Neveah Box Series (Neveah Box Set Book 5)

by Angie Merriam

  Hoccar was not as charming as Josidian but the two looked similar. Had it not been for the single black piece of hair they would look like twins. His face was much harder and more serious than his brother. Vesstan was a quiet elf saying only a muted “Hello” when he was introduced. His blue eyes matched his navy hair and quiet demeanor. “Very nice to meet all of you,” I said and meant it. I was honored to be in the home where Serephina had grown up, amongst her family.

  “Please, sit down. We were just discussing our problem. Shep and I took seats next to each other. There was a bright gold platter with mounds of sweets, all brightly colored. Emerald green glasses sat sparkling in front of every seat. I took a sip of my water and Shep grabbed a sweet treat. Denali and Leah sat across from us and seemed to mirror our actions. Denali took his treat and Leah sipped her water. 'Must be a gender thing,' I thought to myself and laughed inwardly.

  “My friends, you have traveled a great distance, please tell us what is happening to our beloved Neveah.” Avery wasted no time. It was clear that everyone in the room wanted details on what was causing their land to wilt.

  “Lord Levannah, my father, has passed on,” Denali began. He shook his head in acknowledgment as the elves offered heartfelt condolences. “My nephew James has been returned to us. The lovely woman who brought him home also brought us a wealth of information.” The story was told then. Parts told by Denali, Leah, Shep and myself. The elves sat quietly, listening. They asked no questions until the story had been told.

  “It seems we have some work to do,” said Josidian. The other elves nodded in agreement.

  “What can we do to help?” Avery asked.

  “First and foremost, make sure your village is secure. We could use all the bodies available for possible battle. Shep is going to train everyone who joins us to fight efficiently.” Denali was still talking when Hoccar broke in. “Yes, great. When do you want us?” Shep sighed a little before speaking. “This is not going to be an easy fight. Lives may be lost. Please think this through before volunteering your life.”

  “I understand your concern, Shep, but Neveah is our life. If the land wilts away so will all living things in Neveah, including us. We don't have a choice. We will always stand and fight for our home, our land, our people. You see, there is nothing to think about. We have able bodies to send and they will go willingly and with enthusiasm because Neveah must be saved.”

  “Fair enough,” Shep replied. “We have some other villages to visit. Can you be to the compound in five days? Is that enough time?”

  “Plenty,” replied Josidian.

  We were shown around the village and introduced to many of the residents. All of them wore smiles on their pretty faces. It was hard to see their fear, they masked it so well. Elves were programmed to be pleasant most of the time, until it was time for them to fight. If I looked really close I could see the fight in their eyes. I was relieved to see it there. It was held deep down, but it was there.

  That night we enjoyed a giant feast with all the elves of the village. After the meal, a group of elves brought out what I assumed were instruments. They were chunks of wood carved into different shapes. Some had strings, others were clearly for banging, while others had holes carved strategically throughout. The moment the elves played the first note, most of those that were conversing, eating, or resting their full bellies abandoned what they were doing and began to dance.

  Shep laughed with me as we watched the magical elves dance in rhythm with each other. Watching their colorful heads bob and weave in harmony was mesmerizing. Their bow-like mouths were turned up in a never ending smile. The women spun from the men and curtseyed cutely. The men bowed to their women, their hands on their hearts.

  “This is really something huh?” I said to Shep. He moved to stand behind me. I felt his arms wrap around my shoulders. I felt his lips on the top of my head. I cuddled closer into him. It felt unbelievable to have him hold me close. I was grateful for this time with him, time away from Fionna, away from all our worries. For that moment in time all was right. I forgot about all the horror's that had happened and were still happening. There, in Gwendolyn, all seemed right in the world.

  “Yeah, they are stunning,” he replied before kissing me again on the head. “Want to try it?” He asked.

  “Try what?” I was genuinely curious.

  “Dancing!” His voice was low, but serious. I felt his body quiver. I knew he was laughing at me. “Are you serious?” His body stopped quivering and he whispered gently in my ear. “Come, Strawberry Shortcake, dance with me.” He didn't wait for my response before he came around and took my hand in his. Before I could protest, he was pulling me to the dance floor. I knew it would be pointless to refuse so I followed and giggled like a little girl.

  It took a few attempts, and we stumbled a bit, but after a few tries, we were dancing with the elves. Shep spun me, dipped me, and bowed to me while I laughed harder than I had in a very long time. The music slowed down a few beats, and I saw the elves pair off. They stood, a fair distance apart, and held hands, moving fluidly to the music. Shep took me by the waist, pulled me close, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I let my head rest against his chest. We rocked slowly, holding each other tight. I could have stayed in his arms forever. I allowed my eyes to close and my body to relax when an explosion rocked the ground where we stood.

  Chaos erupted around us. Shep was on top of me, his body still, too still. I lifted my head just enough to see the smoke that clouded the air. I tried to lift my body against Shep, but his weight was too great for me to move. I wiggled under him enough to turn over slightly, which allowed me to free my arms. I grabbed both sides of his face and pulled his head up. “Shep, wake up. Come on baby, wake up.” The sound of my voice rang in my own ears and the pleading that was there frightened me. I could feel him breathing, though it was shallow. I began to shake his head slightly while moving my body as much as possible. “Shep! Wake up! We have to get out of here! Dammit, Shep, open your fucking eyes.” My own eyes began to sting with tears, and the pleading was now choked sobs. “Shep! Shep! Come on!” I screamed as loud as I could manage before I let my hand fall hard across his face. I began sobbing uncontrollably when I realized I couldn't feel him breathing anymore. Maybe it was because my body couldn't hold still under him, maybe because my own breathing was erratic or because my heart was resonating through my entire body, but I couldn't feel Shep move.

  Fear of Shep being dead overrode the fear of the attack and my body began to tremble with grief. “Please, please, Shep open your eyes. Come back to me, Shep.” I lifted my head, and my lips found his. I kissed him softly. I held his face close to mine. My lips refused to leave his. Our lips tasted of salt, dirt, and smoke, but I didn't care. “Please wake up,” I whispered against his mouth. Suddenly, his head fell from my grip, and Shep began coughing violently. The feeling of his body convulsing with every cough was a relief, and my cries turned to hysterical laughter.

  “Holy shit, Shep, I thought you were dead. Thank God, you're alright.” I was kissing the top of his head when the coughing began to slow and his breathing returned to a slightly more normal state.

  “Hey, Lilly,” he said hoarsely. His eyes were confused as he looked at me and around us.

  “What the hell happened?” He lifted his head slightly more to look around, but made no move to get off of me.

  “I don't know, Shep, but I don't think we are safe here. Can you get up?”

  “Yeah, I think so.” He pushed his hands into the ground beside my head and lifted his upper body off of mine. He pushed himself to one side and rolled off of me. He was lying on his back beside me, panting heavily. Just that one small move was strenuous for him. I was worried about him. Shep was a strong man and seeing him vulnerable was scary. I tried to turn to him and was surprised when my lower body wouldn't move.

  “Are you alright, Lilly,” he finally asked. I thought a second before answering.

  “I don't know, Shep. I can't f
eel my legs.” My voice was shaky as I said the words. I hoped it was from him lying on top of me for so long, but I didn't know. I turned and watched him slowly sit up and inspect his limbs for injuries. A few moments later he was trying to stand. I could see he was in pain as he forced his legs to hold his body up. His hand instinctively went to his right side, just above his ribs. He was standing, though. I took that as a good sign. He took a few deep breaths and looked around before kneeling down beside me.

  It was strangely quiet. The chaos just moments before had died down to an eerie silence. There were no elves around and no sign of our assailants. I had no doubt who was behind the explosion and wished I could jump up and run them down. I felt helpless lying there, paralyzed. Where was everyone?

  “Come on, baby. Let's get the hell out of here.” Before I could protest, Shep scooped me into his arms and began to run. I didn't have time to protest. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, trying to pull my weight into my arms and away from his injured side. It was hard to see very far ahead of us due to the thick smoke. Shep was running recklessly, looking for some form of shelter. After blindly searching for what seemed like forever, he found Avery and Avelon's home.

  He stopped at the door, unable to turn the knob to open it. He pounded with his foot in hopes someone would open it for us. We waited. The silence was still around us, creeping into our bones, causing them to chill.

  “I don't think anyone is in there, Shep,” I said breathlessly. “I think you're right. Sorry little elves.” With one swift kick the door flew open, and we were inside. He moved swiftly through the house looking for a place to set me down safely. “Don't they believe in couches?” He sounded exhausted when he spoke, but I saw the hint of a smile form on his lips. He finally found a mound of pillows near the back of the house and set me gently down. “I'll be right back, Lilly.” He was gone before I could ask him not to leave. I listened for voices, movement, some sign of life, nothing. Only a few minutes went by when Shep returned.

  “Where did you go?” I asked more accusingly than I intended to.

  “I went to barricade the door and search the house. No one is here.” He was straightening the pillows below me, propping more under my head as he spoke. “Where do you think everyone went?” I asked.

  “I have no idea, Lill.” His hands began to inspect my body. He began with my head and neck, which moved easily and without pain, much to both of our relief. He moved down to my legs and began to massage them gently yet firmly.

  He worked his hands up and down, from my hips to my toes, willing the blood to flow. “How long was I out back there? How long did I lay on you?” I knew what he was getting at. He worried he restricted the blood flow to my legs. He was working to bring the flow back, but my legs remained numb.

  “I don't know. I woke up and you were on me. I don't think it was long though.” His hands continued to move. “They were not numb the entire time, Shep. I was wiggling under you trying to get you to wake up. It was when you rolled off of me that I realized I couldn't feel them. He looked at me with worry. “I'm sorry I didn't protect you, Lilly,” he whispered. I let out a snort. “Come on, Shep, like you could have known that was going to happen. No one knew. Please don't start with the apologies. You have nothing to apologize for. You're here, that's all that matters.” I looked up at him. He couldn't hide the guilt he felt. “Damn you, Shep, this is not your fault,” I said while pointing at my dead legs. “Stop making yourself responsible for things you have no control over. Look at me,” I demanded. He met my eyes, his hands never leaving my legs. “You did not do this to me. Do you understand that? Do not say sorry again, please.” He shook his head in agreement. “Just keep doing what you're doing and the feeling will come back.”

  He continued his furious massage on my legs, but said no words. He put all his energy into making my legs feel again. I could see beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead and felt his body begin to droop in exhaustion. “Shep, stop,” I said gently at first. He continued. “Shep, stop, you have been doing that long enough. Stop now!” I said firmly. “No,” he shot back at me. I tried to sit up. I tried to grab his hands. I tried to push them away. I pulled his arms. I was crying and ready to slap him when I felt the first bite in my toes. I caught my breath and touched Shep's arm. He must have sensed a change in me because his hands finally stopped moving.

  “It's coming back, Shep. I can feel it in my toes.” I saw relief wash over his face. The veil of worry slowly began to fade away. He watched me closely as I slowly wiggled my toes. The stinging bite worked its way up my legs, up to my hips. I shook them furiously, trying to help the blood flow faster, and trying to make the stinging stop. Finally, the feeling returned to my legs. “Are you okay?” He asked me. I saw he was holding his breath, waiting for my response. “Yeah, I think so. You can breathe now.” He let out a sigh of relief. “You scared the shit out of me, Lilly,” he whispered before cupping his hands around my face. “Well, to be fair, you scared the shit out of me too, Shep,” I whispered back before his lips were on mine. He wrapped one arm around the small of my back while his other hand knotted itself in my hair. My arms slipped around his waist and held tightly, pulling him close. His tongue danced with mine slowly at first, then more urgently. I felt his teeth nip my tongue and then my bottom lip before he gently urged me back to the pile of pillows. He stayed beside me, one hand still in my hair. My arms moved up his back while I returned his urgent kiss. He smelled of smoke and dirt and longing. His body tightened under my touch. A moan escaped from deep within him.

  He allowed his free hand to roam my body, causing my heart to quicken when slipped it under my shirt and found my breast. His rough hands caressed my nipples causing them to harden. He pulled his mouth from mine, leaving it feeling raw and abandoned. My breath was ragged as he pulled my shirt over my head and pulled my breasts free of my bra. His mouth covered my nipples and jolts of pleasure shot through my body. As he bit and sucked at my breast his hand ventured down my body to the edge of my pants where he swiftly slipped his hand inside and pushed my pants down to my ankles. I felt his hand slip into my panties. My body was aching for him. He groaned loudly when he felt my desire for him. He looked up at me. His face was dirty, and his hair was wild. He was beautiful.

  “I love you, Lilly. You are so beautiful.”

  “I love you too, baby.” My hands snaked their way through his hair and pulled his mouth back to mine. I craved the taste of him. I yearned to feel him. “Don't ever leave me, please. I can't go on without you,” he breathed. “Make love to me, Shep. I need to feel you close to me. I need to feel you inside of me. Please.” He sat up and pulled off his shirt. He was a sight to behold, always had been. Seconds later we lay beside each other, my leg draped over his, his manhood poised and ready to join my sex. “I want you, Lilly. Not just right now, but always. You drive me crazy.” I kissed him as he entered me.

  We began slowly, wanting to feel every touch, every sensation. He held my eyes in his as he slowly worked my body with his own. “You feel so good, Lilly. Every part of you feels so good.” My words failed me. I couldn't think. My body was quaking with pleasure. I began to tremble under his touch. His arm grabbed my upper thigh, and his body began to move faster with more urgency. He lifted my leg higher, allowing him to dive deeper inside. My body burst with pleasure and tingled all over. My head was spinning as I felt our bodies release together. The hard thrust slowed until we were still again.

  “I love you so much, Shep.”

  “I love you too, Lilly.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For making love to me when I needed you.”

  “I needed you too, Lilly. I always need you. At this moment though, we needed each other so thank you.”

  I knew we should be figuring out where everyone was. We should be searching the village. We should be hunting Kelsha and Jax down. There were hundreds of things we should have been doing. We stayed there doing the only thin
g we needed to do at that very moment. Cling to each other for dear life until our sanity returned.

  ~Chapter Fifteen~

  Kelsha and Jax watched the tiny village of Gwendolyn go up in smoke. Kelsha listened to the muddled panics of the elves and reported their fear to Jax. He loved her relaying people's thoughts to him. Her voice was soothing, like a storyteller. He could envision the colorful, little elves dancing around merrily, not a care in the world. Minutes later they were in chaos. Their shock and fear gave both Kelsha and Jax a great sense of accomplishment.

  Kelsha was impressed by the elves, though she would not say this to Jax. Their sudden shock and extreme chaos were quickly replaced by an orderly evacuation. There were too many thoughts for her to comprehend where they were going, but the ringing of terror that was shared by all was music to her ears. Fear was the intended goal. Not death. Not yet. She wanted them to fear her which she hoped would deter them from joining forces with her enemies.

  “I do believe our little surprise has been successful.” She grinned at Jax who was watching her with giddiness. His eyes danced with an excitement that was almost innocent and reminded Kelsha that this was not just Jax. Jax's darkness was in there, of that she was sure, but Heren's tendency towards good was there as well, making this new man a strange combination of good and evil. The mixture gave him a level of carnal innocence that Kelsha found irresistible.

  “Yes, I think you are correct Kelsha. They have surely been surprised. What are they doing now?” He asked her with great curiosity.

  “They have retreated to a hiding place. I didn't catch where they were going but you can be sure they are confused and don't know what the hell to do next.” She smiled triumphantly at her man and grabbed his hand in hers. “Come on, our work here is done.” She made her way out of the woods that surrounded Gwendolyn. A few miles away, they made camp, anticipating the need to stay the night. As they made their way through the dense forest, Kelsha's excitement was replaced by a different kind of need. She was a smug woman and success always caused her to crave a dirty lovemaking session.