by Cara Wylde
Hunter dressed quickly and reached out for Nieve again. “Come here.”
“Okay,” she said and stepped closer.
Before she knew what was happening, Hunter had scooped her up into his arms and started running at a brisk pace. Nieve automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his muscles flex as he ran, carrying her like she weighed no more than a doll.
“I… you… what… What are you doing?”
“It’s a little bit far for you to walk,” Hunter said, barely breathing. “And we need to get there as quickly as possible in case there are any more attackers in the area.”
“Oh…” Nieve looked around, half expecting another huge bear to jump out at them at any moment.
Hunter ran through the forest, holding Nieve at an angle so that most of the overhanging branches would hit his shoulder rather than her face. She was about to ask him if it hurt, when they came out of the forest and splashed into a river. He continued up the river, keeping close to the bank, where the water was shallow. If anyone would want to track them later, they would lose their trace the moment they reached the river.
Hunter ran for what seemed like hours. Nieve couldn’t tell exactly how many, for even though he ran with all his strength and speed, he carried her so gently that the swaying of his movement lulled her to sleep. She let her eyes close, and drifted off knowing that she was completely safe in his arms. Sometime later, he slowed down, and as they came up to a clearing by the side of the river, he stopped and gently placed her back on her feet.
Nieve opened her eyes and looked around. The forest looked the same as before, but there was a freshness in the air that told her they had travelled higher up into the mountains, into deep wilderness where people usually didn’t venture.
“Where are we?” she asked him.
“We’re safe.” Even as he said it, Hunter sniffed the air just to be sure everything was fine. “Come this way.” She accepted his hand and they started walking again. “My cave is not much, but it has all the essential home comforts. And more importantly,” he looked at Nieve, “it is far enough away from the palace that the Queen’s magic will not find you.”
“Well, that’s definitely the best offer I’ve had all day,” Nieve said.
Hunter led her a short way up the mountain, until they came to a small opening in the rocky hillside. Although the cave was small, Nieve could stand up comfortably. Hunter, however, had to duck his head. Fortunately, if they sad down, there was plenty of room for both of them. There were tanned deer hides and sheepskins all over the floor.
A fire was set at the entrance, and Hunter struck a spark and blew the flames into life with practiced ease. Then, he went farther into the back of the cave and brought some storage jars. They contained dried fruit, which went really well with some bread and honey. They ate in silence for a while, but once the edge of Nieve’s hunger had been taken off, she looked around and couldn’t help but ask: “Do you bring many girls up here?”
“Hmmm.” He looked down, embarrassed. “No, I’ve never... you’re the first to come this far with me,” he said.
“That’s...” Nieve looked out of the cave at the beautiful mountain scenery that surrounded them. “... nice.”
“What are your plans for the future?” Hunter asked and immediately cursed himself for saying something so dumb. She was a princess. Of course her only plan was to take over the kingdom when the time came. What did he expect, anyway?
“I’m not sure that I have any,” Nieve answered nervously. “Or that I ever really had any.”
“Really?” His eyes grew wide with curiosity. It wasn’t the answer he had expected.
“I never relished succeeding my father as Queen,” Nieve said. “That was why I had hoped my stepmother would give him a son, and a brother for me. So that he could take over once my father passed away. But it never came to be.”
“No,” Hunter agreed. “Witches tend not to have a lot of children.” He threw her a careful glance. She didn’t seem surprised, which meant she had probably known the Queen’s secret all along, or she had suspected it. “At least, not human children, at any rate.”
Nieve took one look at his face and decided not to ask what he meant by that last comment. She wasn’t ready to know all the details.
“But then, I never looked forward to being married off to some Prince from a neighboring kingdom either,” Nieve sighed.
A spark of anger flared within Hunter. “No. Not married to another man.”
She laughed wholeheartedly and put a small hand on his arm. “I am with you now.” But where would she be tomorrow? She chose not to dwell on it. Not yet.
“Yes.” He looked at her and smiled, his anger fading as fast as it sprung to life. “I’m sorry, but sometimes it is hard to control my instincts.”
“That’s understandable,” Nieve said, thinking about everything she knew about shape-shifters.
“So, what do you want from life?” Hunter tried again. Even though they came from two entirely different worlds, for some reason, he still hoped her answer would give him something to cling to.
Nieve thought for a moment. She chewed on her bottom lip, almost afraid to put her thoughts into words. All those silly, childish dreams… They weren’t possible, were they? She took a deep breath and decided to tell him anyway. What harm could it do? Hunter would be the first one to hear what she truly wanted her life to be like.
“I just want to be happy, you know? Nothing complicated… To have a nice little home somewhere, and maybe,” she blushed as she glanced at Hunter, “a family of my own.”
“I can give that to you,” Hunter said. “More than anything else in the world, I want to make you happy.”
He wanted to take back the words as soon as they left his mouth. He had gotten carried away, had allowed himself to imagine what his life would be like with Nieve. He was afraid that what he had just said would scare her, or worse: make her laugh. Instead, Nieve smiled up at him. She didn’t know what to say, so she chose to remain silent. This man was such a mystery to her. Or… her feelings for him were a mystery.
“I’m… a little bit tired,” she said right before she broke into a yawn. “All this fresh mountain air is making me sleepy.”
She had decided the mystery would have to wait until the next day. She was too exhausted to think straight, and Hunter’s closeness had started to become really distracting. When she was with him, she could almost forget all her life from before. Was it a good thing? She couldn’t tell. Sometimes, it felt like she was running away, and that made her feel weak and a bit guilty.
Hunter looked outside at the gathering dusk. “Yes, it is late,” he said. “Come here.” He arranged the deer hides and sheep skins as a bed for Nieve.
She lay down, already half asleep. “Where will you sleep?”
“I’m not tired yet,” he said.
She made herself comfortable, yawned again, then fell asleep almost instantly.
Hunter sat and watched her for a long time.
CHAPTER FOUR
Nieve opened her eyes slowly. She was lying on something hard that felt nothing like the soft mattresses she was used to at the royal palace. There was also something rough, yet warm, covering her, which was very unusual. At first, she couldn’t remember where she was and confusion muddled her brain as she was trying to get a grip of reality. Finally, the events of the past few days came back to her and she remembered that she was in Hunter’s cave, high up in the wilderness.
For the first time ever in her life, she woke up in the morning and realized she had no reason to get out of bed. Granted what she was lying on was not exactly a bed. In her past life, when she was still a proper princess, maids and servants would come in to wake her, dress her, feed her, and give her a list of appointments and duties she would have to take care of during the day. Of course, that list was always made by the Queen. But now, today, and from now on, there would be no royal duties. No boring ceremonies. No state occasions where her
presence would be needed even if she had nothing to do there and nothing to contribute with. Instead, she could just lie there and listen to the silence. As weird as the whole situation was, the thought was comforting.
She kept her eyes closed for a few more minutes and allowed herself to enjoy the moment. She could hear the gentle breeze blowing through the nearby trees, birds singing, and insects humming. Not too far off, the gentle flow of the river. And the most unexpected sound of all: the deep, slow breathing of Hunter.
Hunter, who was lying asleep beside her, his warm body pressed against her back, his arm draped loosely over her, holding her possessively. His bare arm, Nieve realized. And if his arm was bare, then what about the rest of him? She couldn’t help but wonder… A small shiver ran up her spine. Carefully, she moved her hips and could feel his manhood through the material of her dress. She could feel his hot breath on the curve of her neck, and it drove her crazy with something she had never felt before. She bit down on her lower lip, hard enough to almost draw blood. She felt safe in his arms, but there was something else there, too. She couldn’t describe it, she hadn’t learned the words for it yet. There was something deep within her, and this man had awakened it. It was a spark, or more of an itch she felt the strong urge to explore.
His manhood grew harder against the small of her back, and Nieve’s heart started beating faster. She was afraid to move for a moment. She didn’t know what would happen when he woke. What would he do? What would he want to do with her? But then, she thought of the events of the past few days. How Hunter, in his own way, had really rescued her from certain death. He had risked his own life fighting that other bear-shifter in the forest, and he had put his sister and his nephews in danger to protect her. Nieve was quite sure that if her evil stepmother found out she was still alive, she would seek revenge on her, Hunter, and all his close ones.
Her life had changed so much in the past few days. There she was now, free at last. Free to do anything and go anywhere. Well, anywhere except back home. But then, she realized as she thought further, she didn’t really want to go back home. She hated her previous life. And no matter what the future might hold for her, she was glad that now she had a chance to build it as she saw fit.
Nieve took a couple of deep, measured breaths, and her heartbeat slowed down to its normal rhythm. She decided to push back all her thoughts and concerns about her past, as well as her fears about the future, and focus on the present moment. She was lying in the arms of an honest and loving man. They had only just met, but Nieve knew she could trust him with her life. She already owed her life to him several times over. So, whatever might happen, she was sure that it was going to happen to both of them together. She couldn’t exactly find logic to her feelings, which led her to the only possible conclusion: she was falling in love. That was what love was like. She had read about it in so many books, and she knew love struck people when they least expected it, and turned their life upside down.
Nieve felt a thrill of excitement running through her. She remembered how Hunter had behaved possessively towards her since the first moment they met, and her heart grew with joy. If she thought hard about it, she could spend her life with him. She could spend her life with this strange man, with this bear-shifter who had a wild spirit hiding underneath his skin. “All things considered,” Nieve thought, “I couldn’t have been more fortunate. My dull, boring, and meaningless existence in that prison of a palace has just been replaced by freedom and happiness.”
She relaxed in his arms, her mind finally at ease, and her thoughts started to wander away from Hunter’s numerous qualities. She remembered he was not half bad looking either. Nieve gathered her courage and quietly rolled onto her back, moving as little as possible, still leaving Hunter’s arm across her. She glanced down under the sheepskins that covered them and let her eyes travel down his naked chest. His muscles were well defined, strong, and lean. There was a set of parallel scars on his shoulder. They were old and completely healed, and they looked like claw marks. “A reminder of some past fight,” Nieve thought. Absentmindedly, she reached out a fingertip to trace the scars. Hunter growled in his sleep, his eyes moving fast under his closed eyelids, following the images of a wild dream. The sound he had let out was a deep rumble from the depths of his chest, but not really threatening. In fact, it was more comforting to Nieve than frightening.
He rolled onto his back, his arm slipping from Nieve, but his other hand came around and sneaked around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. He settled back down into a deep sleep. Nieve liked the feeling of his arms around her. The sheepskin had been pulled away, exposing more of his naked body to her gaze. She gently traced her fingertips across his shoulders, chest, and abdomen, feeling the hard muscles under the smooth skin.
He stirred as she touched him, but showed no sign of fully awakening, so Nieve continued to run her fingers over him. Now that she had started this new, silly game, she couldn’t stop. His body was addictive. Moving down from his board chest to his tight abs, she hesitated slightly before she slipped her hand under the sheepskin and down into the thick tangle of hair. She knew she should stop, but she couldn’t. Not at this stage. Her fingers worked their way through his hair and came upon smooth skin once more. She slid her fingertips along the glorious length, lifting the sheepskin as she moved so she could look down and see her fingers touching his manhood. That feeling in the pit of her stomach came back. Her heart was beating fast and her mouth was dry.
“That feels good,” Hunter said.
Nieve gasped, quickly snatching her fingers away.
“You don’t have to stop,” Hunter said, then added quickly: “But it’s okay if you want to.”
“No,” Nieve said. “I don’t want to stop.” Her voice was slightly choked, and she swallowed heavily past the lump in her throat. She had come this far… It would have been stupid to back down now.
“Oh, okay…” Hunter almost moaned.
“Kiss me,” Nieve said. She immediately bit the inside of her lip, afraid of the unknown consequences of her demand. Her eyes moved from the thick rod in her hand to his intense eyes, then back down again. She couldn’t hold his gaze.
“Now?” Hunter asked. Oh, there was nothing he wanted more, but he had to be sure.
“Yes, now,” she answered, and thought “now and forever”.
Hunter leaned down and put his lips to hers. It was a gentle kiss, the tip of his tongue teasing her slightly parted lips and tasting her just enough to give her an idea of what she was getting herself into. Nieve felt as if her body was melting, and she almost collapsed on his chest.
Hunter broke the kiss and smiled down at her. He looked deep into her eyes, and this time she didn’t avert her gaze. Nieve could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and she was sure he could hear it too. The heat radiating from his body made her want her dress to vanish into thin air.
“Don’t stop,” she said, lifting her head back and parting her lips for him to kiss her again.
Hunter leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Slowly. Tenderly. There was no reason to rush things. These moments were too perfect, and all he wanted was to savor them.
“Ouch!” Nieve jumped back startled.
“What?” He held her at arm’s length, studying her face.
“I got a static shock,” she said, her right hand going to her lips.
He laughed and pulled her back against him. “Sparks always fly between fated mates.” He took her head between his big, calloused palms. “Now… let’s try that again.”
He leaned in for another kiss and Nieve lifted her chin and softly pursed her lips. When his lips touched hers, she sighed. She pressed back, bringing her arms up and wrapping them around his shoulders. Hunter pulled her closer and slipped his arm around her waist. They were so close to each other, their bodies fit so well together… Nieve could feel his hard, bare chest pressing against her breasts. Her nipples became hard, and she couldn’t help but moan. Hunter took the opport
unity to slip his tongue inside her mouth, this time exploring the hot, wet cavern hungrily.
Nieve had expected all this to be awkward, but it was nice. Not hurried, not rushed, just perfect. Nieve loved the feeling of his tongue inside her mouth and the way Hunter pushed without hurting. The taste of him was sweet. As he filled her mouth, she felt a thrill between her legs, a thrill that made her wonder what it would be like to be really filled by him, down there.
Hunter broke the kiss, and Nieve was briefly worried that she had done something wrong.
“Stick your tongue into my mouth,” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“Huh?”
“When we kiss,” Hunter explained, “give me your tongue.” And he leaned in to kiss her again.
Nieve’s lips were parted and his tongue slipped past them. She had been too passive, she realized. He wanted her to show him how much she needed him, how much she craved his body and his touch, but she felt so inexperienced. This was new territory. She wanted to explore, and she felt scared and excited at the same time. Nieve pushed her tongue against his, and Hunter twirled his tongue around hers for a few moments. This time, when Hunter withdrew his tongue, he kept his lips pressed to hers. They both wanted to stay connected like that for as long as possible. After a few moments, Nieve gathered her courage and stuck her tongue out, slowly pushing it past his lips and into his mouth. She wanted more, much more, and she needed to let him know. It was warm, and his tongue flicked the tip of hers, teasing and coaxing her in further. Nieve pushed her tongue further in, and Hunter closed his lips around it, squeezing gently and then sucking on it.
She moaned, and he pulled her closer, barely holding himself back. When Nieve whimpered and shuddered into his arms, it was all he could do to keep his movements and caresses gentle. He moved his hand down her body, took the hem of her dress between his fingers, and pulled it up her legs. Nieve helped him work it up her body and over her shoulders, breaking their kiss as Hunter pulled it over her head. Finally, nothing was standing between their naked bodies. He tossed the garment over his shoulder, not caring where it ended up, and their lips met again. Nieve felt a thrill race through her, an electric excitement she had never felt before. His strong chest felt amazing against her hard nipples, and her hands started exploring the expanse of his smooth skin. Her lustful desires were taking over, and her body was starting to make its own decisions.