She looked back at the darkened forest, then out towards the marshes, contemplating where to go now. After a few moments she shrugged. She didn’t have the desire to walk in total darkness again, so there was no other choice but to try her luck with the bog. It had its own strange beauty. The silver light of the stars was reflected in the black, calm surface of the water, and Igraine assumed that there wasn't anything to fear from such a peaceful place. If she chose her steps carefully she would stay on dry land and make it to the forest, where she could look for a safe place to hide. Besides, the moor would be easier crossed by foot than on the back of a horse. Elathan and his centaurs wouldn’t be able to follow her as quickly as they usually might, she mused.
So it was the moor, then. Igraine went to the nearest patch of green and began to search her way to the other side. When she made the first step, she heard a rustle in the leaves behind her, followed by a soft, high giggle. But as she turned her head, there was nothing, only the dark, silent trees. So she shrugged again and went on, feeling sure that it had only been a figment of her imagination.
* * * * *
Elathan rode through the forest that had once been his home, long before his people were forced to build strongholds and fight back the hordes of barbarian humans advancing into the elves’ beloved woods. The mortals had always been like that, breaking truces every time one of their kings died and was succeeded by the next. Wherever they went, they left behind a trail of death and destruction.
Despite the excitement of the hunt, he felt strangely at peace, knowing that he would catch his lovely slave of pleasure and make her his own before the night was over. The centaurs searched the outskirts for his precious prey, while he proceeded into the depths of the forest, using his elven senses to find her.
He was sure that Igraine would make it to the other side and wait for him to claim her there. Her daily training had made her strong enough to be his mate. She was proud and courageous, and always held her head high, no matter how frightened she was. Sadly, however, she was human; but she had the heart of a lioness, his little wench. No other mortal female would have had the courage to face him so fearlessly, whilst being aware of his superior strength. He could have killed her at anytime, with ease.
Suddenly, an unknown fear overcame him, and he threw back his head, listening to the voices of the night. The trees were far too silent. They weren't shaking their leaves and whispering as they usually did when the beautiful full moon shed her light on their crowns. The falcons didn’t cry out their joy of the hunt, calling him their brother while he went after his own prey, his heart filled with wild satisfaction.
Igraine. She was in grave danger. He suddenly knew it, deep in his heart. In his mind, he could hear her calling out to him. Quickly, he tried to read her thoughts, hoping to learn anything that could tell him where she was. However, she was so far away that he only received blurred images. For a very short moment, he saw what she saw – trees, a tiny dancing light, and a black pool of water reflecting the stars…
The moor. Now he knew where he would find her. He only hoped that he was not too late.
* * * * *
Igraine clung to the thickest bough of a thorny shrub that grew at the edge of the muddy pool she lay in, sinking deeper with every move she made. The fact that she had made it nearly to the other side of the marshland had made her careless; moving forward too fast while not paying enough attention to the treacherous path under her feet.
She had been sure that she would step on dry ground, but instead she stumbled over a tree root and fell into the black waters. The only reason she still lived was her fast reaction. Fortunately, she had managed to grab an overhanging branch and hold onto it before she sank down into the depths of the bog. She wondered about crying for help, but she knew that to do so would cost her the precious strength she needed to free herself. She tried to swing to the side, to propel herself out of the deadly hole, but to no effect. Her legs had already been swallowed by the slimy mud that constantly pulled her down.
Suddenly, something moved in the dirty water below. It felt like a giant snake that was gliding along her legs, then disappearing again. Igraine tugged on the shrub with all her might, struggling to get out. At this moment the creature wrapped itself around her ankles, pulling her down.
Igraine cried out and tried to free her legs by kicking against the unknown animal, but it didn’t let her go. The water’s surface began to move, then to bubble, and several black tentacles rose from the surface. One of them grabbed her around her waist; another imprisoned her wrist, intending to tear her away from the branch.
It was over. It made no sense to fight any longer. Nonetheless, she'd try to make this bog monster’s life miserable, hurt it, kick his ugly ass as long as she could. She closed her eyes, not struggling anymore, but holding onto the branch with all her strength. The tentacles pulled harder; drawing her down…
She winced when a furious cry pierced the air. There was a swooshing sound near her head which was repeated several times. She was relieved to feel the creature’s arms around her body become weak, loosening their grip before they fell off her completely. When she cautiously opened one eye, she saw one of the centaurs standing over her. It was Aegis, the first of the group who had stepped into the clearing. His otherworldly beauty was only intensified by the physical exertion of the fight. Triumph in his eyes, he threw back his head and shook his long black mane, sweat glistening on his muscular torso.
He hacked his sword into the water a few more times. The monster’s blood emerged from the bog, gurgling like a red fountain while the creature sank deeper, its tentacles whipping wildly through the air. Finally it disappeared, and the pool was calm again, reflecting the sky like a shining black mirror.
The centaur stretched out his arm and wrapped it around Igraine’s waist, pulling her up to him until her feet reached solid ground again. Igraine wanted to thank him, but as she looked into his eyes, she saw wild, reckless desire burning in them. Aegis didn’t even bother to speak, but grabbed her and simply threw her over his back. He seemed to cross the marshes effortlessly, finding his way as if he had been there many times before. She managed to throw one leg over his side and pull herself up, so she could sit on his back and ride him.
When they had reached the other side of the bog and entered the wood, Aegis broke into a wild gallop and rode with breathtaking speed, forcing Igraine to throw her arms around him in order to cling to him for dear life. The centaur groaned with desire when he felt her touch on his naked skin. He rode even faster, deeper into the forest, while the strong muscles of his horse back flexed and tensed under Igraine’s thighs.
She couldn’t tell how much time had passed when he eventually stopped, but the night didn’t seem to be so dark anymore. Aegis had stopped in a small clearing where the trees stood so close together that it looked like a green chamber, the ground thickly covered with heaps of golden and purple leaves. From between them, delicate white flowers peeked out everywhere. When Igraine looked up she didn’t see the heavens, only the crowns of the trees, so densely grown that they formed a ceiling. It was the loveliest place she had ever seen.
The centaur bowed his horse legs and knelt down, allowing her to slip off his back. She stood up and watched him carefully. “Aegis,” she said softly. “I want to thank you for saving my life. Without you, I would be lying at the bottom of that horrendous bog now. Elathan will …”
“Elathan? What will he do, woman?” Aegis rose and began to circle her, pausing now and then to step in her way when she tried to move further away from him. His eyes wandered shamelessly over her curves, obviously approving what he saw. “Didn’t he take you yet? Oh, I know that you want it. I saw you looking at him.” He grinned at her knowingly, then the expression on his face became darker, and she sensed how strong his desire for her was.
“But pray tell me, what can a pointed-eared elf do to your body that I can’t do better?” He reached down and closed his fingers around her throat, war
ning her not to meddle with him. Then she felt his hand as it slid into her soft shirt and caressed her breast.
Igraine reacted without thinking. She reached over her shoulder and unsheathed the elven sword Elathan had given her. The centaur was surprised to find the sharp blade pressed to his neck, drawing a small rivulet of blood that ran down over his suntanned chest. He looked down at himself, a disbelieving look on his face. Actually, her attack seemed to amuse him. Her resistance seemed to have increased his desire instead of driving him away.
“You are a fiery one, little human,” he said in a mocking tone. “Taking you will be my greatest pleasure. Elathan can have you afterwards, if he still cares. But then he will always smell my scent between your thighs.” A wide grin spread over the centaur’s handsome face. “He‘ll never forget that I had you first.”
With one swift movement he pulled his own sword from his back and attacked her so fiercely that she dropped her weapon. Igraine jumped after it and landed on the forest floor, the impact knocking the air out of her lungs. Quickly she rolled over on her side and managed to grab the sword. From the corner of her eye she saw him raise his weapon, furious now, and clearly determined to go for the kill. Without thinking, she swung around her sword and sliced the centaur’s side. A fountain of blood emerged which soon painted the leaves on the floor dark red.
She never saw it coming. Aegis raised on his back legs and kicked her head so hard that she was knocked down to the ground. Her eyesight was blurring quickly, and she couldn’t move a limb as she watched him lift his sword for the deadly blow.
At the same moment a high-pitched, metallic sound pierced the night, and Aegis’ right arm was flying through the air, severed from his body. Sword in one hand, spear in the other, Elathan had catapulted himself off his horse’s saddle and leaped towards the centaur, attacking him in midair. Aegis collapsed to his knees, his left hand pressed against the bleeding stump Elathan’s sword had left.
Elathan towered over him, his eyes burning red with rage. “What have you done to her?” he hissed, his voice dangerously low.
“Only what she begged me to do,” the centaur spat out, showing an astounding courage while facing his certain death. Elathan's fingers tightened around the hilt of the sword.
“Elathan, no!” Igraine threw herself between the two immortals. The elf was trembling with uncontrollable fury, his chest heaving with the effort to control his temper. She laid a hand on Elathan’s cheek and made him look into her eyes. “I am unharmed. Look at me.”
He only glanced at her for a short moment, but she knew that he had seen that she was telling the truth. Like an ancient warrior statue, the prince stood over his enemy, a spear raised in his hand. “Centaur, you have acted against my orders. I made you swear that you would protect the Lady Igraine. Instead, you wanted to take her against her will, and when she didn't comply, you even tried to kill her. This is high treason, and the only punishment is death.”
“Even if he saved my life before?” Igraine asked softly. She told Elathan what had happened on the moor.
Elathan surveyed the injured centaur, contemplatively. Then he suddenly stepped back, glowering down at Aegis with open disgust. “You will live, but only for the reason that Lady Igraine asked me to spare you. Go back to your brothers and let them tend to your wounds. If you survive, you will leave this forest and be banished from Fearann as long as you shall live. It will be interesting to watch how a creature like you will attempt to hide in the world of the humans. If they catch you and take you to one of their laboratories, you'll wish that I had killed you first.”
Aegis didn’t press his luck. He grabbed his severed arm and left the clearing, never looking back.
At this moment the sun rose up in the east, bathing the clearing in the soft light of early morning. Elathan turned to Igraine and searched her face for a moment. Then he raised his spear and pressed the sharp tip to her neck. It was a ritual as old as time, the triumphant hunter claiming his prey. The fight with Aegis had left a small wound on her arm. The prince reached out with his free hand and dipped his fingers into her blood. Slowly he smeared it across his cheeks and over his lips, tasted it with his tongue.
“The hunt is over, Igraine,” the prince said, his golden eyes burning with desire.
Chapter 10: Mine to take
Igraine smiled sweetly at the prince, casting a meaningful glance to the spear pressed to her throat.
“So, the hunt is over,” she said with provocative little smile. “What will you do next, my Prince? Kill me and serve me for dinner, perhaps?”
Elathan lifted one pale brow, accepting the challenge. “Dinner?” he repeated, mockingly. “My dear, at dinner time there won’t be anything left of you at all. I will devour you alive.”
The moment he lowered his spear Igraine dived to the ground, retrieved her sword and swung it in his direction with an elegant move. “Why don’t you come and get me, elf?” she asked, a wild joy glowing up in her eyes.
Elathan jumped, whirled around in the air with breathtaking speed and landed right on top of Igraine, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her down with him. The impact hit her hard; her sword clattered to her feet. He encircled her closely with his arms and shielded her while they rolled quickly over the forest floor, like one body.
Igraine was so surprised by his attack that she couldn’t even breathe, let alone move. The prince had protectively cradled her head against his neck, and she heard a deep, low sound emerging from his throat. She couldn’t work out what it was at first, but then she understood.
The prince was laughing. He laughed as happily as a child at play, enjoying himself immensely while he rolled around with her on the floor, covering them both with golden leaves. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. She couldn’t help bursting out laughing, too, helplessly giggling while she buried her face in his hair. After coming close to death twice in one night, it felt so good to be in his arms, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers.
When they came to a halt, Elathan lifted himself up on his elbows, but nailed her body to the ground with his weight. During the fall, his hair had come loose from the leather band, and it fell like a waterfall over his wide shoulders, covering her. They both stopped laughing when their eyes met.
Elathan looked at her face for a moment before he pulled her to him and kissed her senseless. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, answering him with all the longing and passion she felt for him. Willingly she opened her mouth for him so he could claim her with his tongue, licking and stroking lightly, biting her lips until they felt bruised and swollen.
His hands found their way under her tight top, sliding up her skin until his long fingers touched her breasts. Igraine moaned, rubbing her aching nipples against his palms while he caressed her, his soft chuckle telling her how delighted he was.
But the prince’s patience had worn thin after the night’s exertions. The act of hunting never ceased to arouse him, and he always lusted for a soft female body to take when he returned. Besides, he had already waited far too long. He desired her more than any other woman before. Her lush body tempted him, and her sweet scent was all around him, driving him mad. Enough was enough.
He grabbed her shirt with two hands and ripped it from her body. Only moments later, her trousers went the same way. Igraine struggled for air when she lay naked before him while his eyes wandered adoringly over her body. Elathan unlaced his armor with his long fingers, took it off and dropped it to the ground, followed by his shirt, boots and trousers. Finally, there was nothing left to separate them anymore.
Igraine glanced at her new elven clothes, only rags left now. “Oh no,” she sighed. Elathan was already ravishing her body, covering her neck with tiny love bites, moving his lips down over the curve of her shoulder, then down to her breasts. “Be quiet, woman, I’m a damn prince,” he murmured against her naked skin. “You’ll get new clothes every day if I desire to undress you like this.”
Igr
aine screamed softly when he kissed her breast, sucking her deep into his hot wet mouth, then slowly descending over her belly until he reached the juncture between her thighs. She was aching for him, already pulsating with need when she felt his tongue there again, parting her womanly folds. He groaned with pleasure when he tasted her desire. Slowly, slowly he licked his way to her tiny nub that burned and throbbed, waiting for his touch. He suckled at it, lightly tugged it between his lips, teasing her. Igraine grabbed a handful of his silken hair and pressed his head closer to her, silently begging him to increase the pressure. The elf answered with a deep chuckle before he began to circle her with his tongue, giving her pleasure beyond anything she had ever felt before. She threw back her head, breathlessly whispering his name.
When he felt that she was ready, he placed a soft kiss on the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Gliding up her body, he positioned himself on top of her, gently urging her to spread her legs. “Open for me, Igraine,” he commanded, his voice soft like velvet.
She stiffened when she felt his whole length, feeling frightened for the first time. Heavens, he was huge, larger than any human man she had ever known. The elf was fully aroused now, even thicker and longer than the times they had been together intimately before. He leisurely rubbed his shaft along her moist folds, lubricating himself. When finally she felt him pressing against her, demanding entrance, she panicked, fearing he would tear her apart. She wriggled her hips in a half-hearted attempt to escape.
Bound to the Prince Page 11