by ERIN BEDFORD
"Relax, love," Cheshire purred from where he had moved closer to watch us. "The only one watching you is me."
I let out a small laugh. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Carban's hand, I think, flicked a sensitive place between my thighs, and I gasped, my eyes darting to his amused face. "I'm going to die from pleasure, and I haven't even bedded any of you yet."
The men let out a collective chuckle dark and seductive, it rolled across my sensitive flesh and making me ache for more.
"Well, let us remedy that, shall we?" Hatter shot a look to Carban before reaching between us and undoing the laces of Carban's pants. He released the twin's length and gave it a small stroke and then a squeeze, making the quiet Fae moan.
I'd seen some of my sister Rhoda's anatomy books. I knew what a penis looked like, at least, in theory, but the sight of Carban hard and ready for me was a whole different experience. One that I didn't have a chance to savor long before Coby was removing his hand and lifting me.
Carban leaned back on his elbows and allowed Hatter to position him at my center. My heart beat ratcheted up to twenty and panic set in. I forgot to breathe, my fingers digging into whoever's arm I could get a hold of, which happened to be Hatter's. He gave me a reassuring smile, rubbing Carban against me.
"Shh, it's alright. Breathe, Alice dear. Don't pass out on us now."
I nodded and did as he asked, bracing myself for what I'd been told would hurt. But instead of getting on with it, Hatter teased Carban and I, not giving either of us what we wanted until Carban croaked out, "No more, please. I'm not going to last."
With those words, Hatter inclined his head, and Coby lowered me onto his brother's length. It didn't hurt like I thought it would. A bit of pressure and a slight burning sensation, but that was soon forgotten when Coby urged me to move my hips.
Hatter's hand didn't leave my core as I rocked back and forth, his finger taking the place of Carban's, making sure I was good and truly consumed by the whole pleasure of it. My head lulled against Coby's shoulder as he helped me ride his brother, and my eyes peeked open to land on Cheshire where he stroked his tail in time with my movements. His eyes roamed over my bare form and where Carban and I connected. It didn't even bother me. In fact, it only made me move faster, wanting the cat to feel what I was feeling.
A low grunt came from Carban, and I was shifted off him. Carban moved over to Cheshire's side, and I was placed on my hands and knees. The junction between my thighs ached and throbbed but not in a completely unpleasant way. I certainly didn't protest when Coby slid inside of me from behind.
He lasted a lot longer than his brother, and before I knew it, I was crying out, my head falling between my arms. Hatter did not join in this time but sat to the side of us, his eyes on me as Coby mounted me like an animal. If my mother ever heard of this, I would not only be shunned but called a harlot. No woman in their right mind ever had relations except on their back and certainly not the way we had been doing it.
Hatter brushed my hair away from my face, our eyes locked together as my release hit me again. This time Coby grunted and slowed behind me, and I assumed he had finished as well.
Collapsing onto the blanket, I groaned. "No more." I shook my head and gave a small helpless whimper. "I can't take any more."
"Are you sure?" Hatter cooed, sliding his fingers down my spine before dipping them between my legs. "Cheshire might be happy to just watch, but I had so hoped to have you before you leave."
I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the beautiful man. His long silver hair hung around me like a curtain, his lips curled into a desire-ridden grin, almost manic at this point. At some point he had discarded his shirt and jacket, leaving him only in his pants and suspenders. The sight of him was truly something to behold.
Without a word, I spread myself for him, my arms reaching upward. We didn't rut like with the twins, racing to see who could finish first. Each movement was slow and calculating, Hatter would move inside of me for a moment and then shift his hips and have me gasping and writhing on the ground. By the time I hit my release, there were stars in my eyes. My back arched, and my mouth dropped open in a silent cry for more.
Hatter patted my hip and placed a kiss over my heart before helping me dress. Cheshire crawled across the lawn, his eyes hooded with desire. "Let me help you clean up, love."
Too spent to argue with him, I stayed on my back until his rough tongue found the sensitive skin between my thighs. I cried out and moaned as he lapped at me, not trying to take me like the others but gently taking his time. By the time he sat up, licking his lips and stroking his tail, I couldn't move.
My breath came in fast pants, and I couldn't find the energy to close my legs, let alone anything else. The Fae around me took one look at my form and let out a humming laugh full of male satisfaction.
"Now that, I will remember," I murmured as my eyes slid closed and I fell asleep.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT woke me. I bolted up from the ground, my heart racing and my eyes wide. I glanced around me and took in the sight of the Fae curled up next to me.
The twins lay next to each other on my left, one arm thrown over the other as if, even in their sleep, they couldn't bear to be apart. I smiled slightly and moved my eyes to Cheshire curled against the back of Hatter, his long furry tail wrapped around them both. Hatter's arm lay beneath where I had been laying, his clothes back on and his jacket covering my front. He had his hat tipped over his face so that only his mouth showed. I had the urge to lean down and kiss him but refrained.
I had a job to do.
Slowly, I slipped out from between them. I almost left Hatter's jacket but then thought better of it. Sliding my arms into the sleeves of it, I brought the arm up to my nose inhaling deeply. Letting out a quiet sigh, I searched for my shoes. I didn't bother looking for my drawers. Those had been destroyed and were a lost cause.
Giving the four of them one last lingering look, I tiptoed out of the garden and into the hedge maze. I moved cautiously, careful to remember the way the prince had led me before. The stars above were the only light to guide my way, and I forced myself to be brave.
"You can do this, Alice," I murmured to myself. "Just a bit further."
Every sound and snap of the branches beneath my feet made me jump until my footsteps increased. I was practically running by the time I reached the Orchard. My breathing came in pants, and I almost collapsed on the ground in my relief.
Pushing myself to keep going, I raced toward the door the prince had shown me before. When I arrived, I fingered the key in my pocket. I could leave now. I had practically said my goodbyes already. I could go home, tell my family goodbye, and then...
What? I could come back, but then I would age so quickly that I wouldn't be able to enjoy my time with the others. A blink of time and I would be gone, leaving them behind still gorgeous and thriving. They'd forget me of course. They've lived for centuries while I barely had twenty years on me.
A whisper made my head jerk to the side.
"Girl."
I cocked my head to the side and squinted in the dark. "Hello? Is someone there?" I inched toward the bushes where the voice had come from. The whisper didn't sound again. However, when I reached to push back the branches of the bush, a light jumped out at me.
I hopped backward, my hand on my chest. "Watch!"
The opalaught held a lantern up between us, an annoyed expression on his face. "You're late, Ms. Liddell. Come, this way."
I didn't have the chance to ask him what I was late for before he raced back into the bushes, his light bobbing beside him.
"Wait," I called out, kneeling on the ground to follow him. I winced as a branch scraped my cheek. I pushed through the bushes, searching for the opalaught. Crawling into the opening I made, I found there was more behind them than the wall led me to believe. A faded sign sat to one side that I couldn't read in the dark. I pushed through the opening and shoved the vines and leaves out of my face. The light bounced around in
front of me, leading me further and further into the hole I was now in.
"Watch!" I cried out and wiggled out of the hole and into a large circular alcove. Watch sat at the base of a giant tree adorned with glowing orange fruit. He wiggled his nose and tapped his watch before waving me closer.
"Where are we?"
"Finally, my apologies for the delay." Watch ignored me and appeared to be talking to the tree. He gave me one more disapproving look before hopping back toward the hole. "Well, I'll be off. Goodbye, Ms. Liddell."
Spinning around, I raced after him. "Hold on one darn minute. I have questions for you." I tried to follow him, but this time, the hole had grown too small for me to enter. With a huff and a stomp of my foot, I spun back around to the tree.
Staring up at it like it would talk to me, I waited. What was I supposed to do now? It felt like everything had been leading me to this place, to this very moment, but why?
I moved further into the clearing, looking for another way out but only seeing rocks and fallen fruit. The fruit on the ground had lost their brilliance, no inner light shone from the center. They were rotten and lifeless. The others, though, called to me.
I wondered what they tasted like. Their shape was like that of a peach, and when I pulled one from its branches, its skin felt like one. Unlike a peach, it warmed in my palm, and I was surprised to see the light inside of it didn’t die out when I plucked it.
Bringing the fruit to my mouth, I bit into it. Juices filled my mouth and my eyes closed. A voice whispered in my mind. An ancient voice asking me what I desired more than anything in this world. I knew what I wanted without having to think about it. Thoughts of what the shadows had offered me, to be Fae, rushed to the forefront of my mind.
With each bite I took, the world around me changed. The juice of the fruit which had been a pleasantly sweet flavor became more prominent. I could taste every aspect of its existence, feel the different ridges of the skin of the fruit, smell the ground beneath my feet and the lingering scent of the opalaught, musky and wet.
My knees buckled beneath me, and I dropped the fruit. On my hands and knees much like I had been just hours ago, I gasped for air. My lungs burned, and my skin tingled. Every inch of me felt like it was being pulled at its seamed and restitched into a different design. I pinched my eyes closed tightly, moaning and praying the feeling to go away. I didn’t want to die. Not yet. Not now.
It seemed like forever before I was finally able to breathe normally again. Shifting on the ground, I slowly opened my eyes. The dirt, I could see it, every single grain of dirt, rocks, and bugs wriggling beneath the ground. The smell of it assaulted my nose, earthy and moist. I turned my face from it and instantly regretted it.
Before Hatter’s jacket had a pleasant aroma that made me warm and protected. Now, though it burned my nose, and I just wanted it off me. Before I had a chance to take the jacket off, my clothes morphed beneath my hands. The jacket shortened and changed from purple to a dark blue. My skirt lengthened and flared out, my drawers replaced with those I’d worn at home. Even the shoes on my feet changed. Little fingerless gloves covered my hands as I stared with awe.
My hands reached up to my head where my hair had been adjusted back into the lovely updo Coby had given me before, the little hat still sitting on my head. Was I Fae? Was this it?
I tried to make a cup of tea appear. Nothing. However, I was able to make my gloves change from pink to blue and then back. Interesting. I played with my powers, astonished to find out that I not only could change my clothes but my appearance. I made myself tall like my sister Rhoda and then short as Mop.
Giggling in glee, I spun around in place. This was better than I had ever hoped for. I could really use this.
I had a dark thought, a thought I would have never thought to have before this very moment. Chewing on my lower lip, I darted a look at the tree as if it could read my thoughts and then shook my head. I was being silly. It’s just a tree.
Turning away from it, I flounced back to the hole which, at my approach, expanded and became a full entrance. I waltzed right through it and back into the Orchard, a merry little skip in my step. When I saw the door, my eyes brightened. My hand darted into my pocket, and I pulled out the key.
Not letting myself think about it, I shoved the key into the door and turned it. Pulling the door open, I peered inside before glancing back at the Orchard. I'd be back. I had one last thing to take care of.
WHEN I CAME BACK through the doorway, I was beside myself. I couldn’t stop thinking about the look on Lewis’s face when I appeared in his bedroom.
“Alice! Where have you been?” he climbed out of his bed and reached for me. “I’ve been worried sick.”
I shoved him away from me and snapped, “Were you? Were you really? Or were you upset that you lost your little storyteller?”
Lewis’s brows furrowed. “Whatever do you mean? You ran away in the middle of our wedding.”
“And I’m glad I did, or I would have found out I had been settling. Settling for this life.” I threw my hands up around me and sneered. “And settling for you.” I urged my magic forward and felt myself transforming before him, making his eyes widened and terror leak from his every pour. “I’ll never let someone like you use me ever again.”
Blinking back the memories, I grinned and raced for the edge of the Orchard. I couldn’t wait to tell the others what had happened. How I didn’t have to leave now. I could stay with them.
“Fae suits you.”
I stumbled to a stop, falling backward and away from the collective voice, I had convinced myself had been a dream. There, hiding between the trees, they blinked at me. Large bulbous eyes covering a formless figure. Climbing back to my feet, I straightened my spine and faced them.
“Thank you. I am quite enjoying myself.”
“We would hope so for the price it will cost you.” They laughed, the sound of it burning my ears. “You have not forgotten our deal, have you?”
“No. I haven’t,” I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. “Go on. Tell me what you want in return, so I can get back.”
“Oh, don’t be too hasty. The payment time has come, and we are here to collect.” They paused for dramatic effect and then continued, “The opalaught who helped you will help you again. Find the prince and make the princess feel something, or we’ll make you and yours feel worse.”
With those parting words, the shadows merged with the darkness around them leaving me befuddled and tired. Why couldn’t they speak plainly? Why did it all have to be games and riddles? If there were one thing I would miss about humans, it was their blatant need to talk about everything.
I sat on the hill and thought, trying to piece together the puzzle pieces of the job the shadows had given me. As dawn began to approach, I had finally figured out something that I could use.
The shadows clearly wanted me to move the two royals in the right direction. Why they wanted the two of them to have a happily ever after when everyone else had claimed the shadows were bad made the whole situation confounding. However, I had gotten my part of the deal and had to play my part even if I didn’t understand it.
The princess found me threatening. So, I could play with that. Jealousy could be a strong motivator.
The bright rising of the sun made me wince and blink my eyes against it. My new heightened senses were going to take some getting used to. My ears were still ringing from suddenly being able to hear everything.
Like the crunch of footsteps coming my way. I would never have been able to hear them had I still been human. Cheshire’s steps were far lighter than anyone’s I’d ever heard before, so being able to hear it at all was pure magic.
“What are you doing here?” I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest. “I thought you were sleeping?”
Cheshire arched a brow. “You aren’t as quiet as you think you are, kitten.” He shifted to my side, his tail falling from his shoulder and looping around my waist. “What are you doing up this ea
rly? You found some new clothes.”
“Um, yes. The queen gave them to me.” I gave him a weak smile as my mind blanked for any further explanation. I couldn’t gather my thoughts quickly enough to come up with an excuse. I couldn’t tell him I was waiting for the prince. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, let alone know what I was planning to do.
“Uh, I needed a few moments alone.” I clucked my tongue and then pointed toward the sunrise. “I wanted to see if the sunrise was the same here as back home.”
“Understandable.” Cheshire brushed his fingers along my jawline, and I shivered in pleasure. One good thing about the new senses, not only were eyes and ears enhanced, but every touch felt like a million strokes deep within me. “Why don’t you come back to bed, and I’ll show you the true pleasures of being with a Fae?”
I caught sight of Watch out of the corner of my eye. “Why don’t you go, wake Hatter, and I’ll come to join you in a moment? I wanted a word with Watch about sending my family a message.”
Cheshire glanced to the opalaught and then back to me, his lips turning down in a frown. “Alright, but don’t keep me waiting too long or Hatter will get impatient.” He brushed his lips against my cheek before unwinding his tail from my waist, but not before he slid that tail between my things with a wicked grin.
Digging my nails into my hands, I smiled back. When he was out of sight, and Watch had entered the Orchard, I rushed to his side. “Watch, you need to get the prince right now.”
“I would be happy to get your prince for you, what is the problem?” Watch adjusted his waistcoat and pulled a long chain out of his pocket, looking at the time. “There are but a few moments before dawn. Surely it can wait?”
“No.” I shook my head. “It has to be now. There’s a problem with the princess. She needed to see him, right now. It’s a matter of life and death. The wedding depends on it.”
Watch’s face tensed, his furry brow raising in alarm. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place? I will call for him at once.”