Changeling.

Darragh

I couldn't sleep and I'd been trying to drift off for several hours now. Each time I shut my eyes, I could hear noises coming from the forest. Nature was calling to me, and my name

who I was

, obliged me to respond, but I needed to get some rest—it was going to be a difficult day tomorrow.

Many of my men were unmotivated and scared; some of them were still quite young. They feared the upcoming war. Trolls were vicious creatures—they had murdered countless Fae over the years. This wasn't the future the Seelie court had promised them, and I understood their frustrations.

I tossed and turned for several more minutes, aware of the grasshoppers and other forest creatures playing their tunes and keeping me awake. It was clear I wasn't going to get much rest tonight. Nature had other plans for me.

I stood from my bed and dragged a hand through my long dark hair, feeling frustrated and tense. My magic was silent for a change. The oil lamp Oran had left earlier on spread dim light around the large tent. The temperature had dropped, so I grabbed a warm shirt and pulled it over my bare chest.

"I'm leaving now—this is what you wanted, right?" I spun in a half—circle and asked the silence around me. As expected, no one answered, however, nature still demanded my presence. I could feel it within every fibre of my being.

I had a feeling this was going to be an interesting night.

Moments later I stepped outside the tent. The sky was clear, and a full moon shone brightly overhead. It seemed tonight was the perfect night to collect herbs. I was searching for one in particular: the tear of dragon. Those leaves were very rare, but they grew on this land and exactly at this time of year, so luck was on my side.

Oran would have told me that I shouldn't be wandering around unfamiliar lands in the middle of the night, but my men were going to need that herb during the battle ahead. Fae were strong, but Trolls had dark magic, the sort of magic that could hurt us more than we had anticipated.

The camp was immersed in silence. Humans had no idea we were here—we had used magic to ensure the camp was invisible so no one would bother us. It was easier this way.

I began walking through the forest, thinking about the Seelie court, and my father—he had been absent for some time now. He vanished several nights before, and no one had seen him since. I had to admit to myself that is was possible he might be already dead. Deep down, I was apprehensive about the war, too—I couldn't fail my people. It was going to be difficult and a very long war—many Fae would be away from their loved ones for years. However, this was the price we all had to pay for our freedom.

An owl flew overhead as I walked further and further into the forest, breathing in the crisp, fresh air. I'd been blessed with incredible hearing, and various members of my family were also able to detect significant plants or herbs nearby. Right then, I sensed the dragon tear. The leaves were extracting oils that instantly connected with my magic. The herbs were known for their healing abilities in many other realms as well.

However, a split second later I realised I was no longer alone. Something or rather someone had caught my attention in the distance. I thought I'd sensed humans, but now I wasn't entirely sure who I was dealing with. For now, I decided to abandon my search for the herbs and find out if Trolls had possibly discovered our camp. This would be an absolute disaster.

I walked another five minutes, and behind the bushes, I saw a man and a woman. My exceptional Fae vision gave me an advantage, but even without it, I would have been able to see that the female was magical. The energy surrounding them was powerful, unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Small bursts of bright purple light were flickering around, and, as a result, I drew closer. I knew she must have been Fae or at least a half—breed. Her intense energy caused the hair on the back of my neck to rise, my skin prickled, feeling the need to link itself to her power. The woman's hair was fiery red and flowing in waves down her back.

She was holding the man's hands, muttering under her breath rather loudly as he stared at her, transfixed. I moved closer, wanting to hear what she was saying. Something about her aura was electrifying.

"Tonight is the night, and it's your time. She's your destiny, so just be yourself." The woman was saying to him, lifting one hand and touching his forehead. "You can become a man tonight."

I frowned, and my blood pressure began to rise slightly. This woman—I was almost certain she was half—Fae—should have known it was forbidden to use magic without a permit from the court. And it was obvious she hadn't obtained one. I knew of all the Seelie magic users, or at least those who had petitioned to use their powers. Everyone around these lands were aware of the court's rules. All Fae needed to be registered with the high court in order to use magic freely. This was the general consensus, and everyone had to comply. However, it was quite possible this creature had never been around other Fae.

The man didn't appear as though he was her partner or lover. He seemed to be a local peasant with torn clothes and a dirty face.

I took a step forward to hear a bit more before I made my presence known, but I stepped on a tree branch. The woman heard me, because she peered in my direction and instantly stood to her feet with her hand raised.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" I asked and slowly approached them. "An illegal spell session?"

It took a few more steps to realise the half—Fae in front of me was truly beautiful. Heat jolted down my spine, spreading to my crotch.

She wore a long black dress that displayed her cleavage, and her breasts were enormous. As an image of me burying myself in them flashed through my mind, my mouth watered. She also had a tiny waist, and fair skin that glowed in the moonlight. I liked what I was seeing more than I realised.

Damn it. What the hell was going on with my magic? It suddenly felt out of control. My cock stirred in my pants as I switched my weight to the side, unable to take my eyes off her.

She placed her hands on her hips, ceased her magic, and gave me a confident smile. She didn't seem afraid of me—hmm, that was interesting.

"And why the hell do you care?" she hissed. "No one invited you here, Fae!" She must have recognised I wasn't human, or she must have dealt with our kind in the past. Well, I did have typical Fae features, but she should have at least been wary of me.

"You're not registered with the Fae court, which means you're practising magic without a permit," I stated in a matter—of—fact tone. She frowned, then glanced at the peasant with confusion, then back at me.

I licked my upper lip, wondering how she would taste if I kissed her now. My skin prickled with lust as she inhaled rapidly. Her scent was already driving me mad.

"I'm out of here," the peasant said. "Kira is going to hang me for this." Then he vanished in the forest a moment later, finally leaving the red—haired beauty on her own.

I tilted my head to the side, still watching her with open curiosity. My inner voice told me I could take her right here, right now—because I could, but I hushed it quickly.

"It was just a bit of magic, handsome, to boost the poor peasant's confidence, to give him strength, that's all. I don't see how this is illegal. I do it all the time." But then her smile suddenly faded. She must have realised she had said too much, more than she'd intended, because her face paled.

I couldn't help but smile and then took a few more steps towards her. I needed to be close to her, to inhale her scent. She smelled of earthy herbs and alcohol.

She parted her rosy—red lips, and I could already imagine her mouth sliding up and down my cock. I was hard instantly, desiring a strange half—breed. Hmmm, was she truly Fae?

"My name is Darragh, and what you've done is a crime, punishable by the Seelie court." I then grabbed her hand. I had a feeling she would have run otherwise. And I was not in the mood to be chasing her. She tried to pull away from me, but I was much stronger.

As our skin made contact, a tingling sensation began to rush through me, heat raged throughout every part of my sex—starved body. I wanted her instantly, without a doubt and without hesitation.

"Leave me alone, you arsehole of a creature. I've done nothing wrong," she shouted, still trying hard to pull away from my grip, but right now I was having too much fun to let her go. She needed to understand the rules of the court.

"You're in my territory, and you're going to be punished for illegal use of magic," I told her and started dragging her towards the camp and through the forest. Suddenly the herbs and the war didn't really matter any longer. Lust ravaged me from the inside out as she screamed, trying to wiggle away. Her breasts were bouncing as she struggled. I was becoming more aroused with every passing moment, ready to have my way with her right there and then.

"Please, I'm certain we can work something out. It was just a little magic. I was only trying to help the poor fellow find a wife. I wasn't actually using it for my own personal gain."

I had to agree that she did have a point. Regardless, I was too intrigued and too horny to just let her walk away.

There were plenty of other females in the Fae court. They were all beautiful with royal blood running through their veins, but I had never been interested in any of them. This half creature, on the contrary, well, she was something entirely different.

She was fierce and strong, the complete opposite of any other female I knew.

"Work something out? And what might that be, beautiful?" I asked, and my cock throbbed as I imagined riding her until sundown. She was damn sexy, and it had been a long time since I had randomly fucked someone. As soon as I asked, she took a step towards me, smiled seductively, and ran her bare hand over my chest.

"Something very special, handsome," she whispered, and a frisson of desire raced down my spine. "Let's just say I'm quite skilled in 'that' area." Her touch was electrifying, and I was ready to push her against the tree, just so I could ravage every inch of her hot skin, burry my face in her breasts.

However, the tiny voice of reason inside my head reminded me that this was neither the time nor the place for that. I had to gain control of my urges. Besides, she intrigued me. I wanted to get to know her, rather than satisfy my craving for her body. My magic awakened, responding to hers. The fact that she wasn't a full—blooded Fae was astonishing me.

"Not right now, beautiful, let's go," I muttered, wondering if she was always this confident. She appeared surprised, shocked that I'd declined her offer, so I continued talking, "Do you do this often? Do you always sell yourself when in trouble?"

She didn't seem offended or hurt by my words.

"It's my job to pleasure men, handsome, and I earn a damn good wage for it, so why not use it? Besides, I have been trying to expand my magic business so I can leave the brothel for good, but the witches always take the best clients," she complained.

"Your job? Hmm, so you're a whore? Is that what humans call you these days?" I questioned, thinking that it was such a shame, because I sensed she could have been very powerful. She just needed to get a proper magic licence.

"I'm more of a lady of pleasure. I'm not fond of that word, to be honest, but it's used all the same," she answered, getting so close to me I could smell her desire. I had never been wrong about these things. This wasn't how she felt about just any male—that sort of desire scared her, that sort of need terrified her, too. It was all there, out in the open. That kind of vulnerability was turning me on even more.

"And I don't like when my kind doesn't follow the rules, so come on, keep moving before I do something I might regret later," I whispered in her ear and she parted her lips, most likely getting the message.

My cock was hard as a rock, blood was pumping through my veins. She didn't lament or cry, just followed me like an obedient lamb.

Again, I thought of the much—needed herbs—they would have to wait for now, and I wondered if I had time to send her back to the court.

She inhaled sharply as we reached the camp. A few guards nodded towards me, and, luckily no one was stupid enough to raise the alarm that I had vanished. Oran was aware of my nightly excursions.

"Get inside," I said once we stopped just outside my tent. She did as I asked her.

"There you are. I was beginning to worry, my—"

Oran didn't finish what he wanted to say, because he saw the beauty behind me. He took in her appearance and his eyes widened. Yes, he sensed it, too—he knew she wasn't just a human.

"What's going on here? Where am I?" the girl said, looking at Oran. "You must release me because I have done nothing wrong."

Strangers always assumed he was the great Darragh, because he carried himself more gracefully, and it seemed to be the case now, as well. Oran was taller than me, blond with high cheek bones and wide grey eyes. He was the perfect Fae amongst my kind.

"Look what I discovered in the forest, a changeling using illegal magic," I said to him, curious if he was going to play along.

"And what is your name, my lady?" Oran asked, bowing in front of my beauty.

"Martha, my name is Martha—the whore. And why did that handsome moron just call me a changeling?"