Fae War

I'm sorry it's taking so long to get chapters up. I admit I'm having some writer's block, so I've been working on another project I hope to have up before Christmas. I will finish this story, I'm just not sure how soon. I hope you'll all have some sympathy and hang in while Erin and Luka figure out where they're going.

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As the glow of satisfaction faded, Erin became aware of what had just transpired, and felt a shyness that had been completely missing moments ago. She let go of the wolves she had been gripping and smoothed her skirt back down over her legs which she clamped together demurely. She was glad for the darkness, since she could feel her blush bloom across her face, neck and chest.

Garrett spoke into her mind again.

“Don’t be ashamed. This is completely normal behavior in a pack. Though you are not officially mated, Sophie provided your release just as any female in the pack might in the absence of another female’s mate. We all felt your experience, and we all know you now and could find you easily.”

Something he said broke through the serious misgivings Erin was having about herself.

“One of the wolves at the celebration said that, too. He was huge and came up to me with three other wolves that only scented the air. They didn’t actually…” Erin broke off, flushing hotly again.

Garrett was sitting alertly, bright eyes watching Erin closely.

“That’s probably a bad thing,” he thought to her. “We should keep moving, and get you cleaned up as soon as possible.”

Everyone was rising. Erin climbed back on Garrett’s back, and he was off in an instant, the rest of his pack flanking them. They flew through the forest now.

After a time, Erin saw lights in the distance, flickering and moving. She envisioned a search party of the rebels waving flashlights across the dark forest. Garrett seemed to be heading straight for the lights.

Another few long bounds and Erin could tell the lights sweeping through the trees were headlights on a curve of a road not far away. The wolves turned slightly, so they were following the road, but still deep enough in the forest to remain unseen. After a couple of minutes following the road, Erin saw more lights and recognized a gas station ahead.

“We have cars parked there with clothing and money,” Garrett explained as they slowed while still under cover of the trees. There were two SUV’s parked close to the woods and out of the bright lights from the front of the station. Garrett shrugged Erin off his back and cautiously sniffed the air before slinking forward toward the vehicles.

Suddenly the human Garrett stood opening the back hitch of one of the SUV’s. He quickly pulled jeans over his altogether too sexy body, and threw several bundles of clothes into the undergrowth, toward the other wolves. Erin watched with fascination as the wolves transformed into gorgeous men and a woman in the blink of an eye. They were all strongly muscled and sleekly built. Erin felt a hint of the earlier arousal sneak back up on her looking at their beautiful bodies.

“I only have a set of sweats for you,” Garrett called to Erin, shaking her out of her thoughts, none-too-soon.

“We keep sets around for wolves that lose their clothes in an unexpected shift,” Garrett said.

Erin was fascinated by this world she knew so little about. The pack members were casual about being nude, but quick to get clothed and divide between the cars. Erin was guided into the dark blue SUV. She was placed in the middle of the backseat. Two big men flanked her. Garrett was in the driver’s seat, and Sophie was in the passenger’s seat. They immediately took off. The other car followed a safe distance behind.

“Where are we going?” Erin asked tentatively.

“We’ll head for the border, stopping at a motel to get you cleaned up before we run you back across to the States,” Garrett began.

“We’re in Canada?” Erin squeaked.

“Yeah. Didn’t you know how far you’d travelled?” Garrett replied.

“No idea,” Erin mulled, ”We were in the air and going fast, but that’s all I could tell.”

“Too bad you don’t get motion sick like me. You could have puked all over Miko. Would have served him right,” Sophie giggled.

Erin laughed.

“Maybe. Or the gag spell would have forced me to swallow it back down. That makes me glad I didn’t,” Erin said.

Both of the men seated beside Erin looked a little green and turned away.

“Sorry,” Erin apologized, “I forget others don’t have nurse’s stomachs. Very few things gross me out. Anyway, you were saying we need to cross back into the States, right? I don’t have a passport or even a driver’s license on me. How can I get back?”

“I’ll run you across. The others will meet us with the cars farther on,” Garrett explained.

“But,” Erin began, then with dawning realization, “Oh. ‘Run’ me across. I get it.”

“Once we’re in the States, we’ll contact Luka, and he’ll tell us where to meet him,” Garrett said.

Erin thought about that for a few minutes. She had refused Luka’s mating contract. He probably wasn’t going to be happy to be called up to babysit her anymore.

“I’m not sure about that,” Erin hesitated, “You might just want to contact the council to have someone collect me. Luka has probably written me off.”

“No, Erin, Luka has definitely not written you off,” Sophie jumped in at this point. She giggled again, “In fact, he’s been pretty insistent about being a part of this plan from the first moment he got a message through to us. He was frantic when he told us to be looking out for you and demanded one of us make contact with you right away so you would know you weren’t alone.”

Erin was a little taken aback.

“Really? I figured after — well after what I said — he’d wash his hands of me,” Erin said.

Two important pieces of information came through Sophie’s words: The first was that Luka still cared about her, the second that Luka was in regular contact with at least some of the rebels.

It was very late, or maybe early was a better word, and everyone was tired. Conversation dwindled as Erin considered how she was going to apologize to Luka, and what her refusal meant to them both. Before long, she found herself dozing. She popped awake though when the car came to a stop under a brightly lit sign declaring “Rooms by the day, week, or month.”

“Sophie, you know what to get, right?” Garrett asked.

“Erin, what size pants do you wear?” Sophie asked, putting her hand up to signal Garrett to wait.

“Fives, usually.”

Turning back to Garrett, Sophie answered, “Got it, boss. Phillip and I will get everything and be back here in no time.”

Garrett nodded. Sophie and one of the men took off toward the other vehicle. Garrett took Erin’s arm and handed her to the other man from their car.

“Rudy will stay here with you while I get the room. Don’t move away from him,” Garrett said.

Erin nodded and gave Rudy a small smile. Rudy was totally focused on the area around them and ignored the smile completely. When another car pulled into the lot, Rudy nearly crushed Erin pushing her back between his body and the SUV. She was glad when Garrett returned and motioned them toward a room.

Garrett opened the door. Rudy stayed outside as Erin made her way into a room right out of the 1970’s. The carpet was burnt orange, the furniture Formica, and the bedspread geometric earth-tones. At least it was clean.

Garrett handed her a bag.

“There is hunter’s soap in here. Shower and use it everywhere. Wash your hair at least twice with it. When you get out of the shower, dry off then use the wipes in there to rub the fox urine all over you. You’ll hate the smell, but it will mask your natural scents, helping prevent anyone following. By the time you’ve done that, we should have fresh clothes here for you.”

“Fox urine? Seriously?” Erin hoped he was joking.

“It’s what hunters use. It works.”

Shaking her head, Erin entered the bathroom and pulled the soap from the bag. This was going to be a lot of fun.

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Completely bathed and covered in a horrible odor, Erin wrapped a towel around her torso and opened the bathroom door.

Sophie was sitting on the bed, waiting. She jumped up and brought a pile of clothes over to the bathroom. Erin quickly donned the new items, all black, and exited the now stench-filled room.

“People willingly smell like this?” she asked, “I mean people who aren’t afraid for their lives. Oops,” Erin turned abruptly, looking away from a completely naked Garrett.

“Yeah, they do,” Garrett answered, turning away from her and heading for the door, not the least self-conscious, “It’s time for us to get moving. We’re only a few miles from the border, so I sent the cars on ahead. I’m going to shift. You open the door and I’ll slip out and meet you around back. Just leave the key in the door.”

Erin nodded and followed the white wolf to the door. He was gone in a flash. She turned to put the key in the lock. She stiffened when someone spoke from nearby.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” a man leaning on a car in the lot said, ”Oh, but is that you that stinks? Honey, you need some new perfume. The stuff you’re using’s gone bad,” he said, wrinkling his nose but still smiling. He wore jeans and a flannel shirt, and would have looked perfectly in character with a piece of hay sticking out of his mouth.

Erin just smiled slightly at him and headed the other way, hoping he wasn’t there to recapture her. When he didn’t follow her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Garrett was behind the motel, pacing.

“Are you nervous?” Erin asked, concerned.

“I’ll feel better when we’ve gotten into the States,” Garrett answered into her mind, but somehow, Erin didn’t believe him.

Erin climbed on Garrett’s back and they took off. He seemed to be travelling in a random pattern, at times Erin felt sure they had turned completely around and were heading north again, but she didn’t ask. She was just glad they didn’t travel through any more water.

Three times they crossed fencing, and Erin wondered if one of those fences separated Canada from the States. It wasn’t until the sky was starting to lighten that she finally asked, “Do we have much farther to go? I’m exhausted, and you must be sick of carrying me.”

“Not too much farther,” Garrett thought back to her. “We will meet the others at a rest area in about two miles.”

Erin nodded, then turning her head to rub her sore thigh; she thought she saw something moving behind and to the right of them. She watched for a bit and saw it again.

“Garrett! Something is following us!”

“I know,” he replied calmly, “Just a little farther.”

Erin held on for dear life as Garrett put on a burst of speed. She didn’t dare turn her head at this velocity, so she buried her face in Garrett’s soft neck and said a little prayer to whatever deity might be listening.

Suddenly five wolves were snarling fiercely in front of them. Garrett leapt past them and turned abruptly. The wolves remained facing back the way Erin and Garrett had come. Thank goodness, these were Garrett’s pack members, Erin thought.

Three wolves burst through the underbrush and went straight for three of Garrett’s men. Erin thought they were probably the three from the rebel camp, which meant the huge wolf must be nearby. Garrett shrugged her off his back.

“Stay low and stay back,” he said.

Erin watched as Garrett’s wolves fought the others. It was a terrifying show of teeth and nails. Garrett kept her pressed back, away from the fight, and remained vigilant around them.

Erin jumped when she felt fur press into her from the side. She recognized Sophie immediately and gratefully hugged her softness.

Garrett suddenly launched toward their right before Erin even realized the huge wolf was there. Garrett’s sudden attack had the two of them rolling away, teeth snapping.

Sophie nudged Erin backwards, but when Erin didn’t move, Sophie bit her sleeve and tugged her along, walking, then jogging, finally all out running the direction Erin and Garrett had been heading.

As the sounds of the wolves lessened, Erin noticed highway noise. Then saw the low building that was immediately recognizable as a rest area. Sophie didn’t let her slow down until they reached the fence that edged the property.

Sophie walked beside Erin as if on a leash. They reached the blue SUV which Erin found unlocked, and clamored in. Sophie shifted, and thrusting her arms into a sweatshirt, jammed the keys in the ignition and was merging onto the highway in seconds.

“What about the others?” Erin asked, voice quavering.

“They’ll be fine. They’ll keep the enemy engaged a few minutes, then get away. I’m supposed to get you to a safe house,” the still half-naked Sophie answered.

Trying to lighten her fear, Erin took a few deep breaths and watched out the window. Passing a semi, Erin smiled, “Giving the truckers a thrill?”

Sophie gave a mischievous grin and waggled her fingers at the person sitting in the passenger seat of the truck. Erin wished she could see the look on the guy’s face as he stared down at Sophie’s naked crotch.

Less than five minutes later Sophie took an exit from the expressway and continued on a state route for about twenty minutes before turning off on a side road. A minute later she turned up a long dirt drive to a surprisingly large and modern home overlooking a huge pond.

“This is a safe house?” Erin asked, “I always thought they were small, inconspicuous places.”

“Not in our world, at least not necessarily,” Sophie answered, parking the car and grabbing sweat pants from the back and pulling them on before getting out.

Erin exited the SUV and started hesitantly toward the front door which burst open and Luka flew down the steps. Grabbing her up in both arms he spun her in a circle before abruptly putting her down.

“You stink!” he said.

Trying to catch her breath, Erin just laughed.

“It’s fox urine. It covers human scent very effectively,” Sophie explained.

“It stinks,” Luka reiterated, hand in front of his nose, turning to smile at Sophie. “Thank you for bringing her back safely,” he said, giving Sophie a hug as well.

“I have to go,” Sophie said to Erin with a quick hug, “You’ll be safe with Luka now, I suspect,” she finished with another sly smile. She headed back for the car.

Luka grabbed Erin’s hand, and covering his nose with his other hand, he pulled her up the stairs and into the house.

“I’ll take you straight to your room, so you can shower,” he said, continuing to pull her up the main staircase.

‘Listen, Luka,” Erin started, unsure, “about what I said, you know, with Miko…”

Luka turned abruptly, towering over her on the steps.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said softly, cupping her cheek, “You did what you did because you wanted to protect me.”

He turned and continued to drag her up the stairs. At the first door, he pushed Erin forward and followed her into a beautifully appointed bedroom with a large bed centered against one wall.

“Through there is your bathroom. There are towels in the cupboard. Throw your clothes out here, and I’ll get them washed too.”

Erin started to say something, to apologize, but Luka shook his head and pointed to the bathroom. She did as he told her and went in the bathroom and stripped herself of the stinking clothes, tossing them out the door, and stepped into the huge shower stall.

As she lathered in the spicy scented soap, she relived the look on Luka’s face as he ran to meet her outside the house. He had looked so happy, his eyes bright and sparkling. Erin had been sure he would be hurt or angry about her refusal, but he had understood. She couldn’t wait to talk to him about it.

Clean and dry now, Erin looked for some clothing but found only a fluffy, white robe to put on. Wrapped in the luxurious feeling garment, she entered the bedroom to find Luka sitting on the end of the bed watching the bathroom door expectantly. He leapt up and rushed to her, giving her another of those hugs like he gave her outside, except this one didn’t end with him complaining she stunk.

This hug melted into a series of kisses across her forehead, down her cheek, and finally across her lips. Luka was tender and gentle, his kiss asking permission for more. She gave it by opening to his kiss and licking his lower lip suggestively.

The kiss deepened, their tongues intertwining and sliding together as they reacquainted with each other, becoming bolder as time passed.

Luka pulled away slightly and looked into Erin’s eyes. “Is that why you refused?” he asked, referring back to the short conversation on the stairs, almost sounding shy.

“Yes!” Erin answered, “Miko was going to kill you, slowly, in front of me! I didn’t have a choice except to make it so he could take me.”

“That’s what I thought,” Luka purred, nuzzling her neck, “Did you even consider accepting instead?”

Erin hesitated, confused. No, she never really considered that in that moment.

“Would that have changed anything?” she asked.

“Not a lot,” Luke answered, looking into her eyes again, “It would have increased your powers some, that’s all. I just wondered if you considered saying yes.”

“I considered it before I came out that morning,” Erin started, nervously, “but once the spells started flying, I was only thinking about keeping you safe,” she traced her fingertips down his cheek that still showed the angry red line of Miko’s attack.

Turning to plant a kiss in her palm, Luka mumbled, “So you considered it?”

Erin nodded, not trusting her voice.

“And now?” he asked, turning to gaze intently into her eyes as he held her hand near his face, his other arm wrapped securely around her.

“Would you consider it now?” he asked.

Before she registered she was speaking, “Yes,” slipped easily from her lips.

“And if I told you that the only way to accept the contract, once rejected, was to consummate the mating, would you still consider saying yes?” he asked, never blinking, watching her face closely.

Erin felt her breath catch, her heartbeat increase. Luka’s eyes were deep green shot with pewter, pupils large. His breath on her face was warm, yet sent chills down her back. She was aware of his body, hard against hers, and his scent reminded her of the cabin, autumn leaves, and pure maleness.

“Yes,” she breathed out.

Luka closed the distance between their lips instantly. This kiss was much less gentle. It wanted to find every corner of her mouth and know them. Erin moaned her submission.

His lips trailed down her neck as she felt a tug at the belt of her robe. The softness fell easily from her shoulders to puddle on the floor.

Erin ran her hands under Luka’s shirt, lifting it. He raised his arms and helped her pull it up and over his head.

Suddenly, Erin’s orientation changed; she was mostly horizontal, looking up at the ceiling, and moving. She felt Luka lower her to the bed, then the movement of the mattress as he climbed in beside her.

He seemed to be everywhere; nibbling her earlobe, caressing her breast, pressing into her thigh. She ran a hand down his side, finding the waistband of his jeans, and she suddenly wondered if he would stop her again. In that moment of hesitation, she realized he had removed his hand from her breast and was unbuckling his belt.

Erin heard the zipper slide down, but then Luka’s hand was back at her breast, his thumb brushing her nipple.

“Mmmm,” she moaned, her pelvis thrusting forward into his.

Erin opened her eyes when Luka moved his head away from her ear. She saw his grin as he leaned down and trapped her other nipple between his lips, pulling on it to raise it to a point, then sliding his mouth around it and dragging on it with a long pull of his tongue.

She moaned deeper, and her pelvis ground into his. He met her grind with a moan of his own as his hand wrapped around and pulled her hip in tightly against him, his open fly biting into her tender flesh.