10. Arrick

Chapter ten

Arrick

D eep, unabated laughter echoes through the forest. I jerk up with a start and tap the ground next to me, feeling for Yera. When I find the ground cold, absent of her body, I shoot out of the covers. My ears prick, and more laughter comes from deep in the woods. I spin, trying to note its exact location.

The night air has a slight chill, the oncoming fall blowing its first crisp breezes, announcing its presence.

I hastily throw on my boots before I crash into the forest, following the sounds.

The shouts of merriment guide me through the dark night, until familiar green light casts shadows on the tall trees. I know that light. My jaw instantly unclenches, a reaction I didn't realize existed until it eased.

I can hear Yera's soft voice, bright and joyful, but I can't make out her words just yet. My pace slows as I approach the sprite light. A full-throated laugh sits heavy in the night air, and I sigh in relief. She's safe with him, but I'm still outraged that he called her here.

"Oh yes, I assure you, he is equipped."

Yera giggles and then claps her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her outburst. Through the branches, I can see her delighted face carved with a beautiful smile. Her cheeks are flushed, and she has tears in the corners of her eyes. From laughing so hard, no doubt.

I've never seen her this happy, and I'm suddenly jealous because I didn't cause it.

Wait, are they talking about me?

"Whhhy were you lookin', you dirty little green goblin?" They both burst out in uncontrolled giggles again. I realize now that she's slurring. Fucking sprite got her drunk. Not just drunk, wasted. I stand up and break into the clearing, making my presence known.

"Ding-dong, the party's over. Woop! Woop! That's the sound of the police!" Yera yells inscrutably into the night sky. Her head wobbles back and forth as if her spine has turned to jelly.

What the fuck did you do to her ? I call into Charlie's mind for an answer.

She's wound tighter than a fiddle string. I thought some mead would help . I share a heated glance with Charlie.

"Oh no, Mom and Dad are fighting. You'd better run, Charlie." Yera's babble is indecipherable at this point, but somehow, she can sense the tension between Charlie and I.

Look, Ari, I meant the lass no harm. I just wanted to help her understand us and this place a little better—you know, since you can't yet .

I clench my jaw at him. I'm working on it. It's only a matter of days now.

Regardless, she was looking for answers, and I was compelled to help her.

Did she really need all the answers? I heard what you were speaking of before I approached.

The sprite stalls for a moment, choosing his words. She is drunker than a skunk. If you think for a moment she'll remember that in the mornin'… He trails off before returning to his thoughts. She needed a bit of fun and someone to talk to. That's it.

Yera is watching us speak without words and dramatically whips her head back and forth as if she is watching two men verbally spar in a bar brawl.

"Hey now, gentlemen." She attempts a clumsy curtsey. "I know you're talking about me, and yes, this bitch is drunk, but I say, can't we all just get along?" She looks at me. "Arrick, let's go sleep. You might need to carry me. And you, good sir." She turns to Charlie. "You're the shit, and I love you and your mead." She curtsies again in his direction. "I bid you, adieu ." Out of nowhere, she runs behind me, rears, and flings herself onto my back. Her arms lock around my neck, and I brace her thighs in my arms.

You need to leave that hangover tea at my camp tonight, I say to Charlie, adjusting Yera to fit better against my back.

Absolutely, Ari. I'll make amends! the tiny creature calls to me before his light disappears into the woods.

It's only Yera and me now, her fleshy limbs hugging my back. A moment or two goes by before I realize my shirt is hiking up, leaving my skin bare. It has also become glaringly obvious that her shorts are riding up and digging into the crux of her thighs. The soft flesh of her inner thighs rubs against my bare skin, and I choke back a groan. My pants tighten at the gentle intrusion, and I move faster to reach the camp. I want her soft skin off me to shake off the effect she rouses in my chest—and elsewhere.

More than anything, I want to relieve this ache building in my cock somewhere in the woods, but I can't. I need to be close if she runs or throws up.

I set her down, balancing her right in front of the bedroll in case her feet come out from under her.

She does, in fact, lose her balance, toppling over and landing on the soft bedding but not before grabbing my arm and taking me down with her.

We both land on the blankets with a thud . She looks over at me and grabs my jaw.

"Hey, big ghost demon, you look really good tonight." She holds my chin in her fingers. "A little birdie told me you've never done anything, not even a kiss. Is that true?"

I'm stunned into silence by her words and her touch.

"Oh yes, if you're quiet, that means it's true." She sits up and keeps her hands locked around my jaw. "If you want to kiss, I'd be sooo cool with that, like super cool with that." I tense under her touch. I would love nothing more than to feel her lips touch mine. To taste her, but I can't. It's not right.

Before I can gently turn down her advances, she climbs into my lap, spreading her legs around my waist. The heat from her body is everywhere. Her face is so close to mine that I can smell the mead on her breath. The warmth from her parted thighs seeps through my pants, and my cock grows even harder. I groan at just how good she feels seated there. If I were a lesser man, I would cup her ass and grind my length into her. Fuck, I can't. I can't .

I panic and stand straight up, turning away, obstructing her view of my erection. "I'm sorry, I can't" are the only choked words I can think of as shame washes over me.

"Snooze, you lose, bro," she murmurs, unbothered. She opens the sheets abruptly and flops her body down like a sack of potatoes.

"Good night, Yera," I say into the quiet of the night.