Temptation in the Northern Forest
The night fell swiftly over the northern forest. No sooner had the sun tucked its tail beyond the western mountains than thick darkness swallowed the woods whole. It was a hushed hour when only the rush of valley water echoed with unnatural clarity.
Hans rose from the frigid stream. "Haa..." His breath misted white in the air. The bone-deep chill doused the heat still simmering in his body. The brutal training Kane had put him through, the resentment that had boiled over after Cecilia's cold dismissal—both sank beneath the icy water for a moment.
He dried himself roughly and pulled on his clothes. Fastening each shirt button, he tried to steady his resolve once more. "Just you wait, Cecilia. I'll succeed for sure..." Hans clenched his fist. "Even if you come crawling and grab my pant leg later, I won't take you back. Not a single drop of broth."
His voice rang out with forced bravado, yet the echo through the trees sounded strangely forlorn. Hans sighed bitterly and buckled his belt. That was when he heard it—rustling from the bushes behind him. An animal? An orc?
"Kyaa! A bug!" A delicate scream pierced the quiet.
Hans froze. A woman? Out here, this deep in the forest? He pushed through the undergrowth warily and spotted someone huddled on the ground beneath the moonlight. Long golden hair, pale skin, and pointed ears—an elf. She sat trembling, shoulders shaking as she sniffled. "Hic... I'm scared..."
It was Serena. She lifted her head and looked up at him. Her eyes, bathed in moonlight, glistened as though tears might spill at any moment. Hans held his breath. She was beautiful—ethereal, noble, far beyond any human standard. Yet the sight of this proud elf reduced to a quivering heap on the forest floor stirred every protective instinct a man possessed.
Of course, Hans had no way of knowing this was the calculated performance of a 120-year-old elf who had long since mastered the art of feigned helplessness.
"Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you?" he asked carefully.
The moment Serena saw him, relief washed over her and her body went limp. "Ah... thank goodness... I found someone..." She pressed a hand to her chest, the motion loosening her leather tunic enough to reveal the slender line of her shoulder and arm. Her limbs were long and graceful, her waist narrow enough to seem fragile, and the modest swell of her breasts between them awakened a strange, instinctive urge to protect.
"The forest... it's so dark and frightening. I got lost. Could you... help me?"
An elf—the very guardian of this forest—claiming to fear bugs and lose her way was as absurd as a fish drowning in water. But Hans heard none of the contradiction. When a beauty gazed up at him with tear-bright eyes, what man could bother with logic? All he wanted was to wrap his arms around those delicate shoulders.
He slowly knelt on one knee to meet her gaze. "Don't worry. I'll take you to our campsite. There's a fire and—"
"No..." Serena shook her head sharply and clutched his sleeve. "The campsite... it would be too noisy. I'm afraid of crowds."
Her hand slid up his wrist—cool, yet soft. "I have a secret hideout nearby. Could you just take me there? I can't go alone... I'm too scared."
She pointed toward the deepest, darkest part of the forest. Hans hesitated. It was the opposite direction from camp, and dinner would be ready soon. Sensing his reluctance, Serena trembled and pressed herself into his arms. "Please... just stay with me tonight."
A rush of rich forest scent and sweet skin filled his nose. Her soft breasts brushed his forearm. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep if I'm scared. I'll repay you. I'll give you the most precious thing I have."
Serena guided his hand onto her thigh. The firm yet yielding warmth made him swallow hard. The most precious thing an elf possessed? A spirit stone? A legendary bow? But her eyes and the charged atmosphere suggested nothing so mundane. Something far more intimate, far hotter.
'No way. Would she really offer herself to a man she just met? A noble elf like her?' Hans tried to shake his head, but the heat of her body and the sweet fragrance dulled his reason. What if—just maybe—that impossible thought was true?
Yet her next words sent a chill through him. "But once we're inside my hideout, you can't leave until I fall asleep." Her voice dropped lower. "I have... rather bad sleeping habits. I hold on tight and won't let go. Until morning. Maybe even for several days."
Her fingers tightened around his wrist like steel manacles. The fragile-looking hand suddenly felt unbreakable.
'Huh...?' Hans's instincts screamed danger. 'Won't let go.' 'Several days.' A cold sweat ran down his spine. It reminded him far too much of the obsessive women he'd already encountered—only this felt more primal, more immediate. He tried to pull his hand free. "Um... my wrist hurts. And I have someone waiting for me..."
It wouldn't budge. It was as though his arm had been wedged between boulders.
"Besides, there's a woman I like! My companions will all be back tomorrow—if I stay out alone, they'll have my head!"
Serena's eyes narrowed. "A woman you like?" A crooked smile curved her lips. "What does that matter? No one will find you once you're in my hideout anyway."
The act was over. Serena yanked him upright. "Let's go. To my nest."
The strength in her pull was beyond anything he'd imagined. Hans was dragged along like luggage. "Wait! Let go! Are you insane?!"
He thrashed with everything he had. Rip. His sleeve tore and he broke free. Without looking back, he sprinted toward camp. 'I have to get away!' She was an elf—the ruler of this forest. If she caught him, there would be no escape.
He crashed through branches and leapt over roots, lungs burning. But no human could outrun an elf in her own domain.
"Oh my, are you running away?" Laughter drifted down from above. "Do you like playing tag? I quite enjoy it myself."
Serena glided gracefully between the trees, elegant and merciless, like a fox toying with a rabbit.
"Don't follow me! I'll report you!" Hans gasped.
Thud. Serena landed lightly in his path, arms crossed. "Report me? I make the laws in this forest."
Her gaze turned icy. The fragile act had vanished completely. "Come quietly while I'm still asking nicely. I don't want to be rough. It would be a shame if your precious parts got damaged."
Her eyes raked openly over his groin. Hans yelped and veered away. Snap. Serena flicked her fingers. Vines erupted from the ground and snared his ankles.
"Aagh!" He toppled face-first into the dirt. "Kuh...!" Soil filled his mouth. As he struggled to rise, a weight settled on his back. Serena had straddled him, pinning his arms behind him with her knees.
"Aah! My arms! They're going to break!"
"You really don't listen, do you? Naughty boys need punishment." She leaned down, lips brushing his ear. Her hand squeezed his backside firmly. "You're the crazy one, rejecting such a perfect offer."
Her touch was bold, sliding between his cheeks, tracing the inside of his thighs. "Choose. Come quietly to my nest and live loved for the rest of your life... or be squeezed dry right here and discarded."
Hans could only gape in terror. Noble? Hardly. This was a lust-crazed forest thug. Serena flipped him onto his back as easily as turning a page. Vines surged up again, coiling around his wrists and ankles, binding him to the ground.
"What is this?! Let go! Mmph!"
Serena straddled his thighs, knees pressing down. Her fingers slipped beneath his waistband. "Shall we do it right here? Making love under the forest's blessing outdoors isn't so bad either."
Click. Metal rang through the stillness. Hans's belt loosened.
"No... no...!" He struggled, but her strength was absolute.
Meanwhile, at the campsite, the campfire crackled alone. Cecilia sat polishing her sword, brow deeply furrowed. The dinner bell had rung long ago, yet the porter responsible for cooking was nowhere to be seen.
"That bastard... did he drown while washing up? It's past time for dinner."
She flung the polishing cloth aside in irritation. Kane glanced at her nervously from the side. "Well now, perhaps the youngest got lost... the forest is deep, after all..."
"Master, I'll go drag him back."
Cecilia sheathed her sword and stood abruptly. She strode toward the trees, every step radiating annoyance. 'How dare he starve me? He won't get away with this when he returns.'
She pushed through the undergrowth toward the valley. As the sound of water grew louder, strange noises mingled with it.
"Mmph! Let go! Let go of me!"
"Stay still. I'll make you feel good soon enough."
A man's cry and a woman's seductive voice. Cecilia quickened her pace. When she reached the clearing by the stream, the sight that greeted her was shocking.
Beneath the moonlight, Hans lay pinned to the ground with a slender woman straddling him. Pointed ears—an elf. The elf leaned close, whispering something into his ear while Hans twisted beneath her. From a distance, they looked like lovers lost in passionate foreplay. Outdoor forest sex.
Cecilia's steps halted. Her expression turned to ice.
"Ha... unbelievable."
She was speechless. This was the same man who had panted and confessed his feelings to her just last night. Barely rejected, and already rolling around in the dirt with another woman—an unknown elf, no less?
'I suspected he was easy when he accepted my probing so quickly, but this much? Disgusting.'
An inexplicable irritation surged in her chest. Hunger was forgotten. She might have cast him aside, but she had no intention of letting anyone else have him—especially not like this, so cheaply on the forest floor. A twisted possessiveness mixed with cold fury boiled inside her. Cecilia clenched her fists until her nails bit into her palms.