Page 5 of Cruel As A Tree

Then my brain caught up with the moment.

"Walarhagh!" I garbled out, words completely failing me as I flailed wildly. One of my hands managed to find his face, and I shoved him, pushing his head and upper body back, even as one of my feet found his thigh and stomped down. I wiggled upright, scootching my entire body weight up the tree as I got my hips away from his, standing on top of his thighs to do so. I reachedup, grabbing for anything I could find, and my hands found a branch. I gripped it, lifting my weight up. I tucked my knees to my belly and then kicked him in the chest.

It was like kicking a tree.

He barely moved, but at least he had the decency to look surprised.

He took a slow step back, his ocean eyes narrowing as he stared at me. I hung there from the branch for a long second before I realized there was no way I was pulling myself up, so I let go, falling to the ground with a thud. I lost my balance as I landed, falling back on my butt.

"You resist me," he said, the word resist whispering through the leaves around us.

I opened my mouth, not sure what I was going to say, still in shock at his sudden appearance and voracious assault.

Don't apologize,Veveron said.You must set the bounds of the courtship, or he will decide them for you like he just attempted to do. Apologize and you turn him into the righteous victim who has been wronged and can take what he wishes in recompense. Scream or act afraid, and you turn him into a predator who will mount you in the dirt like an animal.

I wasn't going to apologize, but I didn't say that out loud. I was going to yell at him for attacking me, but what Veveron said stopped that from coming out as well. Whoever this creature was in front of me, I'd just committed to some sort of courtship with him, and he apparently took that as immediately trying to fuck me. He was stronger than me, apparently Lord of this Forest, and it was very clear from this little interaction that if he felt like pushing through my resistance, it would be of no difficulty for him.

Veveron was right. I needed to take control of the story of this situation.

I had no idea how to do that, so I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"That isn't how you court a lady!" I said instead, crossing my arms. "I am a lady and you will treat me as one."

Apparently, the first thing in my head was historical fictional romance.

He tilted his head to the side, one of his long ears flicking slightly as he observed me. Then there was a shimmer in the air. The fur on his legs melted away, leaving behind green pants. The color crawled up over his bare chest, covering him as it settled into the shape of a formal-looking top, with vines embroidered up and down the sleeves and across the lapel. The flowers between his horns shifted as well, taking on a metallic gleam as they shifted from a garland to a crown. He put one arm behind his back, and he gave me a small bow, his other hand on his heart.

"Please forgive me, my lady," he said. "I have acted as a beast. Tell me how I may make this right."

That was different.

I blinked as I stared at his physical and emotional change. He went from falling on me like a wild ravenous beast to wearing clothing and bowing in a matter of seconds.

Food,Veveron said.I'm hungry.

"I require proper lodgings and sustenance," I said, continuing with my overly formal manner of speaking. If that was what it took to keep this devilishly handsome male's hands off me, I was going to channel all of the snootiness I could muster. Even as I spoke, I couldn't help but give my words a bit of an accent. "For myself and my companion. We are tired from our travels."

Pick me up, I don't want to walk,Veveron ordered as she waddled over to my leg and sat down next to my foot.

I bent down and picked her up, returning her to my shoulder.

"Please let me escort you," the male said, holding out his arm as if he expected me to take it.

The twinging heat between my legs fed my hesitation as I looked at the strong muscles of his arm, not hidden at all by his new sleeves. He had thrown me around as if it was nothing, and my body had responded in a way that made me wonder what it would have been like if I hadn't panicked and pushed him away.

"I won't bite," the male said, his nostrils flaring as a devilish glint in his eyes as his smile parted to lips to show the flash of fangs. He leaned towards me. "Unless you want me to."

There was a shimmer in the air, and fur began to sprout from his legs.

"That isn't how you speak to a lady," I snapped.

He straightened, the fur fading back into fabric.

"We haven't even been properly introduced," I said.

"I am Lorthian, Lord of this Forest," he said, bowing again.

"Well met, Lord Lorthian," I said. "I am Lady Lillian, mundane with proper manners who expects to be treated properly like the proper woman that I properly am."

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