Marriage of the Fae Ch. 01

That sounds like a bad idea. Rhys seems to agree, based on the way he glares.

Siobhan narrows her eyes at the prince. "That sounds wise...I will wait outside the door, Aodh, to be sure of each's safety." She smiles at me, and I can't bring myself to smile back. "Rhys, you know what will happen if you attempt to harm her in any way. The Elixir's bond will not take kindly to any offense against a mate."

"A mate? She is—" Siobhan cuts him off by turning her back to him and stalking out of the room. A moment later, Aodh and the blonde man leave as well, the blonde placing a comforting hand on Rhys' shoulder before departing. I wish someone would do that for me. I wish this dream would end. I wish they wouldn't leave me in this room with this man who seems to have hated me since he laid eyes on me.

Rhys turns back to me and I'm again met with those angry violet eyes. He steps toward the bed, the movement toward me accentuating his impressive height. A hint of translucent silver glints over his shoulder as he moves—wings?

He leans over the bed, too close for comfort. "Human," he begins.

Fuck it, this is a dream anyway. "Rhys," I snap back. I can't imagine he'll like hearing his name from me.

As if to confirm my suspicions, his eyes glow angrily, darkening to indigo lined with bronze. "You don't get to use my name, little human."

I shrink back for barely a moment, but drop my gaze to just below his cheekbones. "I'm sorry for whatever happened. It was out of my control; I didn't mean to come here." Is this what this bastard wants to hear? "Trust me...I don't like this situation any more than you do. Do you think we could come to an agreement? If I have to stay here, I will, but I can stay out of your way. You can have your life with Siobhan..."

He leans closer to me, grabbing my chin between his fingers and yanking my face up. I'm forced to look into his eyes, so I make my glare as brave as I can. "Are you hard of hearing, human? Did you not understand what the priest told us? We are bonded. I cannot have a life with Siobhan; I cannot have a life with any other woman, nor you with any other man. We cannot leave each other, physically nor spiritually. That is the way of the Elixir." He pauses, swallowing hard. "And you would do well to address the princess by her title, not by her name."

This is the most he's spoken to me at once since I arrived. I wish he hadn't said a word. "I want to go home," I say.

"You can't." Rhys' thumb digs into my chin before he lets go of my face. I pull away with a grimace. "There must be some way—"

Rhys' large hand comes down on the bedspread by my leg. "There is no way, stupid girl. Your limited human science and logic will not allow you to understand, but for the love of the gods, believe me—we are mated for life. I cannot change it, nor can you, so stop speaking if that is all you will speak of!" His voice rises as he speaks until it is again nearly a shout. I inhale slowly. "I'm sorry. I understand."

Rhys sighs and sits down on the bed beside me. He turns to look at me again, as if he is appraising my face. "For a human, you are not unattractive," he mutters.

I'm rubbed the wrong way by this, of all things. "You could try to at least be polite, if we're going to be forced to spend our lives together." Rhys lets out a bark of laughter. "And like an angry kitten, little human." He shakes his head. "Trust me, I am being as polite to you as custom demands." I frown, while he keeps his eyes on my face. "Human-Fae children are not unheard of..." he murmurs.

I nearly jump out of the bed. "Children?!"

Rhys moves closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "What did you think I meant by 'mated,' little human?" My eyes widen. His proximity to me is intimidating enough, given his size, but his words...

"No. No, you're joking. You don't even like me. You didn't want this, and neither did I."

"Siobhan and I did not wish to marry each other either, and yet we had the grace to do what was right and obey the Elixir. You and I must do the same. The fact that you're a fragile human simply means it will be more difficult for you to resist. We are mated, and as such it is convention that I eventually take what is mine."

My head is spinning, I can barely see. Wake up. Wake up, Noelle. God damn it. I scramble out of the bed and nearly land on my ass on the stone floor. It takes just a moment to register that I'm wearing only a thin white shirt that reaches just above my knees, and no shoes. I don't care, I need out. Rhys simply watches as I stumble to the door and yank it open, it's heavy, and the handle is nearly level with my shoulder. Everything here is too big. The door swings wide and I'm leaving the room, not looking where I'm going, one step, two, and I'm suddenly in someone's arms.

I look up at the concerned, gorgeous face of Siobhan. She's a good head taller than me, and fully dressed, making me feel even more of a child in the presence of these beautiful creatures. Siobhan's gaze rises and I turn my head to see Rhys standing in the doorway. Siobhan narrows her eyes. "Did you frighten her, Rhys?" Her voice is scolding.

"I simply told her the truth, Siobhan. It is out of my control if her human psyche is fragile."

The woman's arms tighten around me. "Perhaps it was the abrasive way in which the truth was told, my friend."

"Was I to give it to her kindly? I'm sure she would have run away crying anyway."

I grimace. "I'm not crying." My voice sounds petulant. Siobhan sighs. "Your hate is poorly veiled, Rhys," she quips. He chuckles, like he's having a good time bantering with a friend. I can feel the woman stiffen. "What is it, Siobhan? What are you going to do, marry her instead to spare her feelings? Spend your life patting her head? Don't act like you're the one trapped here. I did not want to marry, but at least I would have had a wife, instead of being given a fragile little fuck pet."

I'm about to react when Siobhan shoves me behind her. There's a metallic sound and I look around her body to see she's drawn a blade. "I do not feel for you, Rhys, not after this. In fact, I do find myself wishing there is something I could do for your bride," she hisses. "As it stands now, you lost my sympathy at that display of your capability of such vitriol."

Rhys' eyes narrow. "Then I suppose we are at an understanding." He reaches around her to grab my arm. "As you said, there is nothing you can do." My own shriek surprises me as he yanks me to him and I find myself pulled back against his chest. I squirm valiantly while he addresses Siobhan one last time. "Leave us now," is all he says. She has no choice but to comply.

**************

Rhys

I had been fully prepared to obey the bond of the Elixir, to marry Siobhan and begin a life together. That I would have tolerated, perhaps even become happy in time.

I was not prepared to wake up bonded to a whiny, stubborn, erratic human.

Simply in the hour I've known her she's raised her voice at me, called me by my given name only out of spite, tried to run away from a situation that is obviously not one from which to run. Where had she even thought to go? There is no place for her here. No place except with me, now.

If I am to be bonded to a human, it will be a bond on my terms. Siobhan and I would have been equals in our mating, in our bond. With a human, though, this is impossible. For how can I be equals with any creature known to be as flighty, as simpleminded, as fragile as a human? A creature who cannot even comprehend the depths of the Elixiran bond, a creature who nearly sobbed at the mere mention of mating.

A creature who now is twisting defiantly in my arms, as my would-be wife turns to leave. Siobhan's brilliant hair floats behind her, bobbing with every step. She casts a single sympathetic glance back at the little human pulling fruitlessly at my grasp. Her nails digging into my flesh like tiny claws, leaving nothing where a Fae's touch may have left shallow marks.

Weak.

The thought of her feebleness annoys me, but on a separate, darker level...fascinates me to no end. I am exerting not a minutia of my strength, and the little one is subdued. But still she fights.

Stupid. Simpleminded, yet persistent to a fault. This is what I know already of humans, and the one in my arms only confirms what I've known. That persistence though—is there a sort of strength in it? She will not stop her struggling, as vain as it has proven to be. Perhaps in time she could make some sort of progress...but she would wear herself out before that ever occurred. The thought of her collapsing in my arms...intrigues me. The way one may be intrigued watching a moth slowly wear itself down batting at a flame. Or something more?

Noelle.

I will not allow myself to be preoccupied by this.

With barely a twitch of my hands I turn her once again to face me, and am met with her glare, that frail display of anger. Narrowed, deep brown eyes stay focused on mine; I can feel her trembling. I can feel the thread of the unwelcome bond thrumming between us, stringing us to each other.

"Let go of me." She twists again, her voice low, as if she's attempting to be intimidating. I suppress a laugh. Intimidating; she is easily half my size. I shake my head slowly. "No," I say.

She yanks her arms; I hold firm while barely making an effort. "Siobhan said you couldn't hurt me."

"I assure you, little one, I will not be hurting you." Not in the least; that would not benefit either of us.

Her cocoa eyes flash; perhaps at the epithet. "Let go of me!" She lashes out, not unexpectedly, her teeth sinking into my arm. I feel nothing more than a pinch before I pull her away. Stupid girl. She's already whimpering; I suppose she wouldn't have known that trying to bite me would be more of a strain on her teeth than my skin. "Don't hurt yourself," I say. She lets out a frustrated snarl. Fascinating. Am I demented for being unable to hold back an amused smile as I pull her back into the bedroom?

**************

Noelle

I was never interested much in fantasy stories as a kid. I had them, yes, and read them enough to remember the details, to remember that this is not how fairies were portrayed...but beyond that? Not really. Maybe that's why I became a programmer, instead of, I don't know, an author or an artist. Most of my make-believe as a little girl involved building with blocks and interacting with things I could truly believe in.

So what a funny time in my life to suddenly begin having detailed dreams about angry fantasy creatures.

Something deep in my brain is starting to insist, quietly, that this might not be a dream. That I really did veer off course on my bike at just the right place and somehow got knocked back upright in the goddamn wrong dimension. If it is a dream, though...it's starting to turn into more of a nightmare. Rhys' words are running through my head like some fucked up ticker tape, and I wish it was only in my head. But no, here he is, pulling me back into that white room, with a sick little smile on his handsome face. That smile is for me, for my yelp after my teeth connected with his flesh and felt like they were about to shatter, for my helpless shivering as he held me back through my struggles. He didn't want me, but he's found a way to enjoy this.

I don't think I'll be able to do the same.

Rhys is pulling me to the bed, sitting down, dragging me with him. I land on his lap with a grunt, still trying to twist away. He seems to be barely making an effort to hold me in place. "Calm down, little human. This is happening, and you needn't get yourself hurt," he murmurs.

"Stop calling me that!"

He shakes his head as if dealing with a mere annoyance. Bastard! "I think the sooner we establish a dynamic, the better," Rhys drawls. I'm pulled tighter to him and I shriek in protest. "You seem to think that this is still somehow up for debate. You need to understand, that is not how the Elixir works."

"I don't care, stay away from me!" I arch back in his arms, trying to catch him off guard.

"Noelle." I am caught off guard instead by his use of my name. "Calm down, little one. Let me demonstrate something that may help you understand." I shake my head. "I don't want you to demonstrate anything!"

He sighs. "I'm not even going to touch you. Just hold still for a moment. I need you to be aware of something." I stiffen and go still. I'll let my curiosity get the better of me just for a minute.

And in that minute, I'm aware of exactly what he wants me to feel. Something is tugging, very gently, very consistently, just below my sternum. Drawing in a constant, tiny pull away from my body, but not fading once it's beyond my person. On the other end of that something is a tiny pull in the opposite direction, in my direction, and it's coming directly from Rhys. As if we're connected by a thread, drawing us toward each other with an infinitesimal force. I frown. "What is that? What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything. This is what I wanted you to understand. This is the doing of the Elixir." Rhys pulls me closer, and I feel the force lighten ever so slightly, as if it's being relieved by our growing proximity. My eyes are widening almost painfully. "When two are bonded," Rhys continues, "this is the force that they feel. Do you feel it right here?" Long fingers press at the spot below the point of my sternum, the top of my belly. I jolt, feeling my entire body heat up. "Yes. You don't need to be demonstrative about it."

"I think it's best to be as explicit as possible in explaining this to you, little human," Rhys murmurs. His lowering voice sends a chill down the line of my stomach. "The further apart we are, the greater the pull. The closer, the more relief we will feel. I'm sure you can deduce what this incentivizes, or do you need me to explain?"

He doesn't need to explain. Please, please don't explain. I swallow, then give my last-ditch effort. "Just because there's an incentive does not mean you can do what you want without my consent."

"That is exactly what it means, silly girl. If I am to be permitted to be intimate with one woman and one woman only for the rest of my existence, then I will use what is given to me. Your defiance shows me only that we should begin sooner rather than later." He smirks. "It's not as if you won't find pleasure in it as well, little human."

I can't escape him this time; his effortless grasp on me is too tight. All I can do is shudder at his words, my body shaking violently. Any bravado I was maintaining before is long gone. "I won't," I choke.

"With the way of the bond, it is impossible for you not to." Rhys' hands slide down my torso to the hem of the long white shirt still draped over my body. I tug away as he lowers his hands, and the bond tugs back, not yet uncomfortable, but noticeable. That's okay. I can deal with that. I pull back again, and he chuckles. My efforts have made it easier for him to slide the shirt up over my bottom and hips. Shit, I'm not thinking. I'm not thinking, I need to calm down—

"Calm down, little human." Rhys' lips are at my ear. His large hand cups my backside, pulling me back toward him. His fingers press gently into the flesh of my bottom, kneading it, and I can almost feel the smile in his voice. "For the Elixir to have bonded us, you must have been a virgin."

I'm suddenly overcome by deep regret at not having made more of an effort to get a penis inside me at some point during my short adulthood. I'd had the opportunity, I suppose, and a few nights of fumbling and fingering with various partners, but never the interest or the initiative to take it much farther. I'd told myself I needed to focus on my career. Goddamn programming.

"I can't say I blame you either...human men can't be the most impressive creatures," he continues. A hand slides up my back and I twist desperately, trying to push him away. He curls his hand around my ribcage, and then he's cupping my breast, making me gasp. "I understand breaking one's maidenhead is often uncomfortable, little one. I'll be as gentle as I can." He kneads the underside of my breast as his other hand slides from my bottom over my thigh.

"How nice of you..." I gasp out. I snap my thighs together as his hand glides over my skin. His fingers find my nipple and I yelp at the contact, my back arching. "You still don't seem to understand the relief that comes with two bond mates joining in intercourse..." he murmurs. Almost impatiently his hand on my thigh slides up my body and he yanks off the thin shirt that was the last of my defenses. My arms fly up to cover myself.

Rhys pays no mind; his hand is already back down, pushing between my thighs, letting me squirm in vain with his other hand on my breast holding me in place. His fingers brush against my lower lips and I shriek and jolt in his lap, twisting, unable to move away. He pushes his fingers between my lips, pressing against my clit. His forefinger presses in harder, circling, and I groan through my teeth. "That's right," he murmurs. "Do you feel that?" Of course I fucking feel it—his middle and forefinger pressing into the stiffening bud, stimulating it—I squirm again, but his other hand is at my back now, drawing his fingers soothingly up and down my spine, and my thighs have parted for him without my realization.

Rhys continues moving his fingers against my clit, drawing whimpers out of me. "Stop it...stop..." My efforts to push his hand away are useless, and I'm shaking too hard anyway. He dips his fingers lower until one is pushing inside me. I suck in air through my teeth as his thick finger presses past my hymen and slides easily into me, wiggling against the slick walls of my pussy. He's inside me, and the thread between us...the tugging is all but gone, and a sinking feeling of relief I didn't know I needed is warming me.

Rhys is smiling. "Feel that, little one? How good it is to have me inside you, to relieve that pull?" His finger hooks into me and hits that sweet spot, and that combined with the relief makes me sigh pleasurably. A slight pressure, and another finger is inside, and then he's pumping the digits in and out, his other hand steadying me on his lap as he fucks me on his fingers. My hips jerk and I squeal. "Don't..."

"Don't? You seem to be having such a good time, though," Rhys taunts, moving his fingers faster. I twist my hips, trying to escape, trying not to think about the doubled relief that is having two of his fingers inside me instead of just one. He's still smiling as I whimper and grasp at his shoulder in pleasure and frustration. "That's a good girl. Let yourself feel it. The pulling is almost gone, isn't it? Answer me, little one."

I let out a moan. Rhys' fingers dig deeper and I arch back, nodding frantically. "Yes..." He leans down and nips at my ear, his breath shallow and loud. He's aroused too, I can feel it. His erection presses into my hip through his pants, and when I squirm against him again he groans. "Soon enough, human," he whispers, his fingers still pumping inside me, dragging along my walls, his thumb toying with my clit. "The more of me that is inside you, the more relief we will both experience through the bond..."

My head spins when he moves to turn me onto my back on the bed, pushing me down again with that effortless strength. One hand on my shoulder, pressing me down into the mattress, allowing me no escape as I pant and twist beneath him. The other hand is still between my thighs, his fingers buried deep inside my body. He smiles as he draws them out and I squeak at the feeling of that minute tug on my chest, then sigh at the relief of him pushing them back in. "I can feel it too, little one...how good it feels to have you impaled on my fingers, to be joined in that way..." I shudder, causing me to clench down on him, and he groans again, nipping at my throat, his long body fully on top of me. And that feeling of relief has me lifting my hips to him, squeezing his fingers...