A happy Ending for Eöl

Chapter 9: The Liberator

Caution: sexual violence

She paced up and down the dining hall long after the fire had died out, chills of uneasiness creeping up her back. It was late as she made her way to his bedroom and laid in his bed, inhaling deeply his scent on the sheets. Carried away in a feverish doze she woke up startled by the sound of heavy steps in the darkness. Before she managed to rise strong hands restrained her, tying her wrists together, squeezing the air out of her, and the cruel bite of the terror blurred her vision as another set of hands gagged her mouth with a filthy cloth. She managed a desperate cry, a hopeless howl for help as one of the attackers lifted her and threw her across his shoulder, the steel scales of his armour cutting through her flesh and the jerking of his steps bruising her, forcing the air out of her lungs. The intruders left in haste and though she fought desperately to breath, she let out another terrified scream before the world faded to blackness.

It was the blessing of breathing again, without the bruising moves of the armoured shoulder under her belly and the reeky cloth in her mouth, that made her come back to her senses. She opened her eyes, blinked confused, and figured out she was standing in a small room, supported by a firm arm around her waist - she was in a cottage or an inn, as the flickering candlelight revealed a stone floor, covered in straw, a simple table with a piece of bread and some meat in a wooden plate, two stools and a pillar, long braids of dried peppers and onions hanging from the ceiling. Turning around to see who is holding her she realized how bruised and hurt she was - her chest aching with every single breath. She froze as she recognized immediately the golden locks, the cool green gaze, and the confident smile, foreboding nothing good, of Eöl's human visitor. She remembered how he offered the elf gold to have her and the ice-cold chills of fear crept up her spine and made her knees weak. He didn't let her fall but pressed her even closer to his body and she felt his warmth - he was much warmer than the elf - under his lavish robes.

"Hello, Ahinora" he greeted, smiling predatory, his shapely lips baring his teeth, as if he was preparing to bite her.
"What is the meaning of this? Who are you?" she demanded, trying to conceal the trembling in her voice. It was difficult to be brave when she was held so close by this intimidating man, wearing only a nightgown, wrists still tied.
"Which side of me you want to be introduced to? The nobleman's son? The successful and shamelessly rich trader? Your ... liberator?" he said in low voice, mocking sparkles in his clear green eyes.
"I did not need to be freed. Lord Eöl was not holding me against my will" she said as firmly as she could and struggled to free herself from his embrace. He let her go and started pacing around her, measuring her up.
"So it is true then... My men told me that they found you in his bed, still soaked with his seed...What is it about elven men that make you all human women fall so easily?" he kept circling around her, scrutinizing her, an alarming note in his low voice, "Do you really think he will remember your name in few decades?"
"I demand that you release me immediately" she exhaled the words, gathering all the courage she had to look him in the eye. He halted in front of her, gently tipped her face up and she winced, thinking for a short moment that he would kiss her.
"You were a traitor to your kind, Ahinora, but now I give you a chance to redeem and be with one of your own. Stay with me. We will travel to my manor by dawn, and you can live in luxury for the rest of your life." his green eyes sparkling and enticing, but cold. He was tall and strong in a bulky way -yet not as tall as Eöl - and his features were handsome in a feline, menacing way. Silence stretched endlessly among them as he patiently expected her answer, still gently supporting her chin, his face so close to hers she could feel his heated breath.

"No. Let me go. Please."

"I urge you to reconsider your decision. By the end of the night, I will put my hands on the treasures of Nan Elmoth. The elf made the biggest mistake of his long life by denying me two things I desire and he should pay for that with his life. Who will you go back to?" there was warning and danger in his voice and she pulled away from him, horror weaving its ice-cold spiderweb around her heart.

"Please don't harm Eöl ... Please let me go back" he begged, swallowing the choking lump in her throat and fighting back the tears. It wasn't the punishing force of the hit or the unexpectedness of his move, nor the way her body hit the stone floor and the taste of blood on her mouth that scared her - it was the cool calmness in his eyes when he hit her.

"You want it this way? Fine." he said softly, cruelty in his voice as he pinned her squirming body down and started tearing her nightgown. "You refuse to lay with me in my silken bedsheets, then I will have you on the floor!" her bare breasts were at the mercy of his ferocious hands, kneading, pinching, squeezing. "You want to scream his name while I take you? Fine! To me it's only important that you scream!"

He captured her mouth in a bruising kiss, tasting her blood, his tongue aggressively parting her lips and venturing deeper possessively. She tried to fight back by pushing him up with her tied hands, but it was a poorly calculated move as he grabbed the rope and pulled her hands above her head, pressing them to the stone floor, making her feel even more exposed. He was kissing her brutally and her pleas were consumed by the heat of his mouth. Suddenly he pulled his face away and left her panting and hopeful that he would reconsider his actions and seize his attack. He tilted his head to side to enjoy the sight of her as searing pain shot through the sensitive parts between her legs. He had inserted his fingers inside her, stretching her violently, making her scream while he was watching her with a cruel smile, his hips moving in anticipation.

"See, this is what I want." he spoke, voice husky with arousal and covered her neck and nipples in hard kisses, "Keep screaming!" he demanded, and bit the pink peak of her breast, leaving a mark. She complied - there was not much choice left - and felt the rippling length of his manhood along her thigh.

"I will have you now, Ahinora, as I always get what I want. I will have you in any way I desire tonight and when we arrive at my home, I will have you chained to my bed..." He removed his ravishing fingers from her depth and started opening his pants. She closed her eyes, sobbing, incoherent pleas escaping her lips as he suddenly froze.

A black sword blade rested against the delicate skin of his neck and a voice as dark and dangerous commanded:
"Remove yourself from her. I don't want to taint her with your blood."