I grinned up at him and hugged him tightly for a moment. He chuckled and then pulled away, asking, “So, what is it?” I sighed softly and then moved to sit down on my chair. “It’s about us… and Napius,” I told him honestly, smoothing out the wrinkles in my dress. It felt so nice to have a piece of clothing again. It made me feel normal.
I looked back up at Vralius and saw him watching me with a stoic curiosity. I sighed, “I just don’t think I can do this. I can’t just sit here and lie to him, or pretend that everything is normal.” Vralius nodded, his brow furrowing in thought. I shook my head and told him miserably, “I… I think I led him on a bit, and I think he cares about me. He’s a good guy, but…” I trailed off and then groaned.
Vralius touched my arm and inquired softly, “But you don’t feel the same about him?” I shook my head and muttered, “No, but I do feel that way about you. I want to be with you, Vralius, not him… I can hardly stand for him to be in here now. I don’t know what to do…”
He sighed quietly, and then hummed in thought. “I think I do,” he told me, motioning for me to get up. “We’re going to go find him, and then talk to Gisor.”
I got up, confused, but followed him anyways. He unlocked and then opened the door, and I stepped out into the morning sunlight for the first time in weeks. “Why?” I asked, turning as he shut the door.
“It’s a part of my plan… just don’t worry about it,” was his response. I just smiled a little and followed him. We didn’t meet any other centaurs, but I felt sure that it was also a part of the plan. We did manage to find Napius, however – likely on his way to see me.
He gave me a long look, confusing taking over as he saw me both out and clothed. “What’s going on?” he asked sharply of Vralius.
“We need to see Gisor,” Vralius told him simply, “All of us.” Napius shot him a mistrusting look, but he led the way. He didn’t speak, and Vralius didn’t either. Even I kept my mouth shut.
We found Gisor alone, and he turned at our approach. His eyes fell first on Napius, then on Vralius, and finally on me. He stared at me the longest. “What is it, Napius?” Gisor asked, still watching me. Instead of Napius answering, it was Vralius who stepped forward and then spoke. “I wish to free this woman from her bonds of slavery,” he said, voice filled with power and self-assurance.
Gisor just laughed, as if Vralius were joking, and he waved a dismissive hand towards his son. “She belongs to Napius, and as it is, we don’t just free slaves. That wouldn’t do us much good, now, would it?”
Napius, meanwhile, was glaring hard at Vralius. He reached out and grabbed me by the shoulder, roughly. I winced. “What are you doing, Vralius?” Napius asked lowly, taking a step towards him. I was forced forward.
Vralius turned slightly to stare Napius down. “Gisor, it’s time I reclaimed my place as second, and while I’m at it, reclaim Nephele from your son.”
The chief’s amused expression faded, and he frowned deeply. “You’ll need to challenge Cazis for the position, Vralius. As for taking back this slave… hmm, well, no. I’m afraid it’s not possible.” Napius looked to his father, uncertainty written all over his face. I jerked my arm away and three pairs of eyes stared at me.
“I don’t want to belong to you,” I told Napius, swallowing roughly. “It doesn’t matter what you want,” was his harsh reply, “You do belong to me, you are my slave, and I’m not going to give you up.”
Feeling powerless, I shot a desperate glance at Vralius. “I challenge you, Napius,” he said calmly. Napius, meanwhile, froze and turned to face the older centaur. I thought I saw fear on his face. Napius looked at his father, and asked sharply, “Father, surely he can’t do this?”
Gisor sighed heavily, bored, and he told Napius bluntly, “Actually, he can. Any centaur can challenge anyone else for slaves. If you don’t accept, the slave will go to him anyways.”
Napius looked taken aback, and I had the distinct impression that he’d always gotten his way. Whatever Gisor thought about his son’s leading ability, clearly didn’t affect his favoritism. Even so, I was glad for this.
“But father –” Napius was interrupted by Gisor raising a hand and barking, “It is tradition, Napius. Either accept the challenge, or give the girl up.”
Napius eyed Vralius, who smiled placidly, and I saw Napius grit his teeth. “Fine,” he muttered coldly, “I accept your challenge. What are the terms?”
I looked back and forth between then, and I saw Vralius smirk. “The terms are quite simple,” he said loudly, ensuring we all heard them, “If you win, you get to keep Nephele. If I win… she becomes my bride.”
Freedom
Book Four
“Why would you want to marry the girl, Vralius?” Gisor asked, turning to face Vralius. He looked at me for a few moments, silent, before he told Gisor quietly, “My reasons do not matter. All that does matter, is if I win, I’ll be permitted to do so.”
Napius looked furious, but he kept his mouth shut. He glared at both of the men, though, and shot me a filthy look. “You don’t care about me, do you? It’s always been him,” he told me coldly, jerking his head towards Vralius. Both Gisor and Vralius turned to us, and I looked between Vralius and Napius before I pleaded, “I never asked for this life, Napius. And I do like you; I just… don’t love you.”
I gave him a sad look, but it just seemed to make him angrier. “And you love him? After all that he’s done to you?!” Napius shouted, throwing his arms up in anger. I sighed heavily and told him, “Yes, because I know now why he did all of that. And I’m sorry that you have feelings for me, Napius, I really am. I didn’t mean to confuse you.”
Napius shook his head and turned away from me, and I looked to Vralius instead. He just grimaced at me and turned back to Gisor. “Do I have your permission, Gisor?” he asked, staring intently at his chief.
I looked to Gisor, but he didn’t pay any attention to me. He just sighed heavily, looked to his son, and then muttered, “Fine. If you win, you can do whatever you want to her, free her, marry her… it’s up to you.”
Vralius nodded once and said, “Thank you, Gisor.” Then, he turned to Napius and cleared his throat. Napius turned around, slowly and with obvious reluctance. “What time shall the fight take place?” Vralius asked.
Napius scowled and looked between us, before he said, “We can do it now, or we can do it later. I don’t care.” Vralius quirked a brow, but nodded and told Gisor, “This afternoon, then.” He reached out to shake Napius’ hand, but the younger centaur had already turned around and started to leave.
Gisor shook his head slowly and told Vralius, “She’s your charge for now. We’ll meet in the clearing for the challenge… don’t forget to bring her.” Vralius nodded and touched my arm, guiding me away. I thought he would lead me back to my quarters, but he didn’t. He led me through the forest in silence, while I walked closely beside him, feeling nervous.
“How does this challenge work?” I asked quietly, looking up at him. He grimaced slightly, and then sighed, “Well, most times we challenge each other, it’s to the death. But, we don’t challenge often.” He looked down at me and saw my shocked face, and he added hastily, “This one isn’t. I don’t even want to hurt him; I just want you to be free.”
I swallowed roughly, and then asked, “Is… is that why you’re doing this challenge? To free me?” Vralius just smiled and nodded slightly. I smiled back, my heart feeling fluttery, and I asked, “Was this your plan all along?”
Vralius chuckled softly and stopped. He moved in front of me and then leaned down to kiss me gently. “Yes,” he responded softly, “My plan was to win you back. I can’t stand seeing you so unhappy. All I want now, is whatever you want.”
I grinned, kissing him back, and I felt my spirits soar. “Thank you, Vralius. So where are we going now, anyways?” I asked, looking around. I’d never been to this part of the woods before. Before me, Vralius chuckled and told me, “We’re going to get equipment. Or… rather I am, y
ou’re just tagging along.”
I frowned a little bit at the word ‘equipment’, but nodded, and we started walking again. “How good are your chances?” I asked abruptly, looking straight ahead, “At beating Napius?”
Vralius hummed quietly and after a few moments, he assured me, “He’s had little training. Plus, he’s young, and likely not as skilled with a sword as I am.”
I frowned a little deeper and nodded once again. “That’s probably why he’s so mad,” I sighed, feeling my mood begin to drop. “I never meant for this to happen… I never meant for him to develop the feelings that he has for me.” I mumbled, feeling both upset and ashamed.
Vralius stopped us once again, and I heard him sigh softly. “It’s not your fault,” he told me, giving me a somber look. “It’s my fault. I never should have taken you. I’m so sorry, Nephele.” I just shook my head and told him, “No, it’s mine. I was nice to him, and we talked so much… He was the only light I had when I was with Cazis and Placias.”
Vralius sighed again and shook his head. “I shouldn’t have given you up. I should have known Cazis was going to try and take you. But… you can’t blame yourself for being kind, Nephele – you’re just a kind person. It’s Napius’ fault for taking kindness as… as lust, or love.”
Slowly, I nodded, and he gave me a small smile. “Come on,” he told me, moving on, “I need a sword, and then after that… well, I should train and then it’s the fight.” I gave Vralius a bit of a grimace, but I nodded and told him, “Make sure you win.”
I was back in my quarters; the fight was likely just a few hours away. I hadn’t seen Napius since the morning, and Vralius had been gone for a few hours. I’d never seen a fight, be it among centaurs or my own kind, but I feared for him. I couldn’t bear to see him get hurt, because if he got hurt, it meant he might lose. And if he lost… It was selfish of me, but I knew that if Vralius lost this fight, my fate would be sealed. There would be no one else to fight for me, to free me from my bonds of slavery, and I just couldn’t bear to live this way any longer. But then again… did I want to live as Vralius’ bride? My stomach twisted slightly, and I felt unsure. I cared for him… or at least I thought I did. But what if all this was on my part was just manifested by my desire to be free? I didn’t know, and it was becoming too much to bear.
A sudden scraping noise roused me from my thoughts and I sat up bolt right, and I watched as the door to my room began to open. I didn’t expect it to be anyone in particular, and so my interest was piqued for the few seconds it took for the door to fully open, but then I saw it was Vralius. I looked at him curiously, and as I got up from my bed I asked, “Shouldn’t you be training for the fight?”
Vralius just gave me his usual smile and moved to embrace me. “I don’t really need to train,” he told me confidently. I worried for him, but he suppressed my worried thoughts as he added, “Plus I saw Napius training.” I studied Vralius’ face, and found that he looked… almost amused.
I sighed softly and nodded, but then a thought struck me. “The fight… it’s not happening now, is it? Where did the day go?” I asked, panicked, moving to the window to look outside. I couldn’t see the sun, but the angle of the shadows from the trees told me it was around midday or so. Behind me, I heard Vralius chuckle.
“No, Nephele, the fight isn’t happening now. We’ve a few more hours until then.” He told me quietly, putting a hand on my shoulder. I sighed, relieved, and turn around to face him. We both smiled at each other, and I tried to imagine what it would like to be married to him. Probably not any different, as we’d already made love plenty of times, and I was fairly certain I cared for him. But… what would happen? Where would we go? And would I still be forced to live in this little room? I didn’t think so, but I had no idea.
“What will happen after?” I asked softly, studying his face. “If you win?” Vralius frowned softly, studying my face as I was his. He reached out with a hand and stroked my cheek gently before giving me a small smile.
“What do you want to happen?” he replied, giving me a broad grin, “I’m doing this for you, Nephele,” he continued, pulling me closer. I exhaled slowly and then closed my eyes, resting my head against his abdomen for a few moments, silent.
“I… I think I want to stay with you,” I responded quietly, my voice shaking slightly, “But… I don’t want to be here anymore, either. I can’t stand the rest of your herd; I can’t stand living in this… this shack.” I admitted, pulling away to watch him.
Vralius frowned slightly, but he nodded, like he understood. “Then we can leave. Honestly, I – I wasn’t expecting that you’d want to stay. Don’t you want to go home?” he inquired, staring down at me, a stoic look on his face.
I bit my lip, thinking, but finally I told him with certainty, “If I go to my village… you can’t come with me. And I’m not sure how I’d be treated… Klasys wouldn’t want me anymore, that I’m certain of…” I trailed off slowly, but then, seeing the pained look on Vralius’ face, I hastily added, “Not that I feel for Klasys. He was… well, I was supposed to marry him just because we were of the right age. I didn’t know him well.” I chuckled a little for the traditions of my people and finished, “I suppose that was what the marriage was for… to get to know him.”
Vralius nodded slowly, and then he let his usual smile cross his face. “So… you want to stay with me, but you want us to leave the herd?” he inquired slowly, smile spreading into a grin. I just smiled back and nodded simply.
“Yes… I want to stay with you, Vralius,” I told him softly, reaching up on the tips of my toes for a kiss. He chuckled and obliged, kissing me back. I chuckled a little bit, and kissed him some more, letting them become deeper. He was all I wanted, really… though I resented being in this box, I couldn’t deny that Vralius – and all of the centaurs, really – had made my life interesting. I could hardly wonder what life would be like outside of here and outside of the herd… but I was dying to find out.
Excited now, for what the future would hopefully hold, I kissed Vralius with passion and he groaned quietly. I grinned against his lips and pulled away slightly, breathing heavily. “I want to make love to you before the fight,” I whispered, pressing myself into him. “I want to pleasure you, Vralius…” I continued, pulling back and moving around him.
Vralius chuckled quietly and shifted so that we had more room. “What do you intend to d- oh, Nephele,” he gasped lowly. I had gotten down onto my knees and shifted under him, and I took the tip of his shaft into my mouth while he spoke. It excited me to see him so well-hung already. It felt good, to know that I possessed the ability to excite him, to make him desire me.
I chuckled softly, letting my eyes close as I began to gently and slowly suck on the tip of his shaft. Above me, he groaned softly, and I could feel the muscles in his legs tensing. I took him deeper into my mouth, going slow… I didn’t want it to end. I ran my tongue over the tip while I reached up with one of my hands and began to stroke his shaft. He groaned again, reflexively thrusting into my mouth, and I chuckled before taking the rest of him… or rather, as much as I could, into my mouth. I wanted to go slow, but I knew we had only a few hours, and there was more I longed to do, and so I stroked with more fervor, my tongue toying with Vralius’ head while Vralius himself moaned his pleasure above.
“Nephele,” he panted quietly. I could feel him trembling now, and he began to thrust into my mouth. Like usual, I relaxed my mouth and my throat, moaning around his girth as he began to take me. He shot his first liquids into me, groaning softly as he did, but I directed him to stop by grabbing one of his hind legs. It took him a few moments, so caught up in it, but eventually he pulled out and I shifted out from under him. I grinned slyly at him and murmured, “I want to feel your juices fill my body, Vralius… but I also want you to take me.”
I shifted to lean over the table, and he breathed heavily for a few moments before he chuckled, “You’re so good at this, Nephele… I will take you gladly.” And t
hen he mounted me, using the wall to brace himself while I used the table. I hadn’t even bothered to remove my dress, I’d wanted him so badly, and it would have only taken time… Instead, as he buried his girth inside of me, his body pushed my dress up. I moaned loudly, gripping the table, as he began to thrust into me. He was slow, but he went in deep, and each plunge of Vralius brought a moan pass my lips.
Eventually, we were both moaning with our lust, and when I begged for Vralius to go harder, and faster, he obliged quickly. I could feel myself beginning to tighten, and I was so wet, Vralius was sliding in and out of my folds with ease. He was so warm, and he throbbed deeply inside of me. He filled me completely, but it wasn’t at all painful… he made me feel complete now, which is what made it feel so wonderful. I could almost taste my freedom, and I knew he could, as well.
My body began to shake, much as Vralius’ had before, and he gasped and panted over me, continuing to thrust into me without slowing or stopping. When he shot out his climaxing liquids, he didn’t stop, likely because he knew I hadn’t reached my own climax yet. I was gaining better control of my body, and I wanted this to last.
I bit down on my lip, hard, accenting the pleasure with just enough pain to let my body hold off, and he chuckled lowly. “You’re gonna make me work for it, hm?” he questioned, thrusting harder. I gasped and moaned, but then replied lowly, “Ohh, yes… you need to make up for the time you lost.”
Though I spoke of when he’d given me up, and when Napius had taken me as his own, Vralius knew I meant nothing bad by it. Instead, he laughed openly and began to ravage me. He thrust as deep as he could, making me cry out in pleasure, and then he plunged faster, so fast that I knew I would stand no chance against him.
My walls tightened violently around him, and though I tried my hardest to fight the oncoming climax, there was no use. I climaxed easily with his expertise, and then I lay limp over the table, catching my breath while Vralius stayed inside of me, though he was now motionless. I moaned lowly, still feeling my body clenched around him. Once it had relaxed, Vralius slowly pulled himself out, but I laid there for a few more moments, letting my breath return before I stood. Both of our juices flowed from my body, but I didn’t care.
Captured Series Bundle Page 8