"I don't care, just let me go!" I repeated.
"I'm afraid I can't let that happen, but why don't you have a taste of that apple? I can guarantee you'll like it." I was so mad and afraid that I grabbed the apple and chucked it at him. He effortlessly caught it in one of his hands and grinned. "Nice throwing arm, and a good aim. Yes, I can see how you would make a good mate."
"Stop calling me that!" I shrieked at him.
He shook his head. "I think not, at least not until you start behaving." He paused and rubbed his chin. "Perhaps that would be a suitable punishment. For as long as you disobey me you won't have a name, but you'll still be my possession."
"I'd rather not have a name than be your possession!"
Luke tossed the apple onto the tray. "You'll change your mind. Until then keep your strength up and fight me all you want." He strode to the door, unlocked it with a key from his pocket, and left me alone in my white dungeon.
3
I pressed my back up against the wall behind the bed and hugged my legs to myself. Tears rolled down my cheeks and all I could think about were those plain walls around me, trapping me in this horrible place with this insane man and his servant. Only yesterday I'd been a happy college student with my biggest worry being if I was going to miss my friends' calls and if that stupid geology teacher was going to give us homework. Now here I sat in this strange room threatened by these men and with no chance at escape.
Still, there were lingering hopes for escape even in the confines of that white room. I glanced up and looked over the boarded windows. They looked secure, but where there was a will there was a way. I slipped off the bed and hurried over to the window on the left to try to pry the boards off; no luck. They were nailed on with thick nails that resembled railroad spikes, and the other window was the same. I'd need something heavy or sharp to break the wood, or at least to pry the boards loose with leverage.
I looked around the room and spotted the food tray. My stomach growled, reminding me that fear, my earlier mad dash, and trying to pull off the boards had given me an even greater appetite than before. I slunk up to the table and inspected the food. It all looked perfectly normal to me. The apple he'd tossed to me lay beside the other fruit, and I grabbed that and sat down for a breather. I intended to eat only as much as I needed and nothing more, but when I bit into the apple and chewed on the piece I was overcome with this strange, overpowering urge to eat more. My body flushed with a desire to savor everything on the tray, to have all those textures roll across my tongue and slide down my throat.
It wasn't the flavor of the apple that made me grab another apple. It was more like an added spice brushed over the food that created a sensual, overpowering need to consume it all. I dug in like an animal and devoured fruit, juice and cereal. My hands clawed off fruit skins and I drank down the juice, and I relished every moment as my body heated up with each bite and drink. My clothes were splattered with my food, but I didn't care. There was only that burning inside me that demanded I feed the fire. I finished off the last of the food and drink, and found myself craving more. My tense, flushed body ached for another bite, another drink, and I whimpered when I found I couldn't satisfy my need.
It was at that moment the door to the room opened and Luke stepped inside. His eyes fell on the empty tray in front of me, and then to me, covered as I was in the remains of my breakfast. He smirked, and shut and locked the door behind himself. "It seems you enjoyed your breakfast," he teased.
My anger was rekindled by his smirk, but only partially. The need inside of me dampened the flame of ire. "You put something in it, didn't you?" I accused him.
He walked over to me and picked up the apple core. Even that was partially chewed. "Only a little wolf's bane. It adds a unique flavor for our kind that is similar to an aphrodisiac." I didn't understand what it was or what kind about which he was talking, but I understood the second part about the aphrodisiac. That explained the sensual need inside of me clawing to get out. He tossed the core back onto the tray and turned to me with those bright eyes. "It seems to have affected you quite well. How are you feeling?"
"Hot," I hoarsely whispered to him. I couldn't help myself when my hand reached up and brushed the naked skin of my long shirt collar. My flesh was hot and wet from sweat, and I shuddered at the feel of my own fingers caressing my skin.
Through the lens of my sensual emotions I saw his grin take on a more feral appearance as his teeth shone out beneath his lips. His eyes brightened as they had before, and I swear they changed color from blue to yellow. "You look very flushed. Let me help you to your bed." I was languid and submissive as he picked me up in his arms and carried me to the bed. He set me on the soft covers, and my hands grasped them when a wave of heat swept over me. I shuddered, and he sat down at my side. His hand came up and brushed aside wet strands of my hair, soaked as they were in my hot sweat. His touch lit a fire that I couldn't quench with food; I wanted something more. "You look ravishing," he whispered to me.
I gasped for breath. His voice was deep and sultry, and there was a tremor in the tone that told me how badly he wanted me. I wanted the same, and I purred and moaned at every touch of his hands against me. His right hand slid down my soaked shirt and over my heaving breasts. He paused over the pert peaks and teased me with promises, but his hand kept going down over my stomach to the waistband of my jeans. They felt tight, too tight, and I strained to break free of them. It was his pleasure to pop open my pants button and draw down the zipper, but it was all so tantalizingly slow.
I whimpered, trying to tell him that I wanted faster, that I wanted him. He chuckled and buried his face into my neck, nuzzling me while his hand toyed with my underwear. I cursed it for being there and for keeping his fingers from touching my naked skin. He toyed with the waistband of those before his hand slipped inside. I wanted him inside me, but his fingers danced soothingly over my skin and rustled into my thick bristle of hair. He navigated the jungle and brushed across my folds, and I jumped when he ghosted over the sensitive spot between my legs.
His breath against my throat was harsh and raspy. He strained against his urge to ravish me like we both wanted. "Do you like that?" he growled.
"Y-yes," I stuttered out. I couldn't lie to him. I wasn't thinking enough to say anything but the truth.
"Do you want more?"
"Y-yes."
"How badly do you want it?"
"Badly."
"Good." Luke pulled his hand away, and I cried out in agony and disappointment. He sat up and smirked down at me. "Remember how badly you want it. Next time I might oblige you." I whimpered and squirmed, but he stood and stepped over to the door. His eyes smoldered with need, but his mind was too strong to overcome the sensual demands of carnal desire. "Good morning." He gave his farewell and left me lying there covered in sweat and with my thighs soaked with my own need.
I grasped the covers and kicked my legs, throwing a tantrum like some child punished for disobeying their parent. This child wanted, no, needed her desire quenched. I craved his fingers against me, touching me and pleasuring me like no other man. Unbidden my hand reached down and dipped beneath my underwear. I gasped when my fingers brushed against my sensual nerves, sending a shiver up my body.
It wasn't like his, though, and that frustrated me. I wanted that same pleasure of a man touching me and toying with me, but I had to settle for this. My finger dipped between my wet, hot folds and rubbed the bundle of delight between my thighs. I groaned and squirmed above the covers, and my hips rocked in rhythm with the beat of an erotic dance. Little shoots of delicious pleasure pulsed out from between my thighs and swelled over me, penetrating my mind with thoughts of him on top of me.
I imagined his strong muscles pressing down against my bare breasts, and our groans filling the air as we thrust against each other. His arms would be wrapped around me, holding me to him as he penetrated me again and again. Our sweat-covered bodies would writhe and squirm together trying to become one as we reached
the height of carnal lust. His grunts and groans would echo in my ears, and when my body couldn't take any more I would scream out his name for the world to hear.
"Oh god," I moaned out loud. My finger brushed harder and faster against me. My other hand massaged the bed covers and my back arched to push my pert buds into the air. All I could think about was him; inside of me, pressing against me. My carnal thoughts were unfulfilled with his absence, and that drove me to the brink of insanity. I needed him, desired him, and he had left me.
I was in a frenzy to free myself and find some solace in my solitude. My free hand wrenched at the buttons of my shirt, tearing them away and opening my breasts to the stifling air. They were swollen and pushing up against my bra. With a flick of my fingers the strap was undone and they were freed. With a wild toss the shirt and bra flew across the room while my finger worked its magic between my thighs. The thrills of pleasure ran through me, but it still wasn't enough. I needed one last push to make up for his being gone. My free hand grasped one of my breasts and massaged the pulsing, swollen mound of flesh. It was slick and round, and I milked myself for sensual fulfillment.
"Oh god, please. Please." I moaned. So close, oh so close. The heat was unbearable, the tension strong. I could feel myself creeping closer to the edge of bliss. Almost there. I tossed back my head and cried to the heavens my satisfaction. "Oh god, yes. Yes! Yes!" My world burst into a million lights with a million tingles of pleasure. I shook and shivered, and squirmed atop the covers.
For all its buildup the moment was gone in a flash. The pleasure faded and I slumped down atop the covers, my body covered in sweat and myself. I gasped for breath and my body tingled with delight, but there was still something wrong. I'd reached satisfaction, but that wasn't enough. I needed him to reach the full height of my sexual potential. He needed to be the one to take me to heavenly bliss. I whimpered and brushed a hand through my hair.
That's when I froze. What the hell was I doing? This man was my jailer, my kidnapper, my enemy. I shouldn't have wanted him that way. I should have starved to death rather than follow this path of almost unbearable aphrodisiac-induced sexual arousal. I would have smacked myself if I'd had the energy, but all I could do was lay there and let the effects of the poisoned food wear off. I berated myself a thousand times over, and promised myself a million times to let myself starve. He wouldn't want to have sex with a skeleton woman, not if he'd chosen my plump body.
A sudden thought struck me. What if I did displease him? What would he do to me then? Would I be tossed out on a pile of corpses made up of the other girls who'd displeased him? My heart thumped fast and I found the energy to sit up. There wasn't any evidence of other people in the room, but psychopaths were clever, and this guy was definitely a psychopath. I needed to escape, but I needed to bide my time and make him think I was following his orders when I was really planning to undermine him.
4
I had another look around my cage and noticed a door on the wall behind the small table. I scuttled over to it, and was relieved and overjoyed to find it was unlocked. The door opened, but my hopes were dashed. Inside was a simple bathroom made in the same bland style as the larger room. Still, I wouldn't let a little disappointment slow me down. If there was anything college had taught me, there was always a way out with some excuse or escape route.
I stepped inside and inspected the walls for a window. There was a small one opposite the door, but that was bricked up. I'd have better luck with the boarded up windows, so I went back into the large room and took another look at those ones. The railroad spikes stared back at me, mocking me with their strength, but there were ways to get past them. They weren't screwed in, at least not as far as I could tell, so maybe I could pry them loose bit by bit.
My fingers danced over the rough edges of the boards looking for a handhold, but they were nailed too close together. I'd need something thin and tough to wedge between them if I was going to pry the boards loose. I glanced over my shoulder and my eyes fell on the tray that man Alistair had brought in. That looked sturdy enough, and it was the only thing in sight to help me. I dashed over, quietly removed the remains of food and dishes, and ran back to the window. The tray was made of some sort of sturdy metal, and thin enough I could slip it between a few of the wider gaps between the boards.
When it was securely wedged at the height of my chest, I put my hands on the tray and pressed down with all my weight and strength. The tray creaked and the wood groaned, and little by little, inch by inch freedom appeared behind the board. In a few minutes, and after a few breaks, I managed to loosen the board enough that I could pry my fingers into the hole and yank on the wood. In an hour my hard work was rewarded when the board and its stubborn nails came off in my hands. Victory was accompanied by a loud wrenching noise when the wood pulled from the wall, and I froze with the board tightly gripped in my hands. I listened for sounds of footsteps and voices, but nothing came to my ears.
I softly set aside the board and glanced at the hole. There was only a glass window, and beyond that was the world. Unfortunately, it wasn't any world I knew. The forest of city buildings was replaced by a forest of tall trees, and the streets were now an expansive lawn that stopped at the edge of those trees forty feet beyond the house in which I was trapped. I didn't see any road or driveway, so I guessed my room was at at the back of the house. That would make escape easier.
There was a drop of thirteen feet from my window to the ground, but I noticed a thick layer of vine peeked out around the edge of the left-hand panes. I could climb down those and run away, but then I ran into another problem. Which direction was I supposed to go? The sun was out and I knew which ways were east and west, but I didn't know if any of those ways would lead me back home. There was also the problem with the sun being there in the first place. I'd be spotted a lot faster during a day escape than at night, so with a heavy heart I put back the board. When night came I could make my escape, and until then I'd use their bathroom to clean myself up and act like the perfect prisoner.
Being a perfect prisoner was easier than I thought. Nobody came to check on me except when Alistair arrived with a new tray and took away the old one. I'd tossed the older tray against the wall, and when he picked it up he noticed the bent edges on one side where I'd shoved it between the boards. When he glanced questioningly at me, I scowled back. "I tossed it against a wall," I told him. That was the truth so he wouldn't suspect I was lying.
He raised an eyebrow and those old, crafty eyes drilled into me like two steady snipers zeroing in on their target. "I see," he drawled. "Would you care for anything else, miss?"
"Yeah, I want to get out of here," I quipped.
Alistair shook his head. "I'm afraid that's quite beyond my abilities. The master appreciates your company, and would like you to stay."
What he'd said about being powerless made me angry, and my hands clenched at my side. "But I don't appreciate his company, and it is in your 'abilities' to get me out of here. You've got a key to the door and know your way around here, so don't give me that bullshit about being some loyal servant. You're just as guilty as he is with keeping me here."
Alistair bowed his head. "If that's how you feel about it, miss, but I'm afraid I still can't let you out. I will return at evening with dinner."
He left, and I was more determined than ever to escape that very night. I didn't trust the food, but I drank some water from the tap in the bathroom and planned my escape. I set aside a dark blanket from the bed as a makeshift cloak, and found an emergency flashlight in the bathroom to light my way. That evening Alistair came as promised, but I was startled and disappointed when Luke came with him. I wanted to make my escape into the darkness as soon as possible, and I hated myself when, at the mere sight of Luke, my body jumped at attention. Heat pooled between my legs and I shifted uneasily atop the bed covers. I couldn't forget how hot and needed he'd made me feel, but the remembrance of his rejection helped me control some of my womanly urges to copulate.
/>
My lead captor noticed the untouched plate that Alistair carted out of the room and stepped up to the table beside the new tray. "You haven't eaten since breakfast," he commented.
"I'm going on a diet," I snapped back from where I sat on the bed.
"I prefer my mate to have meat on her bones."
"And I prefer not to be your mate."
He smirked, and I didn't know if I wanted to smack or kiss that beautiful face. "I'm afraid Destiny has other plans for you, and so do I."
"I don't care what either of you have planned, I want out of this place. You don't have any right to keep me here."
"Right? Other than the legal one put down by humans, I have every right to keep you here," he insisted.
His statement made me seriously wonder if he was all there. "I'm pretty sure you're not excluded from the human population. Might have something to do with you being human, unless you're an alien in disguise," I protested.
Luke chuckled and sauntered to the end of the bed. I scooted back away from him, especially when his dark eyes gazed at me with his hot, intense look. "Not an alien, but not human, either. I'll show you soon what I am, but for now let's just say I have a unique bloodline."
"Whatever the hell you think you are, I don't care. I just want out of here," I persisted.
Luke sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid that just can't be done. Any separation of more than a day and I can't ensure your virginity around me."
I blushed and stammered out my reply. "H-how do you know I'm a virgin? Maybe I've been with plenty of guys."
He slid around the end of the bed post and up to the side of the bed. "Because I can smell it all over you. Your uncontrolled arousal in my presence, the way you begged me for my touch, and the way your heart beats faster the closer I come to you."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I lamely protested.
"Your need permeates this room with its delicious scent. It nearly drives me mad with lust." He crept closer to me and I squished myself up against the wall behind the bed. His voice dropped to a sultry whisper that lit my body aflame with desire. "And there you sit innocent as a sheep with the wolf creeping up on you from the inside and out. I crave to show you what I'm capable of, what we're both capable of." He was two feet away and reached his hand out toward me. I shrank back and turned my head away to avoid his touch. I didn't trust myself not to give in and yield to his lustful demands that my own body wanted so badly. His fingers paused a few inches from my face, and with a pained expression he pulled back. He nearly gasped for breath from the exertion of self-control. "But not yet. Soon, but not yet." He stood and looked down at me with an eager gleam in his eyes. "But when that time comes we'll both enjoy it."