Goldenlocks and Her Forbidden Desire (2 page)

My feet left the ground and the world spun before I realized he'd tossed me, face first, over a fallen tree trunk. "Unruly cubs must be punished," he said through clenched teeth. Then he yanked a long, thin sapling out of the ground.

With a flutter of alarm in my belly, I started to sit up. But his strong hand pressed down on my shoulder blades, forcing me back to a vulnerable, bent position with my naked backside exposed to the moist chill of the forest.

The switch struck my bottom with a sharp crack. My legs jerked, scraping the top of my thighs against rough bark as my breath escaped in a whine.

"Elder!" I yelped.

The pliable rod sliced through the air with a high whistling sound, marking my ass with a hot stripe of pain. I tried to roll to one side, my arms flailing to find leverage.

My struggles were useless against his overbearing strength. His broad palm held me firmly-rooted against the coarse wood as he swung the switch again and again, without mercy or any regard for my cries.

I whimpered and clenched my eyes shut as my face burned with shame.
I'm no longer a child
, I thought.
He has no right to treat me like this.

But even when I was younger, I'd never suffered this sort of punishment. My mother was a gentle spirit who'd allowed me a freewheeling life, full of my own exploration. Consequences had come naturally, like when I'd disrupted a beehive. She'd never raised a hand to admonish me.

And even when my new demigod fathers had arrived, they'd all treated me with respect. Elder had never spanked me before, though he'd sometimes eyed me with stern looks that said he might want to.

Now he was unrestrained, a rougher and wilder man than the father figure I'd known back in the village. He growled under his breath as he wielded the switch against my bare backside. I squirmed as my ass burned with each new strike of agony.

"You don't see what's happening to the wild," he snarled. "You're blinded by your stubborn, human nature."

As he whipped me, blistering my bottom, I admitted to myself that I'd sometimes challenged him with defiant looks of my own. Just to see what he would do. And to my youthful pleasure he hadn't done anything, then, just fixing me with a glare of burning frustration. But
now
he was dealing out exactly what I'd been asking for.

I'd dreamed in those days of having a father who could lend strength and order to my haphazard upbringing—and discipline too. A longing like many others I'd kept hidden away in the dark.

I moaned low in my throat as I gave up my struggles, letting myself go limp as I quivered, bent helpless over the log. A kindling fire sparked inside me, like a primal yearning, too archaic for me to understand. But I warmed to the feeling, like I'd stepped through a doorway into a strange, yet comforting room.
He's given into his dark urges, perhaps I can as well.

With that thought, my lips curved into a smile against the rough bark.
Thank you, Elder Bear
, I thought as the switch scorched my flesh.

Then, as my nerves burned with raw intensity, I lifted my bruised backside like an animal ready to mate. My spine arched and silky wetness condensed like dew drops along the inner folds of my crotch. I breathed my own scent of arousal in short gasps as the rod cracked on my rear with new flares of pain.

The whipping slowed, and the blows lessoned in strength, merely slapping my raw skin. Then he paused with a low snort and leaves rustled as the switch fell to the ground.

"If I hadn't already—" His voice strained as his fingers dug into the flesh of my hips. "—accepted you as my own—" He grunted, exhaling each word in rapid succession. Then I heard the clacking of teeth.

I pushed against the rough log with my palms, half-raising myself and blinking through teary eyes.

In contrast to the cool drizzle, I felt hot liquid spray across my bruised ass. Confused, I turned my head back.

His pink cock stood erect over my backside, and his pale seed spilled from the tip, dropping onto my skin in quick bursts. The light shade of the skin along his shaft stood out like a torch in the night as it jutted from thick black fur covering the rest of his body. And beady black eyes stared down at me from the face of a bear.

"Elder, I didn't mean to—I'm sorry," I said as I turned and pulled the skirt down over the mess.

His dark muzzle curled into a snarl but he shook his fuzzy head.

Then he lifted one of his huge paws. The antlers he had worn before were clasped in his claws. And as his cock slowly retreated back into his body, he offered the helm with an impatient jerk and a snort.

Eager to put the awkward moment behind me, I accepted his gift with awe plain on my face. He'd never given me anything but the comfort of food and the occasional admonishment.
He is acting strange for sure,
I thought.

The low rumble of a growl rattled through his broad chest and I glanced up from the branching antlers. He pointed one of his obsidian claws toward the edge of the tree line and bellowed a single roar.

Despite my anxiety of leaving his protection, I obeyed his unspoken command and turned to make my way out of the forest. But as I reached a clearing, leading out into the open pastures, I chanced one last look back at him.

In between the trees in the distance, he stood still on his thick bear-legs, quietly staring at me.

Then a bright yellow finch alighted on his coat, next to his giant head. More animals appeared from the foliage; rabbits hopped out from under the brush, the angled head of a tan deer poked its head out from behind thick branches. And a red fox stalked up next to him, its tail low, and its wide ears twitching in my direction. I clutched the branching helm to my chest and they all watched me go, as if they hoped I would do something.

***

O
UT in the pastures, the bitter chill of the wind blew unhindered by the lack of insulating trees. My cheeks burned and I pulled my skirt down lower so it covered most of the skin on my legs. There was still a gap between the hem and the top of my thick hide boots, where the breeze touched my bare skin like a frozen knife.

I strapped the helm around my neck while letting it hang down over my shoulder blades. Although the sharp tines poked and tugged at the wool cloth on my back, the antlers were too tall and unwieldy on my head.

Then, I tucked my hands under my breasts and hiked through the sea of grass.
Where am I to go?
I thought with dragging hopelessness.

My eyes fell upon the high hills, where the earth turned sharply up to the low clouds.
Papa Bear lives up there.

He was aloof by nature but he always had wisdom to bestow when he visited during the summers.
Surely he would know what to do.

Unlike Elder Bear, Papa never specifically prohibited me from going into the highlands. But it was a spiritual place and I felt uneasy about disturbing sacred ground.

I eyed the long plains that stretched for as far as I could see and hunched my head low on my neck as a brisk wind buffeted me.

There's nothing else I can do,
I decided.

So I squared my shoulders and forced myself to march up toward the hills, through thick matted grasses that fought to entangle my feet. I stumbled as I stepped into soggy puddles of decaying vegetation, but I righted myself, stubbornly carrying on my journey.

The swampy grasslands gave way to rocky foothills and I sighed with relief as I left behind the grasping, rope-like stalks. Even though I followed a rough uphill trail, my course was unhindered by the shorter grasses, and I moved at a quicker pace.

By the time I reached the base of the highest bluff, my muscles screamed for mercy and my punished backside twinged under the rough wool of my skirt. But I knew my only hope was above the clouds.
Papa Bear will have answers.

Like a whisper in the wind, the faint sound of a distant howl echoed through the lonely hills. An icy chill slithered up my spine, and despite my discomfort, I broke into a run. Dashing up the hill, I didn't dare to look back.

The hillside steepened as I neared the top and I panted, bracing my arms as I hiked and stumbled up the uneven ground. Then, the slope cut sharply to a near-vertical face as the grass thinned and a wide band of brittle shale collared the summit like a necklace.

On clearer days, I had seen that the hill lacked a rounded top, as if one of the gods had decided to chop it off for some otherworldly reason, beyond my mortal understanding. But clouds had covered its headlessness, giving the impression of a whole mountain poking up out of view.

I half-scrambled, half-climbed the last few meters, and my hand finally found purchase on the wide plateau.
They won't be able to reach me up here,
I thought with relief. The wolfmen were clumsy and brutish, notoriously bad at scaling anything this tall.

The sun warmed my fingers and the breeze was gentle on my flesh. And as I pulled myself up and sat, my breath heavy from exertion, a clear sky greeted me with its gorgeous display of azure blue.

I sighed and looked out over the ocean of white clouds, nestled below the tor.
They look so innocent from up here
, I thought.
I would never guess that my people suffer under this shroud of fluff.

I raised my arms out and fell back, stretching out on the soft, dry grass as the blissful sunlight radiated heat throughout my body. The numbness ebbed away in my fingers and the sting in my cheeks faded, replaced by a comforting warmth. Then I closed my eyes and leaned my head back.
I could just stay here forever.

"It is difficult to contemplate one's existence with you looking so beautiful and relaxed, little one."

With a start, I twisted my body around on my side.

Giant gray stones, double my height, sat arranged in a circle, on the other side of the plateau. They were grouped in multiple sets of three; two vertical for the legs and one horizontal over the top of the other two, forming a flat head. A set of long timbers crossed from the edge to the center, supporting a circular thatched roof, over a single column of wood.

Inside the open enclosure, a man in white robes sat with his legs crossed, his hands braced on his knees. A gleaming cord of gold wrapped around his waist like a badge from heaven.

His eyes were a bright green and his straw-colored hair spilled down from the top of his head, cascading over his shoulders. Like Elder Bear, his jawline was strong, but his frame was leaner, the body of a scholar.

"Papa!" I squealed as I jumped to my feet. Racing over to him, I leapt into his arms, and he caught me with a warm embrace.

"You shouldn't be here," he said gently as he pushed back and gazed at me. "Why have you ventured from your village?"

"Mother is missing and the spring hasn't come yet." I glanced away and rubbed my arm. "The wolfmen have burned my home."

His brows pinched as he gave me a sad look. "Well the important thing is that you were not harmed."

I stared at him for a moment, surprised by his nonchalance. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I'm not sure that I can," he said plainly. "I have pondered long on the extended winter and I'm afraid I cannot reach a conclusion. My mind is clouded with stress and disharmony."

I tilted my head. He certainly didn't seem stressed to me. I wouldn't have described him as being emotional or animated, but he was more distant than usual. The way his hollow eyes looked back at me, it was like he was disconnected from reality. Curious that two of my fathers were acting peculiar.
Maybe it's related to the activity of the wolfmen.

He sighed and cradled his hands in his lap. "I always think better after giving your mother pleasure. If she were here, I might be able to see more clearly." He shrugged casually. "I am sorry. I believe your journey was for nothing."

My heart sank and I stared at my hands, clasped over my knees.

Then my eyebrows raised as a naughty idea sprang up in my thoughts. "If you were to give me pleasure, would that help?" I bit my lip, fully aware that I had created another awkward situation with my fathers.

He gazed at me for a moment and for once, concern knit his brow. "It might. But are you sure, little one? I think your mother would disapprove."

"Papa," I said, my voice heavy with exasperation. "Mother is gone. My situation is dire." I glared at him, frustrated by his inability to grasp the magnitude of my problems. "And I'm a woman grown. I'm not little anymore. I can make my own choices."

He chuckled. "Of course, Goldenlocks. But only if you insist. I wouldn't ask this of you."

I planted my fists on my hips. "I do."

The boldness of my words surprised me. If I'd been at home in the village, my most private thoughts of my fathers would have been well-guarded. I adored the bear guardians, idolized them; and when I was alone in the dark, on the verge of sleep, I imagined myself in my mother's place, lying with them.

If I'd been at home, I would have denied it. But here, with my world crumbling around me, and both my body and mind weary, there seemed no reason to hide.

And to my surprise I saw anticipation in Papa Bear's eyes.

"All well and good then." He braced his arm on the ground as he sat up to a kneeling position. "Now lie on your back with your head facing me and bend your knees."

I was paralyzed, caught between my exposed longings and my inexperience.
I don't know what he's going to do.
Growing up in the village, I had seen plenty of men and women together. From time to time, I had even peeked in on my mother when one of my fathers visited. But I'd never seen it done this way. It seemed backwards.

He gestured again. "Go on."

Hesitantly, I unstrapped the antler helm and set it aside in the grass. Then I rolled onto my back and scooted my body so my head lay at his feet. "Relax," he instructed in a gentle voice.

He leaned over me, and the hem of his soft robes brushed against my forehead. The fabric smelled nice, like clean laundry hanging in the sun. Then he placed his smooth hands on my bare knees.