It was almost like his eyes were caressing her skin.
Softly, gently. Red felt shivers go down her spine. A deep throb erupted in her groin.
His talon retracted into his flesh like a cat’s. He touched her with just his fingertip. He trailed it down her chest to her nipple. He circled each nipple lazily, teasingly.
“You are a very erotic woman. Everything about you emanates sex. Especially your hard, tight body.”
He moved his finger up and down her sternum, between her br**sts. “Your muscles tighten and bulge with each light touch of my finger. You quiver at even a whisper.” He leaned forward and blew across her ni**les.
Red tried to shrink away, but she was immobile.
She could feel her body shake, her muscles twitch.
Her sex ached. His light feathery touches were driving her over the edge.
Drake trailed his finger down over her belly. He circled her navel, then continued down. He reached the band of her trousers.
“You see, Red, I know what hurts you. Pain only makes you stronger. But pleasure…pleasure makes you weak.”
His talon pushed out. He trailed it down over the front of her pants to the middle of her crotch. Then he moved behind her and trailed his finger from her waistband over her buttocks down to the same spot.
Red could feel the fabric open. Instantly the air hit her sex. She felt it moisten with want.
Drake stood back and looked at his handiwork. He grinned. He waved his hand down. The shackles at her ankles fell open. He waved his hand again. Red’s legs spread apart. The halves of her trousers unraveled down her legs. Her sex was laid bare.
“Exquisite.” Drake stepped back and leered down at her openness.
Red could feel her face flush from the lust pumping through her veins. She had never felt so wanton, so vapid. She wanted to feel repulsed, wanted to feel revolted by this baneful creature of the underworld touching her, lusting for her. She wanted to feel shame for the wetness of her sex, but instead she reveled in her lechery.
Drake smiled as her face flushed and sweat trickled down from her forehead. He watched the liquid trail as it ended at the tip of her rosy peaked nipple. He bent down and licked it from the tip.
Red gasped from the touch. Gasped from the sensations jolting through her body.
“I imagine from one deep thrust into your sex, you would come. Do you crave release, Red? Do you want it above all else?”
He knelt down in front of her. His face was level with her belly. She could feel his hot breath brush against her skin. Her breathing labored and she closed her eyes. The exquisite torture was driving her mad. She could no longer watch as he did—or did not do —what she so desperately desired.
With one finger, Drake parted her. She was slick with lust. He rubbed his finger back and forth across her cleft.
Red groaned at the subtle movements. She wanted to grind her pelvis onto his hand to ease her pain. But she could still not move. She was frozen in place.
Unable to stop him from touching or not touching her. She was open and vulnerable. Dripping wet with lust. She had never been so blatantly exposed to anyone before. It was a feeling she tried desperately not to crave. But did anyway.
Drake continued to manipulate her. He rubbed harder and faster. He stopped briefly at her most sensitive spot and pinched it between his fingers.
Red gasped again.
He continued to rub, then slid his long finger deep inside her. He pushed up, digging deeper. He slid another finger inside. He swirled them around, feeling every inch of her velvety flesh. She could feel her flesh contracting around his hand. He pulled his fingers out.
He sat back on his haunches, looking up at Red, and brought his fingers to his mouth. He inserted them and licked them clean with slow and deliberate movements.
Red watched him. She wanted to beg him to use that tongue on her. To lick her clean. To burrow into her. To nip and tug at her clit. To violently rip her release from her.
He stood up, leaned close to her face and covered her mouth with his own. She tasted her lust on his lips and tongue. He pulled back and looked deep into her eyes, cradling her cheek in his hand.
“Guards!”
Red’s eyes went wide with shock.
“Sorry, my dear. You shall not have your cl**ax.
That is your punishment. To be driven to the edge, but never to go over. Eventually you will beg me to end your suffering, but you will have to tell me what I want to know.”
Two beefy guards burst into the room. They both sneered when they saw Red’s state.
“Give her a shower, she stinks of her sex. Then hang her out to dry.”
The guards picked up her shackles and bound her wrists and ankles again. They leered at her na**dness openly.
“She’s got a nice round ass,” one of them commented.
Drake grinned. “She certainly does.”
Red gathered the saliva in her mouth and spat at Drake, hitting him on the chin. “I will never beg.”
He wiped the spittle away. “We shall see. Take her away.” He waved his hand in front of her.
Red’s arms dropped. She collapsed as her knees gave out. The guards caught her as she went down.
They righted her, groping her as they did.
She glared at Drake. “Sleep with one eye open, Taker. Because I will come for you.”
He clapped his hands together in enjoyment. “Oh my dear, how delightful. Don’t you know I never sleep?”
He waved her away. The guards pulled her from the room. As the door shut behind them, Red heard Drake laugh. It was deep, and full of joy. She would always remember that sound, especially when she ripped out his throat.
Chapter Seven
The shower was not a pleasant experience.
The guards took her into a grubby, cold room somewhere at the back of the castle, where it stunk of animal manure, and worse things. They hung her chain up on an iron peg sticking out of the wall. Her arms were raised slightly, keeping her in place.
They each took turns throwing buckets of cold water on her. They would deliberately aim at her br**sts and sex. By the time they were done, she was shivering violently and her skin was goose-bumped from her head to her toes.
They had offered to towel her dry, but Red gnashed and spat at them when they tried to get near.
She would not allow any more hands on her, especially not belonging to Neanderthal guards.
They pulled her, dripping wet and seething with rage, back down to her cell. As they walked down the dim passage, Red peered into the other cells. They were all still empty but one. Wolf stood in the center of one, his eyes closed, his body relaxed. He looked like he was in a trance.
“Wolf!” Red yelled as they passed.
Wolf’s eyes sprang open. They glinted in the dim light. He rushed to the bars reaching out with his hand.
Red struggled in her restraints. She pulled back on her leash, tried to reach his outstretched hand. The guards were on her. They pushed her back, but she kept coming. She dug in her heels and pushed back.
One guard stumbled back and ran into the cell bars.
Wolf grabbed him around the neck, squeezing him tight.
“Let her go, or I’ll kill him.”
The other guard looked at his comrade. His eyes were bulging with strain. He released his hold on Red.
She stumbled forward and grabbed Wolf’s other hand. “I’m sorry.”
* * *
Wolf met her eyes. They sparkled like emeralds as they welled with tears. He leaned forward to find her mouth. Her eyes bulged, then closed. She lurched forward and dropped to the ground.
“No!”
The wooden club was brought down on Wolf’s wrist. The guard managed to hit his comrade in the process, but the damage was done nonetheless. Wolf let go of his neck. The guard scrambled away. Wolf looked down at Red’s crumpled form.
The guards picked up Red’s motionless form and dragged her down the passage. “We’ll deal with you later,” one guard said to Wolf as they rounded the corner.
Wolf rubbed at his wrist. He wasn’t sure if it was broken, but it definitely throbbed as such. He paced back and forth in his cell. His thoughts were on Red.
She'd looked so frail as they dragged her away.
Seeing her na**d was a shock. He could only imagine the unspeakable things they had done to her.
Her body looked untouched. He imagined that they would beat at her soul and not her body. She was too tough, otherwise. The Taker would know this. He was as intelligent as he was devious. He knew what lurked inside people. He knew their fears and their desires. Sometimes one was the same as the other.
Wolf feared it wouldn’t be long before Red told The Taker what he wanted to know. Her life would be in danger. Hell, it was already in danger. He needed to get them both out before then. How, was another matter.
He heard the shuffling of feet down the passageway. The two guards returned. Both of them had their clubs out in anticipation.
One of them smiled. “Hello, boy. Did you think we forgot about you?”
“No. I knew you’d be back. Beating me is the only thing that gets your dicks hard.”
Smiley opened the cell door. “You’re right about that, boy. And after we’re done with you, we’re going to go f**k that girl of yours.”
“I’m going to bugger her something fierce,” the other guard said, his neck starting to bruise.
They cautiously entered the cell. Wolf backed up a little to allow them in. They raised their clubs.
“Use them well, fellas, because I will not stop until you are both dead.”
The guards glanced at one another. Doubt and fear furrowing their brows. They launched at Wolf, bringing their clubs down hard on his body.
Wolf felt the first blow on his shoulder, the second on his neck. They should have aimed them better, Wolf thought as he punched one in the stomach. He saw that guard double over. He brought up his knee into his face. The other guard brought his club down again. This time it struck its mark.
Wolf felt the sharp sting of the club on the top of his head. His eyes clouded over. His legs gave out on him. He went down to his knees. The guard brought the club down again. It struck Wolf in the temple.
Everything went black. Then came a ringing in his ears. He flailed out his arms, trying to find anything to grasp before he fell into the abyss. He connected solidly to one of the guard’s midsection before collapsing onto his side and into the dark.