Literotic asexstories – Southern Circle – Pt. 04 by Carolina_Celt,Carolina_Celt Author’s Note – Hello all! As usual the standard heads-up about incest, magic, and violence-related content apply, and a few light elements of non-consent as well. All characters in sexual situations are 18 or older. Lastly, a big thanks to my readers for all the positive and constructive feedback. And now, on with the story!
*
Morgan tossed and thrashed on her bed, in the throes of a fitful slumber. She had transcended the need for regular sleep long ago, now only needing rest after particularly demanding drains on her abilities, as the bout with the Calhouns had unexpectedly been. After receiving her orders she had arrived at their estate expecting an easy win against two decrepit, worn-out geriatrics ready to be swept aside like fallen leaves and the magic of the Circle at long last seized.
But to her extreme and dangerous disappoint not only was their magic gone, transferred already to the O’Connors, but they’d apparently used the last of it to somehow restore their youth and vitality for one last showdown that, to Morgan’s increased chagrin, they’d somehow seen coming. Even without the Circle’s magic they had still put up an impressive fight, even managing to physically wound her, something no one else could boast to have accomplished for a very, very long time.
Little good it had done them, for the outcome remained the same.
Still, they had managed to force her into this bed to recuperate, perhaps more of a victory than they realized. For she not only did not require sleep, she despised it, forced to surrender her mind to the whims of her unconscious self which conjured lifelike dreams over which she had no control. And more often than not it summoned images of people and places she’d just as soon forget, yet forced to relive these vivid moments in time and the torrid, undesired emotions that went with them. She was enveloped in one such vision now, entangled in its ethereal bonds, unable to escape its tortuous grasp…
*
She was in a clearing in the woods at night, thinking for a moment she was reliving her recent distasteful encounter with that Bo creep. But no, this was different, there was a bright moon overhead bathing the area in pale light. There was no sign of the Black Tree, only grass, the occasional shrub, and scattered wildflowers populated the space. And the forest that surrounded her was different – it felt more alive, more ancient, more mysterious than the one she’d just left.
There was a man there, his hair cut off just past his shoulders, his handsome, clean-shaven face creased with worry. He was clad in a green and yellow tunic made of silk that came down below his knees, over which he wore a bright green rectangular cape trimmed in gold and clasped over his right shoulder with an intricate silver brooch in the shape of the Celtic tree of Life. A fine leather belt girded his waist, to which was attached a sword and two daggers. Nearby she spotted an oddly familiar chestnut stallion tethered to a branch, grazing contentedly.
I know that man, and I know this place, she realized with knotted dread in the confines of her mind, a memory of long ago that she had locked away and buried so deep she had forgotten it until now, once again cursing the Calhouns for making her see it now.
Suddenly everything about that long-ago night came rushing back, and she could practically smell the petrichor that lingered in the air after the rain, feel the warm spring breeze that was rustling through the sprinkling of blossoms. She knew what was coming next and had no desire to experience it yet again and tried with all her might to will herself awake, but to no avail.
Almost on cue, another horse’s sharp whinny pierced through the night, causing the man to stop in his tracks and look up as a beautiful white mare materialized out of the woods, bearing a cloaked and hooded rider upon its back. The man remained where he was, smiling slightly as the figure dismounted and tethered the steed near the stallion. The figure then turned to the man and pushed back their hood to reveal a young woman with a thin oval face and piercing blue eyes, her hair concealed beneath a dark headdress.
If Morgan had been in the real world instead of the confines of her own mind, she would have fallen to the ground and screamed in frustration at her powerlessness to stop the maddening onslaught of unwanted visions being weaved into this mocking production now playing out in front of her. Of all the memories her brain could have dug up to torment her, why, oh why did it have to be this one? She groaned to herself.
“Greetings to you, Hugh,” the woman said tersely in old Gaelic, with a voice Morgan easily recognized.
For it was her own, words she had spoken a millennia ago in another time, another life.
“Greetings to you, Morgan,” the man said, moving forward and throwing his arms open as if to embrace her before she quickly backed away from him. “I’ll thank you to keep your distance,” the past version of Morgan replied to the man, looking around warily. Helpless to do anything to stop this dream memory, which was more like a nightmare to her now, unable to even close her eyes against it, the sleeping Morgan in the present had no choice but to let this scene from her distant past play out and get it over with, looking on with resigned impotency.
Hugh looked hurt, lowering his arms after his sibling’s rebuff. “Do you fear me so much, my dear sister, that you spurn even the slightest gesture of familial affection, that you believe I have men lurking in the nearby to accost you? If such is your opinion of me, then why bother asking for this secret meeting? Perhaps it is I who should check the woods for uncle’s men, waiting to spring out and drag me back to a cell.”
“I would not do such a thing!” Morgan protested, her turn to look offended. “Despite everything, I still love you brother, and would not risk ruining this chance to see you and our sisters one last time without interference. So where are they? Where are Meriel, Niame, and Fiade? The request I sent was for them as well.”
“They’re aware, but they chose to remain at home, and begged me to decline this meeting as well. They smelled a trap just as I did.”
“I see. They still haven’t forgiven me, then?”
“You said some pretty hurtful things before you left Morgan, and have slapped away our hands every time we’ve tried to reach out over the years. That’s why they’re at home, minding our little ones.”
Morgan hissed and made a sign over her chest. “I’d heard from our uncle that you’d lain with our younger siblings, but now you’re telling me that you’ve actually had children by them as well?”
“Aye, two girls and a boy, with Meriel and Fiade already expecting yet again. And with Niame’s eagerness and enthusiasm, I expect she won’t be far behind,” Hugh said in a proud and clear voice, quite the opposite of what Morgan’s horrified tone implied he should be feeling.
Morgan groaned and clutched at her stomach, as if Hugh’s words were physically wounding her. “How could you, Hugh? To bond with your kin is bad enough, but to magnify the sin by impregnating them with your seed and bringing forth such monstrosities into the world–”
“Our children are not monstrosities,” Hugh objected, his voice still calm and level but with a dangerous edge to it. “Aisling, Conor, and Maeve are bright, beautiful, and full of life, just like their mothers, whom they thankfully favor.”
“You are seeing them through a father’s eyes, Hugh. Everyone knows that such unions can only produce malformed fruit.”
His face contorted with anger, marring his handsome features. “Do they now? Because I can assure you that if I brought them before you now and you knew not their parentage, you’d swear they were the most perfect and delightful children you’ve ever seen. Perhaps it’s the magic of the Circle that makes them so, or our fierce love for one another that shields our offspring from being malformed as you and ‘everyone’ thinks they should be. Or maybe, just maybe, the dangers and risks of such unions have just been magnified and overblown by people who have no idea what they’re talking about. Whatever the case, I’ll not hear another bad word against them or my wives, understood?”
Morgan opened her mouth like she wanted to protest, but then closed it and only nodded.
He folded his arms across his chest. “So, what was the purpose of this little reunion, other than to insult our family?” he asked derisively. “I’ll admit I’m baffled, since you cut off not only me, but mom, dad, and our sisters like a festering limb after you left us to live with uncle in that dreary castle of his, spurning all our attempts to reach out, acting as if we no longer existed. So what’s changed? Why go to all the trouble to reach out now, after writing us off as ignorant, sinful heathens?”
“That is the very reason why I asked to see you,” she answered. “For I have not written you off, dear Hugh, or our siblings. I wish to see you all saved from this evil, ruinous path you find yourselves on.”
“Evil? Ruinous?” Hugh repeated, incredulous. “The Wise Ones themselves tasked me with this charge, to be custodians of this power, the Circle as they called it. But it is not a burden, dear sister, it is freedom, it is peace, it is joy, a way to live in perfect harmony with the world and each other, in accordance with the Old Ways. You would know this to be true, had you heeded my call to you three years ago.”
Morgan scoffed. “What you and our sisters are doing is a vile perversion to slake your own sick lusts that has nothing to do with the Old Ways, and well you know it! If mother and father were here–”
“Don’t you dare presume to speak for them!” he barked, losing hold of his temper, before reining it in and speaking more calmly. “Just because you’re the eldest doesn’t mean you’re all-knowing and can talk down to me like that. You didn’t realize how much it hurt them when you left, Morgan, and you still don’t. They never spoke of it, but I could see how it broke ma and da’s hearts, and our sisters’ as well. And now that Merial, the twins and I have, against all odds, found happiness again you wish to somehow save us?”
“Please, Hugh, see reason,” Morgan said, her expression and voice softening, almost pleading. “You and a few other stragglers are all that remains of the misguided pagan faith of our ancestors. It is a thing of the past, never to return. Do not be so deluded as to believe that this so-called ‘magic Circle’ has any real power that can save or protect you from a desperate, impoverished life on the run, before you are inevitably caught and…dealt with. It’s something of a miracle that you have made it this long.” Her expression softened and became more pitying, her voice pleading. “Believe me, Hugh, I do not want to see it come to that. Come with me, so that we may be a family again.”
Hugh sputtered. “Oh yes, what a fine family I’m sure we’ll make. Sitting in that dark, musty crypt that uncle calls a home, clad in drab heavy clothes, begging forgiveness at all hours for the unforgiveable sin of being human. And what of our children? No doubt they’ll be spurned and ostracized as demon spawn just because the love that produced them is not accepted by your narrow worldview.”
He shook his head. “I’ll be dead before I see my children or wives condemned to such a harsh and joyless life. And you’re wrong, Morgan, for time is not a line but a wheel, and one day the Old Ways will return, and with them the voices of laughter, love and singing that have now been silenced. Until then my sisters and I, along with our comrades who are more numerous than you believe, will remain safe, happy and hidden, thanks to the power and wisdom you are so quick to dismiss.”
He let out a heavy sigh as he turned away from her. “I can see I was wrong to come here, to even try to reason with you, that I’m merely wasting my breath. It’s a pity because I love you, my dear sister, and we’d have been much stronger with you. But contrary to what uncle and the other fanatics have no doubt filled your head with, I’m not a sex-hungry devil who’ll drag you against your will into a flaming pit for an eternity of debauchery. Goodbye Morgan. May you be happy in the life you’ve chosen, though I doubt it.”
“Wait!” she cried out, lunging forward and grabbing his sleeve. “Please, Hugh, you must come home! If you don’t I…I…”
He turned, frowning. “If I don’t, you’ll what?” he asked, noticing the way she pressed her free arm against her cloak, holding it shut. “That veil that hides your beautiful hair,” he said, dread growing like a heavy stone in his chest, reaching out to touch the heavy black covering, only to have her recoil from him. “Why do you wear it?”
Faster than thought he reached and flung open her cloak to reveal a heavy black woolen tunic that stretched from the base of her neck all the way to her ankles, which was covered by yet another heavy dark piece of cloth, erasing every trace of femininity from her body. “What is the meaning of this?!” he demanded, shocked at what he was seeing.
Morgan looked away, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. “Uncle fears that because I share the same blood as you and our sisters, that I am more susceptible to following the same dark path as you have, and could lure him towards a similar fate. To prevent this, he bids me dress modestly to avoid the temptation. He also speaks of sending me to a priory to become a nun, so that I may pray for the salvation of your souls.”
Hugh’s expression darkened. “I see, so you’re being punished for the supposed transgressions of our sisters and I? Sounds a little harsh, even for uncle.” He studied her eyes, which flicked away, refusing to meet his. “But there’s something more to this, isn’t it? What aren’t you telling me, Morgan?” he asked as he grabbed at her arm, causing her to flinch. He shoved up the fabric of her sleeve to reveal a nasty purple bruise that ran the length of her arm from her shoulder almost to her wrist. “By the Gods,” he whispered.
She jerked out of his grasp, lowering her sleeve and turning away from him. “Do not pity me, Hugh, for I deserve this mark, and the others that blot my tainted body. I am a temptress, and have earned this punishment.”
“What are you talking about?!” Hugh asked, shocked. “Who did this to you? Our uncle?”
She hesitated a moment before turning back to him and nodding. “It was. But before you condemn him, Hugh, you must know that he had a good reason for doing so. Our blood is tainted, Hugh, what you and your sisters have done proves this. This same dirty blood courses through uncle and myself, given us wicked thoughts and urges similar to the ones our sisters and you have succumbed to.” She turned back to Hugh, eyes wild with fright. “My God, Hugh, I’ve even had evil dreams about–” she said, lowering her face, flushed with shame.
He grunted. “I think I’m beginning to understand. So because you both had natural desires for each other, emotions you’ve been taught to believe you shouldn’t, he beats you to a pulp in an attempt to drive them out and save you both from damnation,” Hugh said drily, trying to hide the disgust from his voice. “Sounds fair.”
“It’s not just me, flagellates himself as well in an attempt to drive away the evil impulses.”
“Oh, well, that just makes it all better, doesn’t it?” Hugh said with a sneer. “But I don’t see him locking himself away to cleanse his soul from evil.”
“I’m fully prepared to accept it,” she said resolutely, “but it doesn’t have to be this way. If you and our sisters return and repent of your wicked ways, uncle will allow me to marry instead.”
Hugh blinked rapidly at her, looking almost crestfallen. “You’re kidding.”
“I would not lie about something like this.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “And tell me, who is this man you’ll be marrying?”
She shrugged. “I…don’t know, exactly. Uncle’s to pick him out, should you agree to return.”
He sputtered. “Chances are if uncle selected your future husband, the man in question will turn out to be just as dour and grim as he is. So let me understand your situation – your choices are either to be locked away in a convent or trapped in what sounds to be a loveless and joyless marriage that will probably be as stifling as the nunnery.”
“At least it would be a chance at happiness, to have something resembling a normal life!” she retorted more sharply than she meant. “But you have no intention of coming back, do you? You would deny me this last chance to be happy, you, my only brother, who once swore you’d look out for me, no matter what?” she asked, tone becoming pleading. “I beg you, Hugh, I’m well past the age where I should’ve been married, don’t ruin this last opportunity for me.”
“If it did not come at the expense of the happiness and well-being of others I love dearly, I might consider it no matter the cost to myself. You are dear to me, Morgan, you always have been, but you ask too much. But you do have a third choice, if you’re willing to accept it.”
She scoffed. “You mean, join my sisters and yourself in a life of unrepentant sin and lust, every lewd and vile act further condemning our souls to the unquenchable fire?”
“Our souls are freed, not condemned. But as I said before, Neither I nor anyone else will make you engage in anything you don’t want to do. You could simply join our community and live alone if you wish. You have my word no one will bother or pressure you into anything you consider unsavory. That way, at least you’ll have control over your own life, your own destiny.”
“All while witnessing constant debauchery and evil around me, being constantly tempted into depravity?”
“I’ll not deny it, everyone in our community is free to love as they choose. Some choose the way Meriel, the twins and I have, finding love among their kin, but most are what you would deem normal families. Some even live lives of unattached solitude. But no matter what path they follow, they are not judged for it. Can you say the same about your current circumstances?”
Morgan looked at him as if he had sprouted another pair of arms. “No thanks, I’d choose a thousand years in the convent on my knees on a cold stone floor, whipping myself everyday before I’d take that road to ruin!”
He sighed. “What happened to you, Morgan? You used to be the most spirited and lively of us all, dancing and singing with such abandon among the trees, praising the gods, celebrating and reveling in the simple joy of being alive, of being human.”
She straightened, adopting a stern and resolved expression. “I’ve learned the truth, and I shall continue to pray, from the convent it seems, that it comes to you one day as well.”
“The only thing you’ve done is repress who you really are out of fear and guilt, and it is I who shall pray that this heavy veil will be lifted from your eyes.”
“Awwww…that’s so sweet, the two estranged siblings praying for each other,” a mocking voice cackled from the trees nearby. Both of them started and turned toward the noise, Hugh drawing his sword. “Who’s there?” he called out, scanning the woods.
From out of the shadows a lithe figure holding a nocked bow and clad in a dark cloak materialized out of the darkness accompanied by another shorter and stouter figure also wielding a bow, arrow nocked and aimed directly at Morgan. “Now if I were you,” the taller figure with a thin face, and beady eyes and scraggly hair said to Hugh, “I’d drop your sword, those daggers around your waist and any other weapons you may have, unless you want to find out how well your precious sister can breathe with an arrow in her throat.”
Hugh gritted his teeth as he flung his sword to the ground, followed by his knives and also a small pouch at his belt. “If you’re bandits, just take my weapons and all the money I have and be on your way.”
“They’re not bandits,” Morgan said from beside him, her eyes wide with horrified recognition. “It’s Breckin and Niall, two of my uncle’s men.”
Hugh sucked a deep breath. “I see. So you didn’t come alone, after all.”
“Brother, I swear I didn’t know–”
“Shut your mouth, you traitorous little trollop,” Breckin, the taller man, spat out, interrupting her. “For what it’s worth, she’s tellin’ the truth, for once. You see, Lord Gallagher found out about her little assignation with you tonight, figurin’ you were aiming to tempt her into iniquity, and sent us out to protect the lady’s virtue and immortal soul, by any means necessary,” he snickered.
“Forgive me, Morgan, for doubting you,” he said, eyes narrowing as he fixed on the smug men still training bows on them. “And as for you two, I feel obligated to declare that neither of you have any idea who you’re messing with. Leave now, and I may yet show you mercy.”
Breckin and Niall glanced at each other before busting out in laughter. “Isn’t that a kicker, this here fellow threatenin’ us when we’re about ready to make a pin cushion out of ‘im?” Breckin asked his portly partner, sneering at their prisoners.
“Sure is,” Niall replied. “Maybe we ought to just kill ‘im now, I’m getting tired of listening to his smart mouth.” Both pulled back their bowstrings further, preparing to fire.
“No, please!” Morgan entreated her uncle’s men, throwing herself between her sibling and the arrows. “Hugh didn’t ask for this meeting, I did. And I swear before God all we did was talk, he did nothing untoward to me. I promise I’ll return quietly with you now to my uncle’s house, but I beseech you, don’t hurt my brother. Let him go.”
Breckin tsked. “Hear that, Niall? This once good and noble lady is now defending this dangerous tree-worshippin’ brother of hers, after swearing up and down to her uncle, our master, that she wanted no part of him, no longer even considered him kin, that she was completely devoted to Lord Gallagher and his ways. Sounds to me like she’s allowed herself to be ensorcelled by this cunning devil beyond all hope of savin’, just as her noble uncle feared.”
“Mmm…I think you’ve got a point,” Niall agreed.
“What? What are you talking about?” Morgan asked, confused, her gaze darting back and forth between the pair.
A wicked grin curved along Breckin’s lips. “Let me lay it out for you, my noble lady,” he replied, voice thick with sarcasm. “Your uncle’s had doubts about your loyalty and integrity for a long time, given the sinful blood runnin’ through your veins. Sending you to the convent was your last chance at redemption, but now by spurning this last generous gesture and conspiring with your heathen kin, you’ve shown yourself to be beyond all hope of salvation. That’s why your uncle commanded us to save your soul by sending it to the next world, before it could become even more corrupted.”
Morgan swallowed heavily as her stomach turned to cold lead, backing up against her brother as the meaning of their words settled in. “You’re…going to kill me,” she stuttered, her voice sounding disconnected and distant, as if it belonged to someone else.
“And your brother as well,” Breckin said nonchalantly, “after all, we can’t leave a dangerous heathen savage like him wandering around, now can we? Especially after he’s debased the soul of our noble lord’s dear niece. But don’t worry, your uncle requested that we inform you that he intends to make an extra donation to the priory so that prayers will be said for the cleansing of your wayward spirit.
“But before we on with all that dirty business,” he added, eyes roving up and down Morgan, “we’re going to have a little amusement. We know what a virtuous life you’ve lived until now, lady, and we wouldn’t dream of sending you on to the great beyond without experiencing the carnal delights of this one from two skilled practitioners such as ourselves. Niall guffawed at his companion’s words before he moved to fetch Morgan as Breckin kept a bead on Hugh.
She felt a scream welling in her throat that was quelled by a strong, firm grip on her shoulder. Hugh. “Don’t worry,” he assured her in a calm, unfazed voice, “I won’t let them hurt you. Just be strong, and believe in me.”
Before she could respond the squat man who smelled of sweat and manure seized her arm and yanked her away from Hugh. “No, please,” she begged as her wild eyes fixed on her brother, hoping that he would make a move to stop her assailant, only to be horrified that he seemed to have fallen into in a state of shock. His body had gone slack, arms hanging limp at his sides, his glassy eyes staring straight at nothing as he began muttering softly to himself.
Breckin cackled at the sight. “Look at ‘im, the big tough magic man threatenin’ to rain destruction down on us, now scared shitless! If I was a betting man, I’d wager he’s about ready to piss those nice clothes of his next.”
“Should we kill ‘im now?” Niall asked, keeping a firm grip on the struggling Morgan.
“No, I’ve got a better idea,” the taller man said, taking the wiggling woman from his cohort. “He needs a little lesson after all that worthless bluster he spouted before. Bind and gag him so he can watch us enjoy his sister and not be able to do a damn thing about it. And who knows? If he’s a good boy maybe we’ll let him have a go at her before we finish ’em both off, I hear he’s into that kind of thing.”
Morgan watched helplessly as with a snarky chortle Niall hastened to carry out Breckin’s instructions, pushing Hugh down to his knees in near the middle of the clearing, securing his unresisting limbs with tight, secure knots before wrapping a strip of cloth around her brother’s mouth, under which she could still see his lips moving, no doubt babbling with fright as his unblinking eyes stared right through her. I’m sorry, brother, she mouthed silently, her fault that he was even here.
“Alright, that worthless wretch is taken care of,” Breckin said, releasing her and drawing his sword. “Now, if the lady would please remove all her clothing, we can get on with more pressing matters.” Beside him, Niall rubbed his hands with glee as he grinned maliciously.
“Don’t do this, please,” Morgan begged, backing up from them and tripping on a tree root, tumbling to the ground, causing her captors to roar with laughter. But then Breckin’s expression turned serious as he stepped forward, pointing his sword toward her throat. “Do it,” he growled, “or I’ll do it meself with me blade, while Niall here starts cutting into your pathetic brother. It makes no difference to me; I’ll be entertained either way. So what’s it gonna be, girl?”
Morgan stood, face burning with shame, knowing she was trapped, knowing she was doomed and her brother with her. She prayed silently but desperately to gods old and new for salvation, that she may be delivered from this humiliating fate. But there was no answer, only the cruel cackling of the two rogues as they waited for her to comply, or not.
Then she remembered Hugh’s strong, firm hand on her shoulder, remembering his strong comforting words in her ear. She stole a quick glance to where he knelt on the ground, bound and gagged, his eyes still vacant and empty. But even in the seemingly submissive and subdued state he was in, there was something else that she could now see beneath the apparent shock and helplessness. His back was straight, his head high, his vacuous eyes focused and determined. It was as if his entire being was exuding a latent, ominous power, wide and vast like the sea before a storm, and for a moment she dared to dream that her brother’s boasts about his abilities might be more than just talk, that he would break loose and make good on his promise.
But it quickly faded as Morgan turning away from him, sullenly realizing she was just seeing what she desperately wanted to see, that her brother was just as powerless to stop what was happening as she was, that their fate was sealed. With a resigned sigh, she began to comply with the horrid man’s orders, figuring that it would be better to do it herself than risk him cutting through her clothes, knowing he would probably have no compunction about tearing into her flesh as he did so, making the ordeal ahead even more painful. Her only hope now was that it would be over quickly.
First she removed her headdress, allowing her wild scarlet hair to spill free, before unfastening her cloak and casting it aside, the two scoundrels leering at her as she did so. Heart pounding, she pulled off her boots as slowly as she could, buying time for a rescue that some small part of her yet clung to. Her trembling fingers worked to loosen the sash around her waist before lifting her tunic up over her head and tossing it away, leaving only her long, thin chemise to shield her body from the gaze of these crass ruffians.
She looked into their eyes, hoping to find some trace of guilt or remorse over what they were doing that might make them relent and show mercy, but saw only a burning, feral lust. “You will be punished for your actions, both in this life and the next,” she pronounced to them in a haughty tone, hoping that her voice didn’t betray the raw terror that was threatening to overwhelm her.
Breckin snickered. “Don’t you go worryin’ about us, my fallen damsel, for before we left your uncle’s priest absolved us of any and all sins we might commit this night in the course of our duty. Now hurry up and finish the job,” he commanded in an impatient tone, “before I decide you’re more trouble than you’re worth, and run my blade through that black heart of yours right now.”
Perhaps that would be for the best, she mused, for it would deny the ruffians their pleasure, and spare her the shame and humiliation. But no, provoking them to kill her now would be tantamount to suicide, a mortal sin. And despite all signs to the contrary, she still remembered Hugh’s sturdy hand on her skin, the memory of it sustaining a spark of hope in her that refused to die. Just hold on a bit longer, a small voice seemed to be urging her.
With shaky resolve she reached up to her shoulder and pushed the fabric down her arm, followed by the other side, closing her eyes as she felt the material slide down her body and bunch around her legs. She closed her eyes and looked away, feeling herself burn with embarrassment. One of the men, she didn’t know or care which, whistled.
“Would you look at that?” a voice she recognized as Niall’s said, filled with awe. “That’s the body of a goddess, it is, and make no mistake. No wonder she was such a temptation to our lord, even with him being her uncle and all. Damn shame to even think of locking that tempting flesh away in a nunnery, even more so to kill it. Maybe we could just take her away, tuck her somewhere private only we know about?” If Morgan hadn’t been so mortified at her current state of complete undress, and petrified at the thought of being locked away somewhere by these two as their own personal plaything, the base compliment might have flattered her.
“No,” Breckin said sharply after considering a moment. “I’ll admit I’m tempted as well, but it isn’t worth riskin’ the lord’s ire. Don’t forget he has eyes everywhere, and sooner or later would discover we disobeyed his orders, and our lives wouldn’t be worth a lump of cow dung then. Besides, with the reward we’re promised at the end of this night, we’ll have no trouble pickin’ up all the beautiful women we desire. Let’s just have our fun and do what needs to be done, and be on our way. I’ll go first,” he said, sheathing his sword and working with his trousers. “You keep that bow pointed at that useless brother of hers, just to remind her not to try anything funny.”
Niall looked like he was about to protest his partner’s order of things when a sudden unseasonably chill breeze that seemed sliced from the heart of winter swept through the warm late spring air, pricking Morgan’s exposed skin with gooseflesh as she wrapped her arms around her and shuddered from the cold, as did her uncle’s men. In its wake a silence as heavy as a shroud fell over the area as the chirps and stridulations of the surrounding night insects ceased, the horses whinnying worriedly.
Then from deep within the shadowed trunks along the other side of the clearing there arose a fearsome roar that pierced the muted air like a hurled spear, followed by the crashing sound of something big and heavy tearing through branches and undergrowth. Breckin and Niall cursed as they both turned away from Morgan, taking cover behind trees as they readied their bows, aiming them towards the ripping and smashing noises growing louder as whatever it was approached their position.
Morgan took advantage of their distraction to dive behind an ancient oak on the tree line some distance from her would-be violators, her nakedness momentarily forgotten as she looked out across the clearing towards whatever was approaching, only then realizing that Hugh was still bound hand and foot in the clearing. She tried calling out to him, but he was still seemingly unaware of his surroundings, not reacting at all to her pleas or the menacing sounds growing louder and louder. She had to help him!
In the second before she had planned to run out to her brother, a massive creature the likes of which Morgan had never seen broke into the clearing. Its bulky and colossal body was covered in shaggy brown fur, possessed of immense paws that ended in long, curved claws. She gasped as the creature stood on its hind paws like a human, but taller and more imposing than anybody she’d ever seen. It let out another ear-splitting roar, revealing rows of sharp lengthy teeth, its entire body seeming to shimmer with an unearthly glow. Heaven save us, she mouthed silently, wanting to bolt from this monster but frozen in place, afraid to draw any attention to herself, fearing her brother, who still showed no reaction to this monstrous new arrival, remaining motionless even though the creature was only a few yards from him.
To their small credit Breckin and Niall did not immediately flee but instead leapt out from their cover, firing their arrows at the beast almost simultaneously. She knew both to be adept with the bow and their arrows flew straight and true towards the creature’s chest, presumably where its heart and other vitals were located. But instead of penetrating the creature and killing or at least mortally wounding it, the projectiles merely deflected off the creature’s fur, as if it were covered in some sort of invisible armor.
The creature fell back on all fours and snarled viciously, obviously not taking kindly to the failed attempt to bring it down. Niall let out a high-pitched scream even louder than the terrified horses nearby as he dropped his bow and fled into the trees, screaming about devils and witchery. Breckin shouted his fleeing companion as he drew his sword, cursing Niall for a coward and ordering him back, to no avail as he turned back to face the creature alone, the behemoth now charging towards his position.
Morgan looked on with helpless relief as the creature lumbered past the crouched form of Hugh without even sparing her brother a second’s glance, obviously intent on reaching the one who had attempted to destroy it. For a moment Breckin stood his ground, but then the courage that the foul, murderous man had summoned from whatever source crumbled like marble under a hammer as he dropped his sword and made to join Niall in retreat.
But by then, it was far too late.
The huge, muscular paw of the beast swiped at the hapless man in mid-turn, striking his body with such force that his shrieking form was sent hurtling across the clearing to collide against the massive trunk of an elm, impacting with a crackling thump before falling to the ground, unmoving.
Morgan swallowed, heart threatening to burst out of her chest, fearing now that his primary nemesis was eliminated, the creature would turn its lethal attention toward her or Hugh. But instead it merely let out another thunderous bellow, before tearing off into the woods in the direction that Niall had fled. A few moments later there was a sharp distant cry of surprise and pain, followed by silence.
For a long moment Morgan didn’t dare to move, expecting that, that, whatever it was to double back and finish its murderous rampage, attuning her ears for any noise that would confirm her fears. But there was nothing, only the sound of the insects gradually resuming their nocturnal chorus. Was it over? She thought with cautious hope, were they safe?
“Ah, that’s better,” Hugh said as he flung away the gag, the ropes that had bound him laying loose in the ground at his feet.
“Hugh!” she cried out, rushing to her brother and hugging him, tears of relief in her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re alright! I was so scared!”
He held her as close as she did him, his arms feeling strong and comforting around her. “And you, Morgan? You are unharmed?”
She nodded. “I’m fine, just shaken terribly. Between those horrid men and that ferocious beast, I thought for sure our time had come. But speaking of which,” she added cautiously, breaking away from him and looking around. “We should get out of here. It, whatever it was, might come back this way.”
He shook his head, smiling. “Fear not, dear sister, it’s already passed back into the ether from whence I called it.”
She took a step back, staring at him with wide, saucered eyes. “You? You called that…that…thing?”
He nodded solemnly. “A majestic but fearsome creature that dwelt on our isle until they were wiped out over a thousand years ago, although traces of their life essence yet linger in the land and the trees,” he explained. “I was able to gather these remaining vestiges, still filled with rage and bitterness over their sad fate, into a physical entity and unleash it against those who intended to do us harm.” Hugh lowered his eyes. “I don’t like to kill, Morgan, but they left me little choice.”
He looked back up at his sister, expecting to see disgust and alarm there at seeing what she considered to be heathen practices put to such violent and destructive use, surprised instead to see only awe and admiration. “Incredible,” Morgan murmured, recalling how the creature had gleamed with otherworldly luminescence, how the well-aimed arrows of Breckin and Niall had glanced off its pelt like twigs. “Your powers…the abilities of the Wise Ones, they’re real,” she said with the astonished, wondrous voice of a skeptical child who’d just seen a fairy flitting over a field of flowers.
“So you’re not upset?”
She blinked rapidly. “Upset? Why would I be upset?” she asked, incredulous as she clasped his hands. “You saved my life, Hugh, and my virtue, just like you said you would, just like you promised you would always look out for me,” she said, eyes sparkling with gratitude. “It was the most incredible sight I’ve ever seen, the most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thank you, brother.”
He cleared his throat, suddenly looking a bit sheepish the thrill of imminent danger wore off, becoming more aware of immediate circumstances as he averted his gaze from her. “Yes, well, um, speaking of incredible,” he said, unfastening his cloak and holding it out to her. “Not that I don’t vastly appreciate the beauty of your extraordinary body, dear sister, but I know how much you value your modesty.”
“What?” she asked, puzzled, until she looked down, only then realizing that she was still completely naked, a fact that had been driven from her mind by more urgent matters. “Oh, right,” she said, taking the proffered garment, starting to fling it around her shoulders when she stopped.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, noting her hesitation out of the corner of his eye. “I didn’t think I sullied it that much on my way here.”
“No, it’s not that,” Morgan said, sounding thoughtful. “It’s just that it’s been so long since I’ve been naked out among the trees, feeling the fresh air against my skin, the cool, damp earth against my bare feet. I’d forgotten how wonderful these sensations are, especially after coming so close to death.” She held his cloak back out to him. “So, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to remain this way a little longer.”
“Um, very well,” he said, refastening the cloak around his neck. “In that case, I’ll go check on my horse and give you some time…” he said, starting to go, when he felt a hand on his arm.
“No, please Hugh, don’t go. After all that’s happened…I just don’t want to be alone right now. And you can look at me, I don’t mind. It’s just an average female body, right? Nothing you haven’t seen before, and nothing for me to be ashamed of.”
Hugh chuckled as he looked back toward his sister, causing her to frown. “What, what is it? Is something wrong with me?” she asked, frowning as she looked over herself.
He shook his head. “Not at all, it’s just you sound more like the Morgan I used to know, the vibrant, beautiful girl with the easy laugh. It’s good to see her again, is all.”
She beamed. “Thank you, Hugh. No one’s called me beautiful in a long time.”
“Well you are, and don’t you forget it. And don’t you dare to call yourself average ever again; you hear me? You’re about as far from average as I am from the moon,” he said, hoping his garments were hiding his growing manhood, which despite his best efforts was rapidly stiffening at the sight of his sister’s comely figure. He hadn’t seen her like this since they were children, and since then her legs had lengthened and merged seamlessly with hips that had widened and assumed a delightful curvy shape, her breasts swollen into generous orbs capped with pink nipples hardened by fear, standing out in sharp contrast to the surrounding pale flesh.
Morgan giggled as she danced and twirled around in the grass with arms spread wide, Hugh recognizing the moves from the festival of Beltane, her rhythmic, almost sensual movements sending her hair spinning and her breasts bobbing as she hummed to herself. “I’d forgotten what a sweet talker you are, Hugh, and not a bad sight to look upon,” she remarked, winking at him mischievously, seemingly a completely different person from the prim and dour one who’d ridden into the clearing not long ago. “I can see how you seduced our younger sisters so easily.”
“I did nothing of the sort,” he protested with mock indignance, sensing from her tone that she was only teasing him. In a way he was glad that she had reminded him of Meriel, Niame, and Fiade, breaking through the red haze that had begun to fog his mind as he stood entranced by her carnal cavorting. If he didn’t know better he would have thought Morgan was enjoying the rapt attention he was bestowing on her, even performing a few outlandish moves for his benefit to accentuate certain very pleasing parts of her body. Knock it off, he chided himself, you have three beautiful, insatiable women waiting for you at home and there is no need to pine for one who has made it clear she wants nothing to do with you or your way of life. “It was quite the reverse, in fact. An interesting story, should you ever care to hear it.”
Morgan ceased her frolicking and fixed him with a coy stare. “Is that so?” she asked, making her way over to him. Her exertions had quickened her breathing, adding a crimson flush to her skin. “Well, no time like the present, brother dear. I’m listening, and be sure you don’t leave out a thing, alright? I gleaned the basics from our uncle’s rantings, but I want every last detail you can provide.”
Hugh was a bit taken aback, not expecting his prudish sister to be interested in anything involving the life and family she’d left behind. But he took a deep breath and began to recount the story, his normally natural and fluid storytelling ability pockmarked with pauses and stutters as his eyes kept flicking towards his sibling’s heaving chest, and sometimes even lower towards the glistening thatch between her legs.
And Morgan didn’t make matters easier, for at times she’d reach down unconsciously and outline a nipple with her finger, absorbed in his tale of how their Grove had imbued him with power before they were attacked and their parents killed, his flight with Meriel and the twins into the woods, the magic overwhelming him, Meriel confessing her feelings and making love with him to save his life, bringing Niame and Fiade eagerly into their newly formed Circle, and finally establishing a hidden and protected community for those still loyal to the Old Ways, as well as those living lifestyles that ran afoul of societal mores.
“Incredible,” Morgan muttered when Hugh had at last stumbled through the last of his account. “I’d long suspected the twins of harboring such thoughts for you, given some of the nightly whisperings I overheard and the way I saw them mooning over you when they thought no one was looking. But I confess I had no idea that Meriel felt the same way, or that she would have the courage to make the first move, even under such dire circumstances,” she mused, rubbing her thighs together as if aroused by the thought. “She must really love you, Hugh, to have taken such a risk to save your life.”
“Aye, she does, and it is a love I return to her tenfold every day,” he affirmed, noting a new tangy musk scent in the air. It was faint, but it was strong enough for him to recognize. By the Gods, his demure, dignified sister was aroused by his story! “And to Fiade and Niame as well, for there are no favorites in my house, all are loved the same. And despite what you may believe we’re all happier than we’ve ever been, living full and blessed lives in our tranquil haven.”
Morgan bit at her lower lip, her adorable freckled face pensive as she seemed to struggle with something in the confines of her mind. “And our siblings, they all share in this ability and knowledge you have, that allowed you to save us even though you were subdued?”
He tipped his head in assent. “We each have our own specializations, but yes, I’m confident that had any of our sisters been in my situation tonight, they would have been able to use their unique talents to extract themselves, and you, from the peril presented by your uncle’s men with equally impressive results. Perhaps even more so, considering what an creative mind Meriel has.”
“I see,” she said, thinking another moment before nodding her head resolutely. “Then it’s decided. I’m coming to join you and our sisters in your community.”
He nodded, quietly prepared for this. It wasn’t as if she could return to their uncle’s house after he’d tried to have her killed, and even if she joined a convent or somehow married their uncle had a long arm, and would no doubt hunt her down after his men failed to return. “As you wish. And I swear to you, Morgan, that you’ll be free to live and worship however you wish. No one will criticize or attempt to impose their beliefs on you, all I ask is that you return the favor. Agreed?”
She smiled at him. “That’s kind of you, dear brother, but unnecessary. For you see, when I say I want to be with you in this new little settlement, I don’t mean as some random member of the population. I mean I want to join with you, and our siblings, in this Circle of yours.”
It took every ounce of strength in Hugh to not fall to the ground in shock. “I’m sorry, my wits must still be rattled by that harrowing experience we just endured. It sounded like you, who have renounced and cursed the Old Ways, now want to plunge back into them, that you want to…to…”
“Yes, Hugh,” Morgan said with a little impatience. “Since you can’t seem to say it, I will just so there are no misunderstandings. I want to be with you in every sense of the word, to live with you and be your wife and partner in the Circle, to bed you hard, fast, and often, to bear you a plethora of beautiful children as our siblings have.” She slapped her hands to her sides, exasperated. “My god, Hugh, why do you think I left our parents, our siblings, you, in the first place?”
“I don’t understand,” Hugh said, genuinely confused.
Morgan sighed as she turned and walked away from him, hugging herself as she looked up at the bright moon. “You really have no idea, do you? I must be better at hiding myself than I thought.”
“Hiding yourself?” he asked, his mind a swirling mass of lust-filled chaos after her confession. “What do you mean by that? Please Morgan, speak plainly.”
She chuckled as she pivoted back around to face him, but there was no humor in it. “The reason I went to live with uncle, renouncing the old ways as he insisted, living austerely as he dictated, it was all because of you, Hugh. But before you say anything, let me explain.
“You see,” she continued, fidgeting in place, her fingers spindling together like frantic spider’s legs as her eyes focused on her feet, “our younger sisters weren’t the only ones who had feelings that most people, whether of the old or new faith, would condemn as forbidden. I can’t say why they emerged or when they started, but I love you Hugh, probably the first of your sisters to do so in a deep, profound sense. But unlike them I was burdened by an extreme sense of guilt, terrified of what our family and friends, and especially you, would do if my secret was ever discovered.
“I tried to bury them, pretend they didn’t exist, but that only made things worse. It even got to the point where I cried myself to sleep, shaking with pent-up love and need, so badly did I want to be with you. I knew that it was only a matter of time before my body overwhelmed my mind and I acted on my desires and destroyed our relationship, perhaps our entire family. Rather than let that happen, I went to ma and da, begging them to allow me to go live with our uncle, to convert to the new faith, for I had heard it was effective in repressing what I considered at the time to be wicked and perverse thoughts. As you know they were shocked and tried to change my mind, but in the end they relented after seeing my resolve.”
Hugh nodded solemnly. “But it didn’t work, did it?” he asked quietly. “Leaving, I mean.”
She shook her head. “The woman you were first greeted with tonight was the product of ten years of repression, cruelty, and punishment by our uncle because of what I represented to him, the lust for me burning in his heart, refusing to acknowledge it as I had mine for you. And I endured it all, thinking I deserved it, trying to compel you and our sisters into this misery because I resented your happiness, and wanting you to share my suffering…I’m so sorry, Hugh,” she sobbed, falling to her knees, cupping her hands over her face and crying. “Sorry for leaving, sorry for luring you here tonight, sorry to be so foolish as to think you could ever forgive me for all I’ve done.”
Hugh rushed over and knelt beside his weeping sister, cradling her in his arms, his ardor momentarily quelled by her sad admission. “If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I had stirrings in me as well for you all, but I had no idea how you or any of our other sisters felt and so kept them to myself. I must have been as blind as a mole at midnight to have missed all the signs over the years that, in retrospect, should have been obvious. You suffered such misery for it, and who knows how Meriel, Niame, Fiade and even myself might have ended up if circumstances hadn’t forced us to admit our feelings for each other? You have no reason to seek my forgiveness, Morgan, but if it’s something you need, then you have it. I only hope that you can grant me yours, as well.”
She lifted her head, wiping the moisture from her eyes, hope glimmering in them as she nodded vigorously. “So does that mean that you’ll allow me to come with you, to reunite with our sisters in your house, to share your life, your magic…and your bed?”
In response, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. At first Morgan was so thrilled by his gesture that she couldn’t move, merely allowing his tongue to probe her mouth before bringing hers up to collide against his, mingling together in a sensual dance that she had yearned to experience for ages, feeling a long-buried heat again stirring within her, setting ablaze a fire in her loins that demanded to be quenched.
After all too short a time Hugh separated himself from her and fixed his gaze with hers, hot passion and cold somberness mingling in his expression. “Morgan, I know you’ve already said so, but I have to be absolutely sure – you’re absolutely sure this is what you want, that it’s not just the terror and trepidation of your recent ordeal driving you into this decision? Because once I…share my magic with you, there is no going back. Perhaps I should just take you back to the village for now, and give you a little more time to think this over.”
“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life,” she declared to her brother without hesitation. “I’ll admit a part of me does relish the notion of being able to wield such remarkable power, to be able to protect myself against villains such as him,” she said, casting a disgusted glance toward the ruined body of Breckin. “But more than that I love you, Hugh, and the idea of being with you and the rest of my true family again, living as we please in accordance with the Old Ways is the most appealing future I can now imagine.”
With that she stood up walked over to the large, gnarled oak behind which she had previously cowered in fear, now pressing her back against the rough bark as she spread her legs wide, beckoning to her brother, her face split with a confident grin. “I’m weary of waiting, Hugh, I want you to do it to me now – make me your wife, your mate, your soul partner in that glorious Circle of yours,” she begged, sliding and squirming against the tree. “Make me complete as only you can, the way I’ve always dreamed of you doing.”
The last of the doubt in Hugh’s visage faded away, replaced by pure primal need as he stalked over to her waiting, naked form, hiking up his tunic, pinning it to his belt before shoving down his leggings to fully reveal his hardened staff, now pointed directly at Morgan.
“Ooohhh…is that all for me?” she cooed as she stared at his rigid manhood, flicking her tongue hungrily across her lips. “It’s incredible.”
Hugh didn’t respond as he lined his cock up with her moist, swollen lips, the light dusting of red hair over them tickling slightly at his rod, his overwhelming need pushing all thoughts of the pleasurable games he usually enjoyed playing with his other sisters before entering them from his mind. But despite every primal instinct in him pushing him forward, he managed to pant out a question to his equally breathless sister, feeling her hot breath on his neck. “Are you ready for this?”
It was her turn to surprise him. Burning with more lust than her brother and impatient to commence their intimate union, she leaned forward and slammed her mouth against his, engaging him in a hot, slathering kiss, putting her arms around his neck and mashing her body against his as she drove Hugh’s cock into her waiting sheath with one smooth, slick motion, gasping with pleasure as she felt herself filled by a man for the first time, the sensation beyond anything she’d ever imagined.
Hugh found himself motionless, having planned to slide himself slowly into Morgan, to accustom her inexperienced depths to his intruding presence little by little. But she had unexpectedly taken the initiative, and now he found himself completely enveloped in her folds. He should have anticipated something like this given the way that Meriel had taken charge during their coupling, but there was no help for it now. “Are you alright? Are you in pain?” he asked.
“N-no,” she replied in an airy, dreamlike voice. “I mean, there was a little at first, but now I think I’m getting used to you, down there I mean, and it feels…exquisite,” she sighed as her eyes fluttered closed. “Why, oh why did I run from this for so long?” she moaned ruefully, more to herself than him before opening her eyes and fixing his steely gaze with her own. “And now, I want to feel you moving inside me Hugh. Please. I’m alright, really, go ahead,” she urged, clinging to him tighter.
Still a bit hesitant, he began to comply with his not-so-innocent sister, easing in and out of her with soft but steady strokes, relishing the sensations as her slick walls welcomed him to her canal, gripping and massaging at the first cock to visit her sacred paradise, lavishing attention on it like an honored guest. “Mmmm…yes,” Morgan whispered as her hands roved over her brother’s muscled back. “That feels so wonderful, Hugh, but I need more, much more. Take me faster, harder!” she begged. “Make me scream your name so loud that the whole world will know that I’m your woman!”
Hearing her words through the red, animalistic haze that had seized his mind, her brother only grunted in acknowledgment of her pleas as he shoved her back against forcefully against the oak, Morgan squealing in delight as he lifted her off her feet and lowering her down, impaling her on his rod already slick with her fluids, his sister sighing contentedly as she was once again filled with his imposing, magnificent presence, locking her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he began to thrust upward into her with abandon, all thoughts of caution burned away.
For untold moments there were no words exchanged between them, both brother and sister caught up in a furious, primal wave of lust and bliss as they at last came together fully in this intimate, forbidden act here in the verdant primeval wilds, the only noise an occasional groan or yip of pleasure mingled with the sound of slapping skin.
“Oh, yes, just like that,” Morgan moaned, her eyes closed, her head lolling back and forth, caught up in the incredible sensation of her brother’s staff probing her innermost depths with now reckless abandon, filling her perfectly, sending her soaring to heights of pleasure she didn’t even know existed until this moment. But still, something niggled at her.
“What’s…wrong?” Hugh asked, studying her face which were betraying her thoughts. “I’m not hurting you, am I?” he asked, ceasing his thrusting, his rod still buried to the hilt inside her.
“No, not at all,” she breathed, shaking her head in vigorous denial, savoring the feel of him buried inside her, comforting like vital appendage she didn’t even know was missing at last blissfully returned to her. “I’ve never felt so wonderful in my life. It’s just that I was just considering all the time, the years I’ve missed out on this, on being with you and sharing this indescribable experience, because of my stubbornness. It makes me sick, thinking on how much was lost.”
“The past is the past,” he said flatly. “We can’t change it, and regretting it only wastes more precious time in the present. The important thing is we’re a family again, reunited forever. And I swear to you, Morgan, that you’ll be lavished with so much attention and pleasure you won’t have even a moment to spare for pointless regrets,” he promised.
“Oh, Hugh, I do appreciate those sweet words,” she cooed leaning in to kiss him again, this time slow, lingering, and tender, her heart swelling with even more love for her brother, her lingering doubts dispelled. “Now,” she whispered when they came up for air, nibbling playfully at his earlobe as she wiggled on his cock, “I do believe it’s time for you to complete your unusual but incredibly satisfying familial duties and bring me into your fold, once and for all.”
Hugh said nothing, only grinning broadly as he once again resumed his eager thrusting, his fingernails digging into the tender flesh of her thighs as he suckled on her perfect nipples, driving even more delighted cries from her throat as he drove again and again into her velvety sheath, feeling that familiar feeling beginning to build in his scrotum. “I’m getting close,” he growled as he took a brief pause from tickling his tongue along her mounds, “and in order for this to work I’m going to have to release inside of you.”
Morgan’s eyes blazed fire at her brother as she felt the first climax of her life triggered by a man’s cock penetrating her, ravaging and stretching out her innermost sanctum so wondrously, building slowly within her being, sensing it was going to be much bigger than any of her prior efforts with her fingers in bed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she breathed, tightening her grip on him as if to prevent him from backing out or escaping. “Do it, Hugh, spill your sinfully sweet seed into me, impart me with your power and plant a new life in my womb, as you did with our sisters so that I may share their unending joy! I’m ready Hugh, I want your marvelous gifts more than I’ve ever wanted anything!”
Hugh was lost in bliss at hearing her urging which he’d waited so long, yearned so long to hear. He was unwaveringly happy with Meriel, Fiade, and Niame, but without Morgan there to share in their love something had always seemed lacking, like a stich missing in an otherwise glorious tapestry. But now Morgan had come back home to her true family, they could now be complete in a way he’d only fantasized about, and that thought in tandem with Morgan’s cajoling was enough to at last take him past the brink as with a triumphant cry he pushed as hard as he could into his sister’s enveloping canal and felt the first forceful spurt of his hot essence blast into her.
OHYESOHGOODNESSILOVEYOUHUGH! Morgan managed to babble before the overwhelming ecstasy rippling out in waves from her nethers overtook her. Feeling each spurt Hugh’s seed splashing against the walls of her spasming canal, knowing that it was her brother’s incestuous seed filling her seeming to heighten and magnify what were already the most intense pleasurable sensations she had ever felt, every muscle in her body seizing up with erotic tension as white-hot ecstasy scorched every thought from her mind, her back arching involuntarily as she howled her relentless, unceasing rapture to the heavens above.
They seemed to hang in that moment of supreme bliss forever, as if the gods had frozen them in time, so in awe of the unbelievable expression of raw and forbidden carnality they’d just witnessed they wished to preserve it for all eternity as an example to all other beings as the shining and incomparable epitome of love and lust. But then gradually Morgan’s cries began to subside, and as Hugh felt his rod fire off one last discharge into his sister he felt his strength ebbing as he gently lowered himself to the ground, Morgan still astride him, collapsing back into the cool, sweet-smelling grass, wanting to give words to what he’d just experienced but too breathless to do so.
It was his sibling who found her speech first. “By the gods, that was beyond any experience I ever thought possible, even in my late-night imaginings,” she panted, collapsing down over his chest, rubbing his shoulders as she planted soft kisses on his neck as she basked in the afterglow of their mating. “How is it that people don’t just forget the rest of the world and spend their every waking minute engaged in this wonderful activity?”
Hugh laughed as he ran his fingers through her beautiful hair, lustrous in the moonlight. “Well, there is the small matter of eating, drinking, and other necessities that need tending to, not to mention taking a break every now and then only makes the coupling that much more pleasurable when it does happen. And don’t forget, as a man, I still need a moment of rest to restore my stamina every now and then.”
“Oh, right,” Morgan said, blushing, having little experience in this area made her slip over that detail, frowning as something else occurred to her. “So now with four women to please, is that going to push you beyond what you are capable?” she asked, not wanting to be a cause of hostility in his household if one or more of her siblings had to go without because of her added sexual demands.
He shook his head. “I would never have agreed to bring you into the Circle if that was an issue,” he said, tapping on his temple. “There’s no need to worry, since one of the perks of being part of this Circle, dear sister, is that I’ve discovered ways to enhance my prowess far beyond the capabilities of most men, and greatly speed up my recuperation time. Long and short of it, Morgan, it means I can satisfy you and our other sisters several times a day if need be without batting an eye, as long as you ladies grant me at least a moment or two to catch my breath between couplings,” he said, chuckling.
Morgan’s breath hitched in her throat as she considered this amazing and arousing bit of news, already pondering the possibilities it opened up when she felt something strange inside of her. “What is it?” Hugh asked, seeing her expression change. “Is it the power of the Circle? Can you sense it? How does it feel?”
“Yeessss….” She replied languidly, a smile curving her lips upward. “It’s like a strange presence in my mind, warm and nebulous and expanding outward, but not in an unpleasant way,” she said, unconsciously grinding her groin against his as the warmth filled her mind and body, awakening her senses beyond all previous experiences. “This is incredible,” she said, scanning her surroundings and Hugh with new eyes, feeling Hugh’s semi-erect cock buried inside her with new intensity.
“You’ll get used to it,” Hugh assured her as she gently disengaged from him and stood up, still examining the world with the fascination of a child seeing nature for the first time. He raised himself as well, lowering his tunic and raising his leggings. “Well, we better be on our way, since our uncle will no doubt get suspicious when those two louts don’t return, and send out more men looking for you,” he said as he looked around for her clothes, finally discovering them in a pile nearby where Morgan had been forced to discard them.
“No,” she said, grabbing his arm as he began to move toward them. “Those are remnants of a life that is now dead and repugnant to me, and I no longer want any reminders of it. Leave them, I wish to remain as I am now, to fully experience this new world with my new eyes and this magic that you’ve opened up to me.”
Hugh looked at her for a moment, before laughing heartily and embracing her in a warm hug. “As you wish. You have truly returned to us, my dear sister, and for that I am glad beyond all measure.” He grinned. “I can just imagine the look on our sisters’ faces when I come riding up with you behind me, naked, wild, and free.”
She returned his smile. “You are the one that has made me free, and for that I’m grateful. That, and your understanding heart that has welcomed me back into your heart despite all I’ve done. I just hope that Niame, Fiade, and Meriel are as forgiving as you.”
“They will be, and much more besides,” he assured her. “We’ve all missed you, Morgan, and your return will make our home, and our hearts, whole. It will be perfect, you’ll see.”
*
Morgan’s eyes shot open, extinguishing the vivid dream as she shot up in the bed, body soaked in sweat, reeling from the experience of not only seeing that fateful night again, but compelled to feel anew every emotion that had touched her – the joy of seeing her brother again mingled with anger at his refusal to help her, the trepidation and humiliation that Breckin and Niall had subjected her to, the abject terror of the beast Hugh had summoned.
But all that was eclipsed by the sublime ecstasy of Hugh taking her, filling her with his essence and magic, those renewed sensations making her pussy pulsate with a desperate, aching need that would never again be satisfied, she thought ruefully as she reached down to stroke it through the sheets. But nothing turned out right, did it Hugh? She pondered bitterly. You and all the wonderful things you promised that day turned out to be nothing more than ashes on the wind.
She flung herself back down on the bed, willing whatever spirit had sent that accursed dream to the deepest abyss in the netherworld, the one that that she had thought was safely dead and buried. Why was she having it again now of all times, when she needed all her concentration for the tasks ahead?
She groaned as she tilted her head toward the window, seeing the bright sun poking through along the edges of the blackout curtains. Everything with her brother and sisters had been wonderful, until it had all gone wrong, the horrible recollection of it paralyzing her for a moment as she seized her head in her hands and sunk her face into the pillow. It was supposed to be so different. How had things ended up this way? A questioning voice asked her.
They did because of the choices you made, and now things are as they are, and you must deal with it and move on, a darker, harsher voice admonished her. Now get up and move forward, as you’ve always done. As you must if you want to survive.
Then the sharpness returned, slicing apart her long-departed brother’s smiling face as she flung off the bedspreads, heading toward the bathroom and a shower. She no longer was the weak person in that dream, that woman had died long ago. She was strong, she was powerful, and she had no need of such petty sentimentality, she resolved to herself, banishing all thoughts of the dream from her mind, save for a few choice words of her brother that may yet come in handy:
The past is the past. We can’t change it, and regretting it only wastes more precious time in the present.
Her lips curled upward in a smile. Yes, there was still so much to do.
*
Not far away from where Morgan showered and plotted, Teagen yawned as she sat up in bed and stretched, the morning sun already high in the sky and splashing the walls of her room with bright light. She too had plodded through an unsettled night of sleep, also caused by an odd and persistent dream that had hounded her all night. She had been sitting at the dining table, which was piled high with a mountain of food. But no matter how much she ate she could never get full, the food seeming to dissipate into nothing as soon as she swallowed it. Then Tim had appeared carrying an enormous sausage on a golden platter, suggesting she try this to satiate her appetite, and that’s when she’d woken up.
She heard the gentle swoosh as the air kicked on, causing her to feel a sudden and unexpected chill, looking down to see that she was completely naked, briefly confused and taken aback by her current state. Then the events of yesterday came flooding back, culminating with a fast and furious masturbation session followed immediately by uneasy sleep. Normally she was more careful with her…alone time, or at least quieter when others were around, but last night was an exception. And it wasn’t her fault she’d been so impulsively wanton with her other family members in the house, she reasoned as she studied the walls of her room, painted to look like a forest glen. Tim was to blame.
It was her brother’s fault for making her fall head over heels in love with him.
She smiled as she laid back down in bed, hands behind her head as she stared at the ceiling. He hadn’t made or forced her to do anything of the sort of course, hadn’t even suggested or hinted at it, but he had been just about the damned best brother anyone could ever be in her book. Her father had died before she was old enough to remember him, leaving Tim as older brother to fill the role of protector of his younger sister. It was a responsibility he took seriously despite his own young age and her constant griping that he always seemed to be hovering over her and ruining her fun.
But her attitude took a one-eighty that fateful day when she was seven.
One summer evening, she was helping her brother gather sticks and other kindling along the fringes of the woods made up part of their aunt’s property for a bonfire where they would roast marshmallows and tell scary stories. Suddenly a strange feeling had washed over her, whispering that there was something in the woods that was amazing and she had to see it immediately.
Teagen had absently dropped the bundle of wood she’d gathered and tore off into the woods, partly out of the desire to see whatever cool thing it was in there and partly to show her brother she didn’t need him babying her all the time. She ran until she couldn’t hear his shouts anymore, determined not to let him catch her, and kept running and running until she tripped and tumbled into the leaves and dirt, her head striking something hard as everything went black.
She had awoken to the sensation of cold liquid pelting her cheek. She sat up slowly, head throbbing as she slowly recollected what had happened, panic beginning to worm its way into her. Night was settling in, it was starting to rain, and she had absolutely no idea which way was home. In the distance some kind of woodland animal cried out in the darkness, startling her.
She was about to just choose a direction and bolt, hoping for the best, when she remembered what Tim had taught her to do if she ever got lost. The most important thing is to try to stay as close to your original position as possible, because a moving person is a lot harder to find than one that stays put, she heard his voice repeat in her head. If you must move, leave a clear and obvious sign indicating which direction you went. If the weather’s bad find what shelter you can, but be sure nothing else is sharing it with you. And try to stay calm, stupidity is a close friend of panic. Don’t worry, wherever you are I’ll find you, I promise.
She’d said those words out loud several times, which had helped to calm and center her. The rain was increasing steadily so she looked around for shelter, finding it in the form of a hollow at the base of a nearby tree. She grabbed a long stick and poked around inside, but it appeared empty so she crawled inside, hugging her arms around bent knees. Surely Tim and the others were out looking for her by now, she told herself, soon she’d be back home having dinner, the thought of which made her stomach growl.
Unbeknownst to her, at that very moment the search for her was being postponed due to the darkness and rain, to be resumed at dawn. But luckily for her Tim, blaming himself for her running off, slipped away unnoticed from the retreating search party, doubling back to continue his efforts to find his sister, discovering her nearly an hour later.
By that time Teagen was a shaking, sobbing mess, hurting and hungry as hopes of rescue dwindled, convinced that she was going to be eaten by some forest denizen before the night was out, so lost in her own misery she’d almost missed the sound of Tim calling for her nearby.
She’d quickly crawled out of the hole and bolted toward the sound of his voice, shrieking for joy and flinging her arms around her brother when she’d found him, never so happy to see anyone in her whole life. She fully expecting him to yell or at least scold her for doing something so boneheaded, like she deserved. But he didn’t, all he did was hold her tight, telling her how happy he was that he’d found her and that she was alright.
It was too dark and miserable to think of heading back home, so Tim gave Teagen his umbrella while he hastened to raise a small pop-up tent, a birthday gift from their outdoor-loving dad, that he’d thought to bring along, and they both climbed inside and he zipped it up. Thankfully he’d also brought a canteen of water and some trail mix. Simple fare, but to her it was a royal feast. It was cold, cramped, and damp in the small tent. But she didn’t mind, not uttering a single word of complaint as she huddled with her brother for warmth. They were together, and everything would be alright now.
After cleaning and treating her injuries as best he could, he insisted she rest while he kept watch, waking her every so often and asking her a simple question, like what her name was, to assure that her concussion wasn’t worsening. By sunrise the rain had cleared, and they packed up and headed back home, meeting the surprised search party halfway. Aunt C had been torn between being furious at Tim for losing Teagen, not to mention taking off himself, and being thrilled that he’d found Teagen safe and brought her home. Teagen had made sure she’d settled on the latter, taking all the blame for what had happened.
That had been when the seed had been planted that caused her to start seeing Tim as more than just a brother, a seed that would be watered and nourished in the coming weeks and months. He was her new hero, and she became the one following him around, which he didn’t seem to mind. She took an interest in the writing he was always doing that before had seemed boring, which he would read to her. Soon he was writing stories just for her that she enjoyed so much she began drawing pictures based on them. At first they weren’t very good and her sisters teased her efforts, telling her to stop wasting her time and learn something useful.
But not Tim. He seemed flattered that she’d taken the time to create images based on his stories, and always praised her efforts no matter what, offering gentle suggestions on how to make them better and always encouraging her to keep on getting better with her art, saying creativity was one of the most important things in life and that he was thrilled to have at least one sibling who understood that.
As time passed the hero worship of her brother turned into friendship as they became almost inseparable, spending most of their free time together. She’d remember getting irritated when he went out with his friends, and missing him when Aunt C made Teagen go out with hers. But she sucked it up and took it all in stride, knowing the next night Tim would whip up her favorite treat, double chocolate brownies, and they’d devour them as they spent the night watching cheesy movies and making fun of them. And he was always there when she really needed him – helping out with her homework, teaching her how to drive, providing a shoulder to cry on when she was sad. Before she knew it he wasn’t just her friend, but her best friend.
Then came the day when Tim was leaving for college. She’d woken up feeling strange that morning as well, knowing that she was going to miss Tim terribly. But it was more than that. When she thought of Tim being gone she felt a hollowness in her heart, making her feel empty and incomplete in a way that she’d never felt before in her life, and that’s when the truth hit her like a crazed rhino – she was in love with Tim. And not just as a brother, but in the deep, profound, intimate bond only lovers share.
This startling realization filled her with a joy she’d never felt before, and her first inclination was to run find Tim to confess her feelings and find out if he felt the same way, to beg him to stay until they could figure this out. But then her elation faded as cold reason took its place. Not only was what she was considering dangerous and could get them both in trouble, but Tim had been looking forward to going to college for a long time, it would be unfair of Teagen to ask him to put it off for what could end up being just a silly whim, which her aunt and sisters had pointed out on several occasions she was very prone to.
So she remained silent, resolving to give herself some time to make sure that what she was feeling was real and not a passing fancy. After a tearful goodbye to Tim that was much harder than she’d ever expected it to be, she tried to carry on with her life. She pressed on with school, hung out with her friends, and continued with her art lessons. She even went out on a few dates with guys from school.
But it all felt so dry and rote, as if she was just some sort of soulless machine carrying out a programmed routine just to keep her mind off what she really wanted to do – be with her brother. And rather than subsiding back into the more ‘normal’ sibling zone of emotions, her love and affection for Tim only intensified and became more substantial in his absence, churning and growing over the months and years into something undeniable and unbreakable that made her physically hurt when he wasn’t there.
Soon her life revolved around the daily texts and weekly calls to her brother, as well as his sporadic but eagerly anticipated visits home. He was dating too of course, had been since high school. But she tried not to let it bother her, telling herself that was acceptable as long as it didn’t get serious.
She, however, soon stopped dating altogether. There was no reason to string anyone else along when she already knew that her heart belonged to someone else. She just needed to figure out the perfect time to share how she felt with Tim, and hope he felt the same way.
At last, as she pinpointed the perfect opportunity – the nineteenth birthday party that her aunt was already planning for her. Tim would no doubt be there, no doubt in a relaxed and celebratory mood since he was getting close to wrapping up college, and he’d probably have a drink or two since he was of age – not that it’d been an obstacle for him before. He’d no doubt be feeling really good by the time they got home, and after their aunt went to bed, she’d sit him down and bare it all to him, and if all went well he’d give her a birthday gift she’d never forget.
The thought of it had made her wet for weeks, and she’d had to finger herself almost every night to relieve the pressure, sometimes more than once. That is, until Tim had called and announced that he had landed a fancy internship somewhere and wouldn’t be able to be home this summer, except maybe a few days here and there. But that wasn’t the worst of it, something had happened that had never happened before – he now had a ‘serious’ girlfriend, living with her and even dropping hints that this might be ‘the one.’
The world crumbled around Teagen, and for several days she refused to leave the house, moping, sulking, and going through their entire supply of Kleenex. She ate little and talked even less, not even responding to Tim and his repeated attempts to contact her. Aunt C tried to help, but she was busy with the shop, her own struggling social life and on top of that Riley’s woes and as such didn’t have time to break through the sturdy wall Teagen had built around herself. She had wanted to die, to be out of this world where the person she loved the most and wanted more than anything was now lost to her forever, to put an end to this pain she was feeling.
Then slowly but surely, she pulled herself back. She still wasn’t sure how, but believed it to have started with reminding herself that Tim was still in her life, and he loved her. Not the way she wanted, not the way she loved him, but it was still better than not having him at all. Besides, she would later realize, he wasn’t married yet, not even engaged, and a million things could happen between now and then to shift events in her favor.
So she resumed her life, reinitiating her back and forth with Tim as if nothing had happened. He’d asked her what had been wrong, if he’d done something to make her mad. However, not wanting to get into it she’d simply replied that it was due to women’s troubles. He immediately dropped the subject like an angry copperhead and never brought it up again. And so things went, Teagen projecting a cheerful façade to the world while inwardly praying for a miracle that would bring her and Tim together.
And then she got it.
She’d been setting the table for dinner last Tuesday when the house phone rang and Aunt C answered it. She’d wondered at the time why Tim had called the house and not one of their cell phones, but dismissed it as she tried to listen in on the call. She couldn’t hear what Tim was saying, but from the hardness in his voice and the clouding expression on her aunt’s face, she knew something bad had happened.
After her aunt had hung up and explained what had happened, Teagen expected to feel elated, for she’d gotten everything she’d wanted – her brother was free from that harpy, as she’d dubbed Tabitha, and he’d be spending the summer at home. But instead all she felt was guilt, guilt that she’d somehow caused all this with her fervent wishing and hoping, never thinking about how getting what she wanted would hurt her brother so terribly. Still, she couldn’t deny how great it would be to see him again.
She closed her eyes, remembering last night, how it had felt to see Tim standing there in the doorway, battered from his recent storms but still a tower of strength in her eyes as she rushed to embrace him, breathing in the smell of his cologne, the mere touch of him making her ache in her groin. This feeling had only increased as the night wore on, especially when he took her by the hand and danced with her like a princess at a ball. But what had really driven her over the edge was the ride home, when he had forcefully and courageously pronounced that he would do whatever it took to protect everyone in his family.
Hearing him speak with such strength and determination had made her quiver with pleasure, and she’d been dangerously close to discarding her shorts and thrusting her fingers into her sopping pussy right there on the car seat, before telling, no, ordering him to pull over so she could fuck him senseless right then and there. It was only by summoning the full reserves of her willpower that she’d been able to resist this urge, settling for placing her hand on his thigh, which if he’d been paying closer attention would have noticed was still closer to his cock than a sister’s hand should ever be.
When they’d arrived home, she’d immediately rushed up to her room and shut the door, kicking off her boots, shedding her clothes, peeling off her soaked panties, and falling on the bed, vibrator already in hand and between her thighs moaning as she replayed out the ride home in her head, only this time her willpower had failed and her brother succumbed easily to her advances. “Yes, Tim, take me,” she had moaned out loudly, not caring who heard her, secretly hoping Tim would hear her and join in as she wiggled and bucked on the bed. “Oh yes, just like that, give it to me just like that! Gods, you’re driving me crazy! I love it! Give me more, more!”
At last she finally came, and as she rode the waves of her rapture, she almost thought she could hear Tim faintly screaming out her name. But that was impossible, Tim was sleeping downstairs on the couch waiting for Riley, she considered as she came down. She was sated, but yet somehow it hadn’t satisfied her as it usually did. This time, it was like reading a book or watching a movie with the ending missing, leaving her craving more. But she was too exhausted to continue, so she tossed the toy away and crawled under the covers, not even having the energy to put on her nightclothes as she switched off the lamp and tumbled into a restless slumber.
She let out a deep breath, rolling on her side in the bed, deducing at last what her dream meant. Fantasizing about her brother with fingers and toys was no longer enough to satisfy her – she needed him, to be with him in every way, or she was going to explode from the pent-up lust and desire that had been welling in her for the past four years alongside the more profound sentiments.
But how can I make a move now? She asked herself as she fiddled with the pendant he’d given her, the only article she was currently wearing. She had no experience in winning over a man romantically, and add to that he was still reeling from the loss of Tabitha and the mess she’d made of his school career. If she came onto him too soon, there was no telling how he’d react. He might even take off, not wanting to deal with any more drama.
Suddenly there was a knock on her door, jarring Teagen out of her musings as she quickly pulled the sheets back over her. “Teag, you awake?” her aunt’s voice called out.
“Yeah,” she called out, “did ya need something?”
“Just wanted to let you know breakfast is almost ready, if you’d like to come down and join us,” Caitlyn responded.
“Alright, I’ll be down in a minute,” Teagen called back, relaxing as she listened to her aunt walk away. “Well, nothing’s gonna get solved lyin’ in bed all day,” she told herself, casting off the covers. She donned a robe and grabbed some clothes out of her closet before heading to the bathroom, taking a brief shower before dressing and pigtailing her hair the way her father had when she was a toddler, her only real memory of him.
She brushed aside the sad thought as she slipped on a pair of casual loafers and followed the smell of frying bacon and brewing coffee down the stairs, her mood already starting to lift. Tim would be here all summer if not longer, so she’d have plenty of time to figure out a way to make things work.
Then she came into the kitchen, and her mood again caved. Aunt C and Tim were there, chatting and laughing like old college buddies as she drained bacon on paper towels and he piled eggs from a skillet onto a platter. Any other time Teagen would have smiled at seeing her brother and aunt getting along so well, glad to see him in such a jovial mood after everything he’d been through. But now, the image of Tim and their aunt dancing last night suddenly intruded in her brain, and the scene she was now witnessing annoyed the ever-living hell out of her. Why’d her brother have to be so damned charming all the time, especially with women?
Tim looked up from what he was doing, seeing her standing in the entryway. “‘Mornin’, Teag,” he said with way too much cheerfulness. “Sleep well?”
“Not really,” Teagen muttered, looking around, feeling something was missing before finally figuring out what it was. “Where’s Riley? Have you checked outside yet?”
“No need,” Caitlyn chimed in. “She came in late last night, but then showered and left early, sayin’ she needed to pick up her car and catch up on some things at work,” her aunt replied as she dumped the bacon on a plate.
Teagen was so amazed for a moment she couldn’t speak. “Wait a minute, so you’re saying that Riley made it home, got up to her room, and then managed to wake up and shower of her own volition, dress herself, and then leave before breakfast?” she asked incredulously.
“That’s the truth of it,” Caitlyn confirmed proudly, looking at Tim. “I knew havin’ your brother home might be a good influence on her, but I had no idea he’d work this fast!” She walked over to Tim, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. “If I’d known that, I’d have gotten this handsome hunk of man back here sooner.”
As Tim blushed under Aunt C’s praise, Teagen felt her stomach lurch as her jealousy roiled into anger as her aunt’s hand made contact with Tim. How dare she touch him like that! The youngest O’Connor seethed, feeling an urgent need to distance herself from this situation. “Actually, now that I think about it, I’m not really that hungry right now. I think I might go on into town and run a few errands before I meet you at the shop,” she said blankly, turning and heading quickly towards the front door.
Caitlyn frowned, following after her. “Oh. Okay, but you should know I’ve decided to close the store today. Since Tim’s back and we have dinner with the Calhouns this evening, I thought I’d just make this an impromptu family day that we could spend together, maybe even have a little cookout for lunch out on the patio. I tried calling Riley to let her know, but she isn’t answerin’ her phone. If you’re going into town, could you could drop by the museum and see if she could take the day off and join us?”
“Yeah, sure,” Teagen muttered, only half-listening as she snatched her keys and headed for the door, anxious to be out of the house and away from the harlot that called herself their aunt. “Is my truck back?”
“Your friend dropped it off while you were in the shower,” Caitlyn said, continuing to trail Teagen, frowning at her niece’s terse tone. “Something wrong, sug? You seem upset.”
“Great,” she responded, ignoring her aunt’s question. “I’ll see y’all later.”
*
On the way to town Teagen pulled off to the side of the road alongside a field of corn, stopping the car and falling back in her seat, taking deep breaths to try and steady herself. What the fuck had happened back there? She asked herself in bewilderment. One moment she was coming downstairs to have breakfast as usual, the next she’d been ready to claw her aunt’s face off for flirting with Tim, for trying to come between Teagen and what was rightfully hers.
But that wasn’t what Aunt C was doing, she was just being her usual chipper self, Teagen repeated to herself, trying to tamp down the raging jealously that had suddenly surged within her, horrified at what she’d about done. Ever since she’d realized what Tim meant to her she’d been a little…protective of him, but this was ridiculous. She’d never actually considered physically assaulting anyone, especially her own aunt.
She sat there for a few moments, allowing her calm to return before starting the truck and resuming her journey. This was getting out of hand, she thought as she was able to reason clearly again. She had bottled up all these powerful emotions she’d felt for her brother for years, and now they were starting to fester and bubble out of her in negative and potentially violent ways to anyone who happened to be around her, warping their innocent actions and comments into something insidious, with possibly dangerous outcomes. That had to be it.
She clenched hard at the steering wheel, grinding her teeth. There was no choice, she had to tell Tim how she felt soon, regardless of whether he was prepared to hear it or not. She had to do it before she found herself in another situation like back at the house. Because next time, she might not have the fortitude to walk away from it.
Suddenly her heart seized with dread. What if he said no? What if he laughed at her, telling their aunt and all their sisters and then they all mocked her, or sent her to the nut house? No, Tim wouldn’t do that, she told herself. He might get angry that she would even dare suggest such a thing and would simply leave, get in his car and tear off. She’d likely never see or hear from him again. And that would be a fate far more cruel than humiliation, worse than being locked up, worse even than death. If he did that, she would…she would…
Teagen shook her head. No, she couldn’t think like that. Even if he was shocked and disgusted at her proposal, he would never stop caring for her, of that she was sure. He would always love his little sister, even if it was just as his sister. And if he reciprocated her feelings, that would be better than any paradise she could imagine.
As she entered the outskirts of town, Teagen considered turning around and heading home right now and baring it all to Tim while she was still brimming with courage and confidence. But then she remembered her promise to her aunt about finding and telling Riley about the family day. Besides, now that she had made a decision about her brother she felt her appetite returning, resolving to stop for a quick bite before she did anything else.
*
The bells on the door clanged as Teagen entered Edna’s Diner and looked around, searching for a place to sit. It was the lull after the breakfast rush and before the one for lunch, so she had a wide selection to pick from. She was about to grab a seat at the counter when she spotted Riley in a corner booth, head slumped, nursing a cup of coffee. Teagen frowned. Why her sister here and not at the museum? She wondered.
Riley looked brooding and pensive, as if something heavy was on her mind. For a moment Teagen considered ducking out, leaving her sister alone as her body language seemed to indicate she wanted. But then she remembered what Tim had said about family, and she realized that she wasn’t trying to do her older sister any favors, she just didn’t want to listen to any more of her older sibling’s woes that seemed to Teagen to be mostly self-induced. But dammit, that’s what family did.
Teagen walked over and stopped near Riley’s table. Even here Riley didn’t seem to notice her, didn’t even seem to know where she was. Her sibling wasn’t on drugs too, was she? She pushed away such unfounded thoughts as she cleared her throat. “Hey, Riles, mind if I join you?” she asked.
Riley started, looking up at her little sister in amazement. “Teag?” she asked, “what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“I could ask you that. Did you take an early lunch or something?”
Riley chuckled mirthlessly. “Oh, you could say that I’m taking the longest lunch of my life. Please, sit down,” she offered, gesturing to the empty seat across from her.
“What do you mean?” Teagen asks as she scooted into the booth, the waitress coming by and taking her order and quickly departing. “Did something happen?”
Riley nodded curtly. “I called into work, saying I needed to take a personal day. That’s when my boss told me to take as many personal days as I needed, because I was fired.”
“Oh, Riles,” Teagen says, taking her sister’s hand, suddenly glad she didn’t leave as she’d intended. “Did he say why?”
“You already know dang well why, so why don’t ya go ahead and gloat about it?” Riley snapped as she withdrew her hand, then used it to rub at her head. “Sorry Teag, here you are trying to be nice, and I’m bitin’ your head off. But it’s common knowledge that I’ve been late a lot, that my focus hasn’t been that great, and I’ve been out far too much.” She let out a long, sad sigh. “The ironic thing is, today I actually had a reason that wasn’t alcohol-related.”
“No wonder you’re upset.”
“Oh, no, that’s not it at all,” Riley insisted, waving away the very idea with a dismissive gesture. “It was a lousy, low-paying job at an overpriced gift shop masquerading as a real museum, with a jerk boss that was always trying to get me to sleep with him, fat arrogant piece of crap. I think that’s the only reason he put up with me so long, since he offered to let me keep my job, with a promotion, if I’d become his live-in girlfriend. I told him to look to his hand for company if he was lonely, and hung up. Best thing I ever did,” she said with satisfaction, taking a sip of her coffee.
“I see,” Teagen said, feeling guilty about what she’d accused her sibling of last night. “So if that’s not what’s got you so out of sorts, then what is it?”
“Riley? Riley O’Connor? Is that you?”
The sisters turned almost simultaneously to see a young woman in the pale yellow dress uniform of the diner, beaming broadly. “It is you! Sure has been awhile, ain’t it?”
“It sure has, Morgan,” Riley said, turning to her sister. “Teag, you remember Morgan Daugherty, don’t you? She’s one of my friends from high school.”
“Of course,” Teagen said, more than a little irritated that their conversation had been interrupted at such a critical juncture. She remembered Morgan but had never liked her, something always seeming off about the girl and her strange silver-dyed hair now bunched back in a ponytail. And those eyes, a peculiar shade of blue that when you looked at them a certain way almost seemed violet. It gave Teagen the willies. Thankfully Riley had never brought her around the house much. “Nice to see you again, Morgan.”
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