Page 14 of The Satyr's Wood

“Only you understand me best,” he purred, his breath hot against her skin.

She shivered at the erotic brush fanning her flesh and gasped as his raspy tongue suddenly stroked a path up the side of her neck to nip playful at her earlobe. She leaned into him eager for more when he made a small sound of chagrin released her to tug gently on her clothes. Her eyes dropped down and she grimaced as she took in the state of her clothes. The material had already been weak and threadbare at best but the trek through the deeper part of the forest had done a number on it. Worse, her skin was stinging everywhere the branches had scraped against her after tearing through the fabric.

“I should have thought more on this before dragging you through the brush,” he growled in self-crimination. “My apologies, Tiffany.”

Although she lacked much in the way of spare clothing, she shrugged it off and smiled gently as she hugged his arm to her—which was easy to do considering that it was still tightly wrapped around her.

“It didn’t have much mileage left on it, don’t worry,” she assured him. “It was worth it.”

And to her surprise, she discovered that she was in fact speaking truthfully. She actually liked following him on his rounds through the wood even if it meant encountering less pleasant things. It was better than facing an onslaught of cabinfever. He gave her a skeptical look as his gaze slid over her face searchingly. He must have seen the truth there because he quickly began to relax even if his claws continued to toy lamentingly at the torn and ruined fabric.

“I admit that I enjoy seeing more of your skin,” he murmured. “But not like this. We will fix this.”

Her eyebrows flew up. “We will?”

His lips curled in a devilish smile. “Of course. I am not a male without means. I have treasures that I’ve stored away since establishing my territory.”

“Really? Where do you come by treasure in the middle of nowhere?” she queried as he turned and gently began to guide her away from the track and deeper into the woods.

“It depends on what one’s definition of treasure is,” he replied casually. “And from where you can source it. Humans, to my observation are so desperate to survive and clinging to whatever relics of their past that they can find that they are slow to learn artistry and techniques of trade or methods to improve their own lives. All I have seen is hovels scraped together in crumbling cities and town with crudely planted fields with varying degrees of success. There is little to be gained from such a meager existence.”

Tiffany nodded as she followed Barbasa through the encroaching undergrowth that attempted to swallow up the natural paths and game trails through the trees. She had done some wandering after the Ravening before settling down and she could admit that his observation wasn’t far from the mark. Although people were learning skills, progress was painfully slow, especially since so many people merely sought survival off of whatever they could find in the wake of the end of their world. Even now, several years later, people still looked like refugees. All she could say is that the entire world failed at finding their apocalypse buddies, or if they did, they were all likely livingcomfortably in one or two thriving towns that they kept secret from everyone else to keep the grifters out.

Hell, that was what she would do. All because she had seen more things destroyed by perfectly wretched people who were more intent or serving their own selfish needs than working towards a better future. Stealing and cheating was so much the norm that it felt like a completely different world from the peaceful one she was enjoying in the satyr’s woods. In those squalid towns, she would never have been able to imagine such a future.

“So where did you get your treasure, then?” she asked a bit breathlessly as she quickened her pace to keep up so that their fingers might remain entwined as they continued to move through the forest.

Barbasa smirked at her over his shoulder, and he gave her hand a little squeeze. “Do you truly wish to know?”

She rolled her eyes at his obvious attempt to provoke her into whatever game his playful nature insisted on and gave his hand a brief yank. “You know I do. Quit playing with me.”

He chuckled merrily as he turned toward her and spun her into his arms so that her body flattened against his broad chest. Her breath caught as he grinned down at her, the tip of his nose tracing along the bridge of her own nose as his incredible body soaked into her.

“But I enjoy our games,” he huskily replied. “And I can think of many delicious ones to play with you.”

Standing on her tip toes, Tiffany grabbed his short beard and tugged his head downward so that he knew she meant business. “If you want to be able to play anything else with me, I suggest you drop the world game.”

“So feisty,” he purred and chuckled again. He sighed heavily and brushed a kiss against her cheek. “Very well. If you must know there are other towns established by fae, oftenin alliance with humans. Because fae races bring their skills and handicrafts with them, they always have the best things available to trade for an enterprising individual who can think of something unique to offer them.”

“Unique?” Her nose wrinkled as she tried to think of what anyone might be able to offer that would be worth anything so fine as what one of the fae races might have on hand. “Like what?”

Pecking a kiss to the tip of her nose, he released her and tugged her after him as he ducked beneath several low, overhanging branches. “Scrap metal is always appreciated among them to an even greater degree that it is among humans since few have sought to establish mines just yet, and even with mines, metal available to be refashioned is always in high demand. But so are hides, dried meat, sweet things, food. Just about anything can find a market if you know where to look.”

“Perhaps even your acorn bread might fetch a price in trade,” she observed aloud to herself.

Barbasa cast her a curious glance and chuckled. “I had not considered that, but you are probably right. Most of my trade comes in raw goods that I find and in furs, but I will be sure to remember that in the future. Not yet, however. Although it is a large market, I have amassed quite a bit of credit to be spent first.”

She gave him a curious look as she nibbled her bottom lip. An actual market rather than ramshackle stalls and “shops” in town. She would give anything to see it. “It sounds amazing.”

He grinned over his shoulder at her and stopped for a moment to pluck a late season flower from the nearest bush and hand it to her. The delicate pink petals of the flower brushed the back and side of her hand in a silky caress that she couldn’t’ get enough of touching.

“Then we shall go,” he rumbled. “But first let us see what game we can bring down for our supper. And then tonight I shall raid my treasure to see what I might have tucked away for such a lovely female to wear.”

Grinning in turn, Tiffany quickened her steps, a happy laugh falling from her as he immediately bound forward with a playful flick of his tail. They ran, frolicking together through the trees until she was gasping, and his growls of delight filled in the forest air as he caught her in his arms. It was a world of pleasure and even the shadows of the forest began to look less intimidating as the played among them with Eesha and Ashel close at hand. As the sun began to lower in the heavens, they dragged fat fish from the stream to fill their bellies. It was a good day and Tiffany was certain that no day could possibly be better.

Even the promise of the market was half forgotten as the beauty of the forest opened up before her and drew her into its wonder. She had all that she could ever want and, even with the satyr’s flirtatious and lusty games, Tiffany didn’t dare to wish that it could truly be her home.

But, by the gods, she wanted it to be.

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