Chapter 1
Crepuscular rays of golden afternoon sun merrily flitted down through the vibrant verdure which danced upon the tangled branches above. Oaken boughs and mighty maples creaked in the mountainside winds as though softly murmuring every secret of the forest unto one another. Meanwhile, the ponderosas silently pondered and the hemlocks hung lowly to shade the purple wood aster blooms below. Songbirds serenely sang and squirrels happily chittered. The woodland scenery was glorious and everything around me teemed with peace and merriment...
“Son of a cuntsucker!” I hissed in vexation as I stubbed my toe on a particularly rough rock for the third time that day.
The stone loosened from its place in the ground and began rolling down the trail, clanking on the other rocks in its descent. I huffed in frustration while glancing up ahead. There was no sign of the group who I’d come along with during this nature retreat. The only hint of their existence being the mangled footprints left in the mud. And it was unlikely that anyone had even noticed that I’d begun lagging so far behind.
I hadn’t really spoken to or befriended anyone during my past few days here at this nature retreat in the Green Mountains. Not because I was unfriendly or antisocial, I just genuinely didn’t have anything interesting to talk about. Signing up for this had been a last-minute desperate attempt to salvage what I could of my mental health. For the past three years, I’d spent most days locked away in a cubical cell, mindlessly working at my desk from sun up to sun down like a prisoner. It was a bleak and miserable existence that constantly left me wondering what the point in all of this was.
My soul yearned for adventure and freedom. To see what lay beyond the grey walls of my cubical. To find romance and excitement. To get swooped away by a handsome stranger and carried off into the sunset for a wild and passionate night filled with every thrilling sex position imaginable... I grimaced while swatting a pesky mosquito from my arm.
Yep, nothing more thrilling than this...
I rolled my chestnut brown eyes while sucking in a deep breath of the humid stew-like air. The fragrant resiny scents of evergreens mingled with the earthy smells of damp soil and decaying leaves. It was funny in a cruel sort of way, that here I was finally getting the chance to make a few friends and reconnect with nature, yet I felt as pathetic and isolated as ever.
“Fucking hell.” I grumbled while tripping over yet another stupid rock. My hiking boots sank into a damp winding scar left behind by rainwater runoff, sinking further into the steep gravelly trail as I took a few more steps.
Perhaps I should stop to rest for a moment?
The wind danced through my dark wavy hair while I regained my balance and began glancing around, searching for some sort of small boulder to sit on. Not immediately finding a suitable spot, I moseyed a little further up the trail, keeping my eyes peeled for a good place to rest.
Eventually, the sound of a trickling stream graced my ears. It couldn’t have been more than ten yards away from the trail, so I decided to be a bit daring and stepped into the woods in search of it. Twigs and crispy dead leaves crunched beneath my boots, while I moved several low-hanging beech branches out of my path. Sure enough, the stream soon came into sight. I surmised that it would have been visible from the trail if it had been winter time.
The sunlight sparkled beautifully upon the water’s trickling surface. A small waterfall cascaded over a few moss-adorned stones, with an old mushroom-covered fallen log acting as a bridge stretching above it. But what really caught my attention was what looked like a parterre of thick cushiony moss stretching between the two twisted trunks of olden maple trees. White shelf mushrooms adorned their bases, with purple wood aster blooms merrily swaying in the breeze all around them. What was particularly amusing was that there was also a lopsided ring of red toadstools encircling the moss between the two trees. Each toadstool was adorned with tiny white speckles and they stood in a peculiar way that made them appear as if they were frozen in a joyously bouncy dance.
How odd? I thought the amanita mushrooms that grew on the east coast were orange?... I lightheartedly mused to myself, thinking that they must indeed be magic mushrooms.
A few friendly butterflies flittered by while I approached the cozy-looking area. My dainty hand reached out, then I gently pushed on the downy moss, finding that it did seem quite comfortable. A smile graced my lips as I got down and crawled within the circle of crimson-capped mushrooms, moving to lay on my back with my arms folded behind my head. The sun whimsically shone down through the canopy of maple leaves overhead, with a few fluffy white clouds dreamily drifting by. It was the most peace I had felt in years. I only planned to rest for a few minutes, and I wasn’t in any danger of getting lost since the trail was so close, so I allowed my eyes to close and my mind to wander.
And soon enough, the sweet song of the birds and the trickling of the stream lulled me into the silent embrace of slumber, betwixt the twisted trees...
With a deep inhale and a smile on my face, my eyes drowsily fluttered back open and were greeted by a dark sea full of brightly twinkling stars up above. The full moon softy glowed with an oddly ethereal lazuline light and seemed to almost sparkle with magic... Wait a minute?... I abruptly widened my eyes in horrified realization... Holy shit! I must have fallen asleep while lounging in the damn woods! I swiftly sat up, terrified of finding my way back to the retreat center while all alone in the dark. There could have been bears or coyotes lurking around, and neither were something I would ever want to encounter in such a situation.
As I began anxiously looking around, confusion started to stir within my spirit. The wood asters which grow around the trunks of the trees were softly glowing with a pale purple hue, accompanied by some sort of luminescent white bell flowers that I could have sworn were not there before... Since when could flowers glow like that?... Am I dreaming?
That’s when I realized that the white shelf mushrooms were bathed in a mystical glow as well. I then glanced over to the stream, finding all sorts of glowing insects zipping and swirling over the water’s glimmering surface, coming in a range of all sorts of colors like glittering enchantments. Lucent lotus flowers resting upon lilypads adorned at the water’s edge, and I could not recall if they had been there before. The air smelt sweeter and everything in nature, from the hum of insect wings to the chirping of tree frogs sounded magically musical. Tendrils of ivy crept up the surrounding trunks in woven spirals, some draping like leafy curtains from woody lianas twisting from tree to tree. And about those trees, they seemed to creak and moan unto one another as if they were actually alive, the wind moving their branches in the most peculiar of ways.
...But wait, there’s no wind?
I went to scoot my butt from the bed of moss, accidentally squishing one of the horribly decayed toadstools with my boot. I did a double take, finding that all of the red-capped mushrooms had somehow rotted into sodden piles of brown slimy sludge within what could have only been several hours at the most. It didn’t make any sense at all.
Being careful not to touch the decaying mushrooms, I stood up and began warily walking in the direction of the trail. Two massive luminescent luna moths twirled around one another as they suddenly fluttered in front of me, with jade-green sparkles gently floating out behind them like a comet’s tail against the midnight blue. I softly yelped and jumped in startlement at the spellbinding sight of them, wondering what the actual fuck was going on here. Everything seemed so strangely different, making me fairly certain that this was all just a dream. Although, when I brought my hand to my forearm to pinch myself, I clearly felt the sting.
I remembered having to push branches out of my way to reach the stream, yet nothing obstructed my path on the way back. My boots silently stepped upon the lush grass as I moved to where the path should have been. Only, there was nothing but more elden trees and glowing mushrooms and flowers. I anxiously looked back and forth, swiveling my head to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. I then noticed that the ground was grassy where it had once been blanketed by years of thickly strewn leaves. Instead of a steep incline, it was mostly flat and looked like an ethereal summertime glade.
...Okay, I have to be dreaming.
“Hello?” I meekly called out, unsure of what else to do. This was all just so weird and confusing. “Wake up! Just fucking wake up already!” I began lightly smacking myself on the face like a madwoman when no one responded... Maybe I should go splash some water on my face at the stream?... Before I could start walking back, the rustling of leaves unexpectedly stole my attention. I slowly lowered my hand, warily gazing in the direction of the unsettling sound. “Hello?”
“Hey! Yves, come check this out!” An old creaky-sounding voice suddenly called out from the dreadful darkness. A few of the draping ivy vines parted, revealing something so unfathomably bizarre that my entire being was instantly paralyzed with shock.
“What the actual fuck!?” I blurted out like a complete dunce.
There was a literal fucking tree-person staring right at me. Their body was trunk-like, with skin made of rough bark and a long branch-like nose poking out from their strange face. Their bright green eyes glowed like fireflies, flickering between dim and bright as they curiously studied me. Branches and twigs twisted up from their woody head like hair, covered in oak leaves and vines. More leaves covered certain parts of its body like clothing, with a tangle of twisted roots making up its legs. I could not believe what I was seeing.
“What is it now, Sylvie?” Another more annoyed-sounding voice came from deeper within the darkness.
“I’m not quite sure, but you’re gonna wanna see it!” It sinisterly grinned, showing off an unsettling mouth full of sharp saw-like wooden teeth.
...Oh shit.
Another tree person stepped into sight. This one looked very similar to the other, only rather than oak, it seemed to be made of yew. “Holy shoots! What is that thing?” It exclaimed in shock upon seeing me. Its eyes were several shades darker than its companion, glowing like the deepest of emeralds.
“I don’t know, I’m a bit stumped, to be honest. But it’s got no wings so it can’t be a faerie, and it’s not ugly enough to be a troll... It looks tasty though.” The oaken one said while curling a twiggy finger toward me. “Come here, pretty. Don’t be frightened, my bark is worse than my bite.”
I took a nervous step back, fearing that I had gone completely fucking mad. “Wh-What are you!? Where am I!?” My voice came out panicked and desperate.
They both exchanged malevolent woody grins, then began slowly moving toward me. “Ah, so our pretty little guest is lost, is she?” The oaken one shrilly cackled. “Here, take my branch, dear. We’ll take care of you.” It held its thin branch-like hand out toward me with an evil glint in its eye.
“No, I don’t think I will.” I frantically glanced around, then tried to desperately dash to my right like a skittish little rabbit. The oak hissed and swiftly lunged at me, nearly catching me within its twiggy clutches.
“Come on, Sylvie, catch her before she leaves! I’m rooting for you!” The other one hollered as I quickly swiveled out of the way.
My feet fumbled when leafy vines suddenly whipped out from the creature, ensnaring me in a tight binding grasp. They swiftly slithered multiple times around my upper body and legs, causing me to flop over and painfully land on my side with a hard thud. “No! No! Let me go! Please, let me go!” I furiously struggled to break free. Pure horror etched its way across my features while I stared up at the creature in utter panic. I was suddenly certain that somehow this wasn’t a dream.
“Aw, there we are. Not so quick now, are you dearie?” Its wicked tree face leered down my helpless frame with the peaceful mantle of the moon and stars glimmering behind it.
“What should we do with her now?” The other one asked while shuffling over, the yew needles on its head rustling as it did so. “Cook her in the stew pot?”
“Hmm...” The one above me hummed in thought. “Yes, yes, cook her in the stew pot we shall! But first, why don’t we have a little bit of fun and pollinate her!” It excitedly exclaimed while pointing up then malevolently cackled.
Pollinate!?... Oh, fuck no!
I wasn’t exactly sure what they meant by that, but I had a solid suspicion that I was about to be sexually assaulted by tree-people and then cooked into a stew like a damn potato. I coughed and desperately squirmed against my restraints as it leaned down and began shaking its head, causing a cloud of sparkling pale-green dust to swarm around me.
“Stop it! Get away from me, you disgusting tree thing!”
*Thwoosh*
Something blazingly bright whizzed by right above my head, then the oaken tree-person suddenly gasped and screeched, clutching at their throat with a woody hand. My eyes widened in stupefaction when I realized that they had been shot with what appeared to be an enchanted arrow. Sparkly amber swirls swiftly crawled up their face, making them writhe in agony as if they were on fire. Then another arrow was shot, piercing the other tree person in the chest. I watched in fright as they continued to scream and suffer, falling to the ground as their wooden flesh was rapidly charred to a blackened crisp.
What the!?
The boisterous buzz of wings vibrated in my ears, then a strikingly handsome man suddenly leapt over a thick mossy bough and out of the darkness, moving through the forest with impressive grace and agility. He flipped over one of the flaming tree-people and pulled his bow taut, aiming dead-smack between my eyes.
I frightfully stared back up at him like a helpless baby deer, unsure if I should be totally traumatized by what had just happened and unable to believe what I was seeing. The golden eyes that stared back down at me glowed as though there was living molten magic sparkling within their irises. They were framed with thick black smudging that bled out into swirled filaments at the far corners of his temples. His golden-blonde hair was styled half-up with intricate braids woven throughout it, tumbling to just above his shoulders in silken waves, dissimilar to the dark color of his furrowed brows. He wore no shirt, but had black fingerless gloves wrapped around his lower arms and tight black pants tucked into his calf-high boots. Dark yet delicate black swirls covered his shoulders like tattoos and crept down to his toned chest.
Holy shit is he handsome!
My eyes darted all over his strange golden-lit features, suddenly noticing his pointed ears, black fingernails... And also, the large wispy dragonfly wings twitching on his back. They were glossy and gossamer with a vibrant yet subtle blue iridescence flashing in the moonglow. Each wing slightly curled at the pointed tip and was framed in bold black which swirled out to create delicate designs, making them look extra ethereal.
...And he has wings and pointed ears?
“What are you?” His deep voice curtly demanded, making me jump in startlement. I stared up at his lush, full lips, noticing the sharp curves of twin fangs hidden behind them.
“I-I.” I awkwardly cleared my throat, seeming to have forgotten how to form a proper sentence. “I’m a human, obviously.” My gaze raked up and down his huge muscular form, noticing the tightly coiled muscles of his abdomen. “And what are you?”
“I am a faerie... obviously.” He taunted while tightening his bow, causing it to eerily creak in warning.
The deadly tip of his ensorcelled arrow ominously loomed above my face, and I quickly figured that I shouldn’t be snarky with this guy... at all. “Oh, oh, I didn’t know.” I tried to subtly wiggle back a bit so that the arrow wasn’t aimed directly between my eyes. He followed my movements, keeping it in its fatal position. “I thought faeries were supposed to be mythological?”
I can’t believe this is actually happening.
A charming smile curled upon the corner of his lips. “I could say the same about humans.”
“I suppose that’s fair.” I warily eyed the arrow as I spoke, trying to choose my next words wisely. “Look, um, I have no idea where I am or how I got here. And if it’s not too much trouble, do you think that you could maybe help me get these vines off so I can try to figure out how to get back home?”
The gilded pools of his eyes swept over my incapacitated state, then to my great relief, he lowered his bow. “I could.” He put the bow and arrow on his back in between his wings. His powerful thighs spread as he crouched down, with the bulge of his manhood accentuated by the glow of the burning remains of the trees. “But I must warn you, faeries always require something in return for their services. Are you willing to give me something that I desire in exchange for your freedom?”
A frown flickered across my face. I didn’t really have anything of value with me, only a tacky opalite ring I’d gotten from the flea market. “I can give you my ring?” I awkwardly shifted to try to show him the ring on my middle finger. The light blue pearlescent stone gleamed in the enchanted glow. “It’s all I have.”
He leaned over me and gently grabbed my hand, observing the piece of cheap jewelry. Warmth flooded my palm at his touch, making me strangely yearnful to feel more of his skin against mine. I sucked a breath through my nose, smelling something fruity like an orange, yet also strangely musty and masculine. “I have no interest in this.” His deep voice suddenly speared through my chest like a knife stabbing at my heart.
...He doesn’t want the ring? So what am I going to do now?
Was he going to leave me out here to die all tied up then? Or would he just end me himself with his arrows? Tears threatened to sting my eyes as the weight of my grim situation began to truly sink in.
“However...” My shiny eyes flew up to him as he continued to speak. “I am not convinced that this is truly all you have to offer me.” A look of mischievous lust danced across his face as he smirked down at me. He reached to his side and pulled out an ornate silver dagger from his belt. It was adorned with swirling vines and bejeweled Celtic-looking designs. The sharp blade gleamed in the golden glow as he slowly and lightly dragged it down my body. “I will cut you free and take care of you while you are in this world, but only if you let me have you.” He suggestively tapped the weapon over the apex of my thighs.
Wait... Is he seriously asking me to whore myself out in exchange for his help?
I glanced up and down his dangerously alluring body, and it’d be a lie to say that I wasn’t interested in such an offer. “You’ll help me find my way back if I agree to sleep with you?”
A coy yet cunning smile stretched across his lips. He didn’t answer my question, but rather, leaned in a bit closer to my face. “We’ll need to seal the deal with a kiss. But I must warn you, in doing so you will be forever bound to this agreement by magical means...” His hand seductively trailed up my outer thigh and rested on my hip. “Be mine, and I shall set you free from the vines and take care of you while you’re in this world. Do you agree?” My words seemed to have gotten stuck in my throat. I gaped up at him for a moment, unable to comprehend that this literal faerie man was actually being serious. A look of annoyance flashed across his face when I didn’t reply quickly enough. “Or I could leave you here tied up as you are, left to the mercy of more promiscuous dryads.”
“No, no! I agree! I need your help!” My words rushed from my lips, fearing being left out here to be raped by more tree creatures and die.
The beaming smile that lit up his face emulated the light of the stars. “Wonderful. We have a deal then.”
With that, his soft full lips pressed against mine in a desirous kiss. My eyes shot wide open from the abruptness of it, then closed as I relaxed into his affectionate touch. He smiled against my lips while threading his fingers through my dark hair, pulling my head back in a silent demand for deeper access. I yielded to his command and parted my lips, letting his tongue invasively dip into my mouth to dance with my own. Little flecks of glowy faerie dust gently fell from his wings as they rapidly vibrated with excitement. Heat furiously fluttered through my body and violently swirled between my legs.
His free hand gently caressed up my inner thigh around the vines, leaving an oddly tingling trail in its wake. Then he swiftly grabbed between my legs and squeezed hard, causing me to gasp out of the kiss. “Are you really so eager for me?” He raised a brow in amusement with a cocky smirk. And that’s when I realized just how insanely wet I’d become during the kiss. Like, I was wet-wet. Ready to furiously rip my clothes off and straddle him right then and there wet. Arousal dripped from my torturously swollen lower lips, soaking my panties and all the way through the thin material of my black knee-length leggings. My cheeks flushed with both desire and embarrassment.
Oh my god! How has he gotten me this hot and bothered so quickly!?
“I-I, guess...”
“Shh...” He gently shushed me. “Don’t worry, I’ll cut you free and take you back to my home where I’m going to penetrate you so deeply, I’ll have touched your very soul by the end of this night.” He huskily purred while sensually grazing his nose up the column of my neck.
“What!?” I breathily gasped at his lewd confession as he began busily cutting away the vines.
My limbs were granted more and more mobility as each one was sliced off until I was fully freed. He swiftly stood back up, then extended a large hand for me to take. I trembled while placing my hand in his, allowing him to help me up. “I don’t believe you’ve told me your name yet?” I mentioned while regaining my balance.
“Rue.” He replied with a charming smile. “And you are?”
“Emily.” I smiled back. My nose was level with the center of his broad chest, making me have to crane my head back to look at his face. “Funny, I thought faeries were supposed to be tiny.” I mentioned with a soft giggle.
“And I thought humans were supposed to be big and ugly.” He laughed while swooping me off my feet to hold me bridal style.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely entranced by the gilded depths of his eyes. I knew that I should have been more freaked out by all of this, but I felt strangely calm and safe with him. “Where are we, anyway?”
“This is the Everaether.” His wings began to rapidly flap, a gentle hum thrumming from them as we started to lift off the ground.
“Holy fucking shit!” I tightened my hold on him while frightfully peering down at the shrinking ground. “We’re actually flying!”
He grinned in amusement, enjoying my reaction as he carried me through the enchanted forest. I couldn’t believe it. This was actually it! The moment that I was quite literally swooped away by a handsome stranger and carried off for a wild and passionate night filled with every thrilling sex position imaginable! I laughed while the wind danced through my hair, taking in all the magical sights the otherworldly forest had to offer.
We passed over a large fairyland pond. The silvery moonbeams whimsically sparkled over the calm water, and the banks were lined with softly glowing water lilies, swaying cattails, and old weeping willows. A bunch of casually croaking frogs had set up candlelit tables on the lilypads as if they were eating at a fancy restaurant. They even had a mini orchestral band and everything! I watched in awe as a well-dressed waiter frog lifted the silver top of a dish, allowing a little fly to flutter out. The frog dining at the table swiftly lashed out its long pink tongue, catching the poor thing and pulling it into its mouth with a crunch. I grimaced while the fly’s translucent wing lifelessly hang out of its mouth.
“This is incredible!” I smiled with eyes full of wonder while meeting Rue’s smoldering gaze.
His soft golden hair gently swayed in the wind as he leaned in and gave me a tender kiss. “I’m glad you like it.”
We eventually found our way deeper into the forest, coming upon what appeared to be a magical woodland home carved out of the trunk of a massive oak tree. A few round stones created a path leading up to the rounded wooden door, with a bell flower-capped light illuminating the front steps. Vines twisted around the trunks of the surrounding trees, with purple luminescent clementine flowers setting the grassy yard aglow. Ghastly henbane blooms, the unfurling pinwheels of pale datura blossoms, and the quivering purple bells of deadly nightshade all adorned the yard like a beautiful medley of poisonous petals.
We gently landed on the front steps, with crickets happily chirping within the grassy toadstool-adorned lawn. The full moon gleamed through the wavering branches above, while he gently placed me onto my feet. My hands sensually trailed down his bare torso as I slipped down, our eyes meeting with ravenous desire. He roughly grabbed my waist and pulled me against his front, lustfully gyrating hips so I could feel just how badly he wanted me in return.
The door creaked as he pushed it open, leading to a rather charming fairytale kitchen area. There were dried herbs hanging on the walls and in jars, a hanging light fixture made from what looked like a large glowing lily blossom, twisted sticks woven together to make up the table and chairs, and lots and lots of plants and crystals.
“Loveblossom, I’m home.” Rue joyfully announced while we traversed the threshold. Then he quickly shut the door, trapping me inside.
Loveblossom?...Um? What!?
“There you are! It’s about-” A beautiful faerie woman swiftly emerged from a rounded archway made of thick twisted sticks. Then she froze while her amethyst eyes locked on mine, and she tilted her head in confusion with a slight frown. “Rue, who is this?”
I felt like a deer caught in the headlights as I took in her slender yet curvaceous frame. Midnight-kissed waves tumbled freely down her back, matching the skimpy little black tinkerbell-style dress she was wearing. Dark purple nails tipped her dainty fingers and toes, with swirly black and purple butterfly wings folded behind her. My eyes trailed along her slender pale neck and down to the soft rise and fall of her ample breasts, making my soaking wet pussy come alive with a throbbing heartbeat of its own. The length of her dress left her smooth lissome legs on full display for my viewing, meeting at the sensual curve of her rounded hips. I had never really considered pursuing other women before, but holy shit was my body singing a salacious song of need for hers.
What is happening to me?
“This is Emily, a human that’s stumbled into our world.” Rue devilishly smirked down at me while placing his hands on my shoulders. “And she’s agreed to be mine in exchange for saving her from some pesky dryads and taking care of her while she’s here. I figured she’d make a good plaything for us.” He then happily gestured to the other woman. “Emily, I’d like you to meet my wife, Belladonna, or Bella for short.” He mused. “I’m sure you two are going to become very well acquainted with one another.”
Um... His wife?
I slowly drifted my gaze back over to Bella, who was now hungrily staring at me with heavily-lidded seductress eyes. Her hardened nipples were peeking through the thin material of her dress and a lustful smile was gradually twisting up on her plump red lips...
