As he rose to hold her, he spoke quietly, "I have loved you, Ariel. I will always love you." It was a long time before she calmed down enough to fall asleep in exhaustion, her head buried under his chin.
CHAPTER 12
THE VALLEY
Ariel had no sense of time in the darkness. She had no idea how long she had slept with Lucien's arms protectively around her, keeping her warm with the added blanketing of her long hair wound wildly around both of them. Lucien listened for the change in her breathing, the subtle movements as she woke.
He gazed down and saw her eyes fluttering open, sightless. She didn't speak. She lay quietly waiting for her him to tell her what to do next. Her body was sore, every muscle strained. Lucien had healed the wounds from his fangs, but she felt bruised.
He could tell her mind was trying to retreat. Patiently, he coaxed her back to him. He gently massaged her back and arms and she cringed away. "Don't. Don't you dare try to be nice to me. You strip me of everything and force me to love you."
Lucien was quiet, tenderly continuing to apply pressure to her aches. Realizing he would not respond to her order, she muttered, "Sir." and he smiled.
"Ariel, it's time to go back to the others. Get dressed." he said calmly, as if she hadn't spoken.
She sat up and finger combed her hair, twisting it back into the haphazard braid. She found her shirt, his shirt with his scent, and put it back on. She couldn't get away from him. His assault was on all her senses.
He stood and holding her hands, pulled her to her feet. They left the cave. He would collect the blankets later.
The Vampires and their women drifted back to the huge cavern and the light of the fire. The captive men were starting to wake up, a jumble of muscular arms and legs untangling. Mike was curled up, miserably restrained, awake and alert.
Everyone was fed and the packs were strapped on as the travelers continued their way through the mountain. Once again, they were walking in darkness, following the sound of the Clansmen's horses. Shadows appeared ahead, then light as they exited the caves and found themselves on the other side of the mountain range.
Ariel blinked at the unaccustomed light. They were on a wooded hill that declined at a steady grade. "It will be close to nightfall before we hit the bottom of the tree line. We'll be camping there. Tomorrow we'll cross most of the grasses. We'll reach the settlement before noon the next day," Lucien informed her.
They seemed to be following a stream. She wondered briefly if it was where the stream from the cavern let out. Mike was also noting they were following the water. He thought how easy it would be to retrace their steps. The path through the mountain was pitch black. The trail had been straight though, with walls on either side. Except for the cavern. He'd only have to follow the wall around to the entrance on the other side. He could do this. He had to do this. Mike was sure he didn't want to know what waited for him at the settlement.
Still appearing meek and defeated, he trudged on planning his escape. It would be easier if he could get one of his traitorous friends to help him. If they wanted it 'every man for himself', so be it. He was damned if he'd send anyone back to help them. If Ariel hadn't glued herself to Lucien, he could try to take her with him. He would love to see Lucien's face if he woke in the morning and found them gone. No way. The bitch would probably scream for the creature to save her.
As his anger mounted, he was unaware his face was betraying the submissive look he was struggling to maintain. "Looks like our boy's planning again," the Slave-master reported to Lucien.
"I know. I've been watching his face. Love to play poker with him sometime." Lucien smiled.
"Oh, I think you already won that game." Ethan indicated Ariel passively riding and watching the trees.
"Keep him untied, let's see what he does. Might as well let him get it out of his system," Lucien replied.
They had left the caves in the afternoon and a few hours later stopped for the night. Mike went with the other captives down to the water. He was afraid to wait until they were asleep because the Slave-master's habit to bind him for the night would make it impossible to leave.
The pool they were at got deeper in the middle. On the other side, it looked like the trees were too thick for the horses to follow. He could head straight and loop back to the stream. He looked down and smiled as he thought of the perfect distraction. He made his way slowly to Ariel, briefly joining conversations with his friends as he went. Having already cooled herself in shallow water, she was sitting on a low rock watching her friends swim. "Hi, Ariel. How ya' holding up, baby?" Mike asked, trying to sound sincere.
"This can't be good," Damon indicated to Lucien with a slight nod toward Ariel and Mike.
Lucien squinted his dark blue eyes and thought for a moment. "She can't swim. The little bastard's going to pull her in and head for the other side," he hissed.
Nicholas watched Mike's progress. "He really is a dumb shit, isn't he?"
"A very persistent dumb shit," Justin agreed.
"Nicholas and Justin, let him go for a while. I'd say until he got to the mountain but he'll be lost by then. Follow him until he's used up then haul his ass back here. I'll take care of Ariel. Nathan, you and Damon sit this one out and calm the women but secure them loosely. Ethan, make sure your men are ready to re-bind the captives, including Dave. I want everyone good and pissed off at the jerk when you drag him back here." Lucien was blocked from Mike's view and was discreetly kicking off his boots, throwing his gloves down, and taking off his shirt getting ready to dive in after Ariel.
Ariel looked down at Mike. He reached up and latched a hand on the rock by her knee. "I thought you weren't speaking to me," she said softly.
"Just surprised. I thought you and I had something special. Obviously, I was wrong," he said.
Ariel looked at him with confusion. "Mike, you can't possibly think this was my choice. You've met them. You know what they can…"
He interrupted coldly. "Oh yes, I see the way you fight him off. All kicking and screaming ... oh, excuse me, when you're not busy moaning and throwing yourself at him."
"What? What are you talking about?" That was all she got to say when Mike grabbed her leg and pulled her off the safety of her perch. Her head barely missed the rock and she went under. He kept pulling her by her leg to the center of the pool while her hands flailed in panic not able to get to the surface.
The other captives were busy on the other side and didn't notice the activity right away. Mike let her go, splashing and trying to get to the surface for air. Lucien hit the water as Mike exited the other side and took off at a run.
Ariel knew she was drowning as she let out the last of her air, surrounded by water. Lucien reached her in seconds and wrapped an arm around her waist lifting her to the surface. She kicked and beat at him trying to climb up his body to get up to where she could breath. She broke through the water choking out what she had swallowed, crying in desperation, still fighting to get higher.
"I've got you. Ariel, I've got you. Calm down now. Ariel, you have to calm down so I can get us back to shore. That's it. Nice and easy." Lucien patiently talked her down from her panic.
"Lucien? Lucien, it was Mike. Why?" she sobbed miserably as she clung tightly to him and stopped struggling. Her body was wracked with the quivering of delayed fear.
"I was watching, my love. Part of me wished he wasn't so contemptible as to go through with it. I just didn't want to believe he could hate you so much as to use you this way. He knew you could have drowned." Lucien stopped in water still too deep for her to stand, enjoying the way she clung to him.
"You knew he was planning this? How did you know I couldn't swim?" she was relaxing more in the cool water.
"The Slave-master and I decided he was being a little too nice. We had a feeling he was going to try something. We just thought it would be tonight." Lucien continued, "When Damon saw him swim over to talk to you, I figured out what he had in mind. I noticed a couple of days ago, you never g
o in above your waist, even when your girlfriends swim to the other side. Ariel, I was watching closely. I told you I won't let anything happen to you."
"You know, Lucien ... um, sir ... I don't blame him too much. When Shawna and Christal tried to escape, I was supposed to go with them. I just couldn't move after the long ride. We knew Mike would try. The three of us were going to use his attempt as a distraction. I guess he was paying me back," she sighed sadly.
"You're being generous, Ariel. He was using you as a distraction to hurt me and didn't give a damn if you drowned. Don't fool yourself into thinking there were any chivalrous motivations behind this," Lucien stated. "When we get back to the settlement, I'm teaching you how to swim. I will not take chances with you."
"I can't. I fell into a swimming pool at the park when I was little. I thought my dad was watching and I dove out to him. He was busy talking to someone, I guess. Anyway, he didn't see me jump. I was floating on the bottom of the pool when they pulled me out and resuscitated me. I've been terrified of anything deeper than a bathtub ever since. I'll freeze, I won't be able to learn," she tried to convince him.
"Ariel, we've been standing in water over your head for several minutes. You're calm and relaxed. You know I won't let you get hurt. You'll trust me enough to teach you to swim. We have a nice pond with a few canoes and some little waterfalls back home. You'll be able to enjoy it with your friends. I want you to be able to enjoy it," he decided.
"Come on. Let's get you dry. I don't want you getting chilled and the sun is setting." Lucien carried her to shore.
He walked her over to the horse and unpacked a dry shirt. As he unbuttoned the wet garment she was wearing, she looked at her feet like a child and blushed. Lucien thought it was such a precious, innocent sight. Even though he had seen her naked many times, it still brought color to her face. He dressed her in the dry shirt and threw the wet one over a limb. His leather breeches would be wet for hours but the cold didn't affect him.
He walked her over to her friends. They were circled around the fire with Damon and Nathan quietly watching them. Lucien took one of her wrists and tied a leather thong through the loop of the cuff and lashed it to the other wrist. She looked at him bewildered then noticed all the captives, men, women and even Dave, were all bound again. It had been days since the Vampires had done this.
"Mike's actions this afternoon have made this necessary," Lucien said in his deep voice loud enough for all the captives to hear as he indicated Ariel's bound wrists. It would cause dissention at the settlement if he favored her.
Lucien settled down by Ariel, absently brushing her arm while they waited for Justin and Nicholas to return with Mike. The women anxiously stared into the fire, Shawna and Christal especially without their Vampires near. They all asked Ariel if she was okay and thanked Lucien for acting so quickly.
The men looked miserable, hoping Mike's latest escapade wouldn't result in punishment for them. They had just earned a measure of freedom and now, here they sat, straddling each other with their wrist cuffs bound to their partner's testicle rings. With no Vampires to 'influence' them, it was disconcerting to be attached so intimately. Dave was upset that he was bound like the others then figured it was so he could comfort Ed. He thought the Slave-master was being very considerate and smiled up at him. Ethan walked away with a bemused smile.
Lucien knew that by sending Nicholas, especially with Justin as his side-kick, they would drag out the recapture for their utmost enjoyment. He was fond of the two youngest Vampires, only four centuries old. Lucien, Patrick, Nathan and Damon had spent centuries in Europe tracking prey. Nicholas and Justin only enjoyed a century before the structured life-style they had now.
* * * *
Mike felt as if he'd followed the stream for hours. He realized with dismay he didn't even seem to be ascending anymore. Nicholas and Justin had laughed when they saw that Mike had indeed looped back around to follow a branch of the stream that would have led him up to the caves. Now he was moving laterally along the base of the foothills.
"This guy's a regular Daniel Boone," Justin chuckled.
"Cripes, he's an idiot. Wind Seeker is liable to make us keep him. Do you think he even knows he's not going uphill anymore?" Nicholas laughed.
"I guess we better grab him soon. He's getting pretty close to Patrick's boundary. It would be pretty damn humiliating for us if Patrick thinks Mike is the quality of our captives." Justin was having a good time.
"Wait until the Harvest Celebration and he sees our women. That'll make up for it. Especially when he sees Mike's new look after spending a couple of months with the Indians." Nicholas started heading in Mike's direction.
By now, Mike was limping on the foot he had cut on the cliffs. Hungry and lost, he was still determined to escape. He hadn't heard any horses so he felt confident he had eluded the Vampires. He headed around another boulder and Justin jumped down in front of him.
Mike wheeled around and slammed into Nicholas who smiled down at him displaying his fangs. "Oh, God! Please don't kill me!" he shrieked. "I, I screwed up. You know, I just figured I wasn't going to make it with the rest. Oh, shit!" Mike's bladder let go in fear they would drain him and leave him dead.
"If you're done pissing yourself, do you mind if we get back? Your friends have been uncomfortably waiting for your return," Justin said in mock disgust.
"That little stunt you pulled with Ariel just about killed her. I'm sure Lucien wants to discuss it with you," Nicholas threatened, enjoying Mike's panic.
"But she's okay, right? I mean, I knew Lucien was watching and could get to her. I wouldn't have really hurt her. You gotta' make sure he knows that, right?" Mike whined.
"I don't gotta let Lucien know anything and I don't think he'll be interested in what you think he should know," Justin stated flatly.
They tied Mike's wrists in front of him and attached one of the horse leashes. He started crying while they pulled him and chatted about how they hoped Shawna and Christal were alright.
Lucien heard them approaching and stood. His eyes were a red glowing mist as they entered the clearing. He had expected the escape attempt but not at the cost of Ariel almost drowning. The fact that this poor excuse for a human had dared to hurt her filled Lucien with rage. "Welcome back, Mike." he said evenly. "I trust you had a nice adventure. A nice final adventure."
Mike cringed. "Lucien, please. I knew you were watching. Lucien, I knew you'd get to her," he babbled.
Lucien walked toward him. He raised his hand and slapped him so hard it sounded like the crack of lightning. Mike's head rocked and he fell. His lip split under the force of Lucien's blow. All the Vampires immediately gazed at the blood. The anger, fear and blood were a potent mixture of excitement and all of them were mesmerized with the scene.
"You disgusting coward!" Lucien hissed and jerked Mike to his feet by the leash. "Hiding behind the woman you say you love to make your escape."
"The woman I love? That's a joke. She didn't have her foot on the bus heading home this summer when I was screwing her roommate," Mike sneered.
Paula broke the complete, stunned silence. "You bastard, Mike," she whispered.
Ariel stared at Paula open-mouthed, unable to speak for a second. "Paula?"
"It wasn't like that, Ariel. I swear," Paula groaned.
"What was it like, Paula?" Dave looked at her shocked, hurt.
This was getting good. The Vampires were taking in the scene, fangs lengthening, eyes softly glowing. Nathan was rubbing Teri's breasts in a lust filled frenzy. Damon's heated gaze rested on Paula's face, thrilled that she was at the center of the passionate exchange. His woman. He was so proud!
"Ariel, Mike came over. We started drinking a little ... okay, maybe a lot. We were talking about how much we were going to miss you. Oh, God … I don't know. It just happened," she explained miserably.
"You missed me? You did it because you missed me? No, Paula. You did it because Mike is a bastard and every bit the coward Lucien says h
e is. We all know you're good for two beers. Dave?" She looked over at the football player. "Dave, you know that. You've carried her upstairs enough times. And you know Mike knows that too."
She was right, Dave thought. Everyone knew Paula couldn't drink. "Whatever their plans are, Mike, I hope they're something you deserve." No one had ever heard Dave speak so unemotionally, coldly and directly to the point. He leaned down and put his head on Ed's shoulder, turning in toward the little man's neck and facing away from his friends. Ed's immediate reaction was to start caressing the big man's shaft, the only place he could reach him, trying to comfort him.
Lucien's passion was running so strong all he wanted to do was hold his little Ariel, betrayed and hurt by her friends. "If we weren't two days from the settlement I would whip the skin off your back. Ethan, hog-tie and gag him." Lucien was not sure he could avoid seriously hurting Mike if he got near him. The Slave-master hurried over, bound Mike's wrists and ankles behind his back, tied off to his balls' ring. Mike shook his head and clenched his teeth to try to keep the hated leather out of his mouth. The Slave-master reached down and twisted Mike's limp cock until he cried out and shoved the gag roughly between his lips.
"Get the men bedded down but keep them tied up," Lucien ordered.
The Slave-master carefully guided the men down, keeping their hands intimately tied to each other, then he walked over toward Paul and Zippo a few feet away and laid down next to them. He didn't want to earn the Lucien's attention when he was this enraged.
The Vampires untied their women and took them off into the dark to release their passion. Lucien collected Ariel in his arms. "I'm sorry, Ariel. I didn't realize what a scumbag he really is."
"I never knew him at all, did I, Luc ... sir?" she was still correcting herself.
"He's smart, Ariel. He times his attacks and selfish plans well. Unfortunately for him, those are traits that are not admired among us," Lucien said, as he laid her on the blanket. He stripped off his damp trousers.
Ariel's Desire: A Novel of Vampirism and Submission Page 16