Raider is out on Amazon! If you all like my novels and would like to support me and my writing I would appreciate it if you thought about purchasing it on Amazon, it helps me out a lot. Also, can we give Darkcurs3 a round of applause for getting it done so quickly? He did a pretty awesome job if you ask me. The link to it is in the Author's note above, and thank you in advance.

Also please check out Farseer, as of this post it is 6 chapters long and over 109 pages, and we are just getting started lol.

Markious.

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The cage was set up on the green of the lawn, the well-kempt entrance just outside the Manor’s main gate, off to one side a lake shimmered in the late day sun, off to the other side was a forest. Crouched inside the cage was a small animal, no bigger than a dog but it looked like a golden deer, with two tails and horse-like hooves. Its legs seemed unproportionally large. Its wide liquid brown eyes were round with fear as it surveyed the surrounding people and Satyrs.

“Perhaps this time you can tell me what this tradition entails and whether or not we should hide the children’s eyes this time.” Madam Barlo said to Riya, she was Brandt’s aunt, and King Randal’s wife. Therefore she was the queen of Bellmark.

“I don’t know why you felt the need to shield the eyes of the cubs during the wedding,” Riya answered back, and Brandt snorted, nearly choking on the cup of wine he had been sipping from. Before Madam Barlo could answer Brandt did.

“I now understand that your people have such a custom, but among my people, the defloration of a woman is something best conducted in private.” He said softly.

“How then do you know the marriage was consummated?” she asked and incredulous sound creeping into her voice.

“Well, um, the groom and bride retire to a room and you know, the bed is covered in a white sheet, and after the deed is done the sheet is hung somewhere anyone that feels like they want to see can see.” He answered, turning from her, and as he did she saw there was still a dab of blood on his cheek, with a quick hand she pulled his head down and licked the cheek, cleaning her blood of off his face. Madam Barlo blushed furiously at this and pointedly looked away.

“What if they simply choose to fake it?” she said. “The blood could be from anywhere.” He looked at her like she was talking a different language.

“That is between the wife and husband but if they are unwilling to bed one another then I doubt that marriage will last long.” He said slowly.

“Wait, you're marriages can end?” her blue cat eyes opened wide in shock. He looked into those blue eyes and decided he could come to like those eyes, though they are foreign to him it was fun finding new ways to read them.

“Yes, is it not that way amongst the satyrs?”

“Once bound you remain bound until your bond mate dies.” She said.

“That’s all good and nice but please explains this to me.” Madam Barlo interrupted again, gesturing once again to the caged animal.

“This is where the male mate shows he can bring in food for his new pride,” Riya gestured to the caged animal, “Without a bow, the animal must be caught and killed and brought back where it will then be prepared for the feast.”

“We already have more than enough food fo-” Madam Barlo started but Brandt cut her off.

“The way I understand it it is more of a symbolic gesture,” Brandt explained and was startled to hear a low growl of warning in Riya’s voice. Before he could ask a Satyr man walked up to them and bowed low to Brandt.

“Are you prepared for the hunt?” he asked as he attempted to keep the malicious smile from playing on his lips, he hid it by offering a small bow.

“I can use any weapon I please except the bow correct?” he asked looking at the satyr, tactfully ignoring the man’s almost abortive attempt at hiding the smile that was creeping in his voice.

“Indeed, any weapon, though I warn you the killing blow needs to be done by hand.” He said, head still bowed. Brandt nodded, and reaching into a pouch at his belt he pulled out a strange knife, it looked like it had two blades, one where Riya expected it but the other was where the handle should have been and was a mirror copy of the blade, in the center there was a circle where the blades were attached to, in the center of this ring was a hole. Brandt slipped his middle finger through the hole, and with a motion of his fingers, he started the strange blade spinning. With a strange flicking motion, he kept the blades rotating in his hands and quickly it picked up speed blurring into a silver circle from the speed and causing a soft hum as the blades spun in his hands.

“I am ready, let the animal out.” He said, not letting his eyes off of the caged Hasu, the Satyr smiled this time and raised his hand, when it dropped the cage was opened and the animal darted out with a speed that blurred its figure as it ran to the trees.

It was going to get away.

And Brandt was not doing anything, was he not even going to try?

Half a heartbeat later his hand whipped out, palm up fingers flat and it was then that Riya noticed the spinning blade was gone. A pained wail broke from the animal’s mouth and it stumbled, end over end before coming to rest on its side, still breathing but not even trying to move. Casually walking over to the beast Brandt pulled the silver blade out of its front leg where it had just appeared, and almost casually stepped on its shoulder at the base of its neck and with his hands grasped the animal by the antlers, with a single quick pull the animal’s pained bleating stopped with a crisp pop as the neck was broken. He wiped the blade on the grass and replaced it on his belt, and leaning over he picked up the animal, threw it over his shoulder and walked back to the now stunned group of Satyrs.

“This brings back memories,” The king laughed.

“How so dear? ” his wife asked, looking at her husband.

“I remember when he had those things made by the blacksmith, you were what eleven?”

“twelve,” Brandt answered simply.

“Ah yes twelve, brought that out to hunt, told us he had no need for a bow, I dare say none believed him, but the master of the hunt was curious, the looks on the faces of the Satyrs if you don’t mind me saying so remind me of how we all looked, there was this elk you see, large animal before anyone could even get an arrow knocked the animal just fell, neck cut clean across, throat slit from ear to ear, and in the wood of a tree behind it that blade was buried, could hardly see the blade at all for how deep it had sunk.”

“I threw it much too hard.” Brandt nodded laughing, everyone including Riya just stared at the two of them. He turned and looked at her eyes curious, “So my predator, what now?” he asked looking at Riya.

“Now we retire to the Cham as the meal is cooked and prepared, flatface.” And to hide her blush she turned away and walked towards the main gate so they could get back into the courtyard, back to her Cham, no there Cham, and to do…

She blushed, he might not be the man she had dreamed off, he was too different, not quite ugly like she had first told him, though perhaps she had believed it then, now she didn’t know, she might be seeing him in a different light. Perhaps someday she could truthfully claim she was attracted to him, glancing back she found her eyes go to the bend of his legs, the flatness of his teeth and then the small eyes human seemed to all have, and those ears. No, perhaps she would never find him attractive, but she was willing to admit that he was not exactly ugly either.

Just different.

At least with him, she would never have to wonder at which days she might be able to get with child, there was no way that would happen, humans can’t have children with Satyrs. The thoughts brought a shadow across her mind, she like almost all females had at one point in her life looked forward to having a family of her own, one complete with children, now, however, that was an impossibility, she would never have children.

With a sigh she pushed past the leather flap of the Cham and entered, it had been tidied up after her morning of preparations the furs that she had used to sleep on the previous night were now spread for two. And behind her, the Cham flap opened and closed to allow access to the person who would be sharing her furs with her. Without looking at him she walked back to the Cham’s entrance and secured the flap with a rawhide strap. Turning back slowly she found him looking around the Cham.

“So is this the normal set up of a tent?” he asked looking around.

“Tent?” she asked rolling the strange word around in her mouth when he gestured to their surroundings she was able to divine that by tent he meant the Cham. “No, this is the bridal Cham, after this, we will be in a full Cham.” She slowly sunk down on the furs and moved her tail out of the way; it was flicking back and forth with agitated movements. Slowly he walked over and sat down next to her, his breathing came out a little faster as he sat down on the hides by her.”So,” she said, her voice a little shaky.

“So,” he agreed his breathing slowing, deepening.

“Are we going to do this?” she asked taking a deep breath and smoothing out her skirt.

“I suppose so,” he took a deep breath, “Unless you want to hold off,” she shook her head, and stood, with slow motions she pulled her skirt off dropping it to the floor and revealing her legs he noticed the fur on her legs ended somewhere near mid-thigh, her skin was a bronze color, showing she had spent time outside in the sun. She then undid some tie in the back of the top and dropped it to the floor in a neat pile of blue, with slow motions she turned around in a circle showing him her full form.

Narrow waist, wide hips, and a good amount of lean muscles that covered her naked body, she also had shoulders a hair too wide when compared to human women, as for her breasts they were practically nonexistent, they were just small mounds of flesh that rose a few inches from her chest, and they were topped with golden colored peaks that seemed to be the same shade of color as the color of her hair and fur. Speaking of fur the fur on her legs were not the only place she had fur, as she turned he noticed the short fur covering her entire back from the neckline down to the tail that swished back and forth where it ended just above her behind. Her posterior, shoulders and arms, and entire front, however, was entirely devoid of fur, with the exception of the golden curls that resided between her legs.

With her tail swishing back and forth the golden tail twitching back and forth in nervous jerks. “What do you think of your new wife flatface?” she asked with a nervous laugh.

“Not bad,” he said honestly, sure she was not human but she was also not the grotesque monster that was described in the castle books and art.

“Really?” she asked, her eyes lighting up with a strange mixture of hope and embarrassment and confusion.

“Really,” he said, “Your face is a little too angular, and the legs and tail really are really unsettling but I am sure I will get over them, for now, they have their own sort of charm to them, different but not bad, just different.” He answered as he undid the buckle of the armored coat he was wearing and slipped out of it to reveal a simple linen shirt that laced up the front and brown linen britches and tall riding boots that reached mid-calf. It was these that he leaned down to unlace first but she crouched down and deftly began pulling the boots and woolen hose off.

“So strange,” she murmured as she looked down at his feet, they looked like hands almost, but different, misshapen the fingers were too short and not in the right place and besides the biggest one all of them curled down slightly. He laughed and she looked up at him, she offered him a sharp-toothed smile and he offered one of his own, she slowly slipped her hand up the back side of his thighs and calves until her hands rounded the back side of his rear and her hands curled around the lip of his trouser and her hands slid around to the sides of his hips and with a smile she pulled down on the pants, ignoring the buttons on the trouser front. As she pulled them down they got stuck on his growing erection causing him to grunt as she continued to pull them down.

Soon he was free and the pants no longer holding him down his manhood stood up tall and straight. She eyed it with a speculative look in her eyes. “I would say it is too big but we already found out that it would indeed fit didn’t we?” she said with a nervous laugh.

“To big?” he laughed, “I’m not small, but I am also not the largest of men.” Her blue eyes widened as she took this in.

“I have been too many weddings seeing as I am the daughter of the chieftain, and you are the largest by far I have seen.” He laughed at that.

“Well, that is one way to inflate my ego.” He laughed deep in his throat. And with a single motion, he pulled the linen shirt up and over his head. Pulling back he stepped out of the pants that had gathered on the floor of the Cham, and just like her he turned around slowly allowing her to look him up and down. “So, how do you like your new flat-faced husband?” he asked with a smile.

“Not bad,” she said with a slow nod to herself as she looked him up and down, even as her eyes kept going back to his manhood. “Not too bad at all,” she laughed, ”You seem to be two-toned however, it would seem that you need to spend more time outside, it is a strange thing to have the entirety of your legs ” leaned back on the bed of furs, her wide legs spread revealing the treasure hidden between and looking at him expectantly. It was tempting to simply dig right in, but he resisted the temptation, every woman even Satyrs women deserve the best first time they could have. He knelt down in-between her legs, using his hands he slowly opened her legs up wide, allowing him to settle in between her legs, not doing anything simply sitting there.

He leaned in and gave her a kiss, his mouth lightly touching her own and his tongue pushing in and running over the smooth sharp surface of her teeth. Slowly she parted her teeth and her small rough tongue came out to play. Pulling back he kissed her in between her big blue eyes and once more on the lips as he moved down leaving a trail of kisses, one on her chin and then one on the small of her neck, and down her throat and on her collarbone, and down to the top of her small breast. She shivered as he neared her mounds. slowly, taking as much time as he felt she needed he began to massage.

His hand reached down and roved over her nipples, rolling the now straining nubs in between forefinger playfully as he used his tongue to swab out the area in between drawing a wet line down between the small quivering mounds.

She pulled him back up, nuzzling his neck, running her hands through all of his long red hair, amazed at the softness of it. He bent down to kiss her, gently at first, but as his lips neared her own he felt passion flare to life in his soul, like he was meant for this one moment, meant for her. He lifted her upper torso off the furs, pressing her bare skin against his own. Riya wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly like she was worried he would simply vanish if she let go. She removed her lips from his and went back to nuzzling his neck with a soft rumble in the pit of her stomach. Brandt’s hand drifted down to stroke the flesh there, feeling the purring rumble that was emanating from her through his fingertips. The fingers rose from her stomach to her ribcage.

She was so overwhelmed by his hot breath on her skin and the burning warmth of his touch that she threw her arms around him and fell back into the furs, pulling him with her. Brandt gladly laid down, his body half covering her own. His seeking lips once again found her mouth and he resumed kissing her. The hand on her belly moved back to the underside of her breast, and she gasped again, still not used to the feel of someone’s hand on her the way his was. She paused a moment, her blue eyes wide as she looked up at him.

Brandt gazed back at her steadily, before dipping low to kiss her cheek. As he nuzzled her soft skin his hand moved up and fully enclosed her breast against the palm of his hand. He squeezed gently fondling her, and Riya groaned softly when she realized how good it felt. As she moaned his hand on her breast grew bolder, with a quick motion that caused her to gasp he pulled away from her mouth, and his mouth was on her soft white cleavage, his other hand still caressing her flesh. With a growl, his hot mouth descended on her hardening nipple, suckling.

She cried out softly as his tongue rolled her nipple around, stimulating her flesh in a way she never knew it could be stimulated. He had somehow pushed his way further in between her legs, and she found she could do nothing to stop him, nor did she want to, everything he was doing was new and wonderful and wicked.

She craved it.

She held his head against her chest, as if nursing a starving child, each movement of his tongue sending bolts of dangerous excitement shooting through her body. He moved from one to the other, leaving the damp breast wet with his saliva stinging and cold once exposed to the air of the Cham. from where he was he could smell the delicious musky scent of her womanhood, and it was then that something inside him snapped. He slipped lower and grabbing her bottom with both hands he pressed his face against her lower lips, tasting her even as his hand trailed lower and softly tangled in the golden ticket between her legs.

She shrieked, it was a very unwomanly sound as he put his entire face between her legs. His tongue glided over every surface of her, into every crevice of her lips, and then inside. It was this that was her undoing, his tongue slipping inside like it had when they had been at the mating ceremony, only this time it was not so tender, or rather it was but in a wholly new way.

Something was happening in the region between her stomach and her lower lips, she could feel it pulsating and growing, pulling back he pushed a finger into her, and she was surprised there was no pain, in fact, she groaned softly at the pleasure. Realising how ready she was Brandt found he could no longer resist claiming her, she was his, his lioness.

Which made him the Lion.

Lifting himself up he found her lips once again, and she tasted herself on his tongue, musky and warm. He arched his back, using one hand to guide himself into her. Thrusting with his hips he buried himself halfway in the first move, and then completely on the second. Beneath him, the purr turned to a soft cry as she felt him enter her for the second time that day, she didn't know if she would ever get used to that feeling.

It only took her a few thrusts before the feeling that had been building for the past few minutes came to a head, and she gasped as she climaxed. Brandt could feel her pulsing around him, throbbing, pulling, milking him. And it was the most supreme struggle of his life to not answer.

He would but not yet…

***

Lira gasped and shot upright, looking around she found herself alone in the bedroom, the throbbing feeling still there, and a dampness between her legs that she could not attribute to sweat.

Gods, she needed to find a way to control this, there had to be a way to handle these flashbacks, these glimpses of her previous life. With a groan, she turned sideways and hung her legs out of bed.

And froze.

She had known, she had remembered, but seeing them again…

With a sigh she lightly stepped out of the bed and only wobbled a little, it was progress. She needed Leon, now, she could feel the heat in her core from her memory, she needed him. And so slightly stumbling she went off in search of her soul mate.