A Trip Down Memory Lane {Scotland}

[Erik Kincaid]

Kincaid Castle- Scotland

Erik:

Scotland. Was there a more beautiful place anywhere on earth? Erik Kincaid didn't think so as he stood on the edge of a windswept cliff looking out over a cascading ocean. As the water hit the rock some hundred yards below him, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the crisp air of a Highland morning.

By the Gods, he had missed his homeland.

This little vacation had been just what he needed to bring his thoughts and emotions back into balance. The fact that his woman was with him only completed the perfection of the moment. This morning as dawn was just breaking over the horizon, he'd gazed down at her sleeping soundly and thanked the gods for the fact that she'd come back to him. He didn't know what the future held for them but as long as she was by his side then he would defy the fates themselves to keep her safe. Nel could be damned.

Unable to sleep anymore, the huge Celt had kissed her softly and then slipped from the bed to done a pair of faded jeans and a woolen sweater. Mornings in his home country were notoriously cold but he didn't mind it as he stepped out of the back of the huge stone castle like hall. It made him feel alive in ways he hadn't felt in a long time. Deciding to view the shoreline, he'd walked the half mile distance to the ruins that lay along the cliff side and found himself in his current location.


As he stood there, his thoughts drifted back over his life and the steps that had lead him to the current moment. All in all, he supposed he had been blessed with good friends who'd come to be family and now a woman that he adored. By all rights, he guessed he shouldn't complain about his lot but there was a recurring problem that needed to be solved if he was ever to have any peace.

The problem of the goddess he was bound to. The vicious, petty bitch of a goddess who threatened his mate with harm if he did not bend to her wishes.

Hence the trip back to Scotland. A trip taken in hopes of finding some ancient magic capable of severing the bind or at least making it easier to slip out of.

Unfortunately, so far, they had had no such luck. Fate being the bitch she was.

Taking a deep breath, Erik tired to rein in his volital emotions. It wouldn't do to get worked up at the moment and he needed to keep a level head. He wasnt' giving up hope that something would be uncovered to light the way. In the meantime, he vowed to enjoy his lovers company and show her all the sights of his childhood so that she might better understand him.



Misery:

She'd been dreaming of heaven. No, not the kind of heaven with fluffy clouds and fat faced cherubs with feathery wings and halos, but -her- kind of heaven; white satin sheets damp with perspiration and love-making, strong arms around her, the smell of chicory coffee and a potent Celtic werewolf that had just so happened to have permanently imprinted his scent on her soul. Butterfly kisses on her eyelids and rougher ones on her lips, hands knotted in her dark hair, the sound of moans and growls that were only issued during the most corporeal of moments, skin and bone and psyche entangled in an electric entwining when two became but one. Ah, but it was no dream.

Misery awoke and stretched like a cat; chocolate eyes still closed as she wound the silken covers around her and inhaled the scent of her man all over the sheets. She smiled and brought her fingers gingerly up to her swollen lips; made so by fervent kisses and a whiskered jaw.

“If we keep this up I won't have any skin left on my upper lip, Wolf. Maybe I'll shave that face of yours when we shower, huh?” Misery made a joke of her kiss swollen face, eyes coming open and a frown creeping to her lips when she found herself alone in bed. She shot up; the sheet clutched to her bare breast as déjà hit her like a hundred pound weight to the chest. Misery shuttered, remembering the morning after she and the Wolf had confessed their love (in their own way) and then she had awaked to find him gone. The reverie was fleeting; the witch regained her serenity with a deep breath and then a heavy exhale. It was different now. She didn't know how or why, but something had changed the night she and Erik had reunited. He wouldn't leave her again, and she was bound to him as if with unbreakable chains.


Glancing out the window, the witch sighed in relief when she caught sight of her lover outside at the edge of the cliffs not far from the castle. The smile returned to her lips as she took in his strong broad back and the way the wind blew through his sleep tousled hair. He was the picture of a greek god at the peak of Olymia, or more correctly, a Celtic warrior taking in his victory on the battlefield.




The bayou woman pulled her knees up to her chest and just watched him for a moment, considering everything that had gone on between them and what was still to come. It had been a surprise when the Wolf had asked her to join him in his homeland. Of course she was hesitant but anxious; never having been out of her country the uncouth woman had wondered if seeing her in a different setting might provoke him to leave her there. Of course it was just the childhood fear of abandonment left from her Papa's mistreatment that had brought on the apprehension. Erik wanted to show her where he'd come from, what made him who he was, as well as hopefully find some answers about how to break his cursed tie to the Goddess Nel.

Unable to stand the distance between them, Misery dragged herself out of bed and tugged on a pair of soft brown corduroy jeans and a cream colored off the shoulder sweater. Her hair remained a disheveled fall of coffee colored waves around her shoulders, but it had been made so by the previous night's activity, and she didn't think Erik would mind. It took her a while to find the kitchen; the place was MASSIVE, but when she did Misery poured two cups of black coffee and wandered outside to follow the path the Wolf had taken.

Coming up behind him, she touched his back lightly with one of the steaming mugs to make her presence known, her face a visage of bliss as her peered out over the waters. “This place is....its magic, Erik.”



Erik:


Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, Erik immediately know who it was that approached. His beloved's scent was as unique as the wild heather that graced the countryside and twice as intoxicating. When she touched him with something warm, he turned with a smile and drew her into his embrace. Her words had an echo of awe to them and he knew exactly how she felt. No matter if you were born to this land or seeing its beauty for the first time... Your reaction was always the same. Scotland was still the wild and untamed land of the old days but time had aged it into a place of culture and grace.

"Yes, it is magical, isn't it? Mayhap that is why some of the the most noble of my kind come from here." he said thoughtfully. "This land is older than anyone knows and its song is one of enchantment. I dont' think anyone will ever know all of her secrets."

Then, turning his attention to the woman in his arms, he took a cup from her hands and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Much like the woman who stole my soul."

Tightening his arms about her, he pulled her as close as possible and felt contentment sweep through him. If the world were to end in that moment, he would die a happy man with everything he needed and wanted in his arm.

"How did you sleep, lass? I hope I dinna wake you when I left our bed. You looked so peaceful there I hadnt the heart to disturb you." he continued. "I much fear I have been neglectful of your rest since you've come back into my life."

ALthough his tone was teasing, there was a light of seriousness to his gaze.

[Erik Kincaid]

Misery

Misery had felt that strong embrace many times before, but it never failed to make her heart pound like a jack hammer each and every time. When Erik turned and slid his arm around her waist, she let out a sigh of pleasure, closing her eyes and sagging into his strong chest. Inhaling deeply, the witch let the potent smell of her man dance in her nose and cause a rich, decadent taste on the back of her tongue. That smell had a way of intoxicating her, making her head swim and leaving her hungry for wicked, wicked things. It didnt matter that since they had reunited she had tasted him more times than should be legal; she wanted more of him, all of him, as much as she could get.

Rising up on tiptoes the bayou woman met his gentle kiss with a heated moan. Though the mouthy embrace was as light as butterfly wings, that ever present electric current surged through her, warming her from the inside out.

When the brief kiss was ended Misery snaked her free arm around him, allowing him to draw her in even closer. Eriks adoring words of his homeland and then the remark regarding her brought a faint pink tint to her cheeks, and she shook her head, dismissing the compliment before she giggled like a school girl.

Dont worry you didnt wake me up, Cher. I think it was just the absence of your body heat.

She answered with an impish grin and then arched a brow over her russet eye.

And dontchoo worry about my lack of sleep none either. Id die of exhaustion if it meant getting to roll around in the covers with you over and over and OVER again.

This drew an amused chuckle from her throat and she let out a satisfied sigh before taking a pull from her coffee and then leaning her head against his chest as she peered out over the water.
If you want to make it up to me Ill letchoo do it by runnin me a bath when we go back inside. I never seen a bathtub so big!



Erik:

There was nothing like the sass of a beautiful woman to stir a man's blood. He liked the fact that Misery never failed to call his bluff and she seemed completely unaffected by what he considered his dark side. Being a creature that most men feared, Erik knew he wasn't the easiest male on earth to live with. His mood swings were legendary but he figured his little voodoo queen was more than a match for him. She'd no doubt smack him around when he was being an ass and he call her when she was being to... witchy.. literally as well as figuratively. He figured that is what made their relationship work because no shy maiden would have been able to snag and hold his attention like this chocolate haired beauty in his arms.

"Is that so, lass.... Well then, far be it from me to keep my woman waiting." he drawled back in a thick scottish brogue.

Turning on his heel and with his arm around her, he started back towards the manor house that had once been a scottish stronghold. The walls that had surrounded the stone castle were long gone but the air of mystery and history still abound. It was a place that Erik had owned for literal centuries and always came back to when he needed to rest his soul. The peace of the area brought him back to his roots and grounded him. It was also the only place on earth he could think of to bring his new bride for a bit of a honeymoon even if she didn't know the significance of that night in the New Orleans forest. Probably a good thing, he conceded to himself. She'd figure it out soon enough and he'd face the consequences.

The crisp highland breeze caught at Misery hair just then and he glanced down at her with a serious expression. Suddenly, he drew her to a halt and pulled her around to face him. His blue eyes darkened with emotion as he suddenly seemed uncertain. So much had happened between them and he'd never really given her a chance to reject him. Was this truly what she wanted? To be here with him? Or was he simply bowling her over with this all?

"Lass... It occurs to me that I haven't exactly given you many choices since that night. I simple went after what I wanted and swept you along in the tide of events. I have to ask you now though.... Do you wish to stay with me? Have you forgiven me in your heart for the arrogant ass I was so many months ago?"

[Misery Martinique]

A wicked grin came to the witch’s mouth as Erik conceded to her request. The Celtic wolf would never be tamed; Misery didn’t have any illusions that that would ever take place, but it was nice to know that he loved her enough to give in to her whims, silly or far-fetched as they may be. This whim was not so ridiculous though, and the dark-haired woman imagined that she could effortlessly get her man to shed his clothes and bathe with her, which, no doubt would lead to other activities where clothing was not involved. The gears were already working. If he wasn’t in the mood to bathe the witch had a simple spell that would remove those jeans anyway. She would be denied nothing, especially when it came to a peek at that gorgeous rear end.

When they suddenly came to a stop and Erik whirled her around to face him, the expression on his face was somber and repentant. The high proud brow was etched with anxiety and his usual perfect smirk was turned down at the corner with worry.

His words were just as worried as his appearance and Misery couldn’t help but let a little smile of satisfaction turn up the corners of her own lips.
Tilting her head to the side, the witch reached up to place her palm against his cheek; those russet eyes shiny with blissful tears.

She thought about the pain his absence had caused and then the pure elation that had consumed her heart when they were reunited again, even though a cynical shadow had darkened it for the briefest moment.
Misery remembered the loneliness she had felt all her life up until the point she had met her wolf; the abhorrence and abuse her own father had shown her from birth to adulthood. It had been all she had ever known. Happiness was a word that simply wasn’t in her vocabulary. Peace was nothing but a fairytale.

“Of course I haven’t forgiven you completely.” She answered him and let her fingers trace a path across his cheek, her index finger whispering over his bottom lip. “My name is Misery, not Mercy, after all.”

She smiled and stood up on tiptoes so that she could press her mouth to his with the sweetest of kisses. Staying on her tiptoes so that she was still face to face as she pulled back from the mouthy embrace, Misery kept her palm against his jaw.
“But maybe a few more nights like the one we had last night will erase any reservations I have left.”

The bayou woman inhaled deeply and let it out to gaze back and forth at his silvery gaze. She blinked, and her air became more serious than before, unexpectedly feeling the need to tell him everything that had happened in her own life, and how he had taught her to be happy.

“If you hafta’ know, Wolf. You saved my life.” Misery told him seriously, the tears which had moistened her eyes before now springing to the surface. “I’m not talking about physically, though you’ve done that too.” She absently wiped away a crystalline drop that fell onto her cheek; refusing to let him see her cry. “Before you came into my world I was empty inside. Dead. A zombie just going through the motions in order to survive.”

Misery couldn’t help the chortle that escaped her parted lips as she realized the ironic comparison she’d just used. She shook her head and gazed back up at him; face full of adoration. “Of course I want to stay with you, Erik.” She finally answered him seriously.
“And I’d like to finally tell you about my Papa.”

(( hope you don't mind I went ahead and posted this here. I didn't have the chatzy addy handy and forgot to bookmark it the other day. DOH! ))

[Erik Kincaid]

From a Celtic Love Song
She smelled of the sweetest lilac skin.
And I admit it now it drew me in
Oh, her voice cast a spell I could not disobey.
Every word was a river that swept me away.

There it was. The very reason his soul was tied to hers and why he would never be able to let her go. Her innate ability to tease the brooding wolf into a smile or a laugh. It didn't seem to matter that what was going on around them... All she had to do was smile or touch his skin and he was once more reminded how truly blessed he was.

"Ah, Lass..... You know I would pay any tithe you demand of me. Your very wish is my command."

Reaching up he brushed a lock of dark hair from her face and gazed down into her eyes. Her words effected him in ways he couldn't explain and it took him a long moment before he could reply.

"You are my world, Leannan (Sweetheart). Without you I am nothing but a shadow of the man I was meant to be. You hold my heart and soul in your wee palm and I don't care to have it back." he said, finally rumbling out the words. "You say I saved you... Nigh.. That is not correct... I was dead inside until the day you stole my favorite jacket and taught me to feel again. Dead and without any clue of what living truly meant."

Leaning down, the tall warrior pressed a kiss hard to her lips.

"I would hear about your da, love... I want to learn about you and have you learn about me in turn. That is why I brought you to the place where my soul is content. No other have I invited here... Only you, lass."

Wrapping his arm around her once more, Erik began to tug her gently towards the castle once more. Just having her near was a balm to his tormented soul. He only hoped it would last.

[Misery Martinique]

Oh - thinkin' about all our younger years
There was only you and me
We were young and wild and free
Now nothin' can take you away from me
We've been down that road before
But that's over now
You keep me comin' back for more

Misery allowed the warriors sweet words to swathe her like a velvet blanket. It wrapped around her soul, warming her insides and radiating off her skin as a soft golden glow. The words that fell from the Wolf’s lips were a shelter with which to hide from the pain she had always known; a haven which would become her sanctuary from the storms that had forever darkened her skies.

Her lips tingled where he kissed her; the sensation moving down over her limbs to tickle her most private places and all the way down to the tips of her toes. Unbidden, a soft whimper escaped her and she grasped Erik’s strong shoulders, holding on for dear life as the kiss ended and he lightly pulled away.

As they walked slowly back to the castle, it was on a cloud of happiness that mystified the voodoo witch. Could this really be the happiness that she had read about in stories with knights and maidens and bloody battles for her heart?
Believing the old adage ‘if it seem too good to be true, it -is- too good to be true’, Misery inhaled sharply and held it in, trying to still the heart that threatened to break open her rip cage and fly away. She couldn’t loose her head. No matter how good things seemed, the bayou woman had to keep up at least some of her armor. To remove it all would be too dangerous, for now her heart was as open as it had ever been, as sensitive as never before.

Finally they reached the warmth of the castle and when Misery pulled out of Erik’s arms to wander into the kitchen, she shivered, suddenly realizing how warm his embrace had been. After pulling out two fresh coffee mugs, she filled them, placing one on the bar counter for the shifter and sliding onto a stool where she could comfortably sip from her own.
She wanted to tell him everything he didn’t know about her; needed to, but the chocolate haired witch found that was easier said than done. The words were fairly rigid behind her trembling lips.

“Where to begin?” She asked him hypothetically, forcing a smile and letting her gaze fall to the swirling russet liquid in her mug. “This is harder than I thought…telling you all about me.”

At first she was unable to look at him, fear that her weakness might sway his heart. Finally she gazed up at him, and for aberrant moment, Misery seemed as small as a child.

“My papa hated me. Always did. I killed my mama in childbirth and I think that he must have had a heart once…because it shriveled and turned black on that very day.” Misery sighed and shook her head, letting her dark eyes fall once more to her coffee. “He swore that he would make my name a definition of my life, and boy did he succeed…”

At that point Misery became lost in all the horrible memories. The loniless washed over her like a tide, and suddenly she wasn’t in the castle with her love, but back in that bayou home; a scared, hungry young girl crying for her father to let her out of the closet where she’d been locked for more than three days.

[Erik Kincaid]

Erik sense the moment Misery began to pull away but made no move to stop her. Instinct told him it wasn't so much his embrace she was rejecting but the need for some space to gather her thoughts.


Having felt the same need a time or two himself, the huge celt let her go but moved in her wake towards the kitchen. His keen gaze watched as she went about the business of pulling down two fresh cups and filling them before he moved to the sink and put the dirty one in it. Whatever she wanted to talk about was obviously serious business so he waited patiently for her to begin by turning and leaning on the counter of the kitchen island.

When she finally began to talk, Erik had to hide his reaction to her words. In his day, children had been blessings from the gods and anyone found abusing one would have been beaten themselves. That Misery's own father had put her through so much hell made him want to kill the man all over. At the least, torture him for every hurt he'd ever laid upon the woman. Parents were suppose to protect their children and shower them with love... If they didn't,who would? It was no wondered his queen was so cool at times.

Without realizing he'd moved, the wolf crossed the space between them and hauled her against his strong body. With a deceptively gentle hand, he brushed a wild lock of chocolate colored hair back from her face and gave her a fierce look.


"The man was an idiot, lass. He choose a road that no true man of worth would ever dream off. He had a piece of your mother in you and instead of treasuring the gift he'd been given... He tried to destroy it. I'm very proud of you, voodoo witch, because instead of letting him kill your spirit, you become a woman of courage and passion."

Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on her lips and tried to tease her a bit.

"A woman who isn't scared of a warrior with a chip on his shoulder and a mean ass growl. We can not always know the plans fate has for the hard times we suffer but I believe there is always an end game if we just have the courage to hang with it."

[Misery Martinique]

Oh - once in your life you find someone
Who will turn your world around
Bring you up when you're feelin' down

Ya - nothin' could change what you mean to me
Oh there's lots that I could say
But just hold me now
Cause our love will light the way

Reliving her past took Misery to a dark and forlorn place. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her middle as if to keep herself held together; she felt so broken within. The chocolate waves dripped into her face, and thank God. Misery’s russet eyes were moist and red, and the proud witch never ever wanted the fierce warrior to see a chink in her perfectly built armor.

His voice was like a lantern in the gloom. Suddenly she was being pulled into his strong arms, and the sob that had been caught in her throat was released as she clung to his shoulders and wept quietly into his broad chest.
The things that Erik said startled her; stirred feelings that she had buried long ago. The loss of her mother. The absence of her papa. All the things that she had been robbed of as a child…things that an innocent deserved. When the Wolf said that there had been a piece of her mother inside of her all this time, it awakened a contentment that only that knowledge could have. Misery felt like something had been reborn. Her mother was living through her…

The soft kiss and playful teasing from her man was all she needed to get past the sadness that had rocked her moments before. The witch wiped the back of her hand across her nose in case there was embarrassing leakage there, and then sniffled back the rest of her tears and laughed, shaking her head.
“I guess I am pretty brave, puttin’up with a monster like you…” Misery teased him right back and brought her hand up to rest lovingly against his whiskered jaw. She smirked and once again the mischievousness had relit her coffee colored eyes; devout adoration reflecting in the softness of her usually shrewd countenance.

Clearing her throat, Misery brought the other hand up to the opposite side of his cheek so that she could look him full in the face. Would he be too proud to reveal his shadowy past?

“Enough about me now, Cher. Will you tell me why it’s come to be that we’re here, tryin’to find a way to break some ageless curse? How in the bayou did you ever get involved with that snake, Nel, anyway?”

[Erik Kincaid]

Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all I would sacrifice
Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it there's nothin' I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you
There's no love - like your love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless you're there
All the time - all the way
Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it there's nothin' I want more
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you - Ya I'd die for you
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you




Sometimes it amazed Erik that Misery seemed to have no clue of her own true worth. In all his life, he'd never met another like her and he meant every word when he said she was his world. If anything were ever to happen to her.... Well, it was safe to say he would go insane.

Then, her words drew him back to the current moment. Glancing down at her, he stood quietly for a long moment as he gathered his thoughts and then pulled away slightly. Suddenly, the kitchen felt to confining once more and he knew he was in need of some open space if he was to tell the tale of his past. It was a story he hadn't told in centuries. Not since his friend Wulf had pulled it from him and even he did not know it all. Misery would be the first.

Taking her hand, the Celt turned and started off through the castle with her in tow. He shortened his stride so that she could match it but didn't stop until they reached the upper battlements and emerged out into the crisp highland morning. Only there did he stop and breath more easily again. Dropping her hand, he moved to the cold stone edge and stared sightlessly across the foggy countryside.

"What I'm about to tell you, lass, hasn't been told in its complete length before....... Ever......" he started out, his voice remote and his thoughts far away.

As he spoke, the wind seemed to pick on his emotions and the past seemed to haunt the air that whipped around him and ruffled his golden mane.

"As you know... I was born over a thousand years ago. Wulf and Brom proceed me by about a hundred years but I'm one of the oldest shifters on the planet.....I was born to a neighboring clan in this area and spent my youth climbing these very mountains and hunting these very forests. I learned to fight and hunt in the ways of my forefathers and grew up knowing that I would someday die in battle. Or .... I should have at least....."

Falling silent for a moment, the huge warrior seemed lost in thought. No longer did he see the land before him as it was now but he saw it as it had once been.

"By the age of fourteen I'd engaged in my first battle and claimed the lives of men. I did my father proud and made a reputation for myself among the clan. The elders predicted great things for me and took my place as a warlord at the young age of twenty. I lead my men to many victories and knew much honor......"

Turning back to Misery, Erik sighed and leaned his hip on the ledge.

"What you don't know is that I once had a wife and a child on the way......... She was a lass from my village that I grew up with and it was as natural as breathing to take her to wife when the time came for me to settle down. Annie was a gentle soul with sunshine blond hair and a smile for everyone and anyone around her. In her way, she was a good wife and I loved her with a young mans passion. When she conceived my son.... I was over the moon with happiness and couldn't wait for the day that we would welcome him into the world....."

Bitterness crept into his expression when he continued.

"Little did I know that the gods and goddesses had different plans..... One day I was called away from the village to handle a fued with a neighboring clan.... By the time my men and I returned to the village, everyone there was dead. We'd been tricked by a traitor in our midst and lead astray while another group of men slaughtered our loved ones...... I found my wife with her throat split and our baby cut from her womb and brained to death...... The pure savageness of the deed installed in me a need for revenge so great that I would have given anything to bring their murders to justice... I vowed not to rest until each and every man responsible for the massacre was dead. That night, I went out into the hills and prayed to the gods for the ability to do just that and Nel is the one who answered my cries."

Closing his eyes, the Celt relived those moments.

"Nel came to me and promised me that if I willingly went into her service, she would give me the power to destroy those who'd taken my family and clan. As I had nothing to live for anymore, it was a pact I willingly took. I would be her messenger among the nations until such time as she saw fit to free me. It seemed like such a small price at the time.........Especially when the blood of my enemies flowed like rivers through my hands...... You would not have known me then, lass.... I craved their suffering and torment like the worst sort of fiend....... When it was done, I took my place at Nel's side and carried out her work and words through out the country side....."

Giving a deep sigh, Erik opened his swirling blue eyes once more and there was bone deep wariness there for MIsery to see.

"That is... until she lost most of her following and people quite believing in the old gods and goddesses. Then, she cast me to the winds and seemed to forget about my very existence.... I was left to fiend for myself in a world where my sort were becoming hunted instead of revered. It was only by luck that I ran into the Fenrisulfr clan..... You know the rest."

[Misery Martinique]

Baby you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms
I'm findin' it hard to believe
We're in heaven
And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see
We're in heaven

Misery was pliable in the Wolf’s strong grasp, and she fairly floated behind as Erik hauled her up to the crown of the castle. Once they hit open air the witch exhaled, the freedom of the wind only just now making her realize the kitchen, as big as if was, had been too small for their shared melancholy and reveries.
The early morning salty breeze gently scrubbed her face and the silky caress of her chocolate waves against her cheek wiped the stray tear drops that lingered on her tawny face.

The bayou women watched at just a distance as Erik retold his history, her russet eyes glazing in sadness at times, and clenching in anger at others.
She tried not to feel jealousy while he shared his story, but the ugly green snake reared its head at the thought of another woman touching him, loving him, and it lit a fire that reflected in her coffee colored eyes.
The covetousness turned to profound sorrow as he went on to describe his loss; the defeat of it echoing in his somber brogue. The voodoo witch kept her tongue deftly tucked behind her lips, instead moving forward to close the distance and wrap her arms around his solid waist.

She laid her head against the wall of massive chest under which his heart thumped in a low, broken staccato. Misery ached for him. The reveries of loosing him were a wound that had just barely begun to heal. How her heart wept for him; for the lost chance to run carelessly with his young, or to teach a son to fight, to be the hero of childhood adventures and firm in his wise guidance. How proud and strong a father he would have made.

That notion seemed to find itself stuck in her chest, for the first time -ever- the witch couldn’t shake the thought of Erik holding a chubby petite babe with wild dark hair and his swirling silver eyes. Bringing a hand up to her mouth she let loose a gasp, and turned her face into the Wolf’s chest lest he see the reflection of that imagery and be asked to explain it.

Misery focused on the narrative of how Nel came to possess him and the whimsical reflections turned to an anger so intense, it radiated as a heat from her lithe frame.
“Vile, treacherous lizard woman!” The bayou woman spat in repugnance. “I don’t care if she -is- an undying goddess, next time I see her I’m kicking her ass so hard she’ll taste my size 5 ½’s on her freaky forked tongue for a whole week!”

The witch curled her lip up at the thought of the flame haired bitch and the invisible but very real leash she believed still hung around the Wolf’s neck.

“What we gotta’ do Cher is to find a way to break that curse.” Misery’s Cajun accent grew thick on her tongue as she plotted retribution and she began to pace the battlement.
“Can you get us up to Olympia…or whatever Hellmouth spit her ass out? There has to be somebody that knows how to break the spell... some other god or goddess that loathes her as much as we do and would be willing to help us out. That shouldn’t be too hard, huh?”

[Erik Kincaid]

I'll be there for youThese five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can doI'll be there for you


After the telling of the tale, Erik felt as if all his flesh had been stripped from his bones. It was a story that left him raw and exposed. He'd never spoken of it since the day that he'd told Wulf and even then... He hadn't told it in its entirety.

Until today .... Until his witch.

Holding the warm woman against him, Erik knew that his world had changed and things were no longer as they once were. No longer was he content to let the curse rest because now.. Now he had something worth fighting for and he'd be damned it the bitch goddess would take it way from him. Take HER away from him.

That thought alone had the power to destroy him like nothing else in his long life had. It made him almost want to howl in desperation and anger. There was no way on earth he would ever allow any harm to come to this precious human. Where once his heart had been as cold as ice and as hard as the stone that built his castle... It now breathed with the life and warmth she'd brought to him.

No longer was he alone.

Before he could say anything further, she pulled away and Erik caught the look of something in her eyes that he couldn't quiet define. There was sadness surely....Anger, yes... but also something more. Almost like.. Longing? What was she thinking that had put that look in her eye?

And then she was speaking. As the words swirled around in his head, he gazed at her lovely face and couldn't help the grin that spread over his lips. She really was the most beautiful woman on earth when her dander was up. When she began to pace the battlements, Erik simply crossed his arms over his chest and watched.

He knew there was no stopping her now and he liked his body just the way it was, thank you very much. Those voodoo dolls she loved had caused him enough pain.

"That is what I have been searching for these last few months, Lass..... Why I did not seek you out before our meeting. I've been trying to find a way to break the curse that would not endanger you... Unfortunately, I have found nothing."

Reaching up, he rubbed his jaw and continued.

"Everything points to the fact that I can not leave Nel's service until she releases me and we both know that will never happen. However, I have to believe there is a loop hole somewhere.. somehow. That is one of the reasons I brought you to Scotland... To try to find some small scrape of new information.... I had thought being closer to the place that it happened might bring it to clearer focus."