Already His

         Consciousness returned in slow waves. A hard dirt floor, uneven with dips and hills, chafed her legs and ground into her skin, decorating her with splotches and spots. Cold metallic chains, clamped tight around her wrists and ankles, held her steadfast in a sitting position.

         She became aware that she was leaning against a wooden surface, coarse with splinters ready to bite into her sensitive flesh should she move.

         Groaning, her head pounding, she opened her eyes to the bright light illuminating the room. The flash and glare caused her to snap her eyes shut again, bright hot pain searing through her senses. Whimpering she squinted carefully, allowing a minimal amount of light to seep into her eyes. Bright candlelight shown from an elaborate candlelabra hanging from the ceiling.

         Pulling away from the hard wooden surface she rested against, terror tore through her as the full awareness of her situation presented itself.

         Chained with no chance of escape, she thought frantically, her heart sunk at the sudden realization.

         A creak to her right brought back the terror in renewed force and her head snapped in that direction in time to see dark leather boots walk into the room. The sound of nails clicked outside the door, a shadow stalked through on all four legs, unruly gray hair wild against it’s sharp blue eyes and bared fangs following it’s master. The creature growled, a menacing sound, causing her to jump and back away.

         A wolf hound, she thought, as a cold icy feeling washed over her. Without realizing, she turned and saw the door. Reaching for it, she tugged uselessly at it, her muscles jelly, trying in vain to make it budge.

         A tall pale man with blood red lips, jet black hair, sharp incisors, and hypnotizing dark eyes evaluated her slowly.

“          You can’t get away, so why try?” His deep and hushed voice told her. “It’ll be so much easier on you if you just relax.”

         At this she started shaking violently. Her head shook hard back and forth, as if willing it to be so, as she slid down to the floor in shock. How could this be happening?

         “Wolfbane,” he commanded, “go guard the door.”

         The animal growled in response, sending shivers through her, and traced it’s way slow and steady, laying down in front of it, eyes on her the whole while.

         “Now, this won’t hurt a bit. That is, of course, if you cooperate,” he told her, a wicked tone in his hushed voice.

         His voice reminded her of death.

         Kneeling down in front of her, he reached out to touch her and pulled back instantly as she recoiled in fear. Sighing, he sat back on his heels, thinking.

         She won’t taste nearly as good if she’s as upset as this, he thought knowingly.

         Closing his eyes, he reached out to her with his mind.

         Her eyes popped open as she felt phantom hands run through her hair. Trembling, she looked bewildered as she frantically searched for the source. Nothing. The hands continued, one caressing her face, the other trailing to the nape of her neck. Despite herself, she relaxed at the caress.

         Opening his eyes, he smiled a blood red smile, fangs peaking out over his lips. Humans were all the same. A little touching, a light caress and they opened right up.

         “There now, that’s better,” he murmured, leaning in toward her.

         Struggling to regain her previous terror, the phantom hands continued their caresses. A pair of sharp pricks against her neck brought her to the realization that he had won. Giving into despair, she closed her eyes as lightheadedness took over.

         The locked door, she thought as her pulse slowed and drowsiness approached. She reach one of her hands up to the door handle knowing that she was much too weak to run anyway. Pulling on it, she felt it turn and budge even at her weak tug.

         She cursed as she realized it hadn’t been locked. In her fright, she’d simply been yanking the handle the wrong way. She’d been his the moment he’d slide into the room and he’d known it. With her fear in control, she never had a chance. Letting out a bitter laugh, she went limp against his lips.

         Pulling back, the man wiped his mouth and swallowed the last drops of blood. “I told you, my dear, that you couldn’t escape.” He grinned and headed out into the night, Wolfbane at his side, leaving her lifeless body in a crumbled heap on the floor. All because of the locked door.

         He drifted away, but as he did, he sent a thought to her unconsciousness, You’re mine now! She twitched in her dreamless sleep, deathly pale as her body continued to breathe and heart continued to beat despite the blood loss. His now.