she said them. "It is a chance I will have to take."
Did he know of her unique ability? She certainly hoped not. Nervously, she slowly let her power move up and out of her. It eased over him as if expecting a trap of some sort to be awaiting her. She probed and with each movement over him she became more confident that he was at least being honest in this matter with her.
Her probe came to an instant stop. Again, she let it investigate the area that it had just finished. Her gasp filled the air around them and she moved back, pulling her powers away from him.
His eyes opened to meet hers.
She shook her head.
He smiled.
"I ask you again, do you know who I am?"
"Aye," she whispered.
"Excellent," he replied with a nod. "Tell me."
"You are the one from the woods near my home. The one that has been there for many years." He gave a brisk nod of his head. "You are not the one ... " her words halted as everything took on a new meaning. First and foremost was her grandmother.
When she started to scramble to her feet, he caught her arm and pulled her back.
"Let me go! Do you not see what you have done? You took me from my search! I have to find my grandmother."
"Arysa,"
"Nay! I have to find and protect her."
"'Tis out of your hands now."
His words struck like a blow, crumpling her to her knees. "Nay," she whispered as tears filled her eyes. "It cannot be too late."
"I did not say that it was too late, only that it was out of your hands." With the tips of his fingers he lifted her face. "At this moment you can do nothing for your grandmother. I will do my best to help you, but you must wipe all thoughts of your grandmother from your mind."
"Wipe her from my mind?"
"Do not raise your voice to me," he replied in a near growl. "You will do as I say or bring danger more quickly to us."
"I will face this danger if it means finding my grandmother."
Her growl was almost as loud as his own. "You are most undisciplined. I will give you an ultimatum. Either control your thoughts or live within the walls of my powers. You did not like the power entrapping you, making you helpless, so do not force my hand."
"I cannot."
His thumbs caught the tears that glided from her eyes. "Aye, you can. I have felt your powers and know that within you is a strong and vibrant flow. Curve it to do your bidding instead of you doing its."
"Why did you take me away from my home? I could have stayed and searched for her."
"You did search and you did not find her."
"I would have tried again and again until I had."
He shook his head. "Your grandmother is powerful in her own right, is she not?"
"Aye," Arysa whispered. "Though seldom does she use her powers."
"On that you are wrong. She has used her powers everyday that you have lived with her. She was the shelter in which you lived. That is why none bothered you, why none came searching for the child of the High Ruler."
"Nay. Several tutors resided with us ... "
"And these same tutors were held within your grandmother's power," he explained patiently. "They did reside with you, but the moment they left the shelter of the woods their memories were washed clean of you and the time they spent with you."
Arysa thought over his words. "In order for that to be true, my grandmother would have to have supreme power and she does not."
Instead of replying he watched her waiting for her, to come to terms with everything that she knew about her grandmother.
She shook her head. "Only those in the immediate line of the High Ruler have supreme powers."
"Such as yourself?"
"Aye. But my grandmother is not part of that line."
Again he held his silence.
"You are only trying to confuse me," Arysa muttered. "I have lived with my grandmother all my existence. She has never showed any of the characteristics that appear with being part of that particular line."
"Do you yourself show any of these characteristics?"
"Aye, I do. Supreme power is the most obvious characteristic. My power has not yet reached its full level, but it grows stronger everyday. There are other characteristics as well. I have the ability to search wider an
d farther than most of my people. Upon reaching full growth, my powers will enable me to do many things."
"Such as?"
Arysa narrowed her eyes. "I think that you know the answer to that question already."
He nodded his head, as a quirk of a smile played upon his lips. "Black magic, spell casting and all the other great and elusive wizardry."
"I find your humor at my expense in very poor taste."
"I apologize," he murmured, even as the corner of his eyes crinkled with further amusement. "Did your grandmother ever speak to you about the presence in your woods?"
Arysa quirked a brow at him. "You are referring to yourself?"
"Aye. Did she ever say anything in reference to me?"
"She mentioned that she felt your aura."
He nodded his head.
"And this has meaning to you?"
"You have a very cutting tone when you wish to use it. Now if you are done playing the shrew, shall we continue?"
"I am not a shrew and you are quite right, I am done playing games. In fact, I am done conversing with you all together." Arysa moved to stand.
"What a temper you have," he muttered with a sigh. "And what a shame."
Before Arysa could detect what he meant all ability to move was gone.
"Now that I have your undivided attention I shall continue. Your grandmother felt my presence for the same reason you could ... both of you are descendants of the High Ruler. He had the power to observe how your grandmother raised you and he even granted her the freedom to do as she wished because he is overly arrogant and overly confident. Your grandmother told you some things, but not all.
"First we will start with how your grandmother is connected to the High Ruler. She is one of his bloodline, the only difference is that he sired you, your grandmother was born from one of his many children. As soon as she came of age she was then given to a man that was among the High Ruler's most elite soldiers and a man not of her liking. She gave birth to many children that did not survive due to his callousness. Finally, years later she gave birth to your mother. Some ten years later your grandfather was terminated during battle. Like many clans, once you meet your opponent in battle your powers are then reverted to the victor ... such was the case with your grandfather.
"By then it was too late for your mother. She had been raised as her father's daughter and she wanted more than most maidens. This she achieved by catching the lustful desires of the High Ruler. Your mother realized too late that she did not want the honor of being one of the High Ruler's women. Early in your mother's pregnancy she became unmanageable and was sent to live with your grandmother until your birth. During that time she and your grandmother grew close and a bond was formed.
"But no matter how much your grandmother tried to comfort your mother, she was determined that termination was the only path for her. No amount of dissuasion on your grandmother's part could alter your mother's course. She knew that in order to be terminated she would have to lose in battle, so she found an opponent and made sure she lost.
"Your grandmother was there to take you from your mother. She then proceeded in gaining permission from the High Ruler to raise you ... as she saw fit. Never before had such a thing been heard of, but your grandmother was wise and cunning for she put forth her demands in the way of a challenge ... a challenge that she knew the High Ruler could not ignore."
He paused in his telling, giving Arysa time to digest what he had told her so far. Though she could not move he could see the anger burning deep in her emerald eyes. He smiled. Reaching out he cupped her face with the palm of his hand. His thumb brushed over her bottom lip.
"You wish to know how I know so much. 'Tis simple, your grandmother told me. Ahhh, now you show me your disbelief. In truth, your grandmother and I never had the pleasure of conversing face to face. But through her powers she often visited with me. She welcomed me into her woods and she encouraged me to further my acquaintance with you.
"Did she know who and what I am, you ask? Aye, she did. Your grandmother is a remarkable woman. Not once did she show her fear of me. She put her fears aside and instead concentrated on what she wanted of me. Though others of my clan would have turned away, or worse, involved her in a battle where they hoped she would lose, your grandmother knew that she could trust me. How? I don't know. Maybe it comes with age or experience. Maybe it's because I went against my own people's rule to enter your woods to be near you? She knew that though it was not allowed and unheard of, I wanted you for my own. Thus, we now find ourselves at this point.
"What you have to ask yourself, Arysa, is whether we go upon our own course or do you force my hand? The choice is yours. Do not fool yourself into thinking that I will let you go back to the woods of your childhood. That would be surrendering you to the fate that your grandmother tried fiercely to protect you from. I gave my word of honor that I would see to you and I will not let you hinder my promise to her." So saying he gave a slight wave of his hand.
Arysa felt his power slide free from her. She was furious and yet there was a small part of her that actually admired him. His powers were much to be admired, but then he had age and experience to master and fine-tune his powers to that of perfect alignment.
"Choose which way we play this game."
"I do not like to be ordered about," she gritted out between clenched teeth.
"Do you think it matters to me?" he asked with a smile. "Do not act as a child. We have not the time to waste."
"I wish to think on it."
He shook his head. "Nay, I have just said we have no time to waste. It will not take the one you were promised to long in detecting that he has been cheated of his prize."
"The choices you give me leave little to desire," she muttered softly.
"I have seen your desire, Arysa. It's most potent and alluring. Choose now and let us be about finding more hidden secrets within each other."
Again her face turned warm. He was right. She had surrendered to his lust-filled powers without much of a battle. "What if I choose not to be with you, just as I chose not to be with the one that I was given to? What if I want another for my mate?"
Tipping his head slightly he studied her for a moment. "And who would this other be?" he asked.
"How should I know?" she mumbled sourly. "I did not say that I had met him yet, only that I might want another to be my mate."
"You are prolonging the inevitable. We already know that I can bring you to a point of surrender. We also know that I can quench the yearnings that run deep within you. And we know in return that I desire you and will protect you at the cost of putting myself against my own people."
"Which makes me wonder just why you would do such a thing?"
"Perhaps I was marked from the start of my existence," he replied with a shrug.
That was not the most flattering of replies, she thought, irked by his attitude. "I see you have not mastered the ability to charm as of yet. Perhaps, when next you meet a woman that you so desire you will compose it to a more pliable surface."
"And perhaps in time you will learn to curb your viperous tongue." This was said without rancor. "And put your jealousy to rest, I will never desire another woman the way I desire you. So, it appears as though you will have to deal with my rough charm or do your best to smooth it."
Arysa gave a slight jump when he moved to stand above her.
"Lie back and close your eyes."
She was tempted to argue with his order, but with a sigh resignation she did as he requested. Part of her grew breathless at his command. Was he going to let his power move over her again? Was he going to let her feel his desire? Though she should hate him for making her want the touch of his power and desire, she could not.
He could feel the hum of her passions as they came to life again. He would give her a small taste of what she craved. Gently he let his power move over her, letting her feel his passion and letting her taste the first morsel of his love for her. That alone would condemn him in the e
yes of his clan ... to love her was not acceptable.
She responded without the least show of hesitation, which pleased him. She offered up all to him and he was hard pressed not to take it and consume her. Instead he let her explore and with just a few mild strokes of his power she was crying out, finding her release with abandonment.
He stayed rooted in his spot as he moved his hand and sent her sated body into a deep sleep. He had wasted much time in trying to calm her fears by explaining details to her. Now that she was safely taken care of he could turn his attention to other matters. His eyes ran over her. Sensations vibrated through him, just as they had as he watched his maiden explode with her first taste of passion ... his passion. Hunger for her surged, second only to his love, while his male member painfully reminded him that he was not made of stone.
Guilt came close on hunger's heel. Guilt at entering her woods years ago ... woods that were off limits to his people. Guilt at becoming entangled with one outside his race. But once again he reminded himself that he was not made of stone ... and that would be the only way he could have fought against his attraction to Arysa. From the very first he had felt her aura and had been drawn to it. He had fought his yearning, knowing that the maiden was forbidden to him, but in the end he had been weak.
He had remained in the distance, shielding himself from her curious probes. But her grandmother had changed that. She had reached out to him, challenging him with his desire for her granddaughter. He had listened to her tale, acknowledging that if not for her he would never had been able to be near Arysa for the past four years. It was she that had allowed him. Though he possessed a high level of power, the old woman could have easily blocked his entrance to the woods.
Though her grandmother had tried to prepare him for his first sight of Arysa, nothing could have accomplished that feat. Never had he expected to find such beauty in the aura that had entrapped him years ago. She had felt his presence the moment he entered her self-area. The very force that radiated from her lured him onward. And the sight of her moon-drenched body had set his body on fire.
During his long existence he had shared himself with many beautiful women, even some whom he could declare were slightly more beautiful than the creature in front of him, but none had ever drawn him or affected him the way this young woman did. Confusion was not something he experienced often and yet that was the only word that described the churning going on inside him.
