“What else am I to do? Why are you obligated to watch over your mum and father?”
She eyed him in wonder and resentment. “What if…I honored you before them? If I left to go be with you, and follow you into battle. Letting them fend for themselves. Would it mean anything to you?”
Seumas stared in flinching pain. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“Because I must know this. Would you give up your quest for me? If I was willing to give up my family for you?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Why?” she said, finding his eyes and sitting up, eager to resolve the issue.
“Because. This is all I know.” terrible
“All you’ve told me all this time is how dreadful life has treated you. How terrible the life of a highlander is. What if I could make it go away? Not by magic, but by love?
He almost answered on reflex but instead, peered into her eyes, wondering what indeed was his destiny. “And speaking in theory…where would we go?”
“Away from here. Away from these warriors, from my father. Away from everybody.”
He smiled, a bit uncomfortable as if he was too hard-hearted to dream anymore.
“I would feel obligated to help your family, at least for now. Obligated to ward off the other highlander, at least one of them. The one you ought to fear.”
“Only if you let me help. Because, if you really want to marry me, Seumas, we go into battle together.”
He kissed her in approval. Sure, he liked the way dreams sounded. He enjoyed fantasy landscapes of Elysian fields and paradise calling to him. But what was any of this in reality?
**
III
The mood was somber as Seumas and Torra made their way home, neither of them too eager to face the patriarch. Seumas entered the home first, immediately provoking Kincaid who had been resting and drinking.
“You have some guts, man,” Kincaid said, spitting and roaring in disfavor. Showing your face in my house. Did I not make my self clear?”
“Yes, you did,” Seumas said, staring calmly.
“Then get out.”
“Father…” she said softly. “Seumas wants to marry me.”
He fumed at the thought. His nostrils flared and his face turned red as blood. “I didn’t hear you. And if you say it again for my benefit, I will slap you girl, in front of this fool you brought home.”
“Father! How dare you!”
“There’s no need to be upset, Torra,” Seumas said. “It is what we expected.”
“We?” Kincaid roared back. “Why we? What did you do to her, you sorcerer?”
“I did nothing but what she asked. What she wanted.”
“My stupid daughter doesn’t know what she wants. How dare you force herself upon her.”
“I did no such thing…”
“Yes, you did! Girls cannot make up their own minds when they’re this young. You manipulated her.”
“She is a grown woman. As I am a grown man.”
“No. You’re not.” He rammed his big belly into Seumas’ ribs and glared. “I am a man. You are not a man. You’re not even a human being. Not really. You are an evil messenger, the wrath of the Devil. You come here and dare to tell me about my daughter? Get out of here. Or so help me I will kill you.”
“Father, please!” Torra said, breaking down and crying. “We don’t ask anything from you except your permission.”
“DENIED! And you are forbidden from leaving this place. If you even think about it, I will kill this imposter. This rapist. And then I will slap all the love right out of your face.”
“How dare you!” Torra screamed, alarming her mother who came out from the bedroom to see the commotion.
“What? What is going on?”
“We’re leaving,” Torra said, speaking through her tears.
“Daughter, don’t go,” Muira said. “I know your father’s a scary man. A fool sometimes. Or oftentimes! But…this man…he isn’t like you or me.”
“She’s right. And he’s right,” Seumas said, as he looked into the faces of each one there. His lover and Kincaid and Kincaid’s wife. “I am no ordinary man. I have never claimed to deserve anything except the kindness people give me. If you want me to go, I will go.”
“Leave! Get the fuck out of here!” the patriarch roared, shoving Seumas outside the cottage. “You aren’t wanted. Don’t you ever come back. I forbid this marriage. And so help me, I will kill you. I will behead you faster than I would fuck or shit. Now get the hell out and never come back.”
Seumas look dejected, but agreed. He was a powerful being, no doubt. But the angry words of Kincaid hit home, striking him in his heart where there were only painful memories left. Indeed, what sort of terrible obligation was he putting on this girl, to tear her away from her family?
He took leave, amid screaming family madness. He didn’t want any part of it, or more to the point, he didn’t want to be the cause of any more grief. He had done that, centuries ago, and had memories so dark and troublesome they felt like yesterday.
He didn’t get very far, even after his late night trek. She used all the skills her father ever taught her to sniff him down like a bloodhound. She escaped her home while her parents slept, never once questioning the madness of what she was doing.
It took her a good hour to track him down, to walk over the fields of Valtour and to catch him before he disappeared into the vast wilderness, where he would go to face certain death.
“You silly little girl,” he said, welcoming Torra into his arms. “Why? I left for your own good…you were supposed to stay put.”
“No,” she said crying, causing a small storm of her own. “Because you asked me to marry you. And I said yes.”
He shook his head.
“Don’t say I came running out here, risking certain death, just to have you send me away, Seumas.”
“You shouldn’t have come.”
“Don’t give me anymore about your old life. You said it yourself: life is merely living and enjoying every moment. Don’t ache about the past. Enjoy what you have now. Marry me now, for whatever time we have left.”
“What about your parents? I should go back and…”
“They don’t want ye, Seumas,” she said with a sigh. “They don’t want me. I sold them out, or at least that’s the story they want to remember.”
“But Crestoff…I have to stop him.”
“That’s your choice. But just so you know, my father doesn’t want your help. You owe them nothing.”
“And yet I owe you everything, my sweet bride.”
“I want you inside of me, my love. You are everything to me now. And I want to marry you. Today, or tonight, or tomorrow morning…whenever. Whatever church would have us.”
He said nothing and bit his tongue to keep from arguing with her. Of course it was all a dangerous idea, but how could he say no to her face? Her lovely face, her crying face, that looked upon him as a lover, a father, and a god? He was everything to her and she was now what he lived for.
They made love in the forest that night, this time Seumas created a bed of leaves and grass and a comfortable spot to enjoy a good hearty fuck. They stripped each other bare and walked naked in the forest, playing with each other’s every body part; her hands caressing and exploring his shaft to his balls, and up again to his prick hole; his hands penetrating her pussy and giving her full body spasms the likes of which she had never felt before.
This time she was ready. She wanted his cock inside of her and every damn inch of it. He began cautiously, parting her legs with just one touch. He entered her slowly at first, letting her body get used to his thick cockhead as it softly meandered around her clit. Then he pushed it into her lips and through the entrance, causing a whirlwind of sensation that flashed up to her buzzing head. She spread her legs farther apart and let him push more inches of cock into her waiting walls, each inch feeling like a brand new man.
He kept his breathing strong and hi
s motions controlled. But she was already shaking in excitement and nervous surrender, all the while spreading more of herself open so that he could put himself in. At first his cock pushing through hurt, just a little bit, but he kept the motions fluid and smooth, gentle as the touch of his loving hands.
The sensation was already intense but doubled in pleasure when she grinded against his cock and let their fluids mesh together. They both groaned and panted, singing songs and muttering war poetry as they fucked in green nature, completely uninhibited and fearless—at least for the moment.
Every moment was a lifetime to Seumas and Torra, as they grinded against each other’s bodies and shared everything from sweat, to spit, to spunk, and the blood that flowed through their veins and rippled through their touching skin. His motions became stronger, just as the very winds of the day seemed to pick up in speed, as if moving with him and helping plunge himself deeper.
She hollered in ecstasy as he pushed himself so deep within he discovered a new spot of weakness—a throbbing, pulsating spot that seemed to quiver and twist when he fucked her deep. She grinded and danced her way to orgasm, pulling her legs together behind him and squeezing even more of his power into her.
“Aaahh!” he screamed, letting out a guttural sound that seemed to call down energy from the heavens. When he pulled his cock out and slid it back in, it caressed every tiny morsel of her sensitive skin, sending shockwaves all over her convulsing body.
He could feel his imminent explosion billowing up from deep inside. How she longed to feel him lose control, to grab her body and pull, push and grab tightly, holding on for dear life as he shot his immortal power inside.
She came right as he started cumming, the two lovers digging themselves into the ground with their mad passion—and yes, a bit of ethereal magic, since Torra noticed that when he pulled back, ready for another lunge, they seemed to float off the ground.
When he pummeled her deep and she felt his cock spasming out of control and quickening for a spew, she screamed to the sky. And that’s when she noticed a thunderstorm above her, with lightning bolts descending from the heaven looking as electric and powerful as God’s own sword.
He finally came and pounded the ground beside her until he shoved his hands through solid dirt. His emission shook her whole body, causing a quake of effusive emotion and physical release. When he orgasmed, she didn’t just cum—she left her body for one very long and surreal moment. She looked up and saw nothing but clouds, nothing but moonlight.
She looked down and saw his cock squirming and pulling out of her, still dripping his sperm, which seemed to glow in the night. They both collapsed on the ground and fell to the side of one another, exhaling for life and singing each other’s beautiful names.
Whether or not the god amongst men went back to destroy Crestoff or simply left the vicinity forever, opting not to risk losing the love of his new life, and holding his new bride in his arms, no one from the village knows for sure. All they know in their heart is that he never left her side, not for a moment of time.
THE END
Taken by the Forbidden Highlander
Daytime was always brisk in the highlands of Scotland. Especially near the mountains, where every first whiff of a frosty morning hit you like a snowball in the face. This morning in particular was biting, the coldest of the year so far and it seemed as if the air itself was full of savagery.
The mountains were snowy and the air was cold. Angus Artair surveyed the land, tired from a long walk and ready to spend the night in a nice spot. Probably not a man’s house, given his stranger status around these parts, but maybe under a tree or near an open cave. He was a large man, muscular and long-haired with fiery shades of red. He looked like he was in his thirties, though heaven knows the man never looked his age. His ruddy complexion was complemented by his bulky clothing. Animal fur, with a thick leather belt and an armored bracelet on his forearm. All he carried with him was a sword. It was all he needed because life as he knew it wasn’t conducive to settling down.
Just as he went to explore a nearby valley, he was alarmed at the presence of another person approaching in the distance. A child, he thought at first, until he realized the taller stature. It was a woman. She had curly hair and a clean face, walking affectedly, carrying a heavy bag up the hill.
She noticed him staring and dropped the bag, doing a double take and wondering what his next move might be. She was dressed in rags, wearing only a purple scarf on her neck to guard her from the cold.
Artair didn’t react. To show fear and run away would no doubt provoke the nearby village. To run at her or shout pleasantries could be misconstrued as any number of offenses. At this point, staring was really the only option.
He nodded her way as she slowly walked forward to speak.
“Don’t come any closer,” she warned, sporting an unfriendly look on her face.
“Hadn’t any plans of it, woman. Just stopping for a breather. I take it your village isn’t offering any hospitalities. So I suppose I’ll just look for a cave.”
“I think it best you keep on going and hope we don’t decide to kill you where you stand.”
Artair scoffed and shook his head. “Aye. I’m shaking in me boots.”
“I’m a married woman, stranger. Don’t be fancying me or getting any ideas.”
“First of all, no. I don’t reckon you’re my type at all. But number two, if I were an evil man I’d have already raided your village and taken all the lovely women I wanted. That’s how it works up here in these parts. That’s probably why you’re so afraid. And you have every right to be. Next time though, send a man out to intimidate a warrior. You’re embarrassing ye-selves. Eh?”
“Blether on straight to Hell!” the woman screeched, waving her arms and causing a fuss. Artair laughed and took his time walking away. She barked like a dog and scared him about as much as any mutt. He actually pitied a village that would be so careless as to send a woman so dangerously close to the top of the mountain where any unwholesome fellow might decide to walk.
But just as Artair decided he ought to cross the river and head into new territory, he felt a strange sensation buzzing in his head. A sense of madness and mania, a war cry in his heart. The taunting of an invisible man and thumping sensation in his head. It was the only fit way to describe it when someone else was near.
Someone else was in the vicinity and indeed the Game had just begun. Another one like him, a highlander, in his prime. And once he met that man all hell would break loose, as was the rule. But no, he didn’t sense anything coming from the wee little village below. The woman was probably the most courageous of any of them. Maybe the other immortal was waiting eastward in the great wilderness.
Probably the case. But for now, Artair had traveled enough. It was time to sleep and eat and maybe pick up the great walk later that night. Poor Bristol, his late horse. The adventure sure was a lot more fun when his mare accompanied him. He died like a warrior stallion all right, helping his master kill twenty stupid pirates that tempted fate, thinking they could overpower one of him.
No contest at all. The only regret Artair had, he thought as he gripped his sword and flared his nostrils, was that he couldn’t kill those cowardly bastards all over again.
Poor Nessia though, she was scandalized for the rest of the day after her chance encounter with a wandering brute. She reported the news back to the village but by the time they sent their spies out, he had disappeared in the forest.
His statements were alarming. That if he were another type of man he would just go and raid the village and take whatever women he wanted. A strange thing to say, and a discomfiting thought entirely. Yes, of course there were men that way but surely not in the peaceful province of Estandia?
William her husband was half-asleep inside their small cottage. It was a modest place, surely falling apart every which way, but a quaint abode nonetheless. The thought of losing it cast a shadow on the rest of the night.
“Do you t
hink we should be worried, love?”
“Eh?” William replied, drunk as always and half asleep. “Are you still talking about that drifter?”
“The way he said it. It seemed like an omen of sorts.”
“Shut your geggie, woman. If you drag that bastard into one more conversation tonight me head’s going to explode. Did you fuck him?”
“No, don’t be foolish.”
“Did you think about fucking him?”
“I…of course not! Why are you putting all sorts of ideas in me head?”
“Because I know the way females think,” he said, stumbling up out of bed and walking around looking for another drink.
“All you ever want to do is fuck another man. No matter how hard I work for ye. Try hard to give ye a baby. None of it be good enough, right? You’d rather ride the cock of a stranger.”
“You’re talking madness!”
“I fucking hate you, Nessie. You slut. You foul-smelling bitch.”
“William, stop!”
“Are you telling me what to do? Am I your slave then?”
“No…” she said shyly, staring into his vacant eyes, fearing for her life. Again. If it wasn’t the threat of marauders it was William again. Always drinking. Always screaming about the sex he didn’t even want. She had to accept that one way or another, she was going to die. Probably in screaming pain at the hands of some barbarian. Either one who “loved” her or another man who just admitted he wanted a shag. The old romantic life her father dreamt for her years ago was surely a waste.
Marriage ruined her. Poverty ruined everybody.
“William, you’re hurting me,” she cried softly, as William grabbed her by the forearm.
“You can’t fool me, witch. I know the way you are.”
“I know that you’re drunk.”
“Riiight,” he said with an out of place laugh. “My drunkenness is the problem. The fact that I’m drunk invalidates everything I say. I’m drunk…I’m the problem!”
Sent Away To The Highlander (Scottish Highlander Romance) Page 58
