Captured Desire

by Tasha Winters

  “I said it was fine with me to not have anyone in here.”

  “I know, but I got to thinking that it would be unfair leaving you at a disadvantage and you were right about the recording being invasive, so I asked Jacquie to come in. You have had great concerns about your safety. This will help.”

  She continued to assure him in every way she knew how that the additional person was unnecessary. Finally, she sighed heavily. “Does she have to watch?” Amara still didn’t look at Wilder. She couldn’t.

  “That’s rather the point, Amara.”

  “Intimately?”

  He thought for a moment and then shook his head. “No. She can watch from the far corner above your head. She’ll watch me, not you. How’s that?”

  “Better. Thank you.”

  “You never have to thank me for taking care of you. Now, I’ve lowered the table for you to sit on. I’ll bring it up to the level I need once you’re settled.”

  Wilder

  He had watched her help the women pick carefully through the wreckage that was displayed on their faces—their psyche in more pain than their physical bodies and suddenly, he understood them more completely. This woman before him now was no different in that way. He could never ‘feel’ the same way Amara did instinctively, but he could and wanted to touch her in comfort but didn’t dare. She was in a vulnerable position at the moment and he wouldn’t make it any more awkward.

  He watched her calm and reassure the other women. The exercise had done all that he had hoped it would now that it was her turn. Amara had become more comfortable in his presence, saw everything that he did with the other women, and while she’d still been anxious, she’d acquiesced to assist him. Her intuition or reading of his own thoughts when he hesitated over some rather disturbing areas of injury on a woman’s genitalia, had connected with him somehow. She’d waited for him to breathe through the anger and sorrow on their behalf. It allowed him to treat them as they deserved without his own emotions to cloud his judgement.

  It had all contributed to the end result that he hoped he would never have to do again and that was gain her trust. He knew he didn't have her complete confidence, but he’d be willing to work hard for as long as necessary to gain her total trust. For now, however, it was a good start. She’d have to trust him enough to get through the physical.

  Amara walked into the room in the thin cloth gown, vulnerable but determined. It wasn’t see through, but more than one woman had told him it felt that way. He could see it was no different for her. That stiffly held hurt body, that firm lip that was still trembling slightly, solidified what he had already known; she was courageous; she was theirs.

  He, and hopefully his partners, would do everything they could to convince her of that fact. He could perceive only one thing that would stop them from going forward and claiming her; if she had already been claimed. They would never encroach on another’s territory. But, the recent traumas, whatever they were, they highlighted one fact: Amara did not have a protector.

  “Amara, even if you don’t think you need it or are uncomfortable with someone else in here, it’s important I make sure you’re protected. I know I’ll be professional but after the trauma you’ve experienced, whatever that was, at the hands of a man or men, I will not have you worried it might happen again.”

  “Isn’t my word that it is not necessary enough?” she demanded.

  “It's my job to protect you whether you think it necessary or not. It's something you will need to get used to because I guarantee that fact will not go away. Amara, I need to begin by visually examining you. Can you tell me where you are having trouble or where you were hurt?”

  “Really, I’ll be fine. I don’t need to catalog my injuries.”

  “Amara.”

  Wilder hadn’t meant to lower his voice and add in the chastising tone but it was natural with her. He was already thinking what it would be like to pamper her and sink deep into her sexy body. Bruised or not, there was no denying Amara was a beautiful woman with her sun-kissed skin and her shiny hair falling down her back in thick dark waves of glory.

  “Are you always so bossy?” she asked, as she climbed onto the table and waited for him to bring it up to the level he was comfortable with.

  Wilder laughed for the first time since beginning the clinical evaluations. “I’ve been told it’s a character flaw, but I don’t see it that way. It’s my job to ensure the health of the residents and sometimes that makes me bossy.”

  Wilder watched Amara’s expression shut down all emotion. Cognizant of their observer and the professionalism he needed to maintain he struggled a moment with how to fix Amara’s interpretation of his words.

  “And the women in my life have been known to complain quite vehemently at my take-charge behavior.” He spoke quietly. “It seems to affect them in the strangest ways. They develop afflictions.”

  Wilder stood again, continuing to make notes of the abrasions and bruises on her arms neck and face as he spoke.

  “What kind of afflictions?”

  He’d hooked her. “Oh, you know, they tended to roll their eyes often, a few have stomped their feet, and one had the most annoying habit of sighing dramatically.”

  Now it was Amara’s turn to laugh. “Yes, you must be a challenge.”

  “So, I gather,” he answered as he finished examining her scalp and marking down the contusions.

  She was a feisty one. Her challenge of his decision told him that her spirit was still very much intact. Thankfully there was no doubt of that even though she had been able to contain herself well since he’d arrived. He had no doubt that the reports of her tantrums and noncompliance were real. He also believed that she had every right to display those behaviors. He had no intentions of giving her an excuse to display them again any time soon. Wilder knew, however, that if she stayed with them in the capacity he was beginning to consider, there would be more tantrums because he didn’t believe she would comply with all of their requirements. And they would deal with them in their creative ways.

  The room had been quiet for a few moments while Wilder completed his examination of all the extremities and visually accessible places on her body. Now was the time he needed to remove some of the cloth covering her trunk. He walked back into her field of vision and connected with her.

  “Amara, it’s time I see what’s under the gown. I’ll help you sit up so that I can see your back first.”

  “There are some marks there, but I’m sure they should disappear in time.”

  “Have you seen them?”

  “No, but I feel them.”

  “Of course.” He began to seethe again.

  Wilder nodded and completed the examination of her back and buttocks before moving on to her breasts, belly, and upper thighs. He congratulated himself that he had not railed over the wounds that could be described as nothing less than torture. There were streaks of dried blood and open wounds as though she had been struck with archaic things like a cat of nine tails or a solar taser or something. Instead he made eye contact with her again after he dressed the worst of the wounds. He wouldn’t offer to show her the devastation someone had done to her beautiful skin.

  “One last area before I take blood.”

  He didn’t say any more because he knew she didn’t need him to explain further. She looked as though she was not going to allow it, but he tried to communicate silently that he was a safe person to do this and that it was necessary. Regardless of whether she understood him or just felt that he was sincere, she nodded slightly.

  Patting her hand in comfort, he moved down to the foot of the table, placing her feet flat. She said she hadn’t been violated and unless he saw evidence of it, he wouldn’t put a woman’s feet in the stirrups. It was difficult at best for them to endure that degradation. Instead he pressed on her inner thighs slightly to encourage her relaxation.

  “Amara, there are abrasions in your pubic area. Are you sure you weren’t violated?”

  “No, not
in that way. The other place, before this, the guard was… um… aggressive, but he was stopped.”

  Wilder swore before he could stop himself. “Dammit.” He looked at Jacquie. “Find out who he was. I’ll have his job and charges brought.”

  “No. I mean, he was caught before he could do more. He was fired in front of me. That’s why I’m here and not still there. I don’t want anything to do with them ever again. Another doctor, Remington, told them he was filing charges when he left and was going to come back to take me from here tomorrow. Something about his wife. I don’t really know. I was too upset to pay attention. But thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For caring.”

  Wilder wanted to say more but again, there was company in the room.

  “Okay, I’ll check into it tomorrow, but we might have a better plan for you than going home with Sterling Remington. I’ll work on it. Now, I have a few more things to ask such as—when was the last time you had sex?”

  “Never.”

  “At all? Not once?” Wilder tried to keep his voice modulated, but he was surprised.

  “No.”

  “So, no possibility you’re pregnant?”

  “None.” He watched her face cringe at the question. He’d have to explore that little issue later. “Anal?”

  “What?”

  “Sex. Any anal sex? Girls do it to avoid pregnancy but to give a guy some satisfaction when they feel pressured to perform for his benefit.”

  “N-no. Never.”

  “So, what’s up with the two clits?”

  “The what?”

  “You have two clitorises.”

  “I do? But I thought that was an under developed male organ. That is what another doctor said.”

  “Well, he was wrong. That would make you a type of hermaphrodite, androgynous, but you aren’t. See, let me show you. Jacquie, you’ll have to watch me. Amara didn’t want you viewing her private anatomy. But please stay in the room.”

  Amara nodded in obvious relief.

  “See,” he pointed at the projected image on the wall. “This is all normal female anatomy: your urethra, vagina, and clitoris. This second appendage isn’t a penis, not in structure or appearance. It is a larger clit. I have to do a quick test, but I bet you have no other differences than this extra bit of fun. So, you are not a hermaphrodite.”

  But she was a woman who was excited by this situation. She was wet and getting wetter. She couldn’t hide that fact. That answered a question he would not have been able to ask after she disclosed she was a virgin. She had no trouble being aroused.

  “But, do you have to remove it?” Her fear was screaming at him.

  “Why would I? Does it cause you any discomfort?”

  “I don’t even know it’s there most of the time.” Except when I entertain myself, Amara thought.

  “Well, then I’d say you are one of those rare women who gets extra pleasure when the time comes to make love to your man, or men.”

  Amara didn’t reply.

  No rise to the word “men”. Wilder continued, “Okay, but I do need to check a couple more things that require the internal probe. I see your eyes bulge, but I promise you, it doesn’t hurt. Not one bit. You can turn back around, Jacquie.”

  Amara groaned. “Things are so backward here.”

  Wilder chose not to explore that statement in front of Jacquie. He watched Amara’s reactions as he approached to insert the probe. There was a moment of concern that her hymen might be intact which would end this part of the exam. He didn’t have a portable ultrasound in this exam room, but he needn’t have worried. It was possible she wasn’t born with one or it had torn during masturbation or some other vigorous activity. Whatever the reason, she didn’t have one now.

  Her naivety and worry shown in her furtive looks and the biting of her lip, causing him to drop his professional cloak for a moment and place one hand over her icy one. He had a woman in the room who should have more insight as to the concerns or fears of the patient on the table but evidently not. His quick reassurance seemed to do the trick. Soon the scan was complete and she, indeed, was intact in every way a woman would be with no male genitalia in any stages of development, thwarted or otherwise.

  “So, I could have children? If I ever wanted to, I mean.”

  “I don’t see why not. I can’t guarantee it but there isn’t anything that looks to prevent it upon physical examination. Did you think that you couldn’t bear children?”

  “Well, you know, thinking I was a hermaphrodite did raise some concerns.”

  Amara was relieved when he covered her and offered a hand as she sat up. He completed the blood draw quickly.

  “That’s it. You can get dressed.”

  She shot off the table and was behind the bathroom door in the quickest moves he’d seen her make since meeting her. He smiled. Yes, they were going to work hard at keeping this one.

  Chapter 7

  Wilder

  Wilder sat two cups of coffee down on the table between him and Ethan. “Finn and Amara have been gone a little while. Do you think we should check on them?” asked Ethan.

  “What I hope it means is that they are getting along, and she trusts that we can keep her safe.” Wilder said. “Building that next level of trust.

  “Finn’s not one to seek out people if he doesn’t have to, so it’s just odd. Of the three of us, he’s hands down the biggest hermit.”

  “True, and he can be a little rough around the edges, but he’s got that Nordic blonde hair and blue-eyed thing going on that helps him charm just about anyone, especially the women.”

  “Once they get past his size. How did the physicals go?” asked Ethan as he took a sip of his coffee.

  “Actually, very well. That was mostly thanks to Amara’s incredible ability to help others relax. It doesn’t work as well on herself, however. Though after watching the previous women go through the same exam with little differences, she accepted hers with only a little back chat.”

  Ethan laughed. “She does seem to be a little opinionated, doesn’t she? Not at all like most of the women we encounter here. It’s refreshing actually, but I can see that it might have gotten her in some hot water in the past.”

  “You know she thought she was a hermaphrodite. Some inexperienced doctor from her past had told her that. I was able to prove to her that what she does have is a bonus in the form of two clitorises.”

  Ethan sat forward as though that would help him understand better. “What? Say that again. She has two functioning clits?”

  Wilder smiled. “Yep, two. Think of the fun we could have and the gratification we could give her with an extra clit.”

  Ethan smiled and then sobered. “I think I want her to come home with us.”

  “Because of the clits? That’s pretty shallow of you,” teased Wilder.

  “Shut up. Of course not, but I’ve got this urge to take her home. I can’t believe I’m saying this about someone I just met, but I’m really attracted to her, and pissed as all hell that someone hurt her.”

  “Yes, and badly. I gave her a pain injection that should get her through the night but even with pain relief, she will still be hurting another week or so. A couple of places will take twice that long.”

  “I just want to rip the head off her tormentor.”

  “I agree on every point, but I have some concerns. I think she’s holding something back, something big.”

  “Well, obviously she’s holding many things back. Given what we understand about her situation, it isn’t surprising.”

  Wilder shook his head. “No, I mean, it seems like she has a goal in mind and it isn’t just to stay safe, get out of here, or do something else with her life. I don’t know really, but it’s something. Almost as though she has a purpose, a reason as to why she’s in this place, going through these events. She might be an immigrant in the purest sense of the word, but it was more than that. She has a focused intensity about her as though, regardless of the exp
eriences she’s gone through, there was a goal that she intended to reach. It sounds off, but I swear it’s a strong vibe.”

  It bothered Wilder a little that she did seem focused on something other than her own welfare even though she was concerned about her security. Hopefully, she would open up to Finn about that more specifically when they discussed the system they had in place. He wondered where she came from, although in the records it stated that she’d come from an island in the South Pacific. How did she get to their center outside of San Antonio? Why this center? Why this place? Where was her family?

  Wilder had to let that part of his inquiring mind go because in this moment, at this time, he had to focus on her physical well-being. The rest would come. He had another topic that he needed to discuss. He’d start with Ethan.

  “I offered to sit on the steering committee for the population project. Just looking at how women are treated now, I can’t imagine the devastation that would occur if we, for whatever reason, gave the message that males were preferable.” Wilder sat while Ethan processed.

  “I think if you believe you have enough time to dedicate to this, given we will have Amara and all that will entail, then I’m all for it. If you’re on the steering committee, I know Ambrose’s policy won’t allow them to go forward without a unanimous vote on each segment of the plan. You know Finn and I will support you in any way we can.”

  “Thanks. I’ve already spoken to Sterling, and he said the same goes for them at the compound.”

  Ethan finished his coffee and stood to put the cup in the breakroom sink. “I worry about her being an empath surrounded by all this emotional upheaval. I mean, of all the places an empath should not find themselves, it’s in a room full of abused and exploited women.”