From the weary expression he wore, me heart instantly sank into me gut, me fear that Deirdre was not merely exaggerating confirmed. “When Deirdre went into Aislinn’s bedchamber this morning, she was not there,” Fergus stated plainly.
I felt as though he had left me hanging. There had to be more to it than that.
“And . . .” I prompted, hoping he would recall some vital information he had forgotten.
“That is really all anyone knows, Donovan,” Fergus replied apologetically.
“Well, was the entire manor searched?” I interrogated. He nodded his head.
“The stables! You know how she loves the horses and animals. We will search them immediately!” I declared, grasping fer the solution to this impossibility.
Fergus looked at me penitently. “They were searched, as well, Donovan.”
I stared at him, then went to speak again, but was promptly interrupted. “You have my deepest regrets, Donovan, but please do believe we have searched the entirety of the immediate vicinity. Aislinn is nowhere to be found.”
His words sounded so final. But that cannot be all there is to it. No, I will never accept that. She has to be somewhere!
Fer the next month, I devoted me every waking moment searching the entire west of Éire fer Aislinn. I refused to accept that she was gone, that I might never set eyes upon her again, feel her, touch her, kiss her. It was too painful. If I accepted such a travesty as that, I might as well be dead.
It cannot turn out as this, not after all we have been through, how long we have waited to be together. No, I refuse to believe that. We will be reunited. And as soon as we are, this time I will not hesitate to carry her away within me arms and make love to her.
A couple weeks in, I took to searching the lands surrounding her parent’s farm, though I did not believe she would have returned there. Rather bizarrely, a striking wild red horse took to shadowing me in the Burren. Weeks passed and still the mare did follow me. Though I did think it quite strange indeed, beyond grateful I was fer the companionship after all the time I had spent isolated in me searching fer her.
“So, tell me lass, what do you think? Where is it we should be searchin’?” I queried the mare. “I don’t know why I have the outlandish feeling that you know where she is. Maybe ‘tis only the striking resemblance of your coat to her red hair that has me relating you to her.”
I swear the horse gazes at me with a sense of familiarity, possibly even gazed into me eyes too deeply fer an animal. It has to be merely me imagination running wild with me, though. Likely, I am losing me mind in me distressed state.
I walked towards the mare and reached out to touch her. Naturally, she shied away, as would be expected of a wild horse. In the moment, I just thought perhaps it may allow me contact with her.
However, several days later, I attempted it again. And this time, the animal stood there, tall and proud, though its body trembled with apparent nervousness. Me hands met her coat and began stroking it. I was thrilled that this magnificent animal was allowing me such an honour. And then the strangest thing: I felt a vibrational energy surging throughout her body. It swiftly became stronger, zapping me and I jerked me hand away, and jumped back.
“What are you?” I probed the creature in awe, a trace of alarm in me tone.
Rather bizarrely, each night the mare settled herself upon the grasses outside me cottage and slept, until daylight surfaced once again. Then it would promptly commence to following me about as I set about searching fer me lost love again.
One morning, Aislinn’s father turned up at me door. “Lad, I be tellin’ you, if you know what’s best fer you, you’d cease your fruitless searchin’ fer that lass! It not be safe with Whitsuntide forthcoming!” he warned me obligingly. I presumed he was sent by Missus MacAuliffe, the kind soul she was.
“With all due respect, Mister MacAuliffe, superstitious I am not, and no intention have I of ceasing me search ‘til I find Aislinn . . . your daughter,” I informed him firmly.
“Well, ‘tis your life to waste as you wish, Donovan, but don’t you be callin’ that sidhe any daughter of mine!” her father chastised. Turning away curtly, he climbed back up into his cart and set out on his way.
Chapter Five
Fer a moment I just stood there rather stunned at his audacity. Reflecting upon the manner in which he spoke of his own daughter, I shook his head. Opening the door, I went back inside to gather me provisions fer the day’s search.
When I exited me cottage, me eyes landed upon a sight which although I had yearned fer it, me mind did not quite grasp. I halted me step. Stunned, I gazed out, me jaw falling open, blinking me eyes repeatedly fer I believed surely they must be deceiving me.
It was Aislinn— and entirely nude she was!
Aislinn? No, it cannot be . . . Otherwise, why would she be nude? Surely it must be an illusion of sorts, the lusty fantasies of me mind emerging to haunt me! Although, dear God, how well it does recall the breathtaking flawlessness of her form!
As she walked towards me, I knew I still appeared incredulous.
She spoke. “Donovan, ‘tis indeed me, Aislinn,” she enunciated, her voice slow and calm as though she fully comprehended me shock at seeing her.
The shock melting from me eyes as they connected with hers, they raked over her scrumptious naked form.
Finally I spoke, me voice laden with speculative concern, “Aislinn?”
“Aye, me love! ‘Tis truly me!” she confirmed.
“Aislinn!” I cried out in relief. “What has become of you? Why are you naked? Where is it you have been? Tell me you are alright!” Panic infiltrated me tone, as me eyes widened with bewilderment.
Coming to me senses, I reached me arms out to her beginning to run forwards, closing the distance between us in long strides. And then, at last, I was upon her.
We wrapped our arms about each other, our embrace teeming with desperation. Indeed she was real. Though, why she was nude, still I did not know. Yet little did I care fer that in that moment as I held her within me strong arms once more.
Capturing her face within me hands, me eyes bored into hers fer a long moment before me mouth claimed hers. Fervently she reciprocated, and I felt her love pouring into me through that one kiss. Though the kiss was an answer to me prayers, I could not deny the profound difference in her, though just what it was, I did not yet know.
When finally we withdrew our lips from each other, she was searching me face.
“What is it, me love?” she probed with concern.
“Something . . . is different about you,” I confessed, furrowing me brow. “Place it I cannot, but ‘tis all at once both enticing and alarming.”
In response, she dropped her face, uttering not a word.
Brushing me inner warning aside, I continued interrogating her.
“Where have you been, Aislinn?” I entreated, becoming heated, tightening me grip upon her arms. I gazed down upon her, me face etched deep with concern, all the pain her disappearance had caused me rushing to the surface.
“’Tis a rather long story,” she replied evasively. Then she tried to deter me questioning with a dose of her charms. “Perhaps I may tell you of it hence once you invite me into your cottage to make me decent?”
Nevertheless, I conceded. “Aye, naturally, Aislinn! Forgive me manners!” Then quickly I added, wincing as I spoke the words, “You were running away from our wedding . . . from me, were you not?”
She stared at me bewildered, as though she did not comprehend me words.
“That simply is not true, Donovan!” Her eyes went wide, intense with apparent sincerity. “I did not! Never would I run away from our wedding . . . from you! Not possible I could even fathom such a thing! Do you still not know the way I feel fer you?”
Me face assuming an injured expression, I merely lowered me eyes, her claim doing little to take away the sadness which had taken up residence within me heart the month past.
“I awoke somewhere far from here
without the slightest idea of how ‘twas I came to be there!” Her voice turned pleading. “Please do believe me, Donovan! It has always been you fer me! Only you could it have ever been . . .” she choked as the tears began to pool in her eyes.
Perhaps she does speak the truth. I am just being a selfish bastard.
I pulled Aislinn into the warmth of me chest and consoled her, caressing her back. Nestling her face into me, she buried the fingers of one hand into the curls of hair upon me chest.
As me hand caressed her back, me worries drifted to the background, replaced with me immense desire fer her. Me hand descending to her lovely derriere, I fondled it with urgency. Rising her eyes to gaze into mine, a moan escaped her lips as Aislinn lifted her hand and entwined it within me hair. Abruptly overcome with a passionate possession fer her, me smouldering eyes gazed back into hers with a certain significance, as me lips claimed hers.
Me throbbing erection straining against the confines of me trousers as though reaching fer her, I resolved to give it the release it sought— to the fullest extent. Seizing her lower lip gently between me teeth, me hands adored the curves of her naked body. “Come, let us go inside,” I murmured into her mouth.
Author Biography
Rosalind Scarlett lives in Boulder, Colorado with her loving and supportive husband, two rambunctious little boys, her beautiful Great Dane, Isis and her proud bunny, Micah. She holds degrees in Psychology and Interior Design. Rosalind is zealously proud to be of Celtic ancestry.
When not immersed in her writings, Rosalind's passions are reading, listening to music, yoga, spiritual exploration, organic gardening and living, riding horses, transforming ugly, old houses to their former splendor, riding bicycles with her family, hiking, mountains, lush evergreen forests, foggy mornings, falling snow, feeding old bread to small critters and watching nature form her deck on crisp evenings with a glass of wine.
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Rosalind Scarlett
Read more by Rosalind Scarlett
Short Story Erotica:
Double the Pleasure
Let Nature Take its Course
Anam Céile Chronicles
Cailín (Book I)
Donovan’s Struggle (Erotic Novella)
The Submission of Giuliana (Erotic Novella)
The Falling of Katja (Erotic Novella) May 2013
The Awakening of Celeste (Erotic Novella) May 2013
The Sins of Zahrah (Erotic Novella) June 2013
Soeis (Book II) June 21st 2013
Leannán (Book III) September 21st 2013
Soilsiú (Book IV) December 21st 2013
Sanctum of Souls
Rhapsody (Book I) September 2013
Sanctuary (Book II) Coming January 2014
Look for this Upcoming Series in Spring 2014:
The Twilight Garden Series
Garlands of Flowers (Book I)
Moonlight on Flowers (Book II)
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
For More Information or to Connect with Rosalind Scarlett
Read more by Rosalind Scarlett
Copyright © 2013 by Rosalind Scarlett
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved about, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Donovan's Struggle, an Erotic Romance Novella (Anam Céile Chronicles) Page 6