Battling Rapture

by Stormie Kent

  “That’s a hundrivarg,” Camryn whispered.

  It was scary as hell and completely awesome. “Definitely the club mascot.”

  The men turned as one and glared at them. Niki walked forward. She observed the dead animal. It appeared to be an animal attack. She knelt next to the body. The hundrivarg growled low. Niki faced it, squaring her shoulders.

  “Niki,” Rhine said.

  She held her hand up in Rhine’s direction to stop whatever he was about to do. The hundrivarg regarded her for a moment and put its head back down on its paws. She turned back to the body.

  “It’s supposed to look as if it were an animal attack, but it appears to me as if it was attacked with some sort of serrated knife,” she said.

  She looked up at Rhine and Venn.

  “Yes, we could determine that through scent,” Venn said.

  “Hey, I don’t have a bionic nose. I have to get to the facts in other ways. So I assume whoever did this knew you could sniff out the facts, Scooby, yet didn’t care or they weren’t familiar with your abilities,” she replied. She shook her head. “These types of gifts usually signal an unstable mind.”

  “Yes. We believe this also. It also has to be someone strong. It is very hard to kill a hundrivarg,” Rhine said.

  She stood. “Can you smell if they poisoned it first? That would make it easier to kill.”

  “We will have it tested. No matter the outcome, we know one thing,” Venn said.

  “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Whoever it is has had access to the holding since at least last night and they could still be here now.”

  The men searched the area, looking for clues to the identity or whereabouts of the intruder. Niki felt sturdy bristles against her palm. She looked down to see the hundrivarg pressing its head against her hand. She rubbed it behind the ears. It raised its head and she changed her rubbing spot since its head now reached her shoulder. She touched its mane. It wasn’t sharp exactly. It felt similar to a brand-new scrub brush.

  “Are you a girl or a boy?” she whispered.

  “It’s female,” Bronwyn said.

  “Does it have a name?” she asked.

  Bronwyn frowned at her. “The hundrivarg keeper has names for them. They are not pets. They patrol the holding, guarding against intruders. The keeper won’t like it if you pet them.”

  Camryn moved closer. “They have always scared me. They’re cute when they’re little, though.”

  “This one seems nice,” Niki said.

  The animal licked Camryn’s outstretched hand. She laughed.

  “Camryn, step away from that animal,” Venn said.

  A whistle sounded and the animal lifted its head before trotting over to an old man with black hair.

  “That’s the keeper,” Bronwyn said.

  Niki looked after the animal. She wanted one. How kick-ass would she be with her very own coyote-jackal hybrid? She’d even paint its toenails so it wouldn’t be as scary to others. She grinned.

  “No,” Rhine said.

  “No, what?”

  “No, you cannot have a hundrivarg. They aren’t pets. The animal is as big as you are,” he replied.

  Venn patted her back and she winced a little at the sting. “You are good with animals, Niki, but a hundrivarg is no good indoors.”

  Rhine pulled her closer. “Be careful, Venn. You might damage her.” He pulled her dress away from her back and looked inside.

  She batted at his hands. “I’m fine.”

  “Sometimes I forget they are weaker. I’m sorry,” Venn said.

  She was so shocked, she forgot to be offended about being called weak.

  “If we are done out here, I suspect the lawyers and Dr. Falk have arrived,” Camryn said.

  It was time to get emancipated.

  Chapter Nine

  Niki was a little ticked that Rhine had been right about the Rary woman. She hadn’t wanted any part of being freed. She liked her position and she liked fucking the single Huntu males as often as they desired. Niki had to promise not to send her away until she found the woman another place she liked as well as having free access to the apparently talented and large dicks of Tribe Huntu. She and Camryn had received more information about Tor, Gunter and Olaf than they’d ever wanted to know.

  Removing the slave brand would take three removal sessions and the first one hurt worse than it did when they placed the brand on her wrist. What surprised her most was the feeling she got when Rhine signed the document on the lawyers’ information pad stating she was a free person. She’d thought she didn’t care what the paper said. It was startling to find that she really did care. Her eyes had almost watered.

  She’d thought if she didn’t acknowledge the slave status someone had imposed on her, it wouldn’t exist. But it felt as if an invisible weight lifted from her. She was her own person again and not a possession. It felt good. The knowledge that she’d allowed someone else’s label to define her, even unconsciously, was unnerving.

  Camryn was having an emancipation party, complete with liquor, music and snacks. She’d said she didn’t care if it was still morning.

  Niki’s paradigm shift from a strong woman who didn’t let others define her to someone who let the label slave change her wouldn’t allow her to relax. She needed a distraction.

  She turned to Rhine. “Can I talk to you in the room?”

  He stared at her, but she kept tight rein on her feelings.

  “We’ll be back, everyone. Carry on the party without us,” Rhine said.

  As soon as they walked into the room, she began taking off her clothes. She had her shoes, leggings and panties off before he turned to face her. His eyes widened, but he quickly got with the program and started stripping too.

  His cock was flushed, and as usual, thick and long. She promised herself she would have her lips around it later. Right now she really needed her pussy filled. What better way to celebrate freedom than to do exactly what she wanted.

  “This first time, just take me fast and deep right against this wall,” she said. She tossed her dress away.

  He raised an eyebrow. He was handsome as hell and she really wanted him to fuck her. Now. She hopped into his arms and he caught her just as she knew he would. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She rubbed her wet pussy against his stomach and he groaned.

  “Come on, sexy. I’m not even trying to play hard to get. I need you.” She whispered the words against his mouth.

  He clutched her ass and pulled her down on his cock. She hissed. This man had the best dick ever. She told him so. He laughed and began walking her closer to the wall. Every step rocked her clit against his pelvis and she oohed and ahhed. He pressed her against the cool smooth surface and tucked in. He curved his hips as he thrust into her.

  “Oh that’s good.”

  And it was. She loved it when he showed her pussy no mercy. The tingle of discomfort, which accompanied the shot of pleasure he gave her with each thrust, was heaven. Her breasts were crushed against him and she absolutely loved it. They were already sweaty and it just added to the moment.

  “Kiss me,” he demanded.

  She did. She tried to consume everything he was with the kiss. She sucked on his tongue as it explored her mouth. She was so close to her release. She let go of his neck with one hand and squeezed it between their bodies. She worked her clit, applying continuous pressure until she had no choice but to fly apart in his arms. She screamed into his mouth. He thrust twice more into her before reaching his own climax.

  She loved having his cum inside her. She’d never fucked a man without a condom before. Sometimes she wondered if her cum craving had more to do with novelty or with the man. She suspected it was the man.

  She panted against his mouth and tried to get some control back. She had every intention of molesting him for a couple of hours or until they passed out. She unwrapped her legs from his waist slowly. He helped her to stand and then pulled her into
a tight hug. She hugged him back and used the opportunity to caress his ass. It was muscular and quite stellar. She couldn’t get enough of him.

  She bumped him slightly and he gave her a little room. She ran her hands from his ass around to his cock. She traced its impressive length as she kissed his chest. She swirled her tongue around his nipples. He braced both his arms on the wall above her head.

  “That’s good. A little harder,” he said.

  She nipped at his pec and squeezed his cock at the same time. His entire body shivered. She began to stroke his cock faster as she nibbled her way down his chest and abdomen. The outline of his pelvic bone delighted her and she got distracted for a moment. Finally, she was face to face with the flushed head of his cock.

  She kissed the tip and then licked the salty fluid from the tip. She tasted her pussy juices mingled with his normal taste and it made her hungry for the feelings they could only create together. She released his shaft to grip his hips. She licked the underside of his cock from base to tip as she gazed up at him.

  His face was caught between pleasure and pain. His hair hung down around his face and it felt as if there was a canopy above them, shutting them in together. She took the head of his cock into her mouth and sucked. He hissed.

  “Take a little more, love,” he said.

  She smiled around her mouthful upon hearing him call her love in such a coaxing voice. She complied, sucking a little more of him into her mouth. She hummed a little and he closed his eyes briefly. She felt the power she had over him at that moment. On her knees before him, she could make him lose control if she chose. Sometimes he was a little too controlled while seeing to her pleasure. She had the control now.

  She slowly took him in as far as she could. She relaxed her throat so he could enter it. Her eyes watered, but she continued to watch his face. He growled a little and she found it deliciously barbarian.

  She worked his cock with her mouth. She sucked and swirled her tongue. She reached between his legs and cupped his balls as she rubbed the space between the sack and anus.

  “Damn,” he said.

  She was completely encouraged by the quivering in his thighs and the muscles tightening under the hand she held on his hip. She redoubled her efforts, sucking with enthusiasm as she massaged his balls and perineum. She felt his hand rest lightly against the back of her head. He whispered softly to her, telling her how wonderful she was. He told her how much he loved her mouth around his cock. He even told her how lovely he thought she was.

  Her pussy was positively soaked as he talked softly to her and she stared into his eyes. She could have touched herself and sent herself into a climax, but the feeling of her pussy trying to grasp at nothing added to the moment. She was in each second of the encounter with him.

  Every word out of his mouth made her feel special. She knew he wanted her. The look in his eyes told her she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. They told her he wanted only her, and she reciprocated. She felt safe showing him some things with her own eyes. She showed him he was the best man she’d ever met. She showed him she felt safe. She tried to tell him she wanted to be with only him. She allowed herself to acknowledge her emotions without feeling they made her weak.

  “Ah, love, I’m coming.”

  She welcomed it. She welcomed him. She watched him while he climaxed. She swallowed every drop of his seed. She licked her sore lips after she released him from her mouth.

  Her need couldn’t be denied and she reached down and touched her pussy lips. She closed her eyes on a sigh as she felt the smooth sensitive flesh under her fingers. She parted her folds and rubbed along her slit from clit to her entrance, and back again. She thrummed her flesh. It wasn’t long before she was gasping, legs wide as she came.

  She leaned her head back against the wall and opened her eyes. Rhine stared down at her. His eyes were hungry and his smile sultry.

  “I love watching you touch your pussy.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She reached her hand up and he took it. She stood on shaky legs.

  “What about a ten minute break and round two?” she asked.

  He smiled before picking her up, striding to the bed and lying down. He cradled her in his arms and she squeezed as close to him as she could get.

  *

  Lady Helsa gave Camryn a brand-new electronic information pad at lunch, already loaded with articles about overcoming conception difficulties. Camryn stared at the little black electronic device and then back up at her mother-in-law. The entire room had gone quiet with Lady Helsa’s declaration of the information pad’s contents. Lady Helsa sat eating with a slight smile on her face.

  Niki was just waiting for Camryn’s cue to deliver the verbal beat down of Lady Helsa’s life. Venn had turned several shades of red as he gripped the table. He looked as though he was trying to chew and swallow nails.

  “I can’t do it.” He stood.

  Camryn stopped him with a hand to his thigh. “You promised I could deal with this on my own.”

  Niki hadn’t realized she’d tried to move until she felt Rhine’s restraining hand on her arm. Venn placed his hand over Camryn’s and sat. He glared at his mother and took a tearing bite of his meat.

  Camryn took a deep breath. “Thank you for thinking of me, Lady Helsa.”

  Niki blinked. Who had taken over her sister’s body?

  “Oh heck no,” Niki said. “Seriously?”

  “Niki, let it go. It isn’t important.” Camryn avoided her eyes.

  “Can I speak to you for a minute, you know, in private?” Niki asked her.

  “Now isn’t a good time.”

  “Now would be a great time. Or I can always just blurt out what I have to say right here.”

  Camryn stood. “Excuse us.”

  She smiled at the people around the table before leading Niki out and across the hallway to a sitting room. Niki closed the door behind them and leaned back against it.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I don’t want to cause trouble over something so trivial. She is family. I don’t want Venn to alienate his mother over something I can overlook,” Camryn said.

  “She’s harassing you at mealtimes. On purpose. I don’t think smacking her around is okay, but at least stand up for yourself. I’ve never seen you so passive.” Niki walked toward her.

  “Haven’t you?”

  The door opened and Rhine and Venn entered. Venn shut the door. Niki looked back at her sister. She had a nasty suspicion this wasn’t about Lady Helsa anymore.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Niki asked her.

  “It just means…nothing.”

  “Don’t ‘nothing’ me. If you have an issue, just tell me.”

  “When have I ever made waves with you, Niki?”

  “What are you talking about? You tell me what to do all the time.”

  “No, I don’t. I suggest something to you, and when you resist or get uncomfortable, I drop it.” Camryn stared down at her hands.

  “Like what?” Niki crossed her arms over her chest.

  “I’ve asked you to stop calling me your cousin,” Camryn whispered.

  “I haven’t called you that since I’ve been here.”

  Camryn looked up and pierced her with her gaze.

  “It’s been less than two days. You don’t say I’m your sister either, you just call me family. You used to call me cuz’ or cousin and you knew it hurt me. If I challenged you about how you treated me, you would leave. I wouldn’t hear from you for months. What’s the difference between what you did and what my mother-in-law is doing?”

  Niki took an involuntary step back. Camryn was using a tone she’d never taken with her. She could clearly see the other woman was angry.

  “I never stood up to you, did I, Niki? That’s why you feel you can come in here and tell me what to do now.” Tears appeared in the corners of Camryn’s eyes, but they didn’t fall.

  “You obviously have something to s
ay. I’m here, you’re here. Get it off your chest.”

  Camryn took a deep breath. “Listen to your tone. So cold. You could be talking to anyone. I’m your sister! I’ve only ever tried to protect you, love you, understand you. It’s as if you can’t stand to look at me. It’s as though you hate me. I’m surprised you’re still here and didn’t try to take off the moment you saw I wasn’t hurt.”

  Niki didn’t know how to deal with this. Her nature was to attack, but she couldn’t. She could tell Camryn believed what she was saying.

  “I don’t hate you, Cam.”

  “Maybe, but you don’t want to hang around me. You know, when Mark told me you’d come on to him and he’d slept with you, I believed him.”

  Niki’s entire body froze. “You said—”

  “I said he was a liar. But inside I thought you might have done it. You know, just to hurt me. It didn’t matter, though. I still chose you. You were the reason I married him after all. I felt bad about using your friend to keep you around. I just figured it was karma paying me back.”

  “I never slept with him. I didn’t come on to him. I wouldn’t do that.” Niki’s throat stung and she prayed she wouldn’t cry.

  “The way you despised him afterward told me so. If you’d done it, you would have just been indifferent. It didn’t matter. That’s how much I loved you. Mark knew it too. He wanted me all to himself and he wanted me to hate you. He told me the day we signed the divorce papers.”

  “Cam—”

  “No, let me say it all. I love you so much it hurts. I used to love you more than I loved myself. But I can’t let myself be that person anymore. You’re a grown woman. We aren’t children anymore. I don’t want you to leave me, but I won’t go crazy if you do. I see the way you interact with Venn. You don’t trust each other. But I trust him. If you’re planning to make trouble, don’t. I won’t choose you this time.” She blinked rapidly, turned and left the room.