Chapter 23
BELENUS
I gawked as the majority of the bat-shifters jumped to their feet in the blink of an eye. Their eyes became as sharp as Nofre’s, and it seemed that they all had just enough adrenaline left in their system to make one last fight for food. Not only would they have to take down the colossal, violent nuckelavee, they’d have to face the disabling embrace of the sun. Perhaps once it was taken down, it could be dragged to a tree line if it didn’t end up falling in the woods.
Nofre and Ferrer took the lead while Luzia stayed behind to watch over the ones too weak to hunt; I was happy to see that being only twelve shifters. I’d gladly help carry them to the carcass once the nuckelavee’s thrashes stilled.
Eventide! Hekla! Guide the nuckelavee toward the shifters! Trust me on this one, Escort shouted over the bond.
What? Eventide replied. They’ll be slaughtered!
Mate, do you trust me? I asked firmly.
… Yes, she said.
What’s your plan? Hekla asked, her voice thick with worry.
The bat-shifters are hungry. I have about four hundred waiting to ambush it. Bring their food, mate, Escort directed. I grunted in agreement.
A-alright… Eventide replied, then we heard her shriek.
Mate! Escort cried. Where are you?
W-we’re coming! Oh my Moon Goddess, it’s faaast! Eventide sobbed frantically. This thing is the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life! I may pee myself! she shrieked.
I’d tried to save her the horror of seeing it when we were attacked for the first time, but unfortunately, Fate had other ideas, I supposed.
Don’t look at it, just run! I urged.
We waited anxiously to scent our mate, but we heard the nuckelavee’s approach before anything else. The cracking of trees and the thrashing of shrubbery made for a terrifying introduction.
“It’s coming!” I yelled to Nofre and Ferrer as we ran south to meet it. They both shouted orders to their people and separated into groups. Eventide burst out of the brambles, screaming through the bond in terror, and shot past the shifters, unable to stop.
The nuckelavee became visible over the treetops and crashed through the trees, easily swiping away anything that dared slow it. It was so much worse close up like this. Not only did it look much larger than I recalled, a living tower, I could better see the workings of its skinless, gruesome form. Its slippery yellow veins were visible all throughout its body, wrapped around waxen sinew and quaking muscles. The rider’s head continued to loll in all movements, like it was drunk or balancing upon a weak neck. The horse’s head, having only one eye, seemed slightly more alert. The air rippled with its every exhale, and I recalled that those fumes were toxic. Seeing this creature once in my life was enough. Twice was almost more than I could handle.
The bat-shifters, however, had a completely different reaction. There were exclamations and murmurs of excitement among the four hundred. Not one of them seemed afraid at all. They did have the numbers… and the appetite .
“Shittin’ stars! You don’t have to search for veins!”
“It’s a bleedin’ buffet…”
“It’s like it’s begging to be sucked dry.”
“No skin. I want to cut an artery and shove my face in it.”
“That thing makes me aroused as h—Ahhh!”
The nuckelavee reared when it encountered the army of bat-shifters, but I couldn’t tell if it was in surprise, fear, or anger. Perhaps the nuckelavee wasn’t capable of feeling any emotion; it was just a heartless monster of death and sickness. When the colossus landed back down on all fours, quaking the earth beneath our feet, it swept down with its horrifically long arms to scoop up some shifters.
Unfortunately for the nuckelavee, such an action with these people was like scooping up swarming ants. The shifters shot out of its grip before the hands even started tightening and raced up its arms. Throngs of shifters ran ahead, closing the distance in a blink, and jumped onto the monstrosity. In less than several minutes, all the shifters we’d brought with us were latched onto the nuckelavee, feeding like ravenous ticks.
The nuckelavee tried to swipe off the hungry bat-shifters, but they simply jumped to a new spot when they risked getting crushed.
They are so bloody fast, Escort said in awe. Look how high they can jump.
I’m going to read up on bats when all the dust settles. I’m curious about the species now, I mused.
I had Escort run back to instruct Luzia to herd the remaining shifters over to the nuckelavee. It was only a matter of time now until it lost consciousness. I had no doubt there’d be more than enough food for everyone. I picked up the weakest shifter and walked back to where the feast was taking place. A thought occurred to me, and I had to wonder if it had been the fear gorta’s influence that got this monster stalking us at all. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to feed this many hematophages.
I took a deep, deep breath and sighed it all out, feeling relief roll more weight off my shoulders. With everything Hekla and I had been through, this shift in outcome had been desperately needed. There was nothing like the occasional win to keep one fighting as hard as possible.
When I returned to where everyone was feeding, I was pleased to see they’d now gotten the nuckelavee lying on its side. Its hooves kicked sporadically, and it swiped with its arms, but it was clearly dying. Bat-shifters completely covered it from heads to tail, and the air was thick with the sounds of four hundred individuals sucking, swallowing, and moaning. I settled the fragile shifter down in a safe spot—but close enough for them to hobble over once the nuckelavee was dead—and went back to grab the next person. Luzia and I worked for a little bit longer to carry people over, and I set about looking for my mate, who I hadn’t seen since she’d run past me.
With Escort’s help, I followed her scent a little farther north where Eventide hid with her face buried into the corner of a rock face. I squatted by her and petted her back gently, stroking her without saying a word and letting her know I was here for her. After about five minutes, she shifted back into Hekla, who crawled naked into my arms without a word. Slowly, knowing her inner wolf was very much at the surface and very spooked, I picked her up and brought her back. We couldn’t leave the shifters alone for too long.
I kissed the top of her head and spoke softly, “You’re so brave. You’re the strongest female I’ve ever met, and I’m so proud of you. You just fed an entire endangered species today; did you know that? No one else could ever make that claim.”
“I did, didn’t I?” she replied faintly, staring blankly at the scenery. She blinked her long, dark eyelashes, fighting to come out of shock.
“Yes, you did. You should have heard what they were saying when they saw their lunch for the first time. They were practically drooling with excitement!” I shared with a grin. “You made a lot of people happy and healthy. Be proud of yourself, my sweet alpha.” I stroked her hair from her face and grabbed her bag on the way to the shifters’ current location.
“I’m going to have nightmares,” she murmured when I set her down near the feeding shifters.
“No one who sees the nuckelavee doesn’t get nightmares. I’ll get them too, but we’ll both be stronger for it.” I squeezed her hand. “Face your fears and be stronger for it.”
Shifters finished their meal and dropped lazily from the dead nuckelavee’s body. Some went to help the weak feed, but the majority wandered off into the woods. Each shifter split off, none staying with a partner. I stood and was about to shout for everyone to stick together, but Nofre approached and waved to stay me.
He shook his head. “Let them go. They need to… do this.”
“What is happening?” I asked, eyeing the woods. I was starting to hear some very telling noises.
Nofre sighed and looked toward the source of the sounds, frowning. “I don’t know if this is something we should be embarrassed about or not,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Once we feed, and our body recognizes we’re healthy enough, we have a strong impulse to breed. Since we’re all related, we must go off and… tend to ourselves individually. Ease the torture of not being able to mate. It’s how we’ve evolved to try to make up for our dwindling population.”
The fae at court would find it base, but nothing these people have endured was of their own making. “The instinct makes sense, Nofre,” I said with a sigh. “You will have to rebuild your population. I would love to hear reports from your people on how they’re faring once you’ve settled. I will pray for many fated mates to come your people’s way.”
“That is kind of you,” he said shortly. “We will have to repay you for what you’ve done. In the meantime, though, I must go or I will ruin these pants. Please excuse me.” He strode off into the woods to find a quiet place to… not ruin his pants. “Bl ood clots, I’d kill for an unrelated female right now,” was the last thing I heard him mutter before he left my sight.
I clamped a hand over my mouth to hold in a rude laugh and walked back to my mate. I sat next to her, feeling a little awkward as the forest became full of moaning, grunting, and panting. Hekla, still naked, had all her claws out and was tapping them anxiously on her knees. I could feel her discomfort through our bond, but it was slowly turning into arousal. I couldn’t say that the symphony of pleasure wasn’t affecting me. I was already at half-mast.
I slid a hand under her arm to palm her breast, and she stiffened, her heart rate accelerating exponentially. I molded my hand around her curves and pushed up to enjoy the weight of her flesh in my palms. Her breast was so soft and so perky. I leaned my head on her shoulder and stared down at her full globes, running my thumb over a tight little nipple. She released a tiny whimper and pressed her thighs together.
Oh, thank the Sun God, Escort grunted in relief and disappeared to give us privacy.
“I remember when I couldn’t wait to touch these,” I murmured into her ear. “Fondle them, lick them, suck them.” I pinched her nipple lightly between my thumb and forefinger. “I especially can’t wait to play with them when they’re full of milk for our young.”
“Belenus…” she whispered helplessly, leaning her cheek against my head while I stared at her breasts.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered back to her and slid my hand to grab as much of her breast as I could, squeezing gently to watch her brown flesh swell between my fingers. I lifted her in my arms and cradled her high enough to take as much of a breast as I could into my wide-open mouth.
A shudder raked through her, and I felt her desire ignite. “B-Belenus… they could come back any m- Ahhh… any m-moment,” she moaned quietly, digging her claws into my back and shoulder .
I slid my lips off her breast and said, “They’ve all fallen asleep. You know what happens after a big meal and masturbation. They’ll be out for a long while...”
I laid my mate down on the grass and nearly ripped my clothes off so I could get to her as quickly as possible. I stopped, though, when I got a good look at my fated mate and studied her for a moment while she peered up at me. Her shiny dark hair had fanned around her head, making her look like a forest nymph.
The most beautiful nymph these woods have ever seen, to be sure.
I loved that my mate was a wolf. She brought something out of me that I never knew I needed, at least not until Zorian had lectured me. Her fair forthrightness had planted a seed in me, and I believed it had been the catalyst to me finally maturing, though I was much older than her. She kept my eyes honest too. It was refreshing to see the world as she did. The fae at court lived through such a judgmental filter, and Hekla was a fresh wind that blew away all that stale air.
Her face was expressionless as her midnight eyes stared at me, but I could feel her arousal and affection through the bond. I felt something else too, and my heart nearly stopped once I realized what it was. It couldn’t be… but it was.
I felt love from her.
Hekla loved me.
I sucked my lips between my teeth and swallowed heavily, trying to keep tears from my eyes and words off my tongue. She’d tell me when she was ready. I had to be patient and remember the torture she’d undergone at the palace. I must continue to prove myself trustworthy.
The sensation of feeling her love toward me was overwhelming, though, and I fell to my knees between her legs. I leaned over her, looked her square in the eyes, and said, “I may worship many gods, but you, Hekla, are my true goddess, and I love you more than I could ever begin to describe.” I needed her to know that whether she told me or not, my love for her was indestructible. It didn’t rely on anything but how I perceived her. I pressed my lips to hers, wrapped my arms around her back and neck, and brought her up to my chest, unable to get close enough to her.
She whimpered against my mouth, and I groaned a lustful reply, slipping my tongue between her full lips to dive into her mouth. The feral sounds she made possessed me. They unleashed the wolf inside of me, the part of Escort’s instincts that was always around, whether he was asleep or awake.
My heart thrummed in its cage, awakened by carnal excitement. My blood sang for her body, and it rushed into my cock until I thought I would burst. I reached down with a hand to massage it, moaning at how hard I’d become. Only Hekla had ever made me this long and unyielding. Perhaps it was a fated mate trait.
I longed to return the favor. I wanted to set her body on fire the way only a fae mate could. I massaged her lips with mine, pressing harder in my growing passion. I felt inside for my hot summer magic, my raw essence, and infused the smallest amount in my hands. I palmed the sides of her face first while I devoured her mouth and let her feel my summer heat. I was turning myself inside out for her, showing her my rawness and how everything I was belonged to her.
She gasped into my mouth. Only I could give her this. Now she’d feel summer warmth and the erotic thrill of my essence on top of the mate touch’s pleasure. I slid my hands down her slender neck and massaged where they met her shoulders, taking care to add extra pressure to the mark I’d given her. Hekla arched sharply and groaned into my mouth. My breath caught at her noise, and I continued, sliding my hands to her shoulders and down her firm, strong arms.
“Why,” she gasped, breathless from how I pleasured her with only simple touches. “Why does that feel so good?”
“It’s an intimate act,” I murmured and buried my lips into her neck to kiss it. “I’m spreading my raw, personal magic essence all over your body. It’s the most aphrodisiacal experience a marked fae can offer their marked mate.” I lapped at her mark, making her convulse as I slid my hands down hers to intertwine our fingers. “It’s as close as we get to further marking our territory, I suppose. More erotic than ejaculating on a partner.”
She tilted her head back, showing her lengthened canines as she released a howling cry. I could feel her arousal spike at my words, and I continued to drag my hands along her newly formed goose bumps, releasing magic as I moved. My hands glided down her warm sides, and I moaned in appreciation of her curves. She was in beautiful shape and as healthy as could be. Primed for mating.
I laid her down and lifted both her legs over my shoulders. I couldn’t help but stare down at the glistening dark curls around her sex as I massaged her legs all the way to her feet. I wanted to dive in there with my throbbing, aching cock, but first, I wanted to drive her as crazy as she made me. I gripped her ankles and leaned down to kiss her, bringing her thighs up to her torso. I slid my palms down the backs of her legs and grabbed her butt cheeks firmly. She jolted again, unable to buck in her position, and released a long, agonized whine.
“Please, my male!” she begged, panting heavily. I loved how her breasts pressed against my chest. I loved feeling her tight, hard nipples nestled in the center of her softness. I massaged her buttocks, but I couldn’t resist any longer and slid my hands between us to grope her excited globes. Everywhere my hands touched, heat followed, encouraging circulation and blood flow. Her breasts were sweaty and swollen now, just how I liked them.
“Please what?” I whispered into her ear as I played with her hard nipples, gently twisting and pinching.
“I need… I need you!” She whimpered, and I could just barely make out her elongated canines as she spoke and panted. That was incredibly hot. I loved her canines.
“Need me to what?” I teased and slid a hand down between us to cup her sex, very excited to try this next part. I slathered my magic along her wet folds, letting my essence settle on her intimate skin. I traced a line around her sensitive clit, and Hekla bit her lip to try to contain a screech of pleasure. I drew a tiny bit more of my essence out, focused it onto my fingertips, and plunged two fingers into her dripping core, displacing some of her natural lubrication. Gods, no woman had ever been so sopping wet. This female provided a sexual experience I simply did not deserve. My cock begged for a dive.
Hekla’s head tilted back as far as it could go, and her claws ripped at my back. I grunted and grinned at the reaction I got, pleased as shit to have her right where I wanted her. I slid a third finger into her channel and swirled my fingers in a small, gentle circle. I pumped them several times to fill her with the rest of my essence and repeated my earlier question. “Need me to what, she-wolf?” I growled and nipped her ear.
“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me, mount me!” she chanted, getting progressively wilder. She dug her claws deeper into my back, holding on without displaying any intention of letting go. I licked my lips, smiled savagely into her hair, and pulled out my fingers to rub her slick on my desperate cock.
I leaned forward and pressed the head of my cock against her threshold. She felt more exquisite than ever, and I looked forward to giving her the best orgasm of her life. I eagerly pushed past her swollen entry and squeezed myself into her snug channel. Tingling heat gripped me, nearly taking my breath away.
Hekla pulled herself up to howl her pleasure into my chest. As much as she wanted to muffle it, there really wasn’t any point. I could still hear the stragglers among the bat-shifters moan from their own activities. Not everyone had fallen asleep yet. I could guarantee that no one cared.
I was already as hard as could be and felt myself press against her back wall, shuddering in delight from filling her to the brim. She stretched so deliciously for me, locked so perfectly, that we couldn’t be anything but meant to be.
“You got your wish, female,” I growled down at her, bracing myself for faster movement. I dragged my cock backward and threatened to leave her entirely, but she released a little growl and sank her claws deeper, issuing her own threat. My abdomen cramped in arousal, and I slammed my hips forward, bottoming out roughly. “Do you feel my magic on your skin?” I asked heatedly and began to drag my cock back out again despite her attempts to clench her walls and trap me. “Do you feel it,” I moaned and slammed my hips forward again, making her cry and thrash her head, “inside you?”
I grinded my hips against her swollen sex and licked a short line up her calf, enjoying her flexibility. I rolled my groin into her, patiently building her climax. She was squirming and thrashing and completely at my mercy in this position. Her whimpering punctuated every pant, and I felt her muscles tremble. “I feel it! I feel it! Ah! Ah! Ah!” She moaned, kicking her feet. “It’s so hot! It’s melting me!”
“That’s me, she-wolf,” I snarled down into her ear and started rocking my hips, wetly sliding in and out of her sex. I felt her slick drip down my length as proof of her intoxication. “That’s my very essence. It’s what I injected into your mark, and it’s what I slathered all over you so no one will ever mistake who your fated is! You are my mate. Mine! Tell me who your mate is!”
“Y-you!” she yelped, hanging on for dear life when I started pummeling her core with my hips, smacking her with a taut sack. “Ah! Uh, uh!” She yowled, forgetting about the shifters in the woods that’d made her act so reserved earlier.
“That’s right. You belong to the prince of the Summer Court, she-wolf! Now watch him worship you,” I hissed, speeding up and angling to rub along her sensitive, swollen spots of pleasure. I gathered the tiniest bit of magic on my forefinger, reached between us, and tapped on her clit.
She seized, opened her mouth in a soundless scream, and tossed her head back as the orgasm hit her. I cried out through my teeth as she clamped down on my cock like a coiled snake’s death grip. I couldn’t thrust anymore, which ended up being more than fine as her pulsing channel squeezed my orgasm out of me. I shook violently as I unloaded into her, crying up toward the forest’s canopy in my ecstasy. Her channel throbbed unapologetically along my cock, milking every rope.
“Take my seed, she-wolf,” I grunted, straining in our long release. “Take it. Suck it all up!” I ordered through a clenched jaw, jerking my hips to punctuate my feral thoughts. Tears streamed down Hekla’s cheeks as she pulsed beneath me. She finally released a weak howl, overwhelmed and overstimulated by euphoria.
We both came to a shuddering halt, gasping to pull oxygen back into our lungs. I slowly lowered her legs from my shoulders, knowing her hips would probably be stiff. Then, I slid my sated cock from her and collapsed to the side, rolling her with me in an exhausted embrace. After a couple minutes of indecision, I forced myself to get dressed and helped her with her own clothes.
“There,” I said tiredly, collapsing to the ground once more and wrapping her in my arms. “Now we can rest and be ready to go when night falls,” I mumbled, finally feeling like I could relax after our intense joining.
“You… you… ” Hekla mumbled, shuddering, “are… very skilled… my prince.”
“Only for you,” I mumbled back, cradling her as closely as I could. “You make me so happy.”
I felt her emotions swell with joy, peace, and satisfaction. Her love for me emanated once more, and I nearly groaned from how wonderful it felt. That in itself was the best reward this fae could ever receive.