Once It Gets Dar

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Hi everybody :)

I put the list of German and Veril words in my profile for everybody who wants to refresh their memory and brush up on their vocabulary.

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CHAPTER 14

Ouch!

I woke up to a sting on my neck and a nerve wracking, high pitched humming.

"Verdammtes Mistvieh!" I cursed.

A definite downside to living in a magical park with all its nature and wildlife restored were the bugs that came with it. Vo'ren was not bothered by them. I was pretty sure that he never got stung; maybe mosquitoes didn't like Veril blood--I couldn't blame them since it was probably filled with venom and magic and all kinds of things unsuitable for this dimension's critters.

I looked to my right and a warm fuzzy feeling spread through my whole body - there he lay in deep slumber with his arms spread wide and his face more relaxed than I had ever seen it when he was awake. He looked young in his sleep - although I was starting to suspect that he was not only decades but quite possibly even centuries older than me.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him; he was so beautiful. Just like me, he was still naked, his soft black hair ruffled from our activities last night. Not wanting to wake him up I resisted the urge to run my fingers over the marks on his muscular arms.

My

warrior. The possessive pronoun had taken on a literal meaning since a decision--or was it a realization--had solidified in my chest last night. Yes I would stay with him I would live with him and I would raise our child under his protection. The thought of a future shared with playful, smart, beautiful Vo'ren did not fill me with dread anymore. But that didn't mean I would stand meekly on the sidelines and watch as he slaughtered my people.

During the last weeks I had been lost in fear, shock and confusion, drifting like a leaf in the wind, pulled back and forth by the forces around me. But not anymore. I was done wallowing in selfpity. I was his prisoner, but I was also the mother of General Tsul Vo'ren's child; he himself had called me his wife and told me that he was willing to build a meaningful relationship with me. And that meant I was most likely the only human with a chance of changing his mind about humanity.

For the first time I really thought about the twelve wives, all married to powerful Veril politicians--were some of them trying to do the same?

Damn it!

There was that bug again. I threw my thin woven blanket away and got up on my knees, swatting at it and unsuccessfully trying to catch it with my hands at the same time. There was a tiny little spark of blue light, and the mosquito dropped on my leg. Disgusted, I flicked it away when a strong olive green hand wrapped around my waist and Vo'ren pulled me down to him until my back leaned against his chest.

"Did the evil little fly attack you, my sweet?" he purred against my neck.

His voice made all my hairs stand up, and I pressed against him until my soft body molded perfectly to his--my back to his chest and my ass right at his groin. He inhaled just so slightly, and I couldn't help but feel some pride at the fact that I was able to have this effect on the mighty General, and my chest filled with tenderness for him.

"Evil little fly indeed," I pouted, scratching my ear. "It stung me twice!"

He chuckled. "I cannot blame him; I know the irresistible urge to sting you quite too well."

He slung his arm around me and pulled me tightly to him. I shivered and rolled my hips a bit, grinding almost imperceptibly against his cock and smiled when I felt him tense in reaction.

"Had I known that he attacked your adorable round little ear, I would not have given him the mercy of a quick death," he whispered softly, kissing my earlobes, and the sweetness of it filled me with an indescribable warmth and happiness.

"I'm pretty sure that it's a

she

, not a

he

," I remarked. "Male mosquitos don't sting."

"What a peculiar realm you live in, Annatz'in." He let his hand wander down, gently caressing my belly as if he could feel our child inside of me. "But I think I might be starting to grow fond of it."

The wind was rustling in the trees outside and a little ray of sunlight peeked through a small hole at the exit.

"I'm sorry I woke you up before sundown, mishtz'in," I said, turning my head to face him. He propped himself up on one arm leaning over me while still holding me against him his other arm slung around by my waist.

He gave me a smile that took my breath away mischief shining in his golden eyes. "I can think of a few ways you could make it up to me, keltz'in."

"Oh really? And what would that be,

mein Lämmchen

?

For a glorious moment, he was silent then he gave me a puzzled look. "Did you just call me

my little lamb

?"

I grinned up at him, took his chin between my fingers in the same patronizing way he liked to do with mine, and asked, using my sweetest voice, "Isn't that what we are doing? Give each other ridiculous pet names, my toy?"

He laughed at that, and the vibrations of his voice at my back made me hyperaware of his solid body pressing against mine. "I have been called many names over the course of my life but I think this is a first."

"Well, I strive to surprise you!" I patted his cheek and pushed my body back in a way that left little room for interpretation about what it was I wanted from him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, "You truly do." He murmured almost like to himself, and when he looked at me again, his irises were black.

I should have been more than used to it by now but it was such a striking and eerie effect that it still filled me with fear and excitement every time. And when he spoke again, growling, and baring his pointy teeth, he could not have looked more unlike a lamb.

"Allow me to kiss you, Anna."

Only Vo'ren could ask for permission and still make it sound like an order, but as always, my body responded almost reflexively to him, and he tightened his hold around my waist. I shivered and propped myself up on my arm; my upper body turned half towards him while my butt stayed nestled against his crotch. I leaned my head over to him and closed his lips with mine, and when he tenderly responded, I relaxed into him almost instantly. He let his hand wander up and up until it reached my breast and cupped it gently caressing my nipples. His featherlight touch made me moan against his mouth, and I pressed my ass against his awaking erection.

He pulled slightly away from me and trailed his lips over my jaw to the back of my neck kissing and sucking the sensitive skin and making all my nerves stand on edge with the threat of his sharp teeth. Almost instinctively, I had started to grind myself against him, trying to appease my growing desire with the friction of my movement. Every little touch of his made the need to feel him even closer more and more unbearable. I arched my back against him, lifted my leg and placed it on top of his, letting his hardness slip between my thighs.

He growled, dug his hands in my hair and pulled my head back gently so he could speak into my ear.

"Let me give you a real kiss."

"That's not necessary," I breathed. I was more than ready - I could feel my juices coating his rock hard cock as I kept rubbing myself on him.

"I can tell." He kept his hand in my hair, whispering against my ear, and I wished he would just push himself into me already. "But I want you to feel me in every cell of your body"

I swallowed; I was still scared from the last times I had tased his venom, scared to surrender all control to him. He let go of my hair, moved his hand down and down until he gently parted my folds. His fingers found my clitoris and started to draw little circles. I whimpered and pushed myself even harder against him. I needed him to take me, to fill me and to pound me to the edge of senselessness. He moved his mouth from my ear to my cheek until it reached my lips, letting his tongue run over them just so slightly, leaving it up to me if I would let him in, and it was this little acknowledgment, this unusual gentleness and consideration, that made me yield to him.

I opened my mouth, and teased the tip of his tongue with mine. He made a triumphant sound full of masculine pride and pushed his cock into me the same moment he claimed my mouth.

I whimpered at the intrusion--it didn't matter that I was dripping wet; his inhuman size was still painful--but he caught all sound with his lips, kissing me deeply while he slowly, carefully started to move inside of me, spooning me. I tasted the slight burn on my tongue, and my mind slowly drifted away into a soft, fluffy cloud.

Unlike the last times, when his venom had hurt and made me despair with need, this time he was inside of me already when its full effect struck and every part of my body filled with his essence, claiming me while his cock drove into my core over and over again, stroking the pressure of venom and desire.

I felt him in every fiber of my being, flowing through my blood, clouding my brain, pushing himself deep into my womb. His magic in my binding spread freely through my veins, and his shining light mixed with my darkness, with my soul.

"You have no idea how divine this feels for me," he growled into my ear.

I wanted to respond, but I had lost all ability to speak. He was in me in every cell and nerve and we were so deeply connected that I didn't know anymore where I ended and where he began and for the first time I clearly understood what he had meant with

losing ourselves in each other

that strange night back in my room and I sobbed, overwhelmed by the intensity of it.

He slowed down, taking me in deep, deliberate strokes, stretching and filling me to my limits. He wrapped his arm around my chest and cupped my chin with his hand, pulling me back against his strong body, holding and comforting me while he kept fucking me at an agonizingly gentle pace. He pressed his lips against my cheek and made a soothing noise.

"All is well, my sweet. Let go; I will take care of you."

He held me like that until my breathing turned into deep sighs every time the thick head of his cock rubbed over my g-spot and almost painfully nudged my cervix. I dug my fingers into the fur beneath me, but he took my hand and linked it with his, and I submitted completely to him, allowing him to take full control and letting my mind slip away into pure sensation.

He growled as if he had felt my surrender and grabbed my hips, pulling me against him as he pushed into me in an ever increasing rhythm, penetrating me over and over forcing my tight passage to accommodate his inhuman size and strength. I moaned and sobbed, and he dug his face between my neck and shoulder, inhaling my scent and murmuring things in Veril I didn't understand. The pressure of my impending orgasm was growing stronger and stronger and I felt my insides tensing up.

He put his hand over the humming mark on my wrist, and I felt his magic reach into me, facilitated by his venom in my blood, and through our binding, he took hold of my essence.

"Wait for me."

His order pulled me slightly back into reality. I had no idea how he had done this, but my body instinctively obeyed his command, keeping me from climaxing, and I grunted in frustration at my denied release and tried to pull my wrist away. He kept his strong fingers clasped tight and slowed his rhythm again, thrusting deep into my wetness and pulling out almost completely, teasing me while the pressure in my core became almost unbearable.

"Please!" I sobbed, turning my head back towards him.

"Soon, my sweet." I practically heard the smugness under his arousal as he moved his other hand between my legs again, stroking my sensitive nub while he fucked me, and I thought I was about to lose my mind.

"Vo'ren, you..."

Asshole

, I had wanted to say but he cut my words off with his mouth, rewarding me with a particularly hard thrust, and I seized my chance, dug the fingers of my free hand into his hair and kissed him back, sucking his lips and tongue. I held him against me, letting him taste me and feel my desire for him.

"You feel so good, mishtz'in," I breathed against his mouth and arched my back, meeting him with all the force of my passion, taking him as deeply as possible. "I want you so much."

He made a surprised guttural sound at my declaration, let go of my wrist, and pulled me against him, immobilizing my hips as he stung me. And finally, finally, as he pumped his seed into me, the hold of his order abated, freeing all my pent-up energy, and I came completely undone. My inner muscles contracted around him with so much strength that they pushed his still-active stinger even deeper into my sensitive flesh. And somehow the mixture of pain and relief intensified my orgasm even more, and when his venom and magic flooded my body, I saw stars for a moment.

I was still gasping for air when he gently pulled out of me and his seed dripped down over my thigh and into the sheet.

"Ch'ish," he groaned, followed by something that could only have been a string of even more colorful curses in Veril.

I opened my eyes, and turned to look at him over my shoulder. He was letting his head hang back and his eyes were closed.

Without another word he sank into the furs, pulling me down with him by my waist. I placed my hand on his and for a while we just lay like this. He was lazily caressing my belly, and for this brief moment, I was at peace. I felt so safe being held by my strong warrior; his breath caressed my skin, and I heard his heart beating steadily as I was nestled against his chest.

I decided to use the momentary connection to try something out. I pulled on my shadows, thinking about how I had conjured them last night, and slowly dark puffs appeared at my palm. I kept them small so they wouldn't drain me too much and let them swirl between my fingers. I suppressed a delighted squeal--it worked! I formed a little cloud and let it spin into a long spiral and unwound it again. It was not easy to coax it into forms and keep it from wafting out, but I was doing it! Proudly, I played around a bit more, trying to make more realistic shapes like Vik Ichel had done, but after a while I felt the toll on my energy, and since I was already exhausted from the climax he had just given me, I pulled my magic carefully back in and relaxed into Vo'ren's strong arm again.

His eyes were still closed, and I didn't think he had noticed anything. The soft furs of our sleeping area tickled my skin and for the first time I realized that I liked this bed a lot better than the one I had back home.

It's not a bad place to raise a child

, the thought came out of nowhere, but as I let my eyes roam around our simple and beautiful tent, I knew that it was kind of true--if we were not in the middle of a military base, of course.

The image of me chasing a little toddler running around the sitting area flashed into my mind, but then my heart started racing and my head began to spin--I definitely needed some more time to get used to those ideas. Then I realized that I had automatically thought of a human child, but my baby would, of course, be Veril. I imagined a little green-skinned and pointy-eared mini-Vo'ren with a head full of unruly black hair. The picture was ridiculously endearing, and I smiled. How had the frightful General looked like as a child? Did the Veril have something like photos? Did photos even exist yet when he was young?

"Vo'ren?"

He grunted as if he had half dozed away again.

"How old are you?" I turned my body towards him. He was lying with his arms outstretched again, and his eyes still closed.

"Older than you."

"Yes," I had guessed as much already. "But how old exactly?"

He lazily opened one eye and looked at me. "Old enough to have a mother, young enough to never take a bride."

I knew by now that I would not get a straight answer out of him and decided to let it go and ask again later when I might catch him off guard.

"If you don't have a bride, then what am I?" I asked and playfully nudged his strong chest.

He turned towards me fully awake now, took my chin in his hand and gave me a sharp toothed smile. "You, my Anna, are a gift from the gods."

With that, he gracefully untangled himself from me and got up in a fluid movement.

"Occupy yourself with more pressing questions, my sweet. Suchil Tem wishes to see us tonight. I will give you orders for that meeting at kenkirtim, but first I have other matters to attend to. There will be no training session with Ichel for you tonight as we will leave shortly after we have eaten."

He took a neatly folded daylight uniform out of the wooden chest and got dressed. I swallowed my suggestion about what he could do with his

orders

and watched him in silence instead. I would never get tired of contemplating him, amazed that he managed to look just as flawless naked as he did in his attire. After a moment sunken in admiration, I got up as well, inhaling sharply, when the rest of his seed dripped down the inside of my thigh.

His eyes peeking through the slit left open by the uniform's head peace narrowed. "Do not wash me off. Or I will have to bed you again before we see the Counselor."

I smiled sweetly at him. "Is that supposed to be a threat or a promise, Sheniktz'in?"

"Both." He stepped in front of me, dwarfing me with his tall and broad body, all dressed in menacing black. He pulled the scarf up, leaned down and kissed me goodbye.

He was about to leave but I held him back by the straps of his leather armor. "Vo'ren, wait."

"Have you not had quite enough of me yet?" My wrist hummed, and he placed his hand on my butt and pulled me against him.

"I never have enough of you," I said truthfully, resisting the urge to kiss him again. "But there is something else, mishtz'in."

He raised his eyebrows waiting for what was about to come.

"Vo'ren, I--we need to tell my parents, please. I don't want them to worry."

"I believe telling them your current location would cause them to worry more, instead of less." He was joking, but his face had turned stern.

"I know, but they need to know, and..." For a moment I paused and inhaled deeply to keep myself from crying. "I miss them, Vo'ren."

He briefly closed his eyes, and I thought I felt a very faint sting in my wrist.

"Annatz'in." He put his hand on mine, still grasping on to his leather armor. Despite the gentle gesture, his tone was hard. "Your safety is of most importance to me. I do not want your identity to be out in public while you are still in the capital. As soon as we are in my city, I will have better means to protect you. So unfortunately this will have to wait. But you have my word that you get to talk to them as soon as we are in Hamburg. If you want, I will have them brought there, so you can speak to them in person."

"No!" On no account did I want Vo'ren or his men to come near to my parents' house. I didn't even want him to know where they lived. His eyes darkened and I added quickly, "I mean, a phone call will be enough." My heart sank as I added, "It would mean a lot to me if I could talk to them sooner than that. They won't tell anybody."

"I cannot take the risk," he replied briskly, and I understood that the conversation was over. Before I could turn away he gave me a quick kiss and pulled the headpiece down over his face again.

"I will be back shortly," he said before stepping out of the tent.

After he had left I wiped my eyes. I needed to accept his verdict, I needed to learn how to work with him - as difficult as he was. I wanted to become a real partner to Vo'ren, but I understood by now that for this to happen, it was crucial that I allowed him to lead. I had to learn to accept his orders and swallow my pride, even if I didn't like his decisions or agreed with them. Otherwise he would always feel the need to keep me under control.