Just as he had promised, as her soft shudders subsided, he held her and brought her back to him.
All Ariel wanted to do, all she could do, was keep him close. She breathed in the scent of him as she fell back asleep.
Lucien smiled down at her. What a wonderous creature she was. He studied her face. Long lashes fanned out from her closed eyes. Her mouth fascinated him, with its pouty lips, upper teeth nibbling at the bottom lip in concern once in awhile even in sleep. She was beautiful and his heart soared with desire. Reluctantly he lay her shirt over her and rose to walk back toward the center of the cavern to begin the day. The other Clansmen joined him by the fire stretching, yawning and all very satisfied. Lucien inquired "I'm guessing the answer is no, but is anyone having problems with their women adjusting. We need to take care of potential problems before we get to the settlement."
"I brought Teri out of it when we finished with the guys last night. I left her memories of everything, remembering she had been kept safe and fulfilled. She was mildly concerned about Doug." Nathan shrugged. "She seemed all right, even thanked me for keeping her from getting into trouble over the escape attempt. This morning, she never questioned any of it. Just gave me a quick kiss, rolled over and went back to sleep."
"Damn, Nathan. You took a chance with that. She could have come out of it like day one … no lovey-dovey feeling for you, just an overload with what her friends had to go through," said Justin.
"Nah, I could tell she liked me." Nathan grinned in confidence.
"You are so full of it, you arrogant Romeo!" laughed Justin.
"Romeo's dead. Not us, dude. Not ever," Nathan replied.
Lucian was pleased with this. "Nicholas, any luck getting Christal compliant?"
"Or are you still 'Mister Son of a Bitch'?" Damon joked.
"I think that's more habit, than anything else. She's more than content when we're alone. The battle and the defiance are her coping methods. Turns me on. Her too, I think. She's good," Nicholas replied assertively.
"There's something we need to discuss. It will make a difference when we get back to the valley." Lucien felt pride and nervousness over his announcement. "Ariel is my mate."
He was met with silence. It was accepted that if one of them found their mate they had to leave the settlement and start their own clan. Lucien was head of their settlement. He figured Nathan or Damon, the oldest, would have to replace him. His friends fidgeted. Lucien thought they were uncomfortable with his announcement. He'd been their leader for centuries.
"I know Teri's mine," Nathan admitted.
"Oh, crap. Paula's got me wrapped. Lucien, I almost couldn't control the curse last night," Damon admitted.
"I almost died when Christal took off. I never felt that kind of rage." Nicholas looked panicked.
"You've already seen how I feel about Shawna." Justin shrugged.
"Lucien, is this even possible?" asked Damon.
Lucien looked over at Nathan. They had traveled together since they'd been turned. "I know you think I've been obsessed with Teri. It's true. From the moment I saw her I knew she was the one. I've also been watching the rest of you. Yes, Lucien. I don't know why and I can't try to explain it, but these are our mates. Look at the way you all feel about them. It's different from our other companions. Before you ask, no. I don't think it's just the hope that it's true. Almost every morning the red haze is ringing all your eyes. The Vampire recognizes its mate."
"And all of you feel this?" Lucien was amazed as all the Clan nodded. "I need to talk to Patrick at the Harvest Celebration. We decided to split up to save the others the pain. If we all feel we've found our mates … it's too much to decide right now. We still have our obligation to the settlement. Let's continue as planned and we'll decide what to do after I talk to Patrick." Everyone agreed. This was too overwhelming to contemplate when they still had half the journey to finish.
"Good. Well, let's see how the loverboys are doing this morning." Lucien said with anticipation.
The men were all a tangle of arms and legs. Allen and Doug facing each other, Doug's leg between Allen's thighs. Dave had Ed spooned, Ed's back pulled up against Dave's broad chest and breathing into the back of Ed's neck, a strong arm and leg thrown over him making Ed look like he'd been captured.
All the men were snoring softly, still deeply asleep. The Vampires grinned at each other, went back to the fire and sat with their coffee all facing the slumbering men waiting for them to wake up.
This was not just a voyeuristic joke. It was important the Vampires be close to ensure none of the men's minds snapped and shut down, or worse. One of them could become so enraged he hurt someone when they awoke as they remembered their willing participation the night before. The Vampires could release the necessary influential sway to keep them calm until they could sort it out and accept it.
That was why Lucien wanted to make sure the women would not be a drain on the Clansmen's power by requiring them to split their persuasive forces in too many directions. It was imperative the men make it to the settlement as unharmed and content as could be managed. They needed the labor too badly.
The Slave-master, Paul and Zippo, were also keeping an eye on the sleeping men in case their assistance or assurances were necessary. If the men could not be safely brought into the village, they could be facing another twenty years working for the Clan.
The Slave-master checked on Mike. He was still immobile, eyes staring. Mike sensed the Slave-master standing over him and glanced up. "I'll untie some of your restraints, let you stretch your legs and relieve yourself if you promise to behave." The big man noticed the damp ground surrounding Mike's limp penis. Obviously, he had expelled his nightly fluids. "I expect you're thirsty, too. I'm not going to remove the gag in here until your friends wake up, though. They'll have enough to deal with and don't need to listen to your crap. You going to be good?" the Slave-master asked.
Mike nodded dejectedly. The Slave-master removed all but the tether connecting his wrists to his testicles. He helped him stretch his legs, rubbing the limbs that had been stretched up behind him throughout the night. Mike was surprised by the attention, his groan muffled behind the gag as the circulation made its way to his feet.
"Come on, son. Let's get you up." The Slave-master carefully lifted Mike, making sure his fastened wrists didn't rip the ring through his tender flesh. Mike had tears slipping down his face, whether from pain, exhaustion or the unexpected kindness he was receiving, the Slave-master didn't know. Mike was shaking as his feet tried to steady themselves and his legs worked to support his weight.
"Just stand still for a minute, get the blood moving." the Slave-master encouraged. "That's better. You ready to try a few steps?" Mike nodded feeling like a toddler, abject misery in his eyes.
With his arms carefully supporting Mike's weight, the Slave-master led him around the fire. "Lucien, I'm going to take him outside, water him, and let him stretch out, if that's okay. Do you need me here?" Ethan indicated the other closely watched men as he reached for a canteen.
"Zippo, if Dave's too screwed up try to talk him down or take him out to Ethan. Paul, you ready to run interference if we need it?" Lucien asked. Most of the work would be handled by the Vampires if there were major problems.
"We got your back, Mr. L." Zippo gave Lucien a thumbs up.
"Twenty years and that guy still cracks me up," laughed Nicholas.
"Go ahead, Ethan. Call out if there's a problem." Lucien knew this was highly unlikely the way Mike was restrained.
Mike shuffled past the mountain men on stiff legs, slightly hunched over with his drooping manhood resting on his bound hands. Completely humiliated, he didn't look at them.
The Slave-master brought Mike outside to a slightly shaded area by the horses. He was further degraded as he had to lean his head against his captor while the big man held his waist so he could crouch and empty his cramping bowels. "It's okay, boy. Take your time." Tears flowing freely now, the man walked Mike around un
til his shuffling gait resembled a more confident stride.
The Slave-master led Mike over to a rock and helped him sit down. "Don't you be kicking at me, now." Mike shook his head vigorously. "I'm going to tie your ankles so we can let your hands loose. You need to stretch your arms." Mike sat still as the man performed these actions.
"No hollering?" Mike again shook his head, relieved at the thought of having his dry mouth freed. The Slave-master removed the hated leather plug. Mike tried to work his thick, dry tongue around his mouth, trying to release fluid.
"Here you go. Drink slow or you'll cramp up again. We got time." He handed Mike the canteen. "The water's warm so it won't shock your system." Mike gulped the refreshing liquid. The Slave-master put his hand over the raised canteen at Mike's mouth and pushed down on it. "Just take it easy. You're drinking too fast. You'll end up puking it back up. Swish it in your mouth a little," he instructed. Mike slowed down, finally starting to quench his thirst.
"I'm going to give you some advice. You got on Lucien's bad side from the start, and that, as you're learning, is a very bad place to be." Mike nodded mutely. "You know that little gal of yours is his now. He'll take real good care of her. I got to tell you Mike. You turned on her pretty fast. I don't know what feelings you had for her before all this, but she wouldn't have jumped to Lucien as quick as she did if the two of you had a solid thing going. She's going through the same confusion you are, except Lucien doesn't let her out of his sight. What's going to happen, will. You causing all this trouble isn't going to matter a damn. My last piece to you is, you'd be better off attacking the Lucien than Ariel. He's going to rip you apart if you keep that up."
Mike didn't understand why the man was helping him. "Mister?" he started.
"Slave-master, use the titles Mike. You need to get used to them." The big man decided to let him speak if it was finally working toward his cooperation. Lucien didn't want any problems crossing the cliffs.
"Slave-master." A statement. "What's going to happen to me? I'm not stupid. The rest of them all got metal collars with Lucien's initial. I take it that means they belong to him. I know he doesn't want me, so what's going to happen?" Mike asked with concern.
"I don't think that will be decided until we get to the settlement." The Slave-master answered evasively. "You haven't exactly put yourself in a good light with him. He likes things to run smoothly, no disruptions, no problems. It makes it harder on the rest of them that are accepting this. You haven't exactly been a model citizen in his eye."
Mike handed the big man the empty canteen. The Slave-master got out the gag. "Please, I can't breathe with that," Mike pleaded.
"Sorry, Mike, Lucien's orders. You earn your freedoms same as your punishments, and you're in the red. I'll tell the Lucien you behaved. If he asks me for a suggestion, I'll tell him the gag should go first. That's the best I can do to help you get out of this mess you got yourself into with him." The Slave-master gagged Mike, tied his hands to the ball ring and untethered his ankles. They walked back into the cavern.
Lucien separated Mike from Ariel and his friends and broke him, and the Slave-master was going to deliver a much more cooperative captive to Wind Seeker when they reached the settlement. Mike's bonding to the Slave-master worked better than Lucien had planned.
Mike was seated over in Paul and Zippo's area away from his friends. He'd practically been the leader of this group since they all started banding together at college. Now Lucien was their leader. There was no room for Mike. The guys had been alienating themselves from him since the abduction began. However unfair, as Mike didn't know what his captors were capable of, Lucien had apparently immediately deduced Mike was the strongest influence and had to be removed. He would never know how strong a part Ariel had played in Lucien's plans.
He had seen what happened with his friends last night and was very glad he had not been made a part of it. However, in an odd way, he felt left out. He was just starting to understand how powerful the mountain men were. He was still having a hard time grasping that they were Vampires even though he'd seen the proof. It wasn't until he had seen Lucien bite Ariel that he understood. None of them could have ever hope to beat these men or get away.
He did have some remorse now about how he had treated Ariel. The Slave-master had been right. Ariel was a convenience to him. She never interrupted his plans as she preferred to stay home and study, leaving Mike to enjoy himself as he wanted. He'd cheated on her the week after they decided to be a couple. He'd cheated on her with Paula the day after she left to go home this summer. She deserved better. I hope he makes you happy, Ariel, he thought bitterly, and didn't want to think about it anymore.
Shortly after the Slave-master brought Mike back the other men started waking up. As Allen and Doug started moving, growing alarmed with their awkward arrangement, Nathan and Justin stood. They gave a quiet, calming push in their direction. They sent out a slight wave of passion. The men immediately stopped struggling. Allen gave Doug a small kiss and they gently untangled their limbs and stood. They looked over to Dave and Ed in bewilderment, but said nothing.
Justin walked up to them. "Morning guys. Let's head outside and stretch it out." Justin pretended to stretch and Nathan pretended to yawn indicating they too had just risen. Nothing was out of the ordinary, just a couple of guys taking care of business.
Dave slept like a baby. Ed woke up wild eyed at his submissive position. Nicholas gave Damon a bemused, questioning look. "Go ahead." Damon gave in.
"Good morning, Ed," Nicholas said, immediately putting Ed under his spell.
"Good morning, sir," Ed said quietly.
"Did you sleep well? Did Dave make you feel safe?" Nicholas said with a slight push.
Lucien rolled his eyes at Damon. Damon shrugged and whispered, "What did you expect? We're talking Nicholas, here."
Lucien leaned back against the wall and watched Nicholas have his fun. "Pay attention. Dave might not share Nicholas's sense of humor when he wakes up. He could crush the little guy." Damon nodded.
"Yes, sir. He's very warm." Ed murmured.
"I bet you feel safe having a big man like that to watch out for you. You're lucky," Nicholas continued with a strong push of contentment and passion.
"Oh, yes, sir. Dave is a good friend. He's very strong. I know he won't let anything bad happen to me," Ed said with conviction. Ed, still trapped under Dave's dead weight, looked up to Nicholas for further advice.
"He was so careful to look out for you while you slept after you were so good to him last night. See how he's shielding you with his body?" Nicholas, still pushing. Ed nodded.
Damon whispered to Lucien, "Stretching it a bit, ya' think?" Both of them were starting to get the heated glow of anticipation in their eyes.
"You're such a little man. Defenseless really, with all that's happening. You need someone like Dave to protect you." Ed continued to nod in agreement at Nicholas' words. "You really should do something nice for him. You wouldn't want him to desert you, leave you on your own against all of us. Would you?" Nicholas sent a wave of despair.
"No, sir. I can't fight. Oh, no!" Ed was getting panicked at the thought of being left alone. "I need Dave. Oh, no!" he moaned desperately.
"Ed, maybe if he knew how good you can make him feel … maybe he'll decide he wants to stay with you, so you won't have to be afraid," a push of slight fear and more passion. Ed's penis was starting to get hard.
"Make him feel good, Ed. He'll always be with you to protect you. He'll keep you safe and warm, just like last night." Nicholas backed a short distance away and Damon, prepared, stood by his side.
"I haven't even had breakfast yet." Damon mumbled.
"I have. Christal was delicious," Nicholas said and licked his lips.
The two Vampires pushed waves of calm, desire and passion at their captives. Dave started to wake up as Ed started running his hands up and down his large cock, gently kneading his testicles. Dave rolled onto his back spreading his thighs, releasing Ed
from his captivity. His erection started springing up off his stomach at Ed's attentions. He closed his eyes, "That feels so good, Ed," Dave sighed.
Emboldened by Dave's response, Ed sat up and began to lick the engorged head and blow softly on it, repeatedly wetting and drying the skin until a little drop of pre-cum slipped through the eye. Dave groaned, reached down one of his large hands, grabbed Ed's ass and pulled him toward his head.
He rolled them both on their sides facing each other, in the familiar position of close lovers. Ed started suckling Dave's manhood, remembering how deep he liked it. He tried to keep from gagging and vowed to himself he would learn how to please this man, his protector.
Dave kissed the head of Ed's smaller member thinking how fragile he looked. He licked up and down the short length and Ed squealed around his filled mouth, his head propelling faster, sucking more urgently, thrilled his protector was attending him.
Dave locked his legs around Ed's head and sucked the smaller man's entire length in his mouth in one motion. Ed struggled and gasped trying to please his friend while his world was exploding.
Damon glanced at Nicholas. "My moneys on my big guy, your little dude's trapped again!"
Nicholas said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."
Lucien groaned in his excitement. Great, the two of them have made it a contest. "Focus, you two! Can we please remember this is a new experience and not scare the crap out them?" he ordered, his red glare not leaving the two lovers.
Dave wet a meaty finger, pushed gently at the pucker of Ed's ass, and drove it home. The little man shrieked around Dave's rigid member in his mouth as he climaxed causing a vibration around Dave's length and a chain reaction as his sperm jetted down Ed's throat.
As the two men started to unwind and sit up, Lucien chuckled. "I'd call it a tie. Get your boys outside, keep an eye on them until you're sure they're okay." He headed back over to Ariel to see if she was awake and wanted breakfast, tentatively putting his rising lust on hold.
Ariel's Desire: A Novel of Vampirism and Submission Page 12