Love's Curse Ch. 11

"No!" she screamed and frantically struggled, trying her best to scratch his face, hoping that he would let go of her long enough for escape.

Her scratching only enraged him, his hand raising back to strike her. But, instead of a blow, his face contorted in agony and he brought his arm round, his hand replaced now by a bloodied stump.

Behind them the distinct low menacing, unforgiving growl of Prince Aries was heard.

Lilandra stared at the bloody stump and a scream died in her throat. Her eyes were on the beast. She could hear the shouts of the man's friends as they came charging from their hiding places.

Syn and his men watched from the forest, not making any move to help the humans. Instead they watched the beast intently. Syn knew they would meet again and he wanted to learn his opponent's movements.

The lead Mercenary’s chest promptly exploded as a huge claw erupted through him, coating Lilandra in a flood of fluids.

The beast spun around and launched himself towards the next opponent, raking his talons down his face and chest, leaving huge gouges in their wake. His free hand shot out and grabbed his colleague, promptly tearing his throat out with his razor sharp fangs. The fourth mercenary was already leaping towards him with his sword raised when Aries set his eyes on him. Moving swiftly, he caught the man by the legs and with incredible strength, yanked his body back the way it had come and slammed him down onto the cobble with a bone-crushing crunch. Aries spun and swung the ma again like a rag doll, smashing him into the wall of the stone shack, then onto the ground once more. This process was repeated several times until the man's body was crumpling in places no human body should under any circumstances. By now the final mercenary had turned tail and was headed out across the fields into the mists. Aries moved in a blur, upon the man before he had a chance to look back. His scream pierced the night air as Aries thrust both of his claws inside the man's chest before lifting up into the night air. Once air borne, he hauled his arms outwards, the mercenary bursting open above Lilandra, his entrails showering down upon her and the surrounding courtyard.

Lilandra stood there shivering, her fear too great. She just knew he was going to kill her too. Entrails and body parts were all around and on her. She didn't even try to wipe any of it off. What was the point? He was going to rip her apart for running away.

The beast landed a few feet in front of Lilandra and roared at the top of his lungs, the air vibrating with the power of his rage. He stalked towards Lilandra, each thunderous step cracking the cobbles beneath him such was the force of his focus. As he neared, his monstrous member snaked out of his pants, writhing in the air, eager for its prey. However, he did not attack Lilandra, no, his target was instead another. Lilandra could only watch as he smashed down the door to the shack. Seconds later the wisewoman screamed as she was mounted and maimed by the prince. The last sounds of the night were her gurgling last breaths of death.

It was the sight of his member and hearing the wisewoman dying gurgles that finally broke her paralysis. With a moan of horror she turned and ran to the horse, haphazardly mounting it. She kneed the terrified horse and raced off down the road with Lilandra clinging to his back.

The Prince took to the air as he heard the horse galloping away, heading straight for Lilandra, his eyes a fiery red as he descended upon her, arms ready. As he swooped down from above, he grabbed her around the body and lifted her up onto her air, wheeling round and heading back towards the palace. His breath was hot on her neck and his fur deeply matted with the blood of those slain this night.

She didn't make a sound when he lifted her into the air. Instead she closed her eyes and prayed that her death would be swift. All the fight had gone out of her. She wanted it to be over.

A few minutes later they landed in his chambers and he released her from his arms while stalking around her. "I take you from your life of slavery and give you one of luxury. I feed you, clothe you, and give you a grand roof over your head. I have you checked on every day, given guided tours and even let you roam as you please around my mansion and this is how you repay me!" Aries was snarling now, his anger was rising again and he felt insulted by what she had attempted to do this night. He stepped close his fangs bare and stinking of death, "WELL?"

She stood there cowering. This was worse than dealing with her father. Her guilty conscience was yelling at her. Whatever words she would have said lodged in her throat as she began to sob. She was such a fool. A naive stupid fool.

His temper seemed to fade a moment and he sighed before turning away from her. "Although I do not blame you for wanting to leave. There have not been many who have been able to see past my appearance. After all, who could care for a beast like myself?"

She glanced at him then, tears still rolling down her cheek. The hurt in his voice hit her hard and she took a step toward him and froze. She wanted to comfort him but she didn't have the right. She had caused his pain.

As he walked over towards Lynn, he winced as his leg gave out from him a moment. A small river of blood was dripping off him. It was not a serious injury, although it would cause him some inconvenience for a few days.

Lilandra saw the gash. "You're hurt!" she cried and ran over to the water basin. She grabbed a towel, dipped it into the water and hurried over to the beast. She dropped to her knees and wrapped the towel around his leg.

He tried to play it off as nothing more than a scratch, more concerned for his friend. "It is nothing, I will recover fine. I cannot say the same for Lynn. I do not know when he will awaken, if he ever does that is."

"If he doesn't wake, what will you do with me?" she dropped her hands to her side, her head bowed as she awaited his decision.

"I will train you to take his place. However I strongly doubt he will pass on. He will however require some extra assistance till he fully recovers."

"Yes, sir." She paused. "The wisewoman said that if I gave you the powder you would only sleep and then awaken hours later. It wasn't supposed to harm either of you."

"She also promised you a better life did she not?" He winced as he moved once more, lifting Lynn in his claws and gently placing him upon the bed. "There is a cot set up in the corner that Lynn would use when I was ill in my youth. You may use it until he awakens."

She stood. "Yes. She told me she could get me some place far away that even you could not find. I was afraid of you and," she gulped, "the mating you would make me have. I thought only of escape."

"Well now you know better don't you? The medical supplies are in the closet beside the bed, I am going to bathe and get rid of this blood before the stench is permanent. Do NOT try to run again. I don't want to have to kill more kidnappers." With that said, he moved out of the door and headed down the hallway, limping with each step.

She didn't even ask him if she could get cleaned up. She looked at her bloodied clothes and hair that was matted with the pieces of flesh from her would-be-kidnappers. She rummaged in the medicine cabinet and took out some items. She examined him carefully but he was not injured. When he didn't awaken immediately, she dozed off. An hour went by and she was startled awake by a groan.

"Lynn?" she asked as she rubbed at her eyes and waited for him to fully wake.

His head lulled to the side and his eyes fluttered open a fraction. His vision swam before him, the room spinning like a gyroscope. Another groan came from his lips as his drug fogged mind tried to form the words his heart yearned to say, "Aries.... must help him..."

Aries? Who was Aries? She gently pushed Lynn back down. "No, you mustn't get up. The drug is passing through your system. You must give it time."

"The master...Prince Aries...the woman she...drugged him. I have to...make sure he’s fine." His vision was somewhat improving; he could just make out the outline of the person in front of him.

Prince? Yeah right. There was no prince around here, unless Lynn meant the man who had taken her virginity. She stared at him in shock. She had made love to a Prince? A blush stole across her face as she dabbed a cloth on Lynn's forehead.

His eyes slid closed again, the drug mercifully dragging him back into unconsciousness once more, "Please...find him."

"I will Lynn." She made the promise but she wasn't sure how she'd go about it.