Prince of Darkness vs Prom Queen 08

Laci was looking at a chart. More specifically, a chart with numbers. And they actually did not have the slightest idea what was being charted or numbered. Great. Just great.

It was two days before her birthday and he still knew nothing.

Chapter 5 Yippee

And now he was wishing he still didn't know.

They were in the car, driving along the quiet back roads leading to the ranch.

The ranch. She had been planning a visit to the ranch. She wanted to take him to the ranch. It was her birthday and he would have willingly taken her almost anywhere in the entire universe and she wanted to go to the ranch. Yippee. As in yippee.

There was a little more to the story. It seemed his very lovely wife was also a land baron. She actually owned a small piece of the ranch. Yippee. As in yippee.

He had been ready to burst with curiosity about her intended plans when there had been a knock on his office door. "I'm ready to tell you what we're going to do," Laci announced.

"It's about time. Where is our mystery destination?"

Secretly, Donovan had been hoping she was planning to visit Kalake. There was something about the tropical island paradise that appealed to him the moment he first saw it. It was a world away from the stress of daily life.

It hadn't really been his greatest desire to own an island but at the time he needed an investment and Kalake was a good one. He figured he'd sell it in a few years for a huge profit or, perhaps, turn it into a training facility. What could be more interesting than training sex slaves and submissives on a remote island?

Those plans had vanished the first time he set foot on the idyllic location. It was the perfect depiction of an island paradise with white, powdery sand beaches, palm trees swaying in the breezes, the scent of lush wild flowers, views of the ocean from almost everywhere.

Kalake was his own small, private piece of heaven and he hadn't shared it with anyone, except Victor, until Laci came along. He had sent her there to protect her from Frank Harding and those first days were when he realized his interest in her went in directions he wasn't anticipating. He was thrilled when she wanted to spend their honeymoon on the island and even though he wasn't about to admit it, there actually had been a little naked beach running. Not to mention many other things. Kalake was total perfection and so was Laci.

"What are we doing?" he questioned. "You've been so secretive. Is it someplace by the ocean? Someplace with palm trees?"

"Not exactly," Laci responded. "We're going to the ranch," she saw the expression on his face, "but before you object, there's more to the plan."

"Laci, I know you love the ranch but you can go there anytime. It's your birthday. Surely there's something you want to do that's more exciting than going to the ranch."

"Donovan, I know you don't like going to the ranch but it's a huge place. You've only seen a very tiny part of it. There's also something I never told you. I own a small part of it and I'd like to take you there."

"You own part of the ranch?" he asked incredulously. "And you never told me? What other secrets have you been keeping? We've been married for a while. Shouldn't I have known about this? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She snuggled into his arms. "Donovan, I'm not keeping secrets but you don't really like the ranch. Every time I bring it up, you change the subject. I truly didn't think you'd care and it's only a very small piece, about an acre, maybe less."

He couldn't fault her reasoning. He really didn't care in the slightest about the growling horse habitat. "How long have you owned it and where did you get the money to buy it? I know you haven't taken it out of any of our joint accounts."

"It's been mine since long before I met you and I didn't buy it. I won it in a contest. You've only been to the ranch with me a handful of times and we usually don't make it much further than my old room. I'd like you to see what I own."

"Your room is all I like about the place. The rest of it is dirty. My shoes are covered with dust the minute I step out of the car. And you make me wear jeans. I hate jeans." He looked at her with suspicion. "What kind of contest?"

"Rounding up cattle. The owner of the ranch challenged all his workers to see who could round up the most cattle in the shortest amount of time and I won. The prize was a small piece of land in the hills on the western end of the spread. I was riding Prince and the cattle were terrified of him so they ran into the pen quite willingly."

"Terrified of a growling monster masquerading as a horse? Shocking. Wait! The hills on the western end? You mean all those rocky cliffs? You own a hunk of dusty, dirty rock and that's what you want to do for your birthday? Visit your rock? Talk about a fun time. It's not going to be like a camp-out is it? I hope I don't have to sit on the ground. Do we have to roast hot dogs, too? I hate hot dogs. And I'm not singing 'Kum-bay-a'."

Laci was beaming at him. "Donovan, I've never brought anyone there before and I'd like to share it with you but if you really don't want to go, I won't force you."

He held up his hands in concession. "No. It's your birthday. If you want to visit your rock, then we can visit your rock. I would like to know what all the secrecy was about. Why did you need to research the plan? Are there special rock visitation hours?"

"Not exactly."

His suspicion was back. "What exactly?"

"We have to get there on horseback. It's the easiest way."

"You can't be serious. I haven't ridden in years. Can't we drive there?"

"Not really and that's what I was spending so much time on. I was making sure there would be a suitable horse available for you. I want to make sure you'll be completely comfortable. He's very well trained and you'll be able to handle him quite easily. His name's Albion and I promise you won't have any problem with him."

He stared at her with a dismal lack of enthusiasm. "For your birthday, I have to ride a horse named Albion to visit a rock. Victor's idea to play pin the tail on the donkey was better. Is rock visiting going to become a birthday tradition? What do I have to look forward to next year? Plymouth Rock? Maybe Stonehenge?"

"It isn't a rock. It's more like a little valley."

"Like Death Valley?"

"Donovan, if you're really against it, we can change the plans and do something else. You always give in about things and I love that you do but I'm not going to force you to do something you believe you'll hate. You have to enjoy it as well. I won't have a good time if you're having a terrible time."

And for once, he was able to read her perfectly. She would have completely and willingly given up the idea of visiting her acre of rock if he had asked her to but she would have been disappointed. He couldn't bring himself to disappoint her.

Instead of spending a few days on an island paradise, he was on his way to visit a rock. He was going to visit a rock that he needed to ride a horse to get to. He was going to ride a horse to visit a rock that his very special and beautiful wife owned because she won it herding cattle. Yippee. As in yippee.

What the hell had he been thinking? Whatever it was, it obviously wasn't about a rock in the middle of nowhere but she looked so damned happy when he agreed. Her golden sunbeams were shooting all over the room. This better be one fucking impressive rock.

There was nothing remarkable about their arrival at the ranch except maybe that there seemed to be more dust than usual. He obviously wasn't as smart as he believed himself to be. If he was, he would have invented a fictitious dust allergy years ago.

It hadn't taken very long to get settled in her old room and, as always, first thing on the agenda was a visit to the corral of the growling horse. Prince Ogre was doing his usual snorting and stomping, huffing and puffing, until he spotted Laci.

Donovan wasn't sure he'd ever get used to seeing the huge, grey horse flirting with his human love. Prince's son, Stormy, was also in the corral area. He had grown quite a bit since Donovan had last seen him and was more playful and surer on his feet. After saying hello to Laci, Stormy greeted Donovan with several gentle head butts while his father glared with contempt.

Later they had dinner and called Matthew to say good-night. He was happily spending the night with Jeremy and sang 'Happy Birthday' to his mom before blowing her a kiss. Why wouldn't he be happy? He wasn't spending tomorrow visiting a rock.

Something about Laci's old room always touched Donovan's heart. He supposed it was the thought of her as a frightened, brave and alone young girl being forced into the position of taking care of herself. He doubted he would have done as well as she had.

He made love to her with great tenderness and as she lay sleeping in his arms, he knew he would do anything he could to make sure she never felt alone or frightened again.

Including visiting a rock. A dusty rock in the middle of nowhere. A dusty rock in the middle of nowhere that he could only get to by riding a horse. Yippee. As in yippee.

Chapter 6 Horse Trek

What the hell was the big hurry? It was only a damned rock but for some reason she was wide awake and already getting dressed as the first rays of the sun were turning the horizon gold.

Slowly, reluctantly and yawning constantly, Donovan dressed in his jeans and donned a thick and bulky sweater as protection against the morning chill. Also wrapped in a heavy sweater, Laci was doing her usual energetic flittering and fluttering as she got ready. Where the hell did she get her energy?

After breakfast and several cups of coffee, Donovan was still only marginally awake as he stood by the corral. Laci had already saddled Prince and had gone to the barn to get Albion. The ogre of a horse was glowering at Donovan as though holding him fully responsible for the early morning outing.

"Look, buddy," Donovan glowered back, "I know you hate my guts but I think you know me well enough to be sure this wasn't my idea. You try telling her 'no' and see how far you get." He could swear the damned horse was rolling his eyes in agreement. "I'm guessing you've been to see the rock or the valley or whatever the hell god-forsaken place we're going to. Is it worth the trip?" Monster horse seemed to be nodding 'yes'. "Sure you're saying 'yes'," Donovan grumbled. Naturally the beast would think it was worth it. "You probably have plans to lure me to the edge of a cliff and push me off."

A sound coming from behind caused Donovan to turn and his eyes to widen. It was Laci and she was riding a horse that had to be Albion but he was no ordinary stallion. Donovan could see immediately that Albion was a proud and dignified thoroughbred.

White as snow glistening in the early morning sun, Albion immediately reminded him of Wycliff. He was obviously very well trained and responded to the slightest nudge of her heel or tug on his reins. For the first time, Donovan started looking forward to the ride.

Prince Ogre was snorting his annoyance at the sight of Laci cheating with another horse. He had every reason to be jealous. Albion was tall enough to look him straight in the eye and had the complete confidence of a purebred. When the Ogre snorted and glared, Albion snorted louder and glared meaner. Yippee! Go Albion!

Laci dismounted and handed the reins to Donovan. "He's a perfect gentleman. I don't think you're going to have any problems. We should get going." When she opened the gate of the corral and attempted to grab Prince's reins, the monster showed his annoyance and backed away from her. She wasn't taking his nonsense.

She stood with her hands on her hips and glared right back at him. "We're going riding with you or without you, Prince. You can behave and come with us or I can go get another horse who would probably love a nice long ride. Your choice." The Ogre stared her down then stomped in defeat and tip-toed closer, his head hanging. "That's a good boy," she praised him. In another instant, she was securely seated on his back.

If Donovan had not seen it, he would never have believed it. He shook his head as Prince Ogre proceeded to prance around and show off in front of Albion. It was almost as if he was telling the large white horse 'I got the good one and you're stuck with the pathetic loser'. Without a word, the pathetic loser swung himself onto Albion's back. Albion immediately stood a little taller, a lot prouder, unimpressed and unintimidated by Prince. Donovan was really starting to like his horse.

With Laci and Prince Ogre leading the way, they trotted past the barn and a wide assortment of paddocks and fences. Donovan had only visited the place a handful of times and had never bothered to look around. He had simply driven through the main gate, past a residential area and several homes before heading straight to the large barn where Laci's room was located.

As they ambled along, everyone seemed to know her and called their greetings. This had been her home and they all cared about her. It was reassuring to know that even when she was alone, she had people looking out for her.

He had never realized what a busy and active place it was. Now he saw the full scope of everything being done and was again in awe of Laci and how hard she must have worked during her years of employment.

They reached a small ridge-like area and his breath caught in his throat as he looked down the hill and across the full expanse of the massive ranch.

There were wide open grassy fields and meadows covered with colorful and wild flora reaching in every direction. In one section there were at least two hundred cattle peacefully grazing. He realized Laci was speaking and turned his attention toward her and the direction in which she was pointing.

"We're cutting across the west pasture. Right now it's empty but in another week or two, they'll have the cattle grazing. From here to the hills is about a ninety minute ride. If we drove, we'd have to follow the road all around this place and three neighboring spreads. It would take about the same amount of time but then we'd have to hike over the hills the rest of the way. I've never done it but I was told it would take at least two more hours. This way is easier and much more efficient. Are you okay with Albion?"

"I'm surprisingly comfortable, more than I expected to be. He's very easy to handle. Reminds me of when I used to ride."

"I'm glad," she beamed. "We can go down this little incline. It's not steep." It was hard to miss how happy she was. He was sure her glow rivaled the early rays of the sun.

The incline was a gentle slope and easy to navigate. Within a few minutes they were cantering across the wide open pasture, away from the sounds, smells and dust of the ranch.

Barely able to hear the sound of the horse's hooves as they made their way through the thick grasses and wild flowers, Donovan felt like he was riding back in time to a life he hardly remembered. When had he last felt so carefree and unencumbered by the daily stress of life? By his responsibilities and the need to defeat staring unicorns, growling horses and actor weasels?

When he closed his eyes, he could swear he was riding Wycliff across the vast meadows of Marian's former country home. If he hadn't closed his eyes, he would have seen Laci carefully and closely watching him with a knowing smile.

The morning was perfect, the air cool and the sun warm. If they continued at their current pace, they'd arrive at their destination well before noon, Laci informed him. He did his best to sound enthusiastic, all the while wondering how long they were going to have to look at the rock. He was almost positive he would be able to talk her into cutting her rock surveillance short so they could ride longer. Donovan had forgotten how much he used to enjoy the sport and Albion was a wonderful horse.

The pasture seemed to end where the rocks began. Donovan could see they were headed for what appeared to be the tail end of a much grander mountain range. The dark stone wall they were approaching was jagged and rough but not much taller than a six or seven story building. He saw nothing of value, so it wasn't much of a surprise that the owner of the ranch was willing to give it away. And Laci had been the one who was lucky enough to win it. Yippee. As in yippee.

When they were just yards from the end of the grassy plain, he was surprised to see Laci dismounting and even more surprised when she indicated he should do the same.

Grabbing Prince's reins, she started walking toward the rock formation and into what seemed to be a dark, stony maze. Ahead was what looked like the opening of a cave. Without hesitation she lead Prince straight in with Donovan, leading Albion, following.

"A cave? You own a cave? Does it have bats? Or bears?" Damned thing looked gloomy and smelled musty. "I'm not really interested in visiting a cave."

"It's more of a tunnel," she told him. "Be careful. It's a little dark in some places."

A little dark? Okay, that was mostly true. The openings in the jagged rocks let in enough light but making his way through the eerie and chilly space wasn't his idea of a good time. And exactly how long was this so-called tunnel? It seemed like they had been walking this way and that, around twists and bends, for at least twenty minutes.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" he asked.

"We can't get lost. There's only one way in and out."

That was comforting. Only one way in and out for him, Laci, two horses and a sleuth of bears. What a lucky break. Note to self: next birthday go with Victor's party hat and donkey idea and do not ask Laci for suggestions.

"We're almost there," she assured him. "It's just up ahead."

Well, that also seemed true. He could actually see some light at the end of this cave. What the hell was he doing in a cave? He hated dirty and clammy and visiting caves had never been on his 'to-do' list but here he was all because Laci invited him to see her rock. Too bad she hadn't mentioned that he was going to be seeing it from the inside. Hopefully she didn't also own an acre of the Sahara that she won herding camels. Then again, Victor could have a field day running naked on the sand.

The light was getting bigger and brighter and he could clearly see a sizeable opening ahead. He stepped out of the dark tunnel, his eyes squinting to adjust in the bright light.

"Holy fuck! This is your rock? Where the hell are we? Wonderland?"

Chapter 7 Wonderland

Astonished? Okay. He'd go with astonished. Perhaps that cave-like tunnel had actually been a rabbit hole in disguise? Or maybe he was suffering from oxygen deprivation from spending so much time in the rabbit hole-tunnel-cave. Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. She had called it a valley. The first thing that popped into his mind was grotto. Whatever it was called, the place was no ordinary rock. It was magnificent.

Oval in shape, probably just under an acre in size, the area was completely surrounded by high stone walls and cliffs which opened above to a clear blue sky. The interior had four distinct sections. The first was the highest rock formation, the stone dark and cold with several small waterfalls trickling into naturally formed basins.

The far end was also dark stone but this part was larger, a natural pond filled with crystal clear water and looked like a small swimming pool. Cutting through the middle and separating the two segments was an uneven low and rocky wall completely covered with flowering vines. The vines had grown up and around, covering full sections of the surrounding walls and cliffs mixing the darkness of the stone with a riot of color. Those same flowers were probably the source of the lightly exotic and perfume-like aroma.