"Wake up my little Star fire" , I heard a familiar deep voice cooing very close in my ear. I could also feel someone running their fingers through my hair and then his scent hit me. It was that giant man with red hair.
I slowly opened my eyes, almost scared to see what deep dark hole he was holding me in. I wanted to cry when I thought about my crushed shoulders. Wherever I was, I wouldn't be able to get very far with crushed bones.
I mustered the courage to open my eyes and was met by crystal blue eyes inches away from my face. I glanced up and noticed the giant man's hand on my head. What the hell was going on?
"Good, You're finally awake! I've cooked some blue lizards for you. They're the only creatures that can survive the indefinite winters on Mount Moria." The red giant walked to a small fire that he had made.
We were in a cave made of rocks and ice. I would have been frozen to death had it not been for the heat that was still warming up my entire body.
I cautiously turned my head to look at one of my shoulders and gasped in shock when I saw that I had been completely healed. My shoulders were not crushed. They looked brand new!
I started feeling and patting my shoulders, not believing that I was still okay. My shirt was almost completely torn off at the shoulders and only thin threads were tying the rest of the shirt to the thin straps on my shoulder. I didn't care about that though. Somehow, all my bones were still in tact. That's all that mattered.
"I healed you, my little Star fire", the man chuckled. "It took me some time too. My beast, Taranis, did a real number on you, but we both think you have proven yourself to be a worthy warrior since you managed to almost kill him. Not many can do that."
I eyed the man suspiciously. The only thing that made sense was that he healed me so that I can live out the rest of my life in this icy prison. I wasn't going to let him do that to me.
I jumped up and started taking a few steps back so that I could leave the cave. I kept my eyes on the man as I slowly made my attempt to get out of the cave, but he just stared at me. He was sitting by the fire and thankfully now he had a black cloth wrapped around his manhood. He picked up one of the lizards he was barbecuing on a stick and just bit into it while staring at me.
It didn't seem like he was going to stop me. I took another step and then I felt it - the threads on my shoulders holding my shirt together gave way and my shirt slid down, exposing my breasts.
The giant man erupted into laughter while I scurried to pull the top back up.
"Oh my little Star fire, there's no need to try and seduce me. Don't worry, I have already chosen you to be my mate. And might I add, those are the most succulent, luscious, appetising and exquisite breasts I have ever seen in my life." His laugh had turned into a grin filled with desire. I could see all the desire gathering in his eyes...and in his manhood which was rising against the black cloth he was wearing.
I grabbed my shirt and tied a noose right above my belly button. The shirt looked like an old crop top, but it would have to do for now.
"I'm getting out of here!", I said in a threatening tone.
The man stood up and held his hands out as if trying to calm me down.
"There is no need for that, my little Star fire. Our battle is done. We fought and I beat you, but you proved yourself so I healed you and now you are my mate. This is a time to celebrate."
I furrowed my brows in confusion. Nothing he said made any sense.
"Besides", the man continued, "it will take you weeks to climb down Mount Moria. The only way to get up or down this mountain is by flight. You need me if you intend on leaving."
I pursed my lips in frustration. I had a look at this mountain when I was outside and it looked very high. Even if he was lying and it didn't actually take me weeks to get down, it would at least take me a few days and I don't have that kind of time to waste. I needed to get back to the Silver kingdom and make sure Mike and the remaining survivors were okay. If this strange man was offering to get me off this mountain, I would gladly jump at the opportunity, but I needed to know more. Who is he? Why did he bring me here?
He grabbed one of the lizards he was cooking and handed it to me. "Have this, it will give you your strength."
I noticed it when he gave me the cooked animal. The deep wound I left on his stomach was no longer there. This wasn't possible. I was told nothing could heal the wounds created by my fire.
He noticed me staring at his stomach and smiled awkwardly. "There is a river here at the very top of the mountain. It is the only thing that is not frozen and most warriors can't reach it. It is blessed by Maru. The water healed me and my beast when we drank it."
"Oh, okay" I took the odd looking cooked animal from him, trying not be rude since I needed this man to get off the mountain. I guess the seers didn't see Maru's river in their visions.
"Thanks", I muttered to the man. "Uhm, you told me your name before. King..." I indicated for him to tell me his name.
"It's King Killian."
"King Killian", I repeated his name.
His mouth curved into a sly smile. "I like hearing my name on your lips, little Star fire. Say it again."
I groaned and rolled my eyes. He was clearly a very big flirt.
His sly smile turned into a very amused one. "What is your name?"
"Elizabeth. Most people call me 'Liz' for short.
I've introduced myself to all the different creatures I've met using my full name. However, when they all hear Mike call me 'Liz', they also call me 'Liz'. The shortened version of my name is now what most people call me.
"Elizabeth", he repeated my name slowly while looking at me with those lust-filled eyes.
"Stop doing that!" I covered myself as much as possible from the man's invading gaze.
He chuckled. "I'm sorry, little Star fire. I cannot help myself. Your body, your name, your eyes...those beautiful flame-filled eyes. It just drives Taranis and I crazy with want."
I huffed in annoyance. I've dealt with my fair share of alphas who were intrigued by my eyes. One even proposed to me, claiming he could sense all the power residing in me. It's all a bunch of crap and, in my experience, it's better to snap someone out of their delusion before they do something stupid like try to stop you when you have to leave their pack and follow the golden path.
"You need to stop that, Killian. I am not your 'little Star fire' and I am most certainly not your mate."
A scowl appeared on his face. "Do you already have a mate? I did not see a mark on you."
This made me tense up a little. Being reminded that you're mateless in a world where people meet their fated mates left and right can be lonely sometimes. "No, uhm, I..."I was stuttering for some reason. I always stutter when asked this question. I know Mathew is not my mate, but we had that magical moment before I left. That wasn't enough to make him my mate, but it felt special enough for me to think of him as more than a friend.
"I don't have a mate, not that it's any of your business."
His ocean blue eyes stared into mine, as if he was searching for the truth in them. He narrowed his eyes at me, still trying to determine if I was telling the truth. "If your mate was dumb enough to not mark you when he had the chance then he deserves to die. I will find the man who holds your heart and kill him for you, my little Star fire." He said the cruelest statement with so much sincerity that I almost forgot that he had just threatened to kill a man.
"What?", I screamed with shock. "I told you I don't have a mate. You don't have to kill anyone!"
He chuckled to himself. "If you insist. I will let the man live."
I sighed in relief as I sat back down.
"So, do you mind telling me what this place is and why I'm here?"
He seems to have loved this question. He stood up and held both of his muscle-laden hands out as if spreading invisible wings. "This is Mount Moria, the highest and most vicious mountain in the Gryphon kingdom. Warriors are only sent here if they are punished, trained or, like you, if they have to fight the strongest warrior in the kingdom to pass Maru's test."
I had a lot of questions to ask following that statement.
"Okay...why would I need to pass M-"
"Maru" he interjected.
"Why would I need to pass Maru's test?"
He came to sit right next to me. "You tell me, little Star fire. Outsiders are not punished by being sent here. We just kill them. Only gryphon warriors train here, and that is only for two months. The only reasonable explanation is that you are being tested. Since I am the strongest warrior in the kingdom and was punished by being sent here, it follows that you were put here to fight me."
It was a lot of information, but some of it was starting to make sense. Still, I had to ask a question that would determine whether this man was truly an enemy or just some crazy mountain man who tried to kill me.
"Was it you that asked for the 'girl who walks in flames' back in the Silver Kingdom?"
He shook his head. "I've never even been to the Silver Kingdom, my little Star fire. Those people have forsaken magic. There is nothing they could ever offer the gryphons."
I gave him a gentle smile. I was listening to his heart rate while he spoke and he was telling the truth. I wasn't captured by the witches, but I needed to figure out why I was in the Gryphon kingdom. I haven't heard the best things about them. My recollection is that they are described as strong, stubborn and quick to anger. Those three things are a recipe for disaster.
"Okay", I stretched out the word while a thousand more questions popped into my head.
"You said you're being punished. Why?"
He pursed his lips and slammed his fist against his thigh.
"Because of some mutt!" he roared.
I knew that 'mutt' was a derogatory term used for werewolves, so now I had to know more. I had just seen this man's beast and it was bigger than any wolf I've ever seen. If the werewolf kingdom were to go to war with the gryphons, they would all be slaughtered and I couldn't let that happen.
"What werewolf?", I asked as I corrected his inappropriate language.
"The Werewolf King", he growled lowly.
A gasp left my mouth before I could stop it and he noticed the nervous look on my face.
"You know him, don't you?" His eyes were again looking into mine intently to determine the truth.
"Yea, I.." I cleared my throat. "I used to know him a very long time ago. I thought he was nice. I'm guessing you don't think so?"
The man groaned. "He's disrespectful and needs to know his place as the mutt he is."
I moved away from him and scowled at him. "Stop calling werewolves mutts, Killian. You don't see me calling you a large chicken or a large lion, do you?"
A resounding laugh that left the walls of this icy cave shaking, left his mouth. "You've made your point, little Star fire. I will no longer call werewolves that. But know that I'm only doing this because you asked." He moved closer to me, closing the distance I had created between us.
"As I was saying, the Werewolf King disrespected me so I had to put him in his place."
I raised my brow at him. "How did you intend to do that?"
"Fight him, of course. That is the way of the gryphon."
"Okay..." I gestured for him to continue with his story.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "He beat me." His voice was filled with pain, regret and shame.
I looked at him, confused by what he just said. That wasn't possible. According to the things I've heard, no magical creature could ever defeat a gryphon.
"How on earth did he do that?", I asked.
He shrugged, stood up and walked back to his fire. "Your guess is as good as mine, my little Star fire. I'll tell you this though, and I'm only telling you because you are my mate."
I just rolled my eyes at him.
"That man possesses an ungodly power. Taranis almost submitted to him and we hadn't even shifted into our beasts."
I watched him as he recounted his story.
"My father stopped our battle after the Werewolf King beat me. He banished me to Mount Moria for six months to prove myself as a worthy king."
It was my turn to go and sit next to the red giant. Obviously the man was going through some things and anyone who survives six months in this place, deserved all the friends and support he could get.
I sat next to him and put my hand around his shoulder. It didnt even reach his other shoulder. "It must have been hard being in a place like this all by yourself, Killian. I'm glad I get to keep you company."
He pulled me in closer to him, wrapping his hand around my waist and gently pushing me against his thigh. "Me too, little Star fire. I thought being banished here was shameful, but now I see it was just a way for Maru to bring you to me."
"If you mean bring you a friend, then yes. I can agree to that."
He laughed as he got up and stretched out his hand to me.
I grabbed it and I got up.
"Today is the last day of my punishment. You and I are descending Mount Moria and going to meet our subjects." He had a huge grin on his face and there was a little bit of mischief in his blue eyes.