My chin jerked up as I fought the sleep that pulled at my eyelids and threatened to drag me to the soggy ground.
Then my instincts flashed awake as I caught the juicy odor of cooking meat. A deep rumble shook my belly as my stomach grumbled. It had been over a day since I had eaten and my legs came alive as I sprinted toward the source of the smell. It was rich and sharp, and my mouth watered as I imagined how it would taste to sink my teeth into the roasted flesh.
I stopped in my tracks as my eyes focused on a flickering yellow light. Through the screen of thick trunks and dense brush, I saw the glow of a small fire, illuminating a wide rock overhang. Hanging on a makeshift spit, hunks of meat popped and sizzled over the flames.
I licked my lips and took a step.
Then, under the natural shelter, I spied the dark coat and rounded shape of a bear. I gulped. If Elder catches me here... I thought for a fleeting moment.
But as the beast rose, I saw burning red highlights in the dark fur. And as I watched, the broad silhouette dissipated and the muscled shape of a naked man stood in its place.
The light from the fire lit up his profile, shining over the ridge of his chest and the thick ruts over his ribs. Then a wide wrap of red and green cloth materialized around his waist, covering his thighs, followed by a large round shield and sword, slung over his back. A thick, pearl-white wolf's coat wrapped around his shoulders, like a mantle of victory.
He turned his head toward me, his bright red hair framing a smooth, strong jawline and deep green eyes that twinkled in the dim light.
"Aurea?" He asked in a husky voice.
I shivered and my voice croaked. "Da." Tears fell from my face but I hardly felt them over my numb skin.
"By the gods, what are you doing here?" He brushed through the foliage, sweeping back branches with his thick arms.
As he reached me, I could only stare up at him through the wet hair sticking to my face. My limbs gave up the fight and my knees sagged limply to the ground. But I kept my head up, my chin trembling as he seemed to float away with the trees and the bitter cold.
I was back in the village on a warm autumn day, a bloody gash on my adolescent knee, looking up into those same intense eyes. It was the first time I saw him, after the union with my mother. And although he looked intimidating with his battered shield and sharp sword, he smiled at me as his brows pinched together with concern. The compassion on his face and the heartfelt sympathy in his expression, poured on to me, warming my soul.
He had plucked me up off the ground and held me, with my head lolled over his shoulder as he carried me back to my hut. I hugged him tightly as I bounced to his gait, never wanting to leave his arms.
With a blink I woke, staring at the bright orange flames of the fire as I lay on my side. The heat radiated over my face and along my body, warming me like a blissful dream. Soft fur enveloped me, caressing my bare skin with insulating comfort.
I looked up and saw my gray dress hanging from a rough hanger of sticks. My boots sat next to the fire, the fabric becoming lighter in color as the damp evaporated from the soft leather.
My hand shot up to my naked chest and I gulped as a blush spread to my cheeks.
Then a gentle hand patted my covered side.
I turned my head and saw Father Bear sitting next to me with his legs crossed, the red and green cloth still wrapped around his waist, stretching across his lap. Other than that, he was bare-chested.
Out of curiosity, I lifted the animal hide blanket that surrounded me and saw the white fur of the cloak he'd worn earlier.
"Would you like something to eat?" He asked softly.
My stomach jumped. Nodding frantically, I sat up, careful to keep the wolf pelt closed over my nakedness. I reached one of my bare arms out, like a beggar on the road, and he handed me a leg of roast. I ripped into the sweet, hearty meat like an animal. The tender strips tore away from the bone in easy bites and I wolfed it down as pleasure filled my belly.
With a quirky smile, he chuckled as he watched me. Then he shook his head. "What happened to you, Goldenlocks?"
"Mef muffer," I mumbled, as hot juice ran down my chin.
"Take your time, Aurea." He laughed, waving a hand. "Chew first then you can tell me." As I gnawed the last of the scraps off the bone, he reached to his side and plucked a water bladder from under a tree stump. Then he took a long swallow before offering it to me.
I set the clean bone aside and gulped down the heavenly liquid. It tasted like happiness, as I realized he'd sweetened it with honey wine. And my body screamed for more. With rain saturating the land, I was unaware of my own dehydration.
"Easy," he cautioned. "You don't want to drink too much all at once." Then he eased the bladder out of my hands and pulled the ties on the opening shut. "You can have a little more, later."
I wiped my mouth and leaned back against a tree, pulling the wolf's cloak tight around my neck. My eyes felt heavy again as I stared at the smoldering logs in the fire. I reached a hand out from the warm blanket and lifted the antlered helm and gold rope, to distract my mind from sleep.
"Da, my mother disappeared and the wolfmen burned the village." The panic was gone from my voice and I let the words come out in monotone, as if I were reciting a passage from sacred text.
His lip dropped open slightly and his brow knit, up with shock, then down in anger.
Then he glanced out into the night and started to rise. "I must tell my brothers."
"They won't help," I said with anguish. "Or they can't." I lifted the helm and cord to show him the proof.
He stared at me for a moment, half up from his knees. Then he sat heavily back on the ground; his teeth clenched as he balled his fists.
For all his masculinity, he looked young to me at that moment. With his clean-shaven chin and gleaming green eyes, he could have been my age—if he wasn't an ageless demigod.
"Maybe you can convince them?" I suggested.
But he shook his head, his frustrated eyes focused on the fist over his knee. "If they have made up their minds, then nothing I say will convince them otherwise."
"Can you bring the spring?" I asked as I tied the strings of his cloak. The hide fell perfectly over my chest, covering my naked breasts. "To drive back the wolfmen?"
He took a deep breath. "Not alone. My brothers are older and wiser than I. They know the forest; growth, and life. Even spirits."
His eyes sparkled as he turned back to me. "I only know death. I'm sorry, Aurea."
After the rejections I'd already received, his response was what I had expected. And I looked away from him in restrained frustration, hiding the wetness on my eyes.
Holding back my tears, I occupied myself by tying the gold cord around my waist, securing the fur so that it wrapped my hips. Then I tied the helm around my neck so the antlers hung over my back again. It seemed natural there, as if Elder might guide me when he wasn't around.
I looked down at my idle hands, as I'd run out of distractions.
There's nothing I can do.
But my eyes were dry. It wouldn't be so bad living in the forest, so long as Elder didn't find out. Maybe I can just stay with Da.
I liked how the fur fit over my body. And if I tilted the helm up onto my head, I could almost pass for a guardian, too.
Father shot me a confused look as I giggled at my own fantasy. Obviously, I had lost my wits.
A howl split through the night, piercing my ears. The sharp stake of shuddering dread drove up my back and into my heart.
Father Bear leapt to his feet and lifted his sword. The blade was large in his hand, a flat rod of metal, sharpened on both edges and at the tip. And he wielded it with ease.
"They wouldn't dare," he growled and swung the weapon through the air as a warning.
Out of the shadows I saw the dim shapes of the wolfmen, prowling around the circle of light. Chilling red orbs danced between the trees as the fire reflected in their eyes. I heard them licking their lips and growling as they paced
in and out of my sight, like ghosts in the dark.
"Aurea, take my shield," Father commanded in a whisper. He watched the tree line with an intent stare, his knees bent, and the sword ready in front of him. "Quickly. There are too many of them."
I dashed for the round metal and slipped my arms through the straps. Then his strong arm wrapped around my waist, lifting me and, ignoring the sharp tines on the helm, he pressed my back to his chest.
The wolfmen dashed into the circle of light like a flood of gray fur, spilling and blocking our only escape. Their lips curled in savage rage and their clawed hands ripped at the soft ground.
"I've got you," he whispered into my ear. "Just hold the shield up in front of your face."
Then he charged. I gritted my teeth and I closed my eyes as my legs dangled over his hip.
He slammed into the beasts with such force, it felt like needles jabbing into the bone of my arms. The sword slashed and stabbed, blurring as blood spattered over the rounded metal covering my face.
I only saw bits and fragments of the fight; A wolf leg bracing, claws digging ruts in the soil, scarlet pools mixing with mud puddles, swirling in the firelight. And their high-pitched screams rang in my ears as my vision flashed with the agonizing pulse of a violent storm.
Then we were free, and the ground raced by underneath me. I lowered the shield, just for a second, and the air buffeted my face. I was blind in the dark but I felt and heard foliage whipping us, cracking and snapping as we crashed through the woods at an unnatural speed.
He leapt over a ridge and we fell through the blackness. My frantic heart lodged in my throat and I was dizzy with vertigo as we dropped. And just as a scream boiled into my chest, he slammed down on a rocky creek bed.
"Climb on my back," he panted and took the shield as he set me down on shaky legs. I kept my arm on his shoulder, afraid to lose him in the night. While he knelt down I shot a hand over my back. The helm is still there. I thought with relief.
High keening echoed from above and I squeaked.
"Now, Aurea!" He snarled, his voice deep and gravelly.
Then, as I slung my leg over his back, fur sprang from his skin and his body rose up, growing larger, thicker.
"Garr-awn." It was more of a growl than intelligible words but I understood his command.
My fingers dug into the dense coat at his neck and he sprang to life, charging into the brush on the other side of the creek. Quick barks and whines faded behind us.
I bounced precariously on his back but I held on. He was godly fast on human feet. But as a bear, he shot like a spear through the dark. My grip strained my hands, and my thighs crushed against him as he dodged one way, then cut back the other. Part of me was thankful for my lack of sight. His powerful momentum was enough to take my breath away.
As the night wore on and the distant howls were soon forgotten, he gradually slowed his pace to a gentle gait. I relaxed with his rhythmic bobbing, and embraced the warmth between our bodies.
The dark shapes of the trees drifted like phantoms as my vision wavered. My eyelids drooped and my head tilted as I trailed my fingers through his thick fur.
I must have fallen asleep for when I opened my eyes, I lay on my side, staring at the delicate flames of a small fire, on the sandy floor of the dim cave. The repeating sound of a subtle crash gently reverberated through the walls and I realized with a start that it was the ocean.
The stag helm sat against one of the walls, carefully wrapped with the gold cord.
Bracing on my arm, I glanced around at the high stone ceiling. A sudden shiver passed through my muscles. The fire gave minimal warmth and the chill seeped through the wolf pelt.
Then my eyes settled on the entrance to the cave. Father Bear stood naked, dimly reflected in the firelight, watching out over the night.
As I gazed at him, examining his smooth muscled back and the tight, round curve of his ass, I pondered my future. This is my life now, I thought with bittersweet comfort. Just the two of us. Running from the wolfmen until we can find a safer place to reside.
I quite liked the idea of being his mate. I'd indulged the desire often enough in my own private moments, I just never thought I might act on it. But we were out of danger. And in the safe comfort of the cave, a gentle heat awoke in my loins. A sense of purpose. Need.
For him even more than the others.
"Da?" I asked in a quiet voice.
He jerked his head around, concern flooding his face. "Did I wake you?"
"No," I said gently. "But I'm cold."
With one quick glance outside, he turned and approached, kneeling down next to me.
"Do you want me to warm you?" He asked with innocent honesty.
Out of respect, I reluctantly ignored the obvious flesh dangling between his legs, and locked onto his emerald eyes. "Yes," I whispered. Warm me as your new wife. I pleaded internally.
He stroked the edge of the wolf hide where it met my skin, then slid his hand beneath the pelt as he lowered himself behind me. Pulling me close, his hand flexed on my chest and I sighed. As his body curled against mine, the soft fur crushed between us.
His body was warm, though not intense like a sunbeam, as Papa Bear's had been. And as Father Bear shifted closer, he crooked his knees behind mine and I felt the firm swell of his manhood against my backside.
"Is that better?"
His voice was sincere, but there was a hint of strain underneath, as if his body were betraying his thoughts.
"Yes," I murmured.
A smile twitched on my lips as I pushed back, swiveling my hips to rub against him.
He tensed and a gasp escaped his throat. His fingers jerked and tightened, tentatively stroking the bare skin on my chest. I touched his hand, reassuring him. Then as need hummed through my body and blood flushed my face, I gripped his palm and moved it down below my navel.
"Aurea..."
"Da," I murmured. "So much has changed, but not this. I have always wanted you."
In response, he sighed and nuzzled my neck as he spread his fingers on my flat belly. He caressed down my thighs with slow, teasing motion as my body trembled with eagerness. And when I thought I might shatter with anticipation, he finally moved his hand to my crotch.
He rubbed back and forth over my mound as he grazed his teeth on my earlobe. I squirmed with pleasure, trapped between the nimbleness of his fingers and the rough motion of his hips behind a thin layer of wolf fur.
Then his hand moved, stroking my backside before lifting the pelt. My breath escaped in a hiss as he traced the curve of my sore rear. As he angled his hard shaft between my wet thighs, I melted into the heat of his body.
His fingers guided the head of his cock to my slick virgin entrance, rubbing slow circles as he applied pressure. The sensation was new and immense, and though he was gentle, the motion was decisive with an overtone of urgency.
I shut my eyes and held my breath as he kissed my neck. He rocked harder, pushing, forcing my body to yield. And as he breached my tight opening, an involuntary cry caught in my throat.
The feeling was both raw and sweet, a connection like nothing I'd felt before. Father Bear held me, curled against him, as his hot breath blew across the side of my face. His cock impaled me, his length stretching deep inside my shuddering body.
His motion started slow, but with a growl under his breath, he picked up speed. He tightened his arm around my waist, and I whimpered as I intertwined my fingers with his.
He bucked against my hips, piercing me hungrily as if to devour my virginity. And as sweat beaded on my brow, the coarse sensation gave way to overflowing desire.
Though my coming of age had arrived with the summer past, I wasn't truly a woman until now. And the last remnants of nervous anxiety spilled away with the blood on my thighs.
I braced myself and thrust back against Father Bear's hard rod, willing him to take me, use me as he pleased. His scent mingled with mine, heavy and musky, as our moans filled the cave.
H
is cock throbbed and his fingers dug into my skin. He made a huffing sound deep in his throat which rose to a strained groan. His hips banged my backside as his cock lurched, and his seed pumped deep within me. As he shuddered against my body, his tension eased, and his breath blew across my skin in a deep sigh.
He rested his arm over me, his touch radiating heat. And I smiled, leaning into his embrace.
But a stray thought tickled my mind. What if he changes and leaves me, like the others?
I worriedly stroked his lax hand, but to my relief, I felt only smooth warm skin—not fur. Then he pulled me closer and cradled me as I sighed in his arms.
***
Chapter 4 - The Woman in the Mist
SHADOWY gray swirls curved and mixed together before slowly dissipating, pulling back to unveil a water-filled bog. An eerie glow shone down over me, as if the full moon were out. But only blackness loomed above, thick and heavy, pressing down on the fog like a compress. Sporadic clumps of tendril-like blades of grass glistened over the murky water, reminding me of insect legs, as the tips softly touched the glassy surface.
A hooded figure stood on a small, solitary boat; a long wooden oar trailing in the water from one sleeve-covered hand.
As I watched, the stranger's head lifted, and the dim light illuminated a delicate nose, full, pale lips and a smooth chin.
"You have done a grave thing, child." The voice skirted along the watery surface and echoed quietly through the fog. It was calm, simply stating a fact.
"Mother?" I asked as my heart pounded through my ears.
"There is no turning back," she continued. "You must bind the other two, or chaos will damage the seasons beyond repair."
"But how?" I wanted to run to her, hold her again, let her take charge and fix things. But I was frozen in the dreamscape. "I don't even know how to find them again."
"The smell of virgin's blood will draw them to you. But be warned. You must never return to the village. The rest of your days will be spent with the guardians."
I gasped. "Why?"
Goldenlocks and Her Forbidden Desire Page 3
