Mixed Blessings

This is the third chapter in a series. Although it can be read on it's own, parts of the story may make more sense when read in order. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.

Laslie's energy flared out before him. Spirits and animals alike fled from the angry power. He ran towards the jeep and knew the instant the guardians sensed his presence. Shields snapped into place.

Dullards, the lot of them!

Even if they had not the sensitivity to detect his energy, they should have wondered at the fleeing spirits. In his rage, his chi acted almost as a radar. It allowed him to find anyone spiritually present the moment it brushed by them. He had known about the guards a minute before, and the spirits had sensed him, and fled, a handful of seconds before that.

As expected, two fellow

leaf-walkers

, each from a different tribe and neither tribesman to him, appeared from the trees. The blond carried a spear very comfortably. Laslie realized this was one of the few guards who had not reacted to his energy. In truth, he could not even sense the Sidhe, standing virtually face to face. Clearly this man was equally well trained as a

shadow-walker

as he was a

leaf-walker

. Once upon a time, that would have marked him as Unseleigh. With the rules for the Great Hunt now, however, it simply meant he was hoping one day to be victorious as Prey.

Laslie made sure even his eyes did not betray the fact that he saw the guard, plain as day. Instead, he concentrated on the Sidhe with the light brown hair. His shields were firmly in place. He was sloppy. He held his short sword comfortably, but without the promise of much skill. He could be imitating incompetence, just as Laslie was with the spiritually invisible guard, but Laslie doubted it. The Sidhe was simply too young to have enough experience. "You know you cannot be allowed to leave. The elders instructed you of such."

Laslie growled at the pup and fought to ignore the spear inching towards his neck. "I will not leave Alicia to wonder why I have left her alone, why I may have deserted her. My

soul

deserves better." The younger guard swallowed visibly at the reference. Instantly the stakes had risen. Even the other guard tensed at the mention. To get between a person and their soul was folly. Neither would surrender until they were together. Laslie decided to emphasize that point. "And even if you managed to hold me, somehow, stopping her would be impossible. She will come, if for no other reason than to find what has detained me."

The sword began to quiver with fear, but the noble elf kept it threatening Laslie. The guards might not know what Alicia was, but they certainly knew what she wasn't. She wasn't human, she wasn't Sidhe, and she had more than enough power that she wasn't someone to be trifled with. Laslie grinned.

And, to the best of my knowledge, they haven't even seen the strength or speed she can muster.

Laslie had felt that strength when she occasionally chose to dominate him in bed. He felt as helpless as a newborn beneath her. If a fight broke out, he lay better than even odds that she could tear apart half of the three assembled tribes before they could even muster a defense.

"Sh-she will b-be warned." The little sot was smarter than he seemed, probably just inexperienced. He knew exactly how powerful his adversaries were but, he bravely stood between them, as he was instructed. The spear continued to inch towards Laslie's vulnerable neck.

The blond was fooled as Laslie's right hand seemed to cross his body to draw a weapon. Laslie was after a weapon, but he had none to draw. Instead, at the last second, his hand flashed two feet upward to grab just beneath the head of the spear. The younger Sidhe reacted more quickly, thrusting forward with his sword. Laslie's whole body was already in motion now. He spun to the left and dodged the sword. His leading arm came up to connect with the

shadow-walker's

jaw. The man hadn't collected himself from the first action when the second attack knocked him back. Laslie was able to rip the spear from his hands.

Laslie jumped back a few steps and set his guard. He knew he was better than both men, but he had yet to gauge the blond. Surprise lent a considerable amount to the ease of his success. He still had many advantages on them; strength, skill, a slight edge of speed, and the longer reaching weapon. They had the advantage of time and numbers. All they had to do was wait for sufficient allies to arrive and they could overwhelm him easily.

The blond began to circle around Laslie's left as he drew a large dagger from the back of his belt. The Sidhe with a sword took his cue and began circling to the right. Laslie knew the tactic but also understood which opponent was the greater threat. He instantly began to back up in order to keep the two at least marginally in front of him. Meanwhile he began to shift closer to the sword wielding warrior. The swordsman was not experienced enough to understand the tactic and his own movement faltered in confusion.

It was the opening Laslie needed. He thrust the spear at the man's chest, letting the well crafted wood glide through his right hand like a poorly gripped pool cue. The sword moved to parry the high jab, but Laslie had other ideas. The spear froze halfway through the attack, but the sword was already committed. A slight shift in angle and the spear continued to dart forward to catch the back of the man's weapon. The word dipped slightly, even as the spear shifted again to slice the back of the man's hand. The sword fell from a pain ridden hand.

Laslie rushed forward into the opening. He released the spear with his right hand as his left swung smoothly forward. Bladed tip forgotten, he used the shaft as a club. With the momentum built in his body, and his own considerable strength, the blunt end of the spear connected solidly with the stunned guard. The man dropped like a sack, to land inches from his own fallen sword.

When the

shadow-walker

had continued to circle, in an effort to complete the maneuver despite Laslie's counter, it placed him almost completely between Laslie and the Freehome. Now Laslie had momentum and refused to waste it. He continued to run, even as the other guard collapsed. He heard the spiritually invisible guard grunt in frustration. He had tricked the two into opening the path, once more, to the jeep.

There were no signs of pursuit, but Laslie didn't expect them. If there had been evidence, then the various guards' training would be incomplete. He had to rely on instinct and finely honed reflexes to avoid the next attack. He knew he would not reach the jeep without another guard discovering him, and then he would likely be delayed long enough that he would need to deal with the owner of the weapon he now claimed.

Another warrior landed a few feet ahead on the path. This was another Laslie had sensed. He was not surprised, as he slid into a defensive stance, to discover a very athletic woman squared against him. As with humans, Sidhe men were generally stronger than the women, however, the parallel continued in that the women were far more dextrous. Although they frequently used a different fighting style, Sidhe women were no less deadly than the men. The woman's blond hair was shorn to within a couple inches of her head, her pale eyes regarded him warily and her lithe body coiled to strike at a moment's notice. His spear might have an extreme advantage of range over her twin knives, but she was the perfection of speed.

He feinted a jab at her shoulder but she ignored it entirely. The lightweight weapons would move quickly, so she would refuse to parry until the last second, otherwise he could see the block and shift accordingly. Drastic changes in attack were difficult with the unwieldy spear but subtle shifts in target were simple. He shifted his grip as the blunt butt of the spear swung forward. With the power behind the attack her knives would be useless in blocking the heavy wood. Her legs seemed to drop out from beneath her as she slid forward, under his swing.

He shifted his grip again, in order to halt and reverse the momentum, and the attack returned low. Once more, her powerful legs saved her as she coiled and sprung into the air. As the spear passed beneath her, a single foot alighted on it and sent the tip into the dirt. Had Laslie not partially expected the maneuver he would likely have lost the weapon altogether. As it was, he only succeeded in halting her forward momentum.

Her jump landed her back on the path before him. She had known that to continue the charge, while airborne, lent him the advantage of dodging beneath her to take the path. Unlike the spearman, this warrior understood that her first mission was to prevent Laslie's escape, not to best the man in a duel.

Laslie charged her once more. He held the spear close and prepared. He was well within his own striking range, while still beyond hers, when he thrust. Inches from her shoulder, one of the daggers was there to knock the spear aside. The other dagger leapt forward. Laslie struggled to interpose the wooden shaft between himself and the attack. As the first blade bounced against the shaft, the second flew towards him.

Laslie dodged and ducked the flashing knives. He couldn't help but admire the woman's ferocious assault. Although he was able to avoid damage, her vigorous attacks pushed him back. He couldn't find a single opening to reverse the momentum of the fight. She kept in close where her speed was an advantage and his cumbersome weapon a bane.

Her eyes betrayed her. It was only a quick glance, but he knew what it meant. He had been watching her body for any tell and almost missed the beat. He would have know the

shadow-walker

had arrived, at last, even without the look. The slightest amount of tension left her at the same moment. She knew another skilled warrior would allow them the successful capture. Her eyes simply told Laslie where the man had appeared.

That was the moment. He had no other options, for defeating the both at once would take far too long and others would come. It was also the only distraction he had witnessed.

The spear fell from his hands. Pressed close for her attacks, the woman's eyes widened as she glanced down at the fallen weapon. At once, both of Laslie's hands leapt forward to grab her wrists. It was risky, for it linked the two for contact based magic. Also, if he missed she was almost assured a hit on him. As it was, he almost failed to grab her right wrist.

Laslie didn't hesitate. His body dropped. As he fell he twisted and his superior strength tossed the surprised warrior into her comrade. The moment his hands released, one of her blades snaked out for a last attempt at him. The knife caught the edge of his hand, between wrist and thumb, and then was gone.

The small cut burned painfully, far beyond its severity. Laslie felt renewed admiration for the woman as he scooped up the spear and took off down the path. She held a composite iron knife! For as much damage as it could do to a Sidhe, or

any

creature of the spirit world, it would have driven him to distraction merely to carry the blade sheathed. To use it in combat would numb his mind.

He reached the car and sighed in relief when he saw her still asleep against the door. Quietly, but quickly in case other guards were on their way, he opened his door and slid in. Senses, instinctively heightened from the rush through the forest, instantly caught her scent. Her lust was fresh. A quick glance confirmed, with a thousand little clues, that she feigned sleep. The scent reached the base of his brain and he growled in anticipation. Her eyes flickered open with an equally primal gaze.

"Imagine if I had seen you fight instead of just sensing it!" Her voice matched her eyes, with a husky growl. She must have been picturing the suggestion because her scent intensified. His body pulsed in response.

"No time," he returned in frustration. "If we don't leave now, we'll end up fighting many more." An excited growl curled from her throat and made his heart race. He took a deep breath, but the constantly intensifying scent only enraged his lust further. "I don't want to hurt anyone. If we fight that many we won't have a choice!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was right.

Dammit!

If the two fought the Freehome, someone was going to get seriously hurt or killed. Alicia was fairly certain it wouldn't be either of them, but that wasn't the point. Not only were they his people, they were his tribe; his family and friends. His control only made her want him more. Her panties, already drenched from her desire, began to leak across the inside of her thighs. She clutched the handle on the door and forced herself to look out the window. She couldn't control her need for him, and she certainly couldn't control her body's response, so she could only tame them by as little activity as possible. She knew he wanted her, further, she knew he could smell the effect he was having on her.

She couldn't even allow herself to read him. She had used the extreme limits of her empathy to follow the fight as he worked his way back to the car. His intensity and skill had excited her. But when he reached the car and opened the door, his own lust had spiked. He had smelled her heat and responded with his own. Alicia had seen the effect on occasion, but she had never known any but a shapeshifter, Dhase or Lycanthrope to be able to be this swayed at anything over a foot or so away. Laslie never had before. It was clear that the aggression had activated his much more primal nature.

The car roared to life and leapt into reverse. Mud flew and tires spun as he hurriedly turned the car through three points in order to shoot back down the way they had come. Reality began to dawn on her as she began to calm down. She had awoken when the energy crashed over her. She recognized his power instantly, it was the same that she wrapped herself in nightly, like a familiar, warm, blanket. But this time had not been comforting at all. The wall which he threw outward was filled with rage.

She had pushed her senses outward in order to determine the cause. That was when she spotted the fight. She felt his energy flow through the movements of the fight and could almost picture his body, she knew so intimately, shifting through the maneuvers. His deceptively strong muscles twisted and strained as he blocked and dodged the last warrior. The thin sheen of sweat, that he still wore, glistening across his chest.

She slammed into the seatbelt as the jeep skidded to a stop. She was stunned for a moment as her brain attempted to pinpoint the reason for the drastic action on the empty road. Her eyes widened as the view was blocked by his heaving chest. Her eyes began to drift upward, to discern the meaning of his strange actions from his eyes. She saw his muscles, for the first time, clearly trained beneath his normally soft skin. In his combative state, he poured chi into his very body. It was a talent few Dhase could manage.

One hand grabbed her throat roughly and pushed her against the seat, while the other dropped somewhere between her and the door. Her eyes widened in fear at the sheer strength of that arm. Normally she held back with him, only her natural restraint allowed them equality. In his heightened state he managed to close that gap considerably. Her eyes finally reached his and her fear subsided in pure excitement.

The moment she thought back to the fight, her own lust had begun to rise again. She felt the world drop out from under her. A small part of her brain realized he had discovered the sought mechanism, dropped the seat back, and pushed her prone. She struggled instinctively against him. He was a warrior in the throws of his primal mind. To him she was nothing more than a woman excited by the witnessing. To the animal that aided Laslie's ability to fight, Alicia proved herself his prize by her reactions. In life she had been trained as a warrior and remembered the lust that battle drew, but even then she had felt the urge to resist the advances.

Laslie tossed aside the folds of her billowing skirt and tore off the bikini panties. The sudden violence forced a slight yelp of pain from her. With the helpless sound his manhood strained larger as it hovered above her. He was already positioned between her legs, from the initial rush, so he simply grabbed her wrists and fought them above her head. His increased strength and greater leverage made the feat possible when combined with submissive force of her desire.

She screamed as his hips shot forward. His amazingly hard length missed her depths to stab randomly at her. Her growled in frustration and plunged forward once more. Though he failed once more, his tip caught in her blazing folds and pressed nerves that already sought release. She screamed again, this time in pure pleasure. Her eyes once more found his and a ravenous beast looked back. His hips pulled back once more for a third attack.

He forced her waiting muscles wide as he crashed deep into her. Her eyes clamped shut as her head flew back with another joyous scream. He growled, from deep in his chest, as his length jerked in and out. She welcomed the blessed intruder as it slid effortlessly across her electric flesh. Her body surrendered to his will as he stabbed her very core.

The world receded as his energy rolled over her. She tasted victory course through his aura. His hips collided with her to send him deeper than she had ever been opened. Her breath grew ragged, her throat raw as she screamed in pure ecstasy. She writhed one way and then the other in search of escape from the euphoric torment. But still he held her with ease as he pierced her over and over. Each time he pulled himself back, until all but the slightest of his tip escaped, only to slam forward once more. Each thrust stripped another level of thought from her. She was pure, burning, electric, pressure, sensation.

His body shifted and his stomach began to press against her. As his hips shot forward and back he rolled across her sensitive bud. Her body froze as bliss discovered new levels. There couldn't be anything more he could do. There could be no new heights to which she could ascend.

Suddenly, he grew within her. The pulses rocketed throughout her body and straight to her brain. Already animalistic thrusts became urgent in their power. His release cascaded through his aura and flooded into her reserves even as his seed filled her depths. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had collapsed on top of Alicia. Her heart still raced and she barely breathed, but he could feel the utter satisfaction radiating from her as never before. Somehow he knew that, for only the second time ever, she had been truly and completely taken. Her screams had filled his ears and only fueled him to greater intensity. She had sat there, expression masked as she looked out the window, but her body betrayed her thoughts. It had been the growing scent of her cream that overrode his mind. The liquid remained, even coated him now, but his beast had been sated for the moment by her surrender.

The barest hint of motion just beyond the window brought reality crashing back home. In one smooth maneuver he spun off of her, pulled up his underwear and pants and threw himself back into the driver's seat. They were nowhere near safe yet. As he gunned the engine, he thought about the expression

out of the woods

and wondered if it had been created with knowledge of driven Sidhe warriors in pursuit.

Laslie glanced over at Alicia. She rolled onto her side, to face him, with languid grace. Her expression was confused, but happy. It was as if she had no idea what was happening, and couldn't bring herself to care. She lavished in the afterglow and aftershocks of their union. She always had, but never had it seemed so inappropriate as it did at that moment. As his focus returned to the path, she flopped limply onto her back.