The Capture of Rosemary Ch. 04

"Rosemary, enough. Lower your voice or pay the consequence when I get you back alone. Do you want Stephen to take you home tonight instead? Is that what you're hoping happens?" he said menacingly. "If you keep acting out like this . . ." And then I saw his face change, as if pleading with me. "I don't want that to happen to you . . . but my attention cannot be with you tonight. If you choose to stay, that's your decision. But it is not wise."

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I couldn't handle this. This situation, this life. This couldn't really be happening. I couldn't really be feeling anything but hatred towards this brute! And yet, I was. I was so jealous, so unnerved, and somewhere, somehow, all the stimulation aroused me. I was panting and wet and wanted to jump on him and take him back to his bedroom. I did not want him consoling or touching another woman. But what did I want? For her torture to just continue? God! Just kill me now. What kind of monster was I? How could I feel anything but disgust over this situation? How could I not hate him entirely?

My emotions flooded me, an anguish so strong, it swept me up and carried me away. My head swirled with fear and longing and sadness. I stood up. "Please," I begged. I willed him to stay with me. "Please don't do this. I don't think my heart can handle this," my eyes welled and my lower lip trembled, as I held back a flood of tears.

"What?" he swung around. "Your heart, Rosemary?"

I was humiliated. I don't know what possessed me to say that, and yet it was too late. "I don't know what I meant to say, I just . . ."

He exhaled. "That's what I thought. You are maddening. I don't know what I've gotten myself into with you," he stormed back over to the waiting woman on the couch.

I watched like I would an accident. I shouldn't watch and yet I did. He stroked her hair, her naked body, and she trembled into him. He stared at me the entire time. I couldn't read his emotions, and I abruptly looked away, a flood of tears streaming down my face without any hope of them stopping.

He picked her up, said something to Stephen with her in his arms, and left the room. I shook without him in sight. What would happen to me if he didn't come back, if he left me alone to fend for myself? What if I was to stay here for the rest of my enslavement instead of with him? Oh god, I shook and cried, curling myself in a ball.

When I looked up, Stephen glared down at me. "Alone, my pretty? No precious Erik to protect you? He's off with another slave? Did you think you'd be the only one, silly girl?"

I dared not speak without Erik nearby and I thought I might throw up. I stared at his sadistic, cruel eyes, marked with humor and ill intent. His scar seemed to have grown in size, grotesque, frightening.

"Come on," he grabbed my hand. "I will feed you. I will not do anything to you tonight. Erik duly warned me before he left. But let this be a warning to you. You can only be protected for so long."

I went with him out of fear and hunger. The smell of soups and bread clouded my judgment. I was starving. All at once, he took a rope from behind his back, and I tried to flee.

"Uh uh uh. Not so fast."

And before I could do anything, he had tied my arms behind my back and sat me back down. "Mmmm. Mmmm," he stared at my breasts. "So large and firm. Someday, someday soon, I will torture these until you scream."

"Please, stop. Please," I whimpered, deep fear gripping every part of my body. Why would Erik leave me like this? Undefended? He was not the man I thought he was! And who was he? I didn't know him one tiny iota. He couldn't care less about my fate. Stephen was right. He left me alone and unguarded while he was fucking another woman. Wait. Let me rephrase. Another slave.

"So shy. So scared. I can see why Erik wants to protect you. You act like a virgin. Act. There's no such thing of your kind, is there?" Lust and hatred mixed in his eyes, and he began to stroke the undersides of my breasts. His hands were rough and calloused and I wanted to spit in his face. His thumbs found my nipples as he pushed them in forcefully, painfully. I didn't react. I didn't dare say a word. I tried to show nothing, as Erik had tried to teach me in that short night.

"Stephen!" Erik stormed across the room, and before anything else could happen, he punched Stephen square in the jaw, forcing him to tumble backwards.

"Oh fuck you, Erik! I was just teasing her. Jesus Christ. She's a fucking slave. Stop acting like she's your goddam sweetheart or something. She's a fuck-toy, Erik! And you just left her here to go play with a different one!"

Erik raised his arm to punch him again, when Malachi came flying over. "What the fuck is going on here?"

Stephen wiped the blood from his face. "Ask Erik. Ask his slave."

Malachi looked at Erik for an answer.

"I don't want to be in the same fucking room with this prick again. I want him demoted. I will not serve this division for another minute with him present," Erik spat.

"Okay. Okay. I don't know what happened here, but clearly this is some kind of pissing contest. Over what? This slave here?" He stared at me with full-on hatred. "Are you kidding me? No slave is going to cause a rift between my men, no matter what she may look like. She need not live past tonight."

Erik did not relent. "This has nothing to do with my slave, Malachi," Erik lied evenly. "I can't trust him. If there is no trust between follow soldiers, there is no chance in winning this war fully. He has stepped out of line, out of rank, and has disobeyed my orders. I will not tolerate it."

"We will discuss this in the morning. We will have to postpone your honorary award until tomorrow, until you can both cool down. Where is my slave? Go take your frustration out on her. Keep her for the night and the next few if you wish. We will all see how we feel in the morning. Both of you. Go back to your compounds. Leave this slave here with me."

But Erik picked me up without another word and carried me out, roughly, angrily, and I saw a hair-raising smile spread across Stephen's lips.

He threw me down onto my feet when we arrived back at his compound. I was still bound by Stephen's doing. I, again, was shaking. Overwhelmed, confused, scared, lonely, you name it, I felt it.

I broke the silence. "Please untie me," I asked quietly.

He stepped towards me as if angry. I shrunk.

"Look at me," he ordered. I could feel heat emanating off of his body.

I didn't dare disobey him.

He grabbed my face roughly between his hands and assaulted my lips, passionately, hard and soft at once.

I couldn't breathe. He took my breath away. I longed to wrap my arms around him but I was secured, my breasts rubbing against the coarseness of his shirt.

He took a step back, ran his fingers through his hair exasperated, and just stared at me. He burned me through with the lustful searing of his smoldering eyes.

"Look at you," he whispered. "How could I have trusted Stephen to leave you alone there?" he scolded himself. "He promised. I should have never trusted him," he paused, anguish across his face. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, painfully.

I welled up, unable to find any words. I wanted him. I needed him. I didn't understand why. He had just been with another woman, and I craved him.

"Don't cry," he said, pleadingly, taking me in his arms and then releasing me to look at me again. He drew circles around my breasts, gently, slowly with the tips of his fingers, as if possessed, as if he couldn't stop himself.

I moaned loudly with need.

"Sssh," he said. "Not a sound or I will not be able to resist you."

"I don't want you to resist me. I want you. I need you." I caved and didn't care.

He tweaked my nipples and then drew his hands down my body, pausing at my opening, and drawing his fingers up through my slit. "I want you too," he said, continuing to touch my most sensitive spot over and over. I moaned into him, pressing against him. He kissed me, and it was almost painful.

"Please, please, Erik," I begged, losing my breath into him, sucking his breath into me, dripping my juices of arousal against his fingers, completely lost and out of control, squirming and throbbing into his body. The blood pounded in my ears.

I thought I might faint when he abruptly stopped and forced my face to look up into his wild, untamed eyes, as he exhaled shakily. "Not tonight. Now is not the time. Go to bed. I will be right in."

"What? Why?" I said it with too much hurt in my voice and teetered back, dizzily, trying to get my breathing and equilibrium back. I had lost all pride and had made a fool of myself, giving myself to him like that. I huffed towards my room, when I heard a voice coming from it. "Erik, is that you?"

I froze and whipped around to face Erik. "Who the fuck is that?" I hissed.

"You know who it is," he said frankly. "Now go. To my bed. You will sleep with me tonight."

"You fucking bastard," and I willed myself not to cry.

"Rosemary, stop it! To my bed now! You are so infuriating." He was forceful but kept his voice low.

"You worn out, Erik?" I spoke quietly, angrily. I was losing all semblance of cool.

"Rosemary. I will not ask again. Go to bed, or you will force me to punish you. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated any longer. Don't make me do it."

He didn't even let me respond, as he went into the room where she lay. I heard him, "It's okay. You will stay here tonight. No worries tonight." I watched him stroke her hair, and I flew towards his bedroom, flung my tied-up body on the bed and just lost it. I pushed my face into his pillow and sobbed and sobbed.

He finally came back to his bedroom.

"Untie me!" I ordered.

"No," he said coolly. "Not another word out of that mouth tonight, Rosemary." But then he suddenly softened as he wiped my eyes with his thumb. He reached for the covers to gently put over me. "No more tears."

I couldn't respond, tears flowing down my face and into the sheets.

"Oh, Jesus, Rosemary. You are an emotional wreck. And it's my fault." He didn't ask for permission and took me in his arms.

"Why don't you just go in the other bedroom and sleep with your new lover. I'm sure she would like that!" I spat out venomously, trying to push his warm, strong body away from me.

"Is that what you really want, Rosemary? Would you rather sleep alone tonight?"

Again, I couldn't tell if he was being sincere or facetious.

"Was she good? Did she satisfy you? Is she much more experienced than I was?" I quipped. "Or did you deflower her too?" And I choked on my words, breathing becoming harder and harder. I felt as if I might pass out.

"Rosemary. Stop. Don't torture yourself like this. Let me hold you."

"You just love to be everyone's knight in shining armor, don't you? Mr. Savior, Mr. Kind. Well. Good for you. I don't need it! I don't want it."

"Do I need to gag you tonight as well, Rosemary? Or are you going to stop this?"

He couldn't be serious! I was furious and tied up and yes, god damn it, mildly aroused, and emotionally unstable in every way. "So, answer me, then, and then I'll shut up! How was she? Did you enjoy fucking her?"

"I'm not doing this, Rosemary," and he stood up. "You are my slave, who is earning punishment. You have no right to talk to me this way. I will not tolerate it."

That stung. That stung hard. And yet, I knew it was true. I was a slave. Nothing more. And it shut me up. I whimpered into myself, feeling like I had been broken in two.

Several long minutes passed, and then I heard him undressing. I lost all will to argue or fight. He slid back into bed behind me and tightened his arms around me, and I tried not to exhale with the comfort it brought me. I had never slept with him and it was excruciating to be next to him, arms still secured, vulnerable, humiliated, helpless. I felt his erection against my naked body and felt my heart race as moisture continued to pool between my legs. I wanted him so badly and hated him and myself for it. How could I??

He kissed my neck over and over and inhaled the back of my hair, as I willed myself not to squirm, not to moan, and to, instead, breathe more steadily.

"Good girl. Breathe," he soothed.

I began to melt into him, I just couldn't help it, but damn him if I'd let him know that.

"Sssh," he whispered in my ear, sending goose bumps up and down my body. "Go to sleep, Rosemary," he said gently and sleepily. "Tomorrow I will decide what to do with you...I am too tired right now . . . but something needs to be done about your behavior. It is too dangerous."

Finally, he rolled over, and the minute he did, I wanted his body touching mine again. I was pathetic. I heard the rhythm of his breathing before I really let go. And then I cried and cried until there were no more tears to be had. I stared into the night with a longing and emptiness that I thought might kill me. And in that moment, I truly thought being dead might be a better fate.