Regrets.

With our arrival at the cabin, the atmosphere shifts, carrying away the heat deep in my belly from the final leg of the drive.

The cabin is more “suburban house” than “rustic cabin”. Caleb, ever the enthusiastic host, gives us a grand tour. The property is enveloped on all sides by a dense forest, a lush green blanket of pines that lends a sense of seclusion and tranquility. Large windows offer promises of panoramic views of the surrounding nature from every room. A few hundred feet out back, a small river slices through the landscape. The rush of water is a constant, soothing background noise.

Inside, the cabin is equally impressive. It consists of two bedrooms, each furnished with comfortable beds and inviting linens. Cheesy “Live Laugh Love”-style decorations adorn the walls. The main area is a great room, its space dominated by a few plush couches and a big TV — the ideal setup for a cozy movie night.

But the real jackpot, in my opinion, is the back deck. It overlooks a well-maintained yard, and beyond a screen of trees I can catch glimpses of the river. The deck features a hot tub, and I can’t wait to get in it. Oooh, maybe we’ll get to do some skinny dipping. I bet I could convince Amy to get in…

Speaking of Amy, throughout the tour, she remains noticeably distant. She doesn't meet my gaze, her attention seemingly focused on anything but me. I’m a little confused. Maybe she’s bothered by the way I held her waist? Did I push it too far? But she put her hand on my leg…

Caleb, oblivious to the tension, continues to yammer away, happily showing off his family's cabin. As he leads us around, his enthusiasm is infectious, but I’m a little worried about Amy.

In short order, we’ve wrapped up the tour, and busy ourselves unpacking. Back in the great room, Ethan and Caleb start to unload the food and drinks they had brought, bottles clinking as they unload beer. Oh, they brought beer! They move around each other with an easy familiarity, their banter light and playful. There's an intimacy in their actions, a charged tension with the way they brush past each other to put one thing or another in the fridge or a cupboard.

I sigh, already feeling I’m missing out on Sex Fest a bit. I find myself drawn to the large windows overlooking the river. With nothing much to unpack, I take a moment to appreciate the view. The river, framed by the lush foliage, is a calming sight. The late afternoon sun casts a golden hue over the water, turning it into a shimmering ribbon of light.

Inside, Amy has settled on one of the couches, her attention seemingly absorbed by her phone. After a few minutes of solitary contemplation, I head back into the great room. The sight that greets me is adorable — Caleb leaning in to give Ethan a soft kiss. The kiss intensifies, moving from adorable to sexy. Then, Ethan notices me and pushes Caleb away.

As they break apart, Ethan takes Caleb’s hand and leads him down the hall towards the master bedroom. "We're going to take a nap," Caleb announces, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

I flash them a grin. "Uh, huh, enjoy the ‘nap’,” I say, my tone teasing. Then I smile. “Give it to him, Caleb!"

Caleb winks back at me. "Oh, I don't do the giving," he says, his smirk widening.

Ethan swats at him lightly, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Stopppp," he protests, pulling Caleb’s muscular form into the bedroom.

And like that, they’ve left Amy and I alone in the great room. Amy breaks the silence. "I think I'm gonna take a nap too," she announces.

"Seriously?" I protest, my arms flailing in exaggerated dismay. "What am I supposed to do with everyone off 'napping'?"

Amy gives me a small smile, her eyes meeting mine for the first time since we arrived. "Sorry, I just… I need some time alone.”

“Okay,” I reply. I’m not the type to need alone time. But Amy’s more introverted, so I guess I should just give her some space.

Before Amy gets up, she pauses, her expression loaded with some nervous energy. Finally, she speaks up again. “You know, I actually have a few more pages of my story ready. Would you maybe want to read it?”

My annoyance melts away at the suggestion. "Send them over immediately," I say, trying to inject some lightheartedness into the situation.

Amy obliges, fumbling with her phone to send them over. Then she rises from the couch, stretching briefly before heading towards the other bedroom. "I'm going to get some rest," she says, her back to me.

"Okay," I reply, watching her retreat. Just before she disappears down the hall, I call out, "Are you okay, Amy?"

She turns back, her expression unreadable. "Yeah," she says, "it’s just, I’m sorry."

“About what?” I ask, eyebrows raised.

She purses her lips and then shrugs. “I mean, I guess… never mind.” With that, she closes the door behind her, and I let her go, my thoughts whirling.

That was weird. Whatever, I’ve got more sexy stories to read!

Settling back into the couch, I pull out my phone and open Amy's latest pages. As I delve in, I hope that her need for solitude is just that — a need for some quiet time — and not a sign of something more troubling.

≋ ≋ ≋

The night was cold, the air crisp in the mountains. Bren and Adaric had built a small fire, the flames dancing and casting long shadows over the rough terrain. The overlook provided a breathtaking view of the valleys below, golden hour illuminating the snow-capped peaks in the distance.

The presence of the fire was comforting, a luxury. These mountains, while rugged and inhospitable, weren’t yet touched by the dark. They could afford to risk smoke and light without fearing ambush.

Turning towards her, Adaric broke the silence. "Our… encounter… in the baths," he began. She turned towards him, a smirk on her face. He held up a calming hand, “I don’t want to talk about what we did. Rather, you told me your drive to hunt the thrallhosts. I never asked why." He paused, "I suppose I was... distracted."

Bren turned to him, her face illuminated by the fire's glow. Her eyes met his, a flicker of something passing between them. She remained silent for a moment as if weighing her options. She could choose to keep her secrets, to shut him out like she had done with so many others. But looking at Adaric, seeing the earnestness in his gaze, she made a decision.

With a soft sigh, she turned her gaze back to the fire. The flames reflected in her eyes. She had kept this locked away for so long.

Bren's voice was steady. "They came to my village. A thrallhost. It started spewing out the things, spirits, whatever they are - everyone was changing, turning, my family… my brother…” she paused, swallowing hard. Adaric watched her carefully. It was concerning seeing her so emotionally affected, it was… destabilizing, somehow.

“My brother… the bastards turned him into a thrallhost," she said, her words carrying the weight of her loss. "I watched. They couldn’t turn me, somehow. I ran. I ran away like a fucking coward. And ever since... I've been hunting him. Not just him, but all of them.” Adaric could see her shaking ever so slightly with the intensity of her emotion. “I’ll kill all the thrallhosts I can until I find him, and then I’ll fucking kill him. It’s the only way I can free him."

Adaric remained silent, absorbing her words. He could see the determination in her eyes, the fire that fueled her hunt. "It’s a noble thing," he said after a moment.

Bren shrugged off his words, she dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "It isn’t shit. Nothing complicated about it, just kill 'em all."

She turned to him, a hardened edge to her gaze. "You’ve got yourself a god to believe in, something bigger. I’ve just got rage," she said, a bitter smile on her face.

Adaric just shrugged, the crackling fire the only sound in the cold mountain night. She stayed quiet too, and they sat side by side, staring into the fire. Adaric found himself lost in thought. Bren’s determination, her strength, the immense burden she carried alone. He saw a warrior, a survivor, and a woman of incredible resilience.

After a while of fire observation, Bren sighed loudly. “Fuck this,” she said, shifting to face him. “I hate thinking about this shit. Feel better now that you know my story?”

Adaric nodded, looking into her eyes. She held his eye contact. He didn’t want to look away.

He couldn’t look away.

She held his gaze a moment longer, and then her eyes flitted to his chest. “So, holy man,” she said. She shifted in her position, moving closer to him. He watched as her mood shifted, as she seemed to gather herself up and suppress what she felt, replacing it with lust.

With one hand, she began to undo the laces of her jerkin. The other reached out and gently took his hand. Her fingers were rough, calloused from her work, but warm. Bewitched by her, he allowed her to maneuver his hand to her chest, her heartbeat steady under his palm. Her gaze was intense as she looked at him, her voice firm. "Give me something else to think about."

Adaric said nothing and searched her expression. All he found there was pain, loneliness, and need. Need for comfort, need for warmth. His hand began moving on her chest. His touch was gentle, his fingers tracing the contours of her collarbone before slowly trailing his fingertips down. He wanted to help her. He wanted to give her what she sought, but mostly, he wanted her.

Bren leaned into his touch, her eyes closing as she surrendered herself to the distraction. She shifted her body closer to him still. She pressed her leg against his as his hand traced the curves of her breasts..

His hand now found his way fully into the opening she had created by loosening the laces. Adaric could feel her muscles tense as he palmed her breast. A soft moan escaped her lips, the sound lost in the crackling of the fire. As he fondled her, she felt a warmth spreading through her, her body responding to his touch in a way that made her forget the cold of the mountains, the weight of her past, and the dangers that lay ahead. All that mattered at that moment was the feeling of his hands on her body.

Bren arched into his touch, the movement opening her jerkin fully. His fingers left her breast, tracing the lines of her body and exploring the contours of her toned stomach. Every inch of her was solid, her body the perfect balance of strength and femininity. He could feel himself harden, his body responding to the feel of her under his hands. He moved his hand down, slipping the tips of his fingers into her pants.

Suddenly, Bren pulled his arm away and stood. She moved with purpose, pulling Adaric into their small tent and pushing him to the floor. Their hands worked quickly pulling off clothing and throwing garments onto their bedrolls. In moments they were naked, the heat of their passion warming the interior of the tent. The pitch of the roof was short, and they were both on their hands and knees.

The sight of Bren, her muscular body on full display, made Adaric's breath hitch in his throat. Her body was a work of art, sculpted by battles and hardened by survival. Yet, under his touch, she was soft, yielding.

Bren positioned herself, her fingers wrapping around his arousal. He was already rock hard, his body responding to her touch with a shudder.

She leaned down, her lips brushing against him. The contact sent a jolt of pleasure through Adaric, his body tensing in anticipation. Bren's lips were soft against his hardness. She slid them up and down his length, their warmth wrapping around him.

Her tongue joined in, tracing the sensitive underside of his cock, exploring every vein and ridge with an intimacy that left him breathless. It swirled around his tip, teasing the slit before plunging back down. Her hands were not idle either. One held his base, her fingers gently squeezing in sync with her mouth, while the other explored the rest of his body, tracing the lines of his muscles, the curve of his hips, the firmness of his buttocks.

Adaric's hands instinctively found their way to Bren's head, his fingers threading through her hair. He didn't control her movements, merely held her, his touch gentle and kind. His other hand roamed her back, tracing the muscles that moved under her skin, appreciating the strength and power of her body.

Bren's face was a picture of concentration, her eyes half-lidded as she focused on pleasuring him. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips shiny with her efforts. Now and then, she'd look up at him, catching his gaze with her own.

The pleasure continued to build, a delightful tension. He could feel the familiar tightening in his lower belly, a sign of his impending release. His breaths came in short gasps, his body trembling under the onslaught of sensations. He was close, so close. He fought to hold in his seed.

Suddenly, Bren stopped, releasing him from her mouth. She held his cock for a moment in her hands, almost as if appreciating the weight of it. Then, she turned around, exposing her back to him.

"Take me," she demanded, her voice laced with desire. "Hard and fast."

Adaric moved, hastily positioning himself behind her, his hands moving to her hips. He lined himself up with her, his tip brushing against her entrance. Then, with a swift thrust, he entered her. Her body welcomed him, the heat of her enveloping him. Her sharp intake of breath accompanied her body clenching around him in a delicious grip.

He set a rhythm, each thrust hard and fast, just as she had asked. His hands tightened on her hips. He could feel every inch of her around him, her body accommodating him in a perfect fit. Bren met each of his thrusts, pushing back against him.

Through the haze of lust that had taken him over, a sudden realization befell Adaric, an overwhelming emotion accompanying it. In a flash, he realized that this was more than just a physical connection for him. In that moment, as he moved buried deep within her, he knew that he would do anything to protect her, to keep her safe, to help her carry the burden she had been shouldering alone for so long.

With the realization came a welling of tears in his eyes, a care he couldn’t contain. He slowed his pace, thrusting achingly slow. He ran his hands across her back protectively, almost tenderly. Bren’s response was to turn back and look at him, heat and anger in her eyes. He looked at her, shocked, surprised, emotions warring in his heart. Then, she pushed back against him, hard, uncompromising. She rocked on her knees and fully hilted him again, and again. Her motions made it clear she rejected the intimacy.

Adaric frowned, unsure how to feel as she took control. The pleasure as she slid along his length, the fervor with which she fucked him… it was as equally overwhelming as the emotions he felt. The sensations warred within him, until Bren dropped her chest to the floor, creating an intense arch in her back that took his breath away. His animal instincts took over. He found his hands gripping her hips with a firmness that left marks on her skin. His fingers dug into the soft flesh of her backside, using it as leverage to drive himself even deeper into her.

She smiled against the floor of the tent as he took her. She had won.

Bren amplified the rhythm, pushing back against him with each of his thrusts. Her victory grin transformed into an expression of ecstasy as he pressed her harder into the floor, his cock filling her up. Her moans filled the small tent. They were raw and uninhibited, unfiltered expressions of her pleasure that fueled Adaric's desire even more, pushing his worries of intimacy to a far corner of his mind.

One of his hands left her hip, moving around to her front as he leaned over her. His fingers found her breasts, grabbing them with a firmness that made her gasp. He channeled his frustration into fervor, his motions becoming rough. His grip was intense, his fingers squeezing hard in time with his thrusts.

The added stimulation sent jolts of pleasure through her. She loved the feel of his hands on her, his grip firm and demanding. The slight pain was a delicious counterpoint to the pleasure he was giving her, an exquisite balance that had her teetering on the edge of release. Her body responded to his expression, her hips grinding against his core as he buried himself deep in her. He towered over her, driving her into the ground.

The rhythm of their bodies became frantic, the air in the tent heavy with their shared arousal. Adaric could feel his release building, his lower abdomen tightening with each passing moment. But he held back, focusing on Bren, on giving her the distraction she so desperately sought.

Bren's body tensed, her movements becoming erratic as she neared her climax. Her moans grew louder, her breaths coming in short gasps. She was pinned against the floor, face pressed into a discarded article of leather clothing, an open mouth smile of ecstasy frozen on her face. Then, with a cry that echoed through the tent, she came. Her body convulsed around Adaric, her inner walls clenching him in a grip that set him off. Her climax was powerful, her body surrendering to the pleasure coursing through her.

Feeling Bren convulse and climax pushed Adaric over the edge. He thrust into her one last time, his grip on her tightening as he spilled himself inside her. His release was just as intense, his body shuddering as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him. His moan of satisfaction was muffled against her hair, his body leaning over hers as he sought support.

As his release ebbed, he stayed inside her, his body still connected to hers.

Their breathing was heavy, their bodies slick with sweat as they came down from their highs. The intensity of their coupling left them spent, their bodies aching pleasantly.

Slowly, Adaric rolled off Bren, his body collapsing next to hers. Their bodies were still flushed and slick with sweat, their breathing heavy. His arm instinctively reached for her, pulling her into his side. Bren stiffened as he pulled her close. She waited for the familiar feeling to come, the disgust, the rejection of intimacy that always came with the tender touches of her lovers. But it didn’t come. His heart was still beating rapidly, the rhythm a soothing lullaby that pulled her into a sense of security. With trepidation, she turned and nestled into his side, her head resting on his chest. The small tent was warm, the chill of the outside world kept at bay by their shared body heat.

The disgust never came to her that night.

The rhythm of their breathing synchronized, as they lay in each other’s arms.

Right before Adaric succumbed to sleep, he realized he had never kissed her.