by Candace Sams
"He can warn away. I'm not giving up my relationship with Afton for anyone. She's been like a rock through this whole thing, and I'm not about to let her go."
Lore burst out laughing. "She'd be very flattered knowing she'd been compared to a rock."
Blain grinned. "I'll have to ask you to keep that description between us. Besides, I now know I can pick up on what others are feeling."
"A graveyard headstone could have picked up on that message, my friend. Be careful about Afton. Gawain is a good man, but where his sister is concerned, he's always looking for a fight." Lore clapped Blain on the shoulder and said, "Come on. Let's get out of these clothes.
Before walking into the castle, Blain paused outside the door and turned to face the woods. For a moment, he was frozen in place. That eerie, terrible feeling was back. It hovered around him like thick black smoke that just wouldn't go away. When he glanced at Lore's retreating figure, he knew the fairy leader wasn't sensing it. That made the feeling even more menacing. Something was coming for him. It wasn't there yet, but it was coming. He could feel it approaching, and he didn't even know how to explain what it was he felt.
But whatever it was, thousands of miles and an ocean hadn't stopped it. More than ever, he knew he had to learn about his powers. Instinct told him there wasn't much time, and he couldn't run any more. This was the last place he could go, and he'd make a stand on the ground his parents had been forced to leave.
"No matter what happens, I'll see this to the end," he quietly muttered. Then he turned and walked into the castle.
Nine
Blain stood in the middle of his assigned room and finished drying from his shower It was late afternoon, and he probably shouldn't have slept so long, but jet lag wasn't something he could control After last night's initial introductions and a late supper, he'd excused himself and gone straight to bed Deep, restful sleep had come to him A tact that, given the events m his life and his premonition of doom, was a surprise But maybe it was his decision to finish this once and for all that had allowed him to rest so peacefully He was tired of being plagued, hexed, followed and tortured It would stop One way or another, this had to end
He heard sounds of movement about the building and hoped Shayla was among those present He didn't want to run into one of the denizens of this environment without knowing the correct protocol for establishing his presence Startled, one of them might turn him into something inhuman He didn't fancy spending the rest of his life as a toilet seat or something equivalent
He quickly dressed in the soft leather pants, boots and jerkin which had been laid out in the room He had to admit they were a definite improvement upon the jeans and shirts he'd brought The dark green leather pants and matching leather jerkin molded comfortably to his body and moved with him The feel of the soft garments against his flesh was sensuously appealing Ostensibly, the colors would allow him to blend in with the greenery in the woods And the high, black leather boots fit to perfection They'd make no sound as he moved Just as he finished dressing, there was a knock on the door He ran a blush through his hair before answering
"Afton," he acknowledged when he pulled open the door and saw her He smiled as he studied her She was dressed in an outfit similar to his except the leather was died in shades of brown and she wore a cream-colored blouse beneath her jerkin He liked the way the tight leather hugged her small bottom, and how the boots made her legs look even longer
"I'm glad you're awake," she said. "I thought we might find you something to eat then take a walk through the woods. Lore is waiting out there. He doesn't like to sleep inside."
"And how would you know about Lore's sleeping habits?" Blain asked as a fierce sense of possessiveness hit him. "Do you sleep in the woods, too?"
Afton stopped talking for the moment. She chewed on her bottom lip, twisted her fingers together and tried to shift her gaze. It wouldn't do to let Blain know how captivating she found him in the traditional clothing of the Order. No man needed to know he was affecting a woman in such a way. But there was no doubt about it. Blain was an imposing, first-class warrior. And handsome as bloody sin. Except for where the jerkin fastened together at his waist, the man's arms and chest were bare. Muscle flexed as he moved and caused her to swallow hard. For some reason, she almost wished he'd decided on wearing his regular clothing. Bonny and her friends, as well as hundreds of other unattached women, would be in the woods tonight. Looking like he did, Blain could have his pick of any of them.
"Afton, do you sleep in the woods?" he softly repeated the question.
"Sometimes, when my brothers and I have been out late," she admitted. "Once you've done it, you'll see there are advantages. And as for me knowing about Lore, everyone knows most fairies dislike being inside for very long."
Her response immediately relieved Blain. Her romantic status was still open and he felt guilt at having suspicions to the contrary. "Well, I'm ready whenever you are. Have you seen Shayla?"
"No. It's likely she's still sleeping. The trip from the States was long, and she'll want to be in the woods tonight. I believe there's to be a welcoming party for you in the great clearing. It'll probably last until dawn. Are you sure you wouldn't like to bring a jacket? The evening might be a bit cool for someone unused to our weather."
"No, thanks. I'll be fine. If this is what everyone else wears, then this is what I wear."
Afton sighed and wished she had a sack to throw over him that would cover the majority of his body "Come on, then I'll get you something to eat. You've a long evening ahead of you "
Blain followed her downstairs and ate a light meal of scrambled eggs and the ever-present tea Then, Afton took him outside and led him toward the woods. They were only a few yards from the dense growth when he stopped.
"What's wrong?" she asked when he stared into the undergrowth
"I'm not sure. I feel as though I need to change into fairy form," he said, keeping his gaze on the woods ahead of him. Something about the forest called to him. If he had to describe the feeling, it was almost as if he was being pulled. It felt safe there.
"Then you shouldn't fight it. You should do what you feel is right. No one expects you to be in any particular guise. If fairy form is more comfortable for you, then change "
He nodded, walked forward and took off his jerkin. He handed the garment to Afton, but he couldn't seem to break his gaze from the woods He wanted the foliage to brush his skin, to have the evening air blow freely across his body
Within seconds he felt the bonds of earth lighten and his wings expand. It felt so right. He sighed with pure joy. The forest and its creatures called. He could feel the magic all around him, and he was part of it.
Without hesitating, he grabbed Afton's hand and loped for the nearest path into the woods She laughed and ran with him When they came to the first small clearing, he stopped He looked around, then placed his hand on the rough bark of a nearby oak.
"This feels good I don't know how to describe it any other way," Blain murmured as he closed his eyes and breathed in scents both new and familiar. This place was deeply embedded m his blood. It was his heritage
"You're so perfect," Afton whispered as she lightly touched one midnight blue wing and gazed at his green skin
Blain turned to her and moved within a breath's distance. He stroked her cheek with one finger. "Is this what it's like for the others? Do they feel so strong and free here? As if they could fight anything and win?"
"I'm not a fairy, so I don't know. But I do know that their environmental senses are generally stronger than the Druids'. Perhaps yours are even more so. You have fairy and Druid blood. No one knows what you're capable of feeling."
His thoughts seemed to reel with all the input from his surroundings. And Afton's presence was one of the most alluring of all the phenomena besieging him. His fingers tingled where he touched her face. He plunged his hands into her long hair, reveling in its softness.
"What...wh-what are you doing," she stammered.
"Touching you. You're so damned soft and sweet. Of all the things I'm sensing, you're the most wonderful." He pulled her to him. "Your scent is driving me crazy. Is this some magic, Afton? Because if it is, you're playing a dangerous game."
"No. I'm not doing anything to cause this. Maybe it's some kind of sensory overload. You're on sacred ground now and unused to..."
Blain lowered his head and gently moved his lips against hers. When she didn't try to pull away from him, he grew bolder. The smell of evergreens, ferns and wild flowers assaulted him. But Afton's scent was the most pervasive. She'd recently washed her hair with sage water and bathed in herbs. He recognized the smell of the sage most readily. The combination of botanical elements and the forest scents were driving him wild. There was no way to stop himself.
When she looped her arms around his neck, he knew she was giving him permission to continue. His conscience was telling him to back off, but his body wouldn't allow it. He began to kiss her neck and caress her back.
"Blain," she whispered, "what's happening?"
"I need you, Afton, and the need is killing me," he breathed against her throat. His blood turned hot.
"Maybe, I'd better find Lore. This might be something unusual."
"Don't leave me. I won't let you leave." He was in command, the master of their fates.
Blain unfastened the jerkin she wore and let it fall to the ground. He stroked the soft flesh beneath each button of her blouse. One by one, he slowly unfastened them. But Afton only gazed into his eyes with trust and growing passion. She made no move to prevent what was happening. Her hands came up to caress his chest, and Blain thought he'd die. Her touch set his sensitized skin on fire. His chest rose and fell as he breathed in her essence more deeply. His heart raced.
When he pushed her blouse away and cupped her small, white breasts in his palms, all feeling of the earth beneath his feet left. The soft mounds of flesh filled his hands perfectly. He teased the nipples until she cried out and moved against him. He kept his right hand over her breast and stroked her bare back with his left palm. Then he slid the hand down her back to her hip. He pulled her against him harder and let her feel how aroused he'd become.
Afton had never wanted anything in her life more than she wanted Blain. Whatever was happening, she wanted it to continue and never stop. No man had ever touched her, and she suddenly knew that no man but him ever would. Her heart was as certain of that fact as it had ever been about anything. She'd die for him. Die loving him.
"You're mine," he growled against her shoulder. "Only mine."
His mouth claimed hers again, but with force. When her tongue met his, he moaned, wrapped his arms about her small waist and lifted her against him. Somewhere in the distance, someone called his name. Part of his fevered brain wanted to ignore the summons, but the part wanting to protect Afton wouldn't allow it. He had to take her, own her, but he had to protect her first.
Blaine finally found his voice and whispered, "Afton, someone's coming."
"I know. It's Shayla. She's been headed this way for a few minutes." She gasped as he kissed her neck again "Maybe we'd better answer."
"Dammit! I don't want to. I have to be alone with you. I need you."
"Blain, she'll find us no matter where we go, and she'll know what we've been up to."
"Does that matter to you? Do you care if we make love and she knows?" Blain pushed her hair back and gazed into her eyes.
"We'll be together later," she promised as she kissed the tip of one of his pointed ears. "Right now, we'd better see what she wants."
When she kissed his ear and pushed away from him, Blain almost lost all control. Among other places, the tip of his ear was extremely sensitive. When she backed away, his breathing slowed slightly. As she moved still further away to dress, his control grew. But his groin still ached, and he wanted her beneath him.
He sat upon a nearby log and closed his eyes. No amount of distance was going to wipe away what had just happened. He still wanted her, and that wasn't going to change just because Shayla had decided to interrupt at the most inopportune moment.
When his eyes met hers again, Afton knew it was only a matter of time before he took her. His gaze and intense expression promised this wasn't the end of the loving, but a precursor to something wild. Her heart beat hard at the thought. The next time, she'd learn what it meant to be claimed. There would be no turning back, no interruptions. The next time he'd take her no matter what happened. It was all there in his searing gaze.
Blain tried to calm himself and could see Afton was trying just as hard to do the same. But something so strong as the emotions churning within them wasn't going to go away just because they wished it. He waited for Shayla to come and was angered by her interruption.
"There you two are, I've been calling." Shayla stopped and stared at them both. "I won't even ask what you have been doing, but the next time, go deeper into the woods. Anyone might have interrupted you."
"Nothing happened, Shayla. It's just that Blain's senses are adjusting."
Shayla arched an eyebrow. "Adjusting? That's not what we called it in my day."
"Get Afton out of here, Shayla. Now. Before I forget she's a virgin and you're standing here," Blain growled as he kept his gaze on Afton. His fists clenched as he stood, desire suddenly rekindling in his veins. His control was rapidly fleeing. "Go, Afton. Now!"
"Afton, come to me quickly," Shayla said in alarm. "Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"He's losing control over himself. If you don't leave now, he'll take you by force. Go, girl!"
"He won't have to take me by force. I'm his anytime he wants me," Afton declared. She looked back over her shoulder toward Blain and saw how desperate he was to gain control. He'd broken into a sweat, his hands were clenched, and his eyes seemed to glow with an inner, savage light. Shayla was motioning for her to go.
Considering their privacy was gone, Afton decided the best thing to do was leave. "Later," she told Blain, giving him a promising look before walking away.
After she'd gone, Blain fell to his knees and panted as if he'd run a marathon. He raised his hands to his face and pushed his hair back. What had happened? He still craved Afton, but his senses had calmed considerably after she left the area. It scared the hell out of him that even though she wanted him, he'd have taken her no matter what. If she had changed her mind during the interlude, it wouldn't have mattered. He'd still have taken her.
"Shayla, what happened to me? I've never wanted another soul in my life the way I wanted Afton. I think I'd have even hurt her if she had denied me. What's happening?"
"In ancient times, it's said that fairies suffered a kind of bloodlust. It was an urge that came over them when a particularly arousing man or woman became available, and it was an instinct that ensured the survival of the race. When this happened, it didn't matter where the man or woman were. The fairy involved simply took what he or she wanted."
"Do you mean this will happen again, and that I won't be able to control the urge? That I'll be like some kind of rutting animal?" Blain gasped in horror.
She shook her head and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. There's probably something about this ground and Afton's presence that triggered your most primitive emotions. This kind of behavior has long since vanished in the fairy race. They don't need it, you see. Though times are unsafe, there isn't such an immediate and urgent need to preserve the species as in past centuries. Fairies aren't forced to make love and breed on the run. Though I'm told their blood still runs hot, the bloodlust doesn't come upon them anymore. At least, not until now."
"I still want her. What do I do?"
"We'll talk to Lore about this. Take heart, Blain. This never happened until you entered these woods?"
"No. It didn't happen until we got to this clearing, though I won't deny that I've been attracted to Afton since I first saw her."
"Then there's something about this particular area that's causing t
his physical demand. It could be a particular blend of smells or herbs."
"Wait! Afton was wearing something. I don't know what all of the herbs were, but I could smell sage in her hair. I got close to her, smelled the herbs and everything went out of control."
"That's probably it, then. I'll talk to her about what she was wearing. Whatever it was, she didn't blend it on purpose, Blain. We don't have any known potions or particular herb that could cause someone to lose control that way. Certainly none Afton would know about, anyway."
"Why do I still want her so badly if that's all it was?"
"If it was a blend of herbs that caused this, they only amplified what you were already feeling, my lad. I suspect that you'll be back to normal in a few hours. Afton just hit upon the exact combination of scents to trigger a very basic need, and this also may have something to do with your mixed blood."
"What do I do in the meantime?"
"First, I suggest you stay away from Afton for a while Second, find a very cold stream I'll get Lore " Shayla grinned then walked away.
***
"The only way to get this out of your system is to work up a good sweat I've wanted to talk to you about choosing a weapon Perhaps this would be the best time You can control this, uh, problem of yours on the training green " Lore mischievously grinned as he led Blain through the woods, toward a large clearing
Blain was sorry he'd explained his intense need for Afton to Lore The man would probably think he was some kind of pervert, or worse, he might tell everyone else He'd just have to trust the fairy leader to know what was best It wasn't as if this new life came with an owner's manual
But the subject of weapons had him intrigued It reminded him of the vision Afton had shown him People had been practicing with all kinds of medieval paraphernalia "What do you mean when you say I need to choose a weapon' What do weapons have to do with me almost attacking Afton'?"
"I told you, the only way to rid yourself of the bloodlust is hard, physical action You have to really sweat it out Only then will your blood cool As for the weapons, we choose the means by which we defend our families and homes Most fairies do this when they come of age Since you were denied that privilege, you'll have your choice now You're warrior class That means choice of the best blades, bows, knives and everything else in our armory is yours "