Pan sighed. “I’m not an animal, Katerina. I have only been altered. I was not born the cub of some strange union of man and beast.”
She knew that, she did. It was just...not right. Kat repelled the thought of being with something—she cringed—someone...that had hooves. Ashamed of herself for offending him, it was too late to hide her reaction. It bordered too close to fetish lines she would never cross.
Pan placed one of Kat’s hands on his thigh and dragged it down to his knee where the hair was more fur-like and continued until her fingertips brushed his hoof. He raised her other hand to cup a horn. It was cool to the touch, smooth, solid. The fur, in contrast, was coarse but thin. Contrary to the images she’d seen of satyrs in the mythology book she’d flipped through, Pan’s legs didn’t taper into scrawny appendages. They were thick structures that were capable of supporting his weight, closer in size to a horse’s hooves than a goat’s, which made them more proportional to his body and weight.
“These things,” Pan said, “these things were done to me. I didn’t ask for them. I was not born with them. I’m a god, yes, but the gods are merely a superior bloodline to humans. One with magic and immortality. Many believe in the purity of this bloodline, and they would commit incest again and again to keep it so. But we were made compatible to mate with humans. Why else would we be given the same body structures? Why else would our reproductive organs fit with those of humans and create offspring that in turn could mate with each other, populate the globe, and outnumber the immortals a thousand to one?”
He broke their connection and sat on the bed. He raised a leg, offering her a view of his ankle and hoof. “Look closely, Katerina.” He brought her hand down again to his ankle, where the fur was thicker and slightly tufted, but the width was no different than any other man’s. My leg does not grow this pelt until mid-thigh; above them, my body is normal. My knees bend the same as that of a human, but it is the ankle where the true distortion begins. My feet are perpetually locked as though I’m walking on tiptoes. Imagine, if you will, that you were forced to wear high-heeled shoes for the rest of your life and couldn’t take them off. Then imagine the heels broke off, but the only way to keep your balance in those shoes was to walk on only the balls of your feet, for all eternity.”
He ran her hand over his heel, which jutted out, forming the backward bend in his leg, and down to the cloven hoof, where the ball of his foot and toes once were. “This is how my legs have been reformed. Granted, it doesn’t feel like I am tiptoeing about, at least not any longer. At first it did. It was difficult to balance my weight this way, but I have learned to bend my knees ever so slightly to even it out.”
Pan stood. He was suddenly in human form, dressed once more in black slacks. He didn’t face her, but his head was bowed, his expression haunted.
“Your mind sees what is done to me, and you think, like the descriptions in mythology, ‘he is part animal, and so it must be like laying with a goat, not a man.’ But I assure you. I am a man. At the root of all I am, I’m a man. A man with a disfigurement. And I hope one day you can see that. I wish beyond wishes I could keep this form for you, but even if I could, it would be a lie. An illusion.”
Pan stormed past her, opened the door, and left.
Shaking, Kat sank down on the bed. She felt like the lowest of the low. She’d been stuck on his “half-animal” state, it was true. It had stopped her, and Pan knew it. Judging by the memories he’d shared with her, that precise reaction had been the purpose of the curse: to make him unattractive so women no longer wanted him sexually. A punishment made more extreme by the insatiable lust.
Perhaps that is why satyrs were so sinfully arousing in stories and art. The idea of the lascivious beast-man taking his pleasure from an unsuspecting delicate female he comes across as he wanders through the wilderness. The opportunity to be wanton and free in sexuality with that creature was seductive in its own merit, not for what he was physically, but what he stood for. And what did Kat do when given the opportunity to participate in what was sure to be one of the most erotic experiences of her life, with a freaking god? She freaked out because he had a few alterations to his structure. Because his body wasn’t to her preference.
Kat felt like an idiot. She raced to the door he’d left open and spotted him entering the line of trees across the street. She looked both ways, saw no people or cars, and chased after him.
***
Dion watched from his window as Katerina Silverton ran across the street after Pan. He’d been informed of her miraculous reappearance earlier by both Silenus and the Martinezes, but had promised not to confront the woman until the morning. The police were relieved, of course, to be free of a potential missing person’s case, but they were irritated at the same time. Law enforcement believed the lot of them were attempting a Jersey Devil hoax, and Dion had to promise the group would not cause any more of a commotion while in the state.
Silenus witnessed Pan’s return to the hotel that afternoon and had wanted to act. It was too soon, and Dion had gone through too much trouble to end it so quickly. Besides, there were witnesses at the hotel. Humans. The elder satyr was turning out to be more trouble than he was worth.
Nonetheless, Dion hadn’t thought Pan would bring the girl back after such a short time. It meant things were working far too well. The god cared for the human, and if they hadn’t fucked yet, they would soon. No doubt they were heading out to do just that.
Dion let the curtain fall back into place. He needed to finish up the formalities and move on with his plan. If Pan had the syrinx, it would be at the house Melancton had found. He could send Pavlo out tonight to search for the syrinx while Pan was occupied with the human. Hopefully it was found, and quickly, as Dion’s patience was waning, and so was his control over Silenus.
Chapter Fourteen
“Pan, wait!”
He kept going.
“Damn you, I know you hear me.”
Pan stopped, waiting for her to catch up to him. “What do you want, Katerina?”
They were well into the Pine Barrens and out of sight from the hotel and the road. Katerina panted as she caught her breath from chasing him. Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders, the ends were drying and wild, but most of it was still damp from her shower. Her light colored pajamas looked positively bright in the dark forest. It was then he realized she was wincing. He glanced down at her bare feet.
“No shoes? You could have stepped on something and cut yourself.” He kneeled and inspected her feet. A few scrapes but nothing serious.
“I couldn’t waste time on a stupid pair of shoes when you were stomping away. You might not have come back, and I’d never see you again.”
Rising slowly to his feet, Pan studied her. She was sincere. She’d been afraid he’d never return, but he’d only wanted to blow off steam until his massive erection went away. He almost laughed at the notion it could go away, given his curse. However, he didn’t want Katerina to think he was making fun of her. Could it be his beautiful vixen truly desired him?
“Oh? And why would it matter if you didn’t?”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to know I didn’t mean to offend you with my petty human fears.” She flung her arms around his neck, and hugged him to her. He was unsure what to do. His arms remained at his sides, as he was too afraid wrapping them around her would scare her off again. He could smell the citrusy shampoo she’d used and wondered how apparent his hard-on was against her belly.
Katerina backed up and removed her shirt, tossing it on the bush beside her. His eyes widened. She couldn’t be insinuating what he thought she was. When her bra followed suit, he swallowed and held his breath. Her breasts were perfect. Not too big, but they weren’t small by any means. The nipples were pebbled and begging for him to run his hands and tongue over them.
She stepped forward and unfastened his pants, kneeling as she pushed them down his hips and met his gaze. “Be yourself with me.”
“Are you sure you kn
ow what you’re asking?”
She hesitated a moment, but then ran the tip of her tongue across the sensitive head of his penis where it hovered in her face, seeking attention. He shuddered at her teasing.
“I don’t want to make love to an illusion. I don’t want the lie, Pan. I want you.”
He trembled a little. He’d seen the dawning of so many civilizations and had hidden in nature through most of the last centuries. He couldn’t even remember how long he’d been alive. But he had never, not even once, felt as desired as he did that moment. Not even Syrinx had wanted him as much; she’d just wanted a gentle lover to take her virginity. Katerina, he wagered, wasn’t a virgin. She’d known desire and the pleasure it could bring. And she wanted him, all of him.
Pan dropped the glamour and the pants she had pushed to his thighs dissolved to nothing in her hands. It was a handy skill to have.
“Take off your clothes, vixen.”
“Before I do, you should know I’m imperfect too.” She troubled her lower lip with her teeth. Pan didn’t see anything she should be insecure about. Then he realized she’d positioned herself so her left side had been obscured by the shadows ever since she’d removed her top.
“Show me.”
Katerina stood, took a deep breath, and then pushed her pants and panties down her legs to step out of them. She raised her chin and moved into the sliver of moonlight cutting through the canopy of treetops above them.
The pale light cast her in a bluish hue, and so distracted was he by her natural beauty that he didn’t see her scars right away. The puckered flesh traveled her left thigh and hip, coming just to her waist and across her stomach, and likely her back as well. The crisscrossing scar tissue was the only imperfection on her soft, otherwise flawless, skin.
“Oh, vixen,” He dropped to his knees and drew her closer. “What did this to you?” He ran his hand over the markings.
“A cougar. I wasn’t as cautious as I should’ve been and was too close to its den where it had cubs. I moved as it attacked, which is why I’m lucky the cat only got my hip and not my throat. The group with me scared it away by firing a gun.”
He kissed the area where the scars were the largest, left behind by the feline’s massive jaws. The beast had attempted to steal her from him before she’d even met him. But she’d survived. His Katerina was fierce and strong.
“I think I only agreed to Mr. Bach’s—Dionysus’—project because I was still shaken from the attack. I love the big cats, but maybe it was a sign I was in the wrong field. This was my first actual job aside from at-home research and lab work since the accident.” She started to laugh nervously. “What’s funny is the cat that tried to kill me wasn’t supposed to be in the area we found her in. Then I come here to look for something else that isn’t supposed to exist, and I found you. Do you think, if I jumped into Loch Ness, Nessie would rise from the depths to finish me off?”
Pan stood and pulled Katerina closer, rubbing a hand lightly over her scarred flesh. “These are battle wounds. They may not make you feel beautiful when you look at them, but they are badges of survival. You’re a warrior. They make you far sexier to me than you were before, which is saying a hell of a lot. Call it imperfection if you please, but I don’t see anything less than perfect about you. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s bull. You grew up with Aphrodite and all those beautiful nymphs. I saw some of them in your memory, even Syr—”
“Syrinx was a beauty, yes. I was young, well...younger. I believed I was in love with her when I simply wanted what I couldn’t have. Back then, I confused love for lust. Since I’m related to Aphrodite, I really didn’t look twice at her. I stand by my previous comment. You really are a great beauty. You know what else?”
Katerina shook her head.
“You’re mine.”
She started to protest, and he cut her off with a kiss.
Though Pan was irritated he couldn’t give her the comfort of a soft bed for this first time, he couldn’t help but be pleased they would come together in the forest. This was his home, his territory. He belonged here, and nothing had ever felt more right.
He glanced around when he broke the kiss and smiled when he saw the low hanging branches of a white oak tree. He scooped Katerina up and carried her over to the bottommost bough. It was sturdy, but Katerina seemed a bit wary about why she was placed there.
“Ah, this will do nicely.” He fit himself between her thighs. The branch was at a perfect height. She held on to his shoulders for balance. “Grab the limb above you, both hands. Yes, like that. Now hold on to it like your life depends on it. I’ll catch you if you start to fall.”
Pan wanted to take his time with her, but he was on the edge already from the feel of her naked body against his. He caressed her breasts, and then he leaned and took the left one in his mouth, suckling, nipping, and licking it. With each flick of his tongue, Katerina shuddered in his grasp. He trailed his hands down her torso as he turned his attention on the other nipple, and spread her legs as wide as he could without toppling her off the tree.
With one hand against the small of her back as added support, he ran a hand over her sex. She was hot and wet, and she moaned at the contact of his skin to hers. He lightly pinched her clitoris, and she sucked in a breath. He didn’t have the willpower to go slowly this time. He would give her foreplay later, but for now, he had to have her. He’d been waiting too damn long to be inside her to be patient.
His voice sounded hoarse when he spoke. “Gods, I hope you’re ready for me.”
***
Katerina wasn’t given time to respond to his comment before Pan entered her, hesitantly at first. At her gasp, he pulled back and thrust in again, all the way to the base. Her fingers dug into the smooth bark of the limb above her. She could feel chunks of the wood gathering beneath her nails. Pan didn’t move, but leaned in to kiss her, muffling her moan of pleasure. He was so big, much bigger than the lovers she’d had before him, and he seemed to realize that once he was snuggly sheathed within her. He had his hands on her hips, holding her steady as he pulled back and thrust inside slowly, allowing her body to get used to his size.
The cool night breeze was welcome on her bare skin, and her nipples were chilled where Pan’s tongue had licked before. The rough branch where she perched contrasted with the feel of Pan’s body heat against her and the wet flesh sliding between her legs.
It seemed as though she was suspended in the air, barely aware of holding onto the tree for support. Slivers of moonlight danced over Pan’s features. His gaze locked with hers, determined. A smile of triumph plastered on his beautiful face. He had her right where he wanted her, and she could only hold on for dear life as he pounded into her because the movement could topple her. She had no control, but she liked how he staked his claim, forcing her to feel the way he ruined her for any other man after their night together.
They were shaking the tree with each movement, and she became vaguely aware of the leaves raining down on them. She wrapped her legs tighter around Pan’s waist, squeezing him closer. She elicited a nip on the side of her neck from him in response. If the branch cracked and they tumbled to the ground, she didn’t think his momentum would change. Kat didn’t want it to.
Each thrust increased the friction against her clit as he slid in and out. She was so close that her body shook and trembled, ready for a release that hovered beyond her reach. Pan would randomly mumble something in Greek in that deep timbre of his, but she couldn’t understand the words. Kat could only feel what he did to her, and she loved it.
When she tried to get closer to him, she felt the branch shift and groan beneath her. Was that a snap she heard? Pan thrust, harder this time, holding Kat in place. One hand splayed across her hip, and the other gripped the bough beside her.
As she was about to come, Pan moved his palms across her flesh, gripping her thighs and spreading them wide once more. He kept his hands positioned there, and she was u
nable to move. She could only take what he provided, and he provided everything. A few more well-placed strokes had her screaming. Kat clawed the bark on the limb above her. Pan’s pace grew faster, frenzied at the feel of her release, drawing out her bliss until he came as well. The burst of hot semen caused her to shudder as a louder snap made the world collapse.
Pan held her, keeping her impaled upon his shaft as the tortured branch fell to the dirt. It had snapped at the base, broken. Kat breathed heavily, afraid her legs would be worthless if she tried to stand. Pan kissed her deeply, cradling her to his chest. He sat down with his back against the tree trunk. Then he positioned her to where she could comfortably move herself over his still-hard erection. She stared at him in shock. He didn’t intend to start again this soon?
As though he were amused by her surprise, he arched his hips. No, they were definitely not done. She braced her legs on either side of his thighs, using her knees as leverage as she lifted up and dropped back down again and again to the gentle coaxing of his guiding hands. Pan let his head thump against the tree but held her gaze as she pleasured him to her own rhythm. Kat realized she could never return to an ordinary life after this night with him in the woods.
She was his. She didn’t want it any other way. But what if Pan didn’t want her any more after they were finished and he’d gotten what he wanted? She couldn’t allow herself these thoughts.
Kat squeezed her inner muscles as she slid down Pan’s shaft, and he groaned. She laughed, becoming more turned on when he kissed her hard, taking in her mirth and turning it to a searing passion. She came again, but Pan still wasn’t done with her.
He rolled her over onto her hands and her knees and thrust into her wet heat from behind. Sex with a god was entirely different than with human males. Their stamina was apparently as immortal as they were, and his arousal seemed to trigger hers.
The Cursed Satyroi: Volume One Collection Page 17