text: Her wicked eyes brimmed with angry tears as she put the final nail into the door, sealing it shut. The entrance of her home. Or at least what she called home for the last blissful two years. She was tired of running. Tired of creating another version of herself. Or at least a version of herself she wouldn't be able to touch for two hundred years or so. She usually had fifteen to twenty before people started staring at her too long. Holding their children a little tighter as she walked by. Something happened this time, She thought. Something had been happening in every new town for the past decade. Making the locals wary of her quicker each time. Asking their inquisitive questions as if she couldn't tell their motive. Her money would no longer be accepted at stores, they'd all say with an unwelcome stare. Quick whispers would quiet as she entered an area filled with townspeople. She tossed the hammer into one of the two bags she allowed herself to carry from place to place. Of course, both were charmed to hide how much they could take. It landed at the bottom a second later; remembering what else was in the bag, she was thankful she didn't hear a tinkle of shattered glass. She had been so careful in choosing this place, these people, this cottage. She loved it so much. The quiet and simple life of a town nowhere near a city. With no mandated state leaders but a simple, friendly town mayor. A town that had been built and was thriving through the work of other people fleeing whatever they felt chased them. All in hopes of a peaceful fresh start. Strangers were not new or unwelcome here. She had made herself useful by being a midwife, pharmacist, local healer, or whatever you call it these days. The age of the witch was over, and people understood medicine. They understood science. Did they know a woman with intelligence was not in league with the devil? T hat battle will never be won. She thought to herself. Especially when those who pointed the finger so often were fragile men. And those types of men , she thought, were always around. No matter how many decades passed or how much knowledge was understood. She quickly wiped the tears away, knowing she would be saying goodbye to the sunny garden she had just started seeing come into its own this summer. Goodbye to the peaceful mornings waking up to the birds chirping outside her window in the overgrown and knobby oak. Smiling to herself and remembering that it always smelled slightly of vanilla on rainy days. Goodbye to the cozy nights by her fire reading and sipping the local vintner's newest uncorked spicy red he knew she liked. And goodbye to Lizzie. Her one friend in this tiny town, even amongst the whispers. A teacher whom she'd spent many a shared breath with on those quiet nights. Where they could steal and freeze time, it seemed with each other. Touching and stroking her in a way Lizzie's husband would never imagine. With a slight chuckle, she thought teaching women in her travels was a wicked treat. Married or not, she relished opening their minds and bodies to their own pleasure and what they could feel when they weren't having an underwhelming pudgy cock put upon them. She looked at her hands and hoped Lizzie wouldn't be too hurt by her friend's sudden disappearance. They both knew it wasn't love, just a distraction from the day-to-day. They'd shared that secret adventure while her husband was drinking with the other men and coming home without even noticing if she was there. She'd hoped the message of boarding up the house versus just leaving it or burning it down made it seem like she would be coming back. Fewer questions. Or at least until later. And she would be long gone by the time those inquisitive tongues began to wag. Kneeling to pick up her bags, she smelled a familiar scent. Cinnamon? She thought, quickly seeing a single face flash through her mind. Before she could even turn around to say the spell upon her lips to freeze the moment, she had her back against the door and a hand around her throat. "Hello, Mick." Whispered a deep voice up against her ear as he licked the heated column of her neck. "Fuck" Mick managed to mutter from her clenched teeth. Her hands her trapped by his hips, and she could tell he was sniffing her. "Time's up, darling." He ground his hips deeper into hers. "I gave you those last fifteen years as a gift since I had to deal with pesky royals and their political squabbles." His breath became more labored and ragged, both knowing what would come. And damn her if she wasn't a little bit wet thinking of it herself. "Your freedom for a hundred years and after that you spend one year with me. That was the deal you made with me to have all this delicious untapped power and eternal youth." He said, pulling back and looking at her face. "Though," He said, grinding up against her, "It was fun watching your confusion as each town became less of a haven in such a short time." Running his free hand up her torso and skimming her breast, he was happily surprised when he felt the hard nub as he moved his hand up to her mouth. "I was almost jealous of your latest conquest." Staring into her eyes, looking for anything besides anger in them. "It almost looked like you cared for her." Chucking and pulling back to gaze at her face. "But we both know you feel nothing here, do you?" Tapping on her chest where her heart lay beating slower than most humans. Just like his. Watching her reaction, he swore she was more radiant whenever he came for her. Her ivory skin and rosy cheeks made to feign innocence with the forever flush of youth and dusting of freckles over her cheekbones. She was breathing hard through that daintily upturned nose. The sweetness was faked by that wide heart-shaped mouth that always looked as if she was ready to be kissed. But one look at those eyes. Those almond-shaped hazel eyes flashed with surprise and anger, and was that a touch of lust in them? He prayed so. Those eyes, which changed color between dark brown and hazel depending on her mood, were perfectly positioned under beautifully arched dark eyebrows that matched her thick wavy mane of hair that flirted with the tips of her breasts. She was as tall as most men, taller than many. And even at his height of six foot two, they were almost eye level in her boots. Her curves were unmatched. Which became truer every time he desired a bedmate when he didn't have her for that blessed year every century. He was always looking for her in other women. He never really put that together until now. The face and body were all hers. He didn't have to do anything to accentuate her beauty when he gave her the gift. But gods, the gift had just made her even more cripplingly breathtaking. Snapping out of it, he looked at her rage-filled face. She was such a bratty thing, he mused. He was always having to retrieve her. She never was the good girl and came to him. Holding back a groan, he thought she was always worth it. "Now, did you learn your lesson from last time and will come willingly?" He said a hairsbreadth away from her sneering mouth. "Or will I spend another night chasing you through the forest like a typical cat and mouse cliche?" Using the tip of his tongue to outline her lips, he sensed them softening just slightly and grinned. "Mmm, a bit of a disappointment, though. You know I do love the chase." He said, biting her bottom lip. "Especially when I get such a delicious reward." Growling the final word into her mouth as he started to thrust up against her. She had planned for this. Well, kind of. She knew he would come eventually. And knew it would be soon. All the signs were there. It's not that she hated him. In fact, she respected him. But she'd never tell him that. She simply preferred herself and lovers of her own choosing. Though the coupling was, she had to keep from rolling her eyes back at the sensual memory of their last row, seriously good. A year of it, though? If he had ever bent on changing the contract they made and her constant begging to modify it, she'd have been so much further in her work. And she might even like spending that time with him, but he relished the fight she gave each time. Mentally smirking, so did she. Every year she spent with him was time away from a new breakthrough in her search. Disrupting decades of work that she had to start again each time she returned to the human world. She knew the answers she sought were here and not in the godlike realm he'd created. The glimmering estate in the sky he'd built as a reprieve from the 'exhausting and mundane world of humans,' she could hear him say. After five hundred years, she'd assumed the apparent brief extension he'd referred to was due to a lack of long-term interest. Which men so rarely had. But apparently, a man gifted by the gods to become something other, and with nothing but time on his hands, would come. He could have picked anyone, any woman. She knew he had given this gift to others over the centuries. But none of their deals were even close to the one he asked her for. She'd found that out when searching and speaking to his other magical wards, and they confirmed none had seen him since they were changed. But he always came for her. So ravenous as if he waited for that release to be with her singularly. "Hello, Nicholas." She managed to loosen her hand and spread her legs; luckily, it made him think it was in excitement. "I was hoping you'd forgotten little old me. And found a new plaything." She said and began gathering power into her loosened hand, but not so much that he could scent it. Enough though, to get the juice needed to push out the wind that would knock him down and hold him so she could grab her things and run. "Oh, sweet, stubborn Mick. Why settle for a plaything that needs so much education when I have a rage-filled goddess at my beck and call." She could feel the hand around her throat loosening. His eyes showed her that he thought he'd won her submission. She stifled down a scoff; let him think so for now. "Don't you get tired of coming after me each time? Why not find someone you don't need to bargain with. One you don't need a deal against to have your dick played with every hundred years." She was almost ready to attack, just a little longer. She had to keep her arm still with the power growing to keep from shaking, so he didn't notice. He laughed deep in his throat, his thrusting hips getting too excited for her liking. Though damn her double if she didn't want a taste of it. "What can I say? I've never chosen the easy way." He said, grinning in triumph. Just as he was about to go in for the kiss she knew would transport them to his realm, on a growl, she released all the built-up power to his throbbing crotch. An evil grin slid over her face as he flew 20 feet into the air and landed on a pile of fallen leaves with a hard thump. Ok, so she had put the pile of leaves there as she gathered her power. She didn't want to kill him, just get away from him. Wasting no time, she threw the bags over her shoulder and bolted in the opposite direction from his limp form. She had memorized this path. It led her through the dark center of the woods and out the other side to a clearing in minutes. In the clearing was a horse stable conveniently placed by her newest neighbor for her quick thieving. She may or may not have moved his markers one night for an event like this. Blinking and gasping for breath, Nicholas heard her footsteps soften, putting distance between them. He knew the little scat was up to something the second before he felt immense pain only a man could understand. Her eyes had gone almost black; good to know her power still came from pleasure. Her eyes changed the same way when she was screaming his name as he was deep inside of her. Power from passion was always more potent. As he was reminded while he blinked and gasped for breath. After making sure she hadn't actually blown off his manhood, he stood. He shook the leaves and dirt from his tall, broad frame, his jaw-length messy brown hair dampening in the morning mist. The smile faded on his wide-set mouth, and outrage shot across his deep bottle-glass green eyes as he heard hoofbeats in the distance. Setting his square jaw in frustration, he couldn't help but shake his head and look up to the heavens. Even to his own surprise, he laughed. "Gods I've missed you." He said under his breath. And began the chase.