Eyes of the Wolf
Amanda Steiger
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Copyright ©2009 Amanda Steiger
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ISBN: 978-1-60521-310-1
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Eyes of the Wolf
Amanda Steiger
Kaila is a princess, bound to a life of duty. She would do anything to save her people,
even give herself to the barbarian leader of the Wolf Clan -- the fearsome half-demon
wolf-shifter, Garou -- in exchange for the promise that he will leave her kingdom in
peace. What she didn’t expect was to find passion and tenderness in his embrace, and
to discover that inside the beast is a very human man.
Chapter One
Kaila’s heart raced, and her knees trembled as she approached the barbarians’
camp. Cook fires flickered amidst the deer hide tents. Men sat around them, roaring
with laughter, eating bloody haunches of roast meat and slopping ale from tankards.
The sliver of moon overhead shed only scarce light on the grassy plains. None of
the men had spotted her yet. She had the sudden urge to turn and bolt… but she
suppressed it and willed her shaking limbs to be steady. She’d made up her mind. She
could not allow her people to suffer any longer. If her father would not give Chief
Garou what he demanded, then Kaila would take matters into her own hands.
She took another step closer, and a twig popped under her foot.
The men fell silent and turned to look at her. They were huge and muscular,
wearing the skins of wolves or bobcats, and most had thick, bushy beards. Hunger
glinted in their eyes as they realized what they were seeing. She felt like a rabbit
waltzing into a convention of foxes, and in spite of her efforts to stay calm, she quivered
beneath her heavy, fur lined cloak.
These men were brutes. For the past few months, they had been attacking the
city, carrying off plunder. They lived like scavengers, striking, thieving, and vanishing
into the night. “Where is your chief?” she called, with as much authority as she could
muster. “I demand that you take me to him at once. I will speak to no one else.”
One man wiped grease from his beard with the back of one hand, then stood,
grinning. “Bold little thing, aren’t you?”
He started forward, but was stopped by a sharp, “Don’t touch her!” from the
largest tent.
The man froze as the chief pushed the tent flap aside and stepped out. He was
tall, and surprisingly young. He was also one of the few men in camp without a beard.
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Three scars, like claw marks, marred each cheek. He wore a dark wolf hide, the wolf’s
head perched over his own, and black leather gloves and boots. At his belt was a
glittering sword, no doubt stolen, like all their weapons. He drew the blade from its
gem encrusted scabbard and pressed the tip to the man’s stomach. The man gulped, his
eyes widening. “No one is to touch her, save me,” said the chief. “If anyone lays a hand
on her, I’ll cut off his sac and hang it out to dry in the sun.”
Kaila stood frozen, heart knocking against her ribs, as the chief approached. He
moved like the wolf for which he was named, his strides smooth and graceful. Well
defined muscles shifted beneath the bronze skin in his arms and legs. With a gloved
hand, he gripped her chin and turned her face from side to side, studying her. She
noticed, with a shock, that his eyes were yellow gold, like a wolf’s. “Strange, that you
come here alone, without a carriage or guards,” he remarked. His gloved thumb traced
her chin, and then ran lightly over her full lips. “One would think your father would
send that much, at least, to see off his beloved daughter. I wonder… did your father
send you at all, or did you come of your own free will?”
She swallowed, keeping her eyes downcast. “My father sent me.” Garou might
not consider it a gift if he knew she’d come on her own. “He is willing to make the
sacrifice for his people.”
“Very wise of him.” He smiled, showing a glint of white teeth. With the tip of his
sword, he pulled her cloak open to reveal the soft, pink silk dress beneath. He studied
the pearly buttons, then slid his sword tip beneath one and popped it off, so delicately
that he didn’t even graze the skin beneath. A few of his men hooted, but he paid no
attention. His eyes were fixed on her heaving chest. He popped off another button, then
another, exposing her white, lacy chemise.
Kaila gritted her teeth, cheeks burning. Would he have her out in the open, in
front of all these leering pigs? She straightened her back and schooled her face into a
neutral expression. No matter what happened, she was determined to endure it
stoically. It was the only honor left to her.
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The cold tip of the sword touched her breast, almost gently, and her breath
caught in her throat. She watched, stone still, as it circled her nipple, which quickly
hardened at the coldness of the steel. He did the same to the other nipple, then returned
to the first, until both jutted, achingly hard and tight, straining against the thin silk of
her chemise. Then, with the tip of his sword, he lifted her dress. One hand reached
beneath it.
Kaila swatted his hand away. The men all gasped in shock and stared at their
leader, wondering what he would do.
He raised one eyebrow. “I’d advise you to remember where you are and who
your new master is. Your life is in my hands.”
She glared at him, cheeks flushed. It occurred to her, even through her anger and
embarrassment, that he didn’t speak like a barbarian. He had a city dweller’s accent.
Highborn, no less. It puzzled her, but at the moment, it was the least of her concerns.
“Come with me to my tent,” he said. His men began hooting again, and Kaila
shook with anger. Pigs, all of them. She would rather die than be this barbarian’s whore,
but there was more than her own life at stake.
Head held high, eyes staring straight ahead, she followed Garou into the tent. It
was huge, easily three times as large as any of the other tents in the barbarian campsite.
Garou pushed the tent flap aside and said with a smirk, “After you, my lady.”
She entered, trying to appear cool and regal, though her pulse wouldn’t stop
racing and her knees were weak with fear.
Inside the tent, the ground was covered with hides from wolves, snow foxes, and
rabbits. In the center, a small fire burned. Smoke rose through a hole in the tent’s
ceiling, and a pot of soup hung over the fire, bubbling. Garou ladled some into a small
bowl and handed it to her. She stared in surprise.
“Eat,” he said. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”
Kaila hesitated. She was hungry; she’d ridden a long way to get here. But she
wasn’t sure she wanted to accept anything from him. That soup was probably made
from animals he’d poached from her land, her people. The rich, meaty smell tickled her
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nostrils, and her stomach rumbled. Giving in, she took the bowl from him, sniffed the
dark broth, and took a tiny sip.
“I haven’t drugged it, if that’s what you’re afraid of. I prefer my women awake
and aware, able to enjoy the experience.”
Kaila’s jaw clenched. She knew it would be wiser to stay silent -- provoking him
would do no good -- but she couldn’t hold her tongue. “Do you really believe I’ll enjoy
this? This is my duty, nothing more.”
Garou chuckled. “You think so? Perhaps I can change your mind.” He crouched,
watching her intently. His golden eyes shone in the firelight, seeming almost to glow.
“You’re very beautiful.”
She took another sip of her soup, not looking at him. “You needn’t flatter me.”
“I don’t flatter. I only state facts.” He leaned closer. “Tell me the truth. Did your
father send you here, or did you come on your own?”
“What does it matter? I’m here. Our part of the bargain has been fulfilled. Now
you must honor your promise to leave our people in peace.”
“Look at me when you speak to me, Kaila.”
When she didn’t look up, he gripped her chin and tilted her face upward. She
swallowed as his yellow gaze met hers, and suddenly she couldn’t look away. His stare
penetrated her, held her. “You have beautiful eyes. Blue green, like water pierced by
sunlight.”
She shivered lightly. She might have enjoyed those words, coming from another
man, but she knew that this man’s heart held no tenderness. He was simply admiring
her as he would any object of value. To him, she was just another piece of loot.
“I can see why you keep them downcast most of the time, though,” he said,
running his thumb slowly over her lips. “They hide nothing. It’s like looking straight
into your heart.” His thumb continued to run back and forth across her lips, very
lightly. “Tell me, now. What makes you think that your coming here will change
anything? Who’s to say I won’t just keep attacking your people?”
“You gave your word.”
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“And what good is the word of a barbarian?”
“They say you are a man of your word. Despite everything you’ve done, you
always honor your promises.”
“They speak true. Starting tomorrow morning, I will lead my men away from
your city.”
She sighed softly as the tension eased out of her shoulders.
“You care for your country a great deal.”
“Obviously. I’m here, aren’t I? But it has nothing to do with my own feelings. I’m
doing what I have to. If I stood by and allowed my people to suffer, my conscience
wouldn’t be able to bear it.” She narrowed her eyes. “Not that a man like you would
understand that.”
He smiled, a mirthless expression, thin and hard as a sword’s edge. “Drink your
soup. It’s beginning to cool.”
“I’ve lost my appetite.”
He took the bowl from her. “Suit yourself. But sooner or later you’ll have to eat.
Practicality always outweighs pride, in the long run.” He drained the bowl in a single
gulp, then set it aside. “In the meantime, take off your dress. I want to look at you.”
She nodded stiffly and unbuttoned her dress. She kept her eyes fixed on the tent
wall, kept her face impassive. She would not give him the pleasure of showing her fear,
but she could not control the tremor in her hands as she undid the last button and let
the silk dress slip to the floor. The cool air washed over her naked skin, and goose
bumps rose on her arms and belly as she stood before him in only her chemise and
leggings.
He stood, arms crossed over his chest, waiting.
Biting her lower lip, she undid the drawstring of her chemise. It slipped to the
ground, exposing the smooth, white mounds of her breasts. Her areolas puckered in the
cold. She straightened her back and stood, chin lifted, face composed in an
expressionless mask, as his gaze moved over her. She felt it like hands gliding over her
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skin. That possessive gaze lingered on the juncture between her thighs, and warmth
rose into her cheeks.
He stepped closer, looming over her, then reached down and tapped one long,
thick finger against the drawstring of her leggings. “These, too.”
“Very well.” She lifted her chin a little higher, teeth clenched, face burning. She
supposed she should have expected no better from a man like this, but his insolence still
galled her. She took a deep breath, undid the drawstring and stepped out of her
leggings.
Kaila heard his breath catch in his throat. In spite of herself, she looked up and
saw the desire burning in his eyes, hot and intense, as he stared at her exposed mound.
“Lie down on your back,” he said.
She stretched out on the wolf skin mat, praying he would be quick about it,
praying it wouldn’t hurt too much. She’d heard that it always hurt the first time, for
women. She closed her eyes.
There was no sense in feeling regret, Kaila supposed. She had always known
there would be no love for her. She was a princess, expected to marry a man of her
father’s choosing. Of course, a prince would have at least treated her with respect and
chivalry, but a loveless union was still a loveless union. It was the inescapable fate for
all women of royal blood.
She braced herself for the pain of his hard sex tearing through her virginity, but it
didn’t come. Uncertain, she opened her eyes.
He was looking down at her breasts, slowly sliding off one glove. His breathing
had grown slightly, almost imperceptibly heavier. “Exquisite,” he murmured. He
crouched and touched her breast. His thumb rubbed in a slow circle around one nipple,
and Kaila was shocked to feel it responding, hardening to an aching point. He stroked
the rosy bud with a fingertip. “Your breasts are very sensitive. And beautifully formed,
I might add.”
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She felt another moment’s disorientation at his strange speech. He sounded like a
noble from her father’s court. The accent was unmistakable. “Who are you?” she
whispered.
“I am Garou, Chief of the Wolf Clan. Who else would I be?” He molded her other
nipple into a sensitive peak; it tingled under his touch, as if a mild electric current had
passed between them. Then he lowered his head and traced her areola with his tongue.
She gasped, startled. When his hot, wet mouth engulfed her nipple, she moaned in spite
of herself. His mouth felt shockingly good on her breast. His stubble rubbed and
scratched her skin as he sucked her nipple like a piece of candy. He reached over and
fondled her other breast, the heat of his fingers burning into her skin. A wave of liquid
warmth rolled through Kaila. Every nerve ending tingled with life. She found herself
sharply aware of every sensation in her body: the tickle of the wolf skin rug against her
back, the heat of the fire, the pressure of Garou’s fingers as they pinched and tugged her
nipple, and the wetness of his tongue. Her sex plumped and moistened. She had a
momentary urge to touch herself and swiftly squelched it.
What was wrong with her? He was a monster. She should be repulsed at his
touch. She closed her eyes and felt those warm fingers brush her stomach.
“So soft,” he whispered. “It’s been so long since I’ve touched skin like this.”
There was desire in that voice, but something else, as well -- something wistful, almost
gentle. She was growing more confused by the moment. She had come here expecting
to be brutally raped, but this… this was somehow worse. Brutality, she could endure,
but she had no defense against this sweet, skilled touch.
Hard, callused fingertips trailed over her thigh. When those fingers brushed the
downy curls between her thighs, she gasped and pressed them tightly together. She
could feel her sex pulsing between them like a second heart.
“Open your legs,” he whispered. And then added, so softly she almost didn’t
hear it, “Please.”
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Kaila took a deep breath and steeled herself. She had committed to this, had
promised herself that she would not try to flee once it started. And… she wanted him to
touch her. She ached for it. A tremor ran through her. Slowly, she parted her thighs.
The first, feather light touch sent a shock of pleasure through her body, like a bolt
of lightning. She struggled to control her breathing as his fingertips traced the contours
of her outer lips. He cupped her mound possessively with one broad, rough hand.
“Have you ever been touched like this?” he asked, his eyes focused on hers.
“N-no.” Her body was burning up like a torch. A part of her wanted him to stop
-- but another part wanted him to keep going. She bit her lower lip as his finger invaded
her folds.
“You’re very wet,” he whispered. He leaned down, his lips brushing the curve of
one full, heaving breast. His tongue collected a few drops of sweat as his rough cheek
rubbed lightly against her protruding nipple. He wrapped his lips around it and
sucked. Meanwhile, his finger moved deeper, exploring her wet folds, and found the
tightly lodged barrier of her virginity. He pressed, and she tensed, shutting her eyes
tightly in anticipation of the tearing agony she knew would come, but Garou withdrew
his hand. “No,” he murmured. “Not yet.”
“You mean… you will just… stop?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to finish you?”
“F-finish? You mean…”
“Just relax.” His thick finger slid slowly along the length of her furrow and
pressed a spot so sensitive that her eyes flew wide open in surprise. Her breathing
quickened and she watched, breathless, as he parted the lips of her pussy with his
thumbs. He stared into her folds, then grazed that sensitive spot again. “Have you ever
touched this?” he asked.
Kaila bit her lower lip. Heat rose into her cheeks. “That would not be proper.”
“I didn’t ask if it was proper. Have you?”
She swallowed. “Perhaps… a few times.” But dear spirits, it had never felt like
this.
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With small, gentle, skillful strokes, he coaxed her clitoris out from under its
protective hood. He circled that little pink bud, teasing it until it ached with need, then
dragged his callused thumb across it slowly.
She gasped, and her hips arched upward.
He lowered his head until his breath stirred the fine, dark curls that hid her sex.
Then she felt the unexpected pressure of his teeth dragging lightly over her clitoris, her
moist labia. His tongue slipped out to lap her clit, and the burst of pleasure made her
cry out. He smiled, a knowing, maddeningly arrogant smile. Then he licked his lips and
pulled back. “Do you want me to keep going?”
Her fingers dug into the earth beneath her, and she shut her eyes tight, panting.
She reached between her thighs, needing to touch herself, but he grasped her wrists and
pinned them down. “Ask me,” he said quietly. “Ask me to touch you.”
“Damn you…” Tears of frustration welled behind her closed lids. Her hips
twitched. Her pussy throbbed and ached -- if it had a voice, she thought, it would have
been crying out in desperation, begging for more. She wanted his hand there, wanted to
feel those callused, experienced fingertips in her folds, stimulating her hungry flesh. But
she couldn’t say it. This… this was all wrong. She was supposed to hate this man. For
what he’d done to her people, for what he’d forced her to do, she wanted desperately to
hate him, to feel disgust at his touch.
Why didn’t she?
“Kaila,” he whispered into her ear, “do you want it? Tell me…”
She bit her trembling lower lip and gave a tiny nod.
His hand moved between her thighs and lightly squeezed her mound; then he
spread her thighs. He lowered his head and trailed kisses down her belly, until his lips
found the aching bud of her clit. He kissed it, licked it, and sucked it as if it were a
delicacy, and the pleasure swelled inside her. She writhed, sweat trickling down her
sides and neck, hips bucking as his skilled mouth plundered her. His tongue delved
into her folds, and he feasted on her wetness, licking up her juices. She gasped and
clawed at the wolf hide beneath her, dizzy as wave after wave of heat crashed through
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her. His hands squeezed her thighs and spread them wider still. He growled softly, like
an animal, his golden eyes burning into hers as his teeth raked her clit, giving her a
shock of sensation, a searing mixture of pleasure and pain. She shut her eyes, and stars
burst in the darkness behind her closed lids.
He held her on the brink, writhing, for another moment. Then his tongue slid
through her folds again, and the heel of his hand ground against her clit. She pushed
against him, her mouth open and panting. The pleasure grew unbearably sharp for a
brief, burning moment, then the aching pressure was gone, and she went limp, bathed
in sweat. Her heart pounded. Her breasts heaved as she caught her breath.
Garou kissed her, very softly, on the lips.
Kaila turned her face to one side, blinking away tears. She had no idea how she
should feel. She’d never been more confused in all her life.
Garou stood, looking down at her flushed, naked body. She felt a flash of fear.
Now he was through toying with her. He would sate his lust. She tensed, pulling away,
then forced herself to lie still. “Go on,” she said, and shut her eyes, bracing herself. “Do
what you will. I can’t stop you.”
“I’m not going to rape you,” said Garou.
She opened her eyes and stared at him, more confused than ever. “Then why did
you want me here? What are you planning to do with me?”
“Oh, I do intend to take your virginity. Never doubt it.” His words -- and his
husky tone -- sent a shiver up her spine of fear or something else, she couldn’t be sure.
“But when I enter you, I want you to be willing. More than willing.” His smile widened.
“I want you to beg for my seed.”
Her jaw dropped. “You think I would do that, after everything you and the rest
of your vicious brutes have done?” she burst out, all restraint gone. “Are you really so
deluded by arrogance?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You did not seem so adverse to my touch a moment
ago.”
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Her mouth snapped shut, and her cheeks flushed so hotly that she felt a
moment’s dizziness. “You forced me,” she said. “It was rape, just as surely as if you’d
pierced my maidenhead.” Even as she said that, she wondered if she believed it. She
had not once attempted to push him away or stop him. Of course, that would have
violated their agreement, she thought. She hadn’t had a choice. But still…
Still, once he had started, she hadn’t wanted him to stop. That was the shameful
truth.
“It was rape, was it?” Garou asked, his tone and face unreadable.
“Yes,” she said, but she couldn’t meet his gaze.
Then he chuckled coldly. “Well, I am a barbarian. What did you expect?”
She looked away. “Nothing less.”
“But you will come to me willingly, when the time comes. There isn’t a woman
born who could resist me forever.”
“You’re a fool. A woman submits to you out of fear and you think you’ve won
her? You know very little about women.”
“And you know very little about me.” His voice had gone soft and husky again.
She swallowed, her heartbeat quickening. “I don’t see what that has to do with
anything.”
“Perhaps you’d feel differently about me if you knew more. Or perhaps not.”
Those eyes. They unsettled her. She had the feeling they could somehow see into
the private depths of her heart, where her hidden feelings lay. Even spent, as she was,
Kaila felt her body stirring to life once again. Damn it. Why did he affect her so? Had he
slipped her some potion?
That had to be it, she decided. There were drugs, which could make a person
more susceptible, more sensitive to touch. That was why she’d reacted as she had. Well,
he would find out that she wasn’t an easy conquest. Now that she knew what was
going on, she could resist her desires.
Garou turned away from her and pushed the tent flap aside.
“You’re leaving?” she said in surprise.
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He looked over one shoulder. “Yes. I don’t stay in my tent all the time, you
know.”
“Then you’ll trust me to stay put?”
“I don’t think you’re stupid enough to try anything. This tent is surrounded by
my men. If you try to escape, you’ll only embarrass yourself.”
“What if I have to… relieve myself?”
“Here,” he said and set an empty pot on the ground.
“You want me to use that?” She stared at the battered iron pot.
“You’re not in the palace anymore, princess. No rose scented indoor privies here.
This is your only option. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to go outside with everyone
watching.”
She flushed. “Of course not. I’m not a dog.”
“Then use the pot. I’ll be back soon,” he said, and left the tent.
Kaila sighed. She slipped back into her dress and stretched out across the soft
furs. She’d begun to wish that she’d eaten a little more soup. Her stomach was
rumbling, but she wouldn’t ask him for more. She would not ask him for anything, if
she could help it.
She closed her eyes. It had been a long, exhausting day, and even as she
wondered if she would be able to sleep in such a strange place, she felt herself drifting
off.
Chapter Two
Garou looked around the camp, at his men. “Get your things ready,” he said.
“We leave tomorrow morning and travel west.”
“But, Chief,” one of them said, “there’s still plenty of plunder to be had in this
city.”
“No matter. I promised the king that if he gave me his daughter, I would leave
his people alone. I must honor my word. I’ll hear no argument. Understood?”
Dispirited nods and mutters met this pronouncement.
“I’m going hunting,” he said, and picked up his bow -- which was as tall as a ten-
year-old child, and carved from sturdy, dark oak -- and his full quiver, which he slung
over one shoulder. He walked out of the camp and into the moon silvered grass of the
plains.
* * *
Kaila woke slowly and stretched. What a strange dream she’d had, about a man
with golden eyes who frightened and enticed her at the same time. She opened her eyes,
and blinked in puzzlement. Why wasn’t she in her bedroom?
The memories came crashing back into place. It had been no dream. She was a
prisoner of the Wolf Clan, and their chief had taken her for his concubine.
She wondered if she’d ever see her home or her father again. Her throat
tightened, and tears prickled in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. A
princess shouldn’t cry. Her father had drilled that into her from an early age. Children
of royalty had to be strong, to have the courage and dignity to accept their fate,
whatever it might be.
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She sat up, rubbed sleep from her eyes and looked around, but there was no sign
of Garou. The fire had died down to a few embers, and the tent was chilly. She
shivered, rubbing her arms.
She remembered the way he had touched her last night -- so gently -- and the
look in his eyes had been so strange. He had seemed hungry for something besides her
body, but what, she could not guess. Perhaps it was all just some strange trick, a way of
toying with her mind.
She heard footsteps outside the tent, and sat up straighter. “Garou?”
A low chuckle was the reply. Her skin crawled. That didn’t sound like Garou.
Kaila scooted backward, heart pounding. “Who are you?”
A hairy hand pushed the tent flap aside, revealing a broad, bearded face. The
man was bald, and his nose looked oddly squashed, as if it had been broken more than
once. A silver earring glinted in one ear. His thick lips glistened with saliva as his small,
dim blue eyes stared at her hungrily. “Oh, Chief Garou has found himself a prize this
time,” he whispered hoarsely, and licked his lips. He reached out. “I’ll not hurt you,
pretty thing. Just let me touch you.”
“Go away,” she said, summoning the calmest tone she could muster, “or Garou
will kill you. You remember what he said, don’t you?”
“The chief don’t have to know.” He licked his lips again and crawled toward her,
eyes shining, face split in a wide grin. “You got the ripest set of tits I ever seen. Just a
quick squeeze, that’s all I ask.”
She tensed. “For the last time. I’m warning you…”
He lunged toward her. She scrambled backward, behind the remains of the fire.
He crawled toward her, panting. In his haste to get to her, he put his hand in the embers
and howled, clutching it. Kaila dashed toward the tent flap, but he grabbed her ankle,
pulling her to the ground, and dragged her back toward him. She opened her mouth to
scream, but a hand clamped across it. His other hand gripped her breast and squeezed
it, hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. She bit down hard on his hand, sinking her
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teeth into the meat. “Nice try, sweetheart,” he said through gritted teeth, still framed by
a smile, “but I’m used to pain.”
Frantic, Kaila clawed at him, her nails leaving long, red scratch marks down his
arms and chest, but he ignored the assault and forced her to the ground, onto her back.
His knee rammed between her thighs, forcing them apart. “I was only going to touch
you, but now, you made me angry. You’re going to regret that, my silky little princess.”
* * *
Garou crouched on the stream bank, splashing cold water onto his face and
letting it drip from his hair. He growled softly. It had been a mistake to ask the king for
such a sacrifice. He should have known that even if the king refused, the girl would
come here to save her people. And he’d known from the beginning that his desire was
too intense to be trusted. This was no ordinary lust, to be sated with a quick rut.
He’d first seen her during a raid, when she stood on a balcony overlooking the
city. Her eyes had been wide, her long, dark hair rippling in the wind, and she’d had an
arrow drawn. She’d been aiming for him.
He had stopped and stood beneath the balcony, hands on his hips, chest
exposed, just to see what she would do. “Do you know how to handle that weapon?”
he’d called up mockingly.
Her eyes had widened, then narrowed. She had pulled the arrow back, but she
hadn’t released it. He’d seen the flash of anger in her face. Not anger at him, but at
herself, for not being able to kill him.
Just then, a deep voice from within the palace had said, “Princess, what are you
doing out here?” and a large hand -- probably a guard’s -- had dragged her back inside.
But he did not forget. He didn’t forget the wild, frightened look in her eyes, or
the way her full lips had trembled with anger, the way her breasts heaved, straining
against her dress. From that moment on, he had ached to possess her. He had longed to
have her beneath him, her mouth open in pleasure, and her breasts taut and glistening
with sweat. He had dreamed of the moment when his cock tore through the sheath of
her virginity and buried itself deep in her tight, hot core.
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 20 -
In his dreams, the sex had always been violent and passionate. But he knew that
if he took her that way, she would hate him, and he didn’t want that. He didn’t know
why he should care. She already hated him, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her.
She represented everything he’d given up when he’d left home -- beauty, softness,
warmth. He’d tried to tell himself that he didn’t miss those things, but he could only
fool himself for so long.
If only she hadn’t been so damned noble, so self-sacrificing. If only she’d been a
spoiled brat, like every other princess he’d encountered. Princesses, with their cold,
virginal beauty, had never held much appeal for him before he met Kaila. He liked
women whose sexual appetites matched his own, and who demanded no more from
him than an evening in his tent. Nervous virgins only tried his patience.
So what was it about Kaila that made her different?
He heard a faint rustle in the tall grass nearby. In one swift, smooth movement,
he pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it. He was rewarded by the muffled thud
of the arrow hitting flesh. He slung his bow over one shoulder, walked over, and pulled
a fat quail from the grass. The arrow had buried itself in the heart beneath its thick,
downy breast feathers, killing it instantly. “You’ll make a fine stew,” he said. Gripping
the bird by its legs, he headed back into camp.
Immediately, he sensed something amiss. The men were all sitting at their
campfires, as usual, but they were all being very careful not to look at him, and their
laughter was strained.
He frowned. “What’s going on?” he demanded, raising his voice to be heard
above their chatter.
The men fell silent and stared at him.
“Well?” asked Garou. “I asked you a question.”
“Uh… it’s the girl, Chief,” one of them said.
Sudden fear seized his heart. “Kaila? What’s happened to her?”
One man pointed a short, thick finger at Garou’s tent. “Well, Turlog went in
there, and…”
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 21 -
Garou needed to hear no more. He dropped the pheasant, along with his bow
and quiver, grabbed his knife, ran to the tent, and threw aside the flap.
Turlog was atop a struggling Kaila, covering her mouth with one dirty hand
while his other hand fondled her breasts. “Don’t struggle, my pretty,” he whispered. He
was grinning, revealing his broken yellowed teeth. “And don’t you tell the chief about
this, or I’ll cut out your sweet little tongue. This’ll be our secret.”
A red haze washed across Garou’s vision, and the blood pounded in his veins.
“You,” he said.
Turlog looked up. His jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. “Chief! Wait! I…”
Garou didn’t wait for an explanation. His heartbeat filled his ears like thunder.
His whole body burned with a rage he couldn’t contain. In a rush of energy, he
transformed.
The shift tore through him. His shirt ripped and burst as his muscles swelled,
and dark fur rippled over his body in a wave. His hands grew, sprouted claws and fur.
His face stretched into a wolf’s muzzle, and fangs filled his mouth. He stood in the
tent’s entrance, a half man, half wolf monstrosity, clad only in trousers and covered in
thick, shaggy fur from head to toe. His lips wrinkled back from dagger like teeth, and a
low growl rippled from his throat.
Turlog screamed.
Garou seized him and dragged him out of the tent. His claws pierced the man’s
arms, drawing blood. With a snarl, Garou flung him to the ground and planted a foot
on his protruding stomach.
Turlog lay, sobbing like an oversized, vulgar child, his face wet with tears and
snot. “Don’t kill me, Chief; I wasn’t really gonna hurt her. I swear…I-I would never do
that to your woman, you know me better --”
“Shut up!” Garou roared, the words distorted by a muzzle not meant to
pronounce them. He slammed his fist into Turlog’s jaw, then grabbed his hair and
wrenched his head up. Blood trickled from his nose and his split lips. “I ordered you all
not to touch her. The penalty for disobeying my orders is death.”
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“N-no… please…”
With razor sharp claws, Garou slashed his throat.
Turlog went limp, eyes glazed in death, as blood poured from his slit throat and
pooled around him.
His men all stood, silent, their faces bleached with fear.
Garou reversed the change. His body dwindled back to its normal size. Fur and
claws pulled back into his skin, and his muzzle became a human nose and mouth. He
looked down at Turlog’s body and nudged it with his foot. “Get rid of this garbage.”
“Wh-what should we do with it, Chief?” one man asked, his voice low and
subdued.
“I don’t care. Leave it in the grass somewhere and let the scavengers pick it clean,
if you like. Just remove it from my sight.”
Two men hurried forward, grabbed the corpse, and dragged it out of the
campsite, leaving a dark smear of blood on the ground.
Garou opened the tent flap and entered. His heart clenched at the sight of Kaila
huddled, trembling, in a corner of the tent. Her eyes were wide and wet with tears, and
her dress was in tatters. She clutched a piece of it to her chest in an attempt to cover
herself.
“Kaila,” he said, “Kaila, it’s all right. He’s gone.” He reached a hand out to her,
and Kaila broke down into tears.
Garou froze, then looked away, his jaw tightening. Of course. Why should she be
glad to see him? He was her captor, and she’d just seen him turn into a monster before
her eyes. He was probably just as repulsive and terrifying to her as the pig who’d been
pawing her a moment ago. He could do nothing to comfort her, except leave her alone.
Slowly, he withdrew from the tent and stood outside, fists clenched, chest tight. His
men were all staring at him, their faces still waxy white. They all stank of fear, a hot,
sour smell, like urine.
“Take care that none of you repeat Turlog’s mistake. I gave my orders. The girl is
to be left alone. Next time, I will not be so merciful. I granted Turlog a quick death only
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- 23 -
because I happened to stop him before he actually violated her. But after this, any man
who disobeys my orders will be hung upside down and allowed to bleed to death…
after I’ve sliced off every part of him that has touched her.” He turned to a large,
bearded man with a scar across his throat. “Brumo.”
The man stood.
“I’m going for a walk. Guard her.”
Brumo nodded and stood in front of the tent flap. He was mute, but fiercely
loyal, one of the few men Garou would trust with his life or Kaila’s.
Garou picked up his bow and quiver and walked away. Fury bubbled inside him
like molten steel. The beast in his soul had been awakened, and it wanted more blood. If
he stayed here, he would not be able to control his rage. He might kill every man in
sight just to slake it.
Chapter Three
Kaila huddled in a corner of the tent, trembling. She could see a large shadow
through the tent, the man Garou had left to guard her. Her breasts still ached where the
other man had grabbed her, and his smell hung in the tent, a sickly, musky odor. Being
alone with that smell was torture.
She supposed she should be grateful that Garou had left her alone. He might not
be so rough with her, but he was no different from Turlog. He, too, had touched her
against her will… and apparently, he wasn’t even human, or at least not fully. The
image of him transforming into that fearsome, wolf like creature still lingered in her
mind’s eye.
She’d heard stories of the wily wolf-demons who roamed the land and
sometimes took the shape of men, and she’d heard rumors that the barbarian chief had
demon blood, that he could become a wolf at will. But until now, she’d never truly
believed those rumors.
He was a monster. Yet she wanted him here. When she’d seen him, she had burst
into tears of relief -- tears which he had mistaken for fear. He was different, she decided.
A man like Turlog would not have left her alone when he thought she wanted solitude.
A man like that wouldn’t have cared.
She wiped her tears away, stood and slipped into her cloak, lacing it with
shaking fingers. Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside the tent flap. The guard turned
to her in surprise. He was huge, with heavy, bristly brows over his dark eyes and pale
scars on his arms and chest. Yet somehow he did not strike her as vicious. “I need to
talk to Garou,” she said. “Which way did he go?”
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 25 -
The man shook his head and pointed back into the tent. She tried to walk past
him, and he restrained her with two huge, blunt fingered hands on her shoulders.
Again, he pointed into the tent.
“Please. He left because he thought I wanted him to go, but I didn’t. I need to tell
him that. I want him to know that I appreciate him saving me from that brute.” She
wondered if she was losing her mind. She wouldn’t be here in the first place if not for
Garou. She had no reason to feel grateful to him, but right now, he was her only
protection against the rest of these men. She supposed it was in her best interest to stay
on friendly terms with him.
The man was silent, studying her with those small, dark eyes. At last, he let out a
hoarse grunt, turned, and beckoned her with one meaty hand. She followed him across
the camp, clutching her cloak tightly around herself. None of the other men even looked
at her. After the incident with Turlog, she supposed, they would avoid her like the
plague.
The huge man led her through the grass fields surrounding the camp. He
pointed. Garou was sitting on a low hill with his back against a tree, staring up at the
sky. He looked strangely and unexpectedly sad. “Thank you,” she said. Steeling herself,
she walked through the waist high, yellow grass, toward Garou. The guard did not
follow, but turned and headed back to camp.
As she approached, Garou’s eyes snapped open, and he stood, drawing his knife
so quickly that it seemed to appear as if by magic in his hand. When he saw it was her,
he exhaled and sheathed the blade. “Kaila, you shouldn’t sneak up on me.”
“I wasn’t trying to,” she said.
“Next time, call out my name when you approach. I could easily have killed
you.” He paused. “You should be back in your tent. Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“No,” she replied honestly.
His brow furrowed. “After what you saw…” Then he scowled suddenly. “How
did you get past Brumo?”
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 26 -
“I didn’t. He led me to you. Please don’t punish him. I told him that I needed to
talk to you.”
He stared at her for a long moment, still frowning. “And what is it you wish to
discuss?”
“I wanted to thank you. For protecting me.”
He looked away and sat down again. “You shouldn’t thank me. Protecting you is
my responsibility, and I faltered. I thought my men respected me enough not to touch
you when I ordered them to stay away, but apparently, I was wrong.”
Kaila sat down across from him. “Still, you have my thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke. “Was that all you came here for?” asked
Garou.
She bit her lip. “No. I wanted to ask you some questions.”
“Ask, then. But I won’t promise to answer them.”
Kaila picked a blade of grass and began to pull it apart with the tips of her nails.
She felt as if she were trying to pet a wild animal, one that could take her hand off in
one bite. She wanted to ask about his transformation, but she sensed he might not be
ready to talk about that. Instead, she asked the other question that had been on her
mind: “You weren’t born to the Wolf Clan, were you? Your accent is that of a
nobleman.”
“So it is.”
She waited for him to speak, but he didn’t seem inclined to say anything else.
Kaila took a deep breath. “Were you born a noble, then?”
He looked up, yellow eyes meeting hers. “Not quite. My mother’s husband was a
noble, but he was not my father. I was a bastard, and have no title to claim as my own.
As you probably know, bastards are not held in very high regard, especially ones with
abnormalities like these.” He touched the corner of his left eye. “Ever since I was a
child, I heard it whispered that I was marked. The mark of the wolf. Even my parents
were afraid of me.” His hands curled slowly into fists, and he stared at the ground.
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 27 -
Kaila didn’t push him, only waited. At last, he began to talk again. “People are cowards.
They never outright told my parents that they wanted me out of the city, but they
scrawled messages on our doors or smeared chicken blood on our windows. They left
dead animals on our property. One afternoon, I was walking in the city alone and was
dragged into an alley by three men in black masks. One of them had a knife. He tried to
cut my throat.” His eyes lost focus, staring off into another time and place. Kaila could
see his pulse beneath his jaw. “I killed all three. I don’t even remember doing it. I
blacked out… then, when I came to, I saw them dead on the ground. There was blood
everywhere -- on my clothes, my skin and hair. I could even taste it in my mouth.
Without knowing it, I had become a wolf and ripped their throats out. That was the first
time I ever transformed. After that, I knew the people had been right about me all
along. I was a monster. A marked one. The taint of evil ran in my blood. So I left the
city.”
Kaila couldn’t speak. She stared at him, eyes wide and mouth dry.
“For a while, I lived off the land or stole food from farms. One night, a group of
barbarians found my camp and tried to take my food. I transformed and killed four of
them. Strength is the only thing such men respect. They bowed to me and promised that
if I spared them, they would serve me faithfully. I have been their leader ever since.”
His eyes locked onto hers. “You are the first person I have told my story to,” he said
quietly. “Are you afraid of me now?”
“A little,” she whispered.
He leaned toward her, so close that she could see her reflection in his golden
eyes. “Only a little?”
Kaila’s mouth was suddenly dry, and her heartbeat seemed to fill her body, but
she struggled to hold her voice steady. “You only hurt those who attacked you. You
have no reason to hurt me.”
He smiled thinly, without humor. “You know nothing about me. I am the most
unpredictable and violent person you’ll ever meet. There is a darkness in my soul that
can never be cleansed. Even my parents saw it. My mother… she was bewitched by a
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 28 -
wolf-demon. He made her come to him, and planted his seed in her. I was born a
monster.”
“You aren’t a monster.”
He grabbed her wrists, pulling her against him, and snarled. “Then how do you
explain my eyes? Or my ability to transform?”
She squirmed. “Garou, you’re hurting me.”
He loosened his grip, but didn’t release her. “You’d be wise to fear me, Kaila.
Hell, I’m afraid of myself, sometimes. The life of a barbarian suits me.” Bitterness had
crept into his voice -- and Kaila’s eyes widened in a flash of revelation.
“You hate this life, don’t you?” she asked.
He narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“A man like you wasn’t made to be a thief or a looter.”
“A man like me? And what do you mean by that? I’m not a man at all. I’m a… a
creature.”
“That isn’t true. I know you desire me, Garou. An animal would have had his
way with me by now.”
“Perhaps that’s just what I intend to do.”
“Garou…”
He grabbed her hair and kissed her, hard. Her eyes widened as his tongue
invaded her mouth. His big hands pulled off her cloak and slid beneath her buttocks,
kneading the round, firm cheeks; then his long fingers pressed between her thighs, into
her moist folds. Her heart was pounding so hard it made her dizzy. She clutched
handfuls of his rough woven shirt, panting as she tried to gather her thoughts.
“Garou,” she whispered again, but before she could say another word, his
fingers found her clit. He caressed it lightly, and then pressed so hard that sparks
danced behind her eyes. She moaned, eyes rolling back as her body seemed to liquefy in
his arms. He had her helpless, trapped by her own passion -- nothing in the world
could have made her pull away from him in that moment.
“Please,” she whispered.
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 29 -
“Please what?” His lips moved close to her ear. She could feel his hot, heavy
breathing on her neck. “Please stop? Please fuck you?”
“I don’t know,” she moaned. “I-I can’t think… when you touch me like that.”
His fingers left her sex, and she had to choke back a cry of dismay. Her mind and
heart might still be undecided, but her body certainly wanted him to continue.
Garou pushed her to the ground, onto her back, and straddled her. “Tell me,” he
said, his voice a deep rasp. “Tell me to fuck you.” His erection pressed against her
thigh, separated from her flesh only by the worn deerskin of his trousers.
Sudden fear stabbed through Kaila’s heart. In her mind, she saw Turlog pinning
her down in the tent, leering as he ripped her dress. The all too fresh memories were
like a bucket of cold water dumped over the fire of her need. “No!” She pulled away.
A strange, unreadable look flickered over his face. He stood, fists clenched, and
drew in a shuddering breath. “Damn it.” He pressed the knuckles of one hand to his
forehead. “Do you see me for what I am, now?” He looked at her, his eyes weary and
pained. “Go back to the campsite, and stay in my tent. Stay there until I return.”
She gathered her cloak around herself, shivering. The heat that had filled her
body a moment ago had fled. “Even if you are half demon, it doesn’t make you a
monster. You’re forcing this life on yourself. But it’s not too late. You can still choose.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” he said, avoiding her eyes.
“I know what I can see. And I can see you’re struggling with yourself. If you hate
yourself for choosing this life, why don’t you find another way to live?”
“And where would I go? Back to the city? My name is infamous, now. Garou, the
barbarian chief of the Wolf Clan. They’d all recognize me by my eyes. No, I cannot
return.” He turned away. “Just go.”
Slowly, reluctantly, she stood and walked back in the direction of the campsite.
Brumo waited for her at the edge of the camp. He led her back to her tent, glaring at the
men around them, as if daring them to put a hand anywhere near the chief’s concubine.
None of them did.
* * *
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 30 -
It was almost dawn by the time Garou returned to his tent. He pushed the flap to
one side and stood in the entrance, staring at Kaila.
She was asleep, curled up beneath a blanket patched together from rabbit furs,
her eyes closed, her lashes dark crescents against her pale cheeks. He could see her eyes
moving in small flickers beneath the delicate lids as she dreamed. He knelt and watched
her for a few minutes. Gently, he brushed a curl of dark hair from her cheek. Then he
left the tent.
The clan would be leaving soon. There were preparations to make. Garou wasn’t
worried about missing sleep. He’d learned, long ago, that he could go for three or four
days at a time without sleep and remain alert and clear headed. Another gift of his
heritage, he supposed.
Just as well. He didn’t like to sleep. He had bad dreams.
Chapter Four
When Kaila woke, Garou was nowhere to be found -- again. She sighed. Did that
man ever sleep in his own tent?
She noticed some clothes laid out for her: A soft deerskin shirt, trousers which
laced up the sides, and soft, leather shoes which looked like slippers. She took off her
ragged dress and put on the clothes. They were a little big -- she had to roll up the
sleeves and tuck the baggy ends of the trousers into her shoes -- but very comfortable.
Pushing the tent flap aside, she peered out.
Most of the tents had been taken down, and the campfires extinguished, leaving
piles of charred kindling scattered across the beaten down grass. The men were busy
gathering up their few possessions. A few dozen horses stood nearby, grazing and
swishing their tails. They were all colors -- chestnut, gray, spotted and black -- and well
groomed. They wore bridles, but no saddles.
Garou approached. “Can you ride?” he asked.
“Yes, of course. Where did those horses come from?” No sooner had she asked
when realization dawned, and her eyes widened. She whirled to face Garou. “You stole
them! After you promised you wouldn’t take anything else from my people! What
about our bargain? What about --”
“Easy. We didn’t take them. We bought them.”
“With stolen money!”
He shrugged. “We already had the money. I never promised to return what we’d
stolen.”
She frowned. He was right, but that didn’t stop her from resenting him. These
people were thieves, no better than vultures. She would do well to remember that, the
next time she started melting at Garou’s touch. “Where are their saddles?”
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 32 -
“A real horseman doesn’t need a saddle.” He mounted a mare, leaping onto her
back with the grace of a dancer. The mare snorted and stamped her hooves as he took
the reins.
“You will ride with me,” said Garou. He offered a hand to her.
“Why can’t I have my own?”
“Do you think I’m a fool? You’ll turn and gallop away the moment you see an
opportunity. Not that we couldn’t catch you, but it’s a bother I could do without.”
She sighed. “Why would I try to escape? I came here voluntarily, to save my
people, remember? If I left, the bargain would be destroyed and you would start
attacking them again.”
He grinned. “Ah, so you admit it. You weren’t sent by your father.”
“Very well. I admit it. Not that it makes much difference. I asked him to send me,
but he said it would be an insult to the ghosts of the kings before him to give in to the
demands of barbarians. So I left.”
“And delivered yourself into the hands of the most feared man in the kingdom.
You’re braver than most men I’ve known.”
“I don’t want your flattery.”
“As I said, I don’t flatter. I only state facts.” His hand was still extended toward
her. “Come on.”
She looked around. The men had already taken down Garou’s tent, packed it up,
and mounted their horses. Every horse either had a rider or was laden with rolled up
tents. Reluctantly, Kaila grasped his hand, and he pulled her onto the horse. His warm,
salty-sweet smell enveloped her, and she felt the hardness of his muscles against her
back.
He kicked the horse into a canter.
She gasped at the sudden lurch and clutched the horse’s mane. She wasn’t used
to riding bareback. The horse’s back felt far more narrow and slippery than it looked.
“How do you stand this?” she asked, breathless.
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 33 -
“You just need to get used to it. Then it will feel like the most natural thing in the
world.” A warm, strong arm slipped around her waist, steadying her. Her heartbeat
quickened.
“You don’t need to do that,” she said.
“I want to make sure you don’t fall. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“I doubt your motives are really so pure,” she said, but, truth be told, she was
grateful for the warm pressure of that arm. She didn’t feel at all steady. The mare’s bony
spine seemed to slip from side to side as the beast galloped across the grassy plain.
Kaila looked over her shoulder. She couldn’t see her city from here, but she still
felt a wrenching pain in her chest at the thought that they were leaving it behind for
good. She hoped her father would understand her choice.
They rode for the rest of the morning, stopping at noon to stretch and eat a lunch
of mutton stew. Kaila knew all too well where they’d gotten that mutton. Many farmers
had lost sheep and cattle to the Wolf Clan. Countless people had come to the palace
seeking aid because they’d been robbed of so much livestock. She thought of those poor
families, reminding herself of the suffering these barbarians had caused, trying to
harden her heart against Garou. Last night, she’d been clay in his hands. She was
determined not to react so foolishly the next time he took liberties with her.
Yet as much as she tried, she could not bring herself to hate him. She kept
imagining what it must have been like for him to grow up feared and despised by
everyone around him, just because of the color of his eyes. How it must have felt to
leave his family and everything he knew, to live alone, on the plains, like an animal. It
made her heart ache.
He could have made that story up, she thought. He could have lied to win her
sympathy. But somehow, she knew he hadn’t. The pain in his eyes had been real.
As night fell, they stopped and made camp. Kaila dismounted, wincing. She
wasn’t used to riding for so many hours at a time. Her legs were stiff and sore. When
she slid off the mare’s back, the muscles in her thighs cramped, making her cry out.
“Are you all right?” asked Garou.
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 34 -
“Fine,” she said. “Just a little stiff.”
Garou lifted her into his arms, and she gasped. “Brumo,” he called, “see to my
horse.”
Kaila’s face was hot. “I’m fine. Really. You don’t have to make a fuss.”
“I’ll make a fuss if I wish. I don’t want you too sore to ride tomorrow.”
“You want your property in good shape, you mean?”
He looked at her sharply, and she was immediately sorry she’d said it. The flash
of pain in his yellow eyes was impossible to miss. “That’s right,” he said. “You’re
beginning to understand your place.” He avoided her gaze. The words were a
performance for the benefit of his men… or perhaps for himself.
He waited until the other Wolves had set up his tent, then carried Kaila inside
and lay her down on a leopard skin blanket. He pulled off her boots and set them aside.
Then he began to unlace her trousers, and she tensed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to massage your legs,” he said, pulling her trousers down.
“Must you take my pants off?”
“Yes. If you find it so distasteful, just think of it as punishment for your
impudence.” His gaze locked with hers. “But I think you’ll enjoy it.” His hands settled
on her bare calves and kneaded them slowly. She closed her eyes and swallowed a
moan of pleasure as the tight muscles began to loosen beneath his touch. He moved
higher, massaging her thighs.
Kaila felt her skin growing warmer. “Garou…”
“Shhh.” His fingers rubbed in slow circles on her soft thighs. She could feel his
gaze on her mound, and she knew he hungered to touch it, to claim it -- but he did not.
Spirits help her, she wanted him to.
His hands continued to move slowly up and down her legs. “Roll over,” he said.
“Onto your stomach.”
Heart pounding, she obeyed, and he began to massage her buttocks. Strong
fingers pressed into her flesh, seeking out the buried knots of pain and soothing them.
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Eyes of the Wolf
- 35 -
Slowly, she felt herself relaxing under his touch. She didn’t know how it was possible to
be so relaxed and so aroused at the same time.
“Tell me the truth, Kaila. Do you resent me?”
“No,” she murmured drowsily. “I did at first, but…”
“But what?”
“You’re not really cruel. You only pretend to be, to hide how sad you are.”
His hands stopped moving. Then, after a moment, he resumed the massage.
“You haven’t known me long enough to say such a thing about me. For all you know,
the sadness could be a mask, and the cruelty what lies beneath.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be trying so hard to convince me you’re cruel.”
He massaged her foot with his thumbs. “I would not assume too much, if I were
you. You’ve seen what I’m capable of. I’ve done things that would make your blood run
cold.”
She looked over her shoulder. “Have you ever raped someone?”
“No. I told you, women always come to me willingly, in the end.” A small grin
crept from the corners of his mouth. “Any woman cold enough not to be interested in
me is not to my tastes.”
Irritated, she pulled her foot out of his grip. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Trying to distract me by being arrogant.”
“Maybe arrogance is just my natural state of being. If you think I’m only trying
to impress you, then you think too highly of your…”
Kaila gripped a lock of his hair, pulling his head downward, and silenced him
with a kiss. Garou’s eyes widened. When their lips separated, he continued to stare at
her, stunned. “Why did you do that?”
“I wanted to catch you off balance.” Kaila picked up her trousers and slid her
legs into them, then laced them up. “It worked, didn’t it? You’re still gaping at me like a
fish.”
His mouth snapped shut, and Kaila was astonished to see his cheeks reddening.
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“Goodnight, Garou,” she said, and turned away, lying down on her side. “I’m
going to sleep.”
“Goodnight,” he murmured, still sounding a bit bewildered. Kaila couldn’t help
but smile.
* * *
Long after Kaila had fallen asleep, Garou lay awake, listening to her soft
breathing. He could still feel the warm imprint of her soft, full lips on his mouth. He
licked his lips and tasted the lingering sweetness of her.
He had kissed more women than he could count. He’d sucked tits of every size
and shape. He’d fucked innumerable mouths and pussies, earning himself a reputation
as a rake across the land; parents locked up their daughters in ivory towers and fitted
them with cast iron chastity belts at the mere mention of his name, so why had that
simple kiss affected him so?
He closed his eyes, but did not sleep. When he heard her moving, his eyes
opened. He lay still, listening as she scooted closer. His breath caught in his throat when
she pressed against him.
“I’m cold,” she whispered.
Slowly, he slipped his arms around her. Her body was soft, young, and supple.
He ran one hand down her thick hair, combing his fingers through those silky, dark
curls. The stiff peaks of her nipples pressed against his chest, and he felt his cock
hardening.
He lowered his head until he felt the warm tickle of her breath on his face. Then
he pressed his mouth to hers in a fierce kiss, all but crushing those plump lips. They
yielded to him like living satin, so warm and smooth. His tongue invaded the wet heat
of her mouth. She tasted sweet, like peaches. Kaila let out a tiny moan, and Garou’s
pulse raced.
His hand slid beneath her shirt, cupped her round, firm breast, and squeezed.
One finger rotated around her nipple until it hardened to a sharp point; then his hand
slid lower, over her firm, smooth abdomen. The muscles of her stomach contracted and
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shivered under his touch. Spirits, she was exquisite. He slipped a hand into her loose
trousers and combed his fingers through the tight, springy curls between her thighs,
then pushed through them, into the wet, silky heat of her pussy. His thumb found her
clit -- a tiny, protruding bud, soft as a rose petal -- and traced tiny circles around it. Her
hips bucked, and she panted, trembling against him. He covered her pussy with his
palm and let her grind against it. In the dim light, he could just see her face; her lips,
swollen with kisses, parted as she gasped for air. Her eyes were wide, the pupils dilated
-- pools of darkness, deep enough to drown in. Strands of raven hair lay across her pale
cheek and clung to those moist, pink lips. He kissed them again, devoured them,
plundered her soft mouth. Her head tilted back, and he pressed a hard kiss to her
throat.
She panted softly as her trembling hands found the lacing of his trousers and
began to undo them. Her soft fingers closed around his hard cock, but did no more than
that. She remained still, just holding him in her hand, as if she weren’t sure what to do.
Garou’s hand closed over hers and began to slide it slowly up and down. “Like this,” he
whispered. He released her hand, and she continued, her strokes growing slowly
bolder. Her smooth, soft fingertips caressed the bulbous head of his cock, and a bead of
clear fluid welled from the tip. She traced the prominent veins on the underside of his
shaft. Then her fingers moved farther back, stroking his full, tight balls. A soft groan
escaped his throat. She cupped his balls, and they twitched in her warm little palm. He
watched her large, expressive eyes moving back and forth from his cock to his face.
Small, even white teeth pressed into her full lower lip. “Am I doing this right?” she
whispered.
“Yes.”
Kaila licked her lips. “I want to do more.” Her gaze locked onto his cock. Then,
slowly, she leaned forward, and her lips brushed the head. Her wide eyes gazed up at
him as her tongue crept out to collect the bead of moisture from the slit. Those full lips
trembled, then opened wide. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes, struggling for
control as that soft, wet mouth engulfed the first few inches of his cock. He slid his
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fingers into her hair and gripped tightly as she sucked his engorged length… hesitantly
at first, then with more vigor. Her lips slid up and down his length, moist flesh
stretched around the girth of his shaft.
At last, he could stand it no longer. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her
onto her back, making her gasp. She watched him through those huge, long lashed eyes,
chest heaving, as he pulled down her trousers, exposing the dark triangle of curls
between her thighs. Even through those curls, he could see that her lips were swollen
and wet, her tiny pink clit poking out from beneath its hood. His fingers delved into her
folds. He pushed one inside her, stretching her tight, virgin passage, and she cried out.
He hesitated, his gaze locked on hers, reading the emotions that swirled through the
depths of those eyes. Then his finger slid deeper, until he felt the raised, fleshy area that
marked her most sensitive spot. He rubbed his fingertip back and forth against it, and
her flesh swelled under his touch. Her eyes grew even wider, and her full lips formed a
tiny “o” of shock. His gaze never left those eyes as he slid another finger into her
passage, stretching her. He pressed a little harder against that sensitive spot and was
rewarded by a moan and a gush of fresh wetness from within her.
He withdrew his fingers and lowered his head. His tongue slid into the channel
between her labia, sampling her eager, ripe pussy. “Let me inside you,” he whispered
hoarsely.
Her thighs spread wider. “Please… I… I have never…”
“I will go gently.” With one hand, he guided his cock to her opening and pressed
it slowly, carefully into her wetness. He felt her virginity beginning to give way, and
she stiffened with a small gasp. He didn’t stop. He pushed forward, through the
resistance and slid into her tight pussy. Her wetness engulfed him.
He forced himself to stop, and for a few moments, he remained motionless,
straddling her body, just letting her get used to the feel of his cock inside her. Then,
slowly, he began to move, pulling back, then pushing forward again, making her moan
with the friction of his hard organ against her soft, slick walls.
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Kaila panted softly, her eyes closed, her mouth open. Sweat glistened on her full
breasts. Her hips moved beneath him, tentatively at first, then more boldly, pushing
forward to meet his thrusts. His hands covered her breasts and kneaded them, relishing
the feel of that soft flesh against his palms. His thumbs circled her nipples. Then he
lowered his head and sucked one, pulling it deep into his mouth, feeling her writhe
beneath him as his cock pumped in and out of her slick little hole. He reached down
beneath her with one hand and cupped her ass. He could feel the wetness seeping out
of her pussy, over the small, smooth cheeks.
When Garou felt himself nearing his climax, he slowed, wanting to make it last --
wanting her to experience that sweet feeling, as well. He waited until he felt Kaila’s
walls clenching around him, her hips pressing urgently forward. “Garou!” she gasped
out. “Oh-oh!”
He let go of his restraint and thrust into her hard and fast. A final thrust pushed
him over the edge, and his body went rigid as he came, releasing his seed deep inside
her.
Afterward, they lay together, limp and damp with sweat. Kaila’s body was warm
and pliant in his arms. Garou stroked her hair as her small hands clutched his
shoulders. Neither spoke.
Kaila soon drifted off in his arms, but Garou lay awake for a long time, staring
into the darkness. He didn’t know what was happening to him. There were changes
taking place inside his heart, feelings he didn’t understand. He had never regarded sex
as a binding act. The women he’d had in the past occupied no place in his heart, nor he
in theirs. Why, then, did he now feel this connection to Kaila? It unsettled him.
He started to stand, but Kaila’s arms tightened around him, and she murmured
softly in her sleep. He lay back down. In the darkness, there was only the feel of her
warm, soft skin against his, and the lingering, musky smell of spent desire.
* * *
Kaila woke slowly, to a dull ache between her thighs. At first, it puzzled her --
then the memories rushed back with a jolt that shook her to her core. Tentatively, she
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reached between her legs and touched the dried, sticky blood on her thigh. “Dear
spirits,” she whispered.
She looked up and saw Garou crouched nearby, clad in deerskin trousers.
“Here,” he said quietly. He pushed a bowl toward her. It was filled with water, and a
cloth floated within. “If you want to wash up.”
Blushing, she took the cloth, wrung it out, and began to clean the blood from her
thighs. “Garou?” she said, chilled by his expressionless face.
He tossed Kaila’s deerskin shirt to her, and she caught it, but didn’t put it on.
“Garou… I…”
“The porridge is almost ready.”
She blinked. “What?”
He stepped outside the tent and returned with two clay bowls filled with
steaming porridge. Without meeting her gaze, he set one in front of her. “Eat.”
She hesitated, biting her lower lip.
“Eat,” he said again, “before it cools.”
She picked up the bowl, blew away the steam, and lifted a spoonful to her
mouth. After she’d eaten a few bites, however, she set the bowl down and frowned at
him. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Like what?”
“You know what I mean! Why are you being so… cold? I thought you cared
about me.” She was mortified to feel tears stinging her eyes, and she blinked them
away. “Perhaps I’ve been a fool,” she muttered. “To think that you could care…”
He stared at her, his jaw muscles tight, and she fell silent. There was pain in his
eyes, raw and unexpected. “I do,” he said quietly. “Far more than I should.”
“Then why?”
He averted his gaze. His voice, when he spoke, was flat and cool, but an
undercurrent of tension flowed beneath the surface. “I had no right to take your
virginity last night.”
Her eyes widened. “But I gave you permission!”
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“I still coerced you. I tempted you until you couldn’t say no.”
She made a sound of exasperation in her throat. “Are you really so arrogant, to
think you’re so irresistible that I’m robbed of my free will when I’m around you?”
He looked away. “Why not? It’s how I feel around you. I’m never quite in control
of myself. But that’s no excuse for what I did.”
“What we did, you mean. Garou…” She reached out and gripped his arm.
“Don’t you understand? I enjoyed it. I wanted it.”
Yellow gold eyes met Kaila’s blue green ones. “You don’t regret it?” he asked
quietly.
“No.” She stared into his eyes. “I-I never dreamed such pleasure was possible. I
have… fantasized before, of course…” A flush rose into her cheeks. “But even in my
wildest, sweetest dreams, I never thought it could be like that. You unlocked something
inside me. I can never go back to how I was before.”
He touched her cheek with his fingertips. Then, slowly, he leaned forward until
their mouths touched. Garou framed her face with his broad, rough hands as his lips
moved against hers, tasting her. At last, he pulled back and took a deep breath. “You
affect me so strongly,” he murmured.
She glanced down, and her cheeks grew hotter. He was hard again, straining
against his trousers. She found herself remembering how that massive, rigid cock had
felt in her mouth. She recalled the sweet, dizzying sensation of him inside her,
pounding into the slick wetness between her thighs, and her heartbeat quickened.
His huge hand moved between her thighs and brushed her pussy, and the lips
grew warm under his touch. “Are you still sore here?”
“Not terribly.” She swallowed, her pulse hammering in her throat. She watched
as his fingers worked their way into her, felt the roughness of his calluses against her
soft, inner walls. Fresh wetness seeped into her folds as he moved inside her. He rubbed
the sensitive spot deep inside her, and her breath caught in her throat. Her pussy
clenched, and her nipples stiffened, tingling. She closed her eyes, panting. A soft moan
escaped her throat.
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His other hand slid into her hair and gripped tightly. He pressed his mouth to
hers in a slow, soft kiss, nibbled her lower lip, and trailed kisses down her throat. His
mouth lingered over her racing pulse, and his tongue flicked against it. Then his lips
moved lower, over the delicate hollows of her collarbones, over the smooth, white swell
of her breast. His tongue traced a circle around one rosy nipple. Her areola puckered,
and the nipple tingled and ached. “Please,” she breathed.
“Please what?”
“Please…” Her cheeks burned. “Put your mouth on me, like you did before.”
A tiny smile curved one corner of his full, sensual mouth. “You’ll have to be
more specific than that, princess.”
She bit her lower lip as the flush spread over her whole face. “You must
understand. The way I was raised… I cannot speak such words.”
“Do you want my mouth on your tit?” His eyes burned into her very soul. He
lightly pinched her plump nipple. “Do you want me to suck this?”
“Yes!” she cried out.
His mouth closed around her nipple and sucked. He fed on her, teeth pressing
into her soft flesh, sucking until she teetered on the burning line between pleasure and
pain. His fingers moved inside her, sending sweet tremors through her body.
She reached down and undid the lacings of his trousers, her fingers trembling
with eagerness. She pulled his trousers down, and his cock emerged. Her gaze
devoured its length and girth, the purplish-red flush in its head. Kaila licked her lips
and wrapped her fingers around it. It was like steel sheathed in velvet, pulsing in her
hand.
Garou groaned softly. She watched his face, the way he struggled to control his
expression, and a little thrill raced through her. There was a sense of power in being
able to affect him this way. His fists clenched, and his broad chest heaved as she trailed
her fingers up and down the engorged organ. With one finger, she traced a tiny circle
on his full, tight balls.
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His control seemed to snap, and he grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the
ground. She gasped. His eyes were like the eyes of an animal -- burning, wild,
possessive, and predatory. The yellow gold rings of his irises seemed almost to glow in
the dim light of the tent. Still holding her wrists down, he impaled her with his cock, so
suddenly that she cried out. A small twinge of pain shot through her inner walls as they
stretched to accommodate him. He felt huge inside her, as if his cock filled her whole
body. He pulled back, then thrust forward again, his eyes burning into hers, his hands
like manacles around her wrists.
“Garou… oh, spirits…” She arched beneath him. As the pain faded, pleasure
built inside her, a sweet, throbbing ache. His hips pumped against hers, his cock sliding
in and out, a quickening rhythm. With each thrust, he seemed to pierce her more
deeply, embedding himself in her soft, wet core as his hard, muscled stomach rubbed
against her clit.
He lowered his head and whispered roughly into her ear, “You are mine,
princess.”
The words sent a jolt of pleasure to her core. “Yes,” she said in a breathless
whisper.
“Say it. Say you’re mine.”
“I’m yours!”
His cock slammed into her again. Waves of heat rolled through her, and she
quivered, moaning helplessly. She felt a wave of pleasure cresting inside her. “Garou!”
Her hips rose off the ground. Her pussy clenched around him, and a moment later, she
went limp, gasping for breath.
He pulled out of her, his cock still engorged and glistening wet with her fluids.
He grabbed her hand and placed it on him. “Finish me,” he whispered, his voice deep
and raspy.
She blinked. “What --”
“Do it.”
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She wrapped her fingers around his throbbing cock and stroked. He stiffened.
His head snapped back, the cords standing out in his thick, muscled neck, and his
whole body seemed to clench for a moment, but he didn’t make a sound as he emptied
his seed onto her breasts.
She looked down, then ran her fingertips through the thick, sticky fluids.
Garou wiped her clean with a damp cloth.
Dazed, she looked up at him, her mouth hanging open slightly. “Why did you
pull out?”
“Do you want a barbarian’s child?” he asked, his face expressionless.
She snapped her mouth shut. A flush rose into her cheeks.
“I was careless last night,” he said, eyes averted. “I forgot myself in my lust. But I
will not do so again.”
“I-I thought…” She looked away. She hadn’t expected him to care about
something like that. He was such a strange, confusing man -- rough and animalistic one
moment, cautious and tender the next.
“It would ruin your social standing, wouldn’t it?” he asked, his expression still
closed and guarded. “Having a barbarian half-demon’s bastard child? Yes, I know from
experience that such children -- and their mothers -- are shunned. I would never
intentionally condemn another to that fate.”
“Does my social standing really matter anymore?” she asked quietly. “I cannot
return to my people.”
“You can. And you will.”
She blinked. “But…”
“You must go back to your people.”
Kaila stared at him. Feelings swirled through her heart, too many to sort
through. “Why?”
“Because I can’t live like this any longer. I can’t exist knowing you’re only here to
protect your countrymen, that you’re bound here by chains of duty. Every time you
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touch me, I’ll wonder whether you’re doing it because you want to or because you’re
afraid of what I’ll do if you don’t please me.”
“I already told you; I do want you. I allowed you to do what you did -- not out of
fear, but desire.”
“Even if that’s true now, you may yet grow to resent me. I’m your captor, after
all. I’m keeping you from your home, your family.”
“Garou…” Kaila reached out to touch his arm. She didn’t know what to think or
feel. She did miss her home, but the thought of leaving Garou, of never feeling his touch
again, made her chest tighten with a feeling almost like panic. How had this happened?
She’d known him only a short while, yet somehow, she couldn’t stand the idea of losing
him. Was it just the carnal delights she’d experienced at his hands? Was it merely this
wicked, delicious spell of lust he’d cast over her? Or was there something more?
“Garou, I can’t leave you,” she blurted out.
He met her gaze, his eyes guarded. “I know you wish to return to your people.
Even if you enjoyed what we did, I can’t overlook that.”
She lowered her eyes and felt her lips trembling. Damn him, she knew he was
right. Her people needed her. Yet her soul cried out in protest. Through all her life, even
in childhood, she’d known only the cold weight of duty. A princess’s life was not her
own. It belonged to her people; she was to marry royalty, produce a son, and train him
to rule. That was the life that had been laid out for her. Kaila had always served her
country willingly, but at the same time, something inside her had always ached with
unfulfilled need. Deep down, she’d craved freedom, passion, and love: not the selfless,
somber love of servitude toward others, but joyous, wild love, the sort that made the
flesh and spirit burn with uncontrollable need. Garou gave her that. He made her feel
alive in a way she’d never experienced. He’d made her realize just how much she was
missing out on… and now that she’d tasted such joy, she couldn’t easily let it go.
“Let me stay another day, at least,” she whispered.
His eyes searched hers. “You want that?”
“Yes. One more day in your tent. Then I will return to my people.”
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Garou was silent a moment. He seemed to be struggling with himself. Then he
reached out, grasped her wrist and pulled her to him. “One more day,” he whispered.
Kaila closed her eyes and held him tight. She could feel his heart beating against
the broad wall of his chest. She drank in the heat of his body, the feel of iron hard
muscle sheathed in velvet skin, and her spirit sang.
After a moment, she glanced down at herself. “Forgive me. I’m covered in
sweat.”
He chuckled, a deep, smooth sound. She felt the vibrations in his chest. “I don’t
mind. But I’ll wash you, if you wish.” He wet a cloth in the bowl of water nearby, then
washed her -- first her arms and legs, then her breasts, belly, and thighs.
Her breath caught in her throat as the cloth moved between her legs, over her
mound. Her labia, thighs, and buttocks were all saturated with her own juices. She
watched as he wiped her clean. The memory of her own pleasure made her lower her
gaze in embarrassment.
“What’s wrong, Kaila?”
“I never thought I could behave in such a way. So wanton. So immodest. Like
a… like a whore.”
“Not a whore,” he said. “Like a sensual woman, with all a woman’s desires and
appetites. To crave pleasure is perfectly natural.”
“Some would say it’s a sin.”
He chuckled. “Lust, a sin? Without it, humanity would soon die out. No. To
shame a woman for those natural desires, to tell her that she must only live for others’
pleasure, not her own -- that is the sin, Kaila.” He smiled, showing those white teeth,
slightly sharper than normal.
That smile sent a tiny, pleasant chill skittering up her spine.
“Now, then…” He set the cloth aside. “Are you hungry?”
Kaila’s stomach rumbled and she placed a hand on it. “Famished, actually.”
“Then let’s eat. And after that, I’ll show you every form of pleasure I know. If we
have but one more day together, I intend to make the most of it.”
Chapter Five
Soon afterward, Kaila lay on her back, on the soft, white and gray hide of a snow
leopard, legs spread wide. His gaze feasted on her milky smooth skin, her round breasts
with their taut, rosy nipples. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with anticipation.
He held up a strip of cloth. “Before I begin, I’m going to blindfold you.”
Her lashes fluttered, and her soft, pink lips parted with surprise. “But why?”
“Because without your sense of sight, the things I do to you will feel that much
more intense.”
Her tongue crept out to moisten those delectable looking lips. “But…”
“Trust me.”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
Garou placed the blindfold over her eyes and tied it behind her head. He kissed
her mouth, then the slender column of her throat. Her pulse drummed just beneath the
skin. “Relax,” he whispered into her ear. Then he brushed his thumb over her jutting
nipple.
She gasped softly.
Garou smiled as his thumb rotated slowly around that pink bud. Then he
lowered his head and traced a circle around it with his tongue. He spent a few minutes
lingering over her breasts, licking, squeezing, and teasing her sensitive nipples. She
writhed, bit her lower lip and moaned, fingers digging into the thick fur rug beneath
her. Then he moved lower, letting her feel his hot breath on her stomach, until his
mouth hovered over her exposed pussy. Already, he could see wetness seeping from
her. The silky black curls of hair glistened with her juices. He trailed one finger along
that moist slit, and she gasped. He stroked the hood of her clit with his callused
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fingertip, and her clit poked out, pink and tender as a new flower bud. Then he
withdrew his hand and just waited, watching her.
A soft, plaintive moan escaped her throat. She arched off the leopard skin rug,
gasping. His thumb pressed a little harder against her clit and she gasped, “Garou!”
He smiled, savoring the sound of that voice crying his name, the flush in her
cheeks. He spread her pussy open and admired the dark pink folds that glistened with
her juices. Then his finger slid into her wetness, and she gasped.
As his finger moved inside her, teasing the slick, soft walls of her pussy, he
lowered his head until his breath stirred the dark curls between her thighs. His tongue
slipped out and flicked against her clit. She let out another little gasp, and her hips
twitched. He slid another finger into her pussy as his tongue toyed with her clit.
“More,” she cried out, “oh, please more!”
He withdrew his fingers from her.
“Oh, don’t stop!”
“Shh.” He stroked the lips of her sex with his fingertips. Then he slid a hand
beneath her soft buttocks and lifted them off the fur hide. He could see the tiny pink
pucker of her asshole, and he slid one long finger -- still slick with her cream -- through
her tight rim.
She let out a startled little cry. “G-Garou, what…”
“Is it too much for you?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “Tell me to stop if
it’s too much.”
Her small, white teeth pressed into her lower lip. “No,” she breathed. “Do not
stop.”
He slid his finger in and out of her asshole, gently reaming it, as his mouth
lowered to her pussy once again. His tongue delved into her folds and pushed deeper,
into her silky hole. He fucked her pussy with his tongue, moving it back and forth
inside her, while his finger plundered her asshole. His teeth lightly raked her clit, and
the tight ring of muscle clenched and seemed to suck at his finger, pulling it deeper.
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Soft, desperate little moans rose from her throat. He couldn’t hold back much longer.
His full, tight balls pulsed, ready to release their load.
He brought her, panting and trembling, to the edge… then he raised his head
and slid his finger out of her body.
“More!” she cried.
“Patience, princess.” He straddled her and slid his hard, throbbing cock between
those plump lips, into her soaking wet pussy. He felt a tremor run through her as he
pushed into her depths, moving slowly in and out, reveling in the sweet friction of his
cock against the hot, creamy satin of her body. His hands encircled her wrists and
pinned them to the ground as he fucked her deeply. With his teeth, he pulled off the
blindfold and looked down into her wide, pleasure dazed eyes. She blinked, dazzled at
the sudden light. Then her eyes focused on his, and another shudder rippled through
her soft body. He plunged into her again and felt her walls clench around him, saw her
mouth fall open and her eyes roll back as she came. But he wasn’t done with her. His
cock speared her again and again as she rode the wave of her first orgasm… then she
cried out in surprise, and her body tightened around him once more.
Kaila lay beneath him, lost in pleasure, shock waves of heat rolling through her
body as his hips rocked against hers. His hard, sun bronzed body gleamed with sweat,
and tendrils of his long, dark hair clung to his damp brow and neck. Those golden eyes
burned into hers as he thrust into her body one final time, then withdrew, spraying his
cum over her breasts and belly.
They lay together, panting. Then he picked up a cloth and gently cleaned her.
His lips touched her forehead in a soft, tender kiss, then his arms wrapped around her
and pulled her tight against his broad, powerful chest. She felt his heart beating. Her
skin drank in the heat and dampness of his body, the feel of those hard muscles. She
closed her eyes and breathed in his scent. His large hand smoothed her hair and stroked
her cheek.
Her sex ached with a deep, pleasant soreness, and warmth emanated through
her body. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so safe or so content.
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* * *
That night, they slept in each other’s arms. The next morning at dawn, they woke
and quietly dressed.
“I’ll give you a horse and provisions,” said Garou. “They’re already waiting for
you outside. And don’t worry about your countrymen. Neither I nor any of my Wolves
will trouble them again.”
Kaila hesitated, biting her lower lip. “Garou… I…” A part of her wanted to ask if
she could stay one more day. But if she did, she knew, one day would become two, then
three, then a week, and the longer she stayed, the more difficult it would be to leave.
She had to go back. She could not abandon her people, or her destiny as a princess --
even if a part of her longed to stay.
Kaila bowed her head. “Good bye, Garou. I will not forget you.”
He stood, facing away from her, and didn’t answer. He couldn’t seem to look at
her, but she could see the tension in his shoulders and back.
“May I have something to remember you by?” she asked.
Still without looking at Kaila, Garou pulled off one of his gloves and tossed it to
her. She caught it and slipped it into her pocket. She looked up at Garou, willing him to
turn and look her in the eye, but he remained facing stubbornly away. Tears prickled in
her eyes, and she clenched her fists. Would he not even say good bye? After all the
pleasure and closeness they’d shared, he wouldn’t even meet her gaze.
Oh, what difference did it make? She would never see him again; she had to do
her best to put him out of her mind and heart. She shouldn’t have stayed this long.
Kaila laced up her boots, choking back the lump in her throat, and left the tent. A
gray mare stood outside, tethered to a post, and a full pack sat nearby. Kaila strapped
on the pack, untied the mare’s tether rope, and mounted. With a kick, she was off,
cantering across the plains.
She was free. This was what she had wanted… to go back to her people, to her
home and father. So why was she crying?
Chapter Six
King Davren sat staring out the window. It was a bright, warm day. The sky was
clear, but the king’s mind was filled with dark, stormy thoughts.
His kingdom was the strongest in the North, yet they were held in terror by a
group of primitive ruffians. And now they had taken Kaila! Davren’s blood ran hot
with rage. The barbarian chief had stolen what rightfully belonged to Davren himself,
and after he’d just finished arranging Kaila’s marriage to the prince of Nalia! Now the
treaty with Nalia would be jeopardized, as well.
He curled one gnarled, trembling hand into a fist and pounded it against the arm
of his throne. “Damn them,” he said through gritted teeth. “Damn those stinking
barbarians!” A vision of the Wolf Clan chief burned in his mind. He would hunt down
that bastard if it was the last thing he did.
“Sire,” said a voice, and he looked up. A guard stood in the doorway. “Your
daughter has returned.”
“Kaila?” He sat up straighter. Was this some trick? Or had she escaped? Surely
the barbarian would not have released her. “Send her in at once.”
A moment later, Kaila entered the throne room. She wore dirt stained traveling
clothes, but she carried herself, as always, with the dignity befitting a princess. Holding
her arms at her sides, she bowed. “I am home, Father.”
“So you are.” He stood. “Are you unharmed?”
“Yes. I-I missed you, Father.” Kaila looked up, blinking tears from her eyes. She
ran to him and embraced him tightly. Davren stood, stiff and uneasy. He disliked
displays of emotion. His own child, he thought, should know better.
Kaila straightened with an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry,” she said.
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“Quite all right.” He relaxed. She didn’t seem to be hurt. He had feared the
barbarian might disfigure her. Perhaps the marriage and the treaty could yet be
salvaged. Unless…
A thought wormed its way into his mind, chilling him. No. It couldn’t be. He
gripped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Did he take your virginity?”
Kaila blinked. “Wh-what?”
The king’s grip tightened. “Did he or didn’t he?”
“Yes. But…”
“Damn him!” The king released her and began to pace. “Is this his way of
taunting me? To send you back sullied in this manner?”
“But… I’m home. Isn’t that enough? Don’t you care that I’m alive?”
“Alive, but dishonored! Dirtied! Killing you would have been less of an insult.
He must die for this!”
“No!” she cried, clutching Davren’s arm. “His clan won’t bother us anymore. Just
let him go!”
The king scowled. “Why would you defend this scoundrel?”
“I don’t want to see any of our soldiers lose their lives in a pointless revenge for
what happened to me. And I don’t want him hurt. He chose to release me. He isn’t an
evil person, Father.”
“The hell he isn’t! Garou and his thugs have been robbing our people and
terrorizing us for months. They stole you! They stole what was mine!”
“No, I chose to trade myself for our people’s safety. I wasn’t harmed.”
“He raped you!”
“No. He didn’t force me. He --” She bit her lower lip. “That is, I… I consented. I
came to him willingly. I thought… I thought this was the best way to protect my
people.”
“You mean to say you…” Rage flared in his heart. Never mind. He’d deal with
this later. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. The consequences are the same. Your virginity is
gone. You can no longer marry. He’ll suffer for what he did.”
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“Father! Please reconsider!”
“There is nothing to reconsider. I will not let this dishonor go unpunished. Garou
will die.”
Kaila took a step back, eyes wide. “Please, you mustn’t do this.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Who are you concerned for, Kaila? Our soldiers or
the barbarian?”
“I don’t want anyone to die! This isn’t right! I beg you --”
“Go to your room, Kaila.”
Her cheeks colored. “Yes, Father,” she said, and bowed stiffly. Turning, she
walked from the throne room.
* * *
Kaila shut the door to her room, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her father had
never been an especially loving man. He was a king, and his kingship came first, even
before his child. That was something she had always known and accepted, but she’d
never imagined he saw her as a mere piece of property. She was worthless to him now,
because she was no longer a virgin, no longer a thing of value in the marriage market. It
tore at her heart. Garou, a barbarian invader, had treated her more like a person than
her own father. And she had left him.
She knew what she had to do.
Kaila threw together a travel pack and filled it with her most practical clothes,
along with her jewelry and a purse of coins. She headed down to the kitchen. Luckily,
there was no one there. She took some dried meats fruits from the pantry and headed
out to the stables.
Her horse, a white mare, whinnied softly in greeting. Kaila rubbed her soft nose
and saddled her up, her mind racing. Garou’s clan never stayed in one spot for long.
They might have packed up and left their campsite by now. How would she find him?
A large, shaggy white dog approached her, wagging its tail, and woofed. Kaila
crouched in front of it and ruffled its ears. “Shay, I’ll need your help.” She reached into
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her trouser pocket and pulled out the leather glove Garou had given her. Shay sniffed
it. “I need to find him. Can you find him for me?”
Another soft woof.
“Good girl.” Shay was a hunting hound, trained to locate people and animals by
scent. Kaila could only hope the glove would be enough for her to go on. She mounted
her horse and rode out of the stables, Shay bounding along beside her. Two guards
stood stiffly in front of the main gates. “Let me through,” she said.
“But, Princess…”
“Let me through!” Her voice rang with authority, and she couldn’t help but be
pleased at the way the guards scrambled to open the gates. Once they were open, she
cantered through, the horse’s mane and tail streaming through the air like silk banners.
She rode hard through the streets, ignoring the startled cries of the people around her.
She had no time to lose.
* * *
Garou mounted his horse. “I’m leaving.”
“What do you mean, Chief?” asked one of his men.
“I mean, I can no longer be your chief.”
“But you can’t just leave!” another man shouted. “A chief’s leadership isn’t over
’til he either dies or is bested in a fight by a challenger.”
Garou raised an eyebrow. “Would any of you care to challenge me?”
No one spoke.
“As I thought.” He picked up the reins. “Choose another. I can no longer be your
leader.”
“But where are you going?”
He stared into the distance. “I don’t know.”
“It’s because of that girl, isn’t it?” The man scowled. “Don’t tell me you’re going
back to find her. Is she really worth it?”
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“Yes. But I’m not going to find her. She’s where she belongs now.” Garou’s heart
ached. “I will never see her again.” He turned his horse and gave it a hard kick. Dust
spurted from under its hooves as they galloped away.
Later, Garou sat, warming his hands in front of his small, solitary fire as the
orange light of sunset died on the horizon. The plains seemed as vast as an ocean. He
sighed and stared at the sky, where the first, faint stars had appeared.
Kaila had reminded him of what it meant to be human. He knew he could not
live as a plunderer any longer -- his reawakened conscience would not let him -- but he
could not return to the civilized world, either. Ordinary people hated and feared him
for his curse. There was no place for a man such as him. He would build a place of his
own, he decided, a cottage in the forest. There, he would live off the land in solitude for
the rest of his days.
He looked up at the sound of a dog barking, and his jaw dropped. An enormous
white dog bounded toward him across the plains. Close behind it was a white mare.
And the cloaked figure atop it… “Kaila?” he whispered. No, impossible.
The rider halted, dismounted, and pulled back the hood of her cloak to reveal the
familiar green blue eyes and raven dark curls. She ran toward him, wide eyed, and
tackled him in a hug.
“K-Kaila, what…”
“Oh, thank the spirits I found you,” she said, panting. “He’s coming after you,
Garou! He’ll send his soldiers to hunt you down.”
“Who?”
“My father! I tried to talk him out of it, but his mind won’t be changed.”
He stared at her in astonishment. “And you came back to warn me?”
“How could I not?”
He touched her soft cheek and looked into those huge, ocean colored eyes,
unable to find his voice. “This is insane,” he said at last. “You have to go back.”
“I won’t leave you.”
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“Kaila…” He stared at her for a long moment, then leaned down and kissed her
fiercely. His lips burned into hers; his tongue filled her mouth and caressed it with a
desperate, possessive hunger. When they separated, he whispered, “I don’t understand.
I don’t…” He broke off, shaking his head. “This is madness. If they find you with me,
you’ll be branded a traitor. You have to leave. Now. Or I’ll tie you up and take you back
to the castle myself.”
“But they would kill you!”
His face twisted in a humorless smile. “You think I would let them? Are you
forgetting who I am? What I am?”
Kaila bit her lower lip. “This is the king’s royal army. My father has hundreds of
men. You think you could stand up to all of them?”
“I’ll damn well try, if I have to. Now are you going to go back to the castle or
not?”
Her jaw tightened.
“Kaila,” he said, more gently, “you can’t stop them. There’s no sense in putting
yourself in danger for no good purpose. Go back. Forget me.”
“I could never do that.” She took his hand. “If I leave, I’ll never see you again. I
can’t. Please, don’t ask me to do that. Not after… after what we’ve shared.”
“A few days of rutting in a tent. That’s all.”
Her eyes flashed like swords in sunlight, and she seized the front of his shirt
with both hands. “You think you can fool me that easily?” He tensed in surprise as she
glared at him, cheeks flushed with anger, jaws clenched. “You think you can convince
me it was just animal lust? I don’t believe that for a moment. And neither do you. I’ve
seen your real self. You’re not a barbarian at heart. That’s why you’re here alone, isn’t
it? That’s why you left your clan.” Her eyes softened, and she reached up to cup his face
with one hand. “You became this way because you had to, not because you wanted to.
But there is another way. Let me stay with you, Garou, I beg you. I can help you.”
“But what of your family, your father?”
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“My father…” She smiled bitterly. “I am not a daughter to him. I’m just a
princess. Just a bartering token.” She lowered her gaze, lips trembling. “When I
returned… you’d think he’d be glad simply to have his child safe at home, wouldn’t
you? Instead, he was enraged that I’d been ‘sullied,’ that I was no longer a virgin
suitable for marriage. He said…” Her voice broke. “He said it would have been less a
dishonor if you had killed me. He would rather have me dead.”
Garou’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “That bastard. How could he be so cold
toward his own daughter?”
She wiped her eyes, looking away. “It’s all right. My father and I have never
been close… and he’s never held women in high regard. I always knew that. I just
thought…” She sighed. “Never mind. It’s in the past, now. I won’t go back.”
“But surely there are others who care about you.”
Kaila hung her head. “My mother is dead, and I have no siblings. As a royal
child, I never had much opportunity to socialize with other children. The closest thing I
had to friends were my servants, but it isn’t the same. There is nothing for me back
there. I realize that now.”
“Do you really want this life, Kaila? If you remain with me, you can never return
home. You will become an outcast, like me. I can’t wish that on you.”
“I can’t go back. Not now, not tonight. Let me stay with you this one night, at
least.”
Garou pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.
“You can stay,” he whispered.
* * *
Kaila tethered her horse and sat down near the fire, Shay curled up at her side,
while Garou went hunting for their supper. She kept glancing at the horizon, half
expecting to see her father’s soldiers galloping toward her. She didn’t know what she
would do if they came.
A chill breeze gusted across the plains, making her shiver. She pulled her fur
lined cloak closer around her body. Her heart was a whirlwind of confusion. Could she
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really leave her people? Her responsibilities? She had been raised since early childhood
to be a princess. It was all she knew. To leave now would be like abandoning her entire
identity, her fate.
But had she been intended for that fate to begin with? There was little joy for her
in the thought of ruling a country, only a sense of duty. Perhaps she was meant for a
different path.
Kaila closed her eyes. Her mother had taught her that when she was in doubt,
she should seek the aid of the good spirits. Her father had later taught her to dismiss
the advice as superstition, but what was the harm in trying?
She looked up at the stars, strewn like bright jewels across the dark velvet of the
sky. “Good spirits, if any of you are listening, send me a sign, I beg. Show me the path
my life was meant to take.” She closed her eyes. At first, there was nothing. Then a
gentle breeze caressed her face, and with it came a scent she recognized, a scent that
reminded her of apples and springtime.
A voice spoke clearly in her head: What does your heart desire, child? There, you will
find your true path.
Her eyes snapped open. “Mother?” she whispered. But the voice and the scent
were gone. Kaila took a deep breath. Her heart was beating rapidly. A vision of Garou’s
face, his golden eyes, filled her mind. There was no question about where her heart lay.
The good spirits had spoken. And Kaila’s decision had been made.
Chapter Seven
Garou returned with a fat rabbit slung over one shoulder. “This should be
enough to fill you, with enough left over for your friend, there,” he said, nodding to
Shay, who was eyeing the rabbit with interest.
“What about you?” asked Kaila.
“I’ve already eaten.”
She watched as he laid the rabbit on the ground and began to skin it. He looked
up. In the firelight, his gold eyes seemed to glow. “Is something the matter?”
“No. I’m just… thinking.” Absently, she kneaded the thick fur of Shay’s ruff. “Do
you believe in the good spirits?”
“Well, I believe in demons. I’d be a fool not to, with my heritage. I suppose if one
believes in creatures of darkness, one must also believe in good spirits. Two sides of the
same coin, one light, one dark.”
“I spoke to one tonight.”
Garou froze. After a moment, he said quietly, “And what did this spirit tell
you?”
“I asked for advice, and it… she told me I should follow my heart’s desire.”
He studied her face. “Are you sure?”
“I know what I heard. And I know my heart’s desire.”
Garou was silent as he finished skinning and cleaning the rabbit, spitted it over
the fire, and then washed his hands in the nearby streamlet. Then he turned to her, his
face solemn. “I don’t think you understand what you would be getting into, and how
much you would have to give up. You don’t even know who I am. You think you do,
but you don’t. I am afraid, Kaila. The demon within me is something you can’t
understand.”
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“How can you be so sure of that? Perhaps I understand better than you think.
And even you must admit that what we feel for each other is more than mere desire.”
He took a deep breath. She was surprised to see that his hands were trembling.
“I’m not sure what I feel… whether to call it desire, or obsession, or simple animal
instinct. All I know is that when I see you, I ache to possess you in every way. The
thought of losing you makes me want to scream.”
“Then why do you want me to go back? I don’t understand.”
“Because I would destroy you. I would consume you until there was nothing
left.” His hands bunched into tight fists. Veins stood out in his muscled forearms. “I’m
half-demon. Nothing can change that. No matter what I do, there will always be a
darkness inside me that I can’t escape.”
“Everyone has dark places inside them, Garou,” she said quietly. “You may have
demon blood, but you’re a human man with a human soul.” She stood and reached out
to take his hand. “And you’re desperately lonely. I, too, have been alone. Princesses are
not allowed to love. Once I was resigned to that fate, but that was before I met you.”
Garou looked at her, but said nothing.
They sat in silence until the rabbit meat began to brown in the crackling fire, and
the smell signaled that it was done. Garou lifted the spit and handed it to Kaila.
“Careful. It’s hot.”
“Thank you.” She ate delicately, turning the spit to nibble at the meat. When she
was full, she gave the rest to Shay, who snatched it eagerly and trotted off to eat it in
privacy, as dogs were wont to do.
Kaila smiled slightly, then her eyes drifted back to Garou, who sat nearby,
staring into the fire. He looked every inch the barbarian, with his long hair and sleek,
muscled body covered in hand stitched deerskin clothes. But she knew there was more
to him than that. There was a deep sadness in his heart, which he struggled to hide, a
yearning for love and companionship, forever at war with his dark, wild nature.
“Garou?” she whispered, and he looked up. A small tremor went through her.
Whenever he looked into her eyes like that, she felt as if he could see straight into her
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soul. She wet her lips, aware of the pulse fluttering in her throat. “Will you not even
consider letting me stay by your side?”
“It’s not a question of what I want.” His voice was heavy, his eyes shielded. “If
you can’t return home, then I will help you find another place, but for us to be
together… I’m not sure it’s possible.”
Tears prickled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She would not be weak.
“If this is to be our last night together, I would have it be a night to remember.”
Garou stared into her eyes. Then, slowly, he leaned down to kiss her. Kaila
parted her lips and let his hot, wet tongue slide into her mouth. His hands framed her
face, stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs, then slid lower, over her shoulders and
back, until they were cupping the small, firm cheeks of her bottom. Kaila moaned softly
against his mouth. Her heart hammered as he lightly nibbled her full lower lip then
trailed kisses down her throat, over her collarbone, until she could feel his hot breath on
her heaving breasts.
“You set my blood on fire,” he whispered. He squeezed her rump suddenly,
hard, making her gasp. She could feel his hard cock through his trousers, pressing
against her thigh. His hands left her bottom. He undid the gold clasp of her cloak,
letting it slip to the ground then gripped her shoulders and pushed her down to lie atop
the makeshift blanket.
His fingers deftly unbuttoned the top of her dress. She was wearing nothing
beneath, since she’d dressed hastily before fleeing the castle. He stared down at the pale
globes of her breasts, his eyes burning with need. He lowered his head to flick his
tongue against a jutting nipple. His mouth closed over it and sucked. Meanwhile, he
undid the jeweled belt at her waist and slipped a hand into her dress. She gasped softly
when he placed a large, rough palmed hand over her pussy.
“You know,” he whispered, “when you’re aroused, I can smell it. You have no
idea what that does to me.” His lips were close to her ear, his hand still possessively
covering her plump mound. “I want to take you. I want to push myself into your tight,
hot body and take you hard and deep, until you are weak with pleasure.”
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“Yes,” she breathed. “Spirits, yes!”
With one knee, he pushed her thighs apart and lifted her dress, exposing her to
his hungry eyes. His knee pressed against her pussy, and she gasped. Her eyes fluttered
as he ground his knee against the soft, wet flesh. He undid his trousers and pulled them
down, freeing his long, thick shaft.
She reached out and cupped his balls, feeling their heat and roughness against
her palm. His breath hissed softly between his teeth. He stared at her, devouring her
with his eyes, and she knew he was struggling to control himself; every muscle had
gone rock hard with tension. She leaned forward and ran her tongue over the head of
his cock, tasting his saltiness. A tremor ran through him. Heart hammering against her
ribs, she swirled her tongue around his head. Then, with the tip, she traced a vein on
the underside of his cock. Her mouth opened wider, engulfing the first few inches of
him, but he pulled back, placed a finger beneath her chin and gently lifted her face.
“If you keep that up, I won’t be able to contain myself,” he whispered, his voice
rough with passion.
“Maybe I want to see you lose control,” she whispered back, just as huskily. Her
tongue crept out to wet her lips. She wanted to taste him again, to suck him as if he
were a huge piece of candy. Her own thoughts shocked her -- princesses shouldn’t
think such things -- but at the same time, they felt so right. She reached out to tease his
balls with her fingertips. “Maybe I want to see you really let go.”
He gripped her wrist. “I don’t think you realize what you’re asking. If I lose
control of myself completely, I might… change.”
“What do you mean?”
“You saw it happen once. Before I killed that man.”
Her breath caught in her throat as the memory flashed through her mind: Garou,
clad only in trousers, with the tattered remnants of his shirt clinging to a huge,
muscular, black furred body. She remembered that wolfish face, the dagger like white
teeth and clawed hands. A chill skittered up her spine.
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“It happens sometimes, when I’m overcome by rage or passion,” he said quietly.
“A creature like me can’t afford to lose control. And what you saw was only a partial
transformation. Sometimes I become an animal completely. At those times, I’m driven
by instinct. I have no restraint.”
Kaila stared up at him and felt her eyes widening. Her pulse drummed in her
throat.
“Are you afraid?”
“No,” she whispered. “I know you won’t hurt me, no matter what happens.”
“How can you be so sure of that?”
“I have faith in you.” She reached out and curled her fingers around his cock
again. “Even if you do change, I won’t be afraid of you. I accept all of you -- your
human and animal nature.”
A shudder ran through him, and his lids lowered over his golden eyes, giving
him a feral look.
“I want to see you change. I want to prove to you that I can accept it. That I’m
not afraid.”
“Kaila…”
“Please.” She ran her fingertips along his jaw. The roughness of stubble tickled
her skin. “Change for me.”
He took a deep breath. “Very well.”
Kaila’s heart galloped. She was a little nervous, despite her brave words, but she
needed to do this, to prove to herself -- as well as to him -- that she wouldn’t run
screaming from his true nature. As she watched, shiny black fur sprouted from his
arms, chest and stomach, covering him. His hair became a shaggy ruff of thicker fur
around his neck and shoulders. His already formidable muscles swelled. He loomed
over her, enormous, dark and powerful, golden eyes shining in a black furred, canine
face, teeth gleaming white in his muzzle. One huge, dark furred hand covered her
breast and squeezed. She gasped as she felt his claws pressing lightly into her flesh and
watched, transfixed, as he pinched her nipple. She could feel the warm roughness of his
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palms and fingertips, more like paw pads than human skin. Her gaze drifted
downward, and a jolt of mingled lust and fear shot through her. His cock had changed
too. He’d been very well endowed in human form, but now, it was even bigger, darker
in color, and a fine, downy layer of fur covered the balls hanging beneath it.
Holding her breath, she reached out and slid her fingers through the fur on his
head and neck. It was cool, surprisingly soft and silky. He stared deep into her eyes as
she trailed her palms over his chest, feeling the tiny, hard buds of his nipples through
the velvety fur there.
“This doesn’t repulse you?” he asked. His voice was rougher and deeper than
normal.
“No,” she whispered.
Desire flared in his eyes. His hand moved between her thighs. The rough palm
grazed her clit, and two thick fingers delved into her. She moaned as fresh wetness
seeped from her pussy. She slid her hand up and down his cock, feeling his pulse
within that iron hard flesh, as his fingers moved inside her. Then he slid them out,
straddled her hips and entered her in one swift, smooth thrust.
Kaila’s body arched beneath his as his cock stretched and filled her. She moaned.
Spirits, he was huge!
He froze. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she gasped. “Don’t stop!”
He pulled back, until only the tip of his cock was still inside her, then pushed
into her again, then again, hips rocking against hers. When she looked down, she could
see his cock moving in and out of her body, slick and glistening with her juices. He
growled and plunged deeper, pounding into her. He lowered his head, and his muzzle
opened. A long, pink tongue slipped out and lapped her nipple. Her hips rose to meet
his with each thrust as he fucked her, bringing her higher and higher until she reached
her peak. Her mouth fell open, and a wave of pleasure rolled through her. For a
moment, she felt as if the world was spinning around her. Her sheath clenched tight
around his hard flesh, and his body stiffened atop hers as his hot seed spilled into her.
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He lay atop her, panting softly, then pulled free. Kaila lay staring dazedly up at
the sky. She could still feel his seed deep within her body.
She watched, dazed, as he shifted back to human form. Then he kissed her sweat
dampened, heaving breasts, one at a time. Kaila smiled and reached up to stroke a lock
of wavy, dark hair from his face. He had loved her so hard that she was sore, but it was
a wonderful soreness. “You see?” she whispered, smiling. “You didn’t hurt me.”
He touched her cheek. “You’re all right?”
“Of course.” She kissed him softly. “My wolf,” she whispered.
His arms surrounded her, pulling her close. He held her tight against the broad
wall of his chest, as if trying to meld their bodies through force of will alone. She curled
her arms around his slim waist and closed her eyes, feeling his heartbeat against her
cheek.
They fell asleep to the rhythm of each other’s breathing.
* * *
Kaila awakened to the sound of hoof beats. Lots of them. At first, she was
confused, then the realization of what it meant jolted her fully awake, and her stomach
tightened with dread. She sat up, hastily buttoning her dress. Sure enough, she could
see a group of her father’s soldiers in the distance. There were at least fifty, all on
horseback, galloping toward them and trailing a cloud of dust.
“Damn,” she whispered. How had the soldiers found them so quickly? They had
no way of knowing where Garou had gone. Then it dawned on her. They had followed
her trail. She moaned softly in dismay. She had led them straight to Garou.
“Garou, wake up!” she whispered. “We’ve got to run.”
“I am awake,” he said. “And it’s too late to run. They’ve already seen us.” His
cool, golden eyes met her wide, frightened ones. “You must return with them.”
“No!”
“You must, Kaila. Or they will kill you. Tell them that I took you by force. Tell
them I kidnapped you.” He kissed her, so hard that her lips tingled, and then pulled
away.
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 66 -
Kaila touched her lips, tears welling in her eyes at the realization that this might
be the last time he kissed her.
The soldiers were near, now. She saw, with a sinking feeling of dread in her
stomach, that they were led by none other than the king himself, her father.
The soldiers galloped to a halt in front of the campsite. Shay growled at them
and began to bark. Garou stood, staring at them without fear.
King Davren flushed with anger at his impudence, then barked out the
command, “Archers! Shoot him!”
Half a dozen soldiers readied their bows and aimed their arrows at Garou’s
heart.
“No!” Kaila cried, and flung herself in front of him.
Davren’s eyes widened. “Wait! Don’t shoot!” he snapped, and then looked at her
in disbelief. “Kaila, get out of the way!”
“No,” she said. “I won’t let you kill him.”
“What is the meaning of this? This brute has been terrorizing our people! Has he
put a spell on you?”
“Kaila,” whispered Garou. “Don’t.”
She looked over her shoulder. “I’m not going to just stand aside and let them kill
you,” she said. Then, looking back up at her father, she said, “Garou is an honorable
man. He did not kidnap me. I went to him of my own free will. And he never harmed
me. Not once.”
“He’s a barbarian!” shouted Davren. “A looter, a thief! Even if what you say is
true, he must die for his crimes.”
“He’s not a barbarian anymore. He left his clan. He only joined the barbarians in
the first place because he was driven out of the city by cruelty and injustice. All because
of his heritage.”
“And you believe everything this monster has been telling you? Don’t you see
what he’s been doing? He lied to gain your sympathy.”
“No!” Her jaw tightened. “Give him a chance, Father.”
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 67 -
“I will not listen to this nonsense,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Get out of the
way.”
“Kaila,” whispered Garou, urgency in his voice. “You must do as he says.”
She shook her head. Tears stung her eyes. “I would sooner die. Do you hear me?
You will not lay a hand on him! Not while I live!”
For a long moment, Davren was silent, staring at her. There was something
frighteningly cool in his gaze. “I see,” he said at last, quietly. “So this is where your
heart lies. You have sided with the barbarian.” He narrowed his eyes. “It grieves me to
do this -- you are of my blood, after all -- but you leave me no choice.” He nodded to his
men, and they raised their arrows, aiming.
Straight at Kaila’s heart.
She stared in disbelief. “Father?” she whispered.
Garou snarled, the snarl of an animal. “Run, Kaila!” he shouted and charged. As
he ran, he transformed. Muscles bulged from his body, ripping through his shirt. Black
fur flowed over his skin as claws sprouted from his hands. He dropped to all fours, and
Kaila stared in astonishment. It was no longer a man or even a half man running toward
them, but a wolf -- and no ordinary wolf, but a huge, muscular beast the size of a horse,
an avalanche of fur and flesh.
The king’s men cried out in fear. Arrows flew. One pierced Garou’s shoulder;
another hit his chest. He didn’t even slow. Seemingly unhindered by the arrow in his
shoulder, he leaped through the air, roaring. The horses whinnied and reared.
“Stop him!” shouted the king. He pulled hard on the reins, struggling to control
his own horse. The animals danced and tossed their heads, eyes rolling in panic.
Garou looked over his shoulder at Kaila. “Run!” he barked, his voice so deep and
distorted that it no longer sounded human.
Kaila snapped out of her trance. She turned and ran. Behind her, she heard the
scream of a horse, and the cry of a man. Cold dread squeezed her heart, and tears stung
her eyes. She didn’t want anyone killed for her sake.
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 68 -
She kept running until her legs gave out from under her and she sank to her
knees, panting. Her mind whirled. Her own father had ordered her shot. A part of her
was convinced this had to be some horrible dream. She sat with her back against a tree,
knees drawn up to her chest as she listened to the distant sounds of battle, as Garou
faced her father’s men, completely alone. She wanted to run to him, to help him, but she
knew there was nothing she could do against the soldiers. If she went back, she’d only
get in the way, and the thought made her heart burn with frustration. She buried her
face in her hands.
The battle seemed to go on for hours, but at last, the screams and shouts died
down and silence reigned. She waited, holding her breath. Her heart leaped when she
saw a lone figure walking toward her, silhouetted against the sky. Kaila stood, heart
thumping. Please let it be him, she thought, hands clasped together in prayer. Let it be
Garou.
It was Garou, now in human form and completely naked. Blood covered him
from head to foot. A wave of weakness swept through Kaila. “Dear spirits,” she
whispered.
Garou approached and sat down on the grass, wiping his brow. It was difficult to
tell how much of the blood splashed onto his skin belonged to him and how much to
the soldiers. He was breathing heavily.
Kaila touched his shoulder. “Garou… are you all right?”
“As well as can be expected,” he muttered and emptied a water skin over his
head, washing away the worst of the blood from his face and hair.
Her heart pounded. She was afraid to ask, but she knew she had to. “Did you…”
Kaila took a deep breath. “I mean… are they all dead?”
“I didn’t kill any men. Killed two horses, wounded quite a few soldiers, broke
some bones, and sent them home with their tails between their legs. But they’ll all live
to tell the tale.” He drank the remainder of the water. His eyes were weary. “I’m sorry,”
he said. “About your father. I wish you hadn’t protected me like that. You’ve lost
everything because of me.”
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 69 -
Kaila looked away, blinking back tears. “No. It wasn’t your fault. I did what I did
because I had to. Though I never thought he would…” She shook her head, sighing.
“Never mind. There’s no going back now.” She lightly touched the back of his hand.
“I’ve made my choice.”
He looked up, meeting her eyes. There was a strange expression on his face.
“I will stay with you, my wolf,” she said, and smiled. “I’m afraid there’s no
getting rid of me, now.”
“You… will stay?” he whispered.
She nodded.
He looked down at his hands. “I’m not even human.”
“Yes you are. You just proved it. You could have killed all those men, but you
didn’t. They didn’t deserve your mercy, yet you spared them.”
“I wanted to kill them,” he murmured. “I wanted it desperately.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because I knew it would make you sad. I knew you wouldn’t want bloodshed
on your account.”
“You see?” She stroked his arm. “An animal wouldn’t have done that for my
sake. Only a man would.”
He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. There was a stunned
look in his eyes, as if he had just now realized the monumental choice he had made.
“But…”
She pressed her lips to his, silencing him. “You are human,” she said, “and I love
you.”
Chapter Eight
Sunlight shimmered on the clear brook running through the forest of towering,
ancient pines. Beneath the pines’ sheltering branches stood a little cabin, smoke curling
from its chimney. Goats grazed on the tender new grass nearby, and chickens wandered
about, scratching and pecking. Shay lay stretched out before the front door, napping in
the sun. It was a warm, beautiful day, the sky a clear and cloudless blue, and
wildflowers speckled the ground.
Kaila sprawled on the soft, green grass next to the stream, panting. The morning
air felt good on her naked body, and the grass tickled her cheek. She closed her eyes,
sighing as a breeze cooled her sweat damp skin. Then she smiled at Garou and reached
up to stroke his sleek, muscled back. She could feel the ridges of scar tissue beneath her
fingertips, evidence of countless battles. Her fingers trailed over his broad chest, down
his taut abdomen. The sun bronzed skin gleamed with sweat. “That was wonderful.”
“Of course.” Garou leaned down and lightly, playfully bit her left nipple.
She laughed. “You’re so arrogant.”
“It’s well earned arrogance.” He massaged her nipple with his thumb.
Spent though she was, a pleasant little shiver ran through her. She liked
watching those experienced, callused hands on her smooth flesh. Her tongue crept out
to wet her lips as her nipple stiffened to a rosy pink peak. He flicked it with his tongue,
then stretched out on the grass next to her, one large hand resting on her stomach.
Kaila tilted her head back and gazed up at the sky. A contented little smile
curved her lips.
Where would she be now, she wondered, if she’d stayed in the palace? Married
to some callow, arrogant prince or impotent old king as part of a political arrangement?
Consumed with the mundane duties of managing a castle? She had always buried
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 71 -
herself in duties, it seemed. She’d rationalized it by saying she had an obligation to her
people, but the truth was that she had been afraid of freedom… afraid of her true
destiny.
She wasn’t afraid anymore. “I never dreamed my life would take this path,” she
murmured. “I’m very happy, though. Happier than I ever imagined I would be.”
He leaned down to kiss her, and his long, dark hair brushed her skin. “As am I,”
he whispered. One hand moved between her legs to gently squeeze her mound, then
carefully spread her lips to expose her folds and secrets. His finger found her clit and
toyed with it. Fresh wetness seeped from her sex, tickling her folds. “Why, Kaila, you’re
getting wet again.” He slid a finger into her. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you?” The finger
moved inside her.
“Mmm… oh.”
There was a little one sided smile on Garou’s face, a smile that said he had her
exactly where he wanted her, held prisoner by the pleasure he gave. His cock had
hardened.
“We can’t lay here in the grass all day, you know.” It was a struggle to
concentrate on the words when he was doing such delicious things to her with his
hand. “There are chores to do.”
“I think they can wait a little longer. Don’t you?” He lowered his head and ran
his tongue slowly, deliciously along the channel between her legs. His golden eyes
glinted wickedly.
“A little longer,” whispered Kaila.
He pressed a kiss to the plump lips of her sex. His tongue traced her length
again, then swirled around and over the tingling nub of her clit. He crawled forward,
over her body, until his face was above hers. She reached out and stroked his muscled
thigh, then wrapped her fingers around his cock and felt it swell, growing even harder.
His breath caught in his throat, and his body twitched as she slid her hand up and
down the length of his erection. A soft moan escaped his lips. As she watched,
breathless, fur flowed over his naked body, his ears grew pointed, and his nose and
Amanda Steiger
Eyes of the Wolf
- 72 -
mouth became a wolfish muzzle. He straddled her, and his huge body filled her vision:
a half man, half wolf, beautiful and formidable in his strength. A moment later, she felt
his thick, hard cock sliding slowly into her tight passage. She wrapped her legs around
him and pulled him deeper into her body. His gaze never left hers as he moved within
her, hips rocking in a quickening rhythm, his rigid cock sliding against her soft inner
walls. The delicious friction sent tremors of heat and pleasure through her.
Kaila ran her hands over the hard, broad wall of his chest and caressed his taut
abdomen, feeling the muscles shiver beneath her fingertips, noticing the way his fur
grew damp with sweat and clung to the skin beneath. She buried her fingers in the
thick, mane like ruff around his neck and gripped tightly, gasping for breath. The smell
of him filled her nostrils, warm and musky and very male; a smell like earth and ocean,
like hot jungles wet with rain, a smell as primal as desire itself. Her damp breasts
bounced as he pounded into her. He kneaded one, thumbing her taut nipple, and licked
the sweat from her throat as her juices seeped down her thighs and soaked into the
ground below. A low growl resonated in his throat and chest; she felt the vibrations
against her skin.
“More,” she pleaded breathlessly, “oh, more!”
He smiled, showing a glint of sharp, white teeth. He drew back, then slammed
his cock into her again with enough force to send her over the edge. Her thighs, fingers,
and toes clenched. The slick walls of her pussy tightened around him, and she cried out,
hips arching off the grass at the sharp, sweet sting of orgasm piercing her. But still, he
kept going, fucking her hard and deep. She closed her eyes, dizzy, and all but melted
into the ground as the lingering waves of pleasure flowed over her. Then she gasped in
astonishment as she felt another climax building inside her. She rode out the waves of
pleasure, gripping handfuls of his fur. Garou flung his head back and howled. The
sound echoed through the valley, wild and joyous and primal.
The afternoon melted away like warm butter, and when the sun set, tinting the
stream a rich amber gold, they were still lying on the grass, making love.
Kaila never wanted it to end.
Amanda Steiger
Amanda Steiger has lived in the Midwest her whole life, though she enjoys
regular visits to other galaxies and dimensions in her mind. She enjoys cold weather,
daydreaming, supernatural romance, and anime. She lives with her family and one very
spoiled little dog. You can contact her at sekuiro@comcast.net.
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