Prince Of The Logos

Prince of the Logos By Mary Winter

Chapter One Another beautiful day, and I’m stuck inside like a servant. Amelle frowned a she stirred the concoction bubbling in the pot once more, wishing she didn’t have to do mundane chores. She looked out the glass window, which was the only extravagance in the humble cottage. Her mother picked herbs in the garden. Amelle knew Daria Morningrose had been a great healer once. She had cured noble and common alike of their illnesses. Amelle knew her mother spoke of a lover, her father, who refused to share his life with Daria and her unborn child. She didn’t want to end up like her mother. She wanted more. With a sigh, Amelle wiped damp strands of her blond hair out of her eyes. Sweat plastered her thin blue gown to her body, turning the fabric nearly sheer. She stirred a pot of soup, then switched spoons and stirred a pot of dye that sat bubbling next to the soup. She wanted to be outside tending the garden or perhaps making a trip into town for her mother, but Daria always gave her an endless stream of chores. Yesterday she had been on her hands and knees with lye soap scrubbing the floor of the cottage, just because it had to be done once a week. I just want a day off. Daria spends half a day each week working at her weaving. Why can’t I have the same kind of leisure? She watched as her mother bent over the cabbage patch, frowning at the tender young plants. Daria looked at the leaves of first one plant, then the next, a grim expression on her face. Turning her attention back to the pot, Amelle’s sour expression mirrored her mother’s. They needed the cabbage and all the other vegetables in the garden, to get them through the winter. It wouldn’t do to have them eaten by some rodent. The stew’s tempting aroma filled the cottage, and Amelle’s stomach rumbled. She had eaten a slice of bread with a bit of honey for breakfast, but now the sun eased towards the horizon, and Amelle was hungry. She thought about stealing a ladle of stew, but the stew needed to last them for the week and she knew her mother had carefully measured out each portion. It doesn’t matter how hungry I am. Daria would beat me if she

caught me with even a crumb that she hadn’t given to me for a meal. She sighed. When she went to the village for supplies, she heard stories of women baking cookies and of cuts of meat so tender they melted in the mouth. There never had been enough money for such delicacies. Amelle wanted a different life. She fought back a pensive sigh as she watched her mother fuss over the garden. The villagers would see to it that her mother was well taken care of while Amelle traveled, as she had always wanted. She glanced down at her body that was outlined by the sweaty dress. She was tall, with high, firm breasts and rounded hips. Her blond hair fell nearly to her waist, and she couldn’t imagine that a knight or a noble wouldn’t want her if she could make it to the King’s castle to meet one. Amelle glanced outside the window again in time to see her mother straighten and march back into the house. Turning back towards the pot, she tried to shove her dreams of a prince away. Her mother sniffed the air. “You haven’t been stirring the stew correctly, have you?” She stepped forward, depositing her armload of root vegetables and herbal leaves on the table. “I told you. Stir three times, then wait for the broth to still, and then stir three times again. You’ve been beating this poor stew to death.” Daria snapped at her daughter. “You stupid girl! You’ve been daydreaming again!” Amelle looked at her mother. Daria had once been stunning, but now time shoved streaks of gray through her blonde hair, and her body had thickened with age. Amelle knew that her mother meant well, so she simply nodded. “I’m sorry, mother,” she replied. Daria walked over to the simmering pot and peered inside. She gave two delicate sniffs, and then grabbed the spoon from her daughter’s hand. “Something has been feasting on our cabbage,” she said. “Why don’t you take care of it? If it’s a rabbit, perhaps we can roast it. “Yes, mother,” Amelle replied. She didn’t relish the guard duty, but at least it got her out of the cottage. And she did need to protect her mother’s cabbage plants. She also feared what her mother might do to her if she failed. Beatings with a birch stick might be the least of her worries if she didn’t get rid of the hare. Grabbing the broom from its post in the corner, she carried it outside. From inside the cottage, Amelle heard her mother singing an old minstrel tune, and once again, she found herself wondering what kind of

life her mother had lived before she had been born. Once outside, Amelle breathed deeply. She glanced over the manicured garden with its rows of flowers and herbs beside the kitchen garden. Beans climbed a trellis made of stakes. A pumpkin plant sprawled its leaves into the lawn. Careful not to step on the pumpkin vine, Amelle walked into the middle of the garden where the cabbage plants grew. The dirt felt warm beneath her bare feet, and she glanced from the garden to the forest beyond. Amelle knelt by the cabbage plants, noticing the daintily nibbled leaves. Motion in the yard caught her attention, as a bunny hopped past, nibbling on fresh new grass. The rabbit raised its head and twitched its nose. The small rabbit, one of this year’ s babies, glanced at Amelle, then bounded away into the forest. Amelle watched it go. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that her mother still stirred the stew and hadn’t seen the lapse in judgment. Amelle wished the young rabbit well. It looked too small to have done much damage to the cabbage plants, and the tiny creature needed all the help it could get. She leaned back in the grass, knowing that the rabbit wouldn’t return as long as she sat by the garden. The sun warmed her, a gentle breeze drying her sweat-soaked dress. She closed her eyes, feeling the heat and the fresh air seep into her bones. Perhaps she should head off to town on her own, she thought. Maybe even to the King’s castle. She didn’t need to be cooped up in her mother’s cottage. With that thought in mind, she drifted into a sleep.

***** Something soft brushed against Amelle’s cheek, and she sneezed as she felt feathery whiskers on her face. Opening her eyes, she saw that dusk had fallen. A glance back at the cottage showed a candle burning in one of the windows. She turned her head and saw a large wild hare sniffing her. She stifled a yelp. The hare jumped back, regarding her with an intent stare from a few feet away. Amelle levered herself to a sitting position. The broom lay beside her, and she thought about picking it up to shoo the hare away. Surely this hare with its cunning stare had been the one to eat their cabbage. Come with me. She heard the summons in her mind, a low, masculine voice that sent shivers all the way to her toes. The voice sounded husky, like the imagined voice of her prince, and Amelle shook her head to clear it. She rose to her feet.

“Go away,” she growled at the hare, bending over to pick up the broom. “Quit eating our cabbage.” She shook the broom at it, expecting the creature to turn tail and run like any normal wild animal. It stood its ground, and she could have sworn it was laughing at her. Come with me. The summons sounded more insistent this time, like the press of a man’s strong hand against her back. Amelle closed her eyes. She glanced back at the cottage, knowing her mother sometimes worked long into the night, forgetting to even have supper or be sure her daughter ate. She stepped towards the hare and then stopped. I’m not allowed to go into the forest. Mother forbid it. Amelle breathed deeply and looked back towards her house. Glancing again at the hare, she found herself torn between what her life always had been and what it could be. She softly shook her head. Someday she would leave and find a real prince. Until then, she had to behave. She stepped back, broom held in front of her like a weapon. It’s impossible for a beast to speak in my mind. Completely impossible. She glared at the hare. “Shoo,” she hissed. It remained still. Not even its nose twitched. You’re not imagining things, and who says you won’t find a prince in the forest? Amelle stared wide-eyed at the hare. It had spoken to her. As crazy as it sounded, this hare had spoken in her mind. Am I crazy? Will I be burned as a sorceress? All thoughts of fleeing to the King’s castle and taking refuge fled. If she were crazy, no one would want to harbor her, and she would be stuck here with her mother for the rest of her life. No. I refuse to believe this. She swung the broom at the hare, narrowly missing the tips of its ears. The creature stood its ground, the twitching of its nose the only movement in the waning sunlight. A ray of light caught the wild hare, turning its homely brown coat into burnished copper. The sun played over its fur, highlighting the subtle hues. She’d never seen another hare look as this one did. It was gorgeous, and Amelle stepped forward to touch the creature. Mother wants me to kill it, but I can’t. Not when it is as beautiful as it is. Mother leeches enough beauty from this place. I’m a grown woman now. I can make my own decisions, can’t I? The hare remained completely still. Bending over, giving the hare a good view of her unbound breasts through the gaping neck of her dress, she lightly touched its back. It didn’t move, so she caressed it again. This was no ordinary animal, Amelle knew that

much. If the hare stayed here it would die. Amelle couldn’t let that happen, not while she was here to protect it. If the creature wanted her to go somewhere, then she would go. “Where do you want me to go?” she asked, her voice sounding small and frightened. Her heart pounded in her chest, and sweat dampened her palms. Her mother warned her about the woods. When she was younger, she played and swung amid the leafy branches like a woodland nymph, but when her woman’s flow had begun, her mother kept her away from the forest. If the forest was so dangerous, Amelle wondered, then why did her mother build the cottage so near? The hare’s nose twitched twice, then it bounded into the forest. Amelle followed, catching glimpses of it as it waited for her. She paused at the edge of the trees, the lengthening shadows filling her with fear. Your prince awaits you. The words were spoken in her mind with such clarity that Amelle jumped. She pressed a hand to her throat, feeling the rapid beating of her heart. There, on the path in front of her, sat the hare. The wild hare turned his head, giving her such a human stare that Amelle blushed. Suddenly, she was aware how she looked. She wore a dress made of fabric so thin the outline of her breasts clearly showed, and when the sun hit the material the flimsy fabric hid nothing. Her hair, once twisted on top of her head, now fell in disarray around her shoulders. Instinctively, her hand reached up to touch the fallen coif. “I’m in no shape to meet a prince, little hare,” Amelle said as she walked forward, feeling foolish for talking to a forest creature. You’re beautiful. The hare stared at her as she drew closer. The words could only have come from the creature. Amelle’s hands shook with the realization that a hare had been speaking in her mind. Maybe I should go back and forget about all of this. Mother thinks I daydream too much as it is. If she knew I heard voices. Amelle shuddered and turned to see if she could see the cottage, half wanting to return. The trees obscured it from her vision. I’ve come this far; I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see where the hare is leading me. The hare leapt forward twice, then waited for her to follow. Amelle stared hard at the creature. It had told her a prince waited for her in the forest, and she really wanted to find a prince. I’ll come back before mother realizes I’m gone,

she promised herself. In her daydreams, her prince was handsome, with broad shoulders and lean hips. She stopped walking, imagining him standing on the path in front of her dressed in the finest royal livery. Closing her eyes, she savored the image of his full, kissable lips. In all her dreams, he would reach for her, stroking her hair. She felt it, the strong hand pulling the last of the pins from her coif to let her hair tumble around her shoulders. With gentle fingers, he would comb through her tresses. She felt the gentle weight of a man’s fingers in her hair, and slowly, she opened her eyes, imaging his heat as he stood behind her. “Your prince awaits.” The masculine voice whispered in her ear, his hot breath sending shivers down her back. Amelle gasped. She turned and saw a man standing behind her. He reached out, caressing her hair, his hand lingering to cup a rounded buttock as he stood behind her. “Oh,” Amelle said, and then darted away. Whirling, she faced him. “Who are you?” She drank in his form. His shaggy reddish hair fell to his shoulders, a mane as thick and full as any horse’s. His chest was bare, revealing whorls of the same, reddish-brown hair between his pectorals and in a line that arrowed down towards the leather leggings he wore. The leather cupped his muscled thighs and calves, caressing like a lover to disappear into leather riding boots. Reluctantly, she dragged her gaze back to his face. “Kanin,” he said. He stepped forward, his gaze hungry. Amelle shivered. Beneath his stare, she felt her nipples growing hard. He stopped in front of her, and she thought she would die if he didn’t touch her. She looked at him, at his full, kissable lips, and knew she wanted to taste him. “Are you… Are you a prince?” she asked in a breathy voice. Kanin laughed. His masculine chuckle filled the air. “If you want me to be,” he said. Reaching for her, he caressed her cheek, sending another shiver darting through Amelle. Her limbs grew heavy, and a curious warmth began between her legs. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, the pad sliding over her lower lip. She parted her lips at the action, a kind of awareness tingling through her body. With her tongue, she tasted him. It wasn’t unpleasant, and she swirled her tongue around the end of his thumb, drawing it deeper into her mouth. Kanin stepped forward, his free arm wrapping around her waist to pull her to him.

He pulled his hand away, replacing it with his lips instead. His lips slid across hers, a gentle coaxing that soon had her wrapping her arms around him. He drank from her, his lips moving across hers with the feel of silk. With the tip of his tongue, he traced her full, bottom lip, and Amelle opened her mouth under his ministrations. The gentle probing of his tongue awakened a heat inside her. I never knew it could be like this. She slid her hand across his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her palm. He smelled like the woods, a sweet musk that tormented her. She didn’t expect him to be so gentle. The soft brushes of his lips against hers reminded her of butterfly’s wings. Mother warned me away from the boys on market day. I cannot imagine why if it feels so wonderful. She sighed into his mouth and hesitantly touched his tongue with her own. He groaned then, crushing her against his hard chest. He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. Amelle wrapped her arms around him. Reaching up, she twined her fingers into his soft hair. It felt like the softest silk against her fingers. His hard body pressing against hers only reminded Amelle of her maidenhead. I’ve never done this before. How do I know if I’ve done it right? Cupping the back of his neck, she pressed her lips tighter against his. He slid his hand slid down to her rear and pressed her against him. Through the leather of his breeches, she felt his hard cock. She wanted to gasp in surprise, but only managed to fuse her lips tighter to his. Where his shaft pressed against her, heat burned. From her lips to her pussy, tingles of awareness darted through her body. She wanted more. The thought surprised her, yet she found herself powerless to resist his sensual onslaught. His other hand went to the back of her neck, holding her still. He pulled back, sucking in a gulp of air, and then he kissed her again at a more intimate angle. She felt him around her, in her, as his tongue trailed along the length of hers. She felt herself grow wet between her legs, and when he pressed her against him, she moaned into his mouth. Kanin fought to restrain himself. After so long, he finally had Amelle in his arms. Part of him wanted to lower her to the soft ground and take here there beneath the trees, while the other part of him warned him he had to take it slow. He tried to ignore the pounding of his cock and focus on the moment.

Slowly, Kanin slid his hand up her side to cup her breast through the thin fabric of her shift. He massaged his thumb against her already hard nipple, and Amelle shivered. She pulled back, gasping for air. Questions swirled through her mind, like why she hadn’t seen Kanin before. There seemed to be other people around, but she couldn’t see them, nor did she see the hare that she had followed. The idea of kissing Kanin in front of an audience made her feel self-conscious, and breathing raggedly, she stepped away from him. His hand slid from her flesh, and she nearly whimpered from the loss of contact. Slowly, she trailed her gaze from his hair tousled by her hands, over the flat hard planes of his chest, to his breeches where the evidence of his arousal was clearly outlined. She glanced at the ground and saw two hares, both white as snow, sitting not far from his feet. They looked up to him in adoration. She glanced from the hares to him. He followed her gaze, scowling at the two hares. “Raina. Tilani. Go!” he ordered in a voice so soft Amelle wondered if she had even heard him. The two animals scampered off into the underbrush. She looked at him in shock. “What are you?” She asked, wondering what kind of man would have hares waiting at his feet. She thought again about the rabbit that had led her into the woods, its voice in her head, and how the rabbit had disappeared into the forest. “I am Kanin,” he said with a heavy sigh, “King of the Logos.” “The Logos?” Amelle asked. He nodded. “The Logos are an ancient race of people. We are shape-shifters.” Amelle gasped. “The wild hare,” she said. She stepped back, wanting to flee from Kanin, but stopped. “What do you mean?” Kanin held out his hands. “I change my form between that of man and hare. For the most part, I am a man, but when it suits me, such as to visit you outside your cottage, I am a hare. I could shift right now if you like.” The prospect of facing it head-on scared Amelle and she shook her head. She’d believe him. The stories he told seemed too fanciful to be real, and now she knew why her mother had warned her away from the forest and its inhabitants. He stepped forward, the quick movement like the leap of a hare, and grabbed her arm. “Do not run from me, Amelle.” His eyes held pain, and she wondered if her actions

had hurt him. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “Stay with me. Be my queen. I have watched you for many months, and you deserve a life so much better than what you have. I will not be cruel to you like your mother. I can give you everything your heart desires.” His eyes darkened and his voice grew husky. “Everything.” Amelle shivered. She wanted to be his queen. For a moment, she closed her eyes, envisioning herself leaning forward and placing a hand on his chest. She wanted to believe him and admitted that a part of her wanted to run away to be with Kanin, but she couldn’t. He wasn’t a real prince, not the kind she was looking for anyway. He would never take her to the King’s castle where she could dine with Lords and Ladies. This is why mother warned me away from the forest. I’m better off running away to the King’s castle, at least there I wouldn’t be surrounded by creatures that can change shape at will. Amelle shook her head. “I can’t. Please take me home.” “You can’t want that,” he said, his lips perilously close to her ear. He stroked her earlobe with his tongue. Leaning forward, he pulled the pad of flesh into his mouth. He sucked. His hot mouth and warm breath tormented her ear, and Amelle whimpered. Moisture flooded her pussy. She’d never lain with a man, but right now she wanted to explore all the delights his body offered. She closed her hand around his upper arm. Muscles bunched beneath her fingers, and she stroked the hard flesh so very different from her own. Kanin speared her ear with his tongue, causing her to shiver. She clung to him, her other hand flat against the solid wall of his chest. His male nipple pressed against her palm, and slowly, she rotated her hand against it. “Princess,” he breathed as he pulled his lips from her ear. His fingers skimmed her side to brush the outer edge of her breast. Her nipples ached for his touch. “Please stay with me. Take your rightful place as my bride.” His words stilled her racing heart. “I can’t.” As much as she hated returning to her mother and the never-ending chores, a sense of duty drove her to step away from him. Mother may treat me as if I’m no better than a scullery maid, but at least she doesn’t change shape. Besides, she can’t keep me imprisoned in that cottage forever. “Not yet anyway,” she whispered, looking down at her feet. I could refuse him easier if mother didn’t yell at me all the

time. Kanin sighed. He fisted his hands at his sides then released a held breath. “You’ll change your mind,” he said. “I know you will.” “Maybe,” she replied. Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and she touched a finger to them. “But not right now.” Kanin nodded. “Very well then, Amelle. I’ll take you back, but I’m not giving up.” He stepped forward and brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “Follow me.” He said nothing further, merely turned and started back down the forest path. Amelle watched him for a moment. Surely he’ll stop and wait for me to catch up. It wouldn’t be gentlemanly for him to just leave me standing here. As if he read her mind, Kanin turned. He smiled, a slow seductive smile that sent heat curling to her toes. “If you keep standing there, I’ll believe that you don’t want to leave.” He held his hand out to her. Amelle scurried to meet up with him. He extended his hand to her and reluctantly Amelle took it. After their kiss, touching Kanin seemed to be the last thing she wanted to do. I’m only holding his hand. I can do this. The feeling of his warm fingers surrounding hers reminded Amelle of the sensation of being kissed. Kanin led her down the forest path, and Amelle tried not to look into the trees beyond. Insects and night birds called to one another, and beneath the canopy of trees shadows moved. She shivered. “No one will harm you, Amelle,” Kanin said. “I am the ruler of the Logos. The forest obeys me.” He spoke with such authority that Amelle found herself believing him, even as she wondered how one ruled the forest. In the distance, she saw the break in the trees. Her home. She looked at the man walking next to her. For a moment, his proposal ran through her mind. To stay with him meant she didn’t need to return to her mother and the drudgery of work. She swallowed hard. I have to go home. Kanin is a rabbit, not a prince. She sighed heavily as they stepped through a break in the trees. Moonlight illuminated the cottage, bathing it in a silvery glow. Kanin stopped. He turned to her and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. “Please think about my offer,” he said. “I have wanted you for so long, but I will wait for

you to come to me. I promise.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. Amelle pulled back, startled. His words touched her and she willed herself to be strong. “I will,” she said. Biting her lip, she wondered how long she would really consider his offer. She took a deep breath and stepped away. Without looking back, she scurried across the cool grass. She paused outside the cottage door. Looking back, she saw Kanin standing by the forest. He watched her, and she thought she could feel his gaze running the length of her body. Slowly, she opened the cottage door and slipped inside. Rough snores coming from down the hall told her that her mother had gone to sleep, believing her daughter still held guard over the garden. I doubt she would have been upset to find me fallen over in the grass from exhaustion. Moments later, she tucked herself beneath her blankets.

Chapter Two She lay in bed, resisting the urge to look outside and see if Kanin still stood by the forest. Through the thin wall, her mother’s snores drifted to her ears. He said he would take care of me. He is a prince after all. Her resolve crumbled as she remembered his mouth on hers, his hands on her body. Her lips tingled. Her pussy moistened, and she trailed a slender finger over her collarbone. Shivers of awareness darted through her body. “Kanin,” she whispered, circling a taut nipple with her finger. The memory of his palm against her breast filled her body with warmth. She pinched her nipple lightly, gasping at the sudden sparks of pleasure that filled her. With her other hand, she reached up and caressed her other breast, until both nipples were hard peaks. She slid her hand over her abdomen. The soft fabric of her dress moved beneath her hand, again evoking images of Kanin. She laid her hand over her sex, and heat radiated into her palm. Pulling up her skirt, she quickly slid a hand beneath the waistband of her under drawers. She ran her fingers through the thatch of blonde curls, and then lower, until she stroked her outer lips. Running a finger along her seam, she felt the moisture pooling in her quim. She slid a finger inside. Wet heat surrounded her digit. Closing her eyes, she imagined it was Kanin’s finger, that he lay beside her, his body naked to her touch. She knew that his sure fingers would stroke her pussy. She traced the opening to her vagina with her finger, and then trailed it up to her clit. She forced herself to lie still, not wanting to wake her mother. Slowly, she circled her clit, pressing lightly on the hood that covered the sensitive organ. Her breath came in tiny pants through her parted lips. Oh Kanin, she thought as she pulled her finger away from her clit. She thrust it into her, imagining how hard and long the Logos’s penis would be inside her. In her mind, Kanin fucked her. He lay over her, his body hard above hers. If she raised her hand, she could lay it flat against his chest. His offer burned in her mind, his

body and his royalty for one small act of defection. She wanted him. She wanted to be free of her mother and free of the unending chores. Kanin wouldn’t work her, not in the kitchen anyway. She added a second finger to the first, the rhythm of her hand quickening. Her juices coated her finger and her hand made a soft sucking noise as she pumped. Heat burst inside her cunny. Her muscles tightened around her finger. She gasped softly, and then used her thumb to press against her clit. A tiny whimper emerged from her throat. Her mother’s snoring stopped. Amelle’s hand stilled. Oh my God, mother’s awake. The thought nearly made her pull her hand from her pussy, but she stopped as she heard a snort, then a steady snore through the wall. Amelle breathed a sigh of relief. She stroked her pussy again, her arousal quickly rebuilding. Her inner muscles tightened, and then suddenly a great pleasure burst through her body. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, but Amelle didn’t care. If her own fingers could make her feel like this, then she wondered how much better Kanin could make her feel. Shudders raced through her body, the last of them subsiding. She sank into the mattress, feeling sated. Her eyelids drifted closed. Maybe I should reconsider Kanin’s offer. The thought filled her mind, and then she was fast asleep.

***** Her shoulders ached. She’d woken feeling like a new person. Her juices from the night before had dried on her finger, and as she washed up at the pump she couldn’t help but think of Kanin. Her thoughts quickly vanished beneath the hard work, and now, standing at the drying racks for the herbs, she’d tried hard to forget his offer. Amelle reached up to fasten the branches above her head to dry. Her nose itched from the scent of so many drying herbs, and she felt the heat from the fire warm her back. Still, she knew Kanin wouldn’t force her to perform such hard labor. He couldn’t. He was a Prince, and surely he had servants to do all this work for him. She reached up again, the motion pushing her breasts against her thin cotton tunic. Closing her eyes, she remembered Kanin’s kisses. She sat down on the stool, rubbing her shoulders. Her mother walked in. “Are you done with those yet?” she ordered.

“Almost, mother,” Amelle replied. She wished her mother had shown more gratitude for the help she received, but doubted Daria had shown gratitude in all her life. “Well quit daydreaming and finish up. That beastly rabbit was eating at my flowers this morning. I want you to kill it. You‘re not to come back inside until it‘s gone.” Without waiting for a reply, Daria turned on her heel and left. Amelle gasped. Kanin, she wondered, then shook her head. Aside from Kanin and the two white bunnies at his feet, she knew there had to be hundreds of real rabbits in the forest. It could have been any one of them. She finished hanging the last few bunches of herbs, then stepped into the garden with her broom. Daria nodded at her, and seeing that her daughter was on duty, went into the house. Night had fallen, and still Amelle hadn’t seen the rabbit. She glanced back at the cottage, smelling the wood smoke from the fire. She shivered, wanting to go back inside, but fearing her mother’s wrath. Lying down on the cool dirt, she closed her eyes. It wouldn’t be bad, she thought, to sleep beneath the stars. Perhaps I don’t have to kill him. Maybe I can convince him not to nibble on mother’s plants. There has to be other. . . A caress woke her. She felt a hand against her thigh, moving slowly up and down over her soft flesh. Phantom lips pressed a kiss against her lips, and Amelle sighed. The hand slid higher, across her hipbone to cup her breast. Her nipple hardened instantly. “Kanin,” she said, her voice a sleepy murmur. “It is I, my love,” he replied. Amelle opened her eyes to see him lying beside her. The moonlight highlighted his hair and glinted off a silver medallion at his neck. Again he wore no shirt, and she felt the supple leather of his breeches when his leg brushed hers. He leaned forward and kissed her. His lips claimed her, branded her with his heat, and she placed her palm against his chest to steady herself. His skin felt warm beneath her touch. With his tongue, he traced the seal of her lips, and she parted them for him. A tiny moan erupted from her throat when he squeezed her nipple. Her body felt hot and damp between her legs, and when Kanin leaned forward, sliding one of his legs between hers, she arched up against it. He groaned. “Come with me,” he said, his hand trailing from her breast over her stomach.

“What?“ Amelle asked. “Come be my wife. Leave this place.“ He paused at her waistline, his fingers a light caress through the fabric of her skirt. Pulling his lips from hers, he drew in a ragged breath, then began raining kisses over her neck. He dipped his tongue into the hollow of her collarbone, and Amelle gasped. She felt his hand sliding farther down, pausing at her hip. She whimpered as he angled his hand towards her quim, and when he touched her there, he silenced her cry with the press of his lips. Amelle bucked beneath him. She pressed her aching pussy into his touch, her flesh warm and pliant beneath his fingers. Her nipples hardened against his chest, and through the thin material of her dress she felt the rough texture of his chest hair. He smelled like the woods and a fragrance that was all his own. Mother doesn’t care about me. I could run off and do whatever I wanted and she wouldn’t care. The traitorous thought filled her mind as Kanin slipped his long fingers beneath her dress to stroke her pussy lips. “So soft,” he whispered, his finger tunneling through her wetness. Amelle gasped as he caressed the sensitive nub of flesh there, and she clenched her hands on his shoulders. I could go away. I could be his wife. Her thoughts shocked her into stillness. Kanin raised his head from her chest to look at her. “What is it, princess?” I’m not a real princess because he isn’t a real prince. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t.” Tears threatened to sting her eyes, but she blinked them away and hoped in the darkness Kanin hadn’t seen. I want to travel, see places, visit the King’s Castle, and Kanin is only prince of the forest. I cannot allow myself to be lost in him. The cottage door opened. “Amelle,” her mother’s voice cut through the air. Amelle and Kanin went still. “What’s going on out there?” Daria asked. “Nothing,” Amelle asked. She glanced beside her, and instead of a virile man, she saw a large wild rabbit. She wrapped her hands around it and picked it up. The creature squeaked. She pressed the creature to her chest and rose to her feet. “I have the rabbit, mother.” “Kill it.” Her mother’s sharp words split the air.

Amelle looked down at Kanin, who was now in his hare form in her arms. I can’t kill it. It’s just a bunny, and when it’s not being a bunny, it’s Kanin. After all that he had made her feel, she couldn’t kill the rabbit. Dread filled her. “Oh, Kanin,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.” He bit her. His teeth sank into the tender flesh of her forearm. Pain shot through her arm, and she stared in shock at the creature in her arms. Amelle shrieked, dropping the creature to the ground. Kanin landed on his feet, then bounded into the forest. She saw the flash of his white tail before he disappeared into the forest. Blood dripped from her arm, and she held her hand to the wound, walking towards the house. “You lost it, you stupid girl,” her mother said. “Let me bind your wounds.” Daria grabbed her daughter’s arm and hauled her inside. Her mother’s rough treatment contrasted with Kanin’s gentle touch in the yard. She stared out the window at the forest and hoped he was safe. He may not be a real prince, but he can take me away from all of this. Amelle refused to let her mother’s behavior bother her. I’ll be gone soon. Kanin should be safe in the woods. Tomorrow night, she hoped he would come again, for this time, she knew what her answer would be. I’m sorry, my prince, I’ll never hurt you again.

***** Throughout the day she did her chores, but her mind wouldn’t stay confined within the four walls of the cottage. With every thought she worried about Kanin. Surely he knows it was my mother that made me act that way. I would never harm him. I don’t think I could have killed him anyway. She knew that once night came again, her mother would send her out into the yard to try and kill the rabbit again. She sat there in the grass, the soft blades cushioning her through the thin material of her dress. Night birds warbled. The sound soothed her. Already, the moon had moved across the sky, and she hadn’t seen Kanin. Had her mother scared him off, she wondered. She glanced down at the wound in her arm, and knew he had a right not to come. Rising to her feet, she stared at the forest. Dark shadows moved beneath the limbs of the tree, but Amelle didn’t care. She strode purposefully forward. If he won’t come to me, then I’ll go to him. The darkness of the forest called to her, concealing her from the house. She stepped

onto the path, glancing into the darkness. Slivers of moonlight filtered through the trees, giving her just enough light to see by. Even so, she moved carefully along the path, careful lest a tree root or other obstacle trip her. She moved into the forest, glancing behind her until she couldn’t see her mother’s cottage any more. “Kanin,” she called, careful to keep her voice from carrying. “Kanin.” Silence answered her. Please Kanin, I’m so sorry that I threatened you. She stepped forward, bolder now that she was out of sight of her mother. Her skirt snagged on a low bush, and she yanked at it. The material tore, the rent stopping mid-thigh. She glanced at her skin, milky white beneath the light of the moon and smiled. She yanked on the skirt again, satisfied to hear it rip to the waistline. Someone watched her. She felt it in the darkness. The path ended in a clearing, and she thought it had been the same place where she had met Kanin. She felt eyes, hundreds of pairs of eyes on her. Stopping, she glanced around and saw no one. Off to one side, the brush rustled. “Kanin,” she said, stepping towards the source of the sound. “I’m here.” She yanked her tunic over her head, revealing her bare torso to the night. A sound suspiciously like a groan came from the brush. She stepped out of her skirt, feeling as if she had gone too far to turn back. Naked, she stood waiting for her lover. He emerged from the trees, as naked as she. She let her eyes hungrily gaze over his chest, to his lean hips. She glanced away from his hardening cock, instead trailing her gaze over his long, muscled legs. Only then, did she rest her eyes upon him. His rod was hard, a phallus meant for a God. It was thick and long, and Amelle felt her body grow damp just from looking at him. She stepped forward, her lips parted. “Kanin,” she said as he halted in front of her. “I’m so sorry. You know I—“ He pressed two fingers against her lips. “Shhh. I know. I’m glad you came,” he said and kissed her. He stepped back, touching her arm with the wound. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. Sometimes the rabbit takes over and I can’t stop myself,” he said, lifting her arm to his lips. He nibbled along the inside of her wrist, towards the wound he had made. He laved it with long strokes of his tongue that Amelle felt deep to the core of her. “Stay with me,” he said, “be my bride.” “Yes,” she replied in a breathy voice. I’m sure Kanin will take me places I’ve never

dreamed. “Are you sure?” The hesitancy in his voice warmed Amelle and cemented her position. “Yes, Kanin, my prince. I’m sure.” Kanin released her arm. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her and crushing her against him. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and she felt the thrust of his hard cock against her stomach. He kissed her, not a gentle, sweet kiss, but a kiss hot and hard and full of hunger. She moaned as his hand drifted down to cup her buttocks and bring her into even closer contact with him. A need to touch him bore through her, and she ran her hands over his back. She clenched at his shoulders, holding onto him, as his tongue stroked her lips. Rocking against him, she wanted him to touch her all over. Her body ached for the touch of his fingers, and she felt wet and needy. Kanin pulled his lips away, and she whimpered with need. He trailed kisses over her neck. He kissed the center of her collarbone, dipping his tongue into the hollow. The sensation made Amelle shiver, and she clung more tightly to him. His lips trailed down, until he took the turgid peak of one of her breasts into his mouth. Amelle cried out. She slid her hand over his chest. Kanin suckling at her breast evoked sensations she had never felt before. “Oh,” she said when he nipped her, then used harsh strokes of his tongue to enflame her even higher. She rocked her hips against him and smelled the musky scent of her arousal. His ministrations made her forget all about her mother’s cottage and the abuse she suffered there. She wanted to be with Kanin, have him make her feel like this forever. Wrapping an arm around him, she tangled her fingers in her hair and held him to her breast. I don’t want to go back. I want to stay with him. She ran the flat of her palm over his nipple, feeling Kanin shudder in response. He switched his attentions to her other breast, bringing up a hand to caress the one he had just kissed. His free arm wrapped around her waist, crushing her against him, and she made little mewing noises, as his fingers tormented the nipple his tongue had just touched. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his shoulder. She bit him lightly, drawing a growl of pleasure from his lips. His hands swept behind her, one at her shoulders, the other around her waist. He pulled his lips from her breast long enough to pick her up,

then he was kneeling, and she felt a soft, down comforter beneath her. Amelle glanced up at the trees above her, then reached out and ran her hand over the comforter on the ground. She had no idea how it had gotten there. Kanin had conjured it for all she knew. Then his lips were on her again, trailing between her breasts towards her navel, and she clenched handfuls of the comforter. He paused just above the curls between her legs and looked up at her. She saw the naked desire in his eyes and shuddered. “Do you want me?” he asked, his husky voice caressing every nerve ending. “Yes,” she said, her voice a husky sigh. “Make love to me, Kanin.” “Yes, my lady,” he said a moment before he slid his tongue along the outside of her folds. She arched, feeling his tongue slip into her wetness. He lapped at her, coaxing cries of pleasure from her lips. When his tongue found her clit, she screamed, her cries of passion echoing in the forest. He suckled it, drawing it into his mouth. She writhed against his face. Her fingers tangled in his hair. Intense pleasure rippled through her. Again and again, he nibbled and suckled her clit, and she bucked against his face. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to contain the pleasure building within her body. Suddenly, release overcame her, pounding wave after wave of ecstasy through her. She sighed, her hands sliding from his hair. He lifted his face, and Amelle saw his smile of pure male satisfaction. He moved over her. Her eyes grew wide as she felt him press against her entrance. He slid in slowly, her wetness enveloping him like a tight sheath. He groaned, and Amelle gripped his shoulders. She felt his iron control. He slid in further and stopped. His eyes flew open. “You are a virgin?” he asked. His voice held reverence. Amelle nodded reluctantly, afraid he would pull away and deny her the pleasure of making love with him. “Don’t stop,” she urged. He pressed a quick kiss against her lips. “I will try to make the pain brief,” he said, then claimed her lips in a hard kiss. He moved forward. She felt a pain as he pressed through her barrier, and instinctively, she stiffened beneath him. Kanin held himself still. His muscles trembled with the effort, and when Amelle thought he could restrain himself no longer, he pulled out slowly. He paused again at her entrance and then slid forward.

Amelle braced herself, expecting another pain, but this time pleasure shot from her center. “Oh,” she cried out as he surged into her. He pulled out, and this time, when he speared her, she arched up to meet him. Her hands trailed over his back to his hard buttocks. Her body felt on fire. Her nipples ached where they brushed against his chest, and the sensation of his shaft moving within her made her clench her inner muscles against him. She clung to him feeling lost in a maelstrom of desire. She came again, passion exploding within her. Her body rippled, tremors cascading through her. Her cries filled the forest. Kanin stiffened above her. With a guttural cry, he came. His hot juices bathed her insides sending little tremors racing through Amelle. She felt his body shudder above her. He looked down at her and brushed his lips across hers. “You are mine,” he whispered then he gently moved to lie beside her and held Amelle in his arms. A while later, after their breathing had returned to normal and they felt the urge to move, Kanin rose to his feet. “We will go to my house now.” Amelle smiled. She rose to her feet and dressed, noticing that Kanin’s leggings were lying beside the blanket. She knew he had come out of the forest naked, but shrugged her shoulders. The blanket had appeared out of nowhere, so why couldn’t his leggings? He took her hand, and his grip felt warm. Tingles shot through her fingers at the contact, and they smiled at each other. “It isn’t far,” he said, and led her down a trail. She walked along a manicured path, noticing several rabbits bounding out of the bushes to see them. She glanced from the wild bunnies to the man beside her. “Do you know them?” she asked, not quite comfortable with the idea of her lover as a shape-shifter. Kanin laughed, the chuckle radiating warmth throughout her. She could have sworn she heard twitters coming from the forest as if the rabbits too were laughing at her comment. “They are my subjects. They brought the blanket for us, just as they brought me my pants. I am King of the Logos. You are their queen. They want to see their beautiful queen.” He stopped her then, turning her to face him, and kissed her. His lips moved across hers, as hungry and possessive as they had been in the clearing, and

Amelle felt her body respond. She pulled away, breathless. “But how can you shape shift?” she asked, and then remembered her mother warning her away from the forest because of the creatures in it. “Are you why my mother wouldn’t let me into the forest?” It seemed odd that her mother wouldn’t want her around a bunch of rabbits. She nearly chuckled aloud. Kanin brushed his fingertips across her cheeks. “My beautiful Amelle. I am special, a creature of the Gods. There are those of us who turn into great stags, and those who become birds in the sky. My kin and I become the creatures of the earth. The Horned God and Earth Mother have blessed us in this way so that we might be closer to her. Your mother is a healer, is she not?” Amelle nodded. “Then your mother has the old blood in her too, the blood of the children of the Gods when they walked the earth before man took over. Only one with the old blood can be a mate to us, as you are to me. Your mother did not want to lose you to the old people like she had lost her heart to them so many years earlier.” “Her heart?” Amelle asked. Things were starting to make sense in her mind, her mother’s affinity for herbs, the reason why the cottage was so close to the forest. A possible reason for her mother’s intense bitterness. “Yes, my father tells the tale of a beautiful woman Daria, and how she fell in love with a Logos male. She wanted him to return to the city, to live like a man, but he refused and she refused to come live with him. So, she went back to the land of man to bear her child. That child is you, Amelle, and now you have come back to the Logos. Had your mother stayed, she would have been our queen.” “Then –” She stepped back, thinking that Kanin’s father must have been king before him. They couldn’t be related. As if he read her mind, Kanin chuckled. “No. Our new King is chosen when the previous King passes on. We are not related.” She sighed with relief. “My home is just around this bend. Come.” He held out his hand, and Amelle gratefully took it. He led her around a bend to a small cottage. Wildflowers grew out front and a vine covered with bright, purple flowers climbed the walls of the stone building. She saw a bench out front, where someone could sit amid the riot of color and

enjoy the beauty. A vegetable garden, not unlike her mother’s, grew to one side, and she noticed it was full of cabbage and carrots, with lesser amounts of other, common vegetables. “It’s beautiful,” Amelle said. Her mother’s cottage sat like a blight in the middle of the meadow. The garden looked like someone ripped into the earth to plant it instead of working the plants into nature as they were here. It looked like the cottage she would want to have, if she could have planned such a thing on her own. She turned to Kanin and kissed him on the cheek. She tried to stifle a yawn, but their earlier activities combined with the walk made her tired. Kanin scooped her into his arms. “I have a soft feather bed inside,” he said, “and it’s perfect for the two of us.” She murmured her appreciation and laid her head against his chest. Beneath her ear, she heard the steady pounding of his heart. Once inside the cottage, Kanin stood her next to the bed. He quickly stripped her of her skirt and tunic and then laid her down on the bed. It was dark inside the cottage, giving her little chance to look around. On the path, the moonlight had lit their way, but here the bed sat in a corner away from the windows. Kanin had drawn a curtain around it, and she thought of the little bunnies that had followed them. Apparently the Logos were curious about their King’s activities. He smoothed his hand down her right leg, pausing to circle his fingers about her ankle. He wrapped something around it, fastening it tight. Amelle yawned sleepily. He moved to the other ankle, wrapping cloths around it as well, and she pulled her leg back, but the rope held taut. “What is it?” she asked. Her eyes flew open and panic threatened to overwhelm her. She lay in the middle of his large bed with her legs spread open. “I’m sorry,” he said, sitting next to her. Amelle felt the bed dip beneath his weight as he stretched out beside her. He gathered her hands into his own. “You are my Queen. You cannot return to your home. “So you bind me here?” With her legs parted, her sex was exposed to the air, and she felt it grow damp. The sensation focused her attention on her pussy, and she wiggled her hips to try and alleviate some of the pressure. Kanin’s eyes followed the movement and he bit back a groan. “Do not move,” he said splaying his hand on her hip. “I would like to taste your

sweet honey again, but you were a virgin, and if we enjoy ourselves too much you will ache.” Even as he spoke, his hand slid over the fur covering her quim, and she gasped as his fingers stroked her wet outer lips. Amelle tried to be mad at him, but with him touching her, she found herself wanting to see what would happen. She shivered. He kissed her temple, then stretched her arm above her head and fastened both hands. “I cannot have you running away. Not before the wedding ceremony.”

Chapter Three “Wedding?” she squeaked. The motion of her arms above her head pressed her breasts forward, and between her legs, heat burned. “Yes. We are to be married according to Logos custom.” Kanin picked up a blanket and tucked it around her shoulders. “Sleep, Amelle. You will need your strength.” He brushed his lips across hers, and then she felt him shed his leggings and stretch out naked beside her. She ached to touch him. Pulling at her bonds, she could only move her hands a few inches at the most. “Please,” she said, her quim still burning from his earlier touch. “Make love to me.” Kanin turned on his side. He pressed his lips to her temple. “Shhh. You need to rest. I don’t want to make you too sore.” “I don’t care,” Amelle said. She shifted restlessly against the sheets. “I want to feel you inside me. Please, Kanin.” “Ahh, my sweet princess, I cannot resist.” He bent forward and brushed his lips across her own. With gentle touches he tasted her, sliding his tongue into her mouth to devour her completely. Kanin moved between her thighs. His rigid cock pressed against her slick opening, and Amelle groaned with pleasure. Her body burned for him. She ached to be possessed by him, to feel his shaft inside her. If she were going to marry him tomorrow she wanted to be completely consumed by him. Arching her hips, she sheathed him further inside her. Kanin pulled his lips from hers. “Wait,” he said. “I want to make it last.” “If I’m to be your wife, we have the rest of our lives,” Amelle countered. “We do at that.” He dipped his head and kissed her as he thrust home. He rode her sweetly, each stroke sending her higher and higher. Amelle closed her eyes, still not quite believing that this handsome prince had come from the forest to claim her. She reveled in each touch of his fingers, each nip of his teeth.

And when she exploded beneath him, she looked up at him as he did the same. My Prince, she thought, and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

***** Amelle woke to a light tickling sensation along the inside of her thigh. She sighed, lifting her body towards the sensation. Warm breath blew across her exposed nether lips, and a tremor shot through her. She opened her eyes, peering down her naked body to see Kanin’s chestnut head between her thighs. “What are you… ooh!” Her query ended as he stroked his tongue along her outer folds. His tongue lapped at her like a kitten sipping cream, and Amelle clenched her hands into fists. She felt his hands wrap around her waist, holding her still for his ministrations, and she couldn’t help the cry that burst from her lips. Her nipples hardened into peaks, sensitized by the cool morning air. She wanted to wrap her legs around him, pinning his marvelous tongue down there forever, and bucked against her bonds as the fantasy consumed her. The fact that she couldn’t only enhanced her desire, and when he touched the tip of his tongue to her clit, she nearly came. Taking deep breaths, she closed her eyes as wave after wave of sensation washed through her. He pulled away, making her whimper. He crawled up the bed, taking great pains so that she felt his hard organ. She whimpered again, making Kanin chuckle softly in his throat. He paused, brushing his erection against her pussy. “Fuck me,” she moaned, feeling her own wetness. She wanted to lift her hips, to slide him deep inside her, but the restraints kept her from moving very far. “My dear, you need to learn how to be obedient like all good Logos wives.” He chuckled softly at her words. Amelle whimpered in frustration. Her body ached with not being able to have him. A tender ache began in her sex, radiating throughout her body. When Kanin straddled her, she devoured his nakedness with her hungry gaze. She wanted him to move backwards and thrust into her, not caring how hard or how fast. She burned to feel the slide of his shaft inside her wet velvet sheath. Instead, he straddled her head, feeding his turgid shaft towards her mouth like a tender sweet. She glanced at it, eyes wide in wonder. A small drop of fluid leaked onto the purple

head, and she lifted her head, wondering what he would taste like. A stroke of her tongue and she might have known, but he leaned back out of reach. His shaft bobbed. “My dear, you need to learn how to be obedient like all good Logos wives.” He straddled her head, again offering her his cock. “How,” she said, suddenly painfully aware of her inexperience. “Gently.” He reached down and threaded his fingers through her hair, bending her neck. She touched him with her lips, an innocent kiss that made him close his eyes and lean back. “Your tongue,” he said, his voice suddenly ragged. She leaned forward, lightly brushing her tongue across the head of his organ. He moaned, a sound so full of desire that she repeated the action. Emboldened by his response, she licked along the sensitive underside, swirling her tongue to retrace the route along the other side. Kanin dove his fingers into her hair, holding her in place so her mouth could work its exquisite magic on his flesh. The wanton sounds coming from Kanin only aroused her further. She paused, feeling it touch the back of her throat, and swallowed hard to keep from gagging. She pulled back slightly, and then began to work him in and out her mouth like she wanted him to move in and out of her body. She didn’t know if her actions were correct, never having done such a thing before, but with Kanin kneeling above her, the cords of his neck standing out and low moans coming from his chest, she knew whatever she did caused him pleasure. Amelle closed her eyes. Easily, she could imagine his thick cock stroking her, touching the deepest part of her body. A trickle of moisture ran down her thigh, and she whimpered around the shaft in her mouth. She wanted him. Her body ached for him, and to service him while she lay open only made her ache all the more. “Oh God,” Kanin groaned. He pulled away. “I have to be in you now.” Amelle agreed, and she moaned as he pulled away, and slid over her body. Kanin moved between her legs, sliding into her hard and fast. Amelle screamed, her hips bucking beneath him. She felt her inner muscles squeeze around him. Moments later she came, her release ripping through her like a tidal wave. She screamed, wanting to clutch at anything to anchor herself. Kanin thrust once more, then he stiffened above her. She felt his hot seed splash her insides, and he slumped on top of her, breathing heavily.

He rolled to one side, cradling her as best as her bonds would allow. “Today,” he said, his breathing ragged, “is our wedding day.” Amelle shivered. She closed her eyes and wondered if she would be tied up for the wedding too. A hot spike of pleasure coursed through her at the thought.

***** Hours later, Amelle cursed her pleasure at being tied up. After we’re married, how do I know he won’t use me like my mother? There’s this cottage to clean to begin with. Amelle shook her head. She didn’t want to think like that, not with Kanin being so nice to her. But, she couldn’t stop, even though true to his word, Kanin had helped her bathe, dressed her in a gown and fastened restraints around her neck and wrists. She sat slumped at the base of a pole. Her bare bottom rested against the wooden floorboards, warmed by the sun shining through the window. A metal collar around her neck kept her affixed to the pole, and shackles kept her wrists chained. At least I can walk around in a circle. She felt like a dog bound to the corner of a porch. She wore a thin white shift of light diaphanous fabric. It concealed her nakedness, yet as the light slanted through the window, it illuminated her form, rendering her nearly naked to the gathered guests. What she saw outside the window horrified her. A stag, packs draped across its back, walked into the clearing. Suddenly, the image of the stag wavered, leaving a naked man standing in his place. He picked up the packs and dressed as if there were nothing wrong with standing naked in a stranger’s yard. Perhaps there wasn’t, for a beautiful swan landed not far from him, shimmering into a woman with a fall of long silver-white hair to her ankles. She must have known the stag-man, for he offered her a gown, which she donned. More creatures arrived. Thankfully, none were predatory. She caught a glimpse of Kanin, looking handsome in a pair of leather breeches and vest, as he greeted a trio of large rabbits. The three transformed into lithe young women, whom he hugged and gave chaste kisses on the cheek in turn. A frown worried her lips. Must I share him with the whole of the animal kingdom? From the woods came two young men that Amelle recognized as two otters that had arrived earlier. They carried an arch of twined willow branches and set it in the front yard. Women immediately rushed around it, decorating it with flowers.

It seemed such a mundane task, and if creatures weren’t transforming into people, she would think it was a normal village wedding. Nothing about this wedding is normal. She looked wryly at the chains on her wrist. She watched them continue to decorate the willow arch. I’m going to be stuck here, just like I was stuck in my mother’s cottage. This isn’t right. I shouldn’t have come. I should have run away instead. My father wanted to keep my mother in the forest, that’s why she left. I will not do the same. I will not let Kanin keep me as a prisoner. That’s where I’m going to be married, she thought, and couldn’t surpass a shiver. One of the hare maidens set a crown of small willow branches on Kanin’s head, then stepped back to admire the view. Amelle tried to stop the smile that quirked the corners of her lips, but seeing Kanin standing there with a willow-branch crown on his head, she couldn’t suppress the emotion. She allowed her eyes to wander over the broad planes of his chest, down to his narrow hips encased in the brown leather leggings. He turned, giving her a view of his muscular butt. The door to the cabin opened. Amelle watched as a young girl entered. Looking at her, Amelle thought she looked like one of the rabbits. The girl wore a white cotton shift nearly as translucent as her own and carried a basket. When she set the basket down, Amelle saw the woman’s reddened nipples, and the dark thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs. The young woman seemed not to mind her near nudity or Amelle’s curious gaze as she stopped beside the post. “Kanin asked that I ready you for the ceremony.” “Ready me?” she asked, her mind conjuring up the horrors of the Logos’ wedding rituals. “I have brought your wedding dress.” She returned to the basket and pulled out the most beautiful garment that Amelle had ever seen. The white dress had slim straps and a low cut bodice. Someone had taken great pains to embroider roses along the hem of the dress and on a thin piece of fabric that would fall between her breasts. She realized the material was of the same, translucent fabric that the girl was wearing, and that everyone would be able to see her nudity. Amelle blushed. “It’s—it’s—” her mind refused to supply her with words. The young girl chuckled. “A bit much? I know, but Kanin has exquisite taste. My name is Meredin, by the way.” “Thank you,” Amelle said. “Can you tell me a bit about the wedding? What should I

expect?” Meredin gently laid the dress over the basket and walked over to sit beside Amelle. “Do not worry. There will be a simple ceremony. Kanin will claim you in front of everyone and then we will feast and dance.” Her eyes lit up. “It is beautiful.” Meredin sighed. “I wish I could be the one marrying Kanin. All the girls do really.” Amelle found herself empathizing with the young Logos. She found Meredin just like the young village girls she’d met when she traveled with her mother. Girlhood fantasies seemed to be the same at any age. “Claim me?” she asked, unclear of that part of the ceremony. Images from last night rose unbidden in her mind. She remembered Kanin kneeling over her face, his cock inches from her lips. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a moment of ecstasy, as she daydreamed about swirling her tongue around the large, purple head. Her breathing deepened and her lips parted. “Oh, not that kind of claiming,” Meredin said with a giggle. “Don’t worry. Let’s get you into this dress.” The young Logos’s words brought Amelle back to the present and a flush crept over her cheeks at being caught fantasizing about Kanin. It was awkward, with her chained and shackled, but luckily the dress had many small fastenings, and soon, Meredin had her dressed in the flowing gown. Amelle looked down at herself, seeing the blush from her nipples through the fabric, the tiny chain of roses connecting the bodice of her dress. The skirt had many slits so that as she moved, her legs could be seen, and the thin fabric left little to the imagination. Apparently the Logos had no taboo on nudity, something Amelle knew she would have to get used to. Kind of like their being able to shape shift. She felt the silken fabric against her skin, and the gentle friction caused her nipples to harden. Closing her eyes, she felt the tug of a brush through her hair. The gentle action relaxed her, as the young women deftly plaited and bound her hair into tiny braids all over her head. The door opened with a creak, and she looked up to see Kanin standing in the doorway. He looked at her, his gaze hungry with desire. “Leave us,” he ordered, and Meredin ceased her brushing. She gave a conspiring wink to Amelle, and then darted out the door. “Kanin,” she said, watching as her future husband crossed the floor with long

strides. He knelt beside her chair, his gaze taking in her legs bare beneath the skirt and her nipples pressing against the fabric. Gently, he laid his hand on her leg. The simple motion sent heat rushing through her, and when he slipped his fingers through the fabric to caress the insides of her thighs, she nearly cried out. He parted the fabric of her dress to reveal her bare legs. Leaning forward, he kissed the top of her leg. She felt the heat from his lips like a brand. Placing tiny sucking kisses along the inside of her parted thighs, he enflamed her with gentle nips of his teeth. Amelle felt herself growing wet and knew that he could smell the musk of her arousal. She parted her legs, inviting him to kiss higher, and he obliged, sliding forward. He trailed his tongue along the outside of her swollen lips. “Oh princess,” he said, punctuating each word with a tiny lick. “It is going to be so good between us.” Amelle couldn’t agree more. The bliss she had experienced in his arms only whetted her appetite for more. He slid his tongue into her quim, finding the tiny knot of pleasure. He licked it, drawing the swollen bead between his lips. Her fingers flew to his hair, twining there as if to hold him to her forever. As his tongue and his lips worked magic on her heated flesh she wondered if marrying him might not be such a scary proposition after all. Kanin lifted his head, and Amelle saw that her juices coated his lips. In the village, brides weren’t allowed to see their grooms on their wedding day, not until the ceremony, and now she knew why. She slid to the edge of the chair, parting her legs even further. “Why did you stop?” “Who said anything about stopping?” Kanin rose to his feet and quickly shed his vest and leggings. He stood gloriously naked in front of her, and then knelt between her parted legs. Amelle kissed him. She tasted herself on his skin. Kanin clasped her hands and drew her from the chair to sit in his lap. He leaned back, his cock thrusting into the air between them. “I want you my sweet princess.” Amelle’s insides quivered as she looked down on his hard phallus. With reverence, she reached out and stroked her fingers along the length. No prince could be a finer specimen than her Kanin, and biting her lip in concentration she rose over him. Her quim hovered over his shaft, and she looked into his eyes. The chains on her bonds

hung taut between her and the post “Ride me,” Kanin said. “Ride me like a wild stallion.” Amelle chuckled. She caressed his length and rubbed her thumb over his slit. “You are a rabbit not a horse, though you may be built like one.” “Then imagine me as a giant rabbit upon which you ride. We bound through the meadows together.” “You mock me,” she said. She lowered herself so that he brushed against her pussy, and slowly, she lowered herself on his cock. Kanin clasped her waist, his hands nearly spanning her slight frame. Amelle rocked her hips, relishing the feel of his shaft inside her. She looked down at him, at the love shining on his face, and knew Kanin was happy to take her as a bride. Her lips parted and she breathed heavily. Kanin groaned. The muscles rippled in his arms as he guided her motion. She pumped faster, her muscles tightening around him as her orgasm neared. “Oh, Kanin, yes,” she gasped as her body exploded in pleasure. Kanin surged into her. He groaned, a low sound of satisfaction, and she felt him come. He shuddered and his hands lightly stroked her. “Oh, Princess, everyone is happy for us, Amelle. Will you agree to be my wife?” The raw need in his eyes nearly took her breath away. She forced her gaze away from him, out the window where someone set up a table laden with food. Slowly, she rose from him and sat again in her chair. Although they’d just made love, her body ached for his touch. She had told him before that she would marry him, but now chained in his home, she didn’t know. “Meredin told me that you claimed me in front of everyone, Kanin. What does that mean?” She glanced back at him, wanting to know the answers. “And why do you keep me chained here? My mother told me that my father wanted the same thing from her and that’s why she fled. I will not be your prisoner.” His gaze darkened, and Amelle felt as if he were touching her through her clothes. “I will make love to you in front of everyone. The public proof of our binding, when done at the ritual time, binds us together. You are not a prisoner, love. This is for your own good.” “For my own good? In front of everyone?” Amelle squeaked. She wanted to scurry

away from Kanin, to hide from him and his suddenly too rough desires. The Logos seemed a frightening people, with strange customs and rituals. She looked in Kanin’s eyes and knew he spoke the truth. “I cannot become your wife,” she said. She remained looking at him long enough to see the hurt pass across his features, then he stood, dressed and left the cottage. “I want you to let me go. I want to leave.” Amelle slumped against the pole. Grief washed through her. Feeling her eyes sting with a need to cry, Amelle stared out the window. She watched as an older man walked up to Kanin. The two men spoke, then Kanin shook his head. He wore a dejected air, and she tried not to think about how much she had hurt him. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more of the wedding preparations. It wasn’t right, she thought, to keep the bride shackled before her wedding day. She thought again about Kanin’s reply that they were going to make love in front of everyone and shivered. Her thoughts combined with her earlier exertions made her sleepy and she drifted into a fitful nap.

***** A light touch on her arm woke Amelle. She blinked sleepily, seeing Kanin standing in front of her. Leaning against the pole, she felt the rough wood against her face. Kanin knelt beside her, his hand resting on her knee. “Amelle, sweetheart,” he said softly. “Hmm?” She asked. She focused her gaze on him, not wanting to look past him to the yard outside where the guests waited for their wedding. As wakefulness returned, she remembered that she was to marry him today. The wedding would end with Kanin taking her in front of all the guests. She pulled away from him. “What do you want?” “The guests are hungry,” he said. “We’ve a bountiful feast to serve, but the guests cannot eat until after we’re married.” He looked at her, his gaze hungry. Lightly, he wrapped his hand around her wrist and drew her to her feet. The fabric of her dress whispered, parting and shifting to reveal tantalizing glimpses of her skin. He trailed his fingers down her arm, sending electric sparks jolting through her. Her body betrayed her mind, her nipples hardening with desire. As he caressed her chin, drawing her gaze up to meet his, she felt warmth pooling low in her belly, and for a moment, she closed her eyes, wishing that he would make love to her. Surely, she thought for a traitorous moment, it wouldn’t be so bad to perform the duties of the wedding ceremony. Kanin surely would make it a pleasurable experience. As if he read her thoughts, he

dipped his head and kissed her lightly. “You’ve made love to me several times now. Why must we complete our union in front of everyone? Remember our first time, when the blanket appeared. Surely someone saw us then.” “I’m sure we were watched, but to complete the marriage we must consummate our union after saying the ritual words. It is the only way Logos are married.” Amelle swallowed hard. She stared at the shackles on her wrist, feeling as if she didn’t have a choice. She sighed heavily. Kanin reached out and trailed his fingers over her cheek. “You must consent to be my wife. It is Logos tradition. Please, Amelle, I want to marry you.” His voice turned husky. “I do not desire anyone like I desire you.” She wanted to believe it was so, wanted to lose herself in his arms. Glancing out the window, she saw the guests arranging themselves on the lawn in front of the cottage. Kanin slid his hand over her waist to where the folds of the skirt parted and he could caress her silky thigh through the fabric. “Are you scared of me?” he asked. His voice sounded desperate, as if he needed to find a reason why she wouldn’t agree to marry him. His fingers caressed the place where thigh and hip met, dipping until he touched the curls between her legs. Gently, with a single finger, he parted her folds and stroked. “I would do nothing to hurt you.” He touched her damp sex, his finger unerringly finding her clit. He began to rub it, causing Amelle to whimper. “In fact,” he said, rubbing harder, “I would give you great pleasure. You have already experienced that for yourself.” He touched her with a second finger. “I know that,” Amelle whispered. “Please don’t make this any harder.” She closed her eyes, trying hard to keep her moans of pleasure locked behind sealed lips. On their own, her hips rocked against Kanin’s hand. Her body ached for him, wanted to feel him buried deeply inside her, and she parted her legs. “I can’t,” she whimpered. With his other hand, Kanin cupped her breast, using his thumb to tease her nipple into a tight peak. “Why not?” he said. He stepped closer and slipped a finger inside of her. Thrusting it deep inside, he stroked her silken walls. “Come for me, Amelle. Come for me, and tell me you want to be my wife.” Amelle gripped Kanin’s shoulders. She rode his hand, crying out as he inserted a second finger into her. “No,” she gasped. “I don’t want –” her words faded away as

shudders ravaged her body. She looked into his eyes, saw his masculine smile of pleasure, and knew he felt her body pulsing around his fingers. Closing her eyes, she tried to control the force of her release and couldn’t. She leaned on Kanin, breathing heavily as she came. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. With feather-light touches of his lips, he kissed her cheek, her hair, her ear, anywhere he could reach. Amelle pulled away. “Not yet,” she said, grudgingly admitting even to herself that the idea of spending the rest of her life in Kanin’s arms sounded heavenly. “Can you unshackle me? I would feel more comfortable about our arrangement if I weren’t in chains.” She held up her manacled wrists to illustrate. “It seems an odd way to keep the woman you are about to marry.” Kanin pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Okay, but promise me you won’t run off.” Amelle nodded and sat down on the stool, hands held out in front of her. I’m sorry, my love, but I have to leave.

Chapter Four Kanin walked across the cottage, quickly returning with the keys to release her. He quickly opened the locks. “I have to mingle with the guests. When you are ready to go through with it, just come outside, okay? I hope you won’t keep me waiting long.” He balled his hands into fists at his sides, almost as if he wanted to reach out to her and didn’t. Without saying anything further, he turned and walked outside. Amelle watched him go. She watched him interact with the guests, a smile here, a nod and a quick word there. He seemed so at home among them. In their human forms, she knew not what they might be when they changed and watching the guests arrive had taught her that the Logos were a varied people. I think I might love him, but I have to go. I cannot stay here. The thought formed in her mind, rooted in her fear of staying. Where would you go? Her thoughts taunted her. She knew she couldn’t return to her mother. Daria would be furious at her daughter’s defection, not to mention the fact that she was no longer a virgin. Sighing deeply, Amelle knew she could probably find some kind of work in the village or beyond. Maybe she could ride to the capital and throw herself on the mercy of the King. Tell him of these strange creatures who lived in the forest. Her thoughts gave her confidence. She glanced down at her freed wrists, then back at the cottage. She saw no door except the one through with Kanin had exited. Rising to her feet, she walked towards the back of the cottage and the windows there. She wondered if she could get away in time, and shivered thinking of the shape-shifters in the front yard who would probably hunt her down at Kanin’s command. Taking a deep breath, she stopped in the corner of the cottage. A small window above the curtained alcove that looked as if it had been hastily set up as a privy drew her attention. The window looked wide enough for her to slip through, and better yet, when she turned she didn’t see the windows looking over the front yard. She glanced down at her dress. She couldn’t run away in that, yet she had nothing

else suitable for wearing into the forest. At least, she thought with a wry glance at the slits in the material, it would keep her legs free for running. Amelle stared at the window. Kanin had to understand her fears. He just had to. He’ d taken her away from her mother, from her life, presented her with his strange rituals and expected her to marry him. She supposed she could argue that her mother treated her far worse than anything she’d ever suffer at Kanin’s hands. Still, he had taken her choice away from her. She wanted to go to the King’s castle and find a real prince. Now she would never be allowed to leave these woods. She felt sure of it. Swallowing hard, she rose on her tiptoes and grasped the window ledge. It wouldn’t be hard once she opened the window to slip outside. A sense of triumph filled her. She flipped the latch open, then grasped the sill and hauled herself through the window. Glancing around, she saw no one in the back yard. She shoved herself all the way out, landing on the ground with a soft thud. Her heart hammering in her ears, she rose to her feet and darted away from the cottage. She ran towards the woods, afraid at any moment that Kanin or one of his Logos might jump out and haul her back to the marriage ceremony. She saw no one as she darted toward the cover of the trees. Keeping to the trails, she ran, winding deeper and deeper into the forest. Sweat ran from her in rivulets, dripping down her back and staining the delicate fabric of her dress. She didn’t care. Her need for freedom burned in her veins, hotter than Kanin’s passion. Somewhere, these trails had to lead back to a settlement, a farm somewhere where she could explain her plight and go back home. She remembered her thoughts about trying for the King’s mercy. She was young and beautiful. Surely there were other things for her in the world. Amelle slowed. Suddenly, she realized she didn’t want to go back home; she wanted to see the world, to be her own woman. She picked up speed again. How long she had been running, Amelle didn’t know. The knowledge that soon she would be her own woman, free in the world, gave her strength, so when she slowed, she noticed the angle of the sun had moved closer towards the horizon. Shadows lengthened beneath the trees. The trickle of a stream or a waterfall sounded up ahead, and Amelle decided to rest. She walked, the fabric of her dress rustling against the undergrowth. Glancing behind her, she saw nothing except more trees and the path down which she

had run. Amelle stepped into a clearing. A waterfall bounced down a pile of rocks to land in a cool pond. The water looked heavenly, reminding Amelle that she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink all day. Stripping her battered and sweaty dress from her body, she stepped into the pool. This would be a nice place to rest and think about what to do next.

***** Kanin glanced back towards the cottage. He couldn’t see Amelle through the window, and she hadn’t come outside to marry him. Worry gnawed at him, making him think for the first time in years that perhaps he had been wrong. He had watched her since she was a child, watched her blossom into the beautiful young woman she had become, and through it all, he loved her. He wanted to tell her, the need causing a physical pain in his heart, but he was afraid. She might think he had stalked her, that his love wasn’t real, and he didn’t think he could deal with that. He extracted himself from a giggling group of Logos maidens, magpies all in their other forms, and walked back towards the house. He crossed the yard and paused outside the door. Closing his eyes, he hoped he would find her ready to marry him. He wanted to join with her, to make her the Queen of the Logos, as her mother should have been, but the fear of rejection nearly kept him rooted in place. He hesitantly reached forward and opened the door. “Amelle?” he queried after he had stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Silence greeted him. “Amelle? Princess?” he called again. When no one answered, he moved into the room. He didn’t see her near her post, nor in the bed. Stepping around the corner, he saw the curtain to the privy area was open, and Amelle wasn’t in sight. The open window above the privy caught his attention, and with long strides he crossed the room to stand before it. He glanced out the window, seeing clearly now what had happened. A scrap of white cloth fluttered on the edge of the casement. Kanin reached for it, drawing it to his lips to kiss the fabric, his only trace of Amelle. I must go after her. There are others who would not be so kind to her as my kin and I. The thought galvanized him to action. Quickly shifting into his form as a rabbit, he bounded

to a shelf standing near the window. From the shelf, he propelled himself out the window, grunting as he landed on the grass. He sat there a moment, stunned by the impact, then took off down the path he saw winding through the forest. He had to find her. Racing as fast as his legs would carry him, he followed the path, hoping he still had time to find her.

***** Sunlight warmed Amelle’s body, drying the droplets of water still clinging to her. She lay naked on the shore of the pool, her eyes closed. Berries growing nearby had sated her hunger, and with her body clean and nourished, she simply let herself enjoy the moment. Kanin. A pang of loss shot through her at the thought of his name. He hadn’t meant to scare her, of that she was sure, but his ways were so different from her own. A part of her wanted to clothe herself in the wedding dress and return to him. She felt torn, between her own desires of freedom and Kanin. Taking a deep breath, she sat. Either way, she couldn’t stay here. She stared across the water wishing that it held the answer to her question. With twilight falling over the forest and still no farms in sight, she wondered if she had been foolish to run away. Kanin had shown gentleness to her, and surely the life he offered would be better than the life she had. Behind her, she heard the crack of a twig. She waited, unsure whether to move or remain still. It might be an animal in the forest, she tried to tell herself, but she felt a gaze on her back, tracing the long, line of her spine and the gentle curve of her buttocks. She glanced behind her. Kanin stood at the edge of the clearing. He was naked, and she clearly saw his partially hard erection. “Amelle,” he said, as if he didn’t believe he was seeing her. She nodded. He moved towards her, his strides powerful, and as she watched his body, she felt herself growing wet with arousal. She wanted him and felt like she betrayed herself. She rose to her feet. Her prince stood in front of her and she was too scared to reach out and grab him. Well no more. She reached out her arms and stood naked before him. “You’ve come to take me back.” The words were a simple statement of truth, not a

question. Kanin stopped in front of her. With a shaking hand, he reached out and caressed her cheek. His thumb touched her lips, and Amelle kissed it. She thought she heard him groan. “Only if you want to,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. He reached out and cupped her shoulders. Stepping closer, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Only if you want to, Amelle. I won’t hold you against your will.” She leaned into him. She felt the hardness of his shaft against her belly, and her body responded. Her breasts tingled where they pressed against his chest. Hesitantly, she placed her arms around him. “Do you mean that?” she whispered against his skin. “No more shackles. No more being bound against my will? I want to travel, to see places.” “I do,” Kanin replied. His hands dropped to her buttocks, and he pulled her hard against him. “I want you. I want you as my wife, but I will not keep you prisoner. I’m sorry I even tried.” Amelle looked up at him. “I am thankful you took me away from my mother, but please tell me that we won’t stay cloistered in the woods. There’s an entire world out there I haven’t seen, Kanin. I don’t want to be holed up in the forest, even if it means staying with you.” “Then we’ll see the world together. We’ll spend half our time with the Logos, the other half traveling. Oh, there are places I want to show you, my dearest. I love you, Amelle. I loved you the first time I saw you. I want you to be the Queen of the Logos with me, want you to rule our people with me.” Kanin caressed her hip, his hand moving higher to cup her breast. He flicked his thumb across her sensitive nipple. “Mostly,” he said, his voice husky. “I want to make love to you every night. I want to know that you are mine. My other form is that of the hare. You know how my kind are. There’s a reason why they say fuck like rabbits.” He captured her lips then, giving her no chance for denial. He kissed her, his lips and tongue demanding entrance. When she gave it, he swept his tongue inside, branding her as his. She moaned against his mouth, feeling him lift her. “Wrap your legs around my waist,” he said, his breathing ragged. She did, and he lowered her, impaling her on his hard shaft. He held her there, his body stiff. She clenched her inner muscles around him. Tears stung her eyes. Tears of joy

for the life he offered her. He steadied her with one hand. With his other, he reached up and wiped her tears away. “Will you marry me?” He flexed his hips, driving himself even deeper inside her. “Will you be the Queen of the Logos?” “Kanin, I—“ She gasped as he reached between them to tease her clit with his fingers. Kanin knelt on the ground and gently laid her back. The soft grass at the bank of the pond cushioned her, and he kissed her lips. The gentle stroke of his mouth against hers bespoke of his love, and Amelle closed her eyes as emotion surged through her. She could easily grow to love him. Suddenly, with his lips reverent on her skin, to be anything other than his wife was abhorrent to her. “Yes,” Amelle said, then as he slid into her once more. “Yes, yes.” “I love you, Amelle, my Queen.” He claimed her lips once more, a hard and demanding kiss that branded her as his own. Kanin caressed her breasts, his ministrations working her nipples into turgid peaks. He kissed her, telling her in actions how much he loved her. She lie there in the grass and let the rapture of Kanin’s loving wash over her. And as he brought her to a shattering climax, she knew she had finally found a prince she could love.

The End