Ray was nervous as well, but her revelation was a huge relief for him. He was afraid she’d expect a level and quality of intimacy he wasn’t quite sure he’d be able to provide.
“I’ve never done this before either. But I want to do it with you if you’d have me?” She blushed first then planted a passionate kiss on him. She had no idea why but her body needed him even more now. Her nipples were sensitive and the heat between her legs was becoming unbearable.
Ray could feel the nipples through her thin fabric dress. Her hands explored his body just as excitedly now. Ray ran his hands up her thigh inside her dress. Her skin was so smooth; he couldn’t wait to kiss every inch of her skin and taste her. He kissed her neck nibbling, biting as he came closer to her chest. She reached for the back of the dress pulling it undone revealing her small perky breasts. Ray wanted to kiss and suck each of her pert nipples.
“Can I touch you?” she asked timidly, causing his hard cock to twitch. He wanted her to touch him, nothing modest about it either.
Thesipha put her hand on his crotch and gasped when she felt how hard he was. She had seen penises before but never a hard one let alone a hard one aimed at her.
“Does it hurt?” she inquired seeing the twisted expression on his face. He shook his head no. Giving her time to look at it as she slowly unzipped his trousers. She had learnt what a zip was along with a number of clothing hacks from Ray. She felt proud of herself, reaching into his trousers and gently caressing his dick. Ray took a deep breath in a bid to compose himself. Her slender hands wrapped around his thickness.
He kissed her chest after she pumped his dick in her hand a few times. Kissing across her breasts and chest until one of her nipples made its way into his mouth. His tongue swirled around it greedily, licking and sucking and lapping at her. The wetness and the hard softness of her tongue started to drive her wild. Convinced he was on the right track, Ray kissed her lips once more then back to her nipples laying her down on his soft blanket. He showered her with complements as he peeled her dress off revealing the freckles that ran down her spine. The sight of her exotic body only made his erection strain. It was now getting to the point that it hurt, but he couldn’t even think of something else than pleasure her. Spreading her legs gently, he looked at her beautiful flower, covered in brownish hair at the top giving way to her swollen clit.
“You smell like daisies.” he growled, kissing her pussy in haste. She tasted like sweet fruits despite her floral scent. Thesipha moaned, reaching out and extending her arms onto the floor of the tent. The bliss Ray was providing her was so alien to anything she’d been able to do for herself. She reveled in the pleasure. Nothing could get in the way now.
“Don’t stop!” she screamed as she began to shiver her hands running through his hair. Ray couldn’t even dream of stopping. He found himself thinking that he’d do anything for her. Finally she covered her mouth with one hand and cried out into it. She seized up before going limp.
Ray sat back wiping her wetness off of his face and admiring his work. Thesipha lifted her head to look up at him. She had such a goofy cute look on her face. She began to giggle and laid her head back down. He watched Thesipha helpless as she spread her legs further inviting him in.
“I need you so bad,” she confessed. She raised her index finger to her lips and bit it naughtily.
He however didn’t pounce. He grabbed her legs. Thesipha gasped in shock. He started kissing her thighs, then her calves, finally he stopped at her ankles kissing them. Massaging her feet. One hand held the foot of the ankle he was kissing- massaging her. She giggled then gasped when he began kissing up her foot to her cute well kept toes. Despite walking in the forest barefoot her feet were clean and pristine, surely a side effect of her inhuman nature. His other hand grabbed her other foot bringing it to his chest as he massaged it. She propped herself up on her elbows, shocked at his boldness, she couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to. Just when she thought she had an idea he took her toes and began kissing and sucking on them. The lascivious noises and sensation crawled its way up her spine. She squealed louder than she intended. Her cunt was sopping wet now and drooling all over Ray’s blanket. The warm wet of his mouth on her Greek Morton toes. The massaging of his hands on her arches gave her a bliss she thought no man could provide a woman.
Thesipha was frenzied now from his attentions. She quickly leaned all the way up, pulling her feet from his mouth, and frenched him deeply. Her tongue left no area of his mouth unexplored. Her hands clenched his shirt and chest and her nails dug into his chest. She broke the kiss with a gasp for air and a husky voice, “Please don’t make me wait for you any longer.”
Without needing to be told again, Ray kicked all the nervous thoughts from his mind, and he stripped off all of his clothes with comedic speed. Grabbing his dick between his hands and guiding it to her entrance. He was all gung-ho until he realized he had no idea what he was doing. He watched her face as he entered her. For Thesipha she wasn’t worried. She surely pleasured and explored herself enough to prepare her for penetration but she looked Ray in the eyes. He looked so cute. His expression lost all composure as he started to enter her warm tightness. She raised her hands to hold his face and shoulder. Biting her lip she urged him to enter all the way but could see the pleasure might almost be too much for him.
“Should I stop?” he asked, panting heavily, his eyes delirious with pleasure. But she shook her head.
She moaned little by little as he entered inch by inch. Once he was buried to the hilt she whimpered his name. He would give up every hobby he had just to do this with her every chance he got. Thesipha held on to Ray like her life depended on it as he began with light strokes. He tries to acclimate and find a pace but his inexperience was somewhat evident. But she wasn’t upset. He was a quick learner and could see he was struggling at not finishing right then.
She cooed as his pace regulated itself, “Can you do it harder? I know you’re struggling not to finish.” before placing some gentle kisses on his face.
With that Ray steady himself up with his arms and begins driving into her with a little more vigor. Ray loved how she wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him deeper inside her. Her walls were so warm and velvety around his hard shaft- milking him while he struggled to hold back his excitement. He looked at her pretty face, all confused as she begged and he knew he could not hold it in much longer. Thesipha knew he was struggling but it only made her even more wet to know the power she held over him. Her pussy seemed to get tight as he pulled out of her, as if her flower didn’t want to let him go.
It was the way she called out his name, or maybe her soft voice or the way she tasted but he felt himself letting go. She wrapped her legs tighter to the point he almost couldn’t breathe. She also started to kiss his cheeks, nose, lips, chin and mouth as his arms began to shake, “T-thesipha-” he groaned. With a few random thrusts he emptied himself inside of her. She shivered and her back arched. As if driven by instinct she wanted him to release all of himself as deep in her as possible.
“I’d heard that sex was a beautiful thing but this was beyond my expectations.” Thesipha was out of breath as the words emanated from her mouth. She had felt every single emotion from Ray as he made love to her. She knew it was a bad idea but she wanted more of it. They made love all night long, their love making was so feverish they had left the tent to continue fucking by the lake bed. Finally laying by the lake on the warm moss, talking as the soft white light from the moon bounced from the water onto their skin.
“What will we do?” She asked as reality struck her.
“I don’t know. All I know is that I want to be with you.” Answered Ray.
Artemis was dead asleep in the night when she was rudely awakened by a force. She found herself drenched in her own sweat getting up for some air. She wondered which of her nymphs had broken the spell she had cast on them. Yes, she thought it was necessary to put in place a spell that would ensure the nymphs remained pure- loyal to herself. None of them knew of it, naturally, because she wanted to test their loyalty. She called out to Thesipha to bring her a glass of water when she realized she was all alone in the house. Her bed was cold meaning she had not been in it for some time. Artemis knew without a doubt that it was she who had broken her vow of chastity.
Angered, she paced around the room in a bid to figure out what her next move would be. All she knew was that Thesipha had to pay for her insolence. Even better- the one who took her would pay. She decided to go out into the night and look for her.
CHAPTER 10
Thesipha and Ray drifted into sleep after their exertions. The plan was to head back home before light exhaustion had claimed them both. When they both finally awoke, she was stricken with shock when she realized the sun had already begun to climb above the horizon.
“Oh no! I have to go, we have to go!” she scrambled to get her dress on. Her hair was a mess, her face pink and she could not find the binder that held her outfit in place.
“Relax a little so I can help you find it.” Ray said with equal frustration and panic. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere.” He spoke calmly, realizing their panic in tandem would only make matters worse.
This relaxed tone however did the opposite for Thesipha, “You know what? Just tie my dress at the back will you? I have no time for this!”.
“Why would you let me sleep here?” she retorted. It was not her intention to shift the blame on to him but she was so nervous. “What if she woke up and realized I was missing? She could kill you or worse!”
Ray was tying her dress as instructed. He didn’t want to utter a word to dissuade her. He felt like he was in the wrong regardless.
Her panic had reached a fever pitch when he finally spoke “what’s worse than death?” He paused realizing he joke certainly didn’t land, “you looked so peaceful, Thesipha, I’m sorry.” He whispered, kissing her gently on the neck seemingly taking all the tension away. She let her body free, leaning on him for support. Thesipha never knew she was capable of bearing such feelings, especially towards a mortal.
“You are the best thing that has happened to me in years. I’ve not had a relationship with another highly sentient thing- let along a human in some time, Ray,” for once she thought it was okay to be vulnerable even if she might never see him again.
He offered to escort her back to her domicile only for a short distance until he could see her walk safely back but as they turned to leave they faced a most unexpected guest. The sun was now fully ahead a frail old lady stood tall before them covered in a white cloak from head to toe. Thesipha grew weak falling to her brittle knees. The presence felt like nothing Ray had experienced. As if the air were as thick as water.
“So this is why you choose to defy me? A man?” Her voice had a thunderous quality throughout the entire dome causing every bird to take flight. The unified flapping of their wings sounded like a thunder bolt that never ended. Thesipha remained quiet for her speech could be mistaken for disobedience.
After the deafening birds ceased, Ray in his naive kind human stupidity approached, “You must be Artemis, I am Ray and it’s a pleasure meeting you.” The words Ray spoke might’ve been endearing to all else- but not an ancient, a god, someone with the power to create and transform. His tone only read as defiance and obstinacy.
She was more stunned at his audacity, “The human speaks, the man speaks, the useless creature speaks. Thesipha haven’t you the wisdom to teach these beings how to act in the presence of a god?” Artemis’ voice made the heavens shake again. The trees curled at her fury. The sound of twisting wood rending a sound most unheavenly.
Ray shrank in the god’s presence. Artemis stretched her spirit, her mind, and her will over him raking his mind.
“Please goddess, you are kind, you are great … Please do not allow my moment of weakness to warrant a punishment for him. It is me who should be punished. Do as you wish with me but please let him be.” She begged. Her frozen state thawed by the thought of Ray’s impending destruction.
“Let him be… After he has tried to sow a seed inside you?” The words came rushing out of her mouth like a waterfall throwing Thesipha out of character. She tried to speak but nothing came out from her vocal chords. Her mouth was dry and she had already run out of excuses before she started.
“I see you have been rendered speechless, haven’t you? Did you think I would not find out that you had given away your purity to a human? Look at him, the sight of his weak body makes me sick.” She pointed to Ray who was just as supernaturally frozen. He was pale and sweat beaded at his brow.
Ray stood there in shock as Thesipha continued on her knees to beg for leniency. He really did not see the point because Artemis was no one to judge. He wanted to defend his woman just like she was defending him at that moment.
“Look, I know gods have rules but look around. It is years of broken laws and agreements that have led us all here. Wouldn’t you say? I mean, who are you to judge, Thesipha, when the example you set yourself was less than perfect. If a god can sin and live to be forgiven why can’t a nymph too? Can man be forgiven, can I? I don’t want to start trouble. I’ve come for peace and love, not a shred of violence.” the words sounded right coming from his mouth but they were poisonous as they landed in both Thesipha and Artemis’ ears. Thesipha wished she could be as liberal minded as Ray, she admired his courage even but there were just some battles that one could never win.
Artemis was angry, ordering Ray to shut up. Perhaps ashamed by her own past or the fact that a human being was calling her out on the double standard she perpetuated, she raised her hands in the air and struck him to the ground with her magic.
“I will teach you a lesson, a human one that will live with you for the rest of your life. I’ll show you exactly the beast that you are. The violence in you! I’ll make you like the jackals at the fall of your great cities. A beast commanded by the fallen one! And as for you Thesipha, your punishment will be to live your life knowing that once again, you could not protect the people you were created to nurture. A lesson in man’s depravity. An understanding that man reaps what they sow.” Artemis’ words were ridden with a finality that Ray couldn’t sense, but that Thesipha felt, she could feel the warm prickling electricity of magic pulse out of Artemis and be replaced with a vacuous cold.
Those beams and bolts of energy pierced Ray with a beam of lighting from her arms. It was so fast she could smell his burning flesh before she could see him on the ground.
Thesipha screamed running to him but it was too late. Artemis shuddered as if the lighting struck her instead and Thesipha watched in horror as she delivered the last of her powers in the form of a curse on the poor boy. What curse, Thesipha did not know of. Artemis withered away into dust blown away by the morning wind. Ray stopped moving seemingly dead except for a faint breath that escaped his lips.Thesipha remained kneeling next to his limp body.
“Please wake up,” she begged, afraid that he was dead. She shook his body, tears welling up her eyes and found herself weeping. She felt responsible for everything that had just transpired as she held him in her arms waiting for him to awake. She didn’t know if his life would be worth living at that point but she couldn’t bear to be totally alone- no goddess- no human.
Thesipha stared into midair where Artemis’ frail body once stood glad that she was gone. She also starred with tears in her eyes sad that her mother was gone. She could feel Ray’s pulse, glad that that Artemis’ attempt to finish him off was in vain. Just as her tears began to dry up, she felt Ray move in her arms. She quickly wiped away her tears.
“My love, you are okay.” She exclaimed as he woke up still disoriented from what had just happened..
“How do you feel?” Thesipha searched his face for any new bruises and urged him to stand up. The burn in his chest present but not as serious as anticipated.
“I’ve been better.” He coughed rising from her lap, “Why didnt she finished me off.” Scanning his surroundings with caution.
Thesipha’s eyes began to moisten again, “Whatever she tried to do killed her.”
Ray turned to console her but she pulled away for a second, “I-I’m sorry.”, he looked down, to him, he was the cause of all her suffering, “Thesipha…”
“Are you sure you are okay?” she insisted. She knew Artemis’ had done something to him, she just wasn’t sure what it was.
He pointed to the heap of dust on the floor where Artemis had been standing. She nodded. They sat in silence for a little longer before she helped him up. Thesipha took a weak Ray back to her house where she made him some herbal soup with healing properties just in case he started to feel a bit sick. She could feel the magic of the barrier Artemis powered begin to rot away. They spent the rest of the day together talking as he continued to gain his strength back. By night time, she was glad that he was finally feeling like himself again.
The night grew and ate the beautiful skies. The blanket or darkness are up everything under the trees. Before Theispha and Ray knew it the moon rose bright and large over her abode.
“Perhaps that is Artemis, finally reunited with the moon.” Thesipha hoped. She would never have wished death upon her godly patron but her actions toward herself over the last millenia only made it easier. She broke down and started crying once again. It was hard to believe that it was finally over. Her years almost imprisoned- over, just freed like that. Ray held her close in an attempt to comfort her.
“You’re gonna be ok-o-o-k-” he began to choke on his words leaving Thesipha confused. “I-I’m sorry. My throat is dry. I-I nee-nee-n-” he began once more, unable to complete his sentence.
Ray felt a warmth like a horrid fever inside of him. It quickly began to spread over his skin as it turned into a crimson red color. It was as if his blood was boiling from the inside and he struggled to make the pain stop.
“What’s wrong Ray, speak to me.” Thesipha said cautiously. She needed to keep her cool if she was to help him. Then she heard it like the sound of a tree falling. A horrible snap. Ray felt as if his bones began snapping. The pain was unreal; it took all his sanity as he keeled over. Thesipha could see wriggling under his skin where all his bones protrude under his natural muscle.
“W-what is wrong with m-me?” He managed to let out a cough of saliva and blood. She could see his teeth falling out of his mouth only to be replaced with sharp gnawing daggers. Thesipha gasped. Her hand over her mouth. She had no idea what was happening but it stole the words and reason from her.
Ray screamed horribly. She could hear his vocal cords tearing. He began to rip his skin off in a bid to shed the pain away. His eyes bled profusely as they pushed from their sockets. In their place new orbs began to form. His nails fell out and replacing them had been horrible claws slashing through the skin off his fingers. His hands now resemble something more akin to a horrible hybrid of pawswith extended digits. Ray’s once human-like physique was replaced by a beastly body of gore and horror. His silky skin had been all but removed to reveal a beast below it. A coat of wiry gray fur from head to toe as he stood on all fours completely transformed into a Lycan. It all made sense to a horrified Thesipha who now tried to call out Ray’s name gently. The beast didn’t move but stood heathing, facing away from the Nymph.
She said his name gently one more time and the beast turned its head. Through his yellow eyes full of death, she knew she was dealing with a different creature now. Ray was gone. This was the price she had to pay for falling in love with a mortal. Slowly, she moved back, her eyes glued to the impossibly large maw. The beast licked its teeth and growled as it bit at the air, the clash of its teeth and jaws made a terrifying noise. It’s eyes never left Thesipha.
“Stay away,” she begged as she took off in the opposite direction. She grabbed her spear as she ran out of her home. Ray or what was Ray didn’t run after her at first, instead watching before it began a light gallop. There was no soul in the beast’s eyes as it started to pursue her. She could hear the lumbering loud stomps as it ran across the earth. It sounded heavy and brutal.
Thesipha was scared out of her wits crying as she ran. Her heart pounded inside her chest to the point that it hurt. Stopping behind a tree she waited. The spear in hand ready to strike- she was born in Ancient Greece, if anything she could wield a spear. The beast came around the tree, sliding on the wealth before it’s claws got a grip. Before it could react, Thesipha lunged, planting the spear between its front right leg and ribs. It howled and squealed nightmarishly. Thesipha watched it struggle and whip its head around as if turning to in an attempt to rip the spear out but it fell out of its own accord with a healed wound left in its place. Scrambling as the beast recalibrated to chase her she bolted back through the forest.
She thought of and tried every trick she could think of to slow the werewolf down or outright lose it but the animal would not stop. She knew the place better than anyone however she had the oldest trick in the book for avoiding hounds, so she made a left turn falling into a pit of mud and submerged herself in there until the beast lost her scent. She watched as it stomped and sniffed the air at the edge of the mud bank. It’s guttural wheezing and growling made her sick. Her face sat at the surface while the rest of her was submerged. She dared not move a muscle And breathed shallowly.
Soon the coast was clear, she got out and quietly went back to the house. She ran to a closet and closed it behind her. She watched through the gap of the door terrified. At one point the beast entered the home. It destroyed every jar and piece of furniture in an attempt to find her. She swore between its loud breaths it sounded like Ray whimpering. Artemis created this horrible beast. Her goddess made such a cruel animal- a demon almost. Theispha stayed alert all night scared the beast would return again, finally ready to finish her off. The exhaustion was like nothing she had ever felt but she couldn’t even close her eyes. The sporadic howling and screeching of the creature cut through the night like a reminder that death set ever present- waiting- hungry.
Guilt and grief had overcome her and she was no longer at peace. It was hard not to think about Ray and what had happened to him because of her. She hated the memory of Artemis now more than ever. Memories of the once soft natured kind boy she’d met months ago flooded her conscience. If only she would have left him alone, insisted on his departure, perhaps he would still be alright. Ray had turned into the one thing he hated the most; a stone cold killer and it was all Thesipha’s fault. She waited for the full moon to pass and vowed she would find him and fix it even if it took her forever; she would find a way to make it right.
Morning seemed like an excruciating eternal wait. Thesipha grabbed the chance as soon as she saw the sun running out into the fields to look for her lover. She didn’t know where to start. So plagued was she by the recollection of his beastly state that she almost failed to spot him as she passed an open field. Ray was asleep covered in a pool of blood — naked and afraid already transformed back to his human form. She ran to him, picking him up in his arms to ensure that he was not hurt. Thesipha was both horrified and relieved to discover that the blood was not his. Immediately, she knew he had attacked one of her magical animals, unsettling the newly fragile balance of the bubble that surrounded them. When he opened his eyes and saw Thesipha’s swollen eyes, he questioned what happened. But it was made all too clear. The taste of blood in his mouth and his body covered in it. He had no solid memory but flashes of incoherent violence. The chewing and swallowing and biting. His hands tingles with the sensation of the razor sharp claws sinking into flesh.
Thesipha saw his confusion, “She cursed you.”
“I tried to hurt you?” he was distraught by the discovery that he had been cursed by Artemis. Ray became hysterical, refusing to listen to anything she had to say.
“This is all my fault.” Thesipha tried to reassure vehemently but nothing would distract him from the horror of what he had done. All those beautiful creatures Thesipha had saved and curated. Fodder for his newly hungry soul.
“You were right! I should not have stayed here… Look what I’ve become. I am worse than my own father!” he cried out, pushing Thesipha away when she tried to comfort him. She fell back hitting her head.
“I’m so sorry Thesipha, I never-” He tried to reach out and pull her up but when he saw his blood soaked hands, he got scared. His breathing was rapid and uneven. Then a voice in his head reached out from the bleak darkness of his mind “Take her.” He gasped. Looking around confused. The voice filled his mind with thoughts he couldn’t erase. He felt crazy. His muscles are sore and his belly full. Yet he had more than enough strength to run- so he ran from her.
Thesipha dazed from hitting the rock, stood slowly. Ray was faster than she could believe he’d become. He was well across the field and into the tree like before she could call his name. She tried to run after him but he was too fast for a Nymph. She was alone. All alone.