by DHP Authors
The tallest one—the one who was apparently their leader—stepped forward and laughed. “She lies, but she is feisty, Reghan. I like that.”
“Berta, go back inside,” Reghan growled.
“I will not,” she said. “I’ll fight with you until they kill me.”
A faint light broke onto the porch. A flashlight! Someone was coming. Berta desperately hoped it was a friend, and not another foe.
Sloan suddenly raised his hand. “Stop!” He turned to his men. “We won’t attack the prince…not this way.” He faced Reghan again. “We’ll fight another day.”
Roux came running into the yard with five armed men racing behind him. The men carried swords, axes, and weapons Berta had never seen before. They looked enough like Reghan to be his brothers.
“Everything is all right here,” said Reghan. “Sloan and his crew are leaving.”
“Indeed.” Sloan inclined his head to Reghan. “Congratulations.”
The leprechauns formed a line in front of the porch until the clurichauns had gone. Then they, too, came onto the porch and began hugging and congratulating Reghan.
“Thank you,” said Reghan. “Berta, these are my brothers.” He turned to fully look at her for the first time since Sloan had arrived. He gasped and sank to his knees.
One of his brothers laughed and slapped him on the back.
“I didn’t know,” said Reghan.
Berta fell to her knees in front of him. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. “You’re carrying my child…our child, mo shearc.”
“How do you know?” Berta asked.
They were suddenly bathed in a soft glow of light. It was the light she’d thought was a flashlight before. And it was coming from her.
She and Reghan laughed and hugged.
“It’s why Sloan left,” Reghan said. “He wouldn’t take me from my child and his mother.”
“Or her mother,” Berta said.
He merely smiled. “I respect him for that.”
“So do we,” said one of Reghan’s brothers. “Let’s go inside, have a drink—except for you, Mother—and have a wee bit of fun.”
“And we thought this night was going to be unpleasant,” said another brother.
Reghan stood and pulled Berta gently to her feet. “You’re stuck with me forever now.”
“I’m not sure even forever is long enough.”
SNOW AND RED
Rider Jacobs
Chapter One
Red crept silently through the trees, the deer in his sight. He stepped carefully among the leaves, his bow drawn, trying not to spook the animal. The deer continued to graze in the clearing before him. Red took a deep breath as he drew back the arrow.
“Help me!” The cry echoed through the silence.
Red cursed as his shot went wide. “Dang kids!”
“Please, anyone!” the cry came again.
Red turned in the direction of the voice. He had first thought it was just some kids playing, but now he wasn’t sure. He walked in the direction of the shout, staying in the shadows. It wouldn’t do any of them any good for him to get caught if it was something more serious than a couple of lovers playing around.
It wasn’t long until he came to the bank of the Shannon. He could see three men struggling to pull a net ashore. Whatever was in the net was putting up a good fight. He crept a little closer, making sure he stayed behind the treeline. The boat was docked not far from the camp, and the fisherman must have been there for at least a couple of days, from the looks of the clutter.
The cry came again. “Help me!”
Red tried to get a better look at what was in the net. Would a kelpie be stupid enough to get caught? He knew very little about kelpies, so it was entirely possible. He tried to get a better look at what was in the net. It was hard from this distance, but he wasn’t going to risk getting caught, either.
“Would you look at that, boys?” One of the fishermen walked around the net. “We caught us a water fairy.”
“Are you sure, Collin?” one of his companions asked as they circled the net.
The man who was speaking poked at the net with his spear. Whoever or whatever was in the net shoved at the spear, trying to keep it from piercing his skin, but to little avail. Red could hear the howl of pain when the object pieced the tender skin.
“It must be a dumb one to get caught in a net.” The second man also poked at the man with his fishing spear.
The man screamed in a mixture of anger and pain as the spears tore into his flesh.
“You know, Brady, whorehouses pay big money for a fairy.” Collin started poking at the net again. “Look at that! He doesn’t even bleed red like a human.”
“That’s because he isn’t human. You know, sailors will pay even more. Water fairies are good luck, but chained properly, they also relieve sexual tension.”
They dropped the edges of the net, looping a rope around the fairy as they pulled the net free. He struggled to free himself, but they bound his arms to his side.
“No use struggling, fairy boy, and no need. We wouldn’t want to hurt you any more than we already have. It might reduce the fee we’re going get when we sell you.”
“Maybe we should relieve some of our own sexual tension.” Brady rubbed his crotch.
The man struggled against the ropes that bound him, his teeth gnashing at whomever came close.
“Let him tire himself out a little. That way there’s less chance of him escaping.”
From where he sat, Red could see the man they had bound. His hair was long, down to at least to his waist, and as white as the freshly fallen snow. Red couldn’t make out his features from this distance, but he could see his skin had the same alabaster color as his hair. There was no way that creature was a kelpie, even if he was fairly small. If he were, surely by now he would have transformed into a horse or some other creature and freed himself.
He watched the men stoke the fire, preparing their supper. Every once and a while they would glance toward the man who sat on the edge of the camp’s perimeter, his body hunched over. Red settled down in the brush. He wouldn’t be able to help the pale creature until nightfall, anyway.
****
“Shhh.” Red held his finger in front of his lips. “I’m here to set you free.”
The man nodded, glancing at the three sleeping by the fire.
Red began to cut the ropes that bound the man. He could see the pointed ears that protruded from his hair, the crystal blue of his eyes that held a mixture of weariness and pleading. This man wasn’t a kelpie, that was certain, but maybe a water fairy. Red worked as quickly as he dared not wanting to wake the sleeping men. Finally the ropes fell away.
“Come on.”
The man struggled to his feet. It was then that Red saw how hurt he was. There was no way they would escape with him limping like he was. Each step opened up the wound on his leg, causing it to bleed more.
“Hop on my back and let me carry you.”
“I can walk.”
Red sighed softly, looking back at the clearing. “I’m sure you can, little fairy, but I want to get us as far away as possible. You can’t do that with the wound on your leg.”
“My name is Snow.”
“I’m Red. Now hop on my back.”
“For your bright red hair?” Snow asked.
Red shrugged. “My mother said that my lips were as red as the rose.”
Snow climbed up on Red’s back. His arms went around Red’s neck, his legs around his waist. Red adjusted the fairy’s weight, getting a firm hold of his legs. He began to jog, wanting to get away from the water’s edge and back into his own home as fast as possible.
Chapter Two
“Let me take a look at your cuts.” Red walked toward the man who sat in the chair. “I’ll bind them the best I can.”
“None of them are really bad.”
Red looked at the cuts acros
s the alabaster chest, where the spear had sliced him. He was right; those weren’t all that bad, nothing a little warm water wouldn’t fix. The one on his thigh, though, was another matter entirely.
“I’ve got a few herbs to make a paste with. Those will be fine for your chest. I’m not sure about your leg, though. I might have to stitch it.” Red bit his lower lip as he looked at the cut. He didn’t want to go that far, but the bleeding didn’t seem to be stopping.
Snow looked down at his leg and shook his head, his hair looking like a snowstorm the way it moved. “Let me see what herbs you have. I should be able to make a poultice to stop the bleeding and prevent infection. You can then bind it and it should heal just fine.”
Red walked over to his small pantry where he kept all his herbs. After grabbing the ones he used for healing, he carried them back to Snow.
“So you’re a water fairy?”
“No.” Snow shook his head. “I’m a winter fairy, and a half-one at that.”
“A half-fairy?”
Snow nodded, pushing his hair behind his pointed ears. “My mother is mortal, but my father is a Pooka from the winter court of the Unseelie.”
“What interesting parentage,” Red commented. “Can you change form also?”
Snow snorted. “If I had that power, I wouldn’t have been stuck in the net or held by ropes. I would have changed into something useful. I got my father’s looks, but very few of his abilities.”
“I guess that makes sense, though it kind of sucks.”
“Why do you live out here alone?” Snow looked around the small cabin. He could see the trees that surrounded the small clearing and knew they were not close to civilization.
Red shrugged. “I’ve never been much of a people person.”
“Neither have I.”
“So tell me, what were you doing alone and in the water? I thought fairies tended to stay in groups.”
“We also have wings and dance naked in the moonlight,” Snow finished for him. “I can tell you I don’t have wings, I have never danced naked, and fairies are just like you humans. Some of us like to be social butterflies and others prefer to be a little more solitary.”
“Are you hungry? I can fix us something to eat.”
Snow nodded. “I’m starving. Needless to say, they didn’t feed me while I was enjoying their company.”
Red moved around the area that he had set up his kitchen in. He picked up a loaf of bread, setting it on the table before Snow. He walked back to the cabinet and rummaged around until he found a jar of fresh-made jam.
“This is great.” Snow grabbed a slice of bread and began to slather it with jam. “I love anything with fruit in it. Did you make it yourself?”
Red nodded. “It’s a mixed berry jam. So tell me, how did you get captured in the net?”
Snow shrugged as he took a bite of the bread. “I was swimming in the Shannon. My father told me not to this time of year because too many humans would be out fishing. I guess I should have listened to him.”
“Why didn’t you?’
Snow looked at the bread in his hand. “My father thinks since I’m half-fairy that I’m not as capable of taking care of myself as my half-brothers are. I maybe the baby of the family, but I don’t need to be treated like one. Still, I guess when he finds out what happened, he will remind me once again I’m half a fairy and shouldn’t leave the realm without him or my brothers.”
“You got caught in a fish net. It could have happened to anyone, I’m sure.” Red tried to assure him.
“Not to a full-blooded Pooka.” Snow pointed out. “They would have shifted form and either drowned the fishermen or, at the very least, turned into a horse and run away.
“I’m sure you would have figured something out.”
“Thank you.” Snow pushed his long white hair behind his ear. “For everything.”
Red shrugged, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “It’s nothing, honest. We have a few hours until sunrise, so why don’t you sleep in my bed and I’ll sleep on the floor?”
“If you wouldn’t have helped me, who knows what would have happened to me.” Snow allowed Red to help him over to the small bed.
Snow settled onto the bed. Red pulled the covers up around the man, his fingers lingering on the alabaster cheek just a little longer than necessary. Grabbing the spare pillow, he turned away from the bed and the man lying there. His body was awash with urges that he dared not act upon, no matter how badly he wanted to taste those red lips.
“If you wish, you could sleep beside me.” Snow scooted over and patted the bed.
“I’ll be fine.” He lay down.
“I’d like it if you lie beside me. I’d feel safer.”
“Are you sure?”
Snow nodded, patting the bed harder. “I need to feel safe. I can’t do that knowing you’re over there. What if they sneak in here and kidnap me while you sleep?”
“I’m a pretty light sleeper.” Red stood, picking up his pillow, and he walked to the bed. “If you feel better with me beside you, though, I won’t argue.”
Snow rolled on his side, watching as Red slipped off his pants and crawled into bed.
“Do you think they will be looking for you?”
“They know there is an injured fairy around here, and you are the only house close to where they pulled me from the river, so it’s a matter of deduction, really.”
Red was shocked when Snow reached over and began to run his fingers down his chest. “You don’t know if I’m the only house.”
“Aren’t you?”
He jumped when Snow pinched his nipple. “Yes.”
“You know fairies are very sexual beings?” Snow licked the side of Red’s face. “Halflings more so because they have the sexual urges of both races.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Snow leaned over to kiss Red, his hand sliding down until his fingers brushed Red’s cock.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so very white,” Red whispered against his cheek. He sat up, his back against the headboard.
Snow shrugged, sitting up beside Red, his fingers playing with the blanket that was bunched at Red’s waist. “I’m a rarity among our people, too. I think it’s one of the reasons I prefer to be by myself.”
Red leaned forward until he was a hair’s breadth away, his forehead resting on the man in front of him. “In a way, I’m thankful those men captured you in that net.”
“Well, I think wishing on a four-leaf clover would have been a better way to meet a fairy, but I have to admit I’m glad you were close enough to hear my cries for help.” His hand slid under the blanket to grip Red’s cock. He began to stroke it.
Red’s nose rubbed against Snow’s before he dipped his head down for a kiss. Red pushed his tongue in, feeling the hot depths of that soft mouth. His tongue wrestled with Snow’s for a moment before declaring dominance. He gently sucked, his hands running along Snow’s back until he could cup the firm, round ass.
He lifted Snow a little, resting him on his lap, his cock sliding nicely along the man’s crack as Snow wrapped his legs around Red’s waist. He felt Snow sigh against his lips and shift his weight to open himself a little more. Red continued to suck on his tongue, thrusting himself up just a little, his cock sliding along Snow’s crack.
“You’re so beautiful, Snow,” Red whispered between kisses. He kissed along the man’s jawline, nipping the skin until he reached the soft delicate earlobe. His teeth scraped along the lower lobe, bringing a shudder of pleasure from the pale man. He thrust his tongue into one pointed ear, licking inside and chuckling as Snow struggled in his arms.
“Ewww!” Snow yanked his head aside, trying to escape the tongue.
Red laughed, placing his hand on the side of Snow’s face to prevent him from moving, and shoved his tongue back into the ear. After playfully jabbing it in a few more times, he let the fairy go, a large smile spreading across his face.
“Oh, baby,” Red whispered, his lips brushing Snow’s cheek as he spoke.
“I want you in me.” Snow tried to adjust himself so Red’s cock thrust in him and not just against him. “I need you in me.”
“Just a moment.” Red pushed Snow off his lap. Jogging into the kitchen area, he grabbed the crock of grease from the shelf. Hurrying back to bed, he rubbed some of the stuff onto his cock.
Snow rolled over until he was on his hands and knees. He thrust his ass into the air, wiggling it back and forth in temptation. Red dipped his fingers back into the crock, coating them with grease. Placing one hand on Snow’s hip, he ran the other along his crack. Red’s fingers found the tight, hidden pink hole. He smiled as the hole contracted against his finger.
He gently pushed in his finger, working some of the grease in. Red continued to move it in and out. He slid two fingers in, bending them slightly as and smiling when the fairy let out a low moan of pleasure. Red moved his fingers faster, running over that special spot each time.
“You better stop before I cum,” Snow moaned. “I want to give you a little pleasure also.”
Red pulled his fingers out the hot ass. He patted the creamy white cheek as he leaned forward to lick Snow’s spine. “What kind of pleasure?”
Snow turned to face Red. “Lie back and you shall see.”
Red scooted back until he was resting against the headboard. He spread his legs, waiting for Snow to settle himself between them. Snow tossed his hair over one shoulder so it was out of his face as he bent down before Red, his ass in the air. Snow took Red’s already-hard cock in his mouth. He sucked it in until his nose was pressed against the short red pubic hair, the tip of his cock hitting the back of his throat. Red wrapped the long white hair around his fist, using it to pull Snow forward. He thrust up, loving the way his cock felt as it hit the back of the fairy’s throat. “That’s it, baby, suck my cock.” Red spread his legs wider, sliding down just a little so Snow could get his fingers inside his ass.