The Elf’s Potion Had an Effect He Hid from Me

I woke up.

I had no idea where I was or what had happened to me. Everything after I fainted was blurry, but what came before was still sharp and terrible. I’d been climbing with Bruno, Tobías, and Marcos—my climbing partners—up a sheer rock face. Nothing we hadn’t done dozens of times, but someone made a mistake. I suppose it was Bruno, the least experienced one, who didn’t secure the anchor properly in a crack. The piece tore free from the wall, and my rope didn’t hold.

I fell. I knew it from the dull impact of my body against the rocks and the crunch of my bones. I assumed I was badly injured, with several open fractures and the certainty that no one would reach me in time. As a mountain paramedic, I assessed the severity in seconds and understood that some of those wounds were fatal. I wanted to scream, but the pain had drained my strength. And then I fainted.

Now I was waking here, in a soft bed, with a blanket over me and a deep strangeness in my chest. There was no trace of pain in me.

I lifted the fabric covering me and checked my body. I was whole. I could move my feet, and that reassured me. At first glance I found no bruises or scars. Not a scratch. What I was, however, was weak and starving. A few feet away I saw a bowl with berries, mushrooms, and a piece of cold meat. I put one foot on the floor, tried to walk, and nearly went face-first to the ground. I went back to bed, but the noise was loud enough to alert someone. A little later, the door opened.

—Hello. You finally woke up, and I imagine you’re quite hungry —said a young, handsome man.

I couldn’t help noticing him. Tall, athletic, with long, thick hair. He brought the tray to the bed and watched me eat with a calm curiosity that at times seemed to amuse him. I didn’t care: I had to eat, and after all, someone had saved me. I finished the plate down to the crumbs.

—Where am I?

He smiled. I swear his smile was pure, almost unreal.

—In my village, safe. I’m Aren, healer of my tribe. I found you a few days ago on the mountainside. You were about to die, but I treated you in time.

—A few days ago? How many?

—Almost three weeks.

—Three weeks? —I repeated, almost shouting—. That’s forever! My friends must be looking for me. I can’t stay. Thank you, really, but I have to go back.

—Yes, of course —he said politely—, but you’re still weak and the road is long.

—I’ll manage it.

In one motion I threw off the blanket, and that was when I noticed something: I was wearing tiny underwear that left almost all my flesh exposed. I covered myself again while asking him about my clothes. Without a hint of mischief, he explained that to treat me he’d had to take all my clothes off, that they were torn and dirty, and that he had buried them. The women in his village didn’t wear underwear, so he asked the tailor for something to cover me; the man hadn’t understood properly and stitched that tiny pair of briefs and a tight bra.

He took a dress from the wardrobe and handed it to me naturally. The design surprised me: low-cut on top, short on the bottom, tight at the waist. I put it on as soon as I asked him to turn around. I felt strange in something so fitted, when I lived in technical gear. And there was something else I sensed but couldn’t verify: I had the impression my breasts and hips had grown.

Aren helped me stand and take a few steps around the room, making sure I didn’t stumble. Being alive and intact was a miracle.

—What did you do to me, exactly?

—I healed you.

—That’s obvious. My tibia was exposed and my collarbone was sticking out. At least three broken ribs, possible liver damage. I’m not a healer like you, but I’m a doctor. I know curing me was almost impossible.

—Maybe among your people it’s impossible to treat someone in agony, but not here —he said—. I used herbs, mushrooms, and roots. I set your bones and applied the mixture every day over these weeks. It was worth it.

—It’s miraculous. It would be a huge discovery where I come from.

—I don’t think that’s a good idea —he cut in quickly, with a smile that suddenly turned enigmatic, almost regretful—. Sorry, I didn’t ask your name.

—I’m Mariela. Mari, to my friends.

—Look, Mariela, this potion I gave you has certain side effects. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but I wouldn’t have given it to you if I hadn’t seen how bad off you were.

—What kind of side effects?

—We’ll talk about it if they show up. Don’t worry; it was that or let you die. Now come on, I have to deal with a couple of matters with the council.

***

I was already walking on my own. He put sandals on me and we headed toward the village. Along the way he told me about his people, how they had survived far from “humans,” and that no outsider had set foot on those lands for decades.

When we arrived I noticed something: everyone was of a singular beauty. Vigorous men alongside tall women, with delicate curves and tender faces. A group you’d only find on a runway, and even then not quite.

—What are you, Aren? —I asked when curiosity overpowered caution.

—Your people call us elves, Mari. Though we prefer other names.

I was so surprised I stumbled. Elves. Now I really could think I was dead, or hallucinating.

—Did you think we only existed in books? —he insisted—. Look at yourself. Touch me. —He took my hand and placed it on his chest—. Do you still think this is fiction?

—I don’t... —I wanted to say as I pulled my hand away. The contact had thrown me off balance.

He laughed and opened the door to a large hall. Twelve chairs in a semicircle around a circular room, and in them twelve men and women. Calling them elders was a poor epithet: they all looked in their prime.

—Aren —said the one in the center—, what have you come for?

—I brought this human to my cabin. I cared for her, fed her, and clothed her to save her life.

While the oldest elf took his time, I began to feel something new: I was regarding each of those beings as a unique piece of extreme beauty. And more and more with each passing moment.

—The last time a human was here was one hundred and eighty-seven years ago —the councilor continued—. And it did not end well.

I looked at Aren again. He seemed magnificent, charged with a sensuality that was at times irresistible.

—I understand, Master Vaeren. Perhaps I broke a rule, but our laws order us to save whoever can be rescued.

—That is so. And what do you want to do with her now?

The hall fell silent. I pinched my leg, trying to calm my anxiety.

—I want to keep her —he said simply.

In other circumstances I would have protested, but I felt drugged. One of the women spoke.

—Aren. You are betrothed to my daughter. Will you break that engagement?

Only a few seconds of silence, but the wait seemed endless.

—Yes, big sister. I’ll keep the human.

Again the murmur. And I began to feel hot. The chief spoke like thunder.

—If that is what you desire, Aren, the council grants it. The human is yours.

—Wait... hers? —I reacted—. Like I’m livestock?

Voices of dissent rose and the chief struck with his gavel.

—The human has no right to speak in this sacred place. Didn’t you explain it to her, Aren?

—I’m sorry, counselor. It won’t happen again.

—How? —I asked, but he laid an index finger across my mouth, and the touch of his skin made me blush.

—In ten days I’ll announce my engagement to this woman —he said to everyone—. Today I’m taking her with me, if the court agrees.

—We do. Take her.

***

I felt myself growing wet when he touched me, which is why I didn’t protest. But something wasn’t right. Not only was I getting hotter and hotter: I saw every man as a possible lover and Aren as a prodigy of virility. My nipples hardened and my sex throbbed, swollen.

—Aren —I said, summoning some restraint—, what exactly are these side effects?

—It won’t hurt you, Mari. They’re safe herbs.

I stopped him a few meters from the house.

—I understand that, but you’re not telling me everything. Do they make people really lustful?

He opened his eyes a little wider than necessary, like a child caught out.

—Whoever takes them feels an enormous urge to... mate.

—You gave me that? —I asked, alarmed—. And how long does it last?

—For the women here, three or four days. But I had to give you a concentrated mixture; it was the only way to save you. I figure no less than fifteen days.

—Idiot! —I exploded, pounding his chest—. You should have just let me die! And that’s why my parts grew?

He endured my fists without flinching and nodded.

Then I threw myself at him. I kissed him, scratched him, tore at his shirt while pressing my legs against his.

—What am I supposed to do for two weeks with this need? —I stripped off my dress in one motion—. My body demands that you possess me.

—Mari, I’m not going to disrespect you. Cover yourself and breathe.

—If you didn’t want to disrespect me, you shouldn’t have given me that thing. —I took off my bodice. My breasts sprang free.

And then I understood. I knew nothing about elves, but I know how men work. I went down on my knees, pulled down his trousers, and without giving him time to react, took in my hands what appeared before me. I brought it to my mouth. It tasted different: like fields, fresh grass, walnut, and salt. I sucked on it anxiously until I felt my effort taking effect: it began to grow, to harden, to warm.

—Mari... wait —I heard him protest, but it was already useless.

I pushed him onto the bed, yanked off my panties—and confirmed that my hips had a new roundness—and climbed on top of him.

—This is going to change everything —he said—. You’re not the one in control. It’s your instincts, multiplied by my po...

I didn’t let him finish. I guided his member to the entrance of my sex and slid down onto him.

That was when I understood the difference between elves and us. The moment he entered, I swear he swelled, filling all the space inside me. I could feel how that flesh filled me completely, how going in and out left me burning, soaked, and wanting more.

—Aren... love —I whispered, moving with desperation—, is this real?

He had already lost control. He grabbed my waist and lifted me in one swift motion. His hands moved to my ass, my arms to his neck, and his member held my entire body up as he carried me around the room. I floated with him buried in my deepest place, and every step made me bounce on that hardness. No one had ever taken me like that. He didn’t seem to tire.

My moans filled the cabin. Suddenly he threw me onto the bed, turned me halfway around, and put me on all fours. In his hands my body was like rags.

—So this is what you wanted, isn’t it? Now you’re going to know true pleasure.

He held my hips and buried himself in me as if I were already his. He started slowly but with force, flooding my cavity, hotter and hotter. I felt like a female in heat accepting the best male in the pack. I begged him not to stop. With one hand he stroked my swollen breasts, and the climax approached with stark clarity. I moaned shamelessly, and then it came: an explosion born in my sex, racing up my spine and bursting in my head. My legs trembled.

Aren gave me a few seconds, without leaving me, and then came back hard. I felt the greatest desire of my life, but also something like true love. Suddenly he said he was going to come, that he was pulling out for our safety. His hips tried to separate from mine, and at that instant I grabbed his ass with all my strength and wouldn’t let him escape.

—Mari, wait —he tried to protest.

—I want you inside me, love —I said between moans—. I need you there.

I felt a warm torrent fill me and, with it, a new orgasm, even more intense. My mind flooded with colors, with an energy that went from my groin to the tips of my fingers. I was drenched in everything: in him, in me, in desire fulfilled. A few tears escaped me as my skin finally understood the mystery of true sexuality.

***

Several minutes passed before we both recovered.

—Mari, now you’re mine. This is real. That’s why I didn’t want to do it.

—You made me yours, and I loved it.

He turned toward me, pleased.

—I’m glad you accept it. Because now that you belong to me, there’s no way for you to leave here.

Something in his words didn’t add up.

—Wait... this thing about making me yours is a metaphor, right? There isn’t some pact forcing me to stay.

He started laughing.

—Mari, in my village, when an elf seals a woman, she becomes his property. And that’s exactly what I just did to you.

I froze.

—You... sealed me? What does that mean?

—Don’t make me explain what you’ve already lived through. Better accept it and dedicate yourself to being a good wife.

—Wife? —The sex had been delicious, but I hadn’t expected such a responsibility—. Wait. I just wanted to satisfy my urges, this doesn’t bind us in any way.

—Mari... —his expression hardened, as if the kind elf I knew had vanished—. You don’t understand.

I was scared, but fear made me speak out.

—What don’t I understand? That you’re going to turn me into a slave wife?

He got out of bed. Naked, he walked to the kitchen and came back with a rope. I looked for my clothes, but only found the underwear.

—What are you going to do with that? —I asked, startled.

He threw himself on top of me. I tried to hit him, but his strength was far greater and he overpowered me with little effort. He began tying my wrists to the headboard.

—I don’t know how it is among your people, but here it’s different —he said—. My seed is already inside you. I can’t let you go until you understand that.

—Aren, please, don’t tie me up —I begged, kicking uselessly—. I understand. —I lied.

—You’re not telling me the truth and I don’t have time to argue. I spent a lot of energy and I need to rest. But you are not leaving here.

—Love, untie me —I pleaded through tears—. I’m not leaving. You know how crazy you made me with what you did to me.

—We’ll talk tomorrow, beautiful. Sleep well.

And he left the room.

***

I tried to wriggle free, searching for a gap in the knots. When I couldn’t, I broke down crying and in the end fell asleep.

I don’t know how long passed, but someone woke me with a couple of gentle pats. I opened my eyes and found myself facing a beautiful girl who, with a finger to her lips, was asking for silence.

—Don’t get upset —she whispered—. I came to free you. Trust me. I’m Nyssa, daughter of Vela.

What could I do? I had no options. I let her untie the ropes.

—Why are you helping me?

There was barely any light, but I swear I saw a triumphant smile.

—For revenge. That bastard left me before the council. Humiliated in front of the whole community.

I remembered the scene in the hall. Aren had broken off an engagement, and that someone must have been her.

—You’re the councilor’s daughter —I guessed.

—That’s right. —My hands were freed—. We have to move fast. These elves sleep a lot after mating, but if he wakes up we’re done for. Put this on. —She handed me a long tunic.

Nyssa made stealth her ally and got me out of the cabin without a sound. Once outside, she pointed out the way.

—Follow this path to the river. Take the trail that goes down along the bank and in a couple of days you’ll reach a settlement of your kind.

I was grateful, but I could already feel the need again. I confessed it to her.

—What do I do, Nyssa? —I asked, suddenly unsure whether leaving Aren was a good idea.

She looked me straight in the eye, with the sun peeking over the horizon. She was one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.

—Eat these berries when the craving gets strong —she said, handing me a bag of seeds—. They won’t take away all the desire, but they’ll let you think. If you ration them well, they might last until you get back to your people.

—He knew... and didn’t tell me? —I asked with deep sadness.

—Aren is not a bad elf, but he can be very selfish. I’m sure he liked you so much he wanted you all to himself.

She rested her warm hand on my shoulder and smiled.

—What will happen to you? —I wanted to know.

—I’ll be fine. No one saw me come in. And I’m the councilor’s daughter.

I looked at her face one more time and thought that this must have been what the first women in the world were like: beautiful, wise, sensual. I started down the path. A few steps later I turned back.

—Will I see you again, Nyssa?

—Not in this life —she replied, and smiled again. Then she walked off in the opposite direction.

***

I walked for the time she had estimated, until I reached a village. I rationed the berries carefully, but when I saw Bruno, and then Marcos, I couldn’t resist and took them to my room to let off steam. I also had sex with a couple of sailors, with a tour guide, with a customs officer, and with an aspiring politician I ran into on my corner when I got home.

Bruno fell for me. He said he’d never find a woman hotter than me, and he didn’t care how much I’d changed. A week and a half after returning from the excursion, he had already proposed to me.

Now then... why am I telling you all this, if no one is going to believe me? Probably because at last I understand what Aren meant when he said he had sealed me. Among his people, that must be the word they use for conception. And yes: now I know I’m pregnant, that in a few months I’ll give birth to a baby half human and half elf. That he will never know his father. And that I will never again have a lover as passionate as that one.