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Forever of the Wood

By: LesLumens



This is an entry in the '09 Literotica Earth Day Contest. If found anywhere except Literotica.com with this note attached, this story has been posted without my permission. © Copyright LesLumens

The characters from my previous two Earth Day stories, "Steward of the Wood" and "Daughter of the Wood" return in this story. If you enjoy this tale, you might want to go back and read those for a deeper look at the history of the returning characters.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Daniel rose from his chair with a groan, wondering how many more times he might be able to accomplish it without help. As he picked up his cane from the table in his wrinkled left hand, he could almost hear old man Johanson's words echoing back to him from across the many long years.

My time is almost up, Daniel. I can feel it in my bones. Don't you bother telling me it ain't, 'cause I know better.

He understood now — standing in almost the exact same spot as the man who had been as a third grandfather to him. His time was slipping away, too.

Daniel's cane tapped on the hardwood floor as he walked to the window. The first sight of the trees buoyed his spirit, and made him feel stronger. He knew that his love awaited him there — rather impatiently. The whispers of her voice in his head and the ivy rubbing up against the window left little doubt of that.

He understood her impatience all too well. He didn't spend much time in Mr. Johanson's house, which he'd purchased to give his daughter and her new husband some privacy all those years ago. Most of the time, he remained with his love, near her pool in the woods, which stood between his new home and the house where he'd grown up.

Before he walked out the door, he checked his cellphone, to make sure that he'd turned it on. All too often, things like that slipped from his memory of late. He wouldn't wait any longer to return to her side, but he needed to be able to stay in touch with the world outside the wood, as well.

The plants in the house rustled in anticipation as he walked to the front door. As usual, his paper was lying in the grass right in front of the porch. Daniel had yet to figure out how she managed to transport it from the mailbox at the end of the drive to the front door without leaving her wood, but he was grateful for it.

One of the stories on the front page confirmed what had driven him to return to the house, and the world beyond the wood. The Governor and a group of speculative investors were pushing hard for the new highway. Though it wouldn't cross his property, Daniel was determined to stop them from destroying a vast swath of the nearby nature, replacing it with four lanes of asphalt, hotels, gas stations, and restaurants.

He found the Governor's push to have the vote on Earth Day particularly insulting.

Shaking his head in irritation, he rolled the paper up and tossed it near the door on the porch as he turned toward his true home. He felt stronger with every step toward the wood, his cane little more than an accessory by the time he stepped beneath the shadowed boughs. The curved handle warmed in his hand, seemingly as eager to return as he was. As soon as she'd seen the need coming, his love had coaxed a tree and some vines to grow into the beautiful cane.

The scent of wildflowers tickled his nose, and birds erupted into song as he crossed the barrier between untouched nature and manicured lawn. A squirrel scrambled down a young maple tree only inches away, chattered at him, and then used his shoulders as a stepping stone to leap to an oak on the other side of the trail.

He'd grown used to it over the years, though the habit the animals had of stealing anything he tried to eat right out of his hand was irritating sometimes.

Only a few steps down the leaf-covered trail into the wood, she seemingly materialized from the undergrowth, wrapped her arms around him, and planted kiss after kiss on his face.

"Come. You have been gone too long," Xantina said with a perfect pout when she finally stopped kissing him.

Daniel held his nymph mate's hand, as stricken by her unchanging beauty now as he was on the day that she revealed herself to him. He brought her golden-hued hand to his lips to kiss it, and then reached out to run his fingers through her hair — the color of new leaves.

Xantina giggled, her willowy, nude body shivering from his touch, and causing her ample breasts to jiggle. Daniel felt his manhood rising, her sensual beauty and her magic easily able to overcome the infirmities of his seventy-four years.

She took his hand again, tugging him toward her pool at the center of the wood. Her body swayed as she walked the trail backwards, her steps unerring. Branches and fronds that crossed the path moved aside to let her pass, where any but she or her mate would have found the trail vanishing with each step. Her radiant smile could have tugged him along, even if she didn't hold his hand.

Upon reaching her spring-fed pool, Xantina let out a musical laugh and helped Daniel remove his clothing, which she carelessly tossed into the ferns and flowers that surrounded the pool. She kissed him again once he was nude — a lingering, passionate kiss this time — and caressed his erection with her hand.

"Xantina, the kids are coming," he reminded her, though he wanted nothing more than to sink down into the moss and ferns with her.

She stuck her tongue out at him, a gesture that she'd picked up from her daughter, when Xanbrina was a little girl. She laughed again, and turned to dive into her pool. Naturally, she gave a perfectly timed kick of her feet just before they sank below the surface of the water, splashing her love.

He was expecting it, as the game was as much a part of their relationship as their kisses, but he made no effort to move out of the way. Taken back to the days when he was a child and she was but his imaginary friend, Daniel slipped through the ferns, sank into the pool, and splashed her back as soon as she surfaced.

Xantina blew a drop of water off the tip of her nose, and then cocked her ear to the wind.

Daniel felt it, too. As the years had passed, he'd grown more attuned to the natural world around him, able to sense things beyond the ability of most people to discern. Likewise, he had a bond with those of his family that none other could have possibly understood. It was the latter that had attracted his attention, and that of his mate.

"Oh dear," Daniel said with a raise of his bushy white eyebrows.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Gary stood in the bedroom doorway, just as spellbound by his wife's beauty as his father was with her mother's. Xanbrina brushed her honey-blonde hair — the tresses just as lustrous as they were on the day he met her, over twenty-five years ago. In a few more years, he would look more like her father than her husband.

Brina smiled at his reflection in the mirror. "I hope that you aren't about to tell me that you have to go in to work today." He shook his head while crossing the room to hug her from behind, and kiss her neck. "I love you."

She moaned from his touch and his words. "I love you too." She put her brush down on the dresser and spun in his arms to kiss him properly. "What is it, then? I know that look in your eyes."

"Kia asked to borrow the car."

Brina's smile faded into irritation. "What?" She let out a sigh. "You reminded her?"

"Yes. She just rolled her eyes at me and walked off."

Brina's voice had an ominous timbre to it that he knew all too well when she asked, "Where is she?"

"In her room." Brina turned as if to walk out of the room, but Gary caught her hand and said, "Maybe we shouldn't push her too much, Honey."

Brina sighed again, and offered a half-smile. "This is too important, Gary. We've already held on to her too tight. She's eighteen, and she's probably just as lost as I was at that age. Mom can help her deal with things, and calm some of her fears about..."

He held up a hand and interrupted her with a laugh. "Please don't talk about her having sex. I don't think I'm ready to deal with that yet."

She laughed, and hugged him. "You're as bad as Daddy," she whispered in his ear.

"And you're just like your mother," he whispered back.

She pulled back, wearing a naughty smile, and twitched her eyebrows. "You seem to like that, sometimes."

He sighed as blood rushed to his nether regions in response to his wife's coquettish tease. "Go talk to her, but at least think about giving her space, if she needs it."

"I will. Wish me luck?"

"Good luck — you're going to need it. She's in a mood today."

Xanbrina made her way to her daughter's room, and saw the door was open. She peeked in to find Kia standing in front of the mirror, alternately holding two different blouses in front of her and nervously twisting a lock of her strawberry-blonde hair. For just a moment, she saw the smart, sweet girl that she remembered — that she knew was still lurking beneath the rebellious teenage front.

"The blushing pink, but don't let your father see it," Brina suggested as she stepped into the room. She knew that the way the blouse accentuated Kia's full breasts would cause her husband to sputter with worry.

Kia sighed and rolled her eyes, but she did toss aside the red top, far more modest by comparison, in favor of her mother's suggestion. "Mom, I have a life."

"Honey, we planned this visit with Mom a week ago. It's important — and not so disconnected with you having a life as you might think."

"I have a date with Steve. Can I have the car or not?"

"Xankia..."

Kia growled and tossed her blouse aside. "Don't call me that. I want to have a normal life. I don't want to be a freak."

Brina winced, the words stabbing directly into her heart. Without another word, she turned to leave the room.

"Mom — wait," Kia called out, and hurried to the door before her mother could leave. "I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Brina sucked in a quavering breath, her eyes misting with unshed tears. "You can have the car," she said in a small voice, without turning around, and then walked away.

"Mom..."

Gary saw the look on his wife's face when she walked into the front room. "Brina?"

"I'm going ahead. She can have the car." Xanbrina shrugged, and puckered her lips into a kiss. "I love you. I'll see you in a little bit."

"I love you, too." He understood that his wife needed some time alone with her parents — especially her dryad mother.

In the meantime, his trembling, obviously ashamed daughter needed some comforting as well. 

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Daniel drifted back into reality as Brina walked toward the wood, kicking off her shoes as soon as she stepped on the grass outside. He'd clearly heard every bit of the conversations inside his boyhood home, as if he sat a short distance away from each of them. He could still sense every one of his daughter's footfalls. "Did you do that?"

Xantina giggled and threw her arms around her mate's neck. "No, silly. You did."

"But how?" He curled his arms around her to cup her bottom beneath the water of the pool.

"You let go," she cryptically answered, and then nuzzled her nose against his.

Daniel knew that their daughter had nearly reached the pool, and his mate confirmed it by diving beneath the water to resurface at the pool's edge. Xantina climbed out of the pool to hug her daughter, who finally let her emotions free, sobbing into her mother's shoulder.

"Shh — all young ones say mean things," Xantina comforted her daughter. "Come swim with us. You will feel better."

None could long remain sad in the presence of the bubbly nymph. Brina soon lifted her head with a final sniffle, and reached for her blouse to remove it.

After so many years of seeing her so, Daniel barely noticed his daughter's nudity any longer, or felt any self-consciousness about his own. Somehow, Xantina's prejudice against clothes felt right here, in her place. Once mother and daughter dived into the pool, he pushed off a submerged rock and floated over to hug Brina. "Your mother's right."

"I know, Daddy. I'm just so worried about her. I'm afraid that we sheltered her too much." She turned to her mother and said, "She seems pretty serious about the boy she's seeing, and I though that maybe you could..."

Though Brina hadn't mentioned it before, she knew that her thoughts were an open book to her mother. When she was her daughter's age, her mother had taken her on a magical journey, letting her see, feel, and learn about sex to calm a young woman's fears. 

What Brina didn't know — or at least chose not to know — was that her daughter was not nearly as sheltered as she believed.

Xantina grinned at her daughter. "She does not fear the nice thing. She only waits for her one."

Brina could feel her mother's amusement through the link they shared, and caught other little snippets of thought as well. "She's already been experimenting, hasn't she?"

Xantina stroked her daughter's cheek and let out a giggle. "She waits for the nicest thing of all, but she has done other nice things."

"I guess I got upset over nothing, then." Brina dunked her head beneath the water, and then smoothed out her hair. "She is being careful, isn't she?"

Xantina answered with a nod of her head. Unable to resist any longer, she swam over to kiss her mate. She simply couldn't go longer than a few minutes without doing so whenever they were together. "She should still come see the nice things with me, but it does not have to be today."

"Is Gary coming?" Daniel asked. He needed to talk to his son about the highway project.

"In a little while. I needed to calm down."

Xantina pouted, knowing that her mate's thoughts were outside the wood. While she agreed with what he was doing, and understood the need, he'd already lived in that world for two days now. He needed to relax as well, and she knew just how to accomplish it.

Brina and Daniel both raised their hands too late to avoid her splash.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

"Maybe I should call Steve and..." Kia began.

Gary shook his head. "No, go ahead on your date." His daughter had finally managed to calm down, though she was still deathly ashamed of what she'd said to her mother. "I don't know exactly what your mother and grandmother have planned, but I have the feeling that they don't want you distracted — and you're certainly distracted."

He leaned in a little closer and asked, "Have I met this Steve?"

Kia's cheeks warmed as she thought about the man who'd caught her eye. "His dad is Franklin — the one who owns that land."

Gary grunted in acknowledgment. He remembered the young man, and couldn't think of any immediate reason to disapprove of him. Franklin owned the largest tract of local land along the route of the proposed highway. He'd resisted at first, but the proponents of the project had finally made him an offer that changed his mind. "Go ahead on your date. I don't need to go through the ritual of warnings, do I?"

Kia rolled her eyes, but she smiled this time. "No, Dad. I know all about seatbelts, and the birds, and the bees, and condoms, and STDs..."

"Okay." He held up his hand to cut her off. "You can apologize to your mother tomorrow."

"I will, Dad." She hugged him and said, "I'm sorry."

"Just think about it next time. Now, go on." He handed her the keys.

A short while later, Kia hurried from the house wearing a jacket that struck him as a bit warm for the day. It made him suspicious that she was wearing something that he wouldn't have liked, but he decided to let it go. His wife rarely protested the racy clothing, and sometimes purchased it, so he deferred to her judgment.

Knowing the calming influence his mother exuded, he had little doubt that his wife had fully relaxed by now. He already missed her, and needed to talk to her father, so Gary stepped out the front door and turned toward the wood.

As always, Gary marveled at the abundance of flora and fauna. Everything grew to the extent of its natural bounty, and beyond. Many of the plants were rare in the area, and some were unique. The smell of flowers and damp earth after a spring rain filled the space beneath the canopy. A smile spread across his face when he heard twin, musical giggles from the center of the wood — his wife and her nymph mother.

He emerged into the clearing to see Daniel and Xantina, who both sat in the pool submerged to the neck. The clear, sparkling water did nothing to hide the nymph, and her startling beauty still made him a bit uncomfortable, even after years of seeing her so. He was just about to ask after his wife when he realized what was happening — too late.

Brina burst up from the water and hit him with a double-handed splash, absolutely soaking him, and then swam back from the edge of the pool, laughing.

Gary chuckled and said, "Brina, you could have waited until I got undressed."

Xanbrina blew a raspberry at her husband and said, "That wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun. I do the laundry, so quit complaining and come in."

Even though he knew it was coming, Gary couldn't stop his cheeks from reddening when he dropped his pants and his wife licked her lips in response. He splashed down into the pool as quickly as possible, kissed his love, and asked her. "Feeling better?"

She kissed him again and answered, "Yes. How's Kia?"

"I calmed her down, but she knows how wrong she was to say that. She's off on her date."

Xantina splashed her love with a little pout. "Hurry and talk of these things that scurry in your head."

He wiped the water out of his eyes with a chuckle. "Yes, Love." He then turned to Gary and asked, "What's the word?"

"Not good. I've talked to everyone with land on the route, but they're being paid way above market value. Franklin was the last hold-out, and he's boxing things up now. That leaves us with no chance of even delaying it with an eminent domain court battle."

"What about the environmental studies?"

"They must all be on the payroll. Last one came in today, and they're all giving the green light."

Daniel sighed. "We're running out of time and options. I don't know if we can stop this."

Xantina wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed the back of his neck. "It is the way of things. All things pass, and are renewed."

He shivered and melted into his mate's embrace. "I can't help thinking that it could be us next."

"All things pass," Xantina repeated, and kissed him again.

"Not as long as I draw breath — for however much longer that may be."

Brina took her father's hand. "Don't talk like that, Daddy."

"Honey..."

"Just don't." Brina smiled. "They won't touch a single leaf here for as long as I'm around, either."

Gary put his arm around his wife. "Same goes for me."

Xantina smiled, knowing that the devotion didn't stop there. Even if Kia didn't know it yet, her heart and her destiny were tied here as well.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia glanced over at Steve as his car pulled into the driveway at his house. Everything had been fine — wonderful actually — as they watched the afternoon matinee and then went out for something to eat. Then, on the drive back to pick up her car, he'd grown quiet.

As the car rolled to a stop, Kia asked, "What's wrong?"

Steve sighed and put the car into park. "Dad took that offer on the land."

Kia reached over and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't want him too. I can't imagine losing all the memories."

"It's not just that. He's looking at places in Florida."

She smiled and stroked her fingertips over his arm. "It's not that far away. You'll be able to drive there in a day for holidays and things."


Forever of the Wood



"Kia, I can't afford law school and an apartment, even with the grants and scholarships. I'm going to have to move too."

Tears welled up in her eyes as the weight of his words settled on her. "But..."

"I don't want to go." He reached out and touched her cheek. "It's bad enough that I'm moving, but when I think about not seeing you..."

Kia couldn't deal with that thought, and buried it as quickly as she could. "Let's go for a walk."

"Kia..."

She put her fingers to his lips. "Not right now. Let's just go for a walk."

"Okay," he said, forcing a smile.

Once out of the car, Kia walked to his side and took his hand. She tugged him toward the woods surrounding the house, and he pointed out a trail. She did her best to forget the conversation in the car, and concentrated on being close to him, holding his hand.

The moment that she set foot on the trail, a feeling of deja vu swept over Kia. A few steps later, she realized that the feeling wasn't really that she'd been here before, but rather that it had the same magical feeling as the woods next to her house.

She found it a bit strange, because old growth pine dominated the woods, leaving the ground mostly a carpet of pine needles spotted with newly sprouted trees and islands of other vegetation. It was just as beautiful in its own way, but certainly far different than her grandmother's wood, which was mostly hardwoods and filled with thick undergrowth.

"I want to show you something," Steve said, his smile looking far more genuine this time.

"Okay," Kia responded, glad that he wasn't talking about the move any longer.

Steve had a bit of a spring in his step as he walked, his eyes either intent upon the trail ahead, or upon her. Kia saw something ahead through the leaves and pine boughs. "What's that?"

"That's what I want to show you — our clubhouse."

"Oh, wow," Kia exclaimed as Steve led her into the small clearing. The clubhouse was really two buildings, one on the ground, and another set in the branches of a tree. Rope swings and poles descended from a balcony on the upper level, and the whole thing had been painted to resemble a castle, though the paint was faded and peeling in many places.

Dried leaves crunched underfoot as he led her into the clearing. "I haven't been here for a while. What do you think?"

"It's amazing. Did you build it yourself?"

Steve laughed. "Dad did most of the work, but my brother and I helped. I was only about nine at the time. Come inside."

The door creaked on its hinges as he opened it. There was a large table and several chairs in the center of the room, all covered with dust, as well as four bed frames lacking mattresses. A door stood open, and Kia could see a toilet and sink in the small room.

"Dad let us camp out here in the summer once we were a little older. It took him a week to dig the water and sewer lines. We used to have a generator out here too."

"It's amazing," Kia remarked, and then noticed a crude wooden sign hanging on the back wall. No gurls allowed, it read. She pointed at it and asked, "So, am I in trouble?"

Steve laughed. "That was actually Dad's idea. I think that this place was as much his dream as ours — not that we didn't love it." He walked over to a ladder ascending through the roof and said, "Come on up."

Kia looked upward at the ladder, her expression a little dubious.

"Don't worry, it's safe. Mom refused to allow us anywhere near it until she relented that Dad had done a good job. That's when Dad had us put up the sign as a finishing touch, because she never stopped complaining that we were going to break our necks." 

Steve climbed up, and after a moment of hesitation, Kia followed. When she emerged from the boxed-in ladder, she was in an empty space, and had to stoop a little because of the low ceiling. She shrugged her shoulders, hardly impressed, and not knowing what to say.

Steve held up a finger to indicate that she should wait, and then walked over to one of the walls.

One after another, Steve pushed up wooden panels that propped up on notched braces, opening all four sides of the tree fort, and giving a marvelous view of the surrounding woods. A pair of panels in the roof also opened, providing a skylight.

"All the other boys must have been jealous of you," Kia said as she leaned out one of the windows.

"Probably, but they all got to use it to." He opened the door and said, "There are some benches built into the parapet."

"Parapet?" she said with a laugh.

Steve laughed with her and took her hand to guide her outside. "We called it a porch at first, but Dad corrected us. He said that castles didn't have porches."

The benches were sturdy, but designed for young boy's behinds, so Kia had to sit quite close to Steve.

She didn't mind that in the slightest.

"I'm going to miss this place." He let out a great, sad sigh.

"Shh," she admonished, not wanting to think about it. Her eyes met with his, and she felt her emotions surge. Her lips parted of their own volition, and she leaned toward him.

Kia felt as though she was hovering over the bench, her whole body as light as air. She was connected with Steve in a way far deeper than ever before, as their lips met in a passionate, incredible kiss.

They'd kissed before, but only quick, chaste, shy pecks. This was anything but. Steve cupped her cheek in one hand, while the other held hers tight. Kia's free hand moved to his back, and their tongues slipped out to caress each other.

When their lips finally parted, Kia gasped. Twin, powerful emotions swept through her — love and desire. She could see both dancing deep in his blue eyes as well.

The pair sat for long seconds, lost in each other's eyes, mindless of the world around them. A rapid tapping sound finally snapped them out of their trance.

Kia giggled and demurely turned away for a second, her cheeks red and flushed. She immediately looked back at him and smiled. "Wow."

"Wow," he echoed.

The tapping arose again. Kia's brow furrowed and she looked around, seeking the source of the sound. "What is that?"

Steve looked around as well, and then he pointed to a large pine tree. "Look — there. Woodpeckers."

"Oh, I bet they have babies in there." Kia dug into her purse for her phone. When she found it, she aimed the built-in camera and took a picture of the birds. She then turned and snapped a picture of Steve.

"Are you trying to break it?" he asked, raising his hand as if he was covering his face.

"You look handsome," she corrected him. Somewhere, deep inside her, a voice arose that added, And delicious.

Kia's cheeks burned again, and she turned to snap more pictures to hide her blush. This spot was more open than the part of the wood closer to the house. She could see open spaces, the blue sky above, and even a large pond a short distance away, surrounded by cattails. "It really is beautiful up here."

"Very."

Kia glanced back at him, and smiled so wide that her cheeks hurt when she saw that he was looking at her, not the scenery. She aimed the camera out into the woods again, the naughty voice in her head growing a bit louder from seeing him admiring her.

After she'd snapped a few more pictures, she heard Steve mutter, "Shoot."

"What is it?"

"I guess I should really get back and check on Dad. He refuses to listen to the doctor and pushes too hard. He was planning to work on the upstairs sink today."

Kia nodded her understanding, and then followed him down the ladder. Somehow, she missed the last rung, and lost her balance. She didn't even have time to cry out in surprise before Steve caught her.

"Are you okay?"

With his arms wrapped around her and his body so close to hers, Kia answered, "Wonderful."

Their lips met again, the kiss just as perfect and amazing as the one that they'd shared above. Afterward, the couple walked hand in hand back to her car.

Kia had tried to tune out her father and grandfather talking about the new highway, and didn't care one way or another — until now. There was no way that she was going to let them destroy this place after the way she'd connected with Steve here.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia sat down on the couch next to her mother, with shame evident in her face.

Brina smiled and asked, "How was your date?"

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I didn't mean it."

Brina took Kia's hand and said, "It's okay, sweetie. I would tell you that you should apologize to your grandmother, not me, but Mom... Well, she's not so easy to upset. I think you did mean it, in a way."

"No, Mom. I..."

"Shh. It's hard enough growing up. Growing up different from everyone else and hiding a secret is even harder."

"But..."

"I forgive you. Your grandmother forgives you. No harm done." Brina leaned in a little closer and smiled. "So, how was your date?"

Kia shivered, prompting her mother to chuckle. Brina twitched her eyebrows and said, "That looks like a good sign."

"Mom," Kia protested, her cheeks burning, and rolled her eyes. "He kissed me. I mean really kissed me."

Brina squeezed her daughter's hand a little tighter, and her smile turned devilish. "You've got him in your trap."

Kia's face turned even redder, but then her smile faded. "It may not matter."

"What's wrong?"

"His dad is selling the house. He thinks that they're moving to Florida."

"Oh, honey." Brina wrapped her arm around her daughter and hugged her close.

"Dad and Grandpa are trying to stop them from putting in the highway, right?"

"They're trying," Brina answered, not wanting to get Kia's hopes up.

"I want to help."

"I'm sure they'll be glad to hear that. In fact, why don't we go down and talk to your grandfather about it right now." Brina stood up, still holding Kia's hand. "Then, maybe you can have that talk with your grandmother that you missed yesterday."

Kia now understood that her mother wasn't going to back down from this mysterious talk, no matter what. She decided that it was best to get it out of the way, and nodded as she stood up as well. "Okay."

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Daniel scratched his chin and leaned back against the trunk of a young tree. "You know, it couldn't hurt. If you could get enough of your friends to show up, that could bring in the media."

Kia said, "April's dad is on the city council, and Jenny's is a state representative."

Brina drummed her fingertips on her knees. "Hmm... There are a couple of wives that I might be able to convince to work on their husbands, too."

"It's worth a try," Daniel admitted. "We're running out of time, and options."

"I'll go call Jenny right now," Kia said as she stood up and tossed away a leaf that had stuck to her bare behind.

"Oh no," Brina corrected her daughter. "Don't you have something else to do first?"

"Oh yeah," Kia responded, remembering the talk that she was supposed to have with her grandmother.

Brina picked up her clothes and stood up. "Come on, Dad. I think that you might want to come visit with me for a while."

Daniel chuckled, and then groaned as he stood. His mate helped him dress, while Brina did the same.

"You okay, Dad?"

He stopped rubbing his arm. "Just aches."

"Maybe you should go to the doctor."

"I'm old — everything aches. I'm twice as accurate as the weatherman, just by waking up in the morning and seeing what aches, swells, or stings."

Brina handed him his cane, and then took his other hand. "I left blueberry muffins cooling when we came down here."

"If you'd told me that before, we'd already be there." Daniel headed down the trail, tugging on his daughter's hand. "Come on now, keep up."

Brina laughed as she picked up the pace.

Xantina held out her hand to her granddaughter. "Come sit with me. I want to teach you some very nice things."

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Brina hung up the phone, wearing a smug smile. "Veronica didn't even know anything about it. Her husband is going to have to consider his vote carefully, if he doesn't want to eat boiled grass and sleep alone."

"I don't know if we have enough time," her father remarked, and then sighed.

Brina sat down at the table next to him. "Well, we're going to try."

"So, what brought Kia around? She didn't seem to care much about the highway."

"The boy she's seeing lives on the route. If it goes through, he's moving to Florida."

Daniel grunted and nodded his head. "That'll do it. Your mother likes him."

"I do too. Gary's not so sure about him, though."

"He'll come around. He's just not happy with the thought of his daughter growing up."

"I'm not completely comfortable with it either," Brina admitted.

"It's the nature of things."

"I know, but I don't have to like it any more than you did." Brina shook her finger at her father, wearing a mock stern look. She couldn't help but laugh a second later, though. "I wish I could just be happy for her and not worry, like Mom."

"There's more of your mother in you than you know. You'll do just fine, and you'll get Gary through it."

"If I don't have to help Kia get over him moving away," Brina said, her eyes focused out the window, toward the wood.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia moaned and let her eyelids flutter open. Every inch of her felt warm and tingly, the lingering aftereffects of what her grandmother had shown her. Even though she'd already experimented with sex, she was a little overwhelmed by what she'd learned in the magical journey. Through her grandmother's magic, she'd shared bodies with women that had coupled with their lovers around the pool. She'd felt what they felt, and understood how they pleasured their men. She shivered, thinking about what it would be like to show Steve what she'd learned.

Xantina giggled and cupped her granddaughter's cheek in her hand. "Your man is very pretty. You will like doing the nice things with him — many times."

Kia sat up, thoughts of him moving away intruding upon her arousal, and the deeper emotions she felt. "If I don't lose him because of that stupid highway."

Xantina smiled, and kissed Kia on the forehead. "You know what to do."

"Can't you do anything — you know, with your magic?"

"It's not my place. This is my place."

Kia's eyes welled up with tears. "But, there are only a few days left, and Dad sounds like he's about to give up, and..."

"He will never give up. Neither will Xanbrina or your grandfather. They have magic, and so do you."

"What do you mean?"

"Xankia, the greatest magics are hope and love." She hugged her granddaughter, and then added, "And the nice things. Those are very magical."

Kia couldn't help but laugh through her tears — and blush — upon hearing that.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Gary checked his tie, and then looked toward the group of young people gathering in front of the State House. "Well, there they are. Did she tell you what she's planning?"

Brina finished touching up her makeup and answered, "Not really. I know that she called her friends, and that they called their friends, and..." Brina gestured toward the group, "Here they are."

"I really hope we don't have to bail her out of jail in a little while." Brina playfully slapped her husband. "I thought you would know what she planned to do. She hasn't left you or Dad alone for the last two days."

"Not really. She asked questions, we answered them. She sort of surprised me with how quick she got up to speed."

"She picked up most of it by osmosis. You and Dad have been going on about it for a year, and almost constantly for the last month. Besides, it's in her blood. I could find my way around the State House and the local courthouse alone by the time I was ten. She's hardly a stranger to the whole thing, either."

"True, and she actually seemed to enjoy it, right up until she turned into a teenager on us."

Xanbrina pointed at a television van pulling up into the parking lot. A second was coming down the street, while a third had already parked and raised its link tower. "They're attracting attention, at least."

"Out of town stations. If nothing else, they aren't going to be able to sweep this vote under the rug." Gary yawned. "And we aren't the only ones up at this ridiculous hour."

"We had to be here before any of the Senators or the Governor crawled out of bed."

When he saw a reporter walking toward the gathered young people, and Kia stepping forward to meet him, Gary opened his car door. "The sharks are circling. Let's get over there in case Kia needs us." 

Brina looked at her daughter facing the press with eager determination, and beamed with pride. Kia held Steve's hand, and she didn't look the slightest bit nervous.

As she joined her husband outside the car, Brina said, "Something tells me that she has everything she needs right there beside her."

"Let's hope it's enough."

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

The next couple of hours were a whirlwind for Kia. If she wasn't talking directly to the press, she was standing nearby, doing everything in her power to shame the legislators entering the State House in front of the cameras.

All the while, Steve was right by her side, and a growing crowd of young protestors gathered behind her. Even Kia was surprised by how many people had showed up, and they just kept coming. The arrival of the police made her nervous, but thankfully calmed a few people that were growing too enthusiastic. Despite what Brina had said to her husband earlier, Kia took comfort in her parents standing nearby, talking to reporters as well.

Word bubbled through the crowd that the press had already descended on the Governor, and that he was on his way. Kia didn't even need to see Governor's car to know that he'd arrived. The press moved as one toward the car, swarming upon him and asking questions before he could even open the door.

Kia heard several questions related to the protest, and how she was requesting that the Senate hear them before the vote. The Governor ascended the steps, his handlers busy fending off questions until he could reach the top. He wore a resigned look as he turned to face the press of reporters.

Someone behind Kia started chanting, "Let us speak!"

The cry spread through the crowd like wildfire as the Governor answered questions from the press.

One of the Governor's handlers approached after a minute or so and said, "The Governor has agreed to hear from representatives. No more than four of you, for safety and security reasons."

Kia quickly turned to her father.

"We'll come with you, but this is your show, Honey."

She turned to Steve, and he nodded his head before she could even ask the question.

"Here," a young blonde said while holding out some large pictures on posterboard to Kia.

"I've got them," Gary said, intercepting the pictures as his daughter reached for them.

"The four of you, then?" The Governor's handler inquired.

Kia took a deep breath. "Yes."

"Come with me."

Kia blushed as the crowd whooped and applauded. The press made way, still shouting questions, and the Governor made his escape into the State House. Kia hadn't really expected to get in — though she'd hoped for it — and her stomach tied into knots as she ascended the steps.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia offered a silent prayer that her breakfast would stay where it belonged. A glance at Steve and her parents standing with her gave her strength enough to speak.

"I'm here on behalf of a lot of people like me to make sure that you know what you're really doing when you cast your vote today."

She flipped to her next card, much of which was written in her father's hand — though he had no idea that he was writing talking points for a speech at the time. 

"The current route isn't the only one proposed for the highway. The other possibility goes across reclaimed strip mines for most of the route. No matter what anyone said, that proposal was rejected because it would connect with the existing roads at a place where certain people wouldn't make a profit."




Forever of the Wood



Gary swelled with pride as his daughter stared down the Governor while delivering the last line. It was all he could do not to run over and hug her.

"Instead, you're voting on a different route today, one that benefits a few, but takes away so much more from the rest of us — who you are all supposed to represent."

Kia turned and nodded to Steve. He handed one of the posterboard cards he was carrying to her, and then distributed the rest between him and her parents.

"Today — Earth Day of all days — I want you to see what you're going to destroy if you vote yes."

Kia held up her card, which framed an enlarged image of Steve's clubhouse. "Memories. How many of you would have given your left arm to have a place like this when you were boys? There will be a strip mall or a gas station here if you vote yes. The families living along this route are giving up everything they know. Some are sacrificing generations of memories, pressured by threats of eminent domain and less money if they didn't take the offers given to them."

Steve held up his card, a scene shot from the balcony of his clubhouse. Kia pointed to it and said, "Trees older than anyone in this room. Some of them were full grown when your grandparents were boys. Do you want to destroy them instead of paving over what used to be a giant hole in the ground; just so a few people can get rich?"

Kia walked over to her father and selected one of the cards he held. Gary held it up as Kia returned to the microphone. It was the picture of the woodpeckers that she'd taken when Steve showed her the clubhouse. "Where are the animals going to go? There aren't many places left that can support them. Are you going to vote yes and force them out as well? They aren't even going to get any blood money."

Gary panned the card to the legislators, making sure everyone saw it. When he saw one man's eyes pop open, he paused, recognizing him from when he'd visited with a group of bird watchers.

Kia had stepped over to have her mother hold up the next card, but Gary nodded toward the man he'd noticed and whispered, "Ask him what the bird is."

Kia took the card and returned to the microphone. She pointed the card at the man her father had pointed out. "Do you know what kind of bird this is?"

"Yes, it's a Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. They're a protected species, barely on the road to recovery. I've never seen one in a natural setting before, and there was certainly no mention of them in any of the reports we received."

The Governor interjected, "There are relocation programs to move the birds to new, protected habitats. It's irrelevant."

Gary stepped over next to his daughter and said, "It sounds like you've done a lot of research on them, for someone who didn't know that they were there."

That started a chorus of murmurs amongst the legislators that steadily grew louder.

"Dad, what should I do?"

With a quiet chuckle, he told his daughter, "Nothing. This is exactly what we want to see."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. The way you stared down that pompous ass of a Governor was pure brilliance."

Kia could tell that the Governor was losing support. He kept looking to different people, who in turn looked away, or openly disagreed with him. Several minutes later, the Senate President had to restore order when the arguments progressed to the point of Senators leaving their seats.

The Senator that had identified the woodpecker stood up. "I move that we postpone any action on this matter, as it has become apparent that we have a great deal of information that is either biased, or incomplete."

"I second," another Senator agreed. Brina smiled when she recognized him as the husband of one of the women she'd called. He'd obviously taken his wife's council into account — or grown tired of the doghouse.

From there, it was almost a blur for Kia. Despite loud protests from the Governor and a few allies, the vote was postponed until new studies and reports were commissioned.

Kia gathered with her parents and Steve in the hall after it was all over. Her father clapped her on the back and said, "You did it, Honey."

"Indeed you did," a voice agreed.

Brina stepped aside to let the Senator through.

"And this isn't just a delay, either. I think this may be the final nail in the coffin for the Governor. With him out of the way, I have enough influence to make sure that the route is changed to the original proposal. The state needs that highway, but it doesn't need to run through your back yard."

"Thank you," Kia responded, her cheeks growing warm.

"If it's not too much to ask, I'd like the opportunity to come take pictures of the woodpeckers some time."

Steve answered that. "You're welcome any time."

The Senator turned toward Brina and said, "I know your father, and I know that crafty old goat had his hand in this. You were just out of pigtails the last time you were here with him, but I'd recognize you anywhere. Tell him thank you."

"We will," Brina agreed, and then laughed.

Someone exited the front door of the State House and the cacophony of the reporters outside filled the entire hall.

"Good luck with the press. I'm afraid I can't do much about them."

Brina hugged her daughter close and said, "We have our secret weapon right here."

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia had to fight the urge to skip as she walked down the trail with Steve toward his fort. Everything had turned out perfectly, right down to Steve's father having no problem with losing out on the offer made for his property.

"It's nice to know that I'm not walking out here for the last time," Steve remarked as the clubhouse emerged from the foliage. He turned to Kia and added, "Or walking with you for the last time."

"Me too." Kia smiled, and then gestured toward a large patch of moss beneath a tree near the fort. "Come sit with me."

"There are chairs inside."

"It's a beautiful day. I want to be outside."

"Okay," Steve agreed, and then let her lead him to the tree.

The pair had barely settled on the soft bed of moss when their eyes met. A few seconds later, they leaned together simultaneously.

She would have never thought that it was possible for every kiss she shared with him to be so wonderful — each better than the last. Steve stroked the back of her neck with his fingertips, and moaned when she reached up to caress his cheek.

Arousal mingled with Kia's affection, and her kisses grew more impassioned. He responded in kind, sending her passions soaring even higher. The moment was perfect, and she surrendered to it.

Steve's lips stiffened against hers for a moment when she slipped a hand between his legs — but just for a moment. Something else stiffened in her grasp as he let a hand slip down to her bottom.

Feeling him grow hard for her evaporated the last of Kia's inhibitions. She broke away from the kiss, and immediately reached for the top button of her blouse. Even as she popped it open, she considered just how little distance there was between the tree fort and Steve's house. She'd allowed the heat inside her to rise too high to stop now, though.

"I don't have a condom," Steve warned, his eyes glued to her fingers popping open buttons.

She had the perfect counter for that, as the doctor had suggested birth control as a means to counteract horrible cramps during her period. "I'm on the pill."

Years of visiting her grandparents unclad made undressing in the woodland setting feel perfectly natural to her. The way Steve's eyes worshiped her made it exciting. Her blouse dropped to the mossy bed, and her bra soon followed.

A smile of equal parts surprise and delight broke out on Steve's face as Kia lay back to slip down her skirt. He didn't give her a chance to do so, but instead leaned over her to take one of her pale pink nipples in his mouth.

A quiet moan escaped her from his touch. Steve caressed her firm globes and suckled the tips with a sensual gentility that made her head swim. Never wanting it to end, she closed her eyes and stroked her fingers over his back.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Xantina barely moved her hips, reveling in the feeling of Daniel's cock filling her so full. Their lovemaking was unhurried, centered more upon the tight embrace they shared, and the ultimate closeness of their joining.

The nymph felt far more than the love and pleasure of their coupling, though — and she knew her mate could feel it as well. He likely didn't understand the sensation yet, but he would soon enough.

In Daniel's boyhood home atop the hill, Brina and Gary coupled as energetically as teenagers. Within the wood near the tree fort, Xankia basked in Steve's love, ready to surrender her virginity at last. Xantina felt them all.

Her magic grew stronger, and Xantina tapped into that power. As she had done for her daughter at the same time in Xanbrina's life, Xantina prepared to take some of the pain that would come from Kia's first time upon herself, to make the experience all the more memorable and pleasurable for the young woman.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia gasped when one of Steve's hands slipped beneath her skirt. Her hand crept between his legs again, and she shivered from the combination of his touch and the feeling of his hard cock beneath her fingers. She needed more, and tried to remove his belt.

He released her nipple with a final kiss and rose up to his knees. She panted in anticipation as he peeled off his shirt, revealing his muscular chest. While he finished the work she'd started on his belt, Kia sat up in order to reach the button and zipper of his pants.

"Oh," Kia breathed as she tugged down the cloth, allowing him to spring free. His cock was bigger than any that she'd seen while fooling around with other boys — both exciting and frightening at the same time.

Steve kicked off his shoes, and lay back to wriggle out of his pants. He was still trying to disentangle his ankles when she wrapped her hand around his hard organ and leaned over him. Her hot, anxious breath kissed him, causing him to throb in her hand.

"Ah, Kia," he groaned, the pants bunched up at his ankles completely forgotten.

"You're so hard," Kia whispered, more to herself than to him. Her fingers just touched around his girth, and she wondered if it would even fit in her mouth — let alone anywhere else.

After a moment of hesitation, Kia kissed his mushroom tip. He grunted, his hips lifting, pressing his cock against her lips. She kissed it again, and then looked up into his eyes to see a powerful mixture of hunger and fascination.

The desire she saw inflamed her own, and her tongue snaked out to lap from her fingers up to the purple head. He sighed, and a pearly drop of pre-cum welled up from him. Kia gathered the droplet on the tip of her tongue and shivered. A moment later, her lips parted, and she took him in.

Steve sighed and twined his fingers into her blonde tresses. Kia suckled his glans and teased him with her tongue, causing him to throb powerfully and rapidly between her lips.

She wanted more.

Kia opened wide, her lips sliding down his thick shaft. He groaned, his body shuddering from the feeling of her hot mouth engulfing him. Kia's heart beat faster as her lips slid up and down his manhood. He didn't try to force her, as had the other two boys she'd done this for. She felt comfortable, in control, and infinitely sexy.

Despite an ache building in her jaw from opening so wide to admit him, Kia bobbed her head faster over his lap, her hair beginning to bounce. The knowledge she'd gained in the magical journey with her grandmother let her take him fast, with minimal discomfort.

She'd never taken this to its ultimate conclusion, but the way he breathed her name amidst pants of pleasure made her want it — badly. "Feels... So good, Kia."

His breathing quickened; his grunts and sighs growing deeper. Tangy bursts of flavor excited her as more pre-cum welled up from his tip. Kia slipped the fingers of her other hand beneath his balls to caress them with a feather-light touch. He twitched, and let out the loudest groan yet.

"Kia — close," he warned in clipped grunts a few seconds later.

She had no intention of stopping.

Steve's pants grew louder — faster. Even if he hadn't told her so, she would have known that he was almost there. He stiffened, let out a tight-throated groan, and came.

Kia moaned around him as she felt his cream spurting against the roof of her mouth. Her lips paused near his tip, and she sucked him slowly, milking him for every drop he had to offer. Because she'd made it happen, the taste was as sweet as candy to her. He came hard, filling her mouth full. She swallowed, the initial sensation of the thick cream slipping down her throat quickly overshadowed by the warm glow that spread through her as it settled in her belly.

Steve's movements turned almost convulsive, and she knew that he couldn't handle much more. Somewhat reluctantly, she let him slip from her lips, and received a final dribble of his sweet cum at the last second. She moaned and savored it, loving the look of ecstasy on his face.

Steve went limp on their mossy bed. "Oh god, Kia. Never... Never come like that before."

Kia caressed his thigh, causing him to shudder and his softening cock to twitch up from his body. "I loved it," she responded in a voice barely above a whisper. Her own needs called to her, and she answered.

His eyes slowly opened, and he smiled as he watched her slip her hand beneath her panties to her aching need. Her head lolled back as her fingers caressed her moist folds, and Steve gathered his strength to sit up.

Once on his knees, Steve stroked his hands down her sides to her hips. Kia smiled, and then dropped back down to the moss to recline in front of him. She gasped when his fingers hooked beneath the elastic band of her panties and tugged them down.

She lifted her bottom, allowing him to slide her panties down and discard them. As soon as her feet were free, Kia bent her knees and parted her legs wide, desperate to feel his touch.

Steve's hands glided down her thighs, and she held her breath in anticipation. When his fingers reached her mound, she let out the breath in a high-pitched sigh. He explored her with his fingers, seemingly fascinated by the perfect smoothness of her sex. No hair would ever grow anywhere on Kia's body, save the strawberry blonde locks on her head — a gift of her grandmother's lineage.

The scent of her arousal — womanly musk and honeysuckle — filled Steve's lungs as he leaned into the V of her legs. Intoxicated by the perfume of her desire, he could wait no longer.

A long warbling moan bubbled up from Kia as Steve's tongue traced the full length of her nether lips. She felt as though she was chilled and flushed with heat at the same time. She had never felt anything so heavenly in her life, and she knew that it was just the beginning.

Steve's eyes opened wide with surprise as her sweet nectar brought his taste buds to life. He pressed his tongue deeper, parting her pink folds, eager for more. He whimpered and pressed her sex tight against his face. He was more than happy to oblige her need.

Kia writhed in perfect bliss as his tongue tantalized her. He seemed to know her body as well as she did, finding her every sensitive spot with his soft, slippery tongue.

"Don't stop," Kia begged in a soft, almost worried voice. Though one other boy had used his mouth on her, Steve had already brought her to heights of pleasure beyond anything previous in just a few seconds. She couldn't imagine surviving if he should stop short of bringing her to climax now.

She need not have asked. The taste of her was like a drug, making him desire more by the moment. He tilted his head and stabbed his tongue into her canal. To his surprise, he met resistance, and a sharp jolt passed through Kia's body. He drank up her juices, exploring her with his tongue, and then realized the truth of her virginity.

Equal parts worry and excitement flashed through Steve's head with that revelation, but the sounds of pleasure coming from her overwhelmed the conflicting emotions. Lost in her once more, he redoubled his efforts.

She could feel the barely contained energy of an orgasm building inside her, growing stronger by the second. Her right hand came to rest on the back of his head, and she used it to unconsciously guide him to the center of her pleasure. She began to shudder as his tongue flicked over her clit, keeping her just below the point of no return.

It came upon her in a rush, a hot wave of energy that swept through her, and then crashed back down into her sex. She couldn't contain the loud whimper that burst from her lips as she came and clamped her legs tight around Steve's head. His tongue never stopped — never slowed — drawing out her rapture. Kia came and came, her body completely beyond her control, the sounds of her cries muted by the loud echo of her heartbeat in her ears.

Steve finally relented when an especially strong shock of orgasmic energy caused her to hold him so tight against her that he couldn't catch a breath. Kia's orgasm finally released her, and she went limp with a sound much like a sob. Steve pulled back, aroused and amazed by how hard she'd climaxed.

Kia eventually caught her breath and found the strength to open her eyes. She looked up at Steve to see him massaging his sore neck and said, "Oh — t-thank you. H-hold me, please."

He lay down next to her, and Kia rolled onto her side so that she could snuggle up against him. He draped one arm over her back, while she hugged his waist. She entwined her legs with his, and she realized that he was growing hard again when his cock pressed against her tummy. She nuzzled up against his chest, and let out a deep sigh of contentment.

For long minutes, the couple lay together, simply enjoying the closeness. Steve kissed and caressed her, loving touches that nearly made her swoon. Despite his gentle embrace, she knew that something more lurked beneath it. She needed only to concentrate upon his cock — once again hard and throbbing — to know that.

Kia struggled against fear welling up inside her before she found the courage to speak again. Even then, she barely whispered, and did so into his chest so that he could feel the kiss of her breath there more easily than he could hear her words.

"Hmm?" He responded to her unheard question.

"Do you want to make love to me?" she repeated, just loud enough for him to hear this time.

"You're a virgin, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"But do you want me?"

He groaned and let his hand drift down to her bottom. "Yes."

She looked up into his eyes and said, "I want you to be my first."

"Are you sure?"

"Make love to me, Steve."

Kia's heart beat hard and fast in her chest as Steve's lips found hers, and he slowly rose above her. She rolled over onto her back in response to the subtle guidance of his lips and hands. When he straddled her body and rose up on his knees, she looked down to see his cock twitching only a few inches above her sex. It looked even bigger now — almost threatening. Panic set in, and she looked up at him, on the verge of telling him that she couldn't do it.

Then she saw his eyes.

Love, fear, desire, concern, excitement — Kia could see them all in the deep blue pools of his eyes. She knew in that moment that she couldn't share this gift with any other, and that the time was right. The very air felt alive with magic, and Kia allowed the spell to carry her away.

Steve lifted his knees to settle them between Kia's as she parted her legs. His fingers curled around her thighs as she drew her knees up and out, offering him her innocence without reservation.




Forever of the Wood



Kia breathed heavily as he moved forward, closing the short distance that remained. He looked up into her eyes one final time, and she answered his unspoken question with a slight nod. She sucked in a sharp breath as he took his cock in hand and pressed it against her folds.

He paused and rubbed the tip of his cock between the parting of her nether lips, coating it in her slippery wetness. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat when she felt him poised at the rim of her canal.

His first push was slow and hesitant, and the flash of pain caused her to yelp. She flinched away before he could penetrate her, tears filling her eyes.

Steve's expression spoke of even more pain than Kia's. After a few rapid breaths, she whispered, "Sorry."

"Kia..."

She shook her head and parted her legs a little wider. "Please."

Steve guided his cock into position again, and Kia reached up to squeeze the fingers of his other hand tighter into her thigh. "Close your eyes," he whispered.

Kia closed her eyes, and time seemed to stop. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Only tightly clenched teeth and pursed lips contained her wail when Steve sundered her virginity.

Steve remained stock-still, afraid that the slightest movement would increase her pain. The sight of her shaking from contained sobs with tears flowing down her cheeks nearly crushed him. What he couldn't know was that far away, Kia's grandmother took most of the pain upon herself, and absorbed more of it by the instant.

Even as the initial stab of pain turned her vision blood red, Xantina's magic allowed Kia to feel something far different, the fullness of a hard cock inside her for the first time. As the pain ebbed, Kia's pleasure swelled, and her tear-filled eyes fluttered open.

"You okay?" Steve asked, his voice cracking and his eyes full of concern.

She smiled at him and nodded her head. Though she still felt little twinges of pain, another discomfort now loomed larger in her consciousness — an aching void deep inside her that desperately needed filling. Her fingers curled around his wrists, and she tugged him toward her.

Her smile reawakened Steve's desire, but when she winced from the slightest beginning of a push, he froze again. Kia tugged on his wrists even harder, nodding her head emphatically. When he rocked his hips forward again, she was able to relax, and he sank inside her to the hilt.

"Oh Steve — so good," she breathed, the pain little more than a distant memory with his cock buried inside her.

The tight squeeze of her warm, wet walls brought his instincts to the fore, and Steve began to thrust. His hips moved in a steady rhythm, his cock withdrawing all the way to the tip, and then sliding inside until his balls settled against her. Kia moaned and cooed, fueling his desire. Not even the ruddy tinge of her juices coating his thrusting shaft could discourage him in light of the pleasure evident in her face and her voice.

Kia's breathing fell into rhythm with Steve's hips. She released his left wrist, and let her fingers slide down to her clit. The first brush of her fingertips over the sensitive bud overwhelmed the control she'd managed to exert over her voice, allowing her cry to be much louder than prudent in the exposed setting.

He watched her fingers circling over her bud, and then looked up into her eyes to say, "You're so sexy. You feel so good."

"So do you. Faster."

Kia took her words to heart and switched from a slow circling of her fingers to a quick back and forth motion. Steve was already having trouble containing his passion, and had only to loosen the reins to add speed and power to his thrusts. The increased friction summoned up a groan from him, and his grip on her thighs tightened.

Warm pressure swelled in Kia's loins as her fingers and Steve's thick cock pushed her closer to sweet release. Though her body rocked from the power of his thrusts, he wasn't taking her. He was giving her pleasure, and accepting the same from her. The difference was subtle, contained in his eyes, in his groans, and in the quick, steady motion of his hips. The first tickles of a coming climax brought with them a quavering, high-pitched sigh from her.

Every pump of his hips sent Kia soaring to heights of bliss beyond anything she'd ever dreamed of before. Her eyes roved over him, drinking in his muscles working. She could just see his cock when he fully withdrew, the shaft glimmering in the dappled light from the sheathe of her juices coating it. She felt as if she was going to pass out if she didn't come soon.

Steve's brow furrowed as his own pleasure mounted. Seeing the strain in his face, Kia breathed, "I'm so close. Oh yes. Almost... Almost..."

His expression hardened, and she knew that he couldn't hold out much longer. "Gonna come," he warned, his voice tight from staving off his climax.

Kia teetered on the cusp of ultimate bliss, her body awaiting some unknown cue or moment to allow her release. She trembled, her mouth open in a silent scream, and her whole body alive with energy. Then, he buried his cock inside her with a loud groan, and she erupted into orgasm.

Steve groaned and panted, filling Kia with his cream. With her canal clenched tight around his cock, she could feel every pulse and throb. All the while, far more than their bodies joined. She had found her one, and shared the ultimate expression of that love with him. Her orgasm went on and on, her body celebrating along with her heart.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Xantina slowly rose from Daniel's cock and lay down beside him. She kissed him and caressed his face as he fought the weariness trying to overtake him, her body still quivering in orgasm.

As she relaxed amongst the ferns next to her mate, the nymph could feel her daughter and granddaughter basking in the afterglow of their climaxes as well. Three couples had reached a peak simultaneously, caught up in the magic of the day — and destiny.

Daniel's chest slowly rose and fell, exhaustion having claimed him. His breathing was shallow, though still regular. Even though his body waned from age, his spirit was strong, and growing stronger by the day. Xantina cuddled up next to him and continued to kiss him, causing him to smile in his sleep.

He was almost ready.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia pulled on her panties, knowing that the impromptu clean-up with wipes from her purse wasn't going to be enough.

She was feeling entirely too wonderful to care, though.

Once she and Steve finished dressing, they came together for a kiss. When their lips parted, she could no longer contain her feelings. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kia."

"You mean it?"

He kissed her again, and then verbally answered her question as well. "Yes."

Kia caressed his cheek, wearing a beatific smile. "Mmm — I don't want to go, but I probably should. Earth Day is sort of a big thing with my family."

"Call me later?"

"How about sooner?"

Steve chuckled and tugged at his pants. "Shoot, forgot my belt." He looked around for a moment, and noticed it lying in the dried leaves next to the mossy bed he'd just shared with Kia. "There it is."

The sound of the woodpeckers tapping drew Kia's attention, and she looked up at them as Steve bent to pick up his belt. When she looked back, he was standing back up and turning around. He took a step toward her, and planted his foot in the wrong place. 

Kia's heart stopped as his ankle buckled, he lost his balance, and cracked his head on the tree. He fell to the ground, unconscious and bleeding.

"Oh god — no." She scrambled to his side, her stomach souring when she saw how much he was bleeding. "Help!" she desperately screamed, having no idea if anyone was close enough to hear her. A second later, she tore open her purse to find her phone.

"It will be fine, Xankia."

Kia turned in disbelief at the sound of her grandmother's voice. "Grandma? But how?"

Xantina knelt down next to her granddaughter. "I told you that love is a very powerful magic. Your love let me come here, and my magic can make his hurt go away."

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Kia watched her grandmother place a slender hand behind Steve's head. Green light shimmered from the nymph's hands, and Kia held her breath.

Steve slowly awakened, but the sight in front of him made him doubt that he was actually conscious. Opening one's eyes to find a nude, stunningly beautiful, green haired woman kneeling in front of you is something that sane men reserve as the province of dreams.

"Thank you, Grandma," Kia sobbed as she hugged her grandmother.

"Grandma?" Steve muttered, his eyes widening.

"I..." Kia had no idea what to say.

"Grandma?" He repeated, and shrank back a little, bumping into the tree. His hand settled in something sticky, and he lifted it to see his palm covered in blood. He panicked and stood up; allowing him to see that there was a lot of blood. He could feel a dull, phantom pain in his head, but when he reached up to touch the spot, his hair didn't even feel sticky.

"I made you better," Xantina explained. "Xankia was very sad that you were hurt."

"Xan-kia? This is too freaky, this can't be real."

Kia broke down at that moment, unable to endure the shock and fear in his eyes. She spun away, her body wracked with sobs, and ran toward the trail leading out of the woods.

Steve barely realized that he was moving until he'd caught up to her and grabbed her hand. "Kia?"

"I'm sorry. I understand. I won't bother you any more," Kia sobbed, refusing to look at him as she tugged on her arm, trying to escape.

Not even the sudden shattering of his illusions about what was real and what wasn't in the world could compete with the utter devastation in Kia's voice. His gaze drifted back to the green-haired nymph for a fraction of a second, and then he pulled Kia to him.

"I told you that I love you, and I meant it."

Kia still kept her face averted, afraid to look at him. "But..."

Steve cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look into his eyes. "No buts. I love you."

Kia could see it in his eyes. He was still unnerved and a touch frightened, but his love for her shone through. "I love you, too," she said as she threw her arms around him.

Steve started when Xantina embraced them both and kissed their cheeks in turn. She grabbed their hands, turned them toward her, and then brought their hands together.

He realized that he was staring at the nude nymph when she grinned and said, "I think you're very pretty too."

Steve snapped his gaze to Kia, to find her smiling. She shrugged and offered, "You get used to it — eventually. That is, if you're willing?"

"So are you..?"

"I'm just me," Kia answered his unfinished question. "I guess you know why Earth Day is so important to the family now."

For some reason, that struck him. It was so Kia. He broke out into laughter. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So, you're really alright..? You know."

He glanced over at Xantina once more. She was puckering her lips and pointing at her granddaughter. When he looked back, his eyes locked with Kia's, and the last several days came back to him in a rush.

"Yeah." Then, he took the nymphs advice and kissed her.

Xantina managed to catch her granddaughter's eye, offered a wave, and crept back into the trees. She vanished a moment later.

"Where'd she go?" Steve asked when the kiss ended and he noticed the nymph's absence.

"Home — I think. I guess I should, too."

He could see some of the fear creeping back into her eyes, and knew what was causing it. "Make sure you call me later, and tell your grandma I said thanks."

"I will. Walk me back to my car?"

He squeezed her hand, and led her down the trail.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Kia walked down the hill towards the woods, grass and dandelions brushing her ankles, knowing that the rest of the family would already be there. She'd gone inside to change her panties and properly clean up as soon as she got home, not nearly as enamored with the sticky, ruddy stain on them as she was with making it.

If anything, the aura of magic that surrounded the wood felt stronger than ever. It always took on a nearly electric feel on Earth Day, but today she felt as if her hair was trying to stand on end, though the sensation carried with it a warm, calming influence as well.

The birds seemed to be in a positive tizzy, singing their songs and zipping from tree to tree. A warm spring breeze blew down the trail, making the saplings and bushes sway as if dancing. The fern fronds waved like hands, seemingly guiding her down the trail.

She found her family sitting at the edge of her grandmother's pool, chatting about the day.

"There's the woman of the hour," Daniel announced when his granddaughter stepped toward the pool and kicked off her shoes. He slapped his hand on his thigh and added, "I'm proud of you, Kia."

Kia's cheeks warmed, and she said, "Thank you," as she pulled off her blouse.

"That goes for us too, Honey," Gary told his daughter.

Kia finished removing her clothing and joined the circle.

Brina nudged her husband and said, "Go on — ask. You've bothered me with your musing about it for long enough. I'm curious too."

Kia stiffened, praying that the question wasn't one for her, concerning Steve. Her grandmother had no qualms about bringing up sex, and Kia was almost certain that the nymph somehow knew what she and Steve had done in the shadow of his clubhouse.

"Xantina, you say that this is a special day, but I don't understand why. Earth Day is just an arbitrary day that a Senator picked for good weather and college schedules."

"It is much more than that now, is it not?" Xantina answered with her own question.

"Well, yes — I suppose."

"Man has blessed this day in honor of Mother Earth." Xantina spread her arms and continued, "Mother Earth is pleased and honored, so she has blessed this day as well. All of her children celebrate this day, and so it is magic."

Gary shrugged and smiled. "I guess that make sense. Though, if I told most people that, they'd tell me I needed a shrink."

Brina elbowed her husband and scowled at him. Everyone else broke out into laughter.

"Today is a very special day." Xantina glanced at her granddaughter and smiled.

Brina followed her mother's gaze and quickly jumped to a conclusion. Both she and her daughter were conceived on Earth Day. "Kia, you aren't pregnant, are you?"

"No, Mom. I'm on the pill, remember." Too late, she realized that volunteering the last said far more than she'd intended.

Brina's eyebrows popped up and a crooked smile spread across her face. Even if she'd missed the connotations of her daughter's words, the blush in Kia's cheeks spoke volumes.

Kia could see the wheels turning in her father's head, and knew that the gears would click into place any second. She doubted that his reaction would be as amused and happy as her mother's.

"No, she's not pregnant," Xantina interjected, and then let out a giggle.

Though her mother hadn't even glanced at her, or gave any other indication, Brina somehow knew. She laid a hand on her tummy and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Who then?" Gary asked, and realized that everyone had directed his or her gaze at his wife. He looked over to see her cradling her tummy. "Brina? What? How?"

"How?" Brina agreed, directing the question to her mother.

"I thought you knew that by now," Daniel quipped.

"That's not what I mean, Dad. I mean, I thought I could only have one child. We haven't been using protection since..." She trailed off, realizing that she was probably making her daughter, husband, and father all a little uncomfortable.

Xantina giggled and asked, "Why would you think that, silly?"

"Well, because... I don't know." Brina looked at her husband and said, "We're going to have a baby."

"It just wasn't his time to come yet. Now it is," Xantina explained.

Brina looked at her mother and asked, "His?"

"A son?" Gary piped up.

Kia felt equal parts excitement from the news, and relief that the interruption had distracted her father before he could put two and two together. "Guess I won't have to worry about you getting lonely while I'm off to college."

Daniel laughed and scooted over next to his daughter. He reached out a trembling hand to pat her belly and said, "Hello in there, little man."

"Daniel," Brina offered, and looked to her husband for confirmation.

"Daniel it is."

"Well then, Daniel. Nice name you have there. I..."

"Dad?" Brina asked as her father sat back, his features pinched in apparent pain.

When he collapsed back onto one arm, Kia and her mother both scrambled to his side.

"Dad!"

"Grandpa!"

Gary found his feet and grabbed his pants. "I'll bring the car down here so we can get him to the hospital."

"Gary — wait," Daniel said in a weak, quavering voice. "My... My time."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Gary disagreed as he tried to pull on his pants.

Xantina moved in behind her love and lifted his head to cradle it in her lap. He smiled, though a wince of pain stole his grin a moment later.

"Is. Stay," Daniel reiterated.

Brina looked at her mother, her eyes filled with tears. "Mom, please do something."

"It is his time. All things pass, and are renewed," Xantina responded while stroking her mate's hair and smiling down at him.

"But..."

"No... Buts." Daniel swept his half-closed eyes over his family, his smile returning despite the pain. "Everything — man could want. Cele... Cel..."

"Celebrate his life," Xantina finished for him.

"We will, Daddy," Brina sobbed.

Her tears falling on his wrinkled, bony arm, Kia said, "I love you, Grandpa."

Daniel's lips moved, but none could hear him.

Again, Xantina relayed his words, which echoed in her heart, even though he couldn't give them voice. "He loves you all, and he is at peace to have you here with him."

Daniel's eyes closed, his breathing slowed, and his lips turned up into a smile.

He slipped away.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Gary returned to the wood to find his nymph mother still sitting with her mate's head in her lap. "I got them both into bed."

"You should rest as well." She already knew the reason that he'd returned — the things that men did when someone passed on. "Tomorrow. I will watch over him this night."

Gary didn't even pretend to understand her ways, but he could sense that she understood what he needed to do. It could wait until morning. "I think that he's right where he'd want to be. We talked about it before. He wanted to be cremated and brought here."

"It made him happy to know that he would be here with me always."

"I think that goes for all of us." Gary nodded to her and walked back up the trail to the house.

Xantina finally moved and lowered Daniel's head to the earth. Her granddaughter had found her one. New life grew in her daughter's tummy. Her magic swelled.

The time was right.

She walked first to her pool and dived in. She surfaced with a large rock, nearly the size of her head, worn perfectly smooth over the decades by the spring that fed her pool. This, she placed next to her mate's head.

Next, the nymph stepped up to the intertwined trees that her mate had joined so long ago. Though he hadn't known it at the time, he had sealed their bond and their love in those branches. Xantina held out her hand, and four leaves dropped from the tree of their own volition, to land in her palm. These she placed around her stone, creating the shape of a star.

Xantina knelt in front of the stone, and took Daniel's still slightly warm hand. She closed her eyes, and called upon the power granted to her by the Earth.




Forever of the Wood



Brilliant green light arose from the stone, expanding until it hid both the nymph and her mate's body. When the light faded, it revealed something new in place of the stone.

Daniel groaned and opened his eyes. Naturally, he smiled when he saw his radiant love kneeling over him. He shook his head and began, "Didn't I..?"

It was then he noticed his aged body lying next to him.

"Okay — that's disconcerting."

"You're so silly."

Daniel laughed, the sound of her voice bringing him joy, as it always did. He reached up to stroke her cheek, and saw his hand. Though it looked like his hand as he remembered it from his youth, the color was brown, and had subtle patterns like the bark of a tree.

Xantina took his hand and helped him to rise. A glance down revealed that all of his skin matched the tone of his hand. It didn't feel like wood, but it certainly looked like it. On a whim, he reached for a lock of his hair. As he'd suspected, it was green hued, if a little darker than his mate's.

"You are one with the Earth, now," Xantina explained.

"This is what you kept hinting at me about. Do the kids know?"

"Not yet. They aren't ready. I think they will be before little Daniel comes into this world, though."

Daniel looked down at the shell he'd inhabited only a short time ago. "Too bad I can't go to the funeral. Not too many people get a chance to do that."

"I can think of something much nicer to do than this silly funeral thing," Xantina purred, and then wrapped her hand around his cock.

Daniel looked down to watch her stroking him to hardness. "That gives a whole new meaning to getting wood."

She laughed, and then shoved him into the pool without the slightest hint of warning. Daniel hit the water with a flailing splash, and found that he had no need to breathe. He knew that it was going to be an interesting night when she dived in after him and took his cock in her mouth as they floated beneath the waters of her pool — their pool.

Joined in magic, and in love, they would be forever of the wood.

♠~~~~~∞~~~~~♠

Hope you've enjoyed this third walk into the wood with me. Please take a moment to vote, ( Just once — no stuffing the ballot box ) and perhaps leave me a comment to let me know what you think of the story.