The Healer Pt. 09

Looking at Quell, she senses the tension in the room. When he nods his head slightly for her to speak, she says, "I did not choose a life with a centaur," her voice is quiet, but firm, "I chose a life with the one that I love."

Stillness falls on the hall, everyone quiet.

Finally, it is the woman across from her that speaks, so boldly defying her mate that he turns his head and looks at her sharply, surprised, "But, the...pain..."

A smile crosses Coral's lips yet she doesn't say anything. Quell reaches out and gently touches her cheek, turning back to Yulnar, "Uncle, perhaps we should speak in a more private setting?"

Yulnar looks between the two. After a few moments, he says, "Leave us."

The centaurs, taking their plates and mugs walk from the room, as does Callen's mate. Coral, unsure if she should stay, starts to rise but stops when Quell's hand slides over hers. He squeezes for a moment, before letting go and speaking to the king.

"Our father sent us here to help you put an end to these abductions but not only did he intend for us to capture those responsible, he also offers a way to put an end to it once and for all."

Vadim continues, "Many of the unions in your realm are not by choice; they are either as a result of an arrangement or force. As you know, we do neither in Centuarna; we court our women respectfully and if they feel the same they return our advances—only then do we mate."

"Was your own mate not the result of an arrangement?" Yulnar haughtily points out.

"It is true that Lynette's parents made it known to her at a young age that she was destined to be mine, but that does not change the fact that I still wooed her and gained her affections; I also made it very clear before we were mated that she had every right to refuse me and that I would respect her wishes. I am fortunate enough that she loves me dearly," he speaks eloquently, diffusing the situation. "Though our union is atypical, I am still held to the same standards as all centaur men in our realm."

Quell nods at him, picking up the conversation again, "When a woman is able to let her love for a centaur blossom, it makes the pain of mating more bearable. However," he pauses, knowing that once he speaks these words he will not be able to take them back, "we have discovered a way to make mating pleasurable. For both the centaur and the woman."

She doesn't need to look up to feel the skepticism coming off of Callen and his father. It is Callen who vocalizes it, "Pleasurable? As in, a woman might actually want to mate with a centaur? Oh cousin, you are quite amusing." He chuckles heartily, joined by Yulnar.

When Quell and Vadim retain their composure, their laughs stop.

"I can hardly believe it would be a matter of our technique," Yulnar quips. "So what is it? A witch's spell? Perhaps a magic potion?"

"A potion, yes, but magic it certainly is not—though the results might lead you to believe otherwise," Quell says with a tight smile.

There is quiet.

"Lady Coral," Yulnar's voice comes out sharply, "is what your mate speaks true?" When her eyes look up to Quell, the King draws her attention directly to him, "Do not look at him, you will look at me when I speak to you and you will answer me with the truth or you will not like the consequences."

Coral locks her eyes on to his, "Yes, King Yulnar, my mate speaks the truth."

He raises an eyebrow curiously, "So you enjoy it when your mate takes you? You enjoy the feeling of his large, beastly cock stretching you beyond what should be normal, of having him mount you like an animal and repeatedly invade your womanhood until his seed pours out of you and onto the floor?"

Her face burns bright red in embarrassment but she doesn't dare look away. She forces herself to think of the first night he put her onto the mounting stand and claimed her as his own. The thought of Quell's hands on her, of his cock sliding so deep inside of her, makes her body tingle with yearning and she can feel herself grow wet. Her voice is airy when she speaks, "Yes."

Mortified, she turns her gaze away from him and stares down at her plate, her breathing rapid. She knows that they can smell her arousal and it makes her anxiety swell but her body's betrayal did well to affirm the truth of the elixir.

His eyes remaining on Coral, still breathing in her scent, Yulnar speaks to Quell, "What is your proposal then, nephew?"

"We will start our search tomorrow in the town. I would like for Lady Coral to speak with the victims, to provide them with medical attention should they need it. Once we are able to find these men out and get them into your custody, perhaps you can make a proclamation that arrangements and forced mating is no longer allowed. Let word loose among your people of the elixir; once willing pairs come forward, Centuarna will supply them. It will take some time but change will happen, Uncle. For the better."

Callen's voice sends a chill down Coral's back, "We will need evidence of this elixir. Perhaps...a demonstration?"

Though Quell knows what his cousin wants, he takes care to keep his anger in check, "Of course, cousin. Find a willing pair, both to be mated to each other and to be watched and I shall provide you with a sample of the elixir. Alas, as I am sure you can understand, Uncle," he turns to the king, "I have only enough to provide you with the evidence you need."

Yulnar nods, finally tearing his eyes away from Coral, "Of course."

...

Though they had separate rooms prepared, Quell insists that he and Coral remain in the same suite as Vadim and Reid. Not only does he have concerns for his mate but neither brother feels entirely safe asleep in smaller numbers. When Yulnar and Callen retire for the night, the four head to the large room. Extra pillows have been brought to accommodate the additional guests, though there is only one bed.

"I insist," Vadim says much to Coral's protest that she doesn't need it. He and Reid decide to venture out to formulate a plan with the rest of their party, stationed in the guest quarters. They wait until Nevren and Tomir are posted outside of the bedroom door before they leave.

With the guards outside, Quell stands in front of the fireplace, "You have some time, but not much. It is best that you prepare it now."

As she works, she notices that he stays away from her; she does not know if he does it of his own accord or if his father commanded that he does so but it is clear that Quell doesn't wish to know how the elixir is made.

Setting up the small metal pour cup in a stand over the candle, she adds the ingredients together, mixing the powdered ones into the oily texture until they are combined well. As it heats up, she pulls the fresh spearmint, peppermint and lavender from her bag; seeing that they are somewhat wilted, she hopes they will still work. After muddling them together, she works the bruised leaves into a clear vial with the teasers, removing the cup from the candle as it starts to bubble. Holding the clear vial in her toweled hand, she carefully pours the liquid in to the top, leaving just enough open to cork it.

She realizes that she prepared the amount of base mixture based on the original recipe quantities, still forgetting to cut them down to accommodate her addition of the other herbs. Without a safe place to pour the rest, she grabs an empty blue vial and fills that, but when she discovers she is out of peppermint and lavender, the two herbs she altered the recipe to include, she hastily stuffs the spearmint in. Perhaps tomorrow while they are out she will be able to discretely harvest some more, then they can leave the second vial with Yulnar as a gift of faith.

Coral puts the ingredients away, tossing the blue vial into her case as well before cleaning up her tools, "I am finished, Quell." She hands the clear vial to him when he walks over.

Reaching for it, his hand encases hers, the vial trapped between them. She looks up, seeing the mischievous sparkle in his eye, "Not that I don't have confidence in your abilities, my love, but I would hate to present the King with a faulty elixir. Perhaps...we should test it. To make sure." By the time he finishes speaking, his voice is dark and husky.

She knows that the smell of her arousal during dinner still haunts him. Pulling her hand from his, she rises and reaches to her back, untying the laces of her dress. The fabric loosens and she makes short work of lifting both it and her shift over her head, standing naked before him. His eyes trace the curves of her body, a smile forming on his lips. Pouring a few drops into his hand, he steps forward, drawing her into a kiss while his fingers cup her mound to stroke her clit, rubbing the mixture into her already wet cunt.

Coral shudders under his touch, the warmth of his skin and fur pressed against her naked front. A soft moan escapes her lips as his fingers delve deeper through her flesh, sinking inside her womanhood to coat it with the elixir. The smoldering fire of her want, coupled with the cool tingle of need for her mate takes her breath away; it has been several nights since they copulated their love for each other, the last time she felt the pleasurable invasion of his cock in her body was the late night he returned home from the tavern after her.

The aching desire forces her to pull away from him; knowing there isn't a mounting stand in the room, she takes his hand and leads him over to a mound of pillows. Stacking them high, she lies on her back. He watches her curiously, his breathing ragged, his large cock fully extended down from his body. Quell comes forward when she tugs on his hand, directing him to stand with his forelegs by her head, forcing him to straddle the pillow with Coral below him, facing his belly. She runs her hands over the soft blonde fur of his chest and rib cage, he still looking down upon her, unsure of the position.

It takes some effort but she manages to raise her knees up to her chest, tucking her ankles on either side of her head but still between his forelegs, pinning herself underneath him, her cunt ready and waiting. When her small hand reaches down and grasps his cock, he draws in a sharp breath, a low groan rumbling in his chest. She guides him up and slowly strokes the end, rubbing the tip along the length of her wet slit. Quell trembles at the feeling, his hands reaching down to grab her feet, desperate to hold onto something. Guiding his cock into her, Coral lets him go when he eases a few inches slowly in, almost teasing her and sending her desire into a frenzy. Her small hands grasp desperately at the sides of his soft furry chest when his hips start to rock, pumping part of his length in and out.

The position is new for both of them and with his cock thrust deeper into her, he rubs new spots that she didn't know existed. Savoring the feeling of him, Coral turns her head to the side and rests her face against his foreleg so that she can breathe in the scent of her mate. His pace increases, her knees begin to tremble when her excitement builds. The feeling of his wide cock gliding in and out of her, stretching her needy cunt, bottoming out deep within makes her entire body write with the pleasure of it. She muffles her mouth against his leg, the moan stifled but he hears her pleasure, daring to press himself in just a little more. Coral gasps as the bliss tears through her body, causing her hips to involuntarily jerk upwards towards him. Quell groans when she peaks, his back leg stomping the ground in excitement while her cunt clenches down on him. He isn't far behind when his head drifts back and his hips thrust carefully forward, filling her. He groans, his body tense as he holds himself deep within her spasming cunt, feeling the warmth of his offering swirl over his manhood for lack of anywhere else to go. Reluctantly, he lets go of her feet, hastily stepping backwards; when his cock pulls out of her body there is an immediate rush of his seed coming out of her, spilling down her ass, dribbling onto the pillow below.

Quell drops to his knees, his torso tilting to lie next to her. Possessively, he wraps his arms around her and pulls her close to him. Shuddering with her body still elated, she buries her face into his neck, listening to the deep sounds of his breathing, content to feel his hand tenderly stroking her back. Though they are in a new and frightening land, she feels safe in his arms, like nothing bad could ever happen as long as they are together. She drifts off to sleep, cherishing her time with him though deep down she dreads the secret she has kept.

...

Coral wakes up in the bed under the thick blanket. She finds it an odd place to be but figures that Quell must have put her there last night before the others came back. Rolling over towards the bulk of the room, she rubs the sleep from her eyes; it is just before dawn. Though she is accustomed to waking so early, she hears the deep breathing of the three men, still deep in their dreams.

Quietly she slides from under the covers, discovering that she is wearing a shift. Her silent feet take her to her bag where she pulls out a grey cotton dress and puts it on. Though it is not as fancy of a dress as she has been wearing since her time in the castle, it is substantially more elegant than she imagines the women in Centurion to wear. She makes short work of the rest of her morning routine, washing her face and brushing through her hair mess of red curls. Thankfully, she finds a kettle of water near the fireplace, so she stokes it before setting it to boil. In her medicine case she pulls out some tea leaves and dried orange rinds, letting them steep in a cup while she sits down at the small table in the room.

Vadim is the first to wake; stirring from his mound of pillows he yawns while stretching his form. Rising, he joins Coral at the table. Though her eyes take in his earthy brown, broad bare chest, she busies herself by preparing him a cup of tea as well.

"Did you sleep well, sister?" He asks while blowing across the top of the cup.

"I did; and you?"

He chuckles a laugh, "Eventually." Coral looks at him curiously, wondering his meaning; understanding her look, he quietly replies, "You have a very pleasant, yet pungent scent, Coral. When we came back, Reid and I could both smell your encounter with my brother. I think it goes without saying how a centaur responds to it."

Her eyes grow wide when her face burns; she turns away from him in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, "Your brother thought it necessary to test the elixir."

"I'm sure he did," Vadim says softly before sipping his tea. "There is nothing to be ashamed of, sister. It wasn't a surprise to us; Tomir and Oren forewarned us before we entered."

A choking sound escapes her mouth before she stifles it with her hand. Thankfully, Vadim chuckles at her before changing the subject.

"We have yet to discuss it with you and Quell, but we believe visiting the most recent victims would be the wisest action, as the memories of their attackers will be fresh. There is a small village less than an hour away where two of these women live, that is where we will start. We have managed to plot a course that will take us in a wide loop of the country side and along the sea and should be able to meet seven of the women before arriving back to the castle by dinner."

Coral drinks half of her tea before she asks, "How many women have been attacked in total?"

He frowns much like his father would; when he looks up into her eyes, she can see the sorrow of his words, "Twenty seven, though only thirteen have returned alive. Five have been found dead, nothing is known of the rest."

The thought of it makes her nauseous; she tries to choke down the vomit, "Twenty seven women have been stolen and raped? The woman that came to Centuarna—is she the only one that was pregnant?"

Dropping his gaze, he says it bluntly, as he wasn't taught to dance around the truth, "Three of the women who were found dead still carried bairn inside of them."

She feels the color drain from her face, the heat from her body; Coral barely makes it to the chamber pot before she vomits up the contents of her stomach. The wrenching wakes the centaurs; Quell quickly appears by her side, handing her a glass of water. Coral swishes her mouth with it, spitting it into the pot before covering the lid.

"Are you ill?" Quell asks, concerned.

"I will be fine," she affirms, returning to the table with shaking hands. Digging in her medicine case, she adds some powdered peppermint and a sliver of dried ginger to her tea.

"Perhaps it would be best if one of us spoke with the women, to spare you the knowledge of their attacks," Vadim offers as the centaurs join them.

Coral shakes her head, "No. I will be fine. Besides, I do not think that a woman would want to explain her rape to a man."

Being several hours before centaurs usually wake, they eat their breakfast alone; thankfully, the servants in the castle are prepared to accommodate the early hour. Quell, Vadim, Coral, Tomir and Nevren begin their journey to the small town an hour away. Reid, Junta, Letin and Marcus head in a different direction to visit a small community at the base of one of the mountains, in hopes to gather some information as to the whereabouts of the other victims.

When they arrive, it is clear that the villagers are uneasy around the strangers. Coral quickly notes that the only centaurs are the ones she came with. The father of the most recent victim forces her to come out of the house to greet the royal procession; the woman's entire body quakes in fear, her breathing rapid and she immediately starts crying. Coral wastes no time walking to the woman, gently resting a hand on her shoulder; before she can speak, the woman immediately rushes into Coral's arms, her sobbing body pressed to her.

Quell draws the father away from them, quietly talking with the man; that is when Coral sees the woman's terrified eyes locked on her mate. Gently, she brushes tears from the woman's cheeks, "Why don't we go inside and talk?"

The woman nods rapidly and turns to enter the home, but when Tomir steps forward to accompany them, she starts to shake again. Coral shushes her, "Go inside and I shall be there in a moment." Once the woman is gone, she turns to Tomir, "You must stay out here."

He looks at her seriously, "You cannot go in there alone. King Rainer ordered all of us—you will not be left unaccompanied."

She sighs, thinking it ridiculous when they will be right outside of the house; she shakes her head, "The mere sight of centaurs threw that woman into a panic, Tomir. If I am to get anything useful from her, she cannot be around you."

"Then I will go with you, sister," Vadim says, glancing up at Tomir. "Lady Coral is right—these women have been attacked by centaurs, their fear of us is consuming them. As I appear human, they should be less affected by my presence."

Tomir ponders on it for a moment before accepting the decision, "Of course, Prince Vadim."

Coral and Vadim enter the small house; there isn't much to it only a few small bedrooms and one large main room that serves as the kitchen and living area. The woman sits nervously on a threadbare couch, eyeing Vadim cautiously when Coral sits down next to her. The Prince senses the woman's reservation and remains standing by the door, giving them some privacy but still able to see everything.

Though she speaks with the woman for quite a while, Coral gets no information directly from her but she suspects that the woman was threatened into her silence. Having no way to heal the emotional trauma that the attack caused, all Coral can do is offer her some herbs to help her calm down once her panic starts to rise and some more to take at night time to put her into a deep, dreamless sleep.