Chapter 18
BELENUS
After Hekla was done assaulting me with hugs and kisses for healing her neck, we only had to wait another hour or so for the storm to pass. We stepped out of the dark tower into a sunny day where only a slight misting from the dark, departing clouds gave away the storm that’d been here. Well, I supposed the moorland was soggier, but the warm, deep blue sky should evaporate most of that soon.
I tried to orient myself so I could recall which way we’d been going before the storm halted our progress. The sun hadn’t reached its high point yet, so I suspected that we could travel against its path in the sky to head east, at least until I recognized a landmark.
“I’m not sure what to do, Hekla,” I said, scratching the back of my neck as we walked in the direction I hoped was east. “I have a takeover to manage, but… I can’t leave your side. What is this task you must do? ”
Hekla sighed and crossed her arms. I was a little disappointed that she’d dressed, but this realm likely already had her feeling too vulnerable. I shook my head. Stop getting distracted!
“The Sky Gods want me to escort Their children home from the… night? They said to follow the Eventide star. Apparently, something happened where They can’t see Their children. They don’t even know if they’re still alive,” she said, frowning and scratching her brow. “That last part makes me nervous. I just hope this isn’t a big waste of time. It seems to be really dangerous out here.”
“Hekla…” I began hesitantly, “the Night Court is… really, really far away, past winter and where the unseelie reside. I only have seven more days to get out of this contract.” The stress hit me like a battering ram, and I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Must you do this task now?”
She glanced up at me with a worried look. “They made Their will pretty clear, Belenus. They said the time was now. I can’t defy Their orders, and who knows if They’ll just take my body over to do it Themselves. I’m still Their vessel, probably until the day I die.”
She was right. She could be possessed at any point. “I can’t… I can’t leave you to do this alone,” I said adamantly and furrowed my brows, trying to find some sort of solution for this dilemma. “We need a way to travel faster. Not even wolves will be fast enough to do a round trip in time, and that’s without things like storms slowing us down.”
Hekla was silent, and I stopped talking as well. The Winter Court would be slow going. The cold reigned eternal and snow fell much of the time, but there were occasional bouts of rain and thaws to melt the frost. The winter fae there would likely attack us on sight, taking us for invaders. The Unseelie Court contained some nasty monsters too. None of this would be easy... or quick.
Hekla sniffed the air and said, “I smell horse dung. Could we be near a road? ”
“That’s a brilliant observation…” I complimented in awe. “Which way?” Perhaps that would help me verify which direction was east. Roads were somewhat safer too because our traveling patrols deterred creatures from retrying attacks. Hekla pointed slightly toward the right, and I nodded, feeling some relief.
It was a wide dirt road, broad enough for two carriages to pass without any issues. Trees lined the left side of the road for quite some distance, and I was just about to suggest shifting when I froze and grabbed Hekla’s arm to stop her. I spied a figure way down the road but couldn’t be certain of its nature.
“Hekla, can you scent that over there—I think that’s east actually,” I asked in a low voice and pointed to the creature. Her lips parted and her nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. Instantly, she wrinkled her nose.
“Well, it’s fortunate the storm was moving east to west because the wind is pushing that thing’s scent toward us,” she said with a grimace. “Gods, that is potent,” she added, putting a hand to her nauseated face.
“And what do you smell?” I pressed.
“Rot… it smells dead.” Hekla’s face drained of blood, her eyes locked on the creature. “How can that thing be moving?”
“Do you have any food on you, Hekla?” I asked, suddenly anxious. If that creature was what I thought it was, I wasn’t prepared for it at all.
“I didn’t pack any. I always expect to hunt when I travel…” she answered and worried at her hands. The she-wolf’s umbral gaze cut to mine worriedly. “Why are you asking?”
Shit.“I need to feed that thing,” I stated, edging toward the side of the road. “Hekla, I need you to back up along the road if that gets near you. Stay out of speaking distance. I’ll find you!”
I shape-shifted into Escort and gave him full control. Find anything we can cook, Escort. I don’t care if it’s the smallest rabbit in the realm. Anything will do.
Ok, so why did you leave our mate with something dangerous? Escort spat.
I need to keep track of that thing! It could be what we need, I snapped back, irritated with this wolf constantly challenging me. We’re doing this for our mate! Give her strength more credit.
Escort shut up after that but remained angry. Once he caught the scent of a red grouse, he tracked it and killed it like the expert hunter he was. I supposed that as difficult as the wolf could be, I was at least grateful to be paired up with a competent one.
I let him take us back to Hekla and found she’d retreated a fair distance from the shambling form. It was still following her, or the road. I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t going to get hung up on that question. I directed Escort to run past her so we’d have time to start a fire.
Rip this bird open, Escort, I said anxiously. We don’t have time to pluck it. I need to get at that meat now. The wolf did as ordered, ripping the wings and legs off, then proceeded to tear open the breast to get at the thickest meat. I transformed back, started a quick fire with the fallen branches and twigs, and began roasting small strips of the bird over the fire. I called out to Hekla and gestured her over to help me, then pushed more summer magic into the fire, stoking it into a blaze.
She came running up and ripped easily into the meat with her claws. I made a note to praise her about that later when we weren’t in such a rush. We’d had a decent pile of roasted offerings by the time the gaunt corpse veered off the road to approach us. That verified my suspicion.
“It’s ok, Hekla,” I said soothingly to her. “It won’t hurt us. Especially not now. Be kind to it.” My poor female waited, jumpier than a spooked hare, and I couldn’t imagine how terrifying this must be for her. She hadn’t pressed for answers, clearly too afraid to speak.
She scooted to my side and slightly behind me when the fear gorta maneuvered its undead body to a place by our fire. I smiled up at the emaciated dead man that likely originated from the unseelie territory and gestured for it to share a spot by the fire. “Please join us, hungry man. You must have traveled far. ”
The fear gorta lowered himself to a sitting position, and I kept a grimace off my face at the sound of bones, muscles, and sinew slipping about to make the movements happen. It was not the prettiest faery, this wraith. His sallow, bony fingers held up an alms bowl, tattered clothes shaking under his weak and slippery movements.
“You must be famished,” I noted kindly and turned to Hekla. “Would you please offer him some food, my dear?”
She swallowed heavily and sandwiched her lips between her teeth as she scooped up the entirety of what we’d cooked and placed it in the fear gorta’s bowl. She wasn’t looking well, and I suddenly realized why she wasn’t speaking; she was on the verge of vomiting. I had no doubt that opening her mouth would let her taste more than she was already scenting. This corpse must smell a hundred times worse to a wolf…Augh.
The wraith didn’t talk. It just ate from the bowl, chewing with decayed teeth as it worked to fill its ever-hungry belly. I didn’t think it could have talked if it tried. Eventually, it finished our donation and shambled back to its unsteady feet.
“Don’t move, Hekla,” I said to her calmly. “Just let it bless you. It’s just a quick touch.”
She remained silent but froze with all her little arm hairs standing on end. As it passed her, its decaying hand patted her shoulder. My mate’s nostrils flared, and her eyes stared straight ahead, wide and unblinking. When it was out of sight, I scooted close and gave her cheek a kiss.
“You did so well. Good job done staying calm. That was a fear gorta,” I said and smiled softly when she fell into my chest with a colossal exhale. “If you are unkind or don’t give him food when he asks, he’s capable of some fairly nasty curses.”
“So, what happens now that we fed him?” she mumbled, taking deep breaths and snorting to clear the death from her nose.
“He blessed you with good fortune. I suspect that he gave you luck since we collected no coin. That was what I’d hoped for,” I answered and extinguished the campfire. “I don’t know how long that blessing lasts, so we need to get going. You should shift and see what luck has in store for you.”
I shape-shifted into Escort, and Eventide loped toward the road. That is disgusting, Escort said, scenting the remnants of the wraith on the breeze. I don’t know how you tolerated that, Eventide.
We were moments away from puking, yes, she replied in a strained tone.
Well, I guess we’ll see if that luck manifests like Belenus said. I’m hoping to get lucky tonight, personally, he remarked with an edge of lust in his voice.
Behave, Escort, I ordered.
What? You get to finger, grope, and cum all over Hekla, and I can’t have an ounce of fun with Eventide? Greedy piece of shit, you are, he retorted nastily. I withered a bit at his point. I’d seen wolf spirits as more of an accessory before I was ‘blessed’ with mine. Turned out we shared everything. I’d have to give Escort more autonomy, but I also didn’t want him to pressure Eventide.
Eventide’s an adult wolf capable of consenting and denying, Escort snarled. Had my thoughts been too loud? Shit, this was hard. I could have forced myself on her a dozen times, but I didn’t. I’m a dominant wolf, and I simply know what I want. I make my wants known, and you need to get used to that.
I regretted not researching wolf-shifters more and more every single day. I was as out of my element sharing a body with Escort as Hekla was with living in my realm. If we could just get through dissolving the contract and taking over the throne, then I could adjust to having a wolf at my own pace.
I stopped making comments after his last outburst and just watched Escort’s traveling through his own eyes. He was alert and on guard as he followed Eventide, acting very much like the protective male mate he was. I could tell he wanted to be behind her to keep an eye on her, but I could also tell that he was taking advantage of his spot behind Eventide to enjoy the view found under her tail. Yeah… ma ybe he wasn’t so different from me after all. I was the one afraid of losing control, though. I grudgingly accepted that there might be something to be learned from Escort’s confidence.
Eventually, we heard the rushing of a river, and I snapped to attention. Escort, I think I know where we are now. Yes, we’re headed in the right direction, and I recall that soon after this road approaches the river, there’s a service for river travelers. I don’t think they’ll take us all the way to the Winter Court, but… maybe we’ll get lucky…
Escort slinked up to Eventide’s side and nudged her playfully. Hey there, pretty. Belenus says that there’s a boat service that might be able to take us upriver to the Winter Court .
Ok, let’s just move parallel to the river then so that we don’t miss it, she replied, still on edge with him.
Stunning and smart. A winning combination, he flirted.
J-just go, she stuttered, and we veered off the road to angle toward the river’s roar. The air thickened from humidity; the Sun God, radiant today, quickly evaporated the soggy ground. I recalled what Hekla had said a while ago, that I smelled like lemon trees and summer storms. I believed I finally knew what she was talking about. I smelled it now and before the storm hit. I’d just never thought about it, but it was pleasant. It was a fresh, earthy smell.
Yeah, but we probably smell way better than this. We probably flood her mouth with saliva like she does for us. I bet Eventide will get all hot and bothered today on her last day of heat, but what are the odds I’ll get time with her? Escort grumbled, half to himself and half to me.
He just would not let this go. Let’s say I allowed you two to… frolic. What the shit am I supposed to do? Watch it? Also, I had to wonder, wolves didn’t… pleasure each other… did they?
Gods, you’re so offensive. I’m sorry the thought of me spending time with my mate is so horrifying to you.
That… wasn’t entirely what I meant, I grumbled back at him.
I hibernated when you two played around, he said, getting progressively more annoyed with me. I’d rather you refer to it as giving us privacy. Just tuck your sensitive, scandalized brain back and hibernate. It’s not so difficult.
As much as I didn’t want to trust him, I felt like I needed to compromise on something. Who knew what he’d do if I didn’t. Could wolf spirits revolt against their ‘humans?’ I wasn’t sure if he heard my thoughts, so I just said, I’ll think… about it…
Oh, how benevolent of you, he mumbled. We stopped talking about it after that. I was uncomfortable, but he was being downright cantankerous.
Prickly little shit, I thought as quietly as possible.
Smelling damp wood and people, Eventide announced, clearly relieved. Escort hadn’t been paying attention, but we scented something too. I supposed it made sense, but I didn’t know that us fae had such a distinctive scent. Layered on top was more information, like smells that could help identify what type of fae they might be. They were all folk fae; that was a certainty.
We crested a hill and looked down upon a small dock where several men and a young teenager were tidying up a faery boat. Reclining in the sun by the booth was a… very familiar face.What in the blazing rays was she doing here?
I shape-shifted back into my fae body and marched down the hill to greet her, feeling rather confused. I passed several modest houses and a small inn to reach her and stood by her feet for several seconds before she noticed me.
“Ushka?” I asked, bewildered. What was my mate’s previous maid doing here?
Her eyes darted to me and widened, making the scales at her temples flicker in the sunlight. “Oh! Prince Belenus!” she blurted and rolled off the chair to curtsey. She started at the large black wolf next to me.
“Yes, this is Eventide. Hekla’s in there,” I said but quickly asked, “Why in the blazes are you here? Shouldn’t you be in the castle? ”
“I quit!” she announced with a tilt of her chin. “Getting kicked out of that room for that… bowfin spring churl of a fae was the last insult!” I wouldn’t have been surprised if Ushka was also internally swearing at the queen. She wouldn’t dare do that before me, though. It took her a moment to realize that she’d also just insulted my announced “intended,” and her eyes nigh bulged in horror. She floundered for something to say, but I dismissed it with a hand.
“Relax, Ushka. The spring princess is an absolute nightmare, and I have no intention of marrying her,” I said dryly. Her gaze then moved to Eventide, and her relieved expression turned into one of beaming joy.
“Oh, my lady, you’re going to make such a wonderful queen! I’m so happy,” she gushed, slouching a bit in her alleviation.
“Hopefully, it’ll be sooner than you think,” I added sternly. “Do you, Ushka, promise not to repeat any of our current conversation today, previous and future?”
“I promise,” she said, and we shook hands. Fae magic bound her to that promise. There’d be no betrayals here.
“Hekla has to get to the Night Court as soon as possible. We’re looking to travel upriver, at least to the Winter Court. Is there any string you can pull to help us out? I need to get back to the castle as soon as possible because my people are going to overthrow the queen. I know this is a lot to take in, but it’s critical we save as much time as possible, Ushka,” I said, watching her face go through a variety of expressions. She was clearly shocked, but I saw the curl of a smile pull at the corners of her mouth. “If you are able to help us out, I’d be glad to offer you a better position at the castle.”
“I… I will do better than pull some strings!” she gasped and ran off to speak to an older fae man, who was licking his thumb and rubbing at a smudge on the hull of a boat. He seemed proud of his little business, if that was the owner.
I watched Ushka speak emphatically with him, and I squatted to pet Eventide’s head while we waited. I smiled when the wolf leaned into me, occasionally tilting her head up to lick affectionately at my hand. At least she was still fond of me despite Escort’s aggressive advances. When I saw Ushka turn back to us, I stood and strode over to her.
“Ok! I can take you! Let’s go!” she said, guiding us to a smaller boat. I regarded it skeptically, unsure of how fast we’d be able to go upriver in it. It lacked oars as well. Still, I extended my trust, stepped in, and gestured for Eventide to sit between my legs so I could keep her steady.
“Don’t worry,” I heard Ushka say from behind. “There’s a reason I got this job so quickly!”
I heard mooring ropes slap to the wooden dock and something fell into the water behind the boat, producing a rather sizeable splash. I looked around, frowning.Had she just jumped in?
Woah! Escort yawped as the boat lurched. A mess of long algae bubbled up to the surface of the river, followed by horse ears, a horse neck, and salmon-skinned withers. Eventide started when a huge section of tail rolled across the surface of the water like a dolphin’s back.
I patted the wolf’s neck, relaxing when I realized Hekla’s luck had indeed been blessed. “We’re getting towed, Eventide,” I said soothingly and scratched under her ear. “That’s a kelpie. I had no idea that Ushka was a kelpie, but it would have been in the castle directory of our workers. Looks a bit salmon-like, doesn’t she? That bodes quite well for upriver speed. Can’t believe our luck…”
I stared in awe as Ushka accelerated, creating larger wakes around herself and the boat. I laughed a bit, high from disbelief, and scrubbed a hand over my mouth. The bank flew by quicker than an eagle. Hekla shifted back into her human body, and I pulled her into my lap, grinning at her sounds of wonder. I wrapped my arms around her, just beneath her breasts, and rested my cheek against her head.
“Your realm… as scary as it is, it’s remarkable too,” she breathed, turning her head every which way to take in the rocky an d grassy landscape. She tilted her nose up and sniffed at the wind, opening her mouth a little to take in the scents that came and went well within a split second. Her little pink tongue rested on her lower teeth as she tasted the air. I nudged her to issue a warning.
“Best close that before a wee faery flies into it,” I cautioned jokingly, and she clamped her mouth shut. I brushed her dark hair aside, enjoying how it whipped wildly about in the gale. I leaned down to scent her while I still could, knowing her natural aroma would fade for me once her heat ended.
I grunted in surprise when the boat jumped a little bit and looked ahead to see that Ushka had fallen into a consistent pace. We must be going at her top speed. I gaped at the view, shocked to see the passing landscape blurring. For as long as I’ve been alive, I’d never seen such a thing.
“She’s so fast!” Hekla exclaimed excitedly. “I wonder how long it’ll take to get to the Winter Court?”
“I can’t be sure, I’ve never tr—Oof!” The boat skipped again, causing Hekla to bounce on my lap a little. My palms grew sweaty, and I forgot what I was saying when Hekla glanced over her shoulder at me. “Sorry, lost my thoughts…” I admitted, staring down at the pretty eyes gazing up at me through dark eyelashes.
The boat settled into a skipping rhythm from Ushka’s speed and wake, which made my mate’s naked bottom jump on my lap. I leaned my head back and released a silent groan, trying to decide whether I wanted to move her or not. I could also feel the rounded bottom of her breasts bob against my forearms. I didn’t want her first time to be in a nasty old tower, or on a boat being towed by a kelpie, but it’d be so easy to pull my cock out and pierce her soft sex on the next skip. We wouldn’t even have to move; the boat would do everything for us.
I tried to be sneaky about lifting her hips so I could slide her away from my erection, but she caught on to what was happening and wiggled her way back to the top of my lap. “Hekla,” I warned through my teeth. “If you don’t move away, you’re going to make me ruin these pants.” My cock throbbed after that, echoing my warning.
I really didn’t know why I thought she’d ever listen to me. The female was simply incorrigible. She just hooked her feet around my lower legs so I couldn’t move her forward again and grinned wickedly over her shoulder. My mate then curled a lip to show off an elongated canine.
You little minx.
I leaned forward, panting slightly as she rode my lap, and said, “You know… my dear… Hekla… If we’re playing… by… your rules…” I gasped and groaned, becoming harder than blistering granite. “I still… think you’re… cheating…”
I didn’t want to disrespect Ushka by getting frisky on her boat, but my hands itched to fondle Hekla’s breasts. I just wrapped my arms tighter around her and pushed down to try to keep her bouncing to a minimum. My ridiculously clever mate then started grinding down on me, rolling her hips to tease my length through my pants. I moaned into her hair, feeling a shudder ripple through my body. I was too aroused. She needed to stop.
“You… are… being… very… naughty,” I grunted and hissed through my teeth as I started to feel my climax build. “You better stop… my dear, or I’m going to… make you wash… my clothes!”
Unexpectedly, the boat slowed, and I glanced up to find that the river ahead was frozen. There was simply no way that we had already…
“Unbelievable,” I whispered.
We were right on the cusp of summer and winter.
I jumped out of the boat as soon as we got close enough, adjusting my pants miserably as I waited for Ushka to make her appearance. Her fae head popped out of the water, and she grinned, looking very pleased with herself.
“Ushka,” I began, trying not to talk through my teeth. I felt like my cock would burst if I moved even the smallest amount. “You… have done a great service… to your kingdom. I’ll… remember this,” I said breathlessly and tossed my fare into the boat f or her to collect later. The amount was a hundred times what that trip was worth, and she’d earned every coin.
“Good luck, Prince Belenus!” she said and disappeared after waving a hand.
Exactly. Good luck indeed.
My head snapped over to Hekla, and I snorted out my frustration. Then, I adjusted my pants carefully, trying to calm myself. When my fated mate saw the look in my eyes, she fled, shrieking and giggling like a female who knew she was in trouble.