Secret of the Wolf (Silver Wolves MC Book 2) by Sky Winters (29)

“Stop! Come any closer to me and I’ll throw myself over the edge!” she screamed at him.

“Go ahead.  You’ll save me the trouble of hauling you back to your brother kicking and screaming,” he laughed as he continued toward her.

Murdina took a deep breath and said a silent prayer as she stood on the edge, preparing to jump.  Suddenly, strong arms were around her, pulling her upon the back of a black stallion headed deep into the woods.  She barely had time to register what was happening as she was rushed into the dark part of the forest where no one dared go by a strange man she had never seen before.  They were miles away before he stopped and climbed down, helping her off the horse before pulling the hood of the long dark cloak her wore away from his head.  She stood looking up at his dark, handsome face and broad shoulders as he looked down upon her softly.

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t have time to see if you were okay, but it appeared you were between a rock and hard place back there.  Well, a mob and a hole might be more apt,” he told her with a smile.

“I’m . . . fine,” she hesitated.  “Are we safe from them?  I can’t go back with them.”

“You are safe,” he replied, putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her.  She felt a shudder go through her entire being as he touched her.  Whoever he was, he had saved her.

“Thank you so much.  I was in dire straits,” she told him.

“It certainly seemed that way.  Why are those men after you?” he asked.

Murdina considered the question, but was hesitant to answer.  She had no idea who this man was.  Just because he saved her didn’t mean he was a good guy.  He could very well turn around and ransom her back to her brother if he knew who she was.

“They wanted to trade me for favors from a man with which they do business,” she replied.

“Sounds like nasty business, that.  Where were you planning to go to get away from them?  I can help you get there,” he replied.

“I didn’t know.  I stole a horse and just took off on it.  I was just trying to get far away and then sort out where I would go after that,” she replied.

“Well, our camp is not far.  We are mostly men, but there are some women.  You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you need.  You will be safe.  We only ask that you do your part,” he told her.

“That would be overwhelmingly kind of you.  I would appreciate it very much,” she replied, feeling relieved.

“Very good.  I’m Rory of the Clan McKordia,” he told her, looking at her softly.

“Anna,” she lied.

“Just Anna?” he asked.

“Yes, just Anna,” she told him.

“Well, Anna, let’s get you back to camp before those men decide to venture into the darkness to find you,” he replied.

Murdina knew that the men would not venture into the darkest part of the woods to look for her.  At least, not at this late hour.  She could go to Rory’s camp with him at least for the night to figure out what she must do from there.  Tomorrow, the men would surely return with reinforcements to retrieve her.  Climbing onto the back of Rory’s horse, she held onto him as they rode quietly through the thick part of the forest.  She felt safe and secure with him, despite his being a stranger to her.  Hopefully, he wouldn’t betray that simple trust and she would make it to some far away land where she could feel completely at ease.

“Here we are,” he told her as they rode into what appeared to be a makeshift encampment. 

Looking around, Anna could see huts that were erected with whatever materials were handy.  They were built all along the banks of the river that ran through the forest and ended in a waterfall of the cliff on the other side.  The cliff jutted out so that three sides of the camp were protected by the steep climb it would take to reach it from below.  The only way in was through the deepest part of the forest where very few dared to venture.  There were tales of many who had done so and never returned.  Even the cliff itself was obscured by a heavy bank of trees that enclosed the somewhat open area along the water’s edge

“This is quite the place you have set up here,” she remarked.

“Yes, it is.  We aren’t really welcome in most of the established areas of Scotland.  It is in our best interest to keep to ourselves the best that we can.  You are lucky that I was out bartering with a nearby trader when I came across your situation,” he said.

“I was lucky.  I don’t know that I can ever thank you enough,” she replied.

“It was nothing,” he replied, stopping and climbing down off the horse.  As before, he reached up to help her down.

Anna looked awkwardly around, not sure what to do next.  She had no place here.  All her life she had lived behind castle walls.  It would be obvious to them that she was not a commoner the moment she attempted to do any menial task.  Her short lived relief gave way to panic.

“Where will I stay?” she asked nervously.

“I don’t know.  I have room, but that would be inappropriate.  Let me get my horse unpacked and we will find a place where you will be comfortable.  Have you eaten today?” he asked.

“No,” Anna replied, shaking her head and looking at the ground.  She felt like a beggar.

“Then, let’s get you something to eat while I work on everything else,” he told her. 

“I don’t know what to say,” she said, feeling ashamed.

“Don’t say anything, Anna.  Pretty much everyone here was in your shoes at some point.  Some of us are kinsmen that came here together, but a good many of the people are just like yourself.  They were on the run from something or someone when they wound up here.  Some hadn’t eaten for days and had nothing to call their own.  They came here and made a new life.  You can find a place here, if you choose.  If not, then you are welcome to our good graces while you figure it out.  As I said before, we only ask that you do your part while among us,” he told her gently.

A tear rolled down Anna’s face.  She couldn’t imagine living in these conditions for very long.  Then again, she had nowhere else to go.  At least it would give her time to come up with a plan.  She nodded silently toward Rory, not able to say anything at the moment for fear she would burst into all out tears.

“Very good.  See that woman right over there with the giant black pot over a fire?” he asked.  Anna nodded again and he continued, “Go over there and tell her you want a bowl of whatever she is making.  Tell her I sent you.”

“Okay,” Anna replied, starting toward the woman.  She stopped suddenly and turned back, only to find that Rory was still watching her walk away.  “Um, thank you again, Rory.”

“My pleasure,” he replied, turning away to begin unpacking the horse.

Anna hurried over to the woman, a large pie faced peasant that she ordinarily would not have so much as glanced at.  She relayed what Rory had told her to say and the woman beamed at her, fishing a large wooden bowl off a nearby table.  Filling it with a healthy portion of the porridge she had prepared in the large iron kettle, she retrieved a hard crust of bread and a small block of cheese to place on top, handing them to Anna and directing her to a nearby rock where she could sit and eat.

“There you go, love.  Welcome to our home,” the woman told her with a large grin as she handed her a large stein filled with fresh milk.  “Just wash your things when you are done and return them to the table.”

“Thank you so much!” Anna told her, taking her food over to the large flat rock and sitting down to eat.  She had never tasted food like this before.  It was quite delicious, full of unusual spices and consistencies.  She had forgotten how hungry she had gotten and was done with the food in no time.  She swilled down the last of her milk and sat looking around at the people working on various things around her.  Feeling quite gluttonous, she took her empty vessels over to the edge of the water and began rinsing them in the flowing stream.  Rory met her as she returned.

“Feel better now?” he asked.

“Yes.  I feel almost like a person again,” she told him, smiling.

“Good.  I found you someplace to stay.  We will need to do some work to it today, but it will be yours for as long as you need it,” he told her.

“That’s great!” Anna told him, following him in the direction he motioned.  She found herself standing in a run down little shack built with various branches and sticks.  The floor was dirt and the wind whistled through it, but it seemed fairly sturdy.

“My friend, Haggis, built this for himself.  He wasn’t quite done when we lost him.  Quite the charmer, he was.  It is only fitting that a damsel in distress take it over for him,” Rory said, the half-smile on his face very telling as to his affection for his lost friend.

“What happened to him?” she asked thoughtfully.

“An unfortunate hunting accident,” he replied with a grimace.  “Anyway, let’s get this place set up for you.  I’ll mix up some clay to fill in the holes for you so that you aren’t chilled to the bone.  I have some blankets and extra things you can use inside.  Of course, you are always welcome to borrow anything of mine that you need.  I only request that you ask first and return promptly.”

“This is all so nice of you.  I don’t know how I will ever repay you,” she replied.

“Just find some peace.  That will be good enough for me,” he told her.

“I will do my best,” she replied.

“Okay, there is a broom and some old potato sacks over by where you got the porridge from May.  I suggest you sweep out the debris from the floor and line it with the sacks to make it a little more habitable in there.  Though you might want to hold up on the sacks until after we have filled the holes.  Some clay is bound to escape inside as we work,” he told her.

“I’ll just sweep and then help you with the holes before I worry about the sacks,” she told him.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” he replied.

They both left the small hut.  Murdina retrieved the broom while he mixed clay over near the river.  By the time he returned, with two large buckets in hand, she had finished cleaning up a bit inside and was waiting, ready to apply the mud to her new home.

“Have you ever done this before?” he asked.

“No, never,” she admitted.

“You just scoop up the clay with your hand and smooth it into the cracks in the branches.  The more we can cover, the warmer it will be in there for you.  Watch me,” he told her, dipping one of his large hands into the bucket and slapping a healthy bit of the mud onto the branches.  He smeared it all around, letting it pack into the cracks between the branches.  Murdina followed suite, though her hands were much smaller.  The branches scraped at her delicate skin as she worked, but she ignored the pain and tried to do her part as best she could.

After several more trips to the river for more clay and hours of working side by side, the hut was finally done.  The two of them stood back, looking at it as it stood drying in the sun.  Murdina felt quite proud of herself as she took in her handiwork.  While it dried, she ducked inside and swept out the clay that had dripped onto the floor below before it could harden there.  Afterward, she lined the inside with the potato sacks and retrieved some rocks to hold some of the edges down so that they didn’t shift about.

“Looks better already,” Rory told her as he stepped inside.  “Where do you want your cot?”

“Cot?” she asked.

“Yes.  I can’t very well leave a lady to sleep on the ground on sacks.  I have some spare wood by my place.  I can build you a simple cot to sleep on.  You’ll find it much more comfortable,” he told her.

“I feel like you have done so much for me already,” she told him.

“I don’t mind.  Come on and help me carry some of this over,” he told her.

Anna followed him over to where the rocks rose further up to a taller cliff on one side of the ones they were on.  She watched as he stepped inside a cave entrance and then followed him inside and down a narrow passageway between two stone cave walls.  Much to her surprise, it opened back up into a massive cathedral where he had set up his living quarters.

“This is incredible!” she exclaimed. 

“Yes, it is,” he replied, gathering up some animal skins and wool blankets to hand to her.

“Do you live here alone?’ she asked, hoping it didn’t seem too personal.

“I do.  I always have.  I found this place a long time ago, when I first happened upon this clearing in the woods and the cliffs.  In fact, I almost went right over the cliffs on my way through the woods that surrounded them.  Injured my horse trying to pull back at the last moment and had to stay for a while to let him heal.  There was nothing here and it was cold out.  I found the entrance to the cave and initially holed up in the passageway.  It wasn’t until the next morning that I discovered the rest.  There is a lot more to it.  I will show you one day when we have more time,” he told her, handing her a drinking vessel, some gourds and a length of twine.

“Gourds?” she said quizzically.

“You’ll see.  Take that stuff back to your hut and I’ll be there soon with the wood and tools to build your cot,” he told her.  Anna nodded and left with the armload of things he had given her.  The camp was beginning to get a bit fuller with people she assumed were returning from elsewhere.  Several of them looked at her curiously as she passed and a few greeted her politely or introduced themselves.  She had to admit she felt a bit awkward here among strangers as she ducked into her hut to hide out until Rory arrived.  He was only minutes behind her.

“Let’s get this done.  It is getting late and I want to start a boar on the spit for our dinner,” he replied.

“Our dinner?” she replied.

“Yes, unless you are planning on going out and slaying game of your own, I expected we would eat together,” he told her.

“I am afraid I lack any hunting skills,” she told him.

“I am not surprised.  They don’t usually teach such things to royalty,” he replied.

“Royalty?” she said, her heart suddenly beating rapidly in her chest.

“Yes.  You didn’t really think I didn’t know who you are, did you, Murdina?” he said with a smile.

“Are you going to send me back to my brother?” she asked fearfully.

“No.  Your brother is a monster.  I know that he was trying to wed you to Lord Cannon.  Both of their reputations are known far and wide and you will find that no one here supports them.  However, it would be best that you keep your identity between the two of us.  No one here would try to ransom or reward you back to him, but we do have some people who talk too much.  I don’t think any of them will recognize you on their own,” he said.

“How did you?” she asked him.

“Let’s just say I’ve spent a great deal of time in the kingdom bartering without being noticed.  You are not the only one your brother would like to see come to a miserable end,” he said.

“Thank you, Rory.  It means a lot to me that you would help me even knowing that I lied to you and that I have such a terrible sibling on my trail,” she said.

“He and his knights do not frighten us and we won’t let them frighten you either as long as you are here,” he replied.  Murdina stood there with tears falling down her face.  It felt good to be safe and not scared of him finding out about her and sending her away.  Relief truly washed over her as he pulled her to him and held her close, smoothing her hair with his broad hands.  She jerked away as they were interrupted by one of the men in the camp clearing his throat in the doorway.

“You need help, Rory?” he asked.

“That would be great,” Rory replied, not bothering to explain why she had been in his arms.  “Duncan, this is Anna.  She will be staying with us for a while.  There are some men following her and if they are stupid enough to follow her here, I will need help in making sure she is kept safe.  I need that kept between us.”

“Understood,” Duncan replied before turning toward her.  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Anna.  Don’t worry about a thing.”

“Pleasure is all mine.  Thank you, Duncan,” she replied.  Wiping the last of her tears away, she moved to one side while the two men began working on a bed for her.  It didn’t take long for them to finish it, leaving her a sturdy wooden frame with a heavy animal fur suspended firmly in its center.  It would be warm and comfortable.

“That all you need? Duncan asked Rory.

“Can you slap me together a small table for the other side for her?” Rory asked.

“Better than that.  I have one already built that I was going to barter.  I’ll give her that one and make another in the morning,” he said.

“I don’t have anything to pay you with,” Anna interjected.

“You’ve no need to pay me.  We work together here.  At some point, I’ll need a favor and when I do, I trust I can ask you,” he said with a smile before saying a farewell.

“Let’s get these gourds up,” Rory said, using a sharp pointed piece of metal to poke holes near the top and string the chord through them.  She watched as he suspended them from the entrance to the hut, getting them into place just before Duncan returned with the table.  He cursed as they clacked all around his head when he entered.  Rory laughed and looked at her.  “And that is what you need gourds for.  We will have to find you a makeshift door of some sort.  In the meantime, you’ll know if anyone tries to come in before they get to you.  More importantly, the people around you will know, as well.”

Duncan sat the table to one side of the hut and rubbed his head where the gourds had hit it.  “Is this a good place?” he asked her.

“It’s perfect.  Thank you, Duncan,” she replied.  He nodded and left the hut.

“Alright, I’m going to get to work on that pig.  Settle in the best you can with what you have to work with and I’ll be back to fetch you in a while.  You have a bed and covers now, so if you just want to stretch out and rest for a while, you are safe and can do that.  I promise no one will harm you here,” he told her.

“Thank you again, Rory.  I just don’t know how I will ever be able to thank you enough for all you are doing for me,” she replied.

“You have been greatly wronged, your highness.  I promise you that not only will I keep you safe, I will see to it that you are returned to your rightful place,” he told her.

“Perhaps my rightful place wasn’t in a palace, after all,” she replied.  “I think you might want to just stick with calling me Anna.  I might well become a permanent name for me.”

“We will see, Anna,” he said with a smile before leaving, carefully navigating the long strand of gourds to one side as he went out.

Anna looked around at her sparse accommodations.  It wasn’t much, but it beat sleeping out in the woods with the insects and wild animals like she had expected to when she had left the palace.  She lay the covers across her bed and placed the drinking vessel on the table before climbing beneath them and falling into an exhausted sleep.  When she awoke, it was just beginning to get dark outside and it had cooled considerably from the warm day.  Stepping outside, she found a pile of things sitting at her hut door. 

“They are gifts from the camp,” Duncan told her.  She had not even seen him standing nearby and the sound of his voice startled her.  “I didn’t mean to alarm you.  We have a patrol that begins as night falls.  There are always a few of us keeping an eye on camp once the daylight passes.  There are few that dare venture into these parts, but we like to be prepared.  Anyway, those things are yours to keep.”

“I can’t believe how kind everyone here is,” she told him.

“We can be as brutal as we are kind.  We believe that you reap what you sow here,” he told her.  Anna merely nodded, not sure how she should respond to that.  She busied herself retrieving the items that had been left for her as he made his way to elsewhere in the camp.  There were pots, pans, trinkets and even food.  A tightly wound cloth revealed assorted dried jerky and fruit.  Another revealed hard bread and a jar full of some sort of jam.  There was even a simple dress, a much needed one at that.  She only had the one she was wearing and it wasn’t her own.  She had traded her own dress to a stable boy for the horse and his riding clothes.

“Anna?” she heard Rory call from outside the hut.

“Come in, Rory,” she replied.  He stepped through, pushing the gourds to one side and smiled at her.

“I see the village has left their customary welcome gifts,” Rory laughed, looking at the table’s contents.

“Yes.  Everyone is so wonderful here,” she replied.

“They are, for the most part.  I’d avoid the widow O’Connor for a bit.  She is a hopelessly bitter woman, but a sublime seamstress.  I’d wager it is she that left you the dress,” he said, motioning toward the garment she had lain across the bed.

“I’ll keep that in mind, though I would like to thank her for the dress,” she replied.

“I’ve got the pig on the spit and need to get back to it.  Would you like to join me and talk for a bit while it cooks?” he asked.

“I would love to,” she replied, walking toward him.  He turned to leave and she followed him out.  Rather than making a beeline to the spit, he stopped off and introduced her to several of the other people that lived in the camp.  She could see others watching them from a distance, no doubt wondering who she was and where she had come from.

“Where were you before you came here?” she asked him as they sat looking into the fire.

“My family had a village not far from here.  We lived in peace while your father was alive, but after he passed, your brother wanted us off the land.  He had his knights come to our village in the night and burn it down, murdering anyone that might oppose them.  Those of us that managed to escape or fight our way out survived in the woods for a while before coming here.  I found this place and then sought out other survivors to join me here,” he said.

“You are the highland rebels!” Anna suddenly exclaimed, only just now making the connection.

“Is that what they call us in the kingdom?” he laughed.  “Rebels?  It wasn’t us that started this.”

“Then why would you shelter me?  We are enemies,” she said.

“We are not enemies.  Your brother is my enemy and he is just as much an enemy to you.  Do you know why he wanted to marry you off to Lord Cannon?’ he asked.

“To be rid of me, no doubt.  He has kept me under lock and key out of his way since our father died.  It was his way of being done with me once and for all without having to actually kill me, though he would have been fine with it if Lord Cannon had chosen to do so,” she replied.

“Perhaps that is true, but it is not the main reason.  He wanted more land.  Land he couldn’t just take from an unsuspecting clan of Highlanders.  Lord Cannon agreed to sell him the land he wanted in exchange for you,” he told her.

“What?  Why?  Lord Cannon could choose from any woman in the kingdom,” she replied.

“All but one.  He couldn’t just choose you and you have something very valuable to him,” he replied.

“I have nothing special,” she said.

“You have royal blood.  Marrying you, makes him family and there are a lot of advantages to that sort of leverage.  There is even more of it if you conceive a royal heir to the throne,” he said, watching her eyes widen.

“Never!  I’d rather die first!” she said.

“Yes, I saw that on the cliffs.  It is how I knew you were worth saving,” he said softly.

Anna remained quiet, looking into the fire as the night fell around them.  It was a lot to digest, but she had no doubt that any of it was true.  He brother was even more diabolical than she could have imagined, burning out an entire village just to take their land.  She felt ashamed that this was the legacy for which her family would become known. 

“I will never go back there,” she told Rory suddenly.

“That is up to you, but either way . . . your brother has to go.  You understand that, don’t you?” he said.

“Yes, I do,” she replied.

“Good.  Let’s eat and talk of something more pleasant.  Would you like some wine?” he asked.

“Yes.  I would love some!” she told him.  It was considered unladylike for her to drink wine under her brother’s iron thumb, but here, the rules no longer applied.  She and Rory sat by the fire eating sections of the perfectly roasted pig and drinking wine until they were full and a bit tipsy.  No doubt their laughter could be heard all across the camp as they shared more pleasant stories of their childhoods.

“I guess I best get you back home,” he told her as the fire began to die out and it grew late.

“I suppose so,” she replied as she stood and held out a hand to help her up.  Before she could register what was happening, he bent down and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately.  No man had ever kissed her like that before and she felt that same shockwave she had when he had touched her earlier.  She had only just met this man and in one day, he had saved her, given her shelter and made her feel more womanly than anyone ever had.  She let out a deep sigh as he pulled away from her.

“I’m sorry.  That was inappropriate,” he told her.

“I don’t mind,” she replied.  He wasted no time in pulling her back to him and kissing her again.  It made her insides quiver as she felt a sudden rush of heat spread through her body.  Folded into his arms like this, she knew nothing could harm her.  She felt safe and she felt wanted.  Even more, she wanted him.

“Let me walk you back to your hut, before we do something we shouldn’t,” he said as he pulled himself away again. 

She could tell he was as heated as she was.  She didn’t want to go back to her but, but she knew it was best.  She took his hand and they began walking back.  He left her at the door with only a kiss on the cheek.  Anna went inside and lay down, her thoughts jumbled with thoughts of what it might be like to make love to a man such as Rory.  He was a Highlander, a fighter whose people were well known for their skill on the battlefront.  There was no doubt that he could be as brutal as he needed to be, but that was hard to reconcile with the kindness and generosity he had shown her this day.

The months that followed would change Anna’s life forever, more than it had already changed.  Just as she had expected, her brother’s knights had come for her again.  This time, all the way into the depths of the woods.  The men had protected the small village the best they could, but when it was breached, Anna had found herself standing face to face with the very knight that had attempted to drive her from the cliffs.

“Well, look what we have here.  If it isn’t the missing princess,” he growled.

“I’ll go with you.  Just leave these people alone,” she told him.

“That is very nice of you to offer, but I have my instructions.  I’ll be taking you back with me and relieving these people of their mortal coils,” he told her.

“You’d be better suited to worry about your own,” came a voice from behind him.  Anna looked down to see blood soaking his shirt around the tip of a sword that had been driven through his back and out his front.  As he dropped to the ground, she found herself face to face with the Widow O’Connor smiling at her.  Anna wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but didn’t have time to consider it as she was suddenly pulled away by Rory.

“I want you in the cave,” he shouted, pushing toward that direction.

“No.  I will earn my keep.  Give me a sword,” she shouted back at him.

“No, Anna.  Earn your keep elsewhere.  This is not your fight!” he yelled back at her.

“It is my fight.  They came here for me,” she told him, pulling herself free and yanking the sword from the now dead knight before running off in the opposite direction.

Rory ran after her, fighting by her side as they defending the village against the knights that had not already tucked tail and run.  It was a gory business and Anna found herself repulsed by it, but it was something that needed to be done and she was not going to sit in a cave and hide while people died because of her, but there were so many of them.  It seemed the more they fought off, the more came through the woods for them.

As she fought one off, another one suddenly lunged through and fell upon Rory, pinning him to the ground.  She ran toward him, raising her sword, but stopped it in midair as she watched something completely unbelievable.  He was changing before her eyes.  It didn’t make sense, but as you looked at him in disbelief, she saw him change shapes.  Fur sprouted from everywhere and he suddenly rose high above the knight as one of the largest black bears she had ever seen.  A few swipes with his tremendous paws and the knight was no longer moving.

Anna continued to watch as the large bear made its way around the camp, taking out any knight that dared come through the woods.  After a while, there were no more and other bears began emerging from the woods and approaching various huts.  They stood there long enough to be certain no more knights were coming before shifting back into their human states.  Rory, Duncan, and a half dozen others retreated into their homes.  She stood there, looking shocked, until Rory reappeared and told her to come with him.  She allowed him to walk her to his cave, despite her shock.

“Anna, I know what you just saw was frightening for you,” he said.

“Something like that,” she replied, still a bit in shock.

“I should have told you before you saw it.  We normally don’t have to change in camp.  We fight our battles elsewhere,” he said.

“You turned into a bear,” she said slowly as if in a dream.

“Yes.  The McKordia Clan has a high prevalence of shape shifters.  Many of us are capable of turning into bears,” he told her.

“I’m in love with a bear,” she said.

“You’re in love with me?” he said.

“I don’t know,” she said, feeling confused.

“I’m still me, Anna.  Sometimes, yes, I turn into a bear,” he said softly as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“I was frightened of you,” she told him.

“You have no need to be frightened of me.  Even in a bear state, I know who my enemies are and who they are not,” he told her.

“It is just so unnatural,” she replied.

“To you, it seems unnatural.  For me, I’ve never known anything but this,” he told her, pulling her close to him.  “I love you too, Anna.  I love you more than I know how to say.”

She pulled away from him and looked up with a weak smile.  He pulled her right back to him and kissed her the way he had been kissing her all these nights since the first one they had shared.  Tonight, she had no intentions of letting him send her home with just kisses.  She could feel the warmth of his body pressing against hers as she leaned into him, guiding his hands around her waist so that her ample bosom was pressed against him. 

“Let’s get you home,” he told her, pulling away.

“No.  I want to stay here,” she told him.

“Anna, we can’t,” he replied.

“Why not?” she asked.

“You are royalty.  I’m just common,” he told her.

“I am not royalty.  Once upon a time, I was, but not anymore.  Now, I’m just a woman living in a small village with a bunch of human bears and a crazed widow,” she replied.

“Crazed widow?” he replied, looking puzzled.

“Never mind.  Just stop treating me like a princess and make love to me.  You do want to don’t you?” she said.

“I’ve wanted you since the day I lay eyes on you standing on that cliff surrounded by knights,” he said.

“Now, you have me.  Heart, mind, body and soul.  I love you, Rory.  Let me stay here with you.  Tonight, tomorrow night, every night for the rest of my life,” she told him.

“I would be happy with that,” he told her, suddenly scooping her up and carrying her further into the cave to where his bed was.  He sat her down and began slowly undressing her, kissing her skin in every place that became exposed to his lips.  “Your skin is like the petals on flowers,” he murmered as he dragged his lips across the swell of her breasts.

“Rory, I’ve never been with anyone before,” she said breathlessly, enjoying the sensations that sang along her nerve endings as he touched her in places no one had ever explored before and pushed her back down onto the bed.

“I won’t hurt you.  I will be all yours forever,” he breathed against her nipple before pulling it into his mouth to softly swirl it about with his tongue.  Her breathing was heavy as he kneaded her breast in his hand and teased the soft pink buds that rapidly grew hard against his manipulations.  She moaned heavily as he continued to undress her, slipping a finger inside the moist pink folds in her center.  Her body stiffened momentarily against the unfamiliar intrusion, but quickly settled into enjoying the sensation.

“Oh my God, I’ve never felt anything like that before,” she cried out as his fingers penetrated her.  He leaned forward to kiss her and she could feel his rising manhood pressed firmly against her belly.  Flutters of excitement bounced about her belly as she anticipated what it would feel like.  She had always believed that lying with a man was a woman’s curse to be bared.  They did their business and your belly swelled with their spawn.  No one had ever told her that it felt so good to be touched by a man.

She watched as Rory began removing his clothes, exposing his muscular chest and slender waist to her as she lay naked on the bed watching him.  She felt wanton, but not in the least ashamed to be naked before him.  Instead, she felt more alive than she had ever been in her life as she watched him remove his pants, exposing his beautiful cock to her.

His body covered her own, his lips falling back onto hers in another heated kiss as he pushed her legs further open.  His stiffness pressed into her hard mound as he took his time kissing her skin and caressing her breasts.   It felt like agony to want him inside of her so badly and him to take his time in taking her.

“Please, Rory.  I want you so badly.  Take me,” she moaned.

“Patience, princess.  You only get one first time and I want you to remember ours forever,” he told her.

“I don’t think I could ever forget as it is,” she replied. 

He cut off her words with another kiss, his hot tongue dancing a delicious minuet with her own.  She could feel the moisture on her thighs, evidence of her need for him.  Then, he was pushing inside of her, his large helmet parting her pink waves.  She cried out a little as he took her virginity, breaking through the delicate shield that had held it in place.  It hurt as he broke her open and then began slipping slowly in and out of her wounded entrance, but the pain quickly subsided, replaced by an unfamiliar pleasure.

“Yes, yes, Rory.  Yes!” she cried, her fingernails digging into his back as he plunged into her over and over.

“You’re so tight, my love.  I have wanted to do this for so long,” he groaned, his strokes growing increasingly more vigorous.

The sounds of their coupling echoed along the walls of the cave as she became a woman.  She could feel her body responding to his, pressure building inside of her until it felt like she might shatter into a million pieces.  Rory’s mouth rested against her ear, whispering how much he loved her and how wonderful she felt as their bodies rose and fell against one another.  Then, it was if every fiber of her being was trapped in her very center and suddenly exploded, her high pitched screams of pleasure punctuating the eruption.

It happened not once, but several more times as Rory continued to pump in and out of her very core.  She couldn’t believe that so many women claimed not to enjoy this.  It was such a beautiful, exciting thing to share with someone you loved and it only made her love Rory that much more.  He gave her all she ached for as he continued to slam into her again and again.  Finally, he too succumbed to his passion and flooded her with his seed.  She could feel the force of it as it covered her inside

Afterward, Rory held her close to him, her head resting against his shoulder as they spent their first night together in a shared bed.  She knew that lying together like this was wrong in her former world, but in this new one, it felt perfectly fine.  It was this world in which she chose to live her life and Rory she chose to share it with.  As she drifted off to sleep in his arms, everything suddenly felt right with the world.

The following morning, she emerged from the cave to find some of the other members of the village smiling sheepishly at her and scurrying along.  She supposed they would get used to the idea that she would be in Rory’s cave rather than her hut from now on.  There didn’t seem to be anything critical in their gazes, so at least she wasn’t feeling as if she was being shunned as some sort of common tart.

“So, how was he?” a young woman named Heather asked her as they sat washing clothes in the river later a few days later.

“Excuse me?” Anna asked.

“Rory.  How is he in the sack?’ the woman said with a smile.

“Heather!” another one named Sonja asked.  “Mind your own business, girl!”

“Like you don’t want to know too,” Heather retorted, turning her attention back to Anna.

“Why would you ask such a thing?” Anna said, blushing.

“Because you are the only woman he has taken in the whole time he has been in this place.  There is no one else to ask,” Heather told her.

“What?  No.  I can’t be the only one,” Anna replied.

“No.  It is true.  You are,” Sonja replied.

“Why?  There are so many attractive women here and I’ve seen the way some of them look at him,” Anna replied.

“Because he doesn’t look at them the way he has looked at you since the day you got here,” Heather replied.

“He was wonderful,” Anna told them.  “That is all you’ll ever get from me.”

“Ahhhhh,” Heather sighed in resignation.

A commotion behind them caused them to all jump up, leaving the clothing they were washing behind in the river.  Anna ran toward the racket, grabbing the sword she had taken the knight before from just inside the door of her hut as she went.  Just beyond that, she found herself face to face with her brother.

“Well, how the mighty have fallen,” he spat at her.  “Dressed in ragged clothing and whoring around with a bunch of Highlander scum.”

“It was stupid for you to come here alone, Marcus” she replied.

“Who says I’m alone?” he said, looking toward the surrounding trees.  Anna could see the hooves of horses beneath the tree line and felt a sense of dread.  She turned as she heard footsteps behind her.  Rory was walking toward her, his own broadsword in hand.

“Will you be coming down here to face me as a man, Marcus?  Or will you sitting atop your horse and letting your knights do your dirty work for you again?” Rory asked him.

“Well, look who we have here.  If it isn’t one of few surviving members of the Clan McKordia.  I haven’t seen you since we were kids, Rory,” Marcus replied.

“We used to be good friends, sneaking out to the moors to play together.  Too bad you decided to become a greedy tyrant instead of a great King.  I see you are still pushing your sister around, as well,” he said.

Anna looked at Rory for a moment, a distant memory playing in the back of her mind.  It was of herself and Marcus out in the moors together.  He had been angry that she followed him there and had pushed her down, causing her knee to strike a rock.  There was still a scar where it had left a gash.  The same scar Rory had run his fingers across lovingly just last night.  He wasn’t admiring it.  He was remembering it! 

“You!  You were there that day.  Marcus pushed me and I cut my knee.  Then, he went crazy and tried to strangle me.  You came from nowhere and pulled him off of me, punched him in the nose and sent him home bleeding and crying to my father,” she said.

“Yes,” Rory replied, still keeping his eyes on Marcus.

“You stopped the bleeding and told me I would be okay, then walked me as close to the castle as you dared go without being seen,” she said.

“That was the last day I ever saw you or your brother until I saw you on the cliffs.  I recognized you immediately,” he told her.

“Well, this little trip down memory lane is very special, but I have come here to conduct business,” Marcus interjected.

“What kind of business?” Rory asked in a menacing tone.

“Well, as you can see, there are knights surrounding your entire village,” he said.  “I have come here to propose that you give me my sister and this land.”

“And let’s just say we were even willing to do that.  What do we get in return for this exchange?” Rory asked.

“Simple.  You get to live instead of dying in your beds like the majority of your family did the last time you weren’t smart enough to stay out of my way,” Marcus said.

“Well, I’m afraid that is just not really an offer we would be interested in,” Rory replied.

“Then you leave us no choice but to take it by force,” Marcus replied, raising his hand upward to signal his knights to move in.  Anna watched as they marched out of the bushes toward them.  Rory appeared unmoved as he stood beside her still facing Marcus.

“Your sister is right, Marcus.  It was stupid for you to have come here,” Rory told him.

“You are quite cocky for a man who is overrun by the King’s knights,” Marcus retorted.

“Am I, Marcus?  You might want to look again,” Rory replied with a smile. 

Anna could see the brief look of uncertainty in Marcus’s eyes as he glanced toward the lines of knights now standing inside the treeline.  Though they were still on their horses, they were covered in blood, slashes evident in their chain mail as they slumped against the horses’ necks.  From what Anna could see, not the first one was still breathing.  Bears stood behind many of the horses, waiting for Rory’s instruction.  Anna looked back at Marcus, noting that he now no longer looked uncertain.  Now, he looked clearly frightened.

“Killing a King’s knight is an offense punishable by death.  You and yours will hang for this, Rory.  That includes you, little sister,” he spat toward Anna.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Rory told him as the bears closed ranks and surrounded his horse.  Marcus turned quickly, attempting to escape but they were quickly upon him, pulling him from the horse and sending it off into the woods.  He stood in the middle of them looking around fearfully.

“Anna, what would you have done with him?’ Rory asked.

“Marcus, it seems the tables have turned.  It is now I who has dominion over your fate,” Anna told him.

“Please, Murdina,” he begged.

“Murdina no longer exists.  She was forced out of her home for her own safety and taken in by a group of Highland rebels who have shown her more love and compassion than her own brother.  My name is Anna.  I will not be returning to the throne, but neither will you, dear brother,” she told him.

“You can’t kill me.  I’m your brother!” he replied.

“I’ve no intention of killing you, Marcus.  I think you should spend years contemplating the harm you have done to people who looked up to our family and trusted that we would do the honorable thing for them.  I suspect your remaining days in the prison tower with some of the people you sent there for little or no reason might be just what you need,” she told him.

“You can’t send me there!  I am the King!” he shouted at her.

“I can and I will.  When I tell our cousins what you have done, they will support me and you will be dethroned and punished,” she said.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he scoffed.

“You should be,” she replied. 

“You heard her, secure him and we’ll take him back to the castle,” Rory said, turning toward some of the men that had gathered behind him. 

Anna’s heart raced.  There was some part of her that still loved her brother, but she knew there would never be peace for herself or anyone as long as he was allowed his freedom.  She was lost in thought when someone suddenly snatched her sword from her hand.  It all happened so fast that she barely had time to register what was going on.  Her brother was on his knees, the sword driven squarely through his heart. 

“That . . . was for my husband, you miserable little man!” the Widow O’Connor shrieked.

Marcus fell to the ground and she pulled her sword free, wiping it on her apron as she walked slowly back toward Anna and handed it to her.  Anna looked at her, wild eyed with disbelief.  Where had she even come from?

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Widow O’Connor told her before walking back toward the small hut her husband had built the day before Marcus caught him out hunting on land he deemed his and had him beheaded.

Rory and Anna stood looking at one another as the bears surrounding Marcus shifted back into the men they had been before.  Two of them picked up Marcus and asked what to do with him.

“We can’t go hauling a dead King into town, even with his sister in tow,” Rory told her.

“Toss him over the cliff.  It’s where he would have had me go if Rory hadn’t intervened.  I’ll take care of things from there,” Anna said solemnly.

The following day, she and Rory rode into the kingdom alone.  She explained to her cousins that Marcus had taken a nasty spill and gone over a cliff. 

“You are next in line for the throne, Murdina,” her cousin Edward told her.

“I don’t want it,” she told him.  “You are next after me.  I want you to tell people that I have died in the accident with my brother and take the throne.  You will be a good king.  Rory and I will stay the night here and be gone in the morning for you to make your announcement,” she told him.

“You can’t just give up the throne,” Edward chastised.

“I can and I am.  I would like to get some of my things that I wasn’t afforded the opportunity to take when I left here and you will never see me again,” she replied.

“If you are certain that you wish things to be that way, then it is what will be done,” he told her.  “Just know that if you ever need anything, you can come to me.  The world may think you are dead, but I will know you are not.”

“I appreciate that, Edward.  However, I don’t think I will ever need anything from this place ever again.  I have all I need right here,” she said, looping her arm through Rory’s.  On the way back to the Highlander’s camp, she asked him the question that she had been wanting to for some time.

“Why did you not tell me that you were the boy that saved me from Marcus all those years ago?” she asked.

“I don’t know.  I didn’t think you would remember me as I remembered you,” he said.

“I did remember you.  You’ve just changed so much.  That boy seemed so timid and shy,” she replied.

“A lot of time has gone by since then.  The harsh realities have a way of changing a person,” he replied.

“I suppose so,” she replied, knowing that she too had changed quite a bit since her parents had died and she had seen so much cruelty.  Rory surprised her by pulling the wagon over and turning toward her.

“I want to marry you, Anna.  Will you marry me?” he asked.

“Yes!  Yes, I will.  Can we do it today?” she asked.

“If that is what you want,” he replied.

“It is exactly what I want,” she beamed.

“Then you will be my bride by the end of the day,” he replied, putting the wagon back into motion. 

Later that afternoon, they were married in a ceremony performed by Duncan, who just happened to be an ordained minister.  The entire village surrounded them and cheered for them as they were joined as man and wife.  Anna caught sight of the Widow O’Connor beaming radiantly and looking happier than she had ever seen her.  Apparently, vengeance does do the soul some good.

Six months later, Anna stood by the river talking with the women who were washing clothes as they handed them to her to hang on the makeshift clothes line that ran between two trees.  Ordinarily, she would be helping them, but it was hard getting down to the water in her current condition.  She smiled as she saw Rory approaching her with a broad smile.  He put his hand upon her growing bely and spoke to their unborn child softly.

“We’re going to have a great life, my son,” he replied.

“How do you know it is a son?” Anna laughed.

“Because this world can only stand one beauty as great as yours, my love,” he told her with a kiss on the cheek.

THE END

 

Clan of the Dragon

been light when her journey had begun, but as the long miles distanced her from home, the grey of the late afternoon cast a shadow over her heart and was soon followed by the blackness of night.

Only that morning she had been kissing goodbye to her aunt and uncle outside the old stone walls of Glennick castle, her home for the last 16 years. She had never known her mother and father; they had died when she was two years old. The circumstances had never really been explained, questions on the subject hadn’t been encouraged and so she hadn’t asked. Although, she was often haunted by dreams of them surrounded by a fiery light.

The thought of home added an extra weight to her heart. She was tired but could not sleep. The constant bumping and swaying of the carriage did not help, but the journey played heavy on her heart. Lord Edmond McConnel was the reason for her travel, her final destination, her fate.

Lady Davina could bring no blame to the door of her aunt and uncle, her legal guardians. They had been kind to her growing up, but even they could not shield her from the brutal facts of life.

Over the years their lands had dwindled, some taken by force during the wars, some sold to make ends meet until there was nothing left to sell. The last few years had been hard, her aunt had been taken ill and nearly died; the castle walls were crumbling around them and another bad winter could prove to be much for the old place, having fallen into disrepair and part ruin over the last few decades.

Fortunes had been lost, and there was little else of any value left, except for Lady Davina; the last hope of the McDougall clan.

Lord Edmond had the reputation of being a brutish man, a cold and heartless fellow with little time for compassion or love. Yet he had wanted Lady Davina the moment he had set his eyes upon her. For a man with such an ugly soul he craved beautiful possessions around him, to fill the black void of his heart. He waged war for lands and property, stole and ravaged the wealth of the neighbouring clans for all they possessed. He wanted Lady Davina and nothing would get in his way. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he would own her. With the might of his men he could have easily taken her by force, but he did not want to seem an utter brute in her eyes, not until after they were married anyway.

He had promised the aunt and uncle funds to restore their castle. Once they were dead he would claim the property as his own, so there would be no loss to his purse.

She had accepted willingly, there had been little choice, no other alternative open to her. Her aunt and uncle would not survive another winter.

Lady Davina peered out through the small carriage window and out onto the bleakness of the countryside. The moon picked out the shapes of tree’s and hedges, ghoulish in the wintry white glow and she shivered inwardly. Only her face reflected back through the glass, a pale and wide eyed young girl, lost in the bleakness of the night.

She had never been so afraid of anything before in her life and the feeling left her helpless; half sick with apprehension.

There were lights ahead and soon the grey high walls of Castle McConnel came into view. Her hand was shaking and she breathed deeply several times to calm herself before the door of the carriage was finally opened. A footman approached to help her down the steps and to the castle doors.

A line of servants graced the entrance, shivering in the bitter air to welcome their new mistress, all eyes keen to catch sight of their master’s bride to be.

Lady Davina felt her heart in her mouth as she approached the line of grim faced employee’s. Life was hard at the castle and the people that worked here had not much to smile about. She tried to meet their eyes with kindness and warmth, but there was none in return, only cold stares and something almost akin to hatred; something she had never known in her short and sheltered life.

She was marrying the master, and they assumed therefore that she too must be like him; cold, cruel and heartless.

The focus of attention soon shifted to the great oak door at the top of the steps as it suddenly swung open into the night. Two large mastiff dogs leapt down the steps and disappeared into the darkness, closely followed by a loud and bellowing roar; a noise almost beast like in its tone.

The line of servants visibly shuddered as Lord Edmond McConnel appeared like a demon in the night, raging at the top of the steps. The candles from inside the hall lit his backdrop like the fiery hue of hell itself.

His figure was tall and dark against the doorway, yet he swayed visibly as he shouted something incomprehensible into the night. He was clearly drunk and in a state of anger as he waved his arms aggressively against the small crowd of people gathered outside.

“What do you think you are doing out here, get inside and bring me more wine.”

The men looked at each other until one of the older men stepped forward tentatively to speak.

“Sir, your bride to be has just arrived, the Lady Davina is here. We came out to greet her as instructed.”

For a moment Lord Edmond stood silently, looking at his man with a fixed concentration whilst taking the words slowly into his brain. His hand swept back the thick, black hair that had flopped across his forehead before spinning around to face the young girl, now cowering behind him.

Her beauty stopped him in his tracks. He had forgotten how bewitching the child had been. Now she would be his. He licked his lips in anticipation of the pleasures to come and clumsily lurched towards her.

She had only seen him on one occasion. At the County Ball six months ago, where all the great and the good had paraded themselves like great pompous beasts. She had been shy and had inwardly shrunk as her aunt and uncle had introduced her to the Lords and Ladies present. She had smiled politely and nodded in response at the appropriate moments, not knowing the effect her beauty had on all those who met her. Anyone with a keen eye would have noticed her hand shake slightly as she offered her hand unwillingly to those earnest young men wishing to dance with her.

Lord Edmond had not asked her to dance, but after their brief introductions his eyes had followed her around the room like a jealous husband. He had known he would have her from that moment.

Lady Davina had been afraid of him from the first moment he had clasped her small hand within his own clammy palms. He had been handsome enough, but there had been something of the wolf about him, the eyes cold and unfeeling, even in his own lust.

She was already feeling quite faint. She was tired; the journey had been a long one, and she was ready for bed. Her last meal had been at the small Inn, almost 7 hours ago and it had been a simple dish of bread, cheese and ale; she was so ravenous that she was past being hungry.

Ever since their betrothal had been announced, she had tried to picture Lord Edmond as a kind man, someone she could live happily with, even if she could not love him. The sight of him now put all such thoughts out of her mind and she was filled with an overwhelming feeling of dread. What had she agreed to?

As his sneering lips parted in front of her, the stench of his foul breath, stale alcohol and tobacco hit her full in the face. She almost wretched and had to turn her face away from him, stepping back a little in repugnance.

Lord Edmond was in no humour to be greeted in such a way. He was used to his servants and men fawning over him as he played the great Laird. The fact that his bride-to-be seemed almost repulsed by the sight of him caused him some embarrassment, how dare this girl, his property, turn her face away from him.

The men and women in line caught their breath at the sight of their master; they knew him well and could sense his displeasure. His whole body bristled and they waited for the backlash, but there was none. Lord Edmond’s face was white in the moonlight as he calmed his inner rage. There would be time enough to tame the girl; he had dealt with wilder beasts in his time and they had all been broken in the end, there was not one battle that he had not won.

Lady Davina looked slowly back towards Lord Edmond. She hadn’t known what to expect, but not silence. She was half cowering before him, as if he might strike her at any moment but he did not. His red rimmed eyes narrowed and looked unblinkingly into hers and there was something that made her shudder deep inside.

“You are cold my dear, what am I thinking?” his voice was cold and sharp in the night air as he reached out a thin and grasping hand and laid it heavily upon her arm.

“Now, let’s get you inside and up to your room to warm you thoroughly.”

He licked his lips with the merest hint of malice in his voice that she stood unmoving, her feet unwilling to follow the vile man.

“Come my dear,” his voice was now impatient and his grasp on her arm grew tighter as he pulled her away from the carriage and towards the entrance to the castle.

She felt numb as each step took her nearer to the castle doors, up the steps past the line of servants, seeing the pity in their eyes as she approached them. Up close they could see she was just a mere girl, a slip of a thing; the beauty and the beast.

The room that had been prepared for her was beautiful and yet lacked the warmth and comfort of her slightly shabby rooms back home. Home; this was her home now and she could feel the tears start to prick at the back of her eyes as she conjured up happy memories. Would she ever be happy again?

Her trunks and boxes were brought up and stacked neatly against the wall. With some relief Edmond had taken his leave at the doorway to her room and she had shut the door with pleasure. A plate of hot food was to be brought up to the bed chamber and she pulled off her slippers, stockings and outer garments before climbing onto the bed. A huge fire had been set in the grate and was blazing away, filling the room with the only cheer that she had felt all day.

She loosened her undergarments to feel more comfortable and untied her hair, releasing it into its natural state of long dark ringlets that tumbled around her face. Finally her shoulders sagged as the weight and worry of the day slipped away into the soft pillow beneath her head. She closed her eyes and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Her dream was filled with fire and fury, and her new castle was surrounded by an orange glow. She was being chased by a wild beast and could not find a way out. With no exit from the castle she found herself running up the stone stairs and along the castle wall towards the turret. When she arrived in the tower, she held her breath and hid behind a pile of grey stones. Outside of the tower she could hear something calling for her, a sound that reminded her of her childhood. She looked down toward her skin and could see it was turning as grey as the walls around her. She gasped when she realized her skin was turning into scales. “He is coming,” a distant voice murmured.

The dream could have lasted hours or merely minutes, but when she opened her eyes the Laird stood close to her at the foot of the bed, his face twisted into a smug leer.

“The sleeping beauty awakes I see, I have brought you your dinner Davina,” there was no warmth or charm to his voice yet he appeared to be sober.

It was a second or two before she remembered her state of undress and sat up quickly, pulling her bodice up to cover her modesty. The silk of the garment had slipped down and exposed the soft curves of her breasts and she felt the heat blush across her pale cheeks.

A sadistic smile spread across the face of Lord Edmond. “Come, come my dear. There is no need for blushes. You will soon be my wife and your young, soft body will be mine, and mine yours of course. Let me look at you a while longer, you are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.”

Stepping closer he reached out and his hand touched the delicate lace work of her bodice, brushing the warm and soft flesh encased within. His ardour was aroused and his eyes glittered with lust for his young virgin bride. It was not a loving feeling but one of pure animal desire and domination.

Lady Davina had never been kissed before, let alone touched so intimately by a man, alone in her room. Her initial reaction was to back away from his probing fingers and she pushed herself deeper into the bed, turning her face away from him for a second time.

“Oh no you don’t. If it wasn’t enough for you to humiliate me in front of the servants. I will not be refused by my future wife in my home.”

She felt the weight of his body move over her, crushing her into the bed. Lady Davina could hardly breathe as he pressed down upon her chest, his fingers now reaching inside the satin and lace and squeezing at the delicate flesh within. He had never been so aroused by a woman in his life, and the fact that she shrank away from him only increased his lust. The wetness of his lips brushed against her neck and it was as if a snake were slithering there. Her body lay unmoved and rigid beneath him, and the more he revealed her flesh, the more distant she became, withdrawing within herself so only a mere shell remained.

“You will look at me while I take my pleasures. You will enjoy this.”

He twisted her head around to face his, the hair caught under her head and pulling at her scalp. She did not notice the pain but just stared blankly into the distance, her eyes wide open in alarm, her mouth closed and silent.

Lord Edmond pressed his lips onto hers. His mouth was greasy, oily as it slipped and rubbed against her own. His sickly tongue tried to probe beneath the fleshy rosebud lips but her mouth was closed in a steely resolution. She would not open herself to this man; how could she, filled as she was with fear?

She was like a dead weight under him, unresponsive and leaden. Even Lord Edmond wanted some interaction from his conquests. He would have rather that she spat at him and clawed at his eyes than lay so still and silent. Eventually he sat up and adjusted his clothing.

His usually pale face was flushed with unspent desires and his hand shook with a fury that was starting to rage inside him.

“I will have you, my dear and you will want me to have you, you will be begging for me to take you, just you wait and see. But my patience won’t last forever and I will have you, one way or another.”

With a slam of the door he was gone.

Lady Davina lay on the bed for a few moments half numb with shock. She could still feel where his cruel hands had clawed at her flesh and felt as if she had already been violated. Her heart fluttered like a trapped bird in her breast; her head reeling and yet unable to think of anything clearly.

She wanted to cry but she was beyond tears; her life felt as though it had stopped and she felt nothing. As the hours ticked by and the moon moved across her window, slowly from west to east , her thoughts slowly returned, one thought recurring again and again, spinning through her head until she could stand it no longer and sat upright with a gasp of realisation. She had to get away.

Moving from the bed, she made her way carefully over to the window. The blazing fire of several hours ago was now just a layer of grey ash, tinged with the occasional amber and red and the only light was that of the moon. Brushing open the curtains she looked out into the darkness. She could make out the shapes of the trees and the hills in the distance but not much else. There was little she could do that evening, tomorrow she would plan, and tomorrow in the light everything would be clearer. Right now she needed to sleep, but before sleep she needed to eat. Walking over to the small table she lifted the cloth that revealed a plate of meat and vegetables. Although cold, it tasted delicious and it didn’t take Lady Davina long to clear the plate. With a calmer mind and a full stomach she climbed back onto the bed and snuggled under the blankets. Very soon she was asleep, dreaming of taking flight.

The sound of a heavy door being unbolted, opened and closed again woke her. It was still dark but a grey light had started to filter through a gap in the curtains. She thought that she could hear a bird sing in a nearby tree, and wrapping herself in a blanket rushed to the window, just in time to see Lord Edmond stride off across the fields, the two large mastiff dogs close at his heels. Very soon he had disappeared out of sight. The rest of the house was quiet, not a sound could be heard except for a creaking in the old eaves, the wind whipping through the rafters, high above her head. Running lightly across the floor she quietly opened the door of her chamber and listened, still nothing. Carefully she stepped onto the landing and looked around her; all was quiet, no-one else in the house seemed to be awake. Feeling exposed on the landing she headed for the open stairway, glancing around her, double checking that she was alone. A sudden sound halted her steps as she approached a bend in the stairs. A whirring and a clicking sound caused her heart almost to stop as she stood stock still. It was only the old grandfather clock on the landing, striking the half hour. It was half past five; Edmond was an early riser by all accounts.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs she glanced around; the hall was empty and she had to step lightly over the stone flagged floor to avoid making a noise. Reaching the door she pulled on the great iron handle, the heavy oak frame creaking as it slowly opened before her, letting in the cold damp air of the morning.

He had left the door open, probably the only chance she would have of escaping this place or its owner, but not just yet. She was still dressed in her under garments and wrapped in a blanket and would need much more protection against the elements; food and supplies too. That would take at least a day or two to plan and she needed to get her bearings.

Gently closing the door, Lady Davina skipped up the stairs and back along the landing to her own room and jumped back into the bed to warm herself.  For the next half an hour she patiently listened until the old clock struck the hour, 6 o clock. Just after the 6th chime she heard a creaking in the floorboards above her; within 10 minutes the castle was full of sounds and voices as the servants awoke and went about their daily tasks.

A half hour window, that’s all that she would have but it would be enough time to escape.

Before long there was a gentle tap at her door. Pretending to be asleep, Lady Davina closed her eyes and inched below the blankets. It was only a young girl, come to make up the morning fire and she could relax, maybe the girl could tell her more about the area?

“Girl, what is your name?”

The young woman jumped in alarm. The request had been made kindly but in her position she was rarely addressed by the servants in the household, let alone the mistress.

Her large grey eyes were red with tiredness and a look of weariness shadowed her young features, adding years to her youth – a sure sign of poverty and hardship.

She hardly dare look at the Lady as she spoke.

“It’s Roberta madam”, her voice wavered slightly in the local dialect as she dropped into a clumsy curtsey, unsure how to present herself. Her clothes were grey and her stockings wrinkled.

Lady Davina smiled; such a grand name for such a plain and simple creature.

“I’m the new mistress Roberta and I’m very pleased to meet you. I’ve never been to the castle before and I was going to go out later for some air and I wondered how far it was to the nearest village?”

The girls eyes widened and her mouth made a little ‘O’ shape before she started to speak.

“Oh Ma’m, I’m afraid there isn’t much around these parts for miles and miles. Even the nearest cottage would take more than an hour in a carriage Ma’m. I’m afee’red that the ground round here is rough and stony and not good walking for such a lady as yourself. I’m sure the master will take you trips into town, but that be nearly a day’s drive from here”.

Lady Davina could feel her heart start to sink at the words, although the smile remained fixed on her face. If she did escape, where could she go? With no village and no house within walking distance there seemed nowhere to run to.

“Lord Edmond does ride most places Ma’m, perhaps it’s something that you could try? The Masters got a lot of ‘orses Ma’m”

She could have rushed to the girl and kissed her. Of course, horse riding, she had not thought of that. She wasn’t a great horsewoman but she knew the basics and had often gone out riding back home. All she would need to do was to find a good natured horse and a saddle and she could have at least half an hour’s advantage on him, maybe more if she was lucky. She could be miles away by the time they discovered she had gone.

A plan was slowly forming in her mind. Her aunt had made her pack some sensible clothing for the weather and she also had her old riding habit and boots. A couple of extra blankets from her bed would serve as extra protection against the elements.

Clapping her hands together in anticipation of her plan, Lady Davina realised that the young girl was still in the room.

“Will that be all Ma’m?”

“Yes Roberta, that is quite enough for now and thank you”.

Left alone Lady Davina began to devise a plan. She would need to find a horse that would suit her and the only way around that would be to somehow persuade Lord Edmond to give her a horse of her own. She would need to work with him and not against him and although the thought repulsed her, she would need to be agreeable to him whilst still keeping him at arm’s length. She was not worldly or womanly wise enough to know the art of keeping a man dangling, but she would have to try. It was her only hope.

The morning light had started to spill through the window and into the room and she stepped over to the casement to look out. There was a mist rising from the dark fields below and in happier circumstances the place would have appeared magical, ethereal almost in the soft early sheen of morning. To Lady Davina it appeared bleak and menacing, a lost place that she had to escape from.

As she was about to turn back into the bedroom, a figure approaching through the mist caught her attention. It was Lord Edmond back from his morning walk with both dogs at his heels, long pink tongues lolling from their drooling mouths. There was a knock at her door as a servant entered with her breakfast and she moved quickly away from the window before she could be seen.

Closing the door carefully behind her she paused for a moment before descending the stairs to seek out Lord Edmond. After spending the last hour arranging and re-arranging her dress she had decided on a gown of green velvet and wore a ribbon of matching colour in her hair. The darkness of her curls contrasted beautifully against her pale skin and the emerald of the dress set of her eyes perfectly. For one so innocent she had learned quickly and knew that her appearance would beguile. Still, underneath the layers of finery she was only a young and naive girl and her hand visibly shook as she smoothes down the front of her skirt.

Taking a deep breath she steadied her hands and headed downstairs.

The hall was deserted and as she looked around wondering which way to turn, the sound of laughter filtered through from the kitchen area. One voice was light, the soft yet shrill tone of a young woman, the other the deep bass voice of Lord Edmond. The laughter grew louder as the sound of footsteps echoed towards her. Lady Davina’s first instinct was to run and hide but she stood her ground. If she was to escape this place she would need to be brave.

At first he didn’t notice her, his attentions were too closely fixed on the young servant girl, who appeared in some state of undress. It was only when the two women almost collided that the young woman looked up in horror at having been caught red handed with her mistresses intended. Lord Edmond hid his initial surprise well, and as he let the poor girl out of his clutches he stood with arms folded, his lips curled into a sneer.

“Well well my Dear, I didn’t expect to see you up so early. I thought you might be exhausted after yesterday’s adventure?”

Everything he said seemed to hint at something sordid and unholy and Lady Davina could feel herself start to blush again. The young servant girl coughed embarrassedly as she adjusted the bodice of her smock. Her hair hung loose from the white cap she was wearing and her face glowed scarlet at her predicament.

“You may leave us Rosie, but don’t forget I will be back for something later.”

He smacked his lips and laughed as the young girl ran past him to the kitchen, relieved to be out of sight.

Lady Davina could feel his eyes burning into her, even before she raised her own eyes to look directly at him. He gazed at her from head to toe and then back again, taking in each savoury detail of his young captive.

“So my Lady, what will be your pleasure today?”

Ignoring the lewdness of the comment she tried to smile. It was difficult to act natural and as she opened her mouth her voice was shrill and stuck in the back of her throat.

“I thought I might explore the place a little, it is to be my home after all. I would like to explore the grounds too”

She lifted her chin a little higher and met his gaze. So, she was a feisty creature after all?

He approached her slowly and deliberately, and she stood her ground he reached over and cupped her breasts in his hands, watching her eyes for a reaction.

“Well my dear, I too feel like a little exploration this morning. Now, what would you like me to show you?”

Before she could answer he had taken her hand and was rubbing it against the crotch of his breeches. She could feel the swell of his cock against the heavy material and could not help letting out a small gasp of fright.

“What is it my dear, have you never felt such a large cock? Wait, I am forgetting myself, your pure and virginal hands have probably never touched a man before eh?”

With that he undid the buttons on his fly and pushed her hand inside the folds of material. Her fingers brushed the large and thick cock encased within and she resisted the urge to pull away her hand. Her eyes widened as his face lurched against hers and once again his sickly lips rubbed against hers. This time she accepted the attack with a grim determination, his sticky tongue probing her soft mouth as she tried to block out all thoughts of him and imagine she was far away.

Pushed against the wall, she could feel the weight of his body pressed against her, his groin grinding into her soft body.

“Well my dear, you are not the frigid convent schoolgirl that I first took you for. I can see that we shall spend some very pleasurable evenings together. I can teach you what pleases me and you will learn quickly, of that I have no doubt.”

Holding her very firmly by the chin he pushed her head against the wall, before reaching down with his wet and ugly lips. His breath was no sweeter than the evening before and she held her breath as his lips slobbered against hers.

If she didn’t manage to escape, she would be subject to this on a daily basis and worse!

The sound of someone knocking at the main doors saved her. Lord Edmond released her and straightened his clothing as one of the male servants approached to open the door. It was the Estate Manger, come to speak to the master on business. As he entered the hallway, Lord Edmond smiled slyly at his young bride to be.

“Perhaps we can pick up where we left off later this evening My Lady?”

She willed herself to smile sweetly back at him, and with some effort she managed to look natural and almost glad to be with him.

“Perhaps my Lord,” she whispered, as suggestively as she could imagine.

Edmond scratched his chin in puzzlement at the strange dark haired creature, before turning to his man.

She had heard the wheedling tones that women often used with their men folk and she needed every trick she could think of.

“Oh Edmond?”

It did the trick and stopped him in his tracks as he glanced over his shoulder, back at the girl.

“Edmond, I was thinking. I enjoyed riding at home and seeing that the countryside is so beautiful around here, I wondered if I might go riding, if there might be a suitable horse in the stables here for me; something with a gentle temperament and not too feisty?”

It had not struck him that the girl might ride. He had expected sewing and playing the harpsichord and a little singing but nothing too boisterous. He liked his women with spirit as well as beauty and his expectations of his bride suddenly increased.. He walked back over to her and smiled.

“Well my dear, this is a surprise. I had not supposed that you were the outdoor type. It will be my pleasure to take you out riding sometime; unfortunately today I will be tied up in business, but maybe at the weekend?”

Lady Davina’s heart sank. She did not know how long she would be able to keep Lord Edmond at bay. She had been lucky so far but if she stayed too long, all would be lost; there would be no escape.

Seeing her eyes downcast, Lord Edmond seemed to be seized with an uncommon feeling of generosity; although it was probably that he wanted to be seen as the ‘big man’ in the eyes of both his steward and Lady Davina.

“I suppose there is nothing to stop you going into the stables today. Old McTavish will be there –I will have a word with him to saddle up Bess, she’s a gentle old mare that will serve you well. You can give her a try, but don’t go far; I would hate you to get lost”

The last sentence was spoken as almost a threat and Lady Davina stuck out her chin and smiled politely. Her plan was going well, so far, so good.

Lord Edmond kept to his word and soon Lady Davina was dressed in her riding habit and sat astride Bess, a beautiful white mare, flecked with grey patched across her flank. The large, brown trusting eyes looked gently into Davina’s and she knew instinctively that she would be safe with this old girl.

After 15 minutes trotting around the fields she returned to the stables, carefully noting where the saddles and reigns were kept. Old Mctavish didn’t start work until 8 o’clock unless the Master needed his mount earlier, but that was seldom. It fitted perfectly with her plans.

The rest of the day she spent preparing for escape. At every meal time she saved a little bread, cheese or meat to pack away for the journey. She didn’t know how long she would be riding for and needed to ensure that she would have enough provisions.

Lord Edmond had been busy for most of the day and she had hardly seen him, which was a good thing. As the sun started to set she heard his voice in the hall below. Her one mission now was to avoid direct contact with him at any cost. She had been lucky on two occasions, but dare not leave a third encounter to chance.

Calling for one of the female servants, she asked that her excuses be passed on to Lord Edmond, but that she had caught a slight cold from riding earlier in the day and would need to be excused from dinner that evening. A small plate of food would be sufficient, brought to her room, and after a good night’s sleep she was sure that she would be feeling better.

The evening passed slowly. Lady Davina paced the room before lying quietly on the bed to listen to the sounds of the castle around her. As the clock on the stairs struck 11 she could hear the thud, as Lord Edmond ascended the stairs. She held her breath as the footsteps approached her door and stopped. His breath was loud in the silence, heavy and oppressive and she guessed that he had been drinking. If he entered her room tonight it would be difficult to hold him off and she would be ruined, be his for life. She closed her eyes and prayed.

The moment seemed to be held, suspended in silence, with only the ticking of the old clock to count the seconds. At last his feet shifted, the floorboards creaking as he walked away from her doorway and on to his own room, and she sighed, almost crying with relief. Her prayers had been answered.

Now all she had to do was wait.

The chiming of the clock heralded the passing of night into early morning. Lady Davina did not sleep but lay wide awake, eyes staring into the blackness of her room, her plan whirling round and around inside her head. If her plan failed then she had no idea what she could do but accept her fate. The plan had to succeed; she would rather die than stay here with Lord Edmond.

With some relief the clock struck 5 and she climbed out of bed to dress in her riding habit and pack her smallest bag. Blankets, spare clothing, and food were all she could fit inside. It would have to be enough.

The castle was eerily silent as if deserted and she tiptoed carefully onto the landing and down the stairs. Heading for the kitchen she found some old bread and more cheese and stuffed them into her bag along with a flagon of ale for the journey, before walking into the hallway.

It was dark and silent, and she shivered slightly on the cold and drafty floor. The corners were filled with dark shadows and she did not feel safe. The clock on the stairs was ticking the time away and very soon Lord Edmond would be waking, walking down those stairs and out into the early morning air. She had to hide. There was a small recess leading off to the right of the doorway that she had spied earlier. If she could squeeze herself in there and stand as close to the wall as the small space would allow, then she should not be seen in the darkness. Slipping silently across the floor she pushed into the gap: a grown man could not have stood in there but there was just enough room for a slight 18 year old girl.

Standing in silence, her heart hammered in her chest until she was sure that the sound would awaken the whole house.

What if he did not come down today at his usual time? What if she was still standing here when the household awoke - what would she do then?

The waiting seemed forever, but as the old grandfather struck the half hour there was the sound of footsteps walking about on the floor above. Very soon his large booted footsteps could be heard clattering down the steps, followed by the lighter scratching of the two mastiffs.

"Reaper, Dylan, here boys," he shouted gruffly at the two animals as they raced past their master, only to quickly to fall back in place at his heels, their tails curled under their bellies in submission.

Lady Davina thought she would faint as the large, dark shape of Lord Edmond came into view, pausing only a few feet away from where she hid. Pulling a great key from his pocket he turned it slowly in the lock before unbolting the heavy oak doors.

For a moment he stood looking out into the cold air, breathing in the new day as she held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. One of the dogs moved across to where she was standing, its ears pricked at the scent of her. 

"Come Reaper, Dylan" Edmond roared as he strode through the open door, both dogs hot on his heels. As the door closed she let out a sigh of relief, she had almost been found out.

She would have to wait for 10 or 15 minutes to pass until she could be sure that he was out of sight. 

The waiting seemed an age and she dare not move until the clock struck a quarter to the hour. Venturing out of her hiding place she quickly slipped to the door, opened it quickly and was soon outside.

The air was damp and she was glad of the additional blankets she had packed into her bag. 

Lord Edmond had disappeared into the early morning and she quickly stepped around to the side of the castle and into the cobbled courtyard and across to the stables.

As she approached, Bess pulled her long nose over the stable door and snorted her hot breath into the cold air. Lady Davina stroked the gentle face before opening the stable door, stepping over the straw to the saddles hung on the wall.

She managed to manoeuvre the saddle onto the horse and buckled the leather harness under the old girls belly before attaching the reigns and checking that all was in order. She had seen Joseph, the stable lad back home, do this job a thousand times before and she had learned well. All seemed safe, and placing her foot into the stirrup she leaned against the warm flank to heave herself atop the horse. Bess gave a slight whisk of her tail and a flick of her mane, but remained still and silent until Davina clicked her heels against the warm body and tugged gently on the reins.

They were away.

Lord Edmond had set off from the front of the castle so her obvious course was to set off in the opposite direction. There were a couple of open fields before they entered a deep wood of pine and aspen, the sweet smell of the trees hitting her as soon as they entered the leafy glade.

As horse and rider moved into the depth of the wood the light changed from the grey of early morning to the dark bottle green of the forest.

She urged the old horse on, desperate to put as many miles between her and the castle before anyone noticed her absence. The terrain was soft underfoot, but low hung branches and the spreading gnarled roots of ancient trees all acted as obstacles to slow her down. Once they had reached a small stream she dismounted, letting Bess drink the cool water and rest for a while. Now the excitement and apprehension of her escape had lessened, she too felt hungry and sat against a tree to eat some of the cheese and bread. The ground was chilly and she wrapped herself in the extra blankets for warmth. All was still except the babbling ribbon of the stream and soon she fell into a light doze.

As she slept her fiery dream returned. She was still trapped in the tower, the beast somewhere near was approaching. Her skin was now covered in scales and she gulped in fear. She heard a whisper soft and low, a woman’s voice that was comforting her. She recognized her mother’s voice. “Now is your time to take flight.”

The snap of branches and the rustle of leaves awoke her. She could feel the tremor of the ground beneath her, men on horses were approaching. Lady Davina could not tell how long she had slept, it could have been minutes or it could have been an hour, how foolish to relax before she had found a safe haven. With no time to lose she gathered her blankets and quickly packed her things before mounting Bess, driving her further into the wood. Hearing voices close behind, she panicked, urging the horse on even faster. Bess could sense the urgency of her mistress and galloped as fast as her old legs would allow, deeper and deeper into the forest. She did not see the low branch ahead, poor Bess tried to jump, her old heart beating fast, but the old thing did not make it, catching her hooves and sending horse and rider into the air, tumbling into the undergrowth.

Lady Davina lay still, she had twisted her ankle badly and cut her arm but she could not feel the pain; only fear remained as the sound of hooves grew closer until Lord Edmond rode into view.

He sat looking down at her astride a magnificent black and sweating stallion, his face twisted into a mixture of delight and evil; he had been enjoying the chase.

“Well, well my dear, fancy seeing you here. Your early morning ride seems to have taken you a long way from home. Anyone would think that you were trying to run away from me, eh?”

She looked up at him in defiance, but her heart was trembling. He would make her life hell from now on.

Dismounting from his steed, he strode over to where she lay and prodded her with his riding crop.

“Did you think I was so gullible? I guessed your plan straight away, as soon as you mentioned the horses. I pretended to go out on my daily walk this morning; the dogs could sense you in the hall, even if I could not see you. I have trained my dogs well. I like my women like my dogs, obedient. I can see now that I have been too lenient with you and need to give you instruction. But first I will need to punish you. As with all animals I need to show you who is master here. You will ride with me back to the Castle. I’m afraid that poor old Bess will need to be shot. She is no use to me now”.

Lady Davina let out a small cry for the poor animal. She thought of the loving and trusting eyes; it had been her fault and not the horses and she couldn’t bear to think of the gentle life ending in such a way.

“Please don’t shoot Bess, you can do anything to me, but spare the horse, have mercy.”

A cruel smile spread across Lord Edmonds face as he strode over to the horse and raised his gun.

A shot rang out and she covered her ears, tears springing into her eyes; poor Bess.

The sound of raised voices caused her to look up. A band of men dressed in simple country clothing had appeared from out of the forest and had surrounded Edmond and his two men. Standing on foot he was at a distinct disadvantage against the 6 men on horseback, and stepped back towards his horse.

“Lord Edmond. We don’t usually see you so deep in the forest, what brings you here?” A handsome young man with golden wavy hair and fiery green eyes spoke, his tone sarcastic.

“Well if it isn’t James McCraig, I haven’t heard a word about you for over a year. I was hoping you were dead.” Edmond smiled sardonically up at the younger man.

“Sorry to disappoint Edmond, you cannot have my lands just yet, but who do we have here?”

James McCraig looked over at the young and beautiful girl lying on the ground and his heart raced. Her eyes transfixed him and he felt the connection straight away. He had been searching all of these years, could she be the one?

“This is my bride to be, Lady Davina. I’m afraid we were out riding and she has taken a fall. The poor old horse will need to be shot I am afraid. We are just about to ride back home, if you will excuse us.”

He could see the fear in the young girl’s familiar green eyes; smell the misery in her soul. He was older and wiser than he looked and his animal instincts were heightened and put him on the alert.

“The Lady does not look fit for travel all the way back to your castle Sir. My home is at her disposal, she can rest there until she is well enough to ride.”

“Lady Davina can ride with me, she will be quite alright.”

By now she had pulled herself into a sitting position. This golden haired man was her last hope and she pleaded at him with her eyes, willing him to take her with him.

It was as if he could read her mind, he was in tune with her thoughts and the feelings shot through him like an arrow. He must keep his cool at all costs.

“Perhaps we should ask the Lady?”

Both men looked at her; Lord Edmond glaring at her through narrowed eyes whilst James McCraig smiled.

“Well,” her voice wavered with a nervous tremor, “I think my ankle is badly twisted and that I will have difficulty standing...”

“You will not need to stand, we will ride back to the castle on my horse,” Lord Edmond was tiring of the game and wished to be away from the place, but surrounded by bandits he could do little else.

“I think the Lady has spoken and that we must abide by her wishes. I believe I will take her back to my camp where I will personally attend to her. When she is well, she can return to you, if that is her wish?”

“If that is her wish!” Lord Edmond almost exploded with anger. His usually cold and white face was red and ugly, his eyes glittering with hate at the young man before him and his hands automatically reached for the gun at his side. Four men were upon him; aiming their pistols at his head before his hand could even reach the weapon. His face twitched as he stamped the ground with his feet.

“Be damned McCraig. Touch that girl and I will kill you and all of your men, you hear.”

James McCraig smiled. “I swear on my honour as a gentleman that I will not touch the lady, unless of course she wants me to,” it was he now who laughed.

“Gentleman, you are no gentleman Sir. I have heard things about you and your clan. You are unnatural Sir and should be burned alive”

McCraig’s face turned to one of displeasure and his whip struck the side of Edmond’s face to silence him.

“My family is the oldest in the Kingdom Sir; my line descends from the first men that ever walked these fine lands. Do not disrespect my kind or we will extinguish you like a candle.”

Calling for his men to escort Lord Edmond back to the castle, James dismounted his horse and stepped over to where Lady Davina was sitting. She had never seen a man so handsome, and as he took her hand and pulled her gently to her feet, she felt the heat between them, a strong bond; it was as if she had known him her entire life.

Once Lord Edmond was away, he stepped forward, and picking her up in his strong arms he carried her to his horse as if she bore no weight. Once she was settled he sat in front of her and she placed her hands firmly about his waist for safety.

“What about poor Bess?” She had almost forgotten the poor horse lying quietly amongst the trees.

“Do not worry about Bess, my men will see to her.” A sob caught in her throat.

“No, you misunderstand. My men are wise and will bring Bess back to the camp. All will be well”

Smiling through her tears they rode on quickly through the forest, deeper and deeper into the trees. After almost an hour’s riding they reached their destination, a makeshift yet comfortable camp in a small clearing. Several tents had been made from cloth and branches, and a great fire warmed the cold air.

She was made comfortable in one of the tents and James was true to his word; placing a poultice of herbs on her swollen ankle and slathering her cuts with a green paste. Tucking a blanket around her with the promise of returning, he left her to rest.

Lady Davina felt safe and happy and soon fell into a deep sleep—on this night no dreams came to her.

It was night when she awoke and although the sky was dark, the camp was lit with the orange glow of the fire. Sitting up she looked around her. The tent was pretty basic, but some of the cloth of the tent had been embroidered with symbols, covered with the strange images of creatures from the old myths, glittering dragons with red eyes, breathing fire and smoke from their nostrils.

It wasn’t cold but she shivered slightly, the images seemed so lifelike, and in the shadows and dancing flames of the fire light, they seemed to come alive. She had seen the images before and tried to recall where, and then she remembered; the sign of the dragon had been present in many of her dreams for as long as she could remember.

The entrance to the tent opened and James McGuire stood before her. Her heart gave a slight shudder as he looked deep into her eyes and smiled.

“You are awake, how do you feel?”

She certainly felt refreshed after her sleep and her ankle didn’t hurt so much.

“I feel much better, but a little hungry,” she had only eaten a small piece of bread and cheese all day.

“Can you walk? We can sit together by the fire and eat. Come, I have a surprise for you?”

Extending his hand he helped her towards the fire. It was a chilly night but the blaze was enormous and he brought her extra blankets and fixed them around her shoulder.

“Close your eyes.”

She did as she was bid until told to open them again. Standing before her was Bess, as good as new, her legs strong with no hint of injury.

Rushing forward she embraced the old grey neck and stroke the old head.

“Bess my girl, you are well, you save me old girl and I owe you my life”

The old horse shook its head as if understanding.

“But how..? Poor old Bess was almost lame”

James only smiled and shook his head.

“My men understand the old ways, the ancient magic; one day perhaps you too?”

The mutton stew was the finest she had ever tasted and the two sat in silence as they ate. James looked wistfully into the fire and she thought she saw sadness in his eyes. It was strange but she could almost feel what he felt, think what he was thinking, and his sorrow made her feel unhappy.

“What are you thinking Sir?”

James sighed as he turned to her. The shapes and colours from the fire played as a mask across his face and for a moment he looked altogether different, like one of the ancient creatures embroidered onto the tent.

“It is my father. He is dying. We think that he does not have many days left. Our clan has been weak since his illness and we have lost most of our powers. Lord Edmond, your intended, has seized most of our lands and he has taken control of our castle. If my father dies we have no-one to replace him, to lead and restore us to our former glory.”

He looked back into the fire, his eyes almost full with tears.

“But surely if your father is the head of the Clan then you will become the rightful leader. You seemed in control of your men this morning?”

His head drooped towards his chest. “If only that were true, things are more complicated than I can explain. You would never understand.”

He turned his head and she looked deep into his eyes.

“Try me.”

There was something about this beautiful girl that he could not explain; somehow he needed to tell her everything.

“My family are ancient, perhaps the oldest family in the land. The original clan name was not McCraig but McArach, Arach being the old Gaelic word for Dragon. My great ancestors were the last of the Dragon Shifters, a great race that could shift between human and dragon form at their will. As times passed and men began to toil the land and hunt and fight, there grew a wall of fear between the old ways and the new, and mortal men began to be afraid and hate the Arach. A hundred years war raged between the Arach and the Clans of the Highlands until there was only one family of Dragon Shifters left. My people were fearsome warriors when they needed to be, but they were starved and hunted and outnumbered, until finally my great ancestors were forced to live like animals, outlawed and alone in the hills. Many thought that we had died out all together, but we managed to survive and the clan quietly strengthened and we have lived in peace ever since. Not many know of our secret, but Lord Edmond is one of those who do, his ancestors were our main enemy, and knowing we are once again weak, he has used the knowledge to take our lands and castles.”

He thought that she would be shocked and stopped to let his words sink in, but she did not stir, but looked into his eyes as if she had always known that it was so.

“But why do you not lead your men, why do you grow weak.”

James looked at her and sighed.

“It is true that I am indeed next in line to be leader of the clan when my father dies, but before I can lead the clan I must shift into my true Dragon form.”

“And, what is to stop you?”

“I must first find my true mate. She too must have Dragon blood in her veins. I had thought that...” his voice trailed off and he gazed into the fire once again.

“Thought what?” her eyes were steady on his face.

His hands grasped hers as he turned to face her, a look of deep sorrow in his eyes.

“When I first saw you I was struck by your beauty, but then I felt something more. It was if I had always known you, there seemed to be some common bond between us as if we were joined by some invisible thread. My thoughts seemed to be yours. I thought perhaps that you were the one, but how can you be, you are not of my race and besides, you are betrothed to my enemy Lord Edmond.”

“I do not love Edmond, nor want to be his wife. It was a marriage of convenience only. I agreed to marry him only to save my aunt and uncle, they had looked after me from an early age and I am in their debt,”

“What happened to your parents?”

Lady Davina hesitated “I do not know, they were killed when I was but a baby. I tried to find out what happened but my aunt and uncle refused to speak of the matter and I gave up in the end. But I do know that I dream of dragons.”

James was now sitting up straight and gazing intently at Davina. There was something about the girl, the eyes, the way she looked at him, the way he felt. There had to be something.

“What were the names of your parents?”

“Isabella  and Frances Drake”.

His grip on her hands tightened as he stared into her eyes.

“Drake is an old word for Dragon.”

Something in what he was saying was starting to make sense but she couldn’t be sure what it all meant.

“I remember stories of some distant cousins. Their secret was discovered and they were hunted by a group of evil men, hunted down like wild animals and killed; murdered in cold blood. There was talk of a child. A baby girl, but no-one knew what happened. It was presumed that she died too. Of course, there is only one way of knowing for sure. When I find my true mate and couple with her then I will transform into my true form, I will shift off this skin and become my inner being. I will be able to lead this clan once my father dies. I will become a true Dragon Shifter.

“So if I am your true mate you will realise your destiny, but if not, what will become of me?”

The girl was truly beautiful but he could not lie to her. “If you do not carry the Dragon blood then you will not be my true mate. I will not shift into my true form. I would carry on my search for my true mate, for the sake of my clan. Otherwise we will not survive.”

Her small hands were still clasped into his own. She could feel the blood coursing around his veins as if it were her own heart beating in his chest. Looking into his eyes she could see the flames of the fire flickering in the dark depths. She trusted her instincts, she trusted him.

When their lips met it was as if the world had exploded around them. Neither had experienced such an intense feeling of pleasure and emotion.

Wrapping her in his arms, he carried her to the tent and laid her down inside upon the blankets. He had never wanted anyone so much in his life and he burned for her. His hands reached down over her slim figure, his fingers wrapping around her soft and fleshy breasts. She gasped with delight. His touch was so different to Lord Edmonds, where she had shrunk at his touch, she now yielded to James’s soft and delicate fingers, as they probed and sought her soft curves.

He had soon moved beneath the wool and silk of the riding habit, lifting it delicately over her head and seeking her firm young body beneath.

She could feel his finger stroke downwards from her belly and towards her soft mound. She had never before been touched so intimately and so gently and the feeling caused her to shudder with pleasure. She was wet, could feel her wetness as his fingers slipped easily across the soft downy hairs and into the moist and fleshy folds of her womanhood. Kissing her belly, he slowly parted her legs with his hands and nestled his head between her legs. He could smell her musky sweetness and longed to taste her; his tongue delving into the velvety depths of her hole as her back arched and she pressed herself towards him, his tongue delving deeper and licking her until she thought she would explode with pleasure.

Now it was time for him to undress. Lifting the tunic over his head, the full and thick cock stood erect before her. His body was magnificent, hard and muscular and she ached to feel him inside her.

Pushing her back towards the floor he straddled inside her legs, holding his cock in his hands to guide it inside her. She was a virgin and he knew his manhood was exceptionally large. He would have to be gentle, but he could hardly wait to thrust his shaft deep inside her.

The head of his cock was thick and he rubbed it against her wetness to make the penetration easier. Lady Davina was breathing heavily, almost panting, desperate for him to take her, but she gasped as the head entered her and she felt her muscles contract around his thickness

Thrusting gently he inched himself inside her, stretching her tight walls and almost exploding with pleasure. But he wanted to wait, make sure he was fully inside her before he came.

At first she felt the pain, but the pleasure was so hot on its heels that she did not mind or care, her head was elsewhere. His muscular thighs thrust towards her and she joined in the rhythm until he was buried tightly inside her. Now he picked up the pace, he could not stop and his thrusts became more urgent, more passionate, his thick cock throbbing until he exploded, dripping his seed deep inside of her.

Both lay quiet for a moment. In the heat of passion they had almost forgotten all thoughts of Dragon Shifters.

Her heart hammered in her chest, unable to think of the consequences.

And then it happened.

At first James started to groan, a low moaning sound as he rolled away from her and onto his back. Stretching out his arms and pulling back his head the groaning grew steadily louder until it was almost a loud roar. As his arms spread, skin began to form between his arms and body as wings formed. The legs stretched and great hooked talons appeared where his feet had been.

She was not afraid as the skin turned into scales, and the face distorted as the huge snout and fangs appeared.

He stood before her, a magnificent beast, a beautiful dragon in all its glory.

Her Dragon, her true mate, her love.

All would be well.

The End.