The Earl's Daughter and the Rogue

It was a chill night. The mists crept up from the lowlands to slip silently over trimmed and manicured grounds. Catherine peered through the open doors of her bedroom to the attached balcony. She watched as the gray wisps of the night mists slowly converged on the ancient stones of the castle. Fear fluttered in her chest as she listened for footsteps in the hallway outside her apartment. Hearing no sound, she continued to dress while nervously biting on her lower lip. Cathrine knew that her father, the Earl of Caithness, would not be at all pleased if he knew of her plans of a midnight ride with a landless rogue.

Suddenly she detected the jingle and creak of leather, tack and the soft slow measured thud of hooves on the close cropped grass of the gardens below. She eased out onto the balcony and peered over the ornately carved stone retaining rail into the darkness.

Her eyes strained to pick out the source of the sound but all that could be seen in the wane moonlight where the shadows of the trees met clipped and shaped hedges within the cloaking mists.

Like wraiths, the rider and huge dark destrier slowly materialized out of the swirling mist. The dark cowl of his cloak concealed his features but the confident manner in which he sat the horse and the flash of leg beneath the kilt fashioned in the MacGregor tartan confirmed that this was who she awaited.

The rider stopped below the balcony, stood in the stirrups and reached up.

She swung a leg over the rail and found footing. Carefully, she lowered herself slowly into his strong hands. The horse whinnied softly as she alit sidesaddle in front of the rider.

His arms wrapped about her and pulled her close. Slate gray eyes twinkled brightly under the cowl as he leaned down to kiss her softly, tenderly. He tapped his heels lightly against the beast’s flanks and used his knees to guide the horse as they made their way quietly from the gardens and toward the back gates.

They turned onto the smooth wide road that led up to the castle and Catherine felt his arm tighten about her as he took the reins tightly in the other.

Another tap in the flanks and the huge horse fairly leapt into motion, huge hooves pounded and dug for purchase. As they thundered through the gates she noticed a distinct lack of guards.

She was only offered a moment to ponder as they flashed through the open gates and into the farmlands beyond the castle grounds. The smell of freshly turned earth and spring flowers teased her senses as the wind whipped through her hair. Settling back against his chest and enveloped in his embrace, she became accustomed to the horse’s rolling gate as they galloped through the night.

Her heart began to pound in her chest as fear began to rise again. The mists thickened and obscured sight to a matter of yards yet they hurtled along at breakneck speed. She glanced up and noted the firm set of his jaw as his slate gray eyes flicked back and forth as though watching for unseen danger. She looked forward again over the horse’s flying mane and bobbing neck amazed that the animal itself seemed to know no fear in its headlong rush.

Still frightened she felt some modicum of comfort as she felt his chest pressed against her and his protective arm about her. Time seemed to lose all meaning as they flew through the mists like angels traversing the night skies. She began to notice dark shapes flash past and realized that they had entered a wood.

The mists slowly dissipated till they were little more than an undulating carpet covering the ground like a cold gray blanket. The scent of the forest came to her like a caressing hand, pine, the smell of ferns and mulch moldering on the forest floor, muffling the sound of the horse’s thudding hooves.

Eyes glowed in the shadows, flickering in and out of view every so often to cause her to shiver with uncertainty. She knew that wolves were known to haunt the forests around her father’s castle. Many a night she had lain awake listening to their heartbreaking song. There always seemed to be one howl, different from the rest and alone, never with a pack. That howl never failed to send a shiver to her very soul.

His arm tightened about her as he applied pressure to the reigns slowing the horse from a gallop to a canter, trot and finally a walk.

The huge war-horse snorted its displeasure at having its freedom to run curtailed and shook its massive head like a petulant child.

Catherine became aware of a sound. A soft rumble at first that increased to a roar as they got closer, the darkness kept the source of the rumble a secret.

Suddenly they came out of the sylvan forest and onto a moss covered cliff top, a dark loch expanded away below them. The roaring sound came from a waterfall rushing from the cliff face down and to the right to disappear into a white frothing spray far below.

He slipped from the back of the big war-horse then reached up and grasped her by her tiny waist as he eased her to the ground.

The horse whickered softly, walked to the edge of the trees and casually began to munch at the sweet spring grass.

Catherine stood, eyes glistening; staring wide eyed at the vista before her. The highlands, jagged and dark framed by the light of a full moonlit. The huge loch and the sound of the waterfall combined to create a wondrous otherworldly feel.

With a panache and bravado he whirled the dark cloak from his shoulders and laid it out upon the soft emerald green carpet of moss and motioned for her to sit. His eyes twinkled brightly as he slowly dropped to one knee next to her.

She gasped and shivered as she felt the heat of his breath and the softness of his lips brush lightly against the side of ivory skinned neck. Turning, she looked into his eyes and detected something wild lurking deep within. She leaned forward slightly anticipating, wanting, needing to feel his lips upon hers.

His arms slipped about her to pull her tightly to him as his lips covered hers, kissing her deeply, passionately.

A hand drifted up under her luxurious auburn tresses to gently cradle her supple neck while the other lightly caressed her blushing cheek tenderly. His kiss seemed like a spark that set off a forest fire of emotion within her. The heat flared in her chest and between her thighs causing her to press and roll them tightly together in a vain effort to assuage the desire washing through her.

As his lips devoured hers and his soft tongue began to explore, she felt her slick essence begin to flow and dampen the silk and lace of her undergarments. She closed her eyes and melted into his embrace. She wanted him to take her, ravish her, now.

His hand dropped from her cheek to the laces of her bodice, flicking quickly and with dexterity as she felt them loosen and slowly drawn open to expose the smooth milky white perfumed flesh trapped within.

The cool night air rushed in to caress the gentle curve of her exposed breasts with the light touch of a lover’s hand. She raised a trembling hand to run her fingers through his dark locks as his head dropped down and began raining hot kisses across her heaving breasts. Her head dropped back in ecstasy as his lips found the tender straining nipple standing proudly at the center of her breast and began to suck, grazing it with sharp teeth.

The horse snorted loudly stirring her from the pleasure she was experiencing.

Catherine’s lashes fluttered as she struggled to open her hazel eyes. Suddenly they shot open wide in shock, a scream frozen in her throat as she saw the club, wielded by a shabbily dressed man, streak down to connect with a sickening thud on the back of her lover’s head.

Her lover slipped into her lap limp and lifeless, as rough hands grabbed her from behind and yanked her back and away.

She was dragged to her feet, coming face to face with the gap-toothed leer of a man whose appearance belied that of a bandit.

“Well, well, well, what ‘ave we here then?” he cackled, “Look here Jimmy, not only have we snared a succulent dove this night, but the daughter of a Earl no less!”

Jimmy chuckled evilly from above and behind her. “Aye. Did I not tell ye that we wid see some luck tonight?”

Catherine struggled in his grasp and attempted to claw at his eyes as his hand roughly groped and mauled at her still exposed breast. She nearly gagged at the foul smell of his breath as he leaned down to run his loathesome tongue over her flesh.

“Hoi! Tommy lad, let’s not be in such a rush. We have plenty of time and this little bit of fluff looks as if she can go for hours.” Jimmy barked.

Twisting her head back and forth in an attempt to steer clear of those broken and cracked lips approaching hers, she caught a glimpse of Jimmy toeing the limp form crumpled on the cloak. Her blood froze as she realized that he was dead. She could see the spider web of crimson glittering darkly in the moonlight, trickling and trailing across his temple and down his cheek.

The bandit spun her around and roughly wrenched her arms behind her back. She felt the bite of course rope being lashed about her wrists and forearms as the rising terror threatened to unnerve her. As she shivered in fear Catherine realized that due to the highland clearances by men such as her father, the land hand been overrun with homeless men who had become lawless bandits and murderers in an attempt to survive.

Catherine cried out "Murderers!!! My father will have thee drawn and quartered for this! How dare you lay hands on the Earl's daughter and those under her protection!"

She was pushed roughly to the ground as Tommy snarled “Stay right there M’Lady and if ye are as pleasing as ye look ye might just live to see the dawn!”

Glancing up through tear filled eyes she saw them both approaching the horse, obviously looking for booty to fill their pockets. But the horse was having none of it.

It snorted, shaking its huge head and mane then leapt up snapping its rear hooves out and caught one of the bandits a glancing blow to the shoulder. Glancing, but more than enough to send Tommy crashing into the brush with a separated shoulder.

Catherine cheered silently when she heard the injured bandit groan in pain. He reappeared from the brush with one arm hanging limply, slightly longer than the other.

Jimmy ripped an old rusty blade from its scabbard and advanced on the horse menacingly. But before he could get within striking distance the horse bolted into the trees to disappear into the darkness.

Her attention was on the horse and bandit. She did not see the wounded one pull a dagger from his belt and begin advancing on her with murder in his eye.

Tommy had been struck and by God, someone was going to pay for it. He thought darkly.

The glitter of light on the blade caught her attention and she gasped in horror, her eyes flashed to and fro looking for an escape.

Jimmy shouted at the enraged bandit, “Wait! If ye’ve nae care fer the ransom ye can kill her after and we’ll throw the bodies over the side after we’ve weighted them down!”

The bandit approached purposefully and drove a knee into her chest, pinning her to the ground and snarled “It matters not! Dead or alive she can still pleasure!”

Her vision started to slip as the blade lowered slowly to her throat. She rapidly began silently going over prayers, not wanting her soul to approach heaven without having made her peace with the Lord.

There was a low rumbling growl and suddenly the weight upon her was gone. Not lifted, just simply gone.

The sound of a shriek ripped through the night before it was suddenly cut off by the sickening sound of bones snapping and being ground under a tremendous pressure.

Catherine gasped, sucking in a great lung full of air now that the bandit’s weight was gone. Struggling to clear her vision of the veiling hand of unconsciousness, she shook her head and saw the other bandit backing across the ledge, absolute terror twisted his features as what appeared to be a huge giant of a man slowly advanced upon him.

The stranger must have been eight feet tall if he was an inch, in dark attire. No, not clothing, fur?

She stared in disbelief and almost missed it as the stranger’s cruel, talon tipped hand leapt forth like an adder striking, swiping it across the bandit’s throat. At first she thought he had missed until she saw the blood geyser up against the full moon glittering and flashing in a dark crimson spray.

The bandit wavered for a moment then his blade dropped to the ground with a whispered thump before he tumbled lifelessly over the edge of the cliff to disappear in the darkness.

Her eyes were wide with horror at the ferocity and violence of the last few moments she looked to the stranger whose back was still to her.

She blinked uncomprehendingly as her eyes traveled down his heavily muscled shoulders and back to his thin waist and tail? His legs were not that of a man, but those of an animal, jointed like that of a wolf!

Slowly he turned and she saw not the face of a man but the snarling visage of a huge wolf. Its flashing slate gray eyes glittered with a hint of silver and the huge fangs lining its massive jaws glistened with drool and blood. A curtain of darkness dropped and she saw nothing.

Her eyes fluttered open as she felt the hot breath and soft lips caressing her ear. She bolted upright, eyes wide with fear. She looked as her breath caught in her throat but saw no wolf beast, only her rogue lying casually beside her with a look of bewilderment on his face.

The mossy ledge appeared exactly as it had when they arrived; even the horse was in the same place casually munching away.

She shook her head, "A dream? That must be it." she thought "I had been enjoying the night air, and it was late. I must have drifted off." she theorized. But what a horrid dream, it was so real, so life-like.

She shook her head again and turned to him, a soft smile on her lips and then lay back down beside him on his cloak. “Where were we M’Lord?” she asked softly.

A familiar twinkle flashed through his eyes as his hand reached up to caress her soft cheek then drifted down over the gentle contours of her body.

The passion within her rekindled as his lips found hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him hard, voraciously.

His hand slipped down over her hip and over her skirt, bunching it up, then under to run lightly up her stocking clad thigh.

Catherine rolled over onto her back, pulling him with her, reluctant to break the kiss she opened her heated thighs to his exploring hand. She felt it drift over the top of the stocking and garter to the soft flesh above, then gently cupped her silk covered Venus mound.

Lightning seemed to flash through her pelvis and hips as his fingers pressed the silk against her delicate petals, the silk moist and slick with her womanly essence.

She turned her head and tipped her chin down and over to touch against her shoulder in ecstasy as his lips trailed down her throat and over the gentle swell of her heaving breasts.

His sharp teeth grazed then bit down on her tender upthrust nipple causing her to gasp and throw an arm over her eyes.

She ground her pelvis against his palm in wanton lust as he slipped his hand beneath her silks. The heat of his hand against her tender delicate flesh drove her to madness.

He raised his head and repositioned himself so that he was kneeling beside her thighs. His eyes locked on hers, twinkling with a hint of silver as he slipped her silks down her thighs and off.

She moaned softly as she saw his gaze lower to drink in the view as she had opened her thighs wide in offering, completely surrendering herself to him.

Running his hands along the inside of her creamy thighs he lowered his head slowly, jaws opening wide.

“His teeth, were they slightly longer than she remembered?” The question flew from her mind like smoke in a summer breeze as she felt his mouth envelop her sex.

His tongue drifted slowly along the hot molten center of her delectable furrow, his teeth bit down gently and tugged on a tender petal as he sucked it into his mouth.

Her hands shot out to her sides, clasping and clenching at the cloth of the cloak beneath them. A soft moan escaped her lips as she felt his tongue slash across the tiny bundle of nerves riding the top of her furrow. She felt herself losing control as his lips and tongue drove her to the point that caused her to shake uncontrollably in pleasure.

His hands slipped under her bottom, lifting her, pulling her further into his jaws as his tongue delved deeply into her womanly treasure. He filled her, stretching her with its thick softness.

Catherine cried out as the rushing wave of pleasure overtook her, causing her to grind her pelvis into his devouring mouth. She shuddered in ecstasy as he devoured her as if she were prey to some wild beast. She felt sharp teeth press dangerously against the soft flesh of her Venus mound and the gentle curve where cheek and thigh became one.

He lapped at her once more; savoring her sweetness then raised his head, lips glistening with her nectar, slipping his hands up to grasp her hips tightly.

Through half lidded eyes she looked to see his shining brightly, then her view lowered to the sight of the blunt head of his shaft standing in relief over the curve of her pelvis.

She moaned deeply as he pulled her up onto his spread thighs, the hardened shaft pressing tightly along her still quivering sex. Still weak and not recovered as yet she allowed her thighs to drape over his, her shoulders still resting on the cloak. Catherine gasped in pleasure as she felt him enter her in a single deep stroke, stretching her, as he filled her completely.

Arching her back, she balanced on her shoulders as she forced herself further down on his impaling shaft in an desperate effort to get all of him inside. The wave of pleasure that had subsided to a gentle lapping was whipped into raging surf once more.

His grip tightened as he slowly thrust into her. As he ground his pelvis into hers roughly his breath became more and more ragged and panting. Catherine mewled softly as the feel of his thrusting shaft drove her close and closer to that blissful precipice.

She offered no protest when he slowly raised her leg over his shoulder and straddled the other, his pelvis continuing to rock against hers sidesaddle. This new angle caressed and struck new and exciting nerves to send a wave of pleasure crashing through her with thunderous force.

She reached back, clasping at his thigh as she urged him on deeper, harder, faster, grinding back against him she heard a familiar growl rumble through his chest as he thrust into her with bruising intensity.

The pleasure he had elicited from her far outweighed the soreness she knew she would experience come the morn. As she gasped for breath she felt him lower her leg across his body causing her to roll onto her stomach, never pulling free but slowing to a gentle thrust. She automatically raised her hips and arched her back as she felt him straddling her thighs.

His hands gripped and squeezed the soft flesh of her up thrust bottom, separating her luscious cheeks, exposing her, opening her to his gaze and raging member.

She felt the rush of cool air sweep in to cool the nectar still flowing freely from her tight flower. She could hear his shaft thrusting in and out of her wetly, feeling the dampness of his nectar soaked pelvis as it ground against her. She braced herself as she felt his thrusts take on a more insistent feel. There was wildness to them as he thrust into her with an animalistic abandon. She knew he was close to his own “Little Death” and hers was building rapidly.

His lips and teeth nipped and sucked at her neck and shoulder as he hunched over her to grind deeply. His grinding caused her to shudder through another soul rending climax. Consciousness began to slip as she felt his hot thick essence flood into her, its heat spreading through her sex and pelvis like a raging forest fire. The faint and hollow sound of a fading howl came to her as she slipped away.