First of all, you guys are too kind!! All the comments on the first part of this story were incredibly encouraging. This chapter doesn't contain much sex, but I felt like we needed a little more backstory on the characters. Don't worry, there will be more of the good stuff in the next chapter! I got a couple comments that this story belongs in fantasy more than non-con, so I've moved it over. If you're looking for the first chapter, that's where it is!
Thanks again for your feedback!
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Well, that had been unexpected.
Marcus stalked back to the little house where his mortal companions waited, reveling in the sunshine. Everything felt so...good. He was pleased that James had made it through the night. It was rare that a short lived man would have such skill with a sword, and Marcus had no intention of wasting his time trying to find another. He could hear Jace's snores before he even reached the door. Jace had a talent for spying, when he wasn't absorbed in the nearest pretty girl or card game. It made him another invaluable member of Marcus's unit.
A angry sound from the barn brought his thoughts back to the witch. Of all the things he expected to find on this journey, a mate wasn't one of them. But by all that was holy, gods and demons alike, he couldn't find it in himself to be anything other than pleased. The urge to kill, the beating purpose that had driven him here, abated like dust on the wind. The smell of witches usually turned his stomach, but Elena...
The thought of her scent caught him unexpectedly, memories flooding in. The way she smelled like fresh herbs and honey. The feel of her body underneath, the slick silky folds between her legs. The little crease between her dark brows. And gods help him, the sounds she made as he entered her. Unbidden, he could feel his erection pressing against his pants.
Not the time, he reasoned with himself. Have her again later. He had listened in on Jace's thoughts in the night, the way he had eyed the witch warily. They had come here to see if the rumors were true, if someone had been practicing magic just outside the sleepy little town they had been staying in. Then James had been attacked in the woods, and Marcus needed a healer more than he cared to hunt down a witch. Lucky for him, his tasks had been one and the same.
He put a massive palm to his chest, rubbing the sore spot that had started aching the moment his little witch was out of sight. He had heard stories of a mating bond, although they had been rare even when he was young. Which was a long time ago, indeed. But there was no mistaking the way like called to like, and the way her scent had hit him like an avalanche.
A thin face poked its head through the door, and Jace's sly green eyes narrowed as he saw his captain blinking in the sunlight, standing around and staring at nothing. If Jace hadn't been utterly terrified of the man, he might have laughed. It was so...un-Marcus.
"Everything ok, sir? I mean, did you-?"
Marcus dropped his hand from his chest and tried once more to shake the feeling of Elena from his skin, his mind. But he knew not even a bath and new clothes would get her scent off of him. It was far too late for that.
"Yes, Jace. I bedded the girl. Perfectly safe. Not a witch after all, despite the rumors." Lies were a second nature, as easy as letting his heart beat or his lungs draw air. He strode into the cottage, grunting as her scent hit him again. A brief glance showed him that James was still resting. He could have been peacefully asleep except for the ragged stitches covering most of him. Marcus still didn't know how he had been attacked, and while James was unconscious there was nothing to gain from peeking into his mind.
"Well, I wouldn't mind doing that myself, if you're all done."
Jace barely had time to squeak before Marcus had him shoved up against a wall, his forearm pressing into his windpipe.
"You. Do. Not. Touch. Her." The sound was barely perceptible, each syllable dripping with violence.
Jace nodded frantically, eyes bulging. Sweat broke out on his brow as Marcus held him there another moment, dangling by his throat, before letting him go. Coughing, he shoved sandy hair out of his eyes and looked up at his captain in confusion.
He wasn't the only one confused. Marcus hadn't meant to react so strongly. They had shared women before, and in much worse ways. Frequently. He had done things that would make almost anyone cringe. Centuries of unchecked power didn't exactly lend itself to proper behavior, but the thought of anyone even looking at Elena the wrong way set his teeth on edge.
With barely a thought, Marcus slipped into his companion's mind, smoothing over his fears. He couldn't actually alter his memory of the event, but he could lessen Jace's reaction.
Your captain is a cruel man, this is normal. You didn't mean to offend him. Your captain was right to punish you. There will be other women. You don't need this one.
Each thought was gently eased into the smaller man's mind, like soft breaths of air. Anything stronger might have caused Marcus to give himself away, but then again he was ancient enough to be good at this. Manipulating the minds of mortals was second nature, just as easy as the lies he told aloud.
He offered a hand, and Jace took it gratefully, relief plain on his face.
"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to offend you. I'll just go take a walk around the perimeter, cool off a moment." He backed out of the cabin on near silent feet, slipping away towards the tree line.
Marcus watched him go for a moment before finding some water to splash on his face. He considered going out into the barn again, whether to talk to the witch or bed her he wasn't entirely sure. She had looked at him with such hatred, and yet...
His hand found the ache again, just under his sternum. He could feel it tugging, as clearly as if he were a horse and she held his reins.
Well, that wouldn't do at all.
He dug a clean shirt out of his pack and put it on, buckling his sword and dagger into place. The sun had risen almost to the apex in the sky, drenching the valley in light. Just how long had he been in the barn, lost in her warmth? It was unusual for Marcus to be so careless, so unobservant. What was worse is that he couldn't wait to lose himself in her again. Preferably several times and in several positions.
The link between them pulled tight, too tight. Marcus grunted in pain and set off towards the barn at a run. When he pulled the door aside, the pit dropped out of his stomach.
Where is she where is she where is she.
There had been a horse in here earlier, and now there was not. And there was no sign of Elena, either.
***
The moment that his back had turned and the door had shut, Elena had moved quickly, only allowing herself a moment to let out an angry sigh. Her dun colored mare, a sweet thing she had acquired a few years ago, was small but fast. Forgoing a saddle, she had simply led her from the stall, keeping the barn in between them and her cottage. She was sorry there was no time to collect any of her things before leaving, but the forest could provide food, and she could steal what she needed to start a new life.
Even as the ache in her chest tightened, Elena breathed a sigh of relief when they were under the cover of trees. Begging the forest for aid, she pushed a some of her magic into her horse and swung up on to her broad back, ignoring the throbbing between her thighs.
The canopy stretched far above, shading the ground with cool twilight. It would be getting hot in her little valley, but the summer sun couldn't reach them here. Branches nudged out of her way, roots smoothing themselves agains the forest floor. Elena's horse picked her way through the dense forest with no trouble at all, ears pricked and eyes alert for danger.
She hoped to reach the little village that lay on the other side of the forest before nightfall, and they were making good time. As the afternoon stretched on and the forest thinned out, Elena found herself glancing over her shoulder more often. There was nothing in the trees, of that she was certain. No whispers from the birds above, either.
Then why could she feel two ice blue eyes boring into her shoulder blades?
Urging her horse faster, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. The ache in her chest hadn't gone away, either. She had been hoping that the more distance she put between herself and the male witch, the more bearable it would become, but it seemed the opposite was true. Each step made the feeling more pronounced, like she was tethered to him. Even as the thought hit, she rejected it. There was nothing tying her to him, nothing at all.
A final bend in the path revealed the village, a small collection of buildings clustered around a square, surrounded by prosperous farms. She came this way at least once a month to trade little vials of medicine and bundles of herbs for cloth and other things she couldn't make herself. The townspeople were more than happy to trade with her and then leave her alone. A solitary existence suited her just fine.
She tied her horse to a post outside of the only inn the town had, run by a gentle eyed man and his wife. Just last year, Elena had helped them deliver their third child and knew they wouldn't mind letting her tuck into a small room for the evening.
"Are you all right, dear?" The innkeeper's wife, Alice, asked. Elena had been looking over her shoulder, her honey colored eyes sweeping up and down the narrow streets. The feeling of being watched hadn't abated.
"Of course, yes. Alice, I hate to ask, but I'd like to spend the night. I wouldn't want to take one of your rooms, but if there's just a spot in the kitchen-"
"Nonsense," the woman cut in, waving her hands softly, "Of course you may have one of the rooms. Not many visitors, especially since those witch hunters have gone on their way."
"Witch hunters?" Elena could feel her throat closing with panic.
"Yes, and quite something they were, too. Their captain was a big man, huge really, and so handsome, too. They were here a night or two questioning folks about witches, who they suspected, offering the king's gold in return for a whisper. A few bullies mentioned your name, what with you living out all alone past the forest, but I set them right. Everyone knows you saved my life this past year, and it wasn't by magic." Alice nodded knowingly, and patted Elena's arm. "You just go on upstairs and pick a room, and I'll send little Eva up with something hot to eat."
Elena nodded gratefully, and went upstairs without a word. She meant to pick the first room available, since she hadn't slept since being woken from her bed the night before. At this point, a pile of blankets would do.
Was it really less than a day that she had felt safe, that she had been untouched and comfortable in her own bed? Climbing up the stairs felt like an endless chore. Her chest ached, her mind whirled, and she would give anything for a hot bath.
