Wandering Off the Path

  A Total-E-Bound Publication

  www.total-e-bound.com

  Wandering Off the Path

  ISBN # 978-1-78184-221-8

  ©Copyright Willa Edwards 2013

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright January 2013

  Edited by Rebecca Douglas

  Total-E-Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2013 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2.

  This story contains 82 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 6 pages.

  Bound by Fairytales

  WANDERING OFF THE PATH

  Willa Edwards

  Book one in the Bound by Fairytales series

  On a moonlight walk down a shadowy forest path, Abigail discovers all she’s ever dreamed of in the form of one sexy Wolf.

  Abigail has always wanted more than the quiet life living with her grandmother has offered. The only thrills she has are her monthly trips to the market. While returning from one of these excursions with a basket full of goodies, she is approached by a stranger on the road. He offers her all the pleasure and excitement she could ask for, if she’s willing to wander from the safety of the path. Too frightened to take advantage of his offer, Abigail flees, afraid of what will happen if she strays from the path she knows.

  But Wolf isn’t willing to let this interaction with the fiery, curious red-caped woman be his last…no matter what he has do to convince her otherwise.

  When Abigail returns home her grandmother is missing and the alluring stranger has taken her place. As Wolf shows Abigail exactly how much pleasure and excitement he can give her, she finds staying on the safe path increasingly difficult. But if she gives in to his offer will she be forever pushed beyond the way she knows, never to return again? Or will she receive all she’s ever wanted and more?

  Dedication

  To all those that are still trying to find their own path. You are not alone.

  And to Dara, my first beta reader and the girl in the red coat. Thank you for being such a safe place for me to start this journey.

  Chapter One

  “You’ll be fine, as long as you stay on the path,” Abigail coached herself, clutching the basket handle tight. The icy sweat on her palms made the wicker slick. Her hold bore the imprint of the woven pattern into her soft skin.

  The full moon hung high in the October sky. Its silvery-white light descended upon the forest, casting the entire glade in harsh shadows. Stars flecked the otherwise black sea of the sky. The barren branches of the surrounding trees extended across the round illumination, reaching out to claw the orb from the sky. Their abandoned leaves crunched beneath her soft leather boots and her steps echoed through the still night.

  An owl hooted to her left, raising the hairs along the back of her neck. She’d delayed her trip in town too long, again. She’d only needed a few items for her grandmother, a bottle of wine and a small apple cake, but the activity in the market square had intrigued her into staying longer. Her stomach still twisted from the bawdy story the market bard had sung, directing his words to one of the local town beauties. The lady’s moans still echoed in her ears as the bard had reaped the rewards of his attention, hidden within the cobblestone alley.

  It was sinful to watch the couple together, to covet what the other woman possessed. But her dream to be the object of the same devotion she saw shining in the bard’s eyes overpowered her sense of right and wrong. The chance to watch this beauty receive the complete abandon and bliss she craved was impossible to resist.

  Her nipples tingled as she imagined a man caressing her the same way. His mouth sucking at her breasts, his hand pushing up her skirts to stroke the skin no one else had ever touched. Her legs quivered. Wetness dampened her thighs.

  In all her twenty years, she’d never experienced anything as thrilling as the lady had received in the arms of the songster. No one had ever made her feel even a fraction of the passion the lady had screamed out. Certainly not Hunter, her childhood friend and the man her grandmother wished her to marry, regardless of her lack of interest in him. He was too predictable, too easy, too boring. She wanted heat, passion, explosion. She wanted more.

  An animal skittered across the scattered leaves of the forest floor, and Abigail whirled towards the noise. The crackle of dried foliage and branches breaking beneath the creature’s small feet sent her heart pounding. Fear spiked her blood. She pulled her scarlet cloak tight around her, gripping her precious cargo harder with her other hand.

  “It’s merely a mouse. No need to worry, dear lady,” a thick voice growled from the shadows.

  Among the barren autumn trees, a man stood swathed in shadows. His silhouette displayed an extended height and powerful body. Moonlight illuminated his face in shapes, displaying fragments of his features. She glimpsed full sensuous lips, bearded cheeks and dark heavy eyebrows.

  “I wasn’t worried.” Why was she speaking to this man instead of running from him, as she should? Her grandmother had always taught her the woods were a dangerous and mysterious place. People who went in often never came out. What type of man would be hiding among those trees? Certainly a man who thrived in such a perilous environment could not be trusted.

  Found alone on the road by a strange man, no one about to help her if she needed, Abigail should have been frightened. And she was. But her skin prickled with awareness. She shifted her feet restlessly on the ground beneath her, but the urge to run never reached her.

  The stranger’s throaty laughter filled the still air. The intensity and tone reminded her of the bard playing in the market square, and the deep moans he’d made thrusting against the dairy maid.

  “What causes you to be out at night, my sweet?” The voice floated to her from the forest’s edge, sending delightful chills across her chest.

  She fought the yearning to stray from the path, desperate to search out the secrets hidden in the shadows, and the commander of the alluring voice within. She might be interested in this stranger, but she wasn’t foolish. It was dangerous enough to be alone on the road at night, but to abandon the safety of the path to explore the mysterious forest and the even more mysterious man among the trees would be reckless.

  “I’m bringing these to my grandmother’s house.” She waved the basket in her white-knuckled grip. The wine bottle clinked against the wicker sides as she held it aloft.

  “It’s late. Didn’t your grandmother warn you against walking in the woods at night?”

  “Yes.” Abigail summoned all her courage to remain strong, as her grandmother always was, and had taught her to be. But the pull of the man was magnetic. “And that I shouldn’t speak to strangers on my way home.�
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  As if sensing the lack of bite behind her words, he let out a deep chuckle. “’Tis true, pet, but there’s far more adventure to be found beyond the path with a stranger than quietly wandering home to your grandmother.”

  She examined his silhouette, assessing the intent behind his words. Could he sense her longing to wander? The gnawing need to experience more than her quiet life offered that beat within her breast.

  “Have you never wished to explore beyond what’s safe?” The sound shivered over her skin like a rough caress. He smiled, as if he’d read her mind and sensed exactly how much she fought his offer.

  Abigail took a deep breath, remembering the screams of climax rolling from the local beauty while the bard had pumped into her. The pounding of Abigail’s pulse in her ears rushed through her system. The fresh, hot desire to be screaming, the same as the maid, raced through her veins.

  “I don’t see how that’s any of your concern, sir.” Why was she playing into his ploy? She should just run, but her legs refused to cooperate.

  Noticing her ambivalence, the man took his opportunity. Pushing a large branch from his way, he stepped towards the path from the forest edge, placing himself directly in the moon’s glow. The soft, sterling light illuminated his features, giving form to the haunting voice.

  He peered back at her, his golden eyes holding a dominant gleam, assessing her in turn. His heated gaze ran the height of her frame. A responding ripple of anticipation feathered over her body. She grabbed the edges of her crimson cloak, gathering them around her for protection—from the man, rather than the cold night air.

  He was everything she’d ever dreamed of. Bound by a short length of rough twine, his salt-and-pepper hair gathered in a knot at the base of his neck. Soft whiskers covered his face, sprinkled with more white streaks than his hair. No lines or wrinkles marred his complexion, conveying an age younger than his streaked hair suggested.

  He smiled, and for a moment she almost thought his mouth would be filled with sharp, jagged teeth. It was a fanciful notion, even for her. “I wish only to help a fellow traveller on the road.”

  His sophisticated air reminded her of the aristocracy, despite his simple leather and wool clothing. His stiff stance and challenging eyes detailed his ease at giving orders, and his confidence that they’d be obeyed. The impulse to give in to any commands he might order skated through her system. Her insides constricted, heat gathering in her centre. If he asked anything of her would she be able to say no? Do I want to?

  “I need no such aid.” Abigail swallowed the lump forming in her throat beneath the stranger’s lecherous stare. If another man sent her such a licentious look, she’d slap him across his face. Yet, here in the moonlight, his critical gaze turned her knees to water.

  “And what if I promised to be the most trustworthy of companions?”

  She raised an eyebrow at him, surprised by the honesty in his words. “And how am I to accept the word of a stranger? What proof do I have you will keep your vow?”

  “How am I to prove myself, my sweet, if you won’t let me near?”

  The man stepped towards her. Her body locked down, frozen by intrigue rather than dread. But she stood still, allowing his progress, ignoring how she should pull back.

  “I don’t need protection.” She tried to project a steely tone but failed miserably.

  He stopped before her, not moving into the cleared walk, forcing her to make the final move to seek him out. He extended his hand, his fingers rough and callused against hers. Her muscles tensed, responding to the flare of tension his proximity created.

  He didn’t touch her. Instead, he fingered the edge of her scarlet hood, tracing the ridge of fabric. His finger hovered inches from her skin, not touching her. His heat transferred through the thin air to tickle her.

  Abigail shook at his near touch, her crimson cloak insufficient defence against the stranger’s seeking gaze and tempting promise. Her heartbeat sped up as she gasped for each breath. “I’ll be fine, sir, as long as I stay on the path.” She repeated her mantra, though it no longer held the same security.

  Desires bloomed in her mind, filling her head with the craving to run her fingers through his thick hair and pull him towards her needy body. The temptation to feel his touch gliding along her skin or his taste along her tongue almost overwhelmed her sense of reason.

  She silently cursed herself for these longings and her inability to be the upstanding child her grandmother wished for. For her failure to run from the possibility of injury, and to be the granddaughter who would be happy with the safe, secure life they’d been given.

  She stepped towards the stranger and closer to the danger he might offer, the call of excitement too delicious to resist. All the passion and pleasure that existed on the edge of propriety and safety was now only a fraction from her reach.

  “That may be, my sweet.” His nostrils flared, his chest puffing with his deep breaths. The soft breeze brushed across her skin as he inhaled the air around her. He enveloped her with a hungry stare, as if he wished to consume her whole, which only exhilarated her further. Blood rushed through her body, heating her limbs. “But do you want to settle for fine, my dear? Or do you want more?”

  The statement rolled through her mind like a soft whisper spoken in a dream or the tangled desires of her heart never before fully voiced. His words stroked a familiar place inside her. Fine was what she’d been given. Fine was what she received and did not complain about, because that was all she’d expected. But a longing buried deep within her had always wanted something else.

  It wanted excitement, passion, satisfaction. Beyond what fine could ever offer.

  She shifted her hand on the basket handle, forcing her duties to the front of her mind. She needed to go home, to bring her wares to her grandmother. She needed to return to the safety of her quiet life before she no longer had the choice.

  Her gaze moved to the stranger before her. A wicked grin spread across his face, making her feel dizzy. How simple it would be to give in, to take advantage of his intriguing offer. But what would happen next? Would she receive the thrill she had always sought? Or would she find something more sinister within the stranger’s suggestion?

  “No. I can’t.”

  The voice of obedience rang in her ears, imploring her to move, to follow the path her grandmother expected, regardless of her own wishes. A voice too weak to survive against the stranger’s continued onslaught.

  “I must go.”

  Fearing she might still be lost, despite her decline, Abigail gripped her basket tightly, turning from the mysterious man and the temptation he offered. Her crimson cloak swirled behind her as she ran down the twining dirt path. She was unsure if she raced from the man, or from the urge to turn back.

  Wolf watched as the woman fled him, escaping in a flash of scarlet down the road. The moonlight beamed off the pale skin of her neck and cheek, shining like marble. His skin had never met hers, but he imagined her flesh would be warm and receptive beneath his hands. A woman that brave and curious would definitely be warm.

  The earth crunched beneath his feet as he stepped from the forest line into the clear walk. He’d never intended to travel this path tonight, having more efficient routes to return home. He’d only come to town to sell his doe skins at market and spend the few coins he’d received on ale before heading on his way. But once he’d seen the copper-haired beauty, her eyes had captured him completely. So big and bright, they looked out on the world begging for more, for something the innocent maiden couldn’t name. Emanating a plea Wolf needed to answer. Just the simple look from her had him hard as an oak post.

  There’d been no alternative. He’d needed to follow her. He had to know her.

  He mindlessly kicked a rock out of his way. The stone hit something else hard, scattering the dead leaves around it. The sound reverberated through the otherwise quiet woods. He couldn’t believe the prize he’d found in the red-caped woman, when she’d wandered down the abandoned
alley, where a couple rutted in the street like animals. The honest interest that had crossed her face had amazed and aroused him. Her soft pink lips had parted in a gasp, begging to be touched. His mouth had watered at the sight of those breasts, high and tight, heaving beneath her cloak with her deep breaths. The points of her nipples had poked out, visible through the cloth.

  He’d never seen a woman so interested, not holding back her passion or hiding behind her inexperience. Instead, she had openly desired more. And he desperately wanted to give her all that she dreamed of.

  Deep in the forest, an owl hooted, followed by a rustle of leaves as it flew from the trees in search of prey. He paid the animal no mind, his gaze focused forward on the last trace of red trailing through the woods. His own prey was still focused within his sight.

  Watching her hadn’t been enough—he’d needed to talk to her, to know her, to see if she was truly as interested as she appeared. No, this short encounter on the road hadn’t been enough, not even close. The wanting and interest that had flickered in her eyes had only flared his need higher. His desire to see her give in to the craving she warred with, to give herself up to complete abandon overshadowed all else. Whether it was right or wise didn’t matter. Everything else fled in the face of the enticing woman. Not his family or the pain their loss still housed in his heart. No thought occupied his mind beyond her, reason replaced with a desperate need to know more.

  He licked his lips and picked up his pace along the deserted lane. Determination filled his steps, dirt kicked up behind him with each of his strides. Everything he wanted was only yards down the path. Nothing would stand in his way to possess her.