10 comments/ 14949 views/ 84 favorites The Snow Maiden - Omnibus By: AlexClayton The Snow Maiden. Part 2 of the Supernatural Earth trilogy. By: AlexClayton / DieselJester *** Chapter 1: The Snow Maiden * A/N: Winter Holidays 2013 Contest Submission. Originally published 11/20/13 to Literotica.Com under my other screen name of DieselJester. * 32ºF: Water Freezes. Snow can fall. San Franciscans speak of L.A. favorably. 25ºF: Californians weep pitiably. Canadians go swimming. Alaskans eat ice cream. -The Annotated Thermometer. Original Author Unknown. Daniel felt the sudden cold breeze off the harbor on his face and could tell that the weather was about to change. In his opinion it was about time as it was nearly December and the snow line had yet to come all the way down the mountain to sea level. That was unusual for southeast Alaska as some years they had people out trick-or-treating in two inches of snow. Right now it was just plain cold and dry. Hell, even the lower 48 already had a few feet of snow and that was just wrong. With the sudden cold front moving in, Daniel hoped that they'd get a decent snowfall. It was way too early for skiing, even up in the mountains overlooking the town, but there would be some areas that sledding would be good. His coworkers always kidded him about being too old for sledding but Daniel disagreed; you're never too old to any kind of winter activity. It was pitch dark already at a few minutes till seven in the evening. Despite the cold, all Daniel wanted to do was unwind a bit after work by partaking of his favorite snack at his favorite hang-out downtown; the local ice cream parlor. He quickened his pace as he needed to get there before they closed for the night. You know that you have good ice cream when Alaskans are willing to eat it year round. As he got to the door he heard a woman scream in such a way that it sounded like the wind was carrying it. Daniel frowned, pausing at the door to the parlor, as he wondered what was going on. He peered out into the darkness in the direction that the wind was coming from, trying to see if he could see anything. At first all he could see was the advancing front of snow as the wind blew it into town. Then, right behind it, he could make out the lithe figure of a girl as she seemed to run directly behind the advancing weather. The hard wind and the wet snow hit him, nearly blasting him back down the sidewalk from where he came. Daniel managed to stand his ground as the girl got closer. "Help! Help me!" she cried out as she darted by. That was when he then saw the two men with nets running full out in their attempt to capture her. They were making cat calls and other lewd suggestions as to what they were going to do to the woman when they got her. The men ignored Daniel as they were zeroed in on their prey. Without even thinking twice, Daniel stuck out his arm and clotheslined the first man as he tried to run past him. Daniel shuffled his feet slightly to deliver a powerful side kick to the second man who ran right into it. Both men fell to the cold sidewalk hard. The first man's head bounced off the concrete, knocking him out, but the second man was doubled over in a coughing fit, holding his gut. "Dude, what the fuck?" he shouted up at Daniel. "I'd leave the lady alone if I were you, buddy," Daniel said as he stood over the man, "and I'd leave the nets on the fishing boats the next time you come on land." The man pointed in the direction the girl had run off to. "Do you even know what she is?" "A better question is: Do I even care?" Daniel retorted as he unzipped his jacket and opened it enough for the man to get a glimpse of his security badge underneath. It wasn't regular police or state troopers, but it'd hold more weight with said agencies than a couple of morons chasing an innocent woman down the street. "So I'll tell you what; you take sleeping beauty there back to wherever the hell you came from, leave the lady be, and I'll consider forgetting this little incident ever occurred. Get it?" The man glowered at him as he saw no other alternative, "Got it." "Good. Now git," Daniel pointed back the way they came. The man took a minute to rouse his partner in crime before helping him to his feet and retreating from the scene. Daniel watched them go to make sure that they didn't decide to do basic math and come up with the fact that they actually outnumbered him. A store light suddenly winking out off to his side caught Daniel's eye and he swore under his breath; the ice cream parlor was now closed for the evening. He mentally shrugged as he turned to walk off in the direction of his apartment. It wasn't so bad in the long run; he'd take the good deed over a good dessert any day. The winter storm was now howling all around him as he left the shelter of the building. Daniel got across the street when he saw her standing there waiting for him. He did a double take in the direction that he'd thought she had ran off and wondered how she got in front of him without him seeing her. "Hi," she said cheerfully, "I just wanted to thank you for rescuing me from those bad men." As he got closer Daniel couldn't help but gape at her like an idiot. The first thing he noticed about her was that she had long white hair framing her young face that seemed to openly defy the buffering wind around them as it hung all the way down to her shapely hips. Not even the pure white cloak that she wore seemed to be affected by the elements as she stood there before him. Her ice blue eyes seemed to sparkle and her pale skin seemed to glow in the light of the nearby lamppost. Daniel's eyes drifted down her body as she stepped closer to him. He could now see that she wore a white leather corset, with matching leather panties from the looks of it, that lifted her modest breasts up to show some very nice cleavage. Her hips and thighs were bare, with the exception of what looked like a couple of snowflake tattoos on either hip, but her toned legs descended into a pair of thigh high boots that matched the color and material of her corset. In his opinion, she was looking every bit like the kind of winter queen that one would see in fantasy art. As his cock stiffened in his pants in arousal, he mentally prayed that she was at least out of high school. He wouldn't be robbing the proverbial cradle being a twenty two year old man hooking up with an eighteen year old girl. When Daniel didn't respond at first, the girl regarded him with curiosity. "Are you alright," she asked, "does a feline have your tongue?" "What?" he croaked out as he found his voice. "Oh, it's cat." "Pardon?" "Its 'cat'; 'Does the cat have your tongue'," Daniel said. He winced, hating having the first thing out of his mouth to a beautiful woman to be a silly correction about a simply expression. But the woman took it in stride as she nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, yes. I understand now. Your turns of phrases can be quite entertaining," she said with a radiant smile. "But please, could you tell me now how I could repay you for the kindness you have shown me this evening?" Daniel ruefully thought about the dessert that he missed out on right before he thought of other ways that she could 'repay' him but immediately dismissed them. He mentally chastised himself for even thinking lewd thoughts about a woman who'd just been in danger. If his mother were alive she'd probably kill him for even considering the thought of bedding a woman that he'd just saved. Shaking his head to clear those thoughts from his mind, he gave her a sad smile. "There's no need, ma'am. I'm just happy to help." The woman seemed surprised at this. "Nothing?" she asked, blinking at him in disbelief. "Nothing at all?" Daniel shook his head again. "Nope, just be safe out there," he said as he moved to continue on to his apartment. "I just have to perform my duty in this area," the girl said quickly before he could leave. "It should only take a couple of your hours at the most. Would you be willing to meet with me afterwards?" Daniel was shocked that someone this beautiful would ever give him the time of day. Let's hear it for good karma. "Uhm, sure...my apartment building is just up the road here; it's the one that has the twenty-four hour coffee shop in the lobby," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "How about you meet me there when you're through?" "Perfect!" the girl clapped and squealed with glee. To his surprise she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before prancing off at surprising speed. Daniel chuckled to himself as he started walking off. This night might not be too bad after all. He then paused, realizing that he didn't even get her name. When he turned back to ask he drew back in shock. By all rights he should have been able to see her retreating form down the street. Instead all he saw was the swirling snow that blew all around the town. * About three hours later he wasn't exactly surprised when she didn't show. Outside the snow storm was now raging and there were a few inches of accumulation on the ground. The wind howled as it blew, shaking doors and windows as well as whistling as it found small openings in which to get into the building. He finished his coffee off and tipped the barista before walking up to his apartment. The stairs were good exercise and it helped him work off the tension in his body from the fight and his sudden hard-on. Once upstairs he took a hot shower and then climbed into bed without bothering to put even his boxers back on. His thoughts inevitably went to the girl he'd saved. He wondered who she was and why those men were chasing her. Then again, it was winter in Alaska and there were more cases of rape and domestic violence here than in any other state. The really sad part was that it only got worse the further north one went as the ratio of men to women dropped. Daniel made a mental note to file a report with the police about it in the morning just in case. Right as he was about to drift off to sleep his windows blew open from a sudden gust of wind, letting in some of the snow. Daniel winced at the sudden blast of cold in his room as he dashed over to close and lock the window. He rubbed his hands up and down his biceps to try to get warm again as he looked out the window while he shivered. The snow was starting to pile up now as if it were making up for lost time. He turned back to his bed to dive back under the covers on his bed and that's when he saw her already there. "Hi!" she said in that same cheerful voice as she lounged on his bed as if she'd been there the entire time. "WHOA!" Daniel yelped in surprised as he backpedaled. His foot found a patch of snow that'd come in with the wind. Daniel's arms wind milled as he attempted to remain standing. He crashed backwards against the wall next to the window, his head bouncing off of it hard enough to crack the plaster. He sat there dumbfounded for a moment as he got his breathing and his heart rate under control. "Where...where the fuck did you come from?" "From the window you just closed," she said as if it were a normal, every day thing. Daniel would've swore that he was dreaming if it weren't for the throbbing at the back of his head where he'd hit the wall. Pain was a sure sign that you were awake. His eyes narrowed on her as he remembered something that one of the men had said earlier. "Who, or what, are you?" She smiled, "My name is unpronounceable in your tongue but it translates roughly into 'Lily of the Snow,'" she said. "I am one of what some of your kind call the Fae." "You look...young." Lily chuckled, "It is my job to bring forth the winter months for this part of the world every year. I've been doing this longer than you and your bloodline has existed as aging does not affect us as it does humans." "What like Jack Frost or something?" She waved her hand dismissively, "He only oversees Winter at the command of our Queen; he does not usher it in." She stood up and walked over to him in such a way that reminded Daniel of a Victoria's Secret runway model. Lily took his hands in hers to help him to his feet before giving her a gentle kiss on each cheek. Instantly, his headache disappeared and he felt all warm inside. "Wow," he whispered as he looked down on her beautiful face, "that...was amazing." Lily smiled again as she tugged on his arms, guiding him back toward the bed. With one hand she unclasped her cloak and tossed it away. Daniel did another double take as it silently floated across the room to hang itself on his coat rack by the door next to his parka. Lily took his cheek into her hand to bring him back around to face her. "I saw your thoughts and felt your feelings when I asked you how I could repay you. We Fae firmly repaying our debts," she said, placing a finger to his lips to silence his protest. "No, do not fight this. This is what you desired and I freely give it to you for this night, Daniel; my Winter Protector." "I-I don't know what to say," Daniel stammered out as he was suddenly overcome by lust from just their close proximity. His cock twitched back to life and it rubbed against the leather of her corset that concealed her midriff. "Then do not say anything," Lily said in a husky voice as she framed his face in her slender hands. She brought her blue tinted lips to his and kissed him deeply. Unable to hold back any longer, Daniel moaned deeply as he took her into his arms as he took over the kiss. His body exploded with a hunger that he had not known in quite some time. He couldn't even remember when he'd last been with a woman as work and college monopolized most of his time. Their bodies intertwined; her pale skin a stark contrast to his tan hue. Daniel picked her up and dropped down to the bed with her in one fluid motion never once breaking their kiss. An overwhelming need swept over him and he mounted her right then and there as Lily lifted her arms up in order to get rid of her gloves. When she brought her hands down to wiggle out of her one piece corset, Daniel was there to help her out of it and her panties to leave her naked before him save for her boots. His cock stood up to salute her beautiful nudeness and he slowly lowered himself down upon her body. Her pert breasts pressed against his muscular chest and he could feel her nipples harden against his skin. He was practically breathless with anticipation as he kissed her again this time continuing to make out with her as he slowly ground his hips into hers. She let out a whimper of pleasure as she felt his pubic bone crush her moistening sex. As the base of his cock rubbed her clit she couldn't help but to lift her legs up to wrap around his thighs in a welcoming gesture. "Daniel, take me," she breathed as she ran her hands up his strong arms to grip his shoulders. "Whatever the lady desires," Daniel smiled. He lifted his hips just enough to position his cock up against her damp slit. He reached down to gently spread her womanly folds so that he could slip inside of her. Her repeated gasps as her body accommodated his size were like gentle wisps of wind on his ears. Daniel took great care to easy himself down onto her delicate frame until she got used to his weight pressing down upon her. Once his cock was fully sheathed inside of her tight pussy, he remained motionless as she adjusted her position slightly underneath of him. Daniel looked deeply into her eyes just before he began to thrust into her. While he kept himself propped up with one arm so that he wouldn't crush her, he brought his free hand up to tentatively feel one of her heaving breasts. He cupped it gently at first and then slowly kneaded it, enticing her pale pink nipple by softly brushing his thumb over it in long, deliberate strokes. Lily hummed with pleasure and she squeezed him with her thighs, goading him on to increase his speed. More than willing to do as she wanted Daniel sped up his tempo; his hips rocking into hers at a good pace. Lily arched her back, rolling her hips up in time to meet his thrusts, gasping every time he plunged into her. She fluttered her pussy, gripping and releasing his cock rhythmically while it slid in and out. Then as she rapidly approached her peak she squeezed him hard with her pussy and her thighs, digging her heels into his back. Lily cried out as she climaxed, her pussy convulsing around him as she rode out the waves of pleasure. Daniel was unable to hold it in any longer. Her pussy clamped down on his cock right as he drove into her the head of his cock grazed her cervix. The sensation sent a jolt of pleasure through his body to send him over the edge. His cock swelled and then blew its load deep into her, filling her womb. He clenched his teeth and grunted as he drove into her one last time as his cock continued to spurt forth its fluid almost endlessly. Their shared orgasm seemed to last an eternity to Daniel. When their release ended they slumped together, bodies shaking and their chests heaving from the pleasure. Lily's hands snaked around his body to cradle his head, guiding him down so that he could rest upon her soft breasts. Delirious from the sex, Daniel felt himself drifting off to sleep as her hands idly stroked his head. * A sudden beeping woke him up some time later. Groggy, Daniel groped around for the clock for a minute before he found it. He slammed it with his fist and rested his head back down onto his pillow. He jerked awake when he realized that it was his pillows that he was wrapped around instead of Lily. Daniel's head jerked around as he searched for her, eyes squinting in the sunlight that was now streaming in through his window from the break in the snowstorm. His heart sank when he realized that he was alone. There was no trace of his snow maiden in his apartment as he went through his morning routine in preparation for work. Daniel sighed as he realized that it all must have been one really intense, but really erotic, dream. He chuckled ruefully as he put on his uniform and grabbed his jacket as he got ready to leave for work. It all seemed so silly now; the beautiful Fae, the fight with the trappers, the 'thank you' sex...totally absurd. Right before he went out the door he realized that he was missing his badge and he spent another few minutes looking around for it. When he finally found it propped up on the window sill he froze as he saw the flower that it had been leaning against. With a shaking hand, he reached down and picked up the delicate snow lily that his badge had been protecting from the sun's harsh winter rays. *** Chapter 2: The Winter Champion * A/N: Originally published 03/24/14 to Literotica.com under my first screen name of DieselJester * I keep hoping one day I'll awaken and somehow she'll be lying by my side And as I wonder if the dawn is really breaking she touches me and suddenly I'm alive. -REO Speedwagon, "In My Dreams" (1987) And I don't know what to do, 'cause I'll never be with you... -James Blunt, "You're Beautiful" (2004) "Hey James, I got another one over here!" Michael Gurley called out as he rolled the body of a werewolf off of the body of a pale young woman. "Fuck, this one is dead too," he swore as he stood up to look at the Renegades' latest victim. "Damn, this one looks even younger than the others." "Well, take a picture and bag her up with the rest," James Parker called out from the mouth of the cave. While his partner was searching for any human survivors, James was moving around the bodies of the renegade den they'd just cleared out searching for clues as to where their mysterious Alpha Den Mother might have bolted off to this time. "We can log them all in the missing person's database and hopefully give some closure to their families for what theses fleabags did to them." The Snow Maiden - Omnibus "Yeah...what fun, it's why I joined the police..." Michael muttered sardonically as he took out his phone to take yet another picture of a lovely woman cut down in her prime. It made his blood boil to see something this beautiful dead at his feet. "Well, say what you want about the wolves; at least they have good taste in women." James sighed. "Keep it in your pants, man; some people would say that it's bad enough that we're fucking the undead. No need to make people think we have a thing for the All Dead as well." "Yeah, yeah," Michael grunted as he took the picture and pocketed the phone. "This one is better than the others. Apparently scruffy here liked them tattooed." "What?" That got James' attention as the Renegades were particular in their tastes and this was a first. He started making his way over to his partner. "What do you mean 'tattooed'?" "On her thighs and arms here," Michael pointed out, "Looks like some pale blue scroll work and some snowflakes." He took a step back. "Ya know, this one isn't mauled like the other girls; there's just some puncture wounds around her neck like this dude was trying to turn her while he was raping her. It looks like the transformation didn't take and she simply bled out right as we were coming in," he swore under his breath. "Damn it...if only we were five minutes sooner," Michael was at least glad that his opening salvo missed the front ranks to sail all the way to the back of the den where this wolf was having his way with the girl. Karma was most certainly a bitch. James was now by his side as he looked at the body of the woman. Sure enough, running up and down her splayed out legs, there were the tattoos. "Goddammit!" he snarled, turning on his heel and kicking the hell out of the body of 'Sparky'. "They nabbed a fucking Snow Maiden. Shit! The Winter Court is not going to be happy about this." "Wait, what?" Michael was confused. "A what Maiden?" "Seriously bro, you need to read more; spend more time in Conrad's library or something. Just being the damn Human-Vampire Liaison is not going to cut it." James glared at him. He'd been trying to educate Michael on the supernatural for months now. Michael gave him a mocking bow, touching his hand to his forehead. "Sorry, oh mighty Hunter. Please, regale me with your infinite wisdom," he said, voice dripping in sarcasm. "Fuck off," James rolled his eyes and sighed. "There's more to the supernatural world than just Vamps and Wolves, man. Fae, Merfolk, Mages, you name it; it probably exists. Hell, I've even heard rumors of some kind of thing living at the bottom of deep lakes that likes to snatch people. Come over to my house when we get back and I'll show you all of mom's notes." Michael nodded. "Alright, so what do we do now?" "Other than not go fishing in lakes for a while?" James quipped while his face remained grim. Michael gave him a withering look. "We report in to Conrad," James said, back to all business, "He'll send emissaries to the Winter Court to let them know and to take this girl back to them." * "So when you said that Conrad would be sending someone, you meant us, right?" Michael said sarcastically as they walked into the ice palace that was hidden deep within a glacier in northern Canada. Both he and James were bundled up to withstand the frigid temperatures of walking through ice during late Fall while they were in the presence of the Winter Queen. At least it was slightly warm enough inside the ice palace for them to push their furred hoods back and take their goggles off. Behind them two somber looking men, who looked like they were as white as the ice around them, bore the body of the Maiden on a litter between them. "Blow me," James retorted as they were ushered in for their audience with the Queen. "Sorry, don't swing that way bro and I'd hate to take Ashley's job." * Lily gasped when she saw the body of one of her sisters being brought into the court. She then watched fearfully from her seat off on the side of the massive throne room as the Queen wailed in anguish, an anguish that was felt by all of the Winter Fae. She could feel that her Queen was outraged and hurting all at once by the news that the Vampiric Delegation had brought. While she listened intently at what the black and white humans from the Vampiric Court had to say, which pretty much amounted to the fact that the Renegades had pretty much declared war on the Fae, Lily couldn't help but stare at the body as the guards took her past. Tears fell from her eyes, turning to ice when they left her face, as she remembered how much fun her and Amaryllis had playing in the ice caves when they were children and how much fun they'd had when they occasionally played pranks on the humans during the winter months. But all that was gone now. Around her, her surviving sisters in winter all reacted in their own way which ranged from openly weeping to openly expressing hatred towards the werewolves who'd done this. Not only had the werewolves killed one of their own, but had done it while in the process of defiling her. It was inconceivable to think of such horrors happening but the proof was undeniable. The Vampires had cleaned up the body as much as possible but the savagery of what happened was still visible. "Hunter Parker, Liaison Gurley," her Queen spoke in an obvious attempt to keep her voice as even as possible though one could detect a slight quiver in it, "I thank you for bringing this to my attention and for bringing my daughter home to us. I also thank you for the news that her attackers have all paid for this atrocity. We are indeed in your debt for this service and we shall not forget this. Please relay my compliments of your deeds to your Prince." She gave a slight nod to them, and they formally bowed back to her, before she waved her hand to dismiss them. The Queen waited until the massive doors of ice at the end of the hall closed behind the departing humans before she rose from her throne to address her children and subjects. "It is obvious now that we cannot merely operate in the shadows any longer. When it was just Humans pursuing us it was easy. But now, with members of the Werewolves openly taking us in such a way, we will need protection. We will need soldiers in far greater numbers than what we have now in order to combat this threat. Guards, you are to increase recruitment and training at once." Lily watched as the Queen turned in place, knelt down next to Amaryllis' body, and placed a kiss on her pale white forehead. Lily caught the glisten of tears as they fell from the Queen's eyes and landed on Amaryllis' still, peaceful, and lovely face. The Vampires had done an excellent job of cleaning her up before bringing her back here. The Queen straightened up and looked around to her people. "Our Maidens will be the most vulnerable when they bring forth the cold this year. Maidens; go forth and select your champions, your protectors. Choose well for they will be the ones on the front lines of this new war we suddenly find ourselves in." Inside her chest, Lily's heart leapt with a single strand of Joy. She knew just who she was going to pick. * Daniel emptied the clip into his target, jettisoned the spent magazine from the pistol, slammed another full one in, and emptied that one out as well. He let his pain and fury do his targeting and all of his rounds found center mass of the black target at the far end of the pistol range. Lately, working hard and training even harder helped him get by from day to day; Fencing, Kendo, Karate, SCA, anything and everything to hone his fighting skills in order to keep busy. It helped him keep his mind off of other things. It helped him keep his mind off of her. Two years to the day had passed since Lily graced him with her presence. He didn't see Lily any more that winter when he met her. At the beginning of winter last year he was out every time the snow came in hopes that he'd see her again, but each time it was to no avail. When winter had formally come and gone he became depressed and so he'd thrown himself into his work to try to keep too busy to care. Last year was a bust and he wasn't holding out too much hope for this year. He tried to tell himself that he didn't care and that there were others out there. It didn't work. Nothing worked. The hurt in his heart was still aching. With a resigned sigh, he packed up his equipment and headed back to his car. The forecasters were calling for another cold night ahead of them with freezing conditions probable and he wanted to get in early. The last thing he wanted to do was get stuck all the way out at the end of the road when he had to drive all the way back into downtown to get to his apartment. As he drove back into town, his phone started ringing once he got within range of the cell towers. He thumbed the button on his steering wheel to take the call so that he could drive and talk at the same time. "Butler," he said with a raised voice so that the microphone would pick him up. "What is the meaning of this message that you left for me this morning?" the angry voice demanded. It was his boss from the security office. "Is this some kind of joke or something? Have you been drinking again?" "No, not recently..." Daniel admitted. He then shook his head as it sunk in to what his boss was actually calling about. "Wait, what message are you talking about?" "The message where you turned in your resignation!" "Whoa, wait, what resignation?" Daniel was totally confused now. He'd had a weird dream last night when he dreamt about telling his boss where to shove it, but when he woke up this morning it was business as usual on his first day off of a weekend; breakfast, workout, lunch, karate in the afternoon, dinner, and then the firing range before it got too dark out. "I didn't send in any message!" "Well it sounds a hell of a lot like you! If this is your idea of a prank I am not laughing, not with how short staffed we are. You know that you have to give two weeks and buddy I will hold you to that!" "Will you stop yelling at me like you're some damn police captain in the movies? I didn't send in my resignation!" Daniel closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath before resuming his concentration on the road. "Look, I still got two more days off." Three day weekends; it was the beauty of working a schedule that consisted of four ten hour days. "I'll be in first thing Tuesday and we can get it straightened out then, okay?" "You better be here, Butler, or I will hunt your ass down and drag you to work if I have to." The line then went dead as his boss slammed the phone down on his end. Daniel sighed again and thumbed the cell phone off. Yeah, there'd be hell to pay if one of his friends decided to pull a gag on their boss and use him as the scapegoat. He found it funny, though, that anywhere else in the United States an employer might just have let him go and be done with it. But here in Alaska, some employers fought tooth and nail to keep people in the doors even if it killed them. It was one of the advantages of living in a state with a really low unemployment rate. The downside is that rent and mortgages were a bitch. He pulled into his parking spot at his apartment building and headed upstairs, opting for the stairwell in lieu of the elevators. Going up and down the stairs was part of his exercise routine. As he got into his apartment he tossed his bag onto the couch, shucked off his clothes, and collapsed into bed hoping that he'd dream about her again tonight. She plagued his dreams nearly every day since he'd met her. Daniel never did look at another woman after Lily. No other could compare to her. Intellectually, he knew that it was stupid. Their short time together was pretty much the equivalent of a supernatural one night stand. He shouldn't expect to ever see her again, and probably wouldn't, if it weren't for the one piece of evidence that he possessed that proved Lily's existence. Daniel turned over in his bed as he did every night and opened the drawer on his night stand. He took out the delicate snow lily that was as fresh and perfect as the day Lily had left it on his window sill underneath of his badge. The fragrance was hers and he could never get enough of it. Even after all this time it was still as fresh as it was when Lily had left it under his badge. He closed his eyes and inhaled its sweet aroma once before gently placing it back into its drawer. With another resigned sigh, Daniel rolled over and attempted to go to sleep. * In his dream Daniel found himself in the city of ice the same as all of the other dreams that he'd been having. He was lying on the floor in the middle of a bright circle of sunlight that shone down from above. His head then felt light as it was lifted and then propped up by the softest pair of legs that he'd ever known. He blinked once and looked upwards to see Lily smiling down at him in the nude, looking as beautiful as she always did in this dream state. "Hello, my protector," she said with a sweet smile as she soothingly ran her fingers along either side of his head. "Today is a special day for you," It was the two year anniversary of when he'd been with her. "Yeah, yeah it is," he said, his voice raw from the emotion that suddenly welled up to the surface. "I waited for you," Daniel said, "why didn't you come back last year?" "But I did come back," Lily said, concern and confusion now in her voice. It had not been that long, had it? Human conception of time was difficult for her sometimes. "We've been together nearly every night since then. It has only been a single season." Yeah, Daniel thought, plaguing my dreams off and on every couple of months. There was one long stretch of five months where she didn't come to him like this at all. "I meant in person; face to face. I want to be with you, in person. But you never came back." Lily finally got it. Humans were such wonderful and physical creatures. "I am so sorry," she said sadly, tears in her eyes. She reached down to caress the side of his beautiful face. "I didn't bring the snow last year. I was...relieved of my duties since I had something else to take care of." She lowered her eyes and her hands dropped to cradle her belly. "I-I should've sent someone to tell you. I should've explained it to you." "It doesn't matter now," Daniel said, reaching up to caress her perfect face in return. Seeing her ice blue eyes cry made his heart break. She gave him a sad smile as she listed her head into the palm of his hand, reveling in his touch. Returning the gesture, Lily blinked the tears away and smiled broadly now. "You are correct; it doesn't matter now because I have something for you. I need you to open your eyes, my love." Daniel's heart constricted and he swallowed hard as a lump rose in his throat. "I don't want to. I want to stay here with you." "And you will be here with me, but for that to happen I need you to open your eyes." Lily insisted as the sunlight above her dimmed and the cold, frigid air started to swirl around her making her perfect, white hair billow around her. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Please, open your eyes Daniel." "Lily...no," Daniel pleaded with her as her image started to fade into blackness along with everything else. "NOOOOOOO!" * "NOOOOOOOO!" Daniel roared as he bolted upright just as his windows clattered open letting a blast of cold air into his apartment along with the snow that was now howling outside. As he darted over to the window to close it, he frowned; there wasn't anything in the weather report about snow. He looked outside to the sky and his brow furrowed in confusion as the sky above cleared as fast as it had clouded up. "Damn, I've heard of sudden freak storms coming and going before but this one has to be a record." "Not so much when I use the storms to teleport to where I need to go," Lily's melodious voice said from his bed, causing him to spin in place to see her lounging there. She smiled at him as she stood up; looking as sexy as the day he'd met her in her white leather corset and panties along with matching thigh-high boots and gloves. Lily opened her arms in invitation which he readily took. Daniel breathed her name and had her wrapped up in an embrace within seconds. Their arms wrapped around each other as he pulled her close; his mouth coming down to take instant possession of hers. She let out a soft moan of passion as their tongues mingled while they kissed. When their lips finally parted she laid her head on his bare shoulder, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat while he caressed her hair. Lily luxuriated in the feel of his arms around her. It felt good and right and she was instantly sorry that it had taken her so long, in human terms, to come back for him. She'd thought that two winter cycles wouldn't have been that long but she'd forgotten that humans have such short lifespans. She moaned with pleasure as their bodies meshed together in their kissing. She then felt his hands slide down her back to grip her bottom. As he lifted, Lily wrapped her legs around his waist and allowed herself to be carried over to the bed. Daniel laid her down gently, careful not to rush too much out of fear of crushing her. Lily goaded him on, eager to accept his affection. She could feel the raw sexual energy emanate from his body into hers. Lily could also feel the hardness of his cock as it pressed against her leather panties. She started to slide them down and Daniel leaned back long enough to strip them off of her and throw them aside. The corset followed them across the room soon after that. Then he was inside of her. Lily cried out in ecstasy as his cock seemed to plunge into her all the way to her core. She reveled in the sensation of such raw, animalistic passion that flooded out of him. Daniel let out a long, slow, sigh of relief as her wet, tight, pussy accepted him as if it had been two minutes since they were last making love instead of two years. He buried his face into the nape of her neck and inhaled her sweet aroma as he slowly withdrew his cock and shoved it back in hard. Feeling her heels dig into the small of his back and her nails scratching his shoulders as she tensed with the pleasure felt good. She squeezed him with her thighs and her pussy, crying out for him to take her, to possess her. Not wanting to disappoint her, Daniel drove into her again and again. Her cries and moans of passion were like sweet music to him. His hands continued to cup and squeeze her ass every time he pushed hard into her, bottoming out his cock against her cervix each time. As much as he wanted this to last as long as possible, he could not hold out. His cock swelled and then erupted deep inside of her, spilling streams of his seed into her womb. Lily clenched and screamed as his cock tore across her clit just right, sending her body into an orgasmic fit. When they both had come down from their shared climax, they laid there together with arms and legs intertwined while covered in sweat. Every so often they'd kiss and nuzzle each other, neither one wanting to break the bliss or the magic of the moment. After resting awhile, Lily finally looked up at him. "I need you, Daniel," she said, gently cupping the side of his face for him to look down at her. A sly grin broke out on his face. "Whatever the lady wants," he said, kissing her while moving to roll back on top of her. She held a hand to his chest, forestalling him. "Not like that again. At least, not just yet, there will be plenty of time for that once we get to where we're going," Lily said, placing a finger on his lips. "I need...I want you to come with me to the city of ice. I want you to be with us... to be with me for all time. I want you to be my champion." The Snow Maiden - Omnibus Daniel's heart danced at the prospect but he could tell that something was wrong. He cocked his head as her expression had changed to worry. "What's happened? What's wrong?" He lay back down next to her and listened as she related everything that had happened from the Werewolves kidnapping, raping, and killing a maiden, to the Vampires who'd brought the maiden's body back, to the Queen's declaration. At first Daniel was skeptical at first but then took the whole thing serious when he remembered that he did just have sex with a woman who had yet to use the front door to get into his apartment. "Wow," he said at last as he digested the information. It was a lot to take in at once but his beautiful maiden had a pleading look in her eyes as she waited for his answer. He finally nodded and smiled at her. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up if it meant being with her all the time. "Uhm, I'll have to make some arrangements real quick. But then again, it's not like I have a lot to pack," he said, glancing around the apartment. "You will not need anything," Lily said, overjoyed that he accepted. "Besides, you've already terminated your previous position." "How the hell did you know that?" "I put the suggestion into your mind right before I came here to you." Daniel rocked back at that. "But that was last night!" Lily looked confused again. "Yes... right after the Queen had given us our orders." She cocked her head to the side as she struggled with the Human frame of reference. "Ah, yes, it would have been the previous night for you since I can only move as fast as the cold winds can take me, which is still faster than any of your adorable human conveyances." While Daniel struggled to wrap his mind around that, Lily stood up and walked around the bed to him. She took his hands into hers and pulled him to his feet. "Are you ready?" she asked, the air around them seeming to swirl. Daniel watched in amazement as her clothes seemed to vanish until she was standing before him as naked as he was. "Ready?" she asked him with a smile. Daniel nodded once, unsure as to what was about to happen. Lily took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her naked body to his. "Hold on tightly!" With that, the air roared inside of the apartment as the wind gathered them up and blew them both out of the window that continued flapping in the cold arctic breeze long after they were gone. *** Chapter 3: The Winter Contender * A/N: Originally published 10/25/14 to Literotica.com under my other screen name of DieselJester * I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones, enough to make my systems blow. Welcome to the new age, to the new age... -Imagine Dragons, "Radioactive" (2012) Have you ever walked alone at night like a man against the world? No one takes your side; a boat against the tide. When your faith is shaken you start to break and you heart can't find the words. Tossed upon the sand I give you a man against the world... -Survivor, "Man Against the World" (1986) * "Geez, and I thought that it was cold back in Alaska," Daniel said the moment he and Lily arrived at the Ice Palace. Teeth chattering, he wrapped his arms around himself and started rubbing his biceps in an effort to get warm. He swore that his balls had just crawled back up into his body to the point of burrowing into his stomach. "Oh!" Lily exclaimed. "Sorry! I forgot that you're just human. Here," she swirled her hands around. The icy wind with snow wrapped around them both tightly. When the air cleared, Lily was back in her normal white leather clothes. Daniel was clad in a white leather breastplate that was cut off at the midsection and had white furs across his shoulder and down his back like a cloak. To complete the tribal look he had on white leather and furs shorts as well as white furred leather boots that came up to his knees. "I look like some wild man that got lost in the arctic," he commented on his new attire. "Your people actually wear this?" Lily nodded, pleased at her work. "It's the standard garb for all of our warriors. Do you like it?" "I'm still cold, Lily, I was looking for something a little more... practical? Maybe something that covers my legs up completely?" Lily cocked her head as she contemplated the request. "Right! You humans are always wearing those things that completely cover up your lower bodies. What are those called again?" "You mean pants?" "Yes! That's it!" Lily made a gesture and white furred leggings encased the rest of his bare skin from the waist down. Daniel sighed as he resigned himself to whatever passed as the fashion police around here. Ah, fuck it, he thought, at least I'm warmer now. Lily grabbed his arm and led him forward. "Come, I want you to meet the Queen. She wants to see all of the Champions that we've chosen." They walked into the throne room and Daniel could not help but be impressed by the grandness. The place was like it was straight out of a fantasy movie complete with ornate ice columns lining the hall and ice chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. He whistled in amazement. "You live here?" "This is just the main entrance, do you like it?" she asked him. He could just nod as he took it all in and Lily smiled. "Great! I hoped that you would. " They waited at the end of the receiving line for only a moment as the Queen inspected and blessed each of her Maiden's choices for their Champion. When it was finally their turn, the Queen's eyes narrowed, zeroing in on him as they walked up. Daniel had the feeling of being a bug inspected under a microscope. "Who is this?" the Queen asked, her cheerful demeanor now gone. "This is my Champion; Daniel Butler of Alaska." Lily said proudly. "A human!" The Queen recoiled with a gasp. "You brought a human here?" Lily shrugged much like she'd seen Daniel do. "We've had humans here before. We just had a couple of them bring back one of my sisters." "Those were duly appointed representatives of the Vampiric Nation. That's not the same as bringing one here to stay as your Champion!" "He helped me when I was in danger last season. He stepped up to defend me when no one else did." The Queen's eyes widened even more. "THIS is the human that you consorted with?" "I feel like I'm missing something here," Daniel said cautiously. Fae, Werewolves, and now Vampires? What was next, people who could do magic? "Silence, mortal. You have no standing here." The Queen said, her anger briefly transferring to him before going back to Lily. "What do you have to say for yourself?" "You said that our Champion was our choice!" Lily said. "You never specified who that had to be or what they had to be." "It was assumed that you would choose one of our kind, not one of his kind." The Queen said evenly. She waved her hand to her guards. "Get the uninvited moral out of here," she said as her gaze fixated on Lily. "As for you, you will choose another Champion and it will be one from our kind." Daniel saw the two guards that were flanking the throne bring their spears down into a ready position and advance on him amid Lily's protests to hold the Queen to her original edict. He mentally drowned out the argument between Lily and the Queen as he focused on the incoming guards. The one on his right got to him a moment before the other one did and Daniel used that opportunity to go on the offensive. He had no clue what was going on but he was not about to leave Lily without a fight, not that he'd been reunited with her after all of this time. When the guard got close, he gave a little thrust with his spear to get Daniel moving. Daniel's hand shot out to grab the spear where the head met the shaft and pulled hard. The off balanced guard pitched forward and Daniel planted his knee into the guard's midsection. He let the spear continue its momentum past him as he rolled his wrist. Daniel whipped the spear around his head, using his neck as a fulcrum, to bring the shaft down across the face of the guard on the left. The wood shattered under the force of the blow and both guards were now down at his feet. The heated conversation at the throne ended abruptly as Daniel downed his two assailants within seconds. Daniel's eagle eyes flicked up at the now shocked Ice Queen as he advanced on the throne. The other fae and their champions looked at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Other guards came out of the icework, but were now not as hasty to move on him after seeing him take down two of their own so easily. Daniel stopped within a foot of the Queen, still holding the spearhead in his hand. He spoke clearly and evenly so that she would hang on his every word. With someone standing so close to you with a weapon in your hand, that kind of thing deserves notice. He addressed the Queen. "I have no idea what is going on. I have no idea why I was brought here outside of that some wolves are knocking on your door and you need people to protect your girls." He said with a tight voice as he reigned in his anger at being jumped. "Lily asked me to help her again, and that is what I plan on doing." Daniel reversed the spearhead in his hand and presented it to the Queen with the point facing him so that all she had to do was shoot her arm out and it'd gut him on the spot. The Queen studied him again, this time in a new light. The corners of her mouth twitched up in a smile. "Humans," she said at long last. "You continue to surprise me. You are a warrior among your kind?" "Lily didn't bring me along for my looks, I don't think." Now the Queen smiled broadly at the human's bravado. "Indeed," she said, taking the spearhead from him and handing it over to another guard. "You might be useful after all." She shooed Daniel back a couple of steps for room as she began to pace in front of her throne as she thought things over. Daniel stepped back down the stairs to be within arm's reach of Lily. The Queen then stopped and regarded him. "Lily has, no doubt, informed you of the situation we are facing. What do you think of it?" "I think that y'all are screwed." Daniel said. He swept his hand down to indicate the two guards that were now being helped up by their friends. "I've faced play-acting guards who know better than to close within arm's reach of an unarmed subject while wielding a polearm. Had they any sense, they wouldn't have got so close to the point that I could grab their weapons. I've been in security and law enforcement long enough to know that you have complacent guards placed haphazardly around here to the point that had I wanted to do you harm, I could've taken you down, mowed through about half of your contingent and been out of this chamber faster than your subjects could say 'My God, what happened here?'" Daniel walked in a slow circle around Lily to keep her close to him while he looked around the throne room. He gave the place an appraising gaze. "You have at least a dozen or so nooks, crannies, and blind spots in here that an assassin could hide in for days waiting for you to expose yourself. One good shot with a rifle or even a crossbow and your people would be selecting someone new to lead them." He stopped and gave the Queen a hard stare. "I'm guessing that it's been some time since you've been in a real conflict?" "Not so long ago in our terms," the Queen sniffed indignantly, her nose raised high. Daniel glanced at Lily for confirmation and she pondered the question. "I think that you humans call it The Middle Ages?" "Holy shit," Daniel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, in that time humans have fought multiple wars; two of which were on the global scale. You might've heard of them?" "Yes, we had to bring the seasons about quickly during those times for fear we would be caught out in the open," the Queen said. "I don't blame you. Had Hitler and his goons got a hold of one of you; God knows what he could've found out." Daniel didn't even want to contemplate what could've happened in history if that had happened. Glowering, the Queen narrowed her eyes at Daniel. Her gaze flickered briefly at Lily, who wrapped her arms around one of his. "Very well," she said stiffly. "You have certainly shown your prowess and intelligence. We will see how long you last in the trials, if you survive at all that is," she told Daniel. "So long as you are here you will submit to our laws and Lily will be your steward." "Thank you, your highness," Lily beamed, bowing low at the waist with a curtsey of her legs. She held it long and gave Daniel a quick tug on his arm. "Oh, right, nobility," Daniel said, getting the idea. He gave a low, formal bow as if he were play-acting in the SCA. "Thank you for keeping me, your highness," he added. "Well, at least it can be taught manners," the Queen sighed, dismissing them with a wave of her hand. She looked up to her subjects and raised her voice. "All Champions and Maidens are to get rest and relaxation tonight. At the next dawn the trials will begin to see who will represent Winter when we meet the other seasons." She clapped her hands three times before turning to retire to her own chambers. "Other seasons?" Daniel asked, frowning, as Lily took him by the hand and they walked out of the throne room. "You Fae are not all united?" "Are all of you humans united?" Lily asked innocently. "Point," Daniel said with a slight shrug and bob of his head. He couldn't really argue against simple logic like that. Humanity has been at each other's throats ever since Cain had a sideways glace in Abel's direction. "So how do you all break down the seasons? By two or by four?" "Four; Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter," Lily said. "Right now Autumn is in ascendance. Soon, it will be Winter's turn." "Ascendance? As in they're in charge right now?" Lily nodded, leading him through a maze of large snow tunnels with doors lining the walls until they came out inside a grand cavern that went for several thousand feet deep. Daniel let out a low whistle as he looked down into the central part of what he could only imagine was the center of the Winter City that he'd seen in his dreams. It reminded him of the cliff cities that he'd seen one time when he went to Arizona; only in ice and snow. "Wow, you live here?" "Actually, I live up here on the highest level since I am one of the Queen's Maidens." Lily said, turning him around and showing him an ornate door of ice that looked like it was carved into the side of the wall. I want you to wait in my chambers while I go check on something. I won't be long." "I'd like to come," Daniel said at once, moving to follow her. Lily stepped up to him and put her finger to his lips. She shook her head slowly with a sad look on her face. "We cannot allow visitors in the main city and that is what you are." When Daniel tried to argue the point, Lily shushed him. "I've already tried the Queen's patience once by brining you here, my love," she said. Lily closed her eyes and gave him a gentle, passionate kiss. "I promise that I will be back soon and I will tell you all about it when the time is right." With a casual wave of her hand, the door to her chamber opened up. Then with a twirl, she was off down the corridor faster than Daniel could comprehend any living thing moving. By the time he'd blinked she was already two levels down on the corridor that spiraled down the outside of the ice cavern. While his mind wrapped around the speed that apparently the women around here could move at, Daniel walked into Lily's bedchamber and stopped just inside of the door. The room, or luxury condo as he wanted to name it, could easily put any single five star hotel penthouse to shame in his opinion. The door closed on its own behind him, shutting him inside. "What is this, some kind of prison?" he muttered as he examined the door and could not find a doorknob, let alone how the thing swiveled open. But, he figured as prisons went this definitely was top of the line. Daniel could certainly think of worse places to be held at. The ice condo, as he started thinking about it as, was two levels and sunlight seemed to filter in through the ice from the vaulted ceiling. He wound up gravitating towards the living area where there were places to sit on plush white furs and pillows around a central fire pit. What really caught his eye were the multitude of books on shelves lining the wall close to the ramp that led up to the second level. Daniel ran his hand along the spines of the books, trying to find one that he recognized. Unfortunately they were written in a script that he had no idea what language they were in; provided they were in any kind of human language to begin with. To him, they looked like elven runes from Lord of the Rings. He abandoned the idea of reading for now to look around. The first level was nothing more than the living area with a dining area and what he took to be the kitchen and bathroom. He hoped that he didn't confuse the two. The second level was half the size of the first and was open like a studio apartment loft and was totally dedicated to bedding with more furs and pillows. The lighting under here was considerably dimmer. Sometime later he was back on the lower level flipping through books when the door creaked open. "Daniel!" Lily called out for him as she entered. "That was quick," Daniel commented sarcastically. He paused when he saw the multitude of weapons that were floating in behind Lily through the door. They ranged from small daggers all the way up to halberds and greatswords. "What are those for?" he asked, making sure that he stayed clear of the procession of weapons that were filing in. "Well, I didn't know which weapon you favored, so I was able to convince our weaponeers to give me one of everything we had so that you could make your choice." Lily said, directing the weapons in to stand up against the wall of the ramp in a way that reminded Daniel of a Disney fairy godmother. Once all the weapons had leaned themselves against the wall, Lily let out a sigh of relief and wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "Phew, those were heavy!" Daniel wasn't sure if she was joking or if she was serious. He decided not to pursue the subject of her magic. "So this was what you were checking up on?" "No, the weapons were after," Lily said. "I hate being up here away from... uhm... down below in the city," she said, biting her lower lip. The darkened expression cleared up at once though. "But that will be resolved once the trials are over. In the meantime, we both should retire for the evening. Tomorrow is going to be a very big day for you." "Yeah," Daniel said absently as he looked over the newly formed armory in the room. He wondered what it was that Lily wasn't telling him. Then, Lily's arms were wrapping around him as she hugged him from behind. "I'm so glad that you are here now and that the Queen has accepted you," she said with a sigh. "Let us go to bed." That got his attention along with getting his cock to rise at that prospect. "I thought that you'd never ask," he said with a smile as he allowed himself to be led back to the bedding area. Right before they got to the area of furs and pillows, Daniel swept Lily up into his arms and fell into bedding with her giggling all the way. Daniel brushed a strand of her white hair from her face and kissed her deeply. Lily melted into his kiss and embrace, pressing her body against his. She murmured something that Daniel didn't understand. Before he could ask what she'd said, he noticed that both of their clothes had disappeared. "That's a nice trick," he commented. She smiled sweetly at him and pulled him back into a kiss. Lily kept hold around his neck so that she could roll, pulling her on top of him. The Snow Maiden - Omnibus Daniel took over, taking her hands and pinning them above her head with just one of his hands. Lily looked at him with shock and surprise but then moaned deeply when his mouth found her supple breast. His hard cock teased her pussy as he ground his hips down into hers. His free hand drifted down her body, teasing her free breast along the way, to rub her bare mound. Lily begged for him to take her and he quickly obliged her. Daniel guided his cock up to her moist, waiting silt and plunged in with a single thrust. Lily gasped, arching her body up to meet his. Daniel kept her arms pinned above her head as he began to drive into her repeatedly. She brought her pale slender legs around his waist and squeezed. He trailed his tongue up her body from her breast to the hollow of her neck, reveling in her moaning and erotic shuddering. "Ohhhh, yes," Lily breathed. Daniel kissed his way around her chin an suckled on her neck on the other side. She bucked against him, trying to dislodge her arms so that she could hold him closer. "Please," she begged, bucking against him again "let me hold you." "I don't know, I kinda like this position," Daniel murmured into her neck as he continued to suck on her neck while slowly fucking her. "Oh, please!" Lily cried out as Daniel rolled his hips again, grounding his pubis into hers and smashing her clit. Lily screamed so loud as she came that Daniel hoped that no one in the next ice dwelling over could hear them. Her bucking turned into frantic thrashing as being pinned while in the throes of an orgasm overwhelmed her. Lily jerked a few more times before falling limp underneath of Daniel's body, softly mewing in the aftershocks. Daniel stroked her hair, smiling down at her as her pussy seemed to pulsate around his still hard cock. He hummed with pleasure at the feeling. Lily's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with a worried expression. "What about you? Do I not please you?" she asked in concern. "Oh honey, you please me a lot." He kissed her deeply, letting her arms ago so that he could wrap her up in his arms. With her arms finally freed she latched onto him and held him close. She kept her legs tight around his waist and rolled them both so that she was on top of him. "Then let me take care of you," Lily said huskily, now grinding her hips down into him. She rose upright and proceeded to ride him nice and slow in an attempt to torment him the same way he'd done to her. Daniel sat up, keeping her on his lap. He pulled her close to crush her naked breasts against his chest. One hand slid around her waist while the other slide up her back to gently cup the back of her neck. He applied just a slight amount of pressure to goad her closer to bring her back into a full out kiss. As their lips locked, her riding became faster as her passion renewed within her loins. "Oh," she gasped, surprised that her body was rapidly approaching climax once again. "How is this possible?" she whimpered. "Just enjoy it," Daniel murmured. He thrust against her as much as he could in a sitting position to meet her downward movements. Her clit dragged across his coarse skin sending wave after wave of pleasure through her like little bolts of lightning. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Daniel felt his cock swell and then blow inside of her. Lily screamed in ecstasy as her pussy contracted at just the right moment when his seed began to pump into her. Her pussy fluttered but not out of anything conscious that she was doing. She clutched at his body as they rode out the waves of the orgasm together, their bodies still moving in perfect sync with each other. The shared orgasm seemed to last forever as Daniel's cock continued to pump and spurt its cum into her. Finally it went still and they both tumbled back down to the bedding covered in sweat and exhausted. Lily remained lying on his chest while he just laid back and held her. After a while, Lily shifted to his side to cuddle up against him. She closed her eyes and snuggled close to him, touching her forehead to his. "I hope that the Queen accepts you even if you do not win the tournament. I want to be with you in mind totally and not just in body." She hoped that their psychic link would grow stronger now that they were physically together. Daniel had a feeling of warmth radiate from his head that seemed to fill his entire body down to his toes. "Is that why you were saying that we'd been together for all that time you'd been away? We are linked psychically or something?" "Mm-hm," Lily nodded. "There is a connection and I guess that it dilutes with distance because you are not Fae. I will look into it more on the next cycle and ask others who might know for sure." Daniel mulled that over while Lily lay against him. "You'd told me that you were coming, didn't you?" he asked. Lily nodded. "That means that I did quit my job because I was expecting your arrival somehow." Another nod. "But then I somehow forgot because my brain wasn't firing on all cylinders or something?" "I think so. It will take more time for me to research," Lily said. She saw that he had more questions but she silenced him with a finger to his lips. "We can talk more later, my love. Now, you need to rest for your trial on the next cycle. It will be a long one for you." * The next day, as far as he could figure with the lighting in this place anyway, Daniel stood facing his first opponent inside of a circle before the Ice Throne. Per the rules of the trial; all Champions were bare from their waist up. It made Daniel shiver slightly but he shrugged it off; he'd be warm soon enough once the blood got flowing. As she'd done many times already today, The Queen clapped her hands once and gestured for them to proceed. Daniel and his opponent were the last pairing of the day and Daniel figured that it was intentional as the other Fae had been regarding the first matches to be the most important as they were the ones with the most spectators. However, the fact that a human and a Fae were facing off against each other meant that the throne room was pretty packed for this spectacle. The Ice Warrior off to Daniel's left lifted his spear high in a salute to the Queen, who smiled and bowed her head in recognition. "I am Jarrah Isch'na'skrimmer of the Palace Guard," he proclaimed loudly, "I have been selected by Maiden Glacia to be her Champion in the impending conflict with the Werewolfs and have studied all of my life in the warrior art of..." Daniel wound up tuning Jarrah out as the guy droned on about a martial art that Daniel had never even heard of and figured to be purely Fae. Jarrah then went into his excessive linage and how he would bring honor and glory and blah, blah, blah, blah. It was all Daniel could do to manage not to yawn out of sheer boredom. What did get Daniel's attention was when Jarrah was finally done, he pointed his spear in his direction. "...and I will cleanse our realm of the taint that has been brought on by this human!" he proclaimed to the cheers and claps of all of the Winter Fae gathered. Except for one; out of all the Fae in the room, Lily was the only one in the room concerned for his well-being. The battles that he'd seen so far today were pretty brutal and whenever one received a wound that looked to be mortal, either the Queen or the Maidens patched the fallen warrior up with their magic. Daniel held no reservations that he'd get that treatment should he be bested in combat. They'd probably leave him to die bleeding on the ice while they danced around his corpse. After the Queen was done beaming at what was clearly her favorite in the matchup, she frowned at Daniel and gestured impatiently for him to get on with it. Daniel brought his spear up to the small buckler on his left forearm in a salute to both the Queen and to Jarrah before reversing his grip on the spear so that the spearhead was pointing down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Jarrah was ready to charge him the moment he finished his introduction, so Daniel decided to be brief. "I am Daniel Butler of Alaska and I only know one way to fight; and that is to win!" With that Daniel planted his left foot, brought the spear up and chucked it as hard as he could towards Jarrah, intentionally aiming slightly to the Fae's right. The spear cleared the distance between them in no time at all, sailing through Jarrah's shoulder with a sickening squelch. Jarrah, caught totally off guard, jerked and fell backwards as Daniel pulled out his secondary weapon, a curved shortsword, from where he tucked it in his belt behind his back as he calmly walked toward the fallen Fae. Jarrah stopped struggling to get the spear out of his shoulder as soon as Daniel was towering over him. Daniel put the tip of his sword right underneath of Jarrah's chin and lifted it a bit, getting the Fae's attention. As Jarrah looked up at him, Daniel knelt down. "Keep in mind that per the rules as I understand them, I could justifiably kill you right now and leave you in so many pieces that not even the Queen would not be able to heal and revive you." Jarrah's eyes went wide at that notion. Daniel continued on, "But that would probably not endear me to everyone around here," he said slowly and evenly. Daniel put the blade back behind him in his belt. Standing up, Daniel grabbed the spear, yanking it out of Jarrah's shoulder, and tossed it aside. He then bent over and helped Jarrah to his feet before looking up at the Queen defiantly. He then gave a formal bow. "My opponent has been defeated, your highness," Daniel said as respectfully as he could. The Queen cocked her head slightly as she processed what she'd just seen. "So it appears," she said stiffly. She then let out a long, resigned sigh. "You have done well, Daniel Butler of Alaska. You are victorious." * Later that evening as they lay among the furs of the bedding area after another bout of mind blowing sex, Daniel had a distant look in his eyes as Lily lay on top of him on his back. Lily was concerned as she hugged him from behind, her naked breasts pressing into his back. "My love," she whispered, "please tell me; have you ever taken another's life before?" Daniel's jaw clenched as he mulled over what he should say to that. "Yes," he finally told her, not wanting to go into the details. There was a sharp intake of breath from Lily and he glanced back over his shoulder up at her. "I take it death is not a usual thing around here?" he asked. "No," Lily said softly as tears glistened in her eyes. It was a horrible thing to take another's life permanently. She could feel the pain radiating from her lover and knew deep down that it affected him as well. "Every permanent death, rare as it may be, is felt here and every new life, even rarer still, is celebrated and protected," she explained. "How do you humans put it; our rates are low?" "Hmph," Daniel let out a snort of laughter. "Something like that." * The next day, Daniel was in the ring with his next opponent who didn't bother with all of the hubbub as Jarrah had done. This one's name was Cirro and he favored using a longsword that seemed to glow blue. Knowing that his first trick wouldn't work twice, Daniel opted for two shortswords that were as close to a daisho; a katana/wakizashi pairing, that he could find. Cirro looked at him oddly in his choice in weapons expecting another trick from the human. Unsurprisingly, Cirro also looked at him with the same amount of contempt that Jarrah had right before Daniel laid him out. After his own brief introduction Daniel brought his katana like sword up in a fencer's salute to both the Queen and Cirro, a salute that was not returned by either, before dropping into an ad hoc en guard stance like he were fencing. Already in his mind he pictured both his Kendo and his Fencing instructors howling in outrage at the notion of combining styles like this, but he really didn't care. Daniel had unpredictability going for him and he wanted to keep that advantage. "Begin!" the Queen's voice rang out. After the stunt that Daniel pulled in his first flight (and from much howling and outrage from the Fae), it was agreed upon that the Queen would start all bouts. The Fae all started cheering for their hero who was going up against the barbaric human, calling for his mortal blood to be spilled. Daniel noticed that there was at least one less Fae calling for his death, and that was Jarrah who now stood next to Lily. He wasn't quite sure, but Daniel swore that there were even more Fae packed in the throne room today than there had been yesterday. He guessed that word of his victory got around fast. Cirro was all over him in a heartbeat, not wanting to make the same mistake of underestimating Daniel as Jarrah had. Daniel was ready for him as he reversed his blades in his grip, holding them so that they ran along his forearms. Cirro was ungodly fast and Daniel had to keep his arms up, bobbing and weaving much like a boxer, in order to either deflect or avoid the flurry of attacks from Cirro. Cirro's blade contacted loudly with Daniel's as the Fae tried to end the fight fast. "Not so tough now that you do not have the drop on someone, are you?" Cirro snarled rather loudly amid the cheers of his brethren. "What do you have to say now, human?" "Just keep inching closer, moron," Daniel muttered as he kept his head down and his torso protected. He continued inching his way back, allowing Cirro to claim more and more ground, until he was nearly at the edge of the ring. If he were pushed out the bout would be decided in Cirro's favor. Daniel lifted his right shoulder up a bit and cocked his arm slightly as if he were finally going to make a counterattack. Cirro's longsword was there to easily block and pin it. "HA!" Cirro crowed triumphantly as they locked blades. They were now standing scant inches apart with their fighting stances practically entangled. "What do you have to say now, human?" "Have you ever tasted your balls before?" Daniel asked innocently. Right as Cirro's brow furrowed in confusion, Daniel reached up to grab him by the back of the neck and the shoulder, pulling downward, as his knee shot up. Daniel ignored the shrieking of metal grinding against metal as their swords ground against one another as he made his move. His knee found the Cirro's family jewels right between the Fae's legs. Cirro's eyes bugged out and he lost his grip on his sword; the weapon falling to the ground in a deafening clang. In one deft spin, Daniel kicked the fallen sword out of the ring with his heel while throwing Cirro back towards the center of the ring. The throne room fell deathly quiet as the Fae could not believe what they were seeing. The only sound that came was the echo of Daniel's footsteps as he advanced on Cirro's prone body. Cirro was too busy holding his damaged manhood to really care although he did stop rocking back and forth when he saw the tip of Daniel's blade in his face. Without a word, Daniel sheathed both of his blades and held out his hand. Cirro looked at it dubiously for a moment and then took it, knowing that Daniel had him dead to rights for a moment. Cirro nodded to Daniel in thanks for not running him through before turning to the Queen and bowing as gracefully as he could. "My Queen, I have been bested," he said in a slightly higher voice now, truly humbled by the experience. The Queen was practically trembling in outrage, her already pale hands gripping the armrests of her throne in a white knuckled grip. She managed a stiff nod before standing up and leaving the throne room without a single word. * Daniel took advantage of the warm bath in the decently sized wash room on the lower level after his bout with Cirro. Cirro had managed to knick him a few times along the sides when his blade wrapped around Daniel's blocks and parries. He quickly discovered the healing power of the water and was lost in his own thoughts when Lily finally returned later that evening. Every night so far she would disappear down into the main city but not take him with her. He couldn't help but wonder what it was that she was holding back from him. "How come I can't go down into the city?" he asked. Lily lowered her gaze and bit her lip. "I'm sorry, but I cannot take you. The Queen has explicitly forbade it until the trials are concluded and, how you say, your results are in?" "What the hell does she have against me aside the fact that I'm human?" "She is very... what is the human word for it, conservationist?" "Conservative?" "Yes, that!" Lily nodded. "She believes firmly in the old ways in which the races should not intermingle or live with one another." Lily muttered one of her magical words and her clothing disappeared. She stepped into the bath with Daniel, slowly lowering herself into the water. Daniel drank in her nudity as she waded towards him. He reached out and drew her close with one arm. "So why keep me around?" he asked. "Why not just kill me or exile me and be done with it?" "Because she cannot go back on her word either, Lily explained, resting her head into the crook of his shoulder. "She said that we Maidens could choose any one we wanted as our personal Champion. It would be a direct violation of her word if she expelled you now, especially after you laid out her guards the way you did. If that got out to any of the other seasons, or even out to the other supernaturals, it would be bad for all of Winter. The only hope that she has is to either prove that you are unworthy by you taking a loss in the tournament or having one of the other Champions kill you instead." "No pressure or anything, huh?" Daniel said sarcastically. He nudged her head with his and she looked up and gave him a wan smile. "I-I don't want anyone else, Daniel," she admitted slowly. He could see the worry in her eyes at facing that prospect. "Well that's good considering that I don't want anyone else to have you. I'd be insanely jealous." Lily let out a little snicker at his human banter but she could feel that he was just as scared and worried as she was. "I want you again," she said in a whisper. She took his hands and started to lead him out of the bath. Daniel held his ground and pulled her back to him, looping an arm around her waist and guiding her to straddle his lap. She let out a squeak of surprise as she felt his hard desire slide across her sex. Daniel smiled at her wolfishly. "So then why wait?" He pulled her close and kissed her as if any moment the Queen would burst in and separate them forever. They touched foreheads and locked eyes as Lily lifted up just enough for the tip of his cock to be positioned just right. Then she slowly lowered herself onto him, feeling him slide into her easily. Lily let out a tiny gasp while Daniel groaned with pleasure. Daniel pulled her as close as possible with one arm around her waist while his other hand slid up her pale back to cradle her head underneath of her white hair. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him as if she were afraid of him disappearing. The two of them sat there for a moment silent in their embrace. Neither one said a word as they just held each other, not wanting to say anything at all. Lily shifted slightly, causing his cock to move insider of her and she let out a little squeal at the sexual tingling that ran up her body. There was a sharp intake of breath through her nostrils as her taut nipples dragged along his muscular chest. Daniel rolled his hips forward a bit and then back to where they were originally at to get his cock to drive up into her slightly. The warm water sloshed in the tub, lapping against both of their bodies. Lily ground her hips down into his each time he rolled his hips forward. His cock seemed to penetrate her more deeply than ever before. Soon she was breathlessly riding him as they held each other tightly. Moments later she threw back her head and cried out as the orgasm claimed her. Daniel buried his face into her cleavage, grunting, as his cock swelled inside of her and shot out its load at the same time. Lily and Daniel rocked together in the throes of passion until they were totally spent. The Snow Maiden - Omnibus Daniel moved his head back and opened his eyes. Lily was looking at him with tears in hers; her lower lip was quivering. "Daniel," she squeaked out softly. "I-I love you...don't ever leave me, please?" He gave her a sad smile and kissed her gently on the lips before hugging her close to him. "I love you too, Lily. I promise that I won't ever leave as long as you'll have me." * The remaining Champions had been thinned out considerably by what he considered day seven of the trials. Daniel's cheering section increased with every victory as those that he'd beat in combat became his biggest supporters. As each day went by and more and more were eliminated from the 'Tournament of Champions', as Daniel started calling it, less fights were being done each day as those defeated were weeded out. His unorthodox tactics and knowledge of multiple human martial arts helped him in every bout. As was his routine now, he stepped out into the throne room and took his place at the ring when he was summoned. He started feeling like he was some kind of Roman Gladiator who was only here for the amusement of the Fae. Judging by the amount of cheering Fae that were always in attendance now, he figured that he wasn't far from the truth. 'We who are about to die' indeed. Daniel eyed his opponent for this round who had to be the largest, buffest, and probably most handsome of the male Fae that Daniel had seen around here. Judging by the amount of Maidens that made up his cheering section, this one was probably the most favored out of all of the Champions that he'd seen. He could see why as the man looked like he was a pale-ass version of Chris Pine; albeit it younger, buffer, and far better looking. As he flexed and rolled his shoulders while giving the rapier he'd chosen for this match a few test swings and thrusts, Daniel wondered where all of the other Champions were at as they normally stuck around to watch the matches after they were done. The male Fae who were watching were all in normal clothing and it was only Daniel and his opponent who looked like they were ready for a bout. In fact, Daniel couldn't even tell if any matches had taken place already. Had he actually been moved up in the lists that far? The Queen came out into the throne room with her usual retinue of Maidens to sit regally in her throne. As one, everyone gathered bowed formally to her before she gave them all permission to rise. As Daniel straightened back up from his bow, he watched as the Queen held her hands up gracefully as she began to speak. Daniel couldn't help but think that if she weren't a complete bitch to him, he might've actually found the Queen sexually attractive. She kinda reminded him of that one ice chick from that recent Disney movie. "My people," The Queen said with a smile, "We are here at the final trial to determine who will represent Winter against the other seasons." Daniel rocked back in shock at that and looked to Lily for confirmation. Lily smiled broadly and gave an enthusiastic nod of her head. Daniel had indeed made it to the last round. He looked back at the Queen, who was droning on about the rights and responsibilities of the Winter Guardian, especially during the times of war involving the Fae. His gaze flicked over to his opponent, who looked really somber. Daniel frowned. Normally by this time his opponents were glaring, snarling, or just downright ready to try and kill him. This one, however, Daniel couldn't get a read on him. The Queen was finishing up her spiel. "We have with us here on this cycle the two best that our trials have produced; D'janek'n 'ibid Ad'vinter, and Daniel Butler of Alaska," she said, motioning to each of them in turn with her hands. Glancing between the Queen and his opponent, Daniel mulled the name over in his head as his lips tried to sound it out. "D'janek... D'jak... Da Jack?" he muttered as his mind tried to remember that damn primer that Lily had given him a couple nights back. "What the hell is Ad'vinter? Add Vinter? Bid the Vinter... Bid, or bring, the Winter... Jack the Winter, or is it 'of the Winter' or 'of the Frost'?" his eyes went wide as his head snapped around to his opponent. "Fuck Me! Jack Frost?" he blurted out before he could help himself. Daniel had a sinking feeling in his gut that he might not be able to keep his promise to Lily. He didn't think that he could beat Jack Frost no matter what tricks he pulled out in the ring. Jack Frost gave Daniel a nod and a hint of a smile at the recognition while the Queen rolled her eyes. "Yes, that is the more common name that you humans have given him," she sighed. She brought her hands up to single the start of the bout. "A moment, my Queen," Jack Frost said, holding up his hand to forestall her. Both Daniel and the Queen looked at him quizzically. Jack Frost took a step forward. "In light of this human's achievements among our kind for the past seven cycles; honor dictates that I must abdicate my right to be here in favor of the superior fighter." Jack Frost placed a hand over his heart and bowed deeply at the waist. "WHAT?" The Queen and Daniel both exclaimed. They both glanced at each other in surprise before the Queen walked down from her throne to stand in front of Jack Frost. "Do you realize what you are saying? What you are doing?" She asked, her voice just above a whisper. The Queen pointed at Daniel, who still looked confused as to what was going on. "You are just giving Guardianship over to him? To a mere human?" "Yes, I am," Jack Frost said evenly. "If a 'mere human', as you put it, can progress this far in our preparation trials, imagine what he can do if he were actually one of us." Taken aback, the Queen blinked at him as she thought it over. "That has not been done for some time." "But it has been done," Jack Frost said, holding her gaze. "Think about it, my Queen; if you are having this much trouble with the 'mere human'; how are the other Guardians and their Queens going to react? How do you think that our enemy will react with a human-turned-Fae leading Winter's Champions into battle? You said it yourself that he might be useful. I think that this might be his use." The Queen smiled at Jack Frost and caressed his cheek lovingly. "You always know what to say to me and what advice to give, which is why you will still be my Harbinger. I so did want you as the Guardian as well," she said. Jack Frost nodded formally to her and the Queen then turned and walked back up to her throne where she sat back down. "My people!" Jack Frost proclaimed in a loud and booming voice that seemed to resonate off of the walls. "I give to you your victor, your Guardian; Daniel Butler... of Alaska," he said before sinking down to one knee and bowing his head low. All around the throne room all of the Fae, save for the Queen, followed Jack Frost's lead to kneel and bow to Daniel. Daniel looked around in wide-eyed confusion as everyone paid him homage. "What the fuck just happened here?" he asked aloud. "Daniel Butler of Alaska, you are victorious in our trials. I bid thee to approach." The Queen commanded him. Daniel walked forward in a daze, still unsure of what was going on. His head swiveled from Jack, to Lily, and back again. They both nodded and motioned him forward. Daniel did so and stopped in front of the Queen. "Kneel," she told him. Daniel sank to one knee like the other Fae had done. "It is rare among our kind that a mortal is welcomed into our populace. It is rarer still that one rises to be a Champion. Even rarer that one becomes Guardian to the point that it is unheard of in living memory. But you have managed to not only do all three, but to also win the heart of one of our Maidens." The Queen glanced over at Lily, who was trying not to make it obvious that she was watching when her eyes should have been downturned. The Queen smiled at Daniel. "Do you Daniel Butler of Alaska, solemnly swear on your very essence that you will protect and defend Winter at all costs; that you will not shirk from your duties, that you will obey the edict of your Queen, and that you will fight for our way of life until the end of all?" Daniel couldn't help but feel pride and joy at the honor of being asked to be one of them. He knew the answer in his heart even before he said it. Despite the cold reception he'd received (no pun intended) when he first arrived; he realized that he still wanted to be here and apart of this life. More importantly, he wanted to do anything he could just to stay with Lily. "I do so swear," Daniel said with a lump in his throat. "Maidens," the Queen gestured to her retinue. "You too," she said to Lily, who bounded up with joy. The Maidens all joined hands in a circle around Daniel and the Queen and raised them high. The Queen put her hands over Daniel. "Then our power, we grant to you. Do not squander the gift that you are given, but use it to advance our kind and for the good of all. Daniel felt something that could only be described as the feeling of a warm blanket settling down over him, surrounding him, engulfing him, and then wrapping tightly against his body. He suddenly felt the cold air around him melt away as his skin turned a paler shade and his eyes flashed from brown to blue. It was like he could feel every molecule of water that was around him. He took a deep breath, his first as a newly reborn Fae. "Now arise," the Queen said, "and face your kin." She raised her head up high and spread her arms out as the Maidens dispersed to stand behind the throne. "My people. I give you your Guardian; Daniel Butler... of Winter." *** Chapter 4: The Winter Guardian. * A/N: Occurs after "Vampiress, Mine Ch. 07". Originally published 12/23/14 to Literotica.com under my screen name of DieselJester. * I raise my flags, don my clothes. It's a revolution, I suppose. We'll paint it red to fit right in... Whoa. I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus. This is it, the apocalypse... -Imagine Dragons, "Radioactive" (2012) All the people cheer 'til the end is near and the hero takes a fall. Then they'll drag you through the mud; you're only flesh and blood. I have walked the path from dark to light and they've yet to come to terms. Alone I take my stand, I'm only a man against the world... -Survivor, "Man Against the World" (1986) * The Winter Fae certainly knew how to make one feel welcomed, once one had proven themselves at any rate. After the equivalent of being knighted, Daniel had many questions for his new Queen and for Lily. Unfortunately, the Queen pulled Lily away herself while the Maidens surrounded him and ushered him off through a door next to the one that the Queen normally came in and out of. Daniel was taken into a room similar to Lily's but on a much larger and grander scale. Daniel had to hand it to the Fae; they also knew how to enjoy life's comforts. If Lily's personal chambers were a 5 Star hotel then these accommodations had to be up there with royalty. He could only imagine what the Queen's chambers looked like. "What's all of this for?" he asked moments before the Maidens took him into the spacious bathroom and tossed him into the large floor tub in the middle. It reminded him of pictures he'd seen of a Turkish Bath. "Tribute must be paid to the new Guardian," one of the Maidens giggled as Daniel surfaced out of the water with a sputter. With a wave of her hand, Daniel's clothes disappeared from his body and his weapons floated over to a nearby corner. Another Maiden waived her hands and the water started bubbling like a Jacuzzi. A third Maiden got some kind of soap going with her magic while a fourth conjured up brushes and towels. By the time the whole crowd of them were finished, Daniel was upstairs lounging naked in the middle of the beddings feeling like he'd just been through a car wash. The Maidens all giggled and waived as they left him there and retreaded back to the throne room. He wasn't left alone for long for as soon as the Maidens were gone, a lone Maiden came through the door and walked all the way up the spiraling ramp to him. She was naked save for strategically placed jewelry on her nipples, naval, and pussy. Daniel's cock sprang to life on its own as he drank in her beauty. She had to be the most beautiful creature that he'd ever seen, and that was saying something. However, it wasn't Lily and Daniel felt a pang of disappointment. The Maiden knelt submissively at the edge of the bedding with her eyes downcast, her single braid of white hair falling down over her left shoulder to just above her breast. "I am yours for this evening by order of the Queen," she said softly. "Uhm," Daniel croaked, "thank you?" he really wasn't quite sure what to say. In the back of his head, something just felt off about this whole thing. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly to clear the fuzziness from it so that he could think clearly as he stood up. "Uhm, look, I'm honored, flattered really. But you don't have to, uh, be with me or anything tonight," he said gently. He walked over to her and took her by the shoulders to stand her up and point her back towards the ramp. "Do I not please you?" the Maiden asked in alarm, pushing back against his hands to try and stay in the bedding area. "Oh you are very pleasing," Daniel said as he walked her back down to the door. He wasn't sure, but he thought that he heard footsteps behind him. When he glanced back, no one was there. "But look; I... I just can't," he said. "You feel like you can," the Maiden said, reaching back and giving his cock a gentle stroke. Daniel let out a groan as sexual tingles ran from the tip of his cock all up and down his body. "Believe me, I have the physical ability. I just... don't want to." "Am I not beautiful?" she asked, "I am, after all, the most beautiful of Winter and I was chosen specifically for you." She turned in his grasp, pressing her near naked breasts to his chest in order to kiss him full on the lips. She gyrated against him, her tongue probing his mouth. Daniel managed to clamp his lips shut before they went full on lip lock and started tongue wrestling with one another. The Maiden pulled back and regarded him with curiosity. "Do you not want me?" she asked, her voice deep and husky as she trailed her delicate hands down her front, through her ample cleavage as the strategically placed jewelry disappeared to leave her completely nude before him. "No." The hard word that came out of his mouth surprised him as much as it did her. Daniel straightened up as much as he could, standing buck naked with a Maiden while his cock tried to convince him to jump her bones and be done with it. He took a deep breath to steady his already racing heart, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gently pushed her away. "Look, any other day prior to, oh, two years ago, we'd probably be rolling in the sack now. But now..." his voice trailed off as his feelings overwhelmed him. He shook his head. "I was hoping that you were going to be someone else that came to me tonight." Daniel moved past her and tugged on the door handle, frowning when it wouldn't open. "The hell?" he muttered. "Then it really is true then, isn't it?" The Maiden asked as she took a couple of steps backwards into the living area. "What's true?" Daniel frowned, looking over his shoulder at her. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelped in surprise, flattening himself back up against the door when he saw that the Queen was now standing there, naked, in place of the Maiden that had been there. "What the fuck?" "Forgive me, please, Guardian," The Queen said in amusement. "This was one, final test to see if you would accept or reject me. I am pleased to say that you have passed." Daniel let out a groan as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to starve off the impending headache. "Will you please explain to me what the hell is going on around here?" "While we Fae, collectively, are what you humans would call a 'sensuous' species in which we would lie with anyone, we do also believe in the pairing." "The Pairing?" Daniel asked. "You mean like mating and/or marriage or something?" "Precisely," The Queen was pleased that her new Guardian had caught on so quickly. She was beginning to have doubts about his cognitive ability. "I did not realize that when my Maiden had laid down with you two seasons past that you two had actually paired with one another. I did not want to believe it at first, but the results are undeniable." Daniel rocked back at that and blinked. "So I wasn't just pining over her like some lovesick boy...that's why she kept on appearing to me in my dreams." "Your mental connections did not exactly..." the Queen cocked her head as she tried to think of the correct phrase, "...mesh well with one another," she said. "Now that you are Fae, through your declaration of allegiance to me and the powers we have bestowed upon you, the mental connection should be smoother not only with her, but with other Fae as well." "Wow," Daniel said, leaning back against the door. It was a lot to take in at the moment. "So uh, what happens now?" he asked, very much aware that both of them were still very much naked in the same room with each other. "Now, you get to enjoy your night as you had desired," The Queen said. With a twist of her left hand, snow and wind whipped around her to dress her back into her royal ice blue gown. Her right arm came up to her side and she dropped it instantly. Standing there in its wake when it came back down was yet another Maiden, but one that Daniel instantly recognized. "Lily!" Daniel rushed over to her. Smiling, Lily likewise rushed to him and the two embraced. "I will leave you two be now," The Queen said, gliding to the door. She gave a pointed look towards Lily. "Do not fret, little one, your obligations will be taken care of this cycle. On the next you may show him." "Show me what?" Daniel asked the Queen, but she was already out the door. Lily beamed at him. "I am so happy and so proud," she gushed, hugging him tightly. She cupped his face in her delicate little hands and kissed him passionately. "You won!" she whispered, placing her forehead against his. "We will never have to be apart ever again!" "We won," Daniel gently corrected her as he picked her up into her arms. He wanted to be up in the bedding already making love to her. Before he knew it, the wind whipped around them and it felt like they were flying from the first floor up to the second in the matter the moment of him just blinking. When his eyes opened they were both laying down, naked, amid the furs, pillows, and blankets. "Damn, that's convenient," he whispered. Lily smiled up at him, caressing the side of his face. "I'll teach you how to use your powers as we go, my love," she said, looking up at him lovingly. "For now, let us just enjoy the moment." "As you wish, my dear," Daniel smiled, coming back down to her with his lips meeting hers. Their arms encircled each other's bodies, drawing them closer together. He felt connected to her in every way possible; mind, body, soul. As their naked bodies fully touched his cock came back to life, stiffening in response to their intimate contact. He rolled on top of her and drove his cock into her. Her cry of ecstasy from being penetrated was like sweet music to his ears. Rocking her hips up in time with his thrusting into her, Lily clutched his body to her as hard as she could as she never wanted this feeling of bliss to ever go away. Daniel's lips trailed down her jaw to the sensitive side of her neck. She gasped as the erotic warmth radiated out from her loins to envelop her entire body. Her nipples stiffened, dragging against his hard chest. The Snow Maiden - Omnibus Daniel suckled on her neck as he continued plowing into her tight pussy. His cock became a hard piston, filling her up and burrowing into her to the point that its head was grazing across her cervix. His pubis smashed into her clit repeatedly, driving little shocks of pleasure all through her. Her pussy quivered and then contracted around his cock. As she felt his cock swell inside of her, her body exploded into an orgasm that was more mind blowing than anything she'd experienced up to that point. A different warmth then filled her as she heard Daniel grunt and felt his seed shoot into her womb. His hips jammed into hers one last time and he buried his cock into her to the hilt and kept it there. Lily wrapped her legs up around his waist and squeezed, driving him further into her as far as he could go. "Oh damn..." he breathed as they rode their shared orgasm out. They then collapsed into the bedding together, both of them breathless from the intense sex. Lily cuddled against him, placing her forehead against his again. "Now we are totally joined," she whispered. "Forever," Daniel agreed. * All of Winter! To me! Daniel and Lily sat bolt upright in the bedding as the mental command from the Queen sounded all throughout the Glacial City. Daniel was up in a flash heading for the door, mentally prepping himself. A small part of his mind wished that he'd bother getting his clothes on and then another small part of his mind decided that was a great idea. By the time he was halfway down the ice ramp, snow billowed around him and clothes formed on his body just as he'd seen the Queen and Lily do before. Cool... Daniel grinned. This magic that they've given me certainly has its perks. He was in the same kind of getup that Lily had dressed him in when he'd first arrived, the only difference is that his clothes were now blue and black instead of blue and white. When he was at the floor of the living area, all he had to do was glance towards his weapons and hold his hand out and they came flying to him. He caught them with ease and had them sheathed behind his back without missing a step. Luke Skywalker, eat your heart out... "I see that you are coming into your talents well," Lily observed as she ran right behind him. They both rushed out into the throne room that they could now see had been converted into a massive war room. The Queen was hovering around a globe above a map table in the center of the room, involved with a heated conversation with another man who remained on the floor. As Daniel got closer, he could see that the man was human with rich, dark brown skin and he wore the uniform of a police office. Daniel's now-sharper eyesight picked out the shoulder patch of Metro PD; the country's, if not the world's, finest and toughest police force ever created. Hell, they had to be considering that their jurisdiction rivaled that of most European countries and that they were responsible for the safety of the world's first Mega City. Rumor had it that they ate Navy Seals for breakfast and shit out Recon Marines before engaging the Spetsnaz and the French Foreign Legion for a friendly game of football or rugby. The Metro Policeman was obviously angry. "You said that you were in our debt!" he shouted up to the Queen. "We need your help and we need it now!" "I didn't realize that the Vampires considered bringing the fallen home equal to going to war, Hunter Gurley," The Queen said dryly. "Did you miss the fact that Werewolves kidnapped and killed said fallen?" Gurley asked. "They've already drawn first blood on y'all. This is spilling out into the mortal world quickly and they need to be stopped. Mortal civilians are getting splashed in the crossfire. You owe us. You have to fight with us." "Yeah," Jack Frost chimed in, running to his Queen's side, "but that was back when you'd done Winter the favor of brining home one of our fallen Maidens. I seriously doubt that fighting a war for you qualifies as calling in a small favor. The last thing we want to do is get involved." "Are you shittin' me bro?" Gurley asked, whirling on him. "You're already involved in it whether you acknowledge it or not!" He spread his arms wide to quickly encompass the gathering throng of Fae. "I look around and I see your Maidens are all huddled up close to armed warriors as if someone is going to snatch them away at any moment." He looked at Daniel and gestured, "And then there is this dude here wearing leathers blacker than I am, who looks like he's Mr. Badass Winter himself, and probably hasn't seen a day of fighting in his life." "You wanna go a few fucking rounds, asshole?" Daniel said, breaking away from Lily and walking around the map table to advance on Gurley. Metro PD or not, Daniel was ready to defend his new people. "You think I got to be Guardian just because of my sparkling personality and good looks? Try rumbling with a few Fae as a mortal in one of their tournaments and we'll see how you fare." "Bitch, please," Gurley scoffed, getting in Daniel's face. "I fucking spar with Vampires for fun and hunt Werewolves for a living outside of my regular day job. You really want to throw down with me?" "Calm, both of you!" The Queen snapped shooting a blast of ice wind between the two to separate them. "Guardian, to your place," she said calmly to Daniel. Daniel glanced up at her briefly, but nodded. He gave Gurley one last dirty look before going back to Lily's side. The Queen watched him before looking back to the Hunter for the Vampires. "This is not a decision that I can make alone, Hunter Gurley." The Queen said evenly. "The other Seasons must be consulted." "But-" Gurley started, motioning to all of the armed Fae around him. The Queen held up her hand to forestall his protest. "You are correct in what you are thinking, Hunter Gurley; we have armed ourselves. We have done so since our Maidens are no longer safe brining forth the Winter as we have been in the past. The attack on my Guardian's Maiden two seasons past, and the death of my other Maiden this past season is evidence of that. But for us to formally mobilize for an armed conflict, we must consult the other Seasons. Please tell your Prince," "Princess," Gurley gruffly corrected. The Queen looked distant for a moment and then nodded at the correction "Princess," she said in amendment, "that we are giving this serious consideration. Your arguments are valid. Once we have reached a decision, we will send our emissary to your people in the large mortal city." Seeing that this was the best he was going to get at the moment, Gurley nodded stiffly before turning on his heel to march out of the room. Once he was gone, the Queen turned to her subjects. "We will call upon the other seasons for their wisdom in this. D'janek'n," she said, turning to Jack Frost, "please get our people ready for conflict. I might not like it, but I fear that we have no choice either; I believe direct conflict is inevitable." Jack Frost hesitated, not liking the decision, but bowed to her nevertheless. "It will be done." "Guardian Butler," The Queen then said as she extended her hand out to him, "We will go convene with the other Seasons and their Guardians. I think that your... uniqueness, will prove useful in convincing the others of our situation." Daniel paused, glancing to Lily who just nodded and pushed him. "Go," she said with encouragement, standing up on her tip toes to kiss him lightly on the nose. "I have duties that I must attend to here." "I'll be right back," Daniel promised. "I hope..." he added under his breath as he took the Queen's outstretched hand. Instantly there was a swirl of light and wind around them. Daniel felt as if he were dropping as if he'd just been kicked out of an airplane to go skydiving. He clamped his mouth shut and suppressed the urge to yell. The sensation was over in a moment as he felt a jarring as his feet hit ground. Daniel blinked a few times and saw that they were in another large cavern of some sorts that was divided into four colors with a single flat rock in the center. He and the Queen were in the quarter of the cave room that was blue and white like glacial ice; even the wall, floor, and ceiling in their part looked like a glacier. To the left was a yellow and white quadrant with hints of green and brown all over the place and its contours reminded him of a gentle, rolling, grassy hill after a thaw. Must be for Spring... he mused. Across from them were bright orange, greens, yellows, with the quadrant decorated as if one were outside in a forest on a warm day. Okay, that's gotta be Summer, fitting that they're opposite of Winter... Then looking to his right was the golden browns, oranges, and yellows of a forest in the middle of fall. And that would be Autumn then... "So... now what?" Daniel asked. They did not have long to wait as three beams of light lit up each of the empty quadrants. The other three Queens of their corresponding seasons along with their own Guardian emerged. All eyes turned their way and zeroed in on Daniel. "That is not one of us," the Spring Queen said, her voice light and airy. "What is that doing here?" "That, as you refer to him," The Winter Queen said defensively, "is my Guardian. He was a mortal once and now he is Fae." "He holds himself like he is still a human," the Guardian standing to the Autumn Queen's right said with contempt. "He should be dismissed." "He holds himself like a warrior, though," the Summer Guardian pointed out, "and he has obviously earned his place in Winter. If his Queen accepts him, then you should do no less," he scolded. "Mortals have no standing here!" the Autumn Guardian said, brandishing his sword suddenly. He gave a quick glance at his Queen, who nodded curtly. The Guardian was then launching himself towards Daniel at inhuman speed. Daniel figured if he'd still been mortal, he would've been gutted on the spot. Thankfully, though, he had the speed and reflexes of the Fae now. Daniel pulled his own blades, that now shone bright with blue runes, and imposed himself between the Autumn Guardian and the Winter Queen. He braced himself, poised in the perfect position to counterattack once the blow landed. The blow never came as the Summer Guardian drew his own sword and intercepted his Autumn counterpart. "That is enough, L'Fall!" he hissed, holding the Autumn sword at bay. "Pretty boy Kalen," L'Fall sneered, "always sticking up for the mortals." "Maybe you should learn from them rather than look down your nose at them." Kalen replied, shoving L'Fall back towards his own quadrant. The Summer Guardian held out his hand to Daniel. "Kalen," "Daniel," he replied, nodding once. "My thanks." "What is it that you humans say; You can owe me?" Kalen said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye as he returned to the Summer Queen's side. "If our Guardians are through flexing their musculature," The Winter Queen sighed, beckoning Daniel back to her. "We have a grave issue that is upon us." The Winter Queen proceeded to lay out all the details, much to the horror of the other seasons. When the Winter Queen was done, there was deathly silence in the meeting room as the other Seasons processed the information. "Humans, and now Werewolves are actively hunting the Maidens?" the Spring Queen gasped. "Unthinkable!" Over in Autumn, L'Fall snorted. "Perhaps you should have better Maidens bring about your seasons," he said disdainfully. "You will never see an Autumn Maiden get captured." "Maybe that's because they're probably so dog-ugly that not even the Werewolves would want them," Daniel muttered. Granted, he'd had yet to see any Seasonal Maiden outside of Winter, but judging how beautiful all the Maidens were back at the Glacier City he couldn't imagine any of the other Seasons comparing. Summer and Spring both snickered at Daniel's comment while Autumn looked outraged. L'Fall drew his sword to advance on him again and the Autumn Queen pulled him back by the shoulder. "This bickering will get us nowhere," she said. "What is it that Winter wishes of the rest of the Seasons?" "Winter mobilizes for war," The Winter Queen said evenly. "We want the other Seasons to follow suit in the event that the Werewolves decide to invade our homes." The other Queens gasped and even the other Guardians looked uncomfortable. "You cannot make that decision on your own!" Spring said, aghast. "Autumn is now in ascendance," Summer gently pointed out, gesturing to her Autumn counterpart. "It is not yet time for Winter to lead." "So bring Winter early then," Daniel blurted out. When silence descended and all eyes once again were on him did he realize that he'd actually said that out loud. He mentally shrugged and plunged ahead. "Look for the most part, and I really hate to admit this... but, humans are idiots. Not until two years ago did I know that Fae actually existed. A few days ago... I think... time is a bit sketchy for me now, I found out that Werewolves and Vampires exist. Who the hell knows what else lurks out there that humans don't know about." Daniel took a deep breath and stepped forward since he had everyone's attention. "The point is; humans are clueless. So bring Winter early so that they can make that call. We just had something that the news was calling a 'polar vortex' or some weird shit. So we... they, get an early winter? Big deal. They'll chalk it up to everything ranging from Global Warming to God's Wrath and then congratulate themselves on being so clever." "We..." The Winter Queen paused, realizing the error of what she was about to say. "I, owe a debt to the Vampires that they have called on us to honor. The Vampires seek aid in their conflict to defend their domain against the Werewolves. The Werewolves, in their war on humans and Vampires, took one of my Maidens and the Vampires restored her to me even though her life has expired. I would be remiss if I did not repay that debt." "By potentially sacrificing more of your Champions and Maidens?" L'Fall sneered. "I think that the Vampires are making out in this deal." "You're pretty fucking chatty for someone who's just a Guardian," Daniel snapped. His patience with the Autumn Guardian was quickly coming to an end. "I know better than to engage in a conflict that I cannot win," L'Fall sniffed snobbishly. "By paying off all the others in y'all's tournament? Or did the prize go to the biggest blowhard?" Daniel snapped his fingers and smiled. "I know, maybe it was because you blew everyone under the table, that's it." He got satisfaction out of the rise he was getting from L'Fall. "Or maybe it's just that Autumn doesn't believe in honoring its debts like Winter does." "Maybe that is because Autumn doesn't whore itself out like a common human to accommodate them in the first place," L'Fall now snapped. So did Daniel as this time he was the one who drew his sword and started for the Fae. He didn't care who was here, he was going to kill L'Fall where he stood. The Winter Queen calmly put her arm on his shoulder and pulled him back. With a flick of her eyes, she directed Daniel back to his place. Daniel glowered a bit, but followed her orders but he swore that he could see the glint of gratitude in her eyes at his willingness to uphold his oath to defend Winter against all attacks. The Winter Queen glared at her sisters. "Winter will be participating in this conflict with or without the other seasons. My Guardian's suggestion is valid. So what say you, Sisters of the Seasons? Do we bring Winter early so that we can fulfill our obligation? * "Welcome back, Michael," Ashley said sweetly as she sat on her throne at the top of the Vanderheim Towers as her Hunter entered the main hall. "What was their response?" Michael Gurley walked straight through the small throng of Vampires that were gathered. He stopped short of the throne and bowed formally to Ashley. He was exhausted beyond all belief from his trek up to the frozen north and he wanted nothing more than to jump into the sack with his two girls, but first thing's first. "They're mobilizing. I held back long enough to overhear the Queen call for her people to get ready while her and her Guardian went to meet with the other Fae," he reported. Ashley cocked her head slightly. "They've chosen a new Guardian?" she asked in surprise. "They're taking this more serious than I thought that they would. We might actually get the reinforcements that we need after all." "What does that mean, exactly?" Gurley asked. "My Love?" Ashley looked back over her shoulder to James, gesturing back with her right hand that now glittered with an ornate ring around her fourth finger. "You want to explain since I know that you were studying them from your mother's books?" James Parker stepped forward out of the shadows behind the throne and smiled at his friend. "What that means, Michael, that they know that hostilities are imminent either way. So they hold a series of trials among their own to determine the pecking order for when the casualties start piling up. If one season does it, odds are the other seasons have done it as well just in case. They might not know why they suddenly need to choose a Guardian, but they do one regardless until the threat has been identified and taken care of. The Guardian of a Season is given additional powers to rival that of both the Ruler and whoever their Herald or Harbinger is. The Guardian acts as their military commander in which might truly makes right." Gurley blinked at that information and then let out a low whistle. "Shit, and that dude said that he'd got that position as a mortal too," he said, suddenly impressed. He wasn't sure that he wanted to see who'd win if he'd gotten into a fight with the Winter Guardian. Outside, the wind suddenly blew hard. James frowned as he looked outside the nearest window. "Snow?" he said in surprise as he caught the hint of a few flakes in the air. "What the fuck? Mike, did you decided to bring the cold back with you or something?" "What the hell you talking about, bro? It was sixty degrees and clear outside when I got here." he and Ashley moved to join James by the window. Indeed, the skies were now turning dark grey as the sudden snow front moved across the city. Other Vampires started talking amongst themselves at the sudden plunge of temperature and turn in the weather. There was a gust of wind and a cloud of snow flurries hit the window hard enough to make everyone step back with alarm. They continued walking backwards when the same flurry cloud hit the window again, and again, and again. "How is that cloud doing that?" Ashley asked, amazed at the freak weather. In all of her years of being undead or alive, she'd never seen anything like it. "I think," James said slowly amid the flurry cloud hitting the window repeatedly, "that it's knocking." James ignored Gurley's and Ashley's startled looks his way, and other Vampires' protests, as he stepped forward to the window. He opened the latches along the side of the floor to ceiling window before kneeling down to twist the handle that would crank it open. The flurry cloud went for the small opening the moment there was a crack, billowing inside and knocking James flat onto his back. James rolled to come up into a kneeling position, watching the snow now circle the ceiling. Vampires backed up so that there was space in the middle of the room. There, the snow twisted into a tiny winter tornado before dissipating, leaving a man and a woman standing there in leathers and furs; the man being dressed in black and blue and the woman being skimpily dressed in white and blue. The man was holding his head. "What the hell do you have against using doors? Can't you just knock like a normal person?" The Snow Maiden - Omnibus "What?" the woman asked innocently. "We're in, aren't we?" "Who are you?" Ashley asked, her eyes narrowing in on them, as she returned to her throne. The two newcomers looked up at her and bowed formally. "I'm Daniel Butler, the Winter Guardian," the man said. "This is my companion and protocol liaison to the Queen; Maiden Lily." "Talk about a quick response, relatively speaking," Ashley said. "I'm Princess Ashley Parker von Vanderheim, I think that you know my Hunter and Human Liaison; Michael Gurley of the Metro Police Department," she gestured to Mike, who took up a position to her left. "This is my husband and advisor; James Parker," she gestured to her right, where James had got up off the floor and stood by her. Lily's eyes went wide and she gasped when she saw James. "An Angelic!" She dropped to one knee and bowed to him as she would the Queen. Lily then went even further to prostate herself reverently. "A what?" Daniel blurted out. "Bow!" Lily's urgent, yet muffled voice came up from the floor. "No need," James said holding up a hand to forestall Daniel, who was confused but sinking down to one knee regardless. "Please, get up, there is no need to show me that kind of reverence. I'm not that kind of an Angelic." When Lily didn't move, James moved forward to take one of her hands and guide her up to her feet. "I thank you, but that really isn't necessary." he nodded to her in thanks. "Yes, yes it is," Lily said, keeping her eyes downcast to him. "We Fae thought you to be extinct. Our Queen will be so happy to know that you're still alive." "The Angelic are now making a comeback." James said, stepping back. "However, my transformation was somewhat of a... unique situation." Lily cocked her head as she looked at him again, her eyes narrowing. "You were the one who'd brought my sister back. You were a hunter then." "That was a while back and like I said; my new status is unique." Now Ashley held up a hand to keep her mate from going into an incessant explanation on his situation. "So what brings two Winter officials to my court this evening?" she asked formally, wanting to get down to business. "I hope that it is good news." "We do," Daniel said. "I've been authorized to tell you that Winter is now in Ascendance and will honor it's debt to the Vampires in helping you finish this war you have with the Werewolves. Hopefully, quickly." "Oh thank the God and Goddess." Ashley clasped her hands together and looked upwards in thanks. "We've, if you pardon the term, sniffed out some Werewolf dens here within the city that our warriors are now advancing on. Hence the lack of Vampires here at the towers. We own the night but are vulnerable during the day. That's where you come in." Daniel looked at Lily. "We agreed to participate by playing rear guard?" he asked rhetorically. Lily just shrugged at him. "Look, you might think that it's a lousy assignment," James said. "That's because it is," Daniel retorted. "But you're also coming into this game late." James said with a withering look. "What are you talking about?" Daniel asked. He jerked his head towards Michael. "Your boy over there just left us not more than an hour ago." "An hour?" Michael now asked. "Dude, I'd asked your Queen last fucking week for reinforcements and just got back myself. It's a long way up into the glacial fields and back to y'all's Ice Palace." Daniel frowned, mulling over the difference in time and it suddenly made sense to him why he was so scattered-brained when it came to his two years being away from Lily. While it was two years for him, it had been a much shorter time for Lily. He shook his head, that was going to get confusing real quick. James saw the confusion on Daniel's face, but chose not to say anything. Instead, he went on with his briefing. "The more of your people you're able to bring in means the more people we'll have during both the day and the night to bring to bear against the Werewolves." James snapped his fingers and a war map of the city of Metropolis sprung into view between them all. James walked forward to show points as he explained. "We already have the Metro PD out in force for recon. They tell us of the dens and then we go at night to wipe them out." "How many per den?" Daniel asked, thankful for the distraction away from temporal mechanics. "A handful." Michael admitted, coming up to the map as well. "Some of them get away but we manage to close down their safehouses. Soon we should have them pushed out of the city." "Cell warfare." Daniel said after a moment of studying the map. James and Michael blinked at each other, now it was their turn to be confused. They then looked back to Daniel. "What?" James asked at last. Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed. "Cell warfare. Also known as Guerilla warfare or Cell System Terrorism. They're using the Cell System to keep you from taking them all out at once. They might all know where one or two more cells are operating at. You take one out and the survivors flee to their known fallback points. My guess is that if they've been doing this long enough, they've managed to switch their forces around in order to coordinate one strong attack, which is all they need." Daniel explained. He pointed to the center of the map where the Vanderheim Towers were located at. "You, on the other hand, have everyone here. One good attack and they've won." Up on the throne, Ashley blanched at that thought while James and Michael both swore under their breath. They looked at each other and had the same thought that they should've known better. James looked at Daniel. "Pretty insightful for a Fae," he observed. "To be fair, I was just turned Fae recently." Daniel shrugged. "So what do you need us to do?" "How quickly can you start bringing your people in?" * "It's almost daybreak," James said, coming up behind Daniel. Daniel had been staring out the window at the raging snowstorm. He'd been there for hours now since Lily started bringing Fae in to assume guard responsibilities at the towers. Outside visibility was reduced to nearly zero for those with normal eyesight but Daniel could see for miles around, from horizon to horizon, as if it were a clear day. James followed Daniel's gaze out the window. "You brought one hell of a storm with you." No response and James looked at Daniel with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "What do you see?" "Everything," Daniel said breathlessly, still fixated on the sensation. "It's like I can see out of every single snowflake that is out there. It's weird, it's awesome, and it's fucking terrifying all at once." He reached out to touch a nearby window where he made a couple more scribble marks that were made of glowing blue permafrost with his finger. James now saw the scrawl work for the first time and he studied it intently. "This is a map of the city," he said, amazed. "What are these points that you're highlighting in the bright blue ice? Yeowch! Damn that's cold!" He shook his finger from where he touched one and swore that if he were still mortal his finger would've had instant frostbite. "Dens, I think," Daniel said. "Last known sightings of multiple Werewolves that I managed to see. Once I figured out what the hell I was seeing when I focused on the snow, it became easy after that." He made another couple of marks. "This is brilliant! Instant intel!" James said, getting excited. "This war has gone on for too long and we can finish tomorrow night! How many wolves have you seen?" "That's the problem; I don't know. All of these werewolves look the same to me." Daniel admitted. "I could be looking at a hundred wolves or I could be looking at a dozen wolves all walking around in circles to confuse the hell out of me." James frowned. "Why the hell would they do that?" "Clearly you've never studied military history." Daniel said dryly. "My dad taught me ancient tactics and strategies growing up. He told me stories of armies marching around known sentry points to confuse the enemy as to their true numbers." James nodded as he thought it over. "A disinformation campaign. It would fit it this situation especially with them engaging in guerilla warfare they way they've been doing." He regarded Daniel again. "Your dad taught you a lot?" "Yeah," Daniel said absently. "You still have family?" Daniel shrugged. "We've had a falling out. They live in their world, I live in mine. Let's just say that my parents prefer to live with blinders on and leave it at that." "Huh," James said, not wanting to push the issue further especially after a very cold, hard stare from Daniel. "How about you?" Daniel asked. "Any family, Mr. pseudo-Angel?" James chuckled. "Mostly dead. I'm told if I'm good I'll get to commune with them upstairs," he said, glancing upwards. "I have a brother that's still alive." Ashley came over, scowled at her husband, and slapped him on the arm. "You never told me that you had a brother. You told me that all of your family was dead!" "I didn't lie to you, dear, but it never came up in conversation either," James said, rubbing his arm. "What I told you was true. Mom, Dad, and my sister were all killed in a car accident that I'm starting to think was caused by that French Bitch. Judging from what I've been able to uncover in all of her books and journals. Anyway, Dad has... had... a son my age from a woman that he'd been dating right before he met my mother. My half brother's mom married someone else as did my old man." James let out a small sigh. "After my family was killed, I used wonder if he got the better deal sometimes in regards to family." "Oh!" Ashley now felt guilty. "Well, you got me now." she said, wrapping herself around his arm. "I was worth the trouble, wasn't I," she asked, batting her brilliant green eyes up at him. James smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "So what became of him?" she asked. James shrugged. "Last I heard he was a park ranger or something like that up north. He always did like the outdoors. I'd heard that he followed some chick up there and got hitched himself right after he got out of the Marines." Ashley giggled. "What do you think he'd think of you now?" James shared the chuckle. "Yeah, I can see that meeting; 'Yo, bro. How's it been? By the way, I'm an Angel now and I'm married to a Vampire Princess who created me on the floor of the Metro City Center Cathedral.' How do you think that conversation is going to go?" "Well, you should call him or go up and visit him when this is all over, if not sooner." Ashley said, turning serious. "We can always offer him and his wife our protection." "Yeah, if it's not one thing trying to hurt or kill you in this world, it's another." James agreed. He looked back towards the window. "We better get you to bed, dear, sunrise is upon us. * Daniel could tell that things were not going well. When the Vampires all were trudging back in close to dawn the next day, he could read it on their faces; their hunting had not gone the way they'd hoped. "Want to talk about it?" Daniel asked as Michael Gurley came in with a particularly striking brunette and a beautiful redhead female Vampires. "Och, ye'll never hear de end of it, laddie!" the redhead snapped at him. "Dem damn pups were no'ere ta be found no'in thanks to yer bloody intel!" she pushed her way by and trudged off one hallway. "Mika! Wait! He's only trying to help!" the brunette called out, rushing off to catch her. "Then ye coddle de damn Fairy den, Zoe!" Mika called back before a door slammed shut further down the hallway. "Sorry about Zoe and Mika there," Michael said to Daniel, looking at him apologetically. "It was like Mika said; we went to all of their dens but they were all empty. Every single one of them." He shook his head. "It was like they knew we were coming and they all cleared out at once. And the damnable thing of it was that there was no trace of where they went either! Over twenty confirmed dens from your maps and their packs just up fucking vanished." "Ah shit..." Daniel breathed, his face going pale. "Relax bro, your intel was good." Michael said sympathetically. "They were there... at one point in time. So they probably are keeping on the move. I know I would be if I were fighting this kind of battle." "I should've stayed up and gave you instant advice." Daniel shook his head. "I should've-" "You can't be awake all the time either." Michael cut in. "You have limits just like the rest of us. So do your thing today while the rest of us sleep; look out into the snowstorm, find out where they're at, and well hit them again tomorrow night." Michael clapped him once on the shoulder before moving on to catch up with his girls. Daniel sunk into the nearest chair and buried his head in his hands. How could he have been so wrong about where they were at? He could feel the doubt start to radiate out from the nearby Fae who'd heard the exchange and he could hear their fears that he might not be the leader they'd been expecting. Part of them wanted to agree with them. By all rights it should've been Jack Frost leading them, not a mere human. He felt a delicate pair of hands encircle his chest. Lily hugged him from behind. "You're doing all that you can," she said, kissing him on the back of his head. "Yeah, but is it enough?" Daniel asked, covering her hands with his. He got up and headed to the window, remembering something that he'd seen in a movie and a TV show recently. He looked out at the still raging snowstorm. "They're going to attack. They have to. They know that we're confined to one location so it's the only place they can get us at." "What are you thinking?" James asked, overhearing everything as he walked up. "Do you have anyone outside during the day?" "The place runs as a normal business," James shrugged. "Although with all of this damn snow you brought, hardly anyone is going out to work anywhere. Mortal road crews are having a helluva time keeping the roads clear." "Not my concern." Daniel said, feeling the snow that swept across the city. "My job is to keep you safe while you sleep." Lily felt the energy building up in him. "What are you doing?" she asked with wide eyes as. "Pulling an Elsa." "A what?" Lily frowned, human turns of phrases were really confusing to her. "Not a what, babe, a who." Daniel thrust his hands into the air and looked to the heavens. Outside the raging snowstorm turned into an all out frozen maelstrom as clouds warped and twisted around them. Snowfall intensified. Ice began to form and adhere to the outside walls of the towers to encase the whole building. "Anyone ever see a Cat-Five Hurricane-Blizzard before?" he asked with a smile on his face as he lowered his hands. "Oh shit..." James muttered as he saw the result of Daniel's work. "PR for this is going to be a bitch." "Yeah," Daniel agreed, "But I'd like to see the Werewolves get through this." * "Yeowch!" Daniel yelped as Lily dug into his bare shoulders, kneading them hard with her hands. "Easy there!" "Sorry, but you're really dense right in here!" Lily said, continuing her work in attempting to give Daniel a massage. "You mean; tense?" "Yes, that too!" It was just after dusk and the Winter Fae's turn to rest as they'd been trading off for the past couple of days. The Vampires would come in from their night hunting and rest during the day when they were compelled to. The Fae would then keep watch over them during the daylight hours and rest during the night. Mortal guards in multiple shifts assisted in the security of the towers during all hours. Daniel and Lily were making use of the Princess' private suite as she'd at first offered, and then ordered him to utilize during the evening. Tensions were running high as the war dragged on even with the Fae helping. Daniel grew more frustrated by the day as the Werewolves continued to somehow evade his ever growing sight. "Lily, really, you don't need to do this sweetheart." "Yes I do," Lily said, digging into his shoulders hard before moving up to his neck. "You are stretched beyond measure and these fights are taking it out on you." "You mean stressed?" "Yes. Now hold still please so that I can do my part." Lily shifted, trying to move up his body and succeeded in driving her knee right up in between his legs. Daniel howled in pain, flipping over onto his back to curl up and hold his now damaged manhood. Lily wound up being flung off of him onto the bed when he rolled. "I'm going to want to use that later!" He said through gritted teeth. "Sorry! Hold still!" Lily said, her hands now glowing blue. She put them over his crotch and the throbbing pain immediately eased. "Man, if this is how the other champions are being serviced by Maidens, I fear for their safety," Daniel muttered sarcastically. Lily cocked her head, not quite hearing him. "What?" "Nothing!" "You know, I saw one of the Vampire Ladies doing something to one of their men. I think that it might help you." Lily said, making both of their clothes disappear with a wave of her hand. Before Daniel could ask or protest, she had his cock in her hand and was bringing its tip up to her lips. Daniel had been sitting up and in the middle of saying something when his cock was enveloped by her mouth. "Really that's... oh damn," he fell back onto the bed. "Holy shit that feels good." "Mmmmm," Lilly hummed as her lips moved up and down his hardening shaft. "I can see why human males like this now," she said once between sucks. "Put your tongue under it a bit and take it all the way back when you suck, OH FUCK! Yeah, just like that!" Daniel now gyrated his hips upwards to try and get his cock all the way down her throat. He was amazed that she became such a natural at this without ever having doing this. That is because I can read your mind now and see how this pleases you, my love, Lily's voice echoed in his head. I can see what you like and don't like. It is one of the gifts of a pairing. Okay, just ignore some of the more painful scenes you might see, Daniel thought. I have this one ex-girlfriend that thought that blowjobs should be just like you see on a porno so she tried doing this pull, suck, twist, bite thing that really hurt. What's a porno? Oh never mind... Lily closed her eyes and continued her oral loving onto his now rock hard cock; taking care in giving him the maximum pleasure possible. She slowly moved her lips down his shaft while sucking in and giving a bit of a swallow once he was completely inside of her mouth. Then when she pulled away she was sure to trail her tongue along the underside of his shaft. Soon Daniel's eyes were rolling back into his head as the pleasure became extremely intense. "Oh God, I'm gonna blow," he breathed. At that confession, Lily shoved her head down hard to take his cock all the way to the base. She sucked hard and then swallowed just as hard right as his cock became slightly more engorged. A second later his seed was shooting down the back of her throat, coating it. Lily used small, even gulps to take it all in while his orgasm continued. Daniel was arching his back and clutching the bed so hard that a tiny portion of his brain wondered if he'd have to replace the mattress and the sheets for Ashley Vanderheim. His cock continued to twitch incessantly inside of Lily's hot little mouth as his body seemed to convulse non-stop. It was the best damn blowjob he'd ever had in his life. After a moment of intense pleasure, Daniel collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted. "Fuck me," he breathed. Lily pulled back and smiled at him as she idly stroked his cock to keep it hard. "Okay, can you be ready again?" Daniel wasn't sure if she was joking or not. Not caring either way he shared her smile and cupped her face, pulling her close and kissing her passionately. He then slid off of the bed and led her over to one of the massive floor to ceiling windows that were nearby. There, he took her into his arms and kissed her again before placing her facing the window.