A Private Hunt

It was early morning, the air was still soft and the dew still clung to the fragrant grass. The leafy, variegated shades of green canopy of trees laced what promised to be a brilliantly clear blue sky. Master began stretching and I followed his lead, thinking that we were going for a hike or run through the forest as we often had. He smiled at me a bit, an odd, closed-lipped smile, arching his dark brow nearly imperceptibly.

Fear pinged my heart slightly, so slightly that I didn’t recognize it. I simply returned his smile, lowering my gaze to his boot clad feet as I pulled my right leg up behind me, stretching the muscles as far as I could, feeling them warm as I worked them.

I repeated the process with my left leg and pleasure suffused me as Master said, “What a good girl you are my pet.” He paused. “My prey.” His voice had lost its casual tone and become low, deep and I had to strain to hear him.

I murmured “thank you Master” as I had been trained.

His hand tangled roughly in my hair, pulling me to his body and then my head sharply back, so that I stared directly into his eyes. Eyes that were beginning to glint with gold as his excitement rose.

“Are you Mine?” he whispered. “Mine to do with as I please?”

Beginning to tremble, I nodded and found my voice, “y..yes Master” I answered quietly.

“Excellent!” He pushed me down toward the ground. “Crawl to the center of the clearing, leash in your mouth.”

I dropped swiftly to the ground, assuming the posture he enjoyed when I crawled. My back arched deeply, forcing my breasts toward the earth. I lowered myself on my arms to pick up the leash with my mouth, biting it firmly between my teeth, feeling the small bits of dirt and grit it had managed to pick up on my tongue and lips. I drew in a small shallow breath and began crawling. The wet grass was chilly as it slipped beneath my palms and soaked through the knees and lower legs of my well-worn jeans.

“Stop” Master commanded.

I froze, waiting what seemed long minutes for his next order. My breath was already coming in fast little gasps.

“Stand.” His voice was sharp.

I gained my feet quickly, standing stock-still; sure He could see my chest heaving with each breath I took.

“I want you naked, now!” He barked.

I yanked my t-shirt over my head, taking care not to drop the leash that I still held in my teeth. I dropped the shirt on the grass at my feet, and nudged my shoes off with my toes. My hands fell to my waist, working the button and zipper free then tugged the damp denim over my hips, pushing it down my legs, shaking them to pull them free of the wet material. Socks were dealt with quickly and I wore no bra or panties as Master disliked them. I stood, my nude body shivering slightly as my fair skin puckered in the cool air. My nipples hardened, tightening into fleshy dark, pink, nubs lifting themselves toward the sky. I heard His voice right behind me.

“You may drop the leash.” His voiced flowed through my brain like silk as His hands flowed over my soft skin.

My hungry skin. I opened my mouth and let the leash drop, feeling it bounce between my breasts. I tried to imagine the picture I made there, nude and milky skinned, save for my thin, black leather collar and short black leather leash. He moved to stand before me.

“Undress me,” He said softly.

My hands were suddenly shaking as I stepped closer to him, running my hands lightly over his shoulders and down his chest to grasp his t-shirt in my hands, lifting it from his waistband and pulling it upward. He slid His powerful arms from the sleeves, bending his knees a bit so that I could slip it over his head. I dropped the soft blue shirt on my own pile of clothes.

My shifted my gaze to his taut belly, darkened with crisp hairs. My heart thumped a little faster and I caught my breath as I set my fingers on the first button of his jeans. My hands were visibly shaking as I began popping open the buttons down the front of the jeans. I could feel Master’s eyes on me and struggled to maintain my composure. Finally the last button was free and I sunk to my knees to tug the pants down, his scent filling my nose, my body beginning to tremble harder.

I’d forgotten his boots! Shakily I yanked the laces free, pulling the tongue back so each would slide easily from his feet. I slipped his socks off and began working his soft jeans down his legs again. He lifted each foot to allow me to remove the garment from around his ankles. Slowly, I dropped his jeans to the growing pile of clothing in the center of this clearing, deep in the forest.

I stayed on my knees, arranging my body in the kneel he’d taught me. My thighs were parted wide; my bottom was on my heels. My back was arched and my shoulders were squared and pulled back which forced my breasts outward toward Him. I kept my head level but my green eyes remained on his bare feet.

My heart was beating dangerously in my chest, I was certain he could see it pounding against my breastbone. My hands floated along my sides until they came to rest gently on my creamy thighs, small, warm palms turned to him.

“Good girl” He offered gently, his voice like steel encased in velvet. “Stand!”

I rose up quickly to my feet, standing before him, keeping my posture very tall and erect and my eyes on his feet. His strong fingers caressed my throat and I felt my leash being removed from my collar. I stood perfectly still, holding my position and my breath. He stepped around me, eyeing me, leash folded double in his hand. He stood behind me. Closely. I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, the slightest silky brush of his body against mine. I felt a slight chill creep over me and without warning; the black leather leash struck my flank.

“RUN!” He yelled. “Run you little slut and you’d better do your best to evade me!”

I skittered away, suddenly terrified. Looking over my shoulder I saw his face, dark and foreboding. He began striding toward me. My heart turned over and I felt it grow cold with fear. I began running full out as hard as I could. Blindly into the depths of the forest I went. I could hear his cool laughter mocking me as the forest swallowed me up. The soft clean scent of pine hung in the air. Beneath my flying feet, a carpet of pine needles absorbed my thudding stampede.

Save for my own labored breathing, save for the screeching cacophony of my heart beating flightless wings against my breastbone, save for His maniac laughter, there was silence. Crushing silence. Silence so still and tortured that it rose above the primordial emerald gash of earthbound trees that reached for the sun. It hovered there, a haunting halcyon blanketing this vast expanse of nature’s own dungeon, giving its solemn and airy protection.

The sun streaked the sky with billowy, curling tentacles of pink-orange warmth.

I now clearly understood those months of training; of the running we’d done here. For now, not only was I in excellent shape, but I also knew the forest.

My lungs exchanged molecules of fire rather than oxygen and carbon dioxide. Fire in, fire out. The soft globes of my breasts pounded against my chest. Sticky, salty sweat formed and rolled in minute rivers down my skin. It stung my eyes, wet my hair, slickened the passage of my thighs as they slipped past each other repeatedly. The trees reached with fingered limbs that tugged my hair and scratched my face. My body was too slippery with perspiration for them to catch me. They could merely torment me.

My foot became ensnared in the evil, thorny grasp of a viciously nettled vine. I kissed the earth then, not of my own volition but at the absolute command of vengeful flora bent on maliciousness. I lay there as I fell, supine, face buried in the still wet grasses and fragrant pine needles of the forest floor. As I lay there, fighting vainly for sweet, replenishing oxygen to fill my starving, burning lungs rather than the sparks I’d been swallowing, I heard him.

My dark, deviant hunter. My pernicious and prurient predator. I yanked myself up to sit, working frantically to free my abused ankle of its captor, pricking and scratching my fingers and hands on the spines of the vine. I was free, slipping and stumbling to my feet as I saw him emerging from the foliage.

“God, he is beautiful,” I thought.

He was tall, dark-skinned, and gloriously naked. Naked, except for the black backpack He’d slung over one broad shoulder. He roared when he saw me, throwing his head back, allowing the sound to emanate from deep within him. His long, dark, wavy hair whipped wildly around him.

I grew weak in my belly; partly from the splinters of fear embedding themselves in me anew and partly from the growing hunger that was streaming down the insides of my thighs. My musky, sweet woman scent mixed with the salty tang of my sweat filled my nose. I knew in an instant that he could smell it too and the knowledge cast me forward, urging my reluctant feet to fly once more.

Fly they did. His words formed again in my mind. “…do your best to evade me!” I veered toward a darker, less used path than the one I’d been on. This chase, this…hunt was what he desired. The sight of him nude and roaring floated to me again. He’d been disappointed to find me so soon. I realized then how severely I would have been punished if I’d not been able to free myself from the vine before he could reach me. The flesh around my ankle stung and burned with the scratches from the thorns and from the acidic venom they carried.

As my thoughts tumbled, processing the information I’d gleaned, my senses and awareness became sharper and more focused. My fear eased and I began taking note of my surroundings.

Ahead, just a bit, was a small stand of trees, engorged with thickets of dark, green-leafed brush. I needed a resting place, a place where I could be still and gather my strength instead of giving in to my overwhelming fear to give Master what he desired. Oh, the fear he wanted too, he fed on my fears, stoked them as hotly as a bonfire burns. They would not subside, for I knew that the hunt was only the prelude of events yet to occur.

I pushed my way into the thicket, crawling on my belly. My curls, now completely wild and disarrayed tangled on the small branches of the bushes. I yanked my hair free, leaving a small bit hanging on a tiny but fierce low-slung twig. It drifted in the cool morning breeze, shining delicately gold in the sun’s still gentle light. I did not notice it, so caught I was in my quicksilver thoughts.

I forced my breathing to calm into some vestige of normalcy. I wanted so badly to wipe the sweat from my glistening brow, but every inch of me was drenched and slick. I used the back of my hand to clear away some of the droplets stinging my eyes and settled down a bit to take stock of my situation. I drew myself into a small ball, lying on my side. Small dried leaves and twigs poked and prodded my tender skin, but I paid no heed.

Soon my pulse neared a more ordinary and sedate pace. Birdsong and breeze floated in the air and for a scant time steeped me in the peaceful, buoyant joy of nature. A faint smile shadowed my soft, full lips until a new sound tugged at my senses.

I lifted my head and listened carefully. I concentrated, sifting out all other sounds but a slight rustling then a pause and then more rustling. Footsteps! They were the careful, slow, precise footsteps of one tracking; hunting. It stopped. I could smell him. I felt, more than heard, when He squatted down at the perimeter of the small copse where I was secluded.

I silently gulped my fear down into my throat and willed myself to peer through the thick branches of the bushes, hoping for a glimpse of what he was doing. He held something between his fingers, rubbing it back and forth slowly. He grinned devilishly, lifting his hand to his nose to sniff, breathe; soak up the scent of whatever he held. Suddenly the light struck it and I recognized the soft, buttery gold of my own hair.

I had no choice but to show myself as I fled. Even if I kept still and silent, he’d find me in short order. I gathered my strength, drew in a deep breath and gained my feet, beginning to run as soon as I burst upward. I leapt over the brush as a deer would, scraping the tops of the bushes with my legs. Amazingly, my feet stayed under me and carried me away from him.

I heard him chuckle and then begin crashing after me, slow, steady, unhurried. The sounds of his pursuit faded as I concentrated on my escape. I darted my eyes about, keeping my bearings. I was on a vaguely familiar path now, but I failed to notice that it was gradually climbing, gently beckoning me to higher ground.

I could no longer detect his stalk of me. I reasoned he was taking a much-needed respite from the physical exertions of his wicked game. I slowed my pace a bit to a light jog, covering territory but conserving my strength. I knew that I would need every ounce of it later.

Water! The sweet, clean scent of pure, clear water penetrated my senses. A drink would be delicious. I could hear the swirling, rushing sounds of the stream nearby. I made my way toward it, for the thought of a lovely, cool drink of water became stronger than anything else.

I reached the bank of the stream within moments, taking a moment to watch it flow past, inviting me, tempting me. Looking around cautiously, I remained hidden in the cover of the forest. I could see nothing but the tumultuous wonder of nature around me. I could not hear anything but the sweet sounds of nature’s symphony.

I plunged into the stream, toward the middle, the slightly icy water swirling gently around my calves. I squatted, putting my hands together as a cup, scooping up as much water as they’d hold and more. It poured over them back to its source. I lowered my face to my hands and took a long refreshing gulp. I splashed my heated face.

“Enjoying yourself, prey?”

His words gripped my heart and I stood quickly, using my hands to clear my eyes of the wetness. He was standing on the bank where I’d entered the stream. I jerked my head around to look across to the other side but the bank was too high for me to scale. I shot him a wide-eyed look and turned, splashing downstream. I pulled my legs high, fighting the growing depth and speed of the water. I could hear him running along the bank, his laughter taunting me. It became astoundingly apparent why he laughed. The world seemed to drop away a few feet in front of me. I was heading directly toward the falls.

The waterfall was not an especially high or fast cascade. The pool at the bottom was clear and cool and placid. It was a place that Master and I had cavorted, skinny-dipped and made love.

The problem was not that I was afraid of the height. My distress was due to an overwhelming fear of the actual jump, the dive into the deep pool below.

I was immobilized, my mind ticking away, trying desperately to decide on a course of action, whether to spurn my abject terror of the dive or, to fail at the task Master had set for me by allowing him to capture me. Already I could hear him as he sloshed through the stream behind me, chuckling to himself.

I turned to glance at him, his nearly waist length hair framing him as a lion’s mane. I measured his countenance, noting the tight-lipped smug smile tipping up one corner of his mouth.

I took a deep breath, squeezed my dark-lashed eyes tightly closed and flung myself out into empty air. The last thing I heard before slicing into the depths of the pool was Master's voice.

“Ohhhh! Good Girl!!!” he exclaimed. His pet had not only stretched a limit, she’d broken free of it. What a day this was shaping up to be!

The bubbles of my entry surged past my face and ears. I pushed hard, swimming upward to reclaim my breath. Just as my head emerged and I enjoyed my first gulp of air, I was mercilessly snatched back under the water. He had me. He’d won. I struggled for brief moments before I realized I would be allowed to breathe much sooner if I just relaxed and accepted my fate. My reckoning proved true as I was allowed to surface, my wrist incased in his.

“Swim.” He said simply, and we both turned to face each other effortlessly.

We had sidestroked like this many times before. His strong fingers circling my fragile wrist; our arms outstretched above our heads resembling the bow of a small boat as we kicked strongly for shore. Both of us used our free hand to fin through the water.

Presently, we reached the part of the pool where his feet could touch the bottom. His strong arms snaked around my waist and He stood, hauling me unceremoniously out of the pool. One sinewy arm swept under my knees, the other behind my back. I lay cradled against his chest. He stood there, looking at me, my hair sodden, dripping down my face, lashes wet and stuck together. Wordlessly, he strode out of the crystalline pool, carrying me as a child.

Once on shore, he removed the arm under my knees and I slid slowly down his body, our skin slipping against each other sensuously. He slid his large hands along either side of my face, fingers lacing into my sopping hair.

“You did so well my little whore, so very well.” His voice was a murmur, soothing, melodious. He smiled. “You surprised me by taking the dive. I am so very proud of you my treasure.”

His lips caught mine soulfully, tenderly. Lovingly he explored and plundered my mouth, sweeping his tongue over my full lips, swirling it into my mouth, stroking my tongue; pulling it toward his mouth. My heart reverberated in my chest while desire coiled taut within my belly.

His hands flowed silkily down my neck, one of this his thumbs engaged against each side, pausing a moment to encircle my throat with his long, dexterous fingers. My breathing was fast becoming erratic, interspersed with small, gasping moans.

Using his hands on my shoulders, he drew me closer to him, forcing my head further back. His kiss-warmed lips eased down the column of my throat. I quivered, craning my head to one side, sucking in soft stuttering breaths as his tender mouth and tongue discovered my most sensitive spots.

My fingers curled into my palms as my fists pressed against his chest. His wet hair and smooth skin tantalized my nipples; the ridges and hollows of his stomach etched themselves deliciously and maddeningly into my softness. His hands oozed down my arms, encompassing my small wrists.

So lost in his heady kisses was I, his transfer of both my wrists to one hand escaped my notice. He deepened the kiss and my blood churned and my cunt began to ache.

I didn’t hear the sound of the nylon zipper of his backpack as it opened. The tip of his tongue caressed the roof of my mouth just behind my teeth.

The silky sensation of his rope slithering against my skin escaped my attention. I could feel his cock, hard and tumescent pressing insistently against my belly. I rocked my hips forward and up, wanting to be closer, desiring more. He released my mouth and stepped away from me. I whimpered and became suddenly and acutely aware of the bonds now holding my wrists as he jerked on a length of rope that hung from the small coil.

Rope is deceptive. It is strong, woven to be durable, to resist damage and breakage. Made to perform work; lifting, at times, enormous amounts of weight. When it slips against my skin, slowly round and round my body, encircling my wrists, my ankles, perhaps my knees or at times my breasts, it can feel as enticing and riveting as the glide of silk across freshly oiled flesh.

Flesh becomes more receptive, more sensitive after a higher than normal level of physical exertion. The slightest touch can be utterly amazing.

The rope encompassing my wrists seemed to pulse with a life of its own. Master tugged on the free end sharply, causing me to lurch toward him.