Simon (Promised Mates of Monktona Wood #3)

5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Simon

Icouldn’t resist for long, returning swiftly after my initial escape from the group. The allure of her scent enveloped me, leaving me utterly captivated. It consumed my senses, overpowering even the most tempting of food to fill my belly.

When I was fully an animal, that was all I cared about: having my belly full and satisfied. To have something in my mouth, to chew, and wander aimlessly through life. I had no worries except to make sure the human I watched over had me to pet when she wanted.

I inhaled deeply, the cool breeze from the Wood brushing against my skin, carrying with it the sweet scent of her presence. The distant group of shifters, orcs, and the female were oblivious to my presence, too far away to hear or catch a whiff of my scent. A smirk formed on my lips, satisfaction washing over me.

I could be sneaky, too.

From my position, I could see her clearly. Always with a notebook in her hand, a satchel at her side, and pencils filled with color. She fiddled with the straps often, flipping them back and forth between her fingers.

She looked so soft, so delicate. Humans were, but I didn’t know how much. I had fur before, now that I had my own skin, I wanted to touch her with my fingers.

Would she like my touch? Would she like my smell?

As my chest thumped wildly, causing the heat of my body to rise, I couldn’t help but notice the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her skin appeared so smooth.

Touch, I wanted touch.

With each step closer to her, I couldn’t help but wonder if she would welcome getting to know me. Would she feel the same fire current that surged through me at the mere thought of it?

Would she appreciate my unique scent, the remnants of my previous life, as a creature of fur? Would it intrigue her or would she just find me strange? Or would she want to be near me at all, for I was the only creature like me.

The desire to bridge the gap between us grew stronger, as if an invisible force pulled me toward her. I yearned to be closer.

This female never stayed still. Her feet tapped on the purple moss before her, making the lights fly into the air. Her eyes darted through the scene before her, memorizing everything in her sight.

They had discarded the horses and left them other orcs when they first came to the Wood, and the shifters had become mules, carrying all of their belongings. They dropped the supplies unceremoniously and worked to set up the tents.

Durz stretched his back and reached behind him, pulling his sword from his sheath and stabbing it into the ground. “Here is good. Lucy will find many things here to record. There is a hot spring up ahead, and plenty of animals that have not seen shifters. They will be curious, and we won’t have to hunt for them to come near.”

I tilted my head, but my horns got caught on a nearby branch, and I had to tug them away.

They were staying.

The female’s radiant smile stretched across her face, reaching her sparkling eyes as she aimed it at Sugha. With a swift motion, my sharp claws scraped against the rough surface of a weathered tree stump, sending fragments of wood soaring through the air, before falling to the ground. Inhaling deeply, my nostrils widened, capturing the pungent scent once more, and igniting my senses.

I didn’t like her smiles directed toward another male, especially to an orc. I’d already had one orc take away a companion; I would not have this orc take away what should be mine.

Yet, he has not claimed her, unless he was trying to be subtle. He was one of the smarter orcs. Sugha let the other do what he wanted, while he nodded and did not start a fight.

I scratched at the base of my horns and decided to get closer.

I’d kept my distance from the group, afraid of getting caught, but these past few days had been excruciating. The sight of her, the sound of her laughter, her scent - they all called to me, making it harder to resist.

I licked my lips when her scent penetrated my nose, and my treacherous body responded immediately. How could I have never known what this feeling was before? I had seen males like me, when I was a goat, mount a female, but I never had the desire.

But with this female, I feel the need to do it to her.

I shook my head and got on my hands and knees, so I could stay low and in the thickest part of the greenery.

She was close; so close, I could nearly smell her breath.

How could I think about mounting her?

I was not an animal.

But I was.

Partly.

The animal part of me wanted it, demanded it. My human side held me back.

No, what would Calliope think of me if I ever did such a thing to another female like her? I couldn’t– wouldn’t– let the animal in me do that. Never.

But if she were willing?

I held in the whimper that lingered in the back of my throat.

“Look at this!” I heard her whisper-yell across the campsite.

I froze in fear, thinking she'd caught me, but her smile widened and her eyes twinkled at the blue light buzzing between us.

“Is this a whisp?” she asked breathlessly and held out her finger to touch it.

Elmira lowered herself to a crouching position, and her eyes darted between the whisp and the female.

“Yeah. It’s a whisp. They are pretty important in this realm. Do you know what they are, Lucy?”

Lucy. The name rung in my ears when the other female called the human by her name. Now that I had her name, I tried to whisper it to myself but still was not used to moving my lips and tongue to form the word.

“I was told about them briefly,” she said. “There was a lot to learn in just a month.” Her finger grazed the light, and it made a whirling sound.

I watched in awe until it jumped into the foliage where I hid, and I reared back.

I shook my head and wanted to crawl away. It danced around atop of my horns and shot right back out of the bush toward Lucy. I quietly got back into position, and looked through the bush again, to see the whisp was keeping Lucy entertained again.

“Are they an insect?” she asked, looking even more enthralled. “Or some type of pixie?” She held her finger out, and the whisp touched it, then danced up her wrist, along her arm, and whirled around her hair. More whisps appeared and dove into her hair, and before long, it looked like an enormous ball of mess until they exploded into thin air.

“What just happened?” Lucy asked, smiling as she pushed her tangled hair back down.

Elmira lay down in the grass, pulled a long wheat blade, and stuck it into her mouth. “Whisps lead you to your fate.” She chewed. “And they are also big troublemakers. Males don’t like them much because, well, they cause more trouble for them. The females, it just gets them what they need.”

Lucy tilted her head and stared at the ground. “Do whisps lead humans to their fate, or just the supernaturals?”

Elmira smiled mischievously. “Aye, they do. Ellie, who is mated to Sugha’s brother, Thorn, was brought to him by the whisps. It wasn't a fairytale meeting, but whisps led her to her fate and ultimately, her mate. Thorn knew before Ellie. Supernaturals; it hits different. Smell, possessiveness, we just know.”

My heart thundered in my chest, and my smile widened. Then, I must not be imagining things. Lucy, this female, was my mate. I had been gifted a mate, a companion. Someone to love.

This was why my body reacted to her. Her scent, her voice, her beauty, it was because fate had gifted her to me. This Moon Goddess I had heard Calliope speak about all the time, she had given me a mate!

I could barely keep the vibrations of excitement from leaving my body.

I had a female.

Mine.

Night fell, and the embers of the fire smoldered beneath the stars. Snores came from the tents, and even the largest orc was asleep, who’d said he would remain awake through the night. His heavy breathing and his body releasing an awful smell from a relaxed backside, were signs that he was in a deep sleep. Sugha was patrolling, but he had taken off into the Wood. If I had the timing correct, he wouldn’t be back for a while.

My body throbbed with exhaustion from remaining crouched in my concealed spot for what felt like an eternity. The longing to catch sight of Lucy grew overwhelming. Slowly, I rose to my full height, feeling the strain in my muscles as I stretched. The sound of my spine cracking echoed through the stillness. As I inhaled deeply, her scent filled me with determination. Cautiously, I crouched, determined to remain hidden, even if the likelihood of being spotted was slim.

Since transforming into this creature, my hearing had increased tenfold. The once-dull sounds now reverberated through my ears, sharpening my senses. With my elongated ears drooping low beside my face, I twitched them several times, ensuring that I could catch even the faintest of whispers behind me.

I went straight toward her tent, her smell permeating the air. The light was dim inside when I got to the entrance, and I folded back the fabric to make sure that she was indeed asleep. She was, her notebook on her chest, her head propped up on several pillows, working late into the night.

I stepped inside and blew out the light. I didn’t need anyone outside to see my silhouette. After a moment, my eyes adjusted, and my body began to shake as I drew closer to her.

I couldn’t believe I was here. I was so close to what was mine, who was going to be mine.

I would protect her and keep her safe. Just like the orcs do with their mates.

My hands trembled as I cautiously approached. I kneeled silently beside her bed, as she lay there, oblivious to the lurking danger. A surge of anger coursed through me, as the weight of responsibility settled upon me. Sugha, unaware of the impending threat, had failed to safeguard her or the rest of the group. The ease with which I had infiltrated the camp filled me with a mix of frustration and anger.

Maybe I was just too good.

I huffed at that thought. I wasn’t that good.

I leaned over her, getting more of her in my sight. It was hard not to touch. My instincts were going wild, telling me to take her while she slept. I should take her to my home, where she would be safe. I could not do that, however. Not when she looked happy with these people.

I didn’t know if she would like me. She may find me more like a monster.

I knelt beside her for a long while until my patience ran out. I picked up her arm and held her wrist to my nose. I took a long pull of her scent and sighed, poking my tongue from my lips and taking a tentative lick.

I groaned.

She tasted sweet.

Better than any grass or hay I’d ever tasted.

I delicately grasped her wrist. A sigh escaped me, at enjoying the softness of her soft skin. I pulled her wrist behind my ear and felt the coolness of her skin against my fingertips.

While I have hidden my scent from the Wood, there was one place I could release my scent just enough where I could still keep myself safe and place it on my female.

With a gentle motion, I nuzzled her wrist behind my ear, careful not to disturb her slumber. Slowly, I pulled it away. I brought her delicate wrist closer to me and savored the harmonious blend of our scents.

Mmm, I enjoyed my scent on her.