To Love a Stray Ch. 03

I shake my head with disbelief as the spot reappears and appears to be reflected close by. Carefully I move the probe but no matter how I slant it there are two beating spots on the screen. Twins! I am trembling as I pack the machine away and stuff the linen bag in a pocket of the jumper I wear. I lock the door on my way out and replace the key in its hiding place before sticking to the shadows as I make my way towards the outskirts of town.

I am glad of the heavy jacket as I walk along the edge of the dark road, the cold wind at my back. I can smell rain in the air and shiver at the threat of bad weather. I am too tired to deal with it at the moment and just want to find a sheltered place I can curl up and sleep in. The image of the two beating spots keeps playing in my mind and I wipe tears from my cheeks as I sniff more back. I pause in a small-protected hollow for a few minutes but I know there is no suitable spot here to sleep. I desperately want to keep my babies but I know there is no way I will be able to protect them and raise them on my own and I have no family who can help me.

I am unprepared for the heavy weight that hits me in the broad of the back knocking me to the ground, the breath is knocked from my body and I struggle to draw a breath as I am pinned roughly to the ground.

"Don't fight me Tawny. I don't want to hurt you." Pete warns as he wrestles my arms behind my back to tie my wrists together.

"Don't do this Pete! Don't do this," I beg when I regain my breath.

"I don't want to hurt you so stop fighting me," Pete reinforces as he ties something to my ankles. I struggle briefly but my strength soon wears out and I become still.

"Come on, up onto your feet," Pete urges as he lifts me allowing me to get my feet under myself. "I left enough slack in the rope around your ankles for you to walk but if you try to run you'll only trip yourself," he warns.

I find I have no choice but to allow him to guide me across the ground. I glance up for a few moments and see we are in the bottom part of his land. I curse myself silently as I realise I had been totally unaware of my surroundings. Pete gives me no chance for escape as he walks me to his house when he opens the door and makes me walk in ahead of him before shutting and locking the door behind us. He pushes me down into one of his lounge chairs and quickly tightens the rope between my ankles so there is no slack.

"One glance tells me you've been living rough. You look like shit." Pete tells me before walking away.

"Thanks! Just what a girl likes to hear! Why don't you go to hell!" I yell after him angrily. He returns shortly with a bottle of water and a bowl of fragrant stew.

I glare at him as I try to hide the fact that my mouth has started to water but I open my mouth willingly when he opens the bottle and holds it to my lips. I drink thirstily and half empty the bottle before he takes it away and reaches for the food. I make no pretence of not being hungry when he begins to feed me with a spoon. The stew tastes good even though it is from a tin and I eat hungrily until it is all gone. He offers me more water wordlessly before turning and walking from the room. I hear the radio go on in the adjoining room and grind my teeth as I realise he must be on the phone. Pete returns to the room after a short time and I glare at him until he moves around behind me out of my sight.

"I'm sorry Tawny. I'd prefer it if I didn't have to do this," he says from just behind me. I am startled by the sharp sting in my thigh and it takes me a moment to realise he has injected me with some kind of drug.

"You rotten mongrel bastard!" I yell at him and struggle against my bonds. Why hadn't I figured Pete would be just like all the other toms that had managed to get hold of me? Interested in only one thing. My panic makes my heart beat faster and I am alarmed when I begin to feel strange. My head begins to swim and my body starts to feel heavy and reluctant to obey my commands. I feel myself sliding sideways down the chair and struggle to keep my eyes open but leaden weights seem to be glued to my eyelids and they close of their own accord. I am aware of someone rearranging my body but I am unable to think clearly or make any effort at resistance. Oblivion is welcome when it comes and I surrender to its dark depths.

I swim in and out of consciousness aware that I am in a car and being taken somewhere. Bile burns the back of my throat as I realise I have been sick. Someone is fussing over me holding a wet rag to my forehead and wiping my face with it. I am fed trickles of water and I retch painfully as they support my shoulders. When I begin to surface more fully it is late evening and the vehicle I am in is travelling slowly. I wish my limbs were free but my body is lethargic and sluggish refusing to respond when I try to sit up straighter.

Music is turned on and I struggle weakly against my bonds but my body is lulled by the music and I find myself slipping back into a sleep. The sudden ceasing of noise wakes me and I open my eyes cautiously. Twisted knots of hair obscure my vision telling me my hair has fallen over my face again. It is dirty and greasy, full of twigs and dead grass leaves. I can smell my own rank unwashed body odour and I know that my skin is grimy with accumulated dirt. I begin to growl low and threateningly as I hear someone move beside me then I hear the driver's door close with a firm click and I listen to footsteps move away from the vehicle. There is no noise to indicate I am not alone and I stretch as much as I can tied up as I am and in the passenger seat of a smallish car.

I hear a couple of sets of footsteps approaching the vehicle and I brace myself to fight if I am untied. The door beside me is opened and I can smell Pete as well as see his outline through the tangle of hair over my face. He gently pushes most of my hair aside and takes in my open eyes and what must be a savage glare by the feel of anger burning within me.

"So the sedative has finally worn off," Pete says quietly, "Won't make much difference. She fights like she's feral even half knocked out," he tells whoever is behind him. Pete reaches in and I feel him loosen the rope between my ankles before grasping my knees and trying to turn me so that my legs are out the door. Instantly I lash out at him kicking with both feet aiming them for his lower body and thighs. I feel my feet connect with his flesh and I am rewarded with his pain filled grunt.

"Move aside," Edwin orders.

His move is quick and I am not prepared for his tactics as he grasps the rope between my ankles and with one swift motion jerks me from the car feet first.I hit the ground hard, my head bouncing slightly as my body hits the ground on my back. I gasp suddenly worried for the life in my womb at the rough treatment and I roll onto my side as I curl my legs up and struggle into a sitting position. I hunch forward slightly as I instinctively protect my stomach and myself. A low enraged growl grows in my throat and I instantly receive a sharp slap to the side of my head just above my ear.

"Behave!" Edwin orders and I fall silent involuntarily.

"Don't hit her!" Pete protests.

"Go inside and send Sam out. Leave this to us." Edwin orders harshly. Pete hesitates but has no option but to leave, even I am aware of that and I watch Edwin angrily.

"Ok let's see how much of you is still in that pretty little head of yours," Edwin says once we are alone and I jerk away as he reaches towards me.

I cower down against the ground as he pushes my hair back behind my shoulders, the back of his fingers trailing across my cheekbone lightly and I turn my head to snap at his fingers earning another hard slap. He feels my arms and ribs as if to see how much flesh covers my bones. I growl in warning and I am instantly slapped across my head once again. I remain silent as Edwin moves me into a sitting position even though I do curl my top lip at him in threat.

"How is she?" Sam asks as he comes out of the back door of the main house and walks towards us. I turn my head to glare at him but he doesn't even look at me as he approaches.

"She's full of fight but I think her mind might still be there. She's not acting crazy just nasty," Edwin announces and looks down at me. I long to growl or snarl at him but I know this would only invoke more punishment so I settle for the angry glare instead.

"Come on get on your feet," Edwin orders, his movement is fast as he grabs my upper arm not giving me a chance to fight or resist. I find I have virtually no choice but to walk as he begins to move. I dig in my toes and struggle against him as he tries to direct my path.

"No you don't," Sam snaps from my other side and I find myself held between the two toms. I let my legs go limp but they keep moving and I find I am either forced to walk or be dragged. I choose walk. I soon stop struggling as their pace keeps me moving fast. I look towards the quarters where we seem to be heading and study the doorway.

Maybe there is a chance of escape there. I turn my head and watch a car that is approaching but I am forced through the door and inside the quarters before it gets close enough for me to identify its occupants. I remember the general layout of the house but I am given no time to look around as I am marched along the room where the bedroom doors open off.

"Just give me a moment," Sam says and I find myself being forced to wait outside the room while Edwin keeps a firm hold on my arm. I watch Sam tossing several thick blankets over Mitchell's bed and I am suddenly concerned as to what is about to happen. I erupt into a fury of twisting and kicking almost breaking Edwin's grip before he realises. I am wrestled through the doorway and it takes both toms to force me onto the bed.

I sink my teeth into someone's forearm and am rewarded by a shout of pain and a hard cuff to the head from Sam. I fight until my strength begins to fail and I go limp preferring to preserve my energy for when I might really need to fight -- if they intend to have me then they'll find out how hard I can fight even tied like I am.

"She looks quite strong," a voice comments. I recognise the voice and try to twist around to look at Doc but I am pinned firmly face down on the bed.

"She's strong, seems to be thinking rationally. She is carrying good weight, doesn't smell of sickness or infection." Edwin states. "She doesn't seem to have harmed herself."

"Try to get that coat off her so I can try to check her over," Doc orders. I struggle wildly as I try to hold onto my coat aware of how worn the clothes beneath are but I am no match for two strong toms and soon the coat is gone. The distinctive clink of glass on glass reminds me of what is in the coat pocket and what I had planned to do. I bury my face against the blanket as I hear Doc muttering to himself.

"What the heck has she got ... fucking hell! ... Shit! Tell me you haven't injected yourself with this Rosy!" Doc yells at me his voice frantic with fear and I turn my head to glare at him with hate filled eyes.

"What is it?" Sam asks.

"She's been in a fucking Vets office!" Doc yells as he studies the bottles. I know one had been partially used before I took it but I wonder if he knows exactly what it is used for.

"What is it?" Sam repeats.

"Answer me Rosy! " Doc yells at me fear for me evident in his eyes, "Did you inject yourself!"

"Go to hell you bastard," I snarl.

This immediately earns me a hard slap across the back of the head from Edwin and I give a cry of pain as I turn my face away. A wave of nausea rolls through me and I close my eyes but it is no use so I turn my head to the side and retch violently. My vision darkens and there is a loud buzzing in my ears as I gasp for breath. I can hear Doc giving orders but I am too spent to bother about them as I wait with closed eyes for the nausea to recede.

My senses go onto high alert when I am rolled onto my back and a hand touches the waist of my trousers. I buck and fight and manage to half roll onto my stomach before I am once more pinned to the bed. I lay in an awkward twisted position, my face forcibly pressed into the bed, my shoulders almost flat but my hips pinned on the side. My legs pulled savagely back by the ankle rope effectively preventing any further struggles.

"Tell me, is she trying to kill herself?" Sam demands. I jerk as I feel something wet and cold touch my lower stomach and I attempt to struggle but the hand behind my neck presses my face against the bed harder and I am left with no option but to stop fighting if I want to breathe.

"Doc?" Sam demands angrily.

"She's not trying to kill herself; at least I hope and pray she's not. She's most likely trying to cause a miscarriage," Doc says tightly.

"A ..." Edwin stops and exhales loudly, "Shit! The poor thing! Hasn't she endured enough at the hands of the strays? Find a female stray with a faint chance of pulling through and this shit happens! It is so bloody unfair!"

"Oh Rosy," Sam says gently. I jerk as a hand touches my back but then begins to stroke me in long slow sweeps from between my shoulders down to the small of my back. I lay passive as the strokes continue and the coldness is spread across a small area of my lower stomach. Soon the touch on my stomach stops and is replaced with the sensation of the cold gel being wiped off.

"Doc?" Edwin asks.

"No signs of trouble there. Good heartbeats," Doc tells him quietly and I scream against the mattress and buck wildly as a hand slips down the front of my jeans. My worst fears are about to come true I realise as fingers probing between my folds before being removed. "No signs of bleeding. But I don't like the vomiting. It could be the first sign she's done the first injection or the second following injection twenty-four hours after the first. I'll see if Pete can tell me anything about when it started." I find myself left with Edwin and Sam when Doc leaves the room. I am still being held down and I am relieved when most of the pressure eases. The hand that had been stroking my back begins to rub circles between my shoulder blades and I grit my teeth to stop the pure groan of pleasure that wants to escape me.

"Did Doc sedate Rosy?" Mitchell asks from the doorway.

"No, she's just worn herself out fighting," Sam says and hesitates a moment before asking, "Doc tell you she's pregnant?"

"What? No he didn't!" Mitchell says with shock. "Hey Rosy," he has approached the bed but I have no strength left to react. I feel him touch the back of my head lightly and I feel a bit more tension leave me as he fusses slightly with my hair.

"She spewed on my bed?" Mitchell asks surprised after several minutes.

"Yeah," Edwin confirms and eases the pressure of his hold even more. I turn my head to the side and open my eyes to glance around but the toms are where I can't see them.

"I'm hungry," I announce. I hear someone move and Edwin clears his throat softly.

"Better wait until you talk to Doc before you give her anything to eat," Edwin warns.

"I'm going to heat something up anyway," Mitchell announces. I listen but don't hear him leave the room but hear him in the kitchen shortly afterwards. I tense as a hand cups the curve of my hip. It sits there for close to what must be half a minute before it slides across the front of my hip and comes to rest just below my navel. I jerk slightly as the thumb starts to brush back and forth on my skin but I hold still as long as there is no attempt to move lower.

"Can you feel anything?" Sam asks.

"Just the softness of her skin," Edwin replies in the softest of tones before moving his hand off my stomach. I am almost expecting the hand that replaces his hand on my stomach and I roll onto to my stomach slightly more as if trying to avoid the touch.

"I can't believe how good it feels to touch her belly," Sam mutters sounding slightly stunned. "Surely you can't want to hurt your baby Rosy," he says in a worried tone.

I growl angrily at them and Edwin makes a negative sound in his throat, "Enough of that Rosy, we aren't going to hurt you. Settle down now."

I'm scared to believe they have no intention of hurting me, scared that I'd be wrong and they are only toying with me before they use me for their own pleasure. But most of all I am scared that it's true and that they are really the gentle caring toms they had seemed to be when I was here before -- scared because I had run from them.