He knelt and stroked her quivering pussy, moved a finger within her folds and smiled at the damp response. He took one of her labial lips into his mouth and gently sucked and licked then released it with a little nip. He used two of his fingers to tightly pinch the fatty flesh and slowly inserted the needle. Ariel tried to twist away screaming in agony. His grasp tightened on her flesh, holding her still. After the needle passed slowly through to the other side, he inserted the gold ring with his name engraved in the circle. After pinching the ends together with his strong fingers, he turned the welded sides and buried them within her body. Permanently. She was almost unconscious after the second ring was inserted. Lucien gently lapped each of the piercing wounds shut, soothing the pain instantly, pulling her back to awareness.
The Slave-master handed Lucien the gold collar with the beautiful silver etching and the name 'Lucien' swirled into the design. He lifted Ariel's long hair and placed the collar around her throat. The sound of the click as the collar was snapped closed made Ariel realize her life was forever changed. There would be no college degree, no room for the now disappointing Mike. Lucien stood before her, handsome, proud and she knew she was indeed, his.
When she was lowered, Lucien carried her back to their place by the fire. He did not let her put the shirt back on, proud to have his rings and collar displayed. She curled up on his lap and put her head on his shoulder. He gently put his arms around her, kissed her forehead and rested his chin on top of her head as he watched the rest of the proceedings allowing Ariel to rest after her ordeal.
Ed, Doug and Allen received their three strikes, were cuffed and collared, pierced and sacked as Mike had been. The Slave-master confidently brought each man to his humiliating orgasm as reward. Dave received the same treatment, without the caning. Having a guy make him cum was weird, but it sure felt good.
Paula and Teri sobbed hysterically through their piercing ritual, their captors relishing the opportunity to cuddle and soothe them and admiring the collar and rings now adorning their new companion's bodies. All the captives except Mike now bore the collar with the 'L' of Lucien's clan. The women's collars also depicted their captors' names.
Lucien called to the Slave-master, "Are we ready for the Clan marking?"
The Slave-master said to Lucien, "I'd like to talk to Dave first."
Lucien was mildly stunned. He knew the Slave-master was forming an attachment to the docile, big man. The Slave-masters always got to decide who the new trainee would be as it required an intense relationship breaking the bond as a captive to enforcing discipline. Obviously, Dave wasn't as book smart as the other men. It might make it easier for him to adhere to his new life and less likely to try to manipulate the situation. So far, Lucien had only seen the man following orders, sometimes asking questions in his confusion, never disobedient. Trusting the Slave-master's instincts, he agreed to his suggestion.
Dave was sitting with the rest of the men. He stared down at his recently pierced nipples and thought they made him look silly. The ring under his sack ached and he didn't understand why this was done to him. He was happy his hands hadn't been tied to it like Mike's. Mike was being stupid, he thought. Now he was trying to find any comfortable position without pulling his ball sack up his ass. Served him right.
The Slave-master called Dave aside. The big man got up and lumbered over to him. "Dave, remember when I told you how you would do well with us?" the big man asked. "You seem to be handling this change better than your friends. Why is that?"
Dave actually admired the Slave-master. He seemed in control and was respected by the Vampires. He also treated Dave well. (Dave blushed at the thought of the recent sexual encounter.) He made sure he got extra food to accommodate his greater needs and always inquired as to how he was feeling.
"I'm not losing as much by being here, I guess. Maybe that's it. I could never figure out what classes to take. I only made it to college on a football scholarship. I wouldn't have gone otherwise. The only thing I can do is play football, and I heard a month ago I was passed over for pro. I didn't know what I was gonna' do, so I guess I'm more open to a plan, got nothing to give up."
"Dave," the Slave-master said, "when I was brought to the Settlement, I had a Slave-master." He noticed Dave distractedly rubbing his newly pierced nipples, looking at him in disbelief.
"I kinda' thought you grew up at the settlement. They seem to trust you so much. You seem important to them," Dave said in bewilderment.
The Slave-master figured out what was confusing the man and unbuttoned his shirt exposing his own pierced flesh. "I was just like you twenty years ago, Dave. My Slave-master decided on the journey that I would be trained to be his replacement as he got older. It takes a special man to gain the Clansmen's trust to look after their people. They're all very precious to them. Sometimes, the young men and women don't make the right choices and can get hurt. I keep that from happening or punish them when they try to do something that could cause themselves harm, so they remember not to make that bad decision again. I think you would make a good assistant, Dave. It will be hard to teach your friends how to be safe but I think you understand how important that is."
Dave thought about this. It seemed every time his friends got in trouble, they were doing something reckless or wrong. He had sat back and watched them yell at the Vampires, and the escape attempt was just a real bad idea. His friends never even bothered to fill him in on it. None of them knew where they were and these guys obviously knew the forest. Shawna came back all cut up from leaving. The Slave-master was right. As long as his friends did what they were supposed to, like Teri, Paula and him, they were treated pretty good. He missed Paula but she seemed happy. He knew she would have ditched him when she found out he didn't make pro. That's why he hadn't told her yet. She'd be impressed if he was going to be the Slave-master's assistant.
"Will I learn how to use a whip like you? You're freakin' awesome with that thing!" Dave said in earnest.
Ethan chuckled. "There's a lot you will need to learn. If you're sure you want to do this, I can use your help right now."
Dave was happy. He was going to be an important man in this new settlement ... more important than the friends who had excluded him from their plans.
The Slave-master explained to Dave what he wanted him to do. Dave said he wanted to prove he was going to be loyal and brave and asked the Slave-master to brand him with the Clan's mark first. He wanted his new teacher to be proud of him.
They walked back to the group. The Slave-master smiled at Lucien and nodded. Lucien looked at Dave and the big guy looked back at him and waved. Lucien shook his head and smiled, still cuddling Arial and rubbing her sore back.
Ariel looked up at him wearily, tears staining her cheeks. "Are you still mad at me? I'm sorry, Lucien."
He smiled down at her, thumbs brushing her cheeks. The red in his eyes had faded and his fangs had disappeared. "Ariel, I only do what I must to keep you safe." He pushed her head back down onto his chest and wrapped his arms around her, hearing her sigh.
Dave asked the Slave-master where he should lie. The man pointed to an area near the fire and Dave quickly complied.
"Do you want someone to hold you? You've got to stay very still. It hurts for a minute." said his teacher.
"I'm cool," Dave said.
The Slave-master put on a heavy glove. He reached into the fire and pulled out the branding iron that had been heating in the coals. He walked up to Dave and said, "Don't move, now."
Dave mumbled "Okay." The hot iron touched his left shoulder blade. It didn't hurt as much as he was afraid it would. Dave bit his bottom lip and clenched his fists. It was the only movement he made as the smell of his burning skin reached his nostrils. Then it was over. He felt a cool ointment applied to the burn.
He stood, rolled his shoulder and grinned at the Slave-master then smiled at Lucien.
Lucien said, "Very good, Dave. I think the Slave-master has made a wise choice."
Dave beamed
with the praise from his new leader. Allen and Doug looked at each other uneasily. Something very important concerning Dave and the Vampires had just transpired and they weren't sure what it was.
"Dave, we'll start with Mike," said the Slave-master.
Dave walked over to Mike. "Your turn. It isn't so bad."
Mike glared at him. What the hell was he talking about? Had he joined in with these pricks too? "Get away from me you moron," he muttered.
Dave looked over at the Slave-master. "Go ahead." he said.
Mike looked at Allen, "What the fuck's wrong with him?"
Dave reached down and hoisted Mike up. Mike screamed as he arched his back trying to relieve the strain from beneath his testicles. Dave dragged him slowly over to the area by the fire and forced him to his knees. "Dave, man. What the hell are you doing?" he cried.
"Shut up, Mike. You've been causing a lot of problems and getting people in trouble. You're lucky they even want you to join them," he said as he straddled Mike's back pinning his hands low on his butt so he wouldn't rip his sack when the hot iron touched his shoulder. Dave didn't know Mike was only being branded so the Clan could prove they provided the necessary payment to the Indians.
Dave helped the Slave-master brand all his friends. Paula started crying and begging him but Dave knew this was for her own good. If she got lost, the people in the new place would know where she belonged he rationalized. Damon held her hands and caressed her long blonde hair. Dave thought Paula had the nicest Vampire to look after her. He seemed to really care about her.
Ariel was terrified but she didn't fight it. She knew it would be a useless struggle. Lucien knelt down by her head and held her hands letting her grip him tightly as the brand seared her shoulder and she fainted. When she regained consciousness, she found he had carried her back to the blanket. He held her shuddering body until she finally fell asleep.
CHAPTER 6
THE END OF THE FOREST
The captives woke late the next morning, all tired and sore from the previous night's experiences. Ariel's back was throbbing from the brand and the whipping Lucien had given her. She couldn't see the purple bruises but she could feel every inch of the welts as she groaned and sat up. Lucien was saddling the big, brown horse.
She observed him closely. He was very tall and had a broad back. His ass filled out the tight leather pants and the muscles in his long legs looked tight. His black hair was loose this morning. She realized she'd never seen it down before and she wondered if it was as soft as it looked. His hat was propped on the hated saddle horn.
Lucien felt her gaze and turned to look at her. "Good, you're awake." He walked behind her. "Lie down."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Must you question everything I say?" Lucien gently urged her onto her stomach. He took the balm he had used on her wrists out of his pocket. "This is going to sting for a few seconds but then it should make you feel much better." He started gently massaging the balm on her back, bottom and thighs kneading the muscles under the skin that wasn't damaged.
She felt his large hands work out the tense cramps, carefully avoiding the brand. "I'm going to put this on the burn so it doesn't get infected. The aloe should help heal the skin faster." She winced and clenched her teeth as he applied it to the painful wound.
He helped her to her feet. "Do you want the shirt? You'd probably feel better without it." She snatched it off the ground and put it on. "No one's quite up to cooking this morning so we're just grabbing hard tack. There's some coffee Justin made. It seems to look alright but I won't vouch for it."
It seemed like such a normal conversation, under such abnormal circumstances. She looked around. Five huge, handsome Vampires dressed like mountain men, a guy with a weapons cache around his waist, five pierced, branded women wearing collars, and the men … pierced, branded and the only clothes they were wearing was a leather pouch below their naked penises.
"Lucien, why didn't Mike get a collar?" After all the trouble Mike had caused, she wasn't sure she wanted the answer.
"Nothing to concern you, Ariel. I already told you I wouldn't let him be hurt unnecessarily. He'll make it to the settlement with the rest of us, if he stops behaving so foolishly," Lucien replied.
As Ariel sipped her coffee, Justin grinned. "What do you think?"
"Um, it's fine. Pretty good, actually. Thanks for making it," she said.
Justin looked pleased about his accomplishment. She guessed he wasn't used to cooking. He was bringing a mug over to the waking Shawna. Justin handed her the cup and started rubbing balm on her torn up feet.
Ariel felt ashamed at her selfishness. She had been so afraid of Lucien, the terrifying look he gave her when he returned from chasing Shawna, she hadn't noticed the injuries her friend had suffered. A part of her knew Christal and she had encouraged Shawna to run, having the best chance to escape. She now realized what a sacrifice her friend had made trying to free her. "Oh, Shawna!" Ariel's eyes were brimming with tears. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think about how bad it would be for you out there."
Shawna was tentatively smiling down at Justin. He looked fascinated as he traced his name on her collar. "Ariel, if anything, I was the one pushing you and Christal to help. I would have done it anyway. You need to understand though, I won't be trying again. Ariel, I know I can't make it. I think I knew before I left. I was so relieved when I heard Justin's voice," Justin smiled up at her, "I stopped. Ariel, I stopped and walked back to him. When he held me, it was the first time I'd felt safe since I'd left," Shawna confessed.
Justin beamed and leaned up to kiss her. "You will always be safe with me. You are mine," he said simply.
Ariel noticed Shawna's brown hair start to trail through Justin's wild, blonde hair as he started rubbing the ointment on her long, lean damaged calves. She could see the many painful scratches and bruises and swelling of her knee.
Ariel looked around and realized none of the women had their hands bound anymore. The Vampires knew the women were defeated.
Lucien helped her up and they walked over to the horse. He told her to stay put as he swung up in the saddle. "Turn around and give me your hand. Now put your right foot on my boot, like a step." Ariel did as he asked, but didn't understand the purpose. He lifted her, facing him. "Swing your leg over."
She ended up facing him with her legs over his thighs. It seemed an awkward way to ride. "This should put less friction on your back and keep your thighs from rubbing on the leather. You should feel a lot better by tomorrow," he assured her. "The healing would be faster if you let the air get to your back," he coaxed with a sly grin.
Ariel looked up at him as he tied his hair back with the leather strip from his shirt pocket. He really was handsome in a threatening, Vampire sort of way. Her emotions were in turmoil. She knew he was the one who had punished her, causing her pain, ruthlessly whipping the cane across her tender flesh. Now, he was doing all he could to see to her comfort. The way he cared for her, she had never felt such gentleness and concern for her feelings. She'd never felt so safe. She wrapped her arms around him and nestled her head on his chest, more than a little confused at her feelings for the man. Mike was tied behind the horse relieved to finally have the tension off his aching balls.
With Lucien in the lead, the five horses headed toward the settlement. Dave was unbound walking next to the Slave-master, grinning. The Slave-master was using the opportunity to further explain to Dave his new position with the Clan. Fifteen minutes into their discussion, the Slave-master told Dave he could call him Ethan when they were alone. Dave felt like he had finally made the winning touchdown and never looked back.
After an uneventful noon break stopping at yet another pool of mountain spring water and a meal of the tough meat strips with apples from a nearby tree, they continued on.
The damp shirt, wet from cooling off during the break was clinging uncomfortably to Ariel's wounds. Finally, she unbuttoned it and let it pool around her hips. Lucien was right, of course. The br
eeze on her back felt wonderful. He smiled and rubbed his chin on the top of her tucked head in encouragement, his thumb gently circling the small of her back.
Soon, the trees became noticeably thinner, the stretches of bright sunlight longer. Ariel, looked up at Lucien bewildered. "Isn't the sun going to hurt you?"
Lucien smiled at her concern. He knew he was breaking through her defenses and she was starting to care for him. "We stay pretty well covered even without the trees. It would take several hours of direct sunlight to hurt us and the part of the trail that can cause us the most harm will be crossed at night. Contrary to what you have heard, we do not burst into flames and burn to ashes." He gave a little laugh at the outrageous notions of mortals. "It does drain our strength," he admitted. "Slowly, under the shade of the trees, much quicker on the open cliffs."
"How long will it be before we're at the cliffs?" she asked.
He flashed a smile that made her clench her sex muscles. "Planning another escape so soon, little one?"
"No!" she answered immediately. "I told you, not ever again. I was just wondering how far away you lived."
"Still several days. The valley we live in is well hidden. We've been there almost three hundred years. It's quite beautiful, Ariel. As you get used to it, earn your freedoms, you'll discover enough different plants to keep you intrigued for a long time. There's a healer in the settlement. Her name is Hannah. She came to us with the last group. Hannah has been cataloging the different species for years and knows a lot about their healing potential. I think the two of you will get along well."
Ariel's Desire: A Novel of Vampirism and Submission Page 8
