Dark Hunger

"Shalia is going to use her full force to evict us from the forest," said Arryn as she walked away from him. "She is going to use every nymph, every druid to come after us!" She walked to the torso of the demon and pointed at him. "You should brink his blood, father. That would give some magic back to you." Saying that, Arryn crouched right in the center of the cave, her robe spreading all around her. When she shot up, she had shifted into her feral form of a raven. With a loud caw, she flew out of the cave and vanished into the night. 

The eagle flapped its wings and came to the fallen body of Haden. It sat on its shoulders and like a bird of prey started eating his flesh and gulping blood. 

--- 

Elize was brimming with energy. Her magic needed an outlet. It hissed inside her veins. She wanted to do something and sitting in the car was excruciating. She had asked Caleb to stop only for this purpose otherwise she was sure that she would explode into a thousand pieces. Caleb and Elize were circling inside the perimeter that Auril had created for them with branches that wickedly intertwined to a meter's height. She crouched in front of him and looked with eyes like a hawk. 

"Is this your stance for an attack?" he said to her, taking on a teasing tone. 

Elize wouldn't let him make a fool out of him. "Don't forget to give your best, Caleb," she said in order to provoke him. 

He chuckled as he swirled his wooden stick. "It seems, my little Lizzy wants the basic swordplay." 

A chuckle for Laurel was expected. Elize remembered all the marks she had given on her thighs and back and arms. She swallowed. In such a short time she became so acquainted with swordplay. 

"You know that I can give you—" Elize lunged, slapping Caleb on the wrist with her sword. Auril bit down his laughter. Caleb scowled and rubbed his sore wrist, however, he smiled when Elize started rejoicing in her show. 

Damn him! Elize thought. The man was distracting her with his smile. And as if he knew what she thought, his thick lips parted in a grin. Before she knew what happened, she shrieked in pain when his wooden sword slapped her buttocks. "Good luck," he said in his deep, raspy voice. He had spun and gone behind her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and said, "Is that enough for you to run back and sit in the car?" 

Elize whirled away from him and faced him. She gave him a closed-lipped smile and said, "The fun is about to start." She was shaking to attack him and so, she lunged at him with force so heavy that he staggered back even though he stopped her with his own sword. 

"Not bad!" he breathed. "Let us see if you can back up that swagger of yours!" His eyes gleamed with an untold challenge. And Elize—she took it. She was going to make him eat his words. She wondered what she would have done to him if she had the real sword in her hand, but then the thought was wiped out from her mind when she thought what would happen to her if he had the real sword in his hand. A new idea came to her mind. Her wolf was taller and stronger and more experienced than her. Why not tire him down a bit? 

Caleb turned his head over the side and spat on the ground, his toned body and muscles rippling beneath the fabric of his shirt. He moved to a defensive position drawing his sword straight up. 

She wanted to laugh, but didn't. Instead, her sword dangled from her hand and she said, "Were you trying to teach me some basic swordplay?" She stroked the wooden hilt of the sword. "I have done a lot of practice, I hope you realize that." 

"For the slap you gave me on the wrist, I highly doubt that you sat quiet for a moment." 

Her smile grew feral. "I am glad you noticed. And you would be happy to note that I am also using sticks to train myself. So, quit your politeness wolf and show me what you have," she said, putting her hand on her hip. 

Caleb growled and he lunged at her. 

However, Elize knew what movements he would do next. She was waiting for him. She predicted his movements and she flung her arm up to block his sword, her legs taking the impact of the heavy werewolf, as wood struck the wood, on the verge of splintering. 

"Impressive," Caleb grunted and charged again, but once again she met his sword deflecting him with alacrity. Over the next few minutes, Caleb parried with her as she continued to deflect him. 

For Elize, this new art was absolutely thrilling. She was able to predict his steps. She was learning new steps. It was like a dance to her, and when she fell into the rhythm, everything around her faded into darkness. She lunged at him with new vigor and earned his praise when she blocked his strikes. Her husband was too good with it. Did he ever participate in fencing competitions? 

As if reading her thoughts, he said, "Yeah, I was on the national team, but then dad happened, business happened." He didn't say that Pia happened too. 

"How about we play with real blades next time?" she said as she blocked his attack yet again. He was very strong and she was stepping back with his force. But she was quicker than him. She whirled, ducked and then hit him on the shin. The wolf stumbled in front as curses came out of his mouth. Elize laughed. She surged forward and her arm came down heavily again as her wooden sword slammed against his. She was moving with the grace of a dancer and with serpentine speed, each move only being better than the last. 

Caleb kept up with her and after sparring like that continuously for an hour, the two were sweating profusely, panting heavily and with lust in their eyes. "Should we take some rest, my queen?" asked Caleb when she spun to attack him which he deflected and then caught her against his chest. He brushed his lips on the tip of her ears making her shiver. 

"I won't be distracted, wolf!" she rasped. But she was distracted as hell and he chuckled.

"How about the queen spar with me?" said Laurel. Seeing her movements, Laurel was craving to give her a sharp dose of her advanced set of sparring techniques and of course more bruises. She wanted to provoke Elize. She wanted to mentally control her. She knew what Caleb was doing. He was slowly advancing her into a better defense. 

Caleb looked at her and growled as if to ask her to back off. He wasn't going to allow his wife to get near the sorceress again. Laurel winced and then lowered her head muttering a curse inside. 

"Why not?" Elize said. Even though she was tired, she wanted Laurel to spar with her. 

"No," Caleb replied coldly. "We will be moving forward now." He looked at Auril who nodded. 

"But—"