by Mac Flynn
"Bravery, my goddess," he whispered to me.
"Is it much farther?" I asked him.
"We are almost there."
A few more minutes and I noticed a clearing ahead of us. Tristan brushed aside the limbs of a thick wild rosebush and revealed a small clearing. The stars twinkled above us as though smiling as we stepped onto the soft grass that created a carpet beneath our feet. The trees stood thick and tall around us, and created a natural wall that kept animal and man from entering but for the single entrance Tristan found.
The clearing itself held a circle made of large stones. They were tall, narrow columns that towered over us as Tristan led me into their midst. At the opposite end from where we stood arose a stone altar with a flat slab large enough for a human to lay upon. Beyond the pedestal was a roughly-cut boulder. Atop the boulder was a smooth, delicately carved statue of a wolf. Its head was tilted back to howl at the full moon that held sway in the night sky above us.
Tristan stopped us before the stone altar and positioned us so we both faced the statue and each other. His gaze settled on the statue and a soft smile graced his lips.
"Magnificent, isn't she?" he asked me.
"'She?'" I asked him.
He nodded at the statue. "The goddess of the moon."
I followed his gaze and my eyes caught on a strange oddity. The statue wore a necklace, and the necklace closely resembled the one given to me by my laird.
"My laird, why does-"
"-the statue wear your necklace?" he finished for me. He turned his attention to me and his eyes studied the necklace around my neck. "The necklace you wear is an ancient talisman passed down through countless generations. Stories tell of it being made before even people ruled these lands. The forests were thick with the ancient people of the woods who could change their shape from man to beast."
"Like devils?" I guessed.
He chuckled and shook his head. "Like gods. Gods of the ancients like those mentioned by MacLaren and his wise wife. These gods were not afar like that of Father Clarke. They were all around us, and could become us if they so chose." He grasped my upper arms and looked into my eyes. "The goddess of the wolf has chosen you to be her vessel as she chose my mother before you."
My eyes widened. "Your mother?"
He nodded. "Aye. She worshiped the goddess before she met my father, and after their marriage she became the vessel. That is why he murdered her. He could not abide that his god was not hers, and he feared the power she held inside her."
"But how can you be sure I am worthy of such an honor?" I asked him.
"Your scent is the scent of the wild hills and moors. When you first entered my chambers I thought the heather from the hills had come into the room," he told me. "Your scent hinted at something more than human, and so I gave you the necklace."
I reached up and touched the necklace with the tips of my fingers. "What does the necklace do?" I wondered.
He half-turned to the statue and gestured to the necklace. "Anyone worthy of being a vessel for the goddess is granted certain abilities when they wear the necklace. On the eve of battle we witnessed the ability to bring fog, and in the dining hall there was the gift of fire." He turned to me and cupped my cheek in his palm. His brilliant eyes glowed as they studied my face. He lowered his voice to a whisper that sounded like the cool wind of summer. "All of which proved that you are my god, my love. My one and only."
I blinked at him. "Your god?" I returned.
He gave a nod. "Yes. The god of the wolves is a goddess, and only a female wolf may absorb her energy and lead me on to greater victories."
"But I am no goddess," I protested.
A kind smile slid onto his lips. "But you will be, my love. The goddess of the wolves pleads for a vessel in which to store her energy, and you will be that vessel."
"Vessel? Wolf goddess? My laird, I cannot follow your strange sayings," I admitted.
Tristan clasped my hands in his and looked deep into my eyes. "The wolves are the gods of old of whom MacLaren spoke. They are the ones who have protected this valley for thousands of years, and will now do so through we two. I am one of their followers, a were-wolf, and you, my goddess, are one who will rise above me to fulfill your destiny as a goddess of the woods, a wolf goddess."
"But what would I do with this strange gift?" I asked him.
"Whatever you wish! You will be granted great speed and strength, and you will no longer need the necklace you wear to perform the miracles with which you dazzled our guests and our soldiers," he told me.
I closed my eyes and shuddered. "I. . .I fear such strength." I lifted my eyes to his and searched their depths for answers. "What if I would abuse it?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "You would not, my goddess. Anyone worthy of the power of the wolf would not have a heart to abuse the gift."
"But what if-" Tristan leaned down and pressed his lips softly against mine. I tried to deepen the chaste kiss, but he pulled away and smiled down at me.
"I have faith in you, my love. You need now only have faith in yourself to fulfill your destiny," he whispered.
I took a deep breath and gave a nod. "I. . .I will fulfill my destiny. What must I do?" I asked him.
He leaned down and his lips brushed against mine. His soothing voice thrilled me and a warm rush of heat swept over me. "Relax, and free yourself," he whispered.
CHAPTER 36
Our lips pressed together and his arms wrapped themselves around me. The familiar hot ache erupted inside my body, and I groaned into our kiss. He broke away and closed his eyes. I could see him clench his teeth as they lengthened into sharp fangs.
"Can you feel it? The goddess around us?" he hoarsely whispered.
A warm wind blew past us and I felt as though a touch of soft, hot fur brushed against my bare skin. The sensation filled me with a deep, warm longing and sweat spilled all over my body. I shuddered and gasped for breath.
"My laird, what are these strange sensations?" I asked him.
"Your true self. The wildness that lives deep inside you," he told me. "Fall into her arms. Revel in the joys she brings."
I closed my eyes and felt the warm wind wrap around me. My body fell into a sensual river of strength and lust that awakened a deep, aching desire inside me. A longing arose in me, a painful pleasure that demanded I be taken again and again in the throes of passion until my womb was filled.
My laird pressed me close to him and I felt his need against my hip. My eyes flew open when he ground himself against me. The night was gone. His features were sharp and clear. His ears were long and pointed, and his hair spilled over his back like a great silver mane. I felt his clawed hands press gently against the skin of my arms. His clothes strained against his expanded muscles and the fur that sprouted from his flesh. My lover's nostrils flared as he took in the sweet scent of my need that flowed from my body.
"Yes," he hissed.
"My god," I whispered in return.
I'd never felt more alive. Every part of me strained to touch and rub myself against this monster that stood in front of me. I was tortured with the lust that filled me with thoughts of our bodies intertwined as we lay sprawled over the sweet-smelling grass beneath our feet. We would strain against each other in a union that brought us both to blissful completion.
My clothes grew tight as a change came over my form. I felt my hips widen, and my muscles stretched and pressed against the cloth of my dress. My breasts swelled until they pushed against the fabric of my shirt and nearly tumbled over the revealing neckline. Sweat covered my body and added a wonderful sheen that glowed in the light of the full moon above us.
My laird pulled me to arm's length and his eyes brushed over me with unmistakable intent. He would not release me until he had his way with me again and again. His will would bend mine and bring us both wondrous enjoyment. I licked my lips as I thought of the deliciously long night that awaited us.
His lips curled back and he growled at me. I whimpered, and
all that was needed to be said was said.
He lay me on the ground and tore away my tight dress. I cried out in joy as my changed body was released from its cloth imprisonment and his hands explored my body. He gripped my well-rounded hips, and his fingers danced across my stomach. He clutched my fleshy breasts and massaged them in his warm hands. I reveled in every moment of his touch and the fire inside me burned hotter than ever.
"My goddess," he hissed.
"My laird," I moaned.
I leaned back and groaned as the warm wind around me soaked into my body. The luscious heat filled me with a lust that was bottomless, but my mate would try his hardest to fill my need. He covered my body with his own and deeply penetrated me. Our forms melded into one as he thrust in and out. Each push made me groan and gasp. I felt as though a thousand hands groped my body and massaged my flesh.
A brilliant light blanketed us in a warm glow that heightened our lust. My mate grunted and tilted his head back so he faced the sky.
"Yes," he growled. I noticed the source of the light came from the eyes of the stone statue. They glowed a bright red that matched the intensity of my laird's yellow eyes. "Yes, my goddess. Come and bless our union," he pleaded to the sky.
We were plunged into a brighter light that engulfed us and blocked out the rest of the world. A warmth of pleasure washed over me. My breasts tightened and swelled. Lustful thoughts of animals rutting filled my mind. I grasped my mate's arms and arched my back. The seduction wrapped around me in a tight blanket that I never wanted to leave.
"Yes. Accept the light," I heard my mate hiss.
"Oh god," I groaned. My body was on fire with the lustful, primitive need to procreate, to plead wit him to take me hard and fast. "Take me. Oh god, please take me," I begged.
"As you wish, my goddess," he answered.
I reveled in the feel of him as he wrapped his arms around me and pinned me to the ground beneath his body. He pushed deep and long into me. Each stroke drove me into a deeper frenzy of lust. Every touch of his body against mine sent shivers through me that could only be satiated by his hard, powerful thrusts. They filled me with a deep longing and loosened the beast inside me that had long sought to escape my meek self. I was a monster of lust and desire, and I desired that my mate take me and claim me again and again.
We were like two animals as we rutted atop the grass. Our grunts and growls filled the air and the light around us pulsed with our joined bodies. I never wanted this delicious bliss to end, and yet my body demanded satisfaction. I needed him to claim me, to make me come and cry out his name.
The wondrous waves of orgasm swelled inside me. I leaned my head back and opened my eyes. A glistening star appeared in the light around us and hovered above me. It floated down until its bright body touched my chest. I gasped as a warmth as hot as fire and as soothing as a lover's touch melded with my body.
Every sensation increased two-fold. The light brightened, the feel of the grass was softer, and my mate's strokes against my sensitive nub drove me into a wild, feral frenzy. I dug my lengthened fingernails into his arms and growled. My face stretched and formed into a long snout. I felt my feet thicken into hard soles with long toes. My hair grew and slithered over the grass around my head until it was like a dark halo.
My voice was deep and feral like that of a wolf in heat. "Faster," I growled. "Harder."
My mate snarled and obeyed my demands as his own features changed. His clothes split open and fell to pieces around us. Fur completely covered his body and his hands were now large claws. His muscles rippled beneath his fur and his yellow eyes glowed like candles in an otherwise dark room. He leaned over me as his back curved to allow him to run on all fours.
He thrust hard and long into my hot, wet body. His swollen manhood stroked my nub until I knew nothing but the wondrous bliss of pleasure. The hunger inside me reached a high, agonizing pitch.
"Yes! More! More!" I demanded.
He fulfilled my order as a violent orgasm swept over me. We thrashed and rolled in the throes of passion. Our sweat-soaked bodies rubbed together and heightened our union as I convulsed with pleasure. He joined me and thrust a few more times, and then we were both spent.
We collapsed onto our sides so we faced each other. The light around us faded, and with it went our beast forms. We reverted back to humans, and I felt a heavy lethargy pass over me. I glanced at my mate, my lover, my laird, and he smiled back. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my sweat-soaked face.
"My goddess," he whispered. My eyelids grew heavier. He pulled me against his warm body and chuckled. "Rest well. Tomorrow is a new day for you."
I snuggled into his warm, muscled chest and drifted into sleep.
CHAPTER 37
I awoke to the soft feeling of my laird's body pressed against mine. His arms were around me and pulled me against his tight muscles and clothes. My eyes fluttered open and a view of the chamber met my gaze. I shifted beneath the warm covers and felt a strange sensation of energy flow over me. My muscles felt strong, and my breasts were heavier than I recalled.
"Good morning, my goddess," my laird whispered into my ear.
I half-turned to him and blinked into his autumn eyes. "Was it all a dream?" I whispered.
He shook his head. "Not a blade of grass nor a limb of a tree was false." One of his hands slid up and cupped the necklace that still lay around my neck. "The essence of the goddess passed through the necklace and into your body. You are now her, and she is you."
"But I feel no difference inside of me," I pointed out.
My laird smiled and pecked a light kiss on my lips. "But now you have no need for the necklace. The power that resides in there is now in your own body. You can do away with the necklace if you wish."
I clasped the necklace in one hand and shook my head. "I would rather keep it as a remembrance of your mother," I told him.
He chuckled. "Always innocent. It is no mystery why the goddess chose you to keep her among her people."
I looked down and pursed my lips. "If I truly am as you say then what shall I do with such power? How can I help everyone I care for?"
Tristan clasped my chin between his fingers and raised my eyes to his. His smile thrilled my heart. "You needn't look for trouble, my goddess. Merely choosing the right course of action when the time calls for it will be enough."
I returned his smile with one of my own and nodded. "As you wish, my laird."
"Tristan," he reminded me.
"Tristan," I gladly repeated.
He released me and threw aside the covers to swing his legs over the side of the bed. "Now if you would, my goddess, there is good food to be eaten and guests to entertain. I would have you wear your finest for a grand show."
My laird assisted me in dressing and in a few minutes we stepped out into the hall hand-in-hand. Our faces radiated with our happiness as we walked down the long passage to the stairs. Unfortunately, the happy air around us was doomed to disappear. We met Alan, captain of the guards, at the top of the stairs. He stood stiff and pursed his lips. My laird stopped us and raised an eyebrow.
"What is the matter?" he asked his servant.
"My laird, I bring bad news that I wish to relay in private," Alan whispered to us.
Tristan pursed his lips and indicated a doorway close at hand on our right. He led us inside, and Leod firmly closed the door and turned to us.
"The former Bean Lyel has been seen at the edge of the village along the moors," he informed us.
A dark shadow fell over Tristan's bright eyes and they hardened. His hand that grasped mine tightened. "When?" he asked his captain.
"Last evening," Alan answered.
"Have the men been called out?" Tristan questioned him.
Alan gave a nod. "They have, my laird, but they have found nothing."
"Are they aware of their duty should they find her?" Tristan asked him.
Alan bowed his head. "Aye, my laird. They are to take her life."
&
nbsp; My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my gasp, and I looked to the tense face of my laird. "Kill her?" I asked him.
"She is more dangerous than you can imagine," he warned me. He turned his attention back to Alan. "Double the guards around the castle, but do not tell anyone other than the soldiers for the reason. Tell Chamberlain that I wish to see him about a matter of urgency, and for him to meet me in the throne room after breakfast."
"As you will, my laird," Alan agreed.
Alan hurried from the room and Tristan released me to pace the bed chamber. His brow was furrowed in deep thought and his lips pursed to tightly they were white. My nerves couldn't take the suspense, and I captured one of his arms and gave a tug.
"Tristan, what is the matter?" I demanded to know. "Why is she so dangerous that she must be killed?"
He didn't turn to me as he spoke. "Because she is a danger to you."
"You spoke those words before, but how is she a danger? You have banished her from the castle," I reminded him.
Tristan turned to me and clasped my hands in his. His eyes looked into mine and I noticed his hands quivered. "Your innocence is admirable, but in cases of evil it can be a hindrance. Her efforts to harm you before her exile would be enough to concern me, but her reappearance is more distressing. She would not risk returning unless the aims were worth the reward."
"You mean she wishes to harm me again?" I guessed.
He nodded. "Aye, and I have no doubt her final intention would be to murder you."
I felt the color drain from my face. "She despises me so greatly?"
"She was loyal to my father if only because he provided her with a home and a great many riches," he reminded me. "And she knows it was you who released me to avenge myself against my father for the murder of my mother. She will seek like retribution."
I shuddered and looked away from his firm, worried gaze. "And nothing but her death will bring safety to me?"
"Nothing," he assured me.
I scrunched my eyes shut and steadied my nerves before I looked back to him with a firm gaze. "I will face her if I must," I swore.
