The Nymph of Black Forest

Derek’s POV ~

I open my eyes, snuggled into my right side, is my beautiful redhead! She has been so patient and kind. I am rapidly falling for this little snippet of a woman. I close my eyes..searching my mind for Ambrose.. and I see him stretching and yawning. He tells me he is here..and okay.

Rhiannon stretches her little body and mewls..like a kitten..and I smile at her. I pull her up against me and kiss her pert little nose. Her eyes flew wide and she squeals. I burst into laughter. She immediately jumps to “Are you okay? How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Are you hungry?” And I stopped her..”slow down, baby.. I’m fine. My head is clear.. my memory is back. I have slight pain in my side..but Ambrose is awake, so my healing should kick in. And I am ravenous!!” She jumped up and darted out of the room. Umm..okay then..

I walk out of the room to see Shawn and Marty sitting in a nest of blankets. “Where did Rhiannon go?” Shawn’s eyes widened and pointed at the door.. I nod and start the coffee.. Micah came out from behind a little door.. I hadn’t noticed that before. I smiled at him and asked “Is that your room?” And his little head nods furiously. I chuckle “ That’s adorable!” And again he nodded. He looked around for Rhiannon and I told him she’d gone outside and his little mouth formed an “O” Monty walks into the kitchen and laughs “Are you talking to a rodent?” And Shawn walks in laughing.. I said “Of course, I am. He is my mate’s best friend and he knows all her secrets” and again his little head nods furiously.

Rhiannon walks in with her apron held up.. she unloads it carefully..putting ten eggs down on the counter. “Shoo! I will have breakfast ready in a minute”..turning she opens a door and runs down some stairs. Almost immediately she shoots back into the room with a slab of bacon. She starts slicing the bacon..and cracking the eggs.. mixes up a dough of some kind and sets it aside. Chopping up apples into bite size pieces..seasoning them with sugar and cinnamon.. she puts them on a back burner to simmer.. I watch her..not one wasted movement. She is precision personified. She pours a cup of coffee..spoons sugar in and the spoon stirs by itself..while she cracks eggs in a bowl.. she chops onions tomatoes and potatoes..dropping them into a frying pan..already warm with melted butter..she flips the bacon she already has frying. Picks up the cup of coffee and hands it to me.

She decides the dough is ready..and rolls it out.. cutting it into triangles. Coats it with melted butter and sprinkles a cinnamon sugar mix over the butter, spooning the cooked apples into the dough, she folds it, crimping the edges closed with a fork. She’s made sixteen in a matter of minutes.. and slides them into the oven. Removing the cooked bacon..she adds the stirred eggs to the vegetable mixture and waits a few minutes, flipping it perfectly.. she pulls the apple turnovers from the oven and rolls them in the cinnamon sugar. Flips her omelette onto a platter and sets the table yelling “Come and get it!”

And, I am amazed! She made more than enough food for all of us, in less than twenty minutes! And she looked happy doing it. Beside her place at the table sits a tiny table with a single chair. She serves his plate and Micah sat down…like the little king he is. Shawn and Monty busted out laughing..and Rhiannon looks at them with a question on her face.. Shawn says “It’s funny!” She shrugs..smiling “He has been my only friend. Ever. The other animals are acquaintances..and like to argue with me. Micah argues, but his points are valid. So, I listen! He makes more sense than humans who ride high horses.” And Monty cracked up. While I am confused. She grins..patting my hand she tells me “Shawn and I had a disagreement about his tone. I have forgiven him…since he didn’t understand the circumstances.. and here we are!”

I simply nod.. and say “This is really good, baby! It was amazing watching you put it all together “ and she put her head down..her cheeks blushing so beautifully red..that went all the way to the tips of her perfect little ears!

She pours more coffee for all of us, then clears the table. I looked at my men and said “I remember. Everything! I had been to the Alpha summit. There are five Alphas who want to stay with the old ways.. Choosing a mate, if the Alpha Heir has not found their fated by their ascension.. meaning everyone must be mated by 21. It’s unrealistic and utter bullshit. They decided I would take a chosen.. as I am 23.. I told them to kiss my ass! I will only accept my Goddess given mate. They accused me of buying supporters.. that they know what is best, for me..for our pack! I told all five of them, they will not dictate my life.. everyone of them have decided on a chosen mate for me…yet, not one of them could agree on one. So they paraded five would be mates in front of me all week. I avoided them like the plague. But every time I turned around this Deidra was up my ass! Trying to hang on me.. constantly touching me. It was so annoying! I left in the early morning hours of the last day..just to avoid it! The run home was uneventful, for the most part. When I reached the outskirts of the Black Forest.. they poured out of the woodwork.. it felt like hundreds. They got in a couple good blows. And thiings got fuzzy after that..then I woke up here..and remembered nothing.” I look at Rhiannon and she cleared her throat.

He had killed fifteen or twenty of them.. I shot twenty.. I know that because that’s how many arrows I had in my quiver and I never miss. There were still eight or so..hell bent on taking Derek down.. so I jumped from the tree..pulling my sword and long knife.. I decapitated two..and slit the throat of a third.. Derek took out three more and collapsed. He was bleeding profusely.. and I flipped over one..stabbing him in the chest.. lodging my long knife. That pissed me off, by the way. The last two were charging Derek and I stood over him. I threw a dagger that impaled a rogue in the forehead. The last one caught a dagger to the jugular. Now..here’s what I know! The rogues that attacked you..are the same ones who attacked me, a month ago..well, they attacked Edina. My NaNa saved me.. by sacrificing herself. I stalked the rogues. I killed them when I caught them out. I destroyed their camp three times.. yet still, they hung around. Then, I overheard a few of them talking about waiting to ambush a Kingston… I had no idea who they were talking about.. but then, they said that if they didn’t kill him this time, they would not get paid”

They sit there quietly. Then, Shawn gets pissed! “We were right! You are being targeted! Someone is trying to get rid of you! And that someone has deep pockets..so that narrows it down. But we have to get home! Monty and I have to get into servers.. we have a few suspects. And I want to know! We have to know! Then, we have to prepare for war!”

I said “Stop! I am not rushing back..not until Rhiannon is ready to come with me! She is my mate. And I refuse to live another minute without her!” I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. She smiles.. “I can be ready in a couple days. I will disperse my food stores among my forest friends and close up the cottage. As long as I can come back from time to time..and there’s woodlands around your pack, I will be fine. Your pack is Mountain Moon..is there a mountain for real?” And we all nod.. “Is that important?” She said “a Forest Nymph controls all elements of the earth. A mountain can regenerate me more rapidly than the forest.. a mountain is thousands upon thousands of years old! They store an untold amount of energy!”

I turned to Shawn and Monty.. “Get back to the pack. Send a truck for us.. we will be ready, the day after tomorrow! Do not mention the rogue attack! I’m a little worried about a mole.. No one but our pack knew my return route!” They nod.. and jump up to leave. Monty turns “I’m really happy you’re our Luna, Rhiannon!” She grins and says “Meee toooo!” Causing all of us to laugh again