Strange Love 102 Forced Apar

Zakynthos, Greece 1563

The low flicker of the nearly spent embers offered little warmth through the damp, dark cave. Arei thanked his brother's good sense for packing such warm lush furs. He pulled one over his shoulder and nestled deeper into their warmth.

"Ummm..." A satisfied squeak sounded from within the nest of furs.

Arei peaked out from one heavily lidded eye. A tiny glimpse of sliver hair caught his squinted gaze and he remembered instantly where he was and the events from the night before. The seemingly frail girl lay wrapped up in a thick fur nearly matching her hair now tucked snuggly against his chest. He stroked a large hand over what should be her arm to wake the girl. When sleepy aqua eyes met his, he smiled down at her. "How is your hand this morning, Kitten?" She smiled back at him and wiggled under his heavy arm still resting across her tiny body. He let out a chuckle and lifted his arm then gently pulled back the fur enough for her to show him the newly grown limb. Arei's eyes brightened. "Oh wow! That was quick." Reply not as surprised by the regeneration as he pretended. It was common for creatures to heal fast after a s.h.i.+ft, especially powerful ones.

Her cheeks colored and she gave him a wide excited grin. "Better!"

He smiled as he pushed himself into a sitting position. His mind thought back to last night and watching this tiny girl s.h.i.+ft into a very s.e.xually appealing, half G.o.ddess beast. He brushed a stray hair from her face as she sat up beside him. "Can you s.h.i.+ft into other things?" He asked primal curiously giving new light to his eyes. "Perhaps take on an older appearance?" He scrunched his brows as he cupped her cherub-like face in his hands and studied it closely. "If you are in fact the creature we... my horse and I... have been searching for, you must be at least a few hundred years old." He said the words as more of a fact than a question.

She nodded her head but her excited smile began to fade as she tried to read the hidden meaning of his words. She rubbed her cheek against his palm enjoying the gentle touch.

His eyes burned hotter into hers as he ran his thumb over her soft skin. "Then you can appear older... more like me?" He asked. He could feel the excitement build in his body as she nodded her tiny head again against his palm.

Her body began to s.h.i.+ft, bones cracked, and the pale soft skin began to grow and stretch across a growing body. She opened her eyes once the s.h.i.+ft was complete and looked to the attractive man sitting in front of her for praise.

Arei's eyes bugged then he let out a light chuckle and ran a large hand through his hair. The large, hulking silver-haired man now standing before him in little more than a torn s.h.i.+rt and fur pelt mimicked the action. "I guess I did say 'like me' didn't I..." He shook his head chuckling to himself at the misunderstanding. He didn't stop laughing until a tiny hand clutching his arm and her tiny head tilted in curiosity toward him. He sent her a wide grin as he reached out to cup her soft child-like cheek again. He shook his head still smiling. "That is very impressive, but I was referring more to an adult, not a man." He laughed harder as confusion slowly s.h.i.+fted to realization across her adorable face. He bopped her nose playfully, "It doesn't matter. I have to head into town now anyhow." When sad, lonely eyes glistened up at him, he let out a sigh as he stroked his large thumb across her sharp jaw. "Why don't you go wash up and catch us some fish? You must still be hungry after last night, yes?" When her eyes brightened, he added. "Maybe I can bring you a new dress and possibly some fresh fruit?"

Her face lit back up at his promise to return. She nodded her head and quickly stood and held a hand out to him in a.s.sistance.

He took her slim, tiny hand and pretended to use her help up off the furs. He stroked a large hand over her head, running his fingers through the soft silky strands. "Take care until I get back, Kitten."

*** Arei knocked back another tall pint then slammed the cup down on the table. "I can't leave now! This is ridiculous!" His irritated gaze shot to his brother for support. "The girl, she needs us more than some pompous king." Arei had come into town to find his brother in a heated conversation at the back of a tavern with Hermes, the messenger of the G.o.ds. He turned back to the frowning G.o.d his eyes silently pleading for reconsideration.

Hermes raised his hands over his head, "It is not I who makes the orders, I simply deliver them. Zeus orders that you carry a French lord into battle and help him conquer the enemy in Zeus's name."

Arei cursed under his breath knowing there was no way to get out of an order from Zeus. He stared down at the empty mug on the table as he slowly nodded his head. "Fine go back to the G.o.ds, and tell them I will do as they demand... as if I have a choice... But after this, I am freed." He glared up at Hermes.

Hermes frowned back at Arei. "Areion, You know as well as I, you have no control over where they send you or what task they a.s.sign. It is your reason for creation... We are all at his mercy so why fight it."

Arei let out a long sigh. "Fine, I'll leave at first light in the morning. I want one more day of freedom before I have to go off into servitude for who knows how long." Arei didn't glance away from the empty mug he gripped in his hand as Hermes nodded his acceptance of the terms then gave a slight nod toward Orion before departing the tavern.

Orion raised his hand to the barmaid for another round before turning irritated eyes toward his brother. "I don't understand why you even bother fighting these orders. You know good and well it's pointless. Besides, what in Gaya's green earth has made you want to stay all of a sudden?!"

Arei's tense focus finally moved from the mug to his brother's face. "Promise me you'll take care of her. Teach her how to live... not just barely getting by." His eyes pleaded with his brother.

Orion nodded. "I said as much already, didn't I..." He'd never in their many, many years together he'd never seen Arei actually care about anything past the two of them.

Arei stared at Orion for several long minutes before finally nodding. "I was afraid after last night, you would change your mind."

Orion frowned, "I'm not about killing innocent children... women... child-woman creature-beast... whatever you'd like to call it." He nodded to the maid as she filled the mugs watching her nice rounded a.s.s as she walked away. "I'd much rather find a use for the creature than kill it, you know that."

Arei growled as he slammed his mug back on the counter after emptying it in one long swig. "She's not a creature... well she is... she's more like us. You can't treat her like a monster, Ry, or it's pointless for you to even go back." He pushed himself up from the table grabbing the small bundle he'd walked in with. "I'm going back tonight, meet me at first light by the boat and we'll switch then."

Orion nodded. "Suits me well enough."

Arei wasted no more time getting back to the hidden cave nestled in the waterfall of the sparkling clear waters of the lagoon. He smiled as he stepped through the thick brush onto the clear beach. A swish of silver hair spun like a halo around the overjoyed girl's head as she quickly spun around and ran toward him. She took his large hand in her and smiled brightly up at him before turning and pulling him toward the curtain of water leading into the cave. His eyes moved from the neat, burning fire to the old busted table that was covered in different types of fish and sh.e.l.lfish. He turned his surprised gaze down to her eager face. "Is this for us?" He asked. She nodded nearly dancing in excitement. He chuckled and pulled the hidden package from behind his back. "And this is for you." He held it out to her and silently encouraged her to take it. "Go ahead, open it."

Her curious eyes sparkled up at his as she slowly reached out for it. "I open it?" She asked as she turned the large wrapped parcel in her hands.

"Yes, that's right." He pointed toward the twine holding it together. "Just pull here. He watched as she did as he'd said and the smaller package of fruits fell out first followed by a small wheel of cheese and fresh-baked bread and another wrapped package.

She set the foods on the paper and pulled the string for the remaining package. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an O. Her eyes moved from the small stack of fabrics to Arei then back. "Mine?" She asked unable to believe the fine gifts were in fact hers.

Arei smiled widely and ruffled her hair, "Yes they are all yours." He nodded toward her torn rags of a dress. "You needed new ones did you not?"

Her cheeks blushed as she nodded. She turned and quickly moved over to a set of old dresser draws pulling them open and setting the garments inside as Arei retrieved the foods and placed them all on the table. He gathered some thin, straight sticks and spent the rest of the evening teaching her how to properly cook her food and teasing her to try the other foods he'd brought. Until they were both tired and sore from so much laughter. Arei let out a heavy sigh as his latest bout of laugher died off. "Tomorrow will be different. You must learn to do so much more than this and the training will be tough." He stroked a hand over her hair and down the side of her face. She rested her cheek in his palm now used to this endearing of his. "I'll miss this." He said thinking not of her training but of the fact it will not be him training her. He fought the sadness building in his chest as the tiny girl yawned as she stretched out on the furs he'd placed by the fire. A melancholy happiness pulled at the corner of his lips as he watched her. lifting one of the furs, he said, "Come, get some rest. You've bound to have worked hard catching all those tasty fish."

A sleepy smile spread across her face as she nodded. She crawled over beside him and snuggled into the soft fur he held up. "Ummm." She moaned contently as he tucked her in.