Angelika Rose Ramirez POV

Her cryptic yet kind words startled me. Before I could respond, I felt her place something in my hand before hurrying away. Looking down I realized I held the handle of a large basket. "It is wine and cakes to help appease the wolves," said one of the robed women, answering my unspoken question.

Obeying their command, I followed them out of the chamber down a narrow corridor which opened into a wide antechamber. Two massive iron doors dominated the space.

"This sanctuary shares a wall with the wall which surrounds the village. The sacrifice will move directly into the clearing never to step foot in our village again."

"Please-" I whispered in fear as I watched the women pull on the iron rings that opened the heavy doors. My whole life I had been taught to fear the clearing, to never venture beyond the safety of the village walls, and now I was to be cast out as if I didn't matter as if I were not a human being...as if I were only a sacrificial animal to be slaughtered and forgotten. The doors made a horrific screeching noise as they opened. Outside all was still and quiet. If I had not been taught otherwise, I would have thought it was nothing more than a placid pasture bathed in moonlight. A hand placed between my shoulder blades gave me a shove.

Stumbling, I gripped the handle of the basket before sliding my foot forward. The moment the thin leather slippers they had given me touched upon it, I could feel the soft squish of the earth, a sharp contrast to the stone floor. I took another step forward. Despite my fear, my deep longing for the freshness of the rich smell of grass coupled with the crisp clean scent of the night air, compelled me forward. Leaving the oppressive chamber behind, I felt as if I were being bewitched...pulled forward by the moon and the call of the forest. The stillness of the night was broken by the reverberating sound of the iron doors slamming shut. The spell was broken.

Dropping the basket, I turned to bang my small fists on the door."Have mercy! Please! Don't do this! Please! Open the door!"Cold silence greeted my impassioned pleas. I banged on the door and screamed till my voice was hoarse. Pressing my back against the cold metal, I slowly slipped to the ground. Scalding tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to figure out what to do next. As I stared across the clearing, I could see the outline of the forest shift and move. Shadows detaching themselves from the darkness. Breathing heavily, I pushed myself upright as I strained to see past the trees. Was it fear or my imagination?

No. The shapes were taking form. Stepping into the clearing from the edge, I could see five distinct outlines. The wolves. No. They were men. Men! I knew from my lessons that the dark force, although never named, was like a black, creeping cloud. An evil rising smoke. Never the shape of a man. The five men stalked forward. As they walked more fully into the clearing, I could see them in the bright moonlight. Five large, beastly men. Their brawny bodies were barely covered with fur pelts. Their amber eyes glowed in the dim evening light.

Not wolves. Men. Completely confused and frightened, for some strange reason being faced with five beastly men seemed far worse than a pack of wolves. Turning, I desperately banged on the door. "Help me! Help! You must open the door. These aren't wolves."Through my cries, I could hear a low, collective growl. Knowing my salvation was my own, I gave up all hope of rescue and did the only thing I could. I ran.

The worst fear of all was knowing there was no escape. That no matter how fast I ran, they were coming. The beasts were coming. I could hear them-their heavy breathing closing in on me. I could smell them-an animalistic scent so powerful I could barely inhale fresh air. I could see them-out of the corners of my eyes, I saw them closing in on each side of me. I could taste them-taste the blood on my tongue from biting my lip in order not to scream as I ran. I could feel them-a strong hand on my upper arm, seizing me, flinging me backward, capturing me, and ending any chance of hope that I had. Yes...the worst fear of all was knowing there was no escape. I should have heard growls. Maybe even low, guttural sounds belonging to creatures of the forest. Not words. I should not have heard words from the two-legged demons behind me.

"Do not run from us," one demon roared as he pulled me hard against his chest. This was a man. A man. Not a wolf. Not a beast. A man. I turned my head to look up into amber eyes. Piercing eyes were so fierce and similar to eyes belonging to a wolf, but instead, they were the eyes of a man. Four other men with the same amber eyes, and the same fury present within them, stood on each side of us.

"The wolves," I said, not much louder than a whisper. "Where are the wolves?"

The man who held my arm asked, "Can you hear me?"

I nodded my head as I looked at each man, all of whom appeared both confused and terrifying at the same time. Cloaked in furs, with unshaven faces and long, wild hair, these men had wolf characteristics but were not animals. They studied every inch of me from head to toe, anger seeming to stem from more than just my running away. The man holding me squeezed my arm tighter.

"What do you see? Tell us now!"

His hot breath fell upon my face as he shook me slightly. "Do you see wolves?"

I shook my head, unsure of why he would ask such a question. "I see men. I see nothing but five men surrounding me."The man's grip eased up, and I could hear his breath hitch."Glenn," a man from the left of us said, "If you don't claim her, then one of us will. The...need...is strong regardless of what she sees or hears."

"Resisting her...do something now or I will," another man added. "I don't know if it's the fucking curse but her smell...the fucking pull is too great."

"The hunger," another said, stepping in closer to us. "My body feels as if it is starved."

"Move out of the way. I want her," the last of the men said, getting close enough that Glenn snarled at the man in warning."No," Glenn roared. "She's mine. I captured her first, so she's mine before you all."

The words from his fellow men were all that Glenn had needed but to strip me of my clothes. Fast and furious, like how I imagined a wolf would claw at his prey, I felt every remaining shred of garment that stood in the way of what he planned to claim being ripped from me. I wanted to fight or offer some sort of resistance, but the pure terror and shock of what was occurring paralyzed every quivering muscle in my body. The humiliation caused by my nudity was nothing compared to the suffocating fear I felt as I waited to be devoured by the man before me in the worst ways possible.

He might not be a wolf. He might appear to be a man. But, make no mistake...this man was a beast. I saw it now. I saw the animal unleashed in the way he stared at me with hungry lust. He was not gently disrobing me as I'd pictured my wedded husband doing on the night I offered my maidenhead. He did not care as my white gown fell to the ground with the red cloak piled beside it. Glenn was nothing more than a predator, I the prey, my red cloak acting as the blood I shed in this war already lost. I stood naked before five men. Five men who, although they weren't wolves, were more brutish than anyone I had ever encountered before. Who would do this? Who could do this? Who could stand and stare upon a naked, shivering female, with no expression or sign of feeling other than the tenting of their manhood against the fur of their kilts?

Animals. They were truly animals.

As I was positioned on all fours, I knew my path had been laid before me. The clouds looming were about to unleash a storm strong enough to rip apart the woman I once was. The ground was wet beneath my knees and palms and gave slightly with my weight. The cool air against the bare flesh of my most intimate places made all the more obvious by the position I was in, was a jolt to my soul. I had to fight. I couldn't just let this man take me like an animal mate with another. Attempting to crawl away before Glenn mounted me from behind, my feeble attempt was met with a harsh slap to my vulnerable behind.

"There is no choice in this," his deep, husky voice said from behind me. "Accept the fate that has been presented before us. What is done is done. What has to happen, has to happen. You can't fight this and win. We are all cursed."

He slapped me one more time to accentuate his point, but I had already stopped trying to crawl away. His stinging correction was a warning, a warning that I didn't want to ignore. "Please don't do this," I pleaded.

Trying to flee was a lost cause, but maybe begging would cast some light on the man's shadowed conscience.

"Now, Glenn! Before we make the decision for you, and not wait our turn," a voice from one of the watchers called out.

Glenn took hold of my hips as he positioned himself behind me, spreading my legs wide as he kneeled between them. I didn't need to turn my head to know that his bottom half was bare. I felt the hardness of his sex press up against my ass, demanding so much more."Some things must occur," he said as his hand dipped between the folds of my sex, rubbing up and down in a soft caress.

"We stopped resisting a long time ago. You should as well " calm before."

"This does not have to happen," I argued, wanting to slap away his hand, but also feeling as if my palms needed to remain where they were. His touch didn't hurt, but it violated everything I'd once believed to be right. He was a stranger. No vows had been made. No promises of forever. No commitment in a ceremony.

And as my pussy seemed to welcome his touch, I gasped as the realization hit me that my body was betraying me. This demon and his dark magic had taken hold, and a wicked delight throbbed in ways I had never experienced.

"Yes, my village sacrifices. Get that pussy nice and wet for me. The readier you are, the easier this will be for you."His vile words only seemed to make my sex pulsate more. The slickness of my arousal was spread all around. Without warning, Glenn's finger penetrated my opening. The shocking invasion had me crying out, though the cry wasn't one of pain or even disgust. It was unfamiliar just as the sensations sizzling over my body were witchcraft, Sorcery? The darkest forces were clearly at play. In and out, his finger pumped and spread my tight little hole. The stinging, but also delightful, bite forced a soft moan from my lips. I wanted him to stop. No...I wanted him to continue. No...stop. No...continue.

"Why?" I squeaked. Why was my body reacting the way it was? Why was I no longer afraid? Why was I consumed by sinful thoughts? Why did this devil have a hold on me, and why wasn't I convinced that I wanted to ever be released?

Glenn pulled his finger out of my pussy, leaned over me, and placed his fingertip on my lips. I could smell my musky scent as he pressed it into my mouth.

"Why?" he said in a low voice, so low I thought only I could hear it. "Because we all do what we must to keep the darkness away. Even if it means allowing the darkness to swallow up our souls."

XXX

Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POV

Feeling his finger move along my tongue, I tasted the depraved nectar caused by the mastery he had just performed on my body. It was so wrong and shameful, yet my pussy dripped even more.

"And because we are beasts. Though you may see us as men, trust me, we are as from from being men as any could be. Whether you like it or not, each one of us will claim you in all ways. The urge is too strong to deny."

"All ways?" I asked as he pulled his finger out of my mouth, rubbing the wetness along my lips.

"Yes. We will claim this hole"-he plunged his finger back into my mouth-"and we will claim this hole." He then moved his wet finger to the entrance of my anus. He pressed hard enough to apply pressure but didn't break the surface. "And then we will claim this pussy of yours. Each one of us."

Not giving me time to process his words and what they all meant, Glenn repositioned his member at my pussy and began to press inside. My traitorous body welcomed him but my mind screamed no.

"Don't hurt me," I said.

"Oh this will hurt, my sacrifice. This will most certainly hurt."

I tried to lunge forward, but Glenn held firmly onto my hips, and I knew there would be no stopping this act. Inch by inch, Glenn eased his way in. I was grateful it didn't all happen in one big thrust; the stretching of my hole was unbearable yet tantalizing at the same time. Pain and pleasure. Deep-rooted shame, but hidden desires emerging. The rest of the men stood at a distance and watched as Glenn stole my innocent grace. Moans of pleasure-both his and my own. And with a pop as a virginal wall collapsed, I wondered if my face would forever be stained with tears. Tears that I couldn't explain. Tears so full of passion and craving for more.

Tears of disgrace and contrition. Tears of allowing this darkness Glenn spoke of to enter my soul. I wanted to peel my skin to avoid his touch. Pierce my eyes to avoid watching the other men's stares. I wanted to sacrifice my outer being to save my soul. But at the same time, I also wanted to push my hips back to meet each thrust of his cock as he claimed my body under the moon. The red of my hair hung in my eyes, reminding me of the blood of a battlefield-my battlefield.

I watched the soil encrusting into my nail beds as I scraped at the dirt of the ground. Over and over, Glenn conquered my body, and I had no choice but to surrender. It wasn't Glenn who demanded it be so...it was my own body that did. My eyes closed and opened as Glenn drove into me. Each time my eyelids fluttered open, I would stare into one of the other men's eyes. I don't know why I did, but the hypnotizing act felt right. Each driving thrust from Glenn would rock my body back and forth, but I would maintain my locked stare until I closed my eyes only to open and stare at another.

 Five men. Five sets of amber eyes.Five wolves. Me.

The cadence of Glenn's plunging in and out sped up until he was mating me as a dog would mate with another. Abandoned and wild as his nails dug into my hips, he drove in deeper and deeper. I was being fucked like an animal, by an animal. And with a final thrust, a deep, loud growl erupted from the sinister being behind me-so loud, so powerful, so dominating. Claimed. Claimed by the animal hidden in a man's skin. But something happened to me as Glenn pulled his cock from my still-quivering pussy. I didn't feel the need to run as all the men stared down at my naked and used body on the ground. I didn't feel shame. I didn't feel hatred. I felt the need to continue this sacrifice to the blood moon. To protect my village from what lay hidden in the dark woods.

Glenn was right. We all did what we must to keep the darkness away. Even if it meant allowing the darkness to swallow up our souls. But I would fight this darkness with the ultimate light-the commitment to not be broken. My strength would rise in cloaked silence. And I would be the fragile rose but with thorns so sharp that I would shred their inner beings without them ever seeing me coming. This would be my silent vow.I pulled my knees to my chest to try to retain some ounce of my dignity and waited to see who would come next. Would they all mount me one by one and take their turn in their claiming? How would I survive such an act? Fresh tears fell from my eyes in anticipation of a never-ending nightmare.

After they devoured my body with their cocks, would they then change back to the wolves they were supposed to be and devour me with their fangs and claws? calms before me put the gown over my head and dressed me as a father would a child. The amber in his eyes was now warm, his breathing calmed and no longer ragged, his touch gentle as he placed the red robe over my shoulders.

All terrifying signs of the animal were gone. Glenn was nothing more than a man kneeling before me. I shook in fear but also because the throbbing caused by the claiming hadn't quite left my body, and Glenn noticed. "I know you fear us. You should."

He reached for the strands of hair that hung in my face and softly brushed them away, tucking them behind my ears. "I can't promise you anything, or tell you the lies you want to hear to make yourself feel better. I can't make the darkness go away. But you still need to come with us."I had nothing to say. And he was right. I did have to go with them. I knew that. I knew I had no other options. Not yet.

"She dropped her basket when she ran," one of the men said as he approached us after fetching the basket and all the goods. "Tonight we feast."

"Oh yes," another man said, staring at me with the same hungry eyes that Glenn once had.

"Yes, tonight we will most definitely feast."

"Drink."

Stubbornly, I turned my head away as I burrowed further down into the pile of furs they had placed me on.

"It wasn't a request."

Returning the beastly man's glare, I snatched the bottle from his hand and took a long pull, immediately regretting it the moment the strong wine hit my empty stomach. Sputtering and coughing, I only had a moment to catch my breath before he tilted the bottom of the bottle, forcing me to drink again.

"Good girl."

Not sure if the warm feeling enveloping me was from his praise or the wine, I once more settled back into the furs. Lifted over the one they called Glenn's shoulder; I had been carried deep into the forest. There against the jagged rock face of a mountain, they had placed me at the entrance of a large cave. The floors were covered in thatch with large piles of furs in different shades of brown and gray stacked in haphazard piles. I watched in anxious silence as they built up a large fire, chasing away the cold darkness. Each was crouched down on their haunches, tearing through the contents of the basket, eating the pieces of sweetened cake with their hands as they passed the bottles of wine around. The only sound was their grunts of pleasure. The warm glow of the fire cast strange shadows over the men surrounding it. Deep-set eyes, lowered brows and strong jaws were made all the more fierce by the play of light.

The heavily muscled brawn of their bodies was on full display as each wolf-like man wore only the barest of animal skins and fur to cover his frame. I shifted my hips and winced from the soreness between my legs. Certain I had made only the barest breath of sound, I was startled to see five pairs of eyes trained on me, alert and still.

One broke from the pack and approached me."What are you called?" he asked. His voice was low and hoarse. His words are halting and stilted as if he were not accustomed to speaking.

Licking my lips, I answered, "My birth name is Angelika Rose, but I am called Red Rose."

"Red Rose?"

I could only nod, feeling foolish for imparting even the sparest personal detail to these men. My mind and body were too bruised and worn to comprehend what was happening. I felt a distant numbness as if all that was occurring was happening to some other poor girl, not me. No. I was still under my favorite tree reading my favorite fairy tale. Perhaps I had fallen asleep and at any moment would awaken from this strange nightmare.

"Drink." This time, I didn't hesitate. I took the offered bottle from his hand and drained what was left, welcoming the hazy feeling flowing over me."I tell you it is a sign," said one of the men.

"You don't know that," said another.

"In close to five hundred years they have never sent a woman to appease us, and now they send us one with hair the color of the blood moon. Who can see us in our true form. It's a sign."

"It is remarkable that she sees us in our human form and not as wolves. Is it possible the village has finally learned a way to break the curse?" The others snorted in derision."Perhaps Elias is right. This may be the sign we have been waiting for."

"They don't care about you," I called out, the wine freeing my tongue. Rising on unsteady feet, I kicked away the pelts and walked toward the fire. Swinging my arm in an arch, the bottle held loosely in my grasp, I began to laugh. "They don't care about you, and they really, really hate me. Especially my grandmother. You think you're cursed?" I asked as I hiccupped loudly. "I'm the one who is cursed. Cursed from birth."

"What the hell, Darius! How much did you give the lass to drink?"

"I don't know. The dregs of one bottle and half the other."

"You should know a woman her size can't handle that much wine."

"Ease up. It's been centuries since I've been around one," complained Darius.

"You're sup...sup.... Wolves! You're supposed to be wolves!" I slurred as I desperately tried to focus. Glenn rose to his full height, towering over me as he placed his hands on my shoulders to steady my swaying frame. "You! You!" I accused as I pounded the tip of my finger into his chest. "You're the one who hurt me...who made me...made me...feel...feel those things."

Everything tilted and pitched as Glenn swung me up into his arms. Another of the men approached me and pried the wine bottle from my grasp."Don't think you will be needing this anymore."

I could only nod, feeling foolish for imparting even the sparest personal detail to these men. My mind and body were too bruised and worn to comprehend what was happening. I felt a distant numbness as if all that was occurring was happening to some other poor girl, not me. No. I was still under my favorite tree reading my favorite fairy tale. Perhaps I had fallen asleep and at any moment would awaken from this strange nightmare.

A protest died on my lips as the warm strength of Glenn's arms seeped into my bones. Without thought, I rested my head against his shoulder as he carried me deeper into the cave. Lowering me to the ground, he once more placed me on a bed of furs. Softness caressed my cheek as I snuggled in deeper. I felt a hand pet my hair.

"Sleep, little one. I fear tomorrow will not be any easier for you."

I closed my eyes and let the sweet oblivion of sleep carry me away.

"She stinks."

"Glenn."

"What? She reeks of the humans."

"We are still human."

"My brother. I accepted my fate long ago. You should do the same. We are cursed to roam this Earth as wolves, and wolves we will stay."

"I am not resolved. There must be some reason why this lass has been sent to us. Some explanation as to why she can see our true form."

"While you ponder the mysteries of the fates, I am taking the lass to the hot springs. She stinks."

As I listened to their hushed conversation, I couldn't help but lift the collar of my tattered gown and inhale. True, I smelled a bit like stale wine, but I would hardly say I stunk, I thought indignantly.

"Lass. It is time to arise."

"My name is Red Rose," I grumbled.

"Your name is whatever I call you. Now arise and serve us."

Leaving the comforting warmth of my fur cocoon, I wrapped my red cloak more firmly about me and followed the disgruntled man-wolf out of the cave. As the night before, the fire still burned brightly in the hazy morning light. The rest of the men were crouched around its welcoming flames. The one who woke me gestured to a large copper pot nestled above the fire.

"Serve."

Casting him a peevish look, I knelt before the makeshift hearth. There was a stack of wooden bowls and carved spoons on a straw mat. Giving the porridge in the pot a stir, I began to slowly ladle out portions into the bowls. My mouth watered as the sweet, nutty scent of the cooked oats wafted over me.

Handing each man a bowl, I took my portion and settled close to the fire but slightly away from the intimidating men. Scooping a steaming bite onto my spoon, I stopped just as I raised it to my mouth, startled to see all five men digging into the hot porridge with their bare hands. Once again they were grunting in pleasure as they had done with the cakes the night before. Noticing my regard, one of them stopped and elbowed the one next to him who nudged the one next to him and so forth. Each man slowly stopped eating. All that could be heard was the crackling of the fire and the morning birdsong from the trees.

With a sigh, Glenn leaned forward and picked up a spoon. Casting a meaningful glance at the others, they did the same. Then all eyes turned to me. Slowly, I lifted the spoon and sampled the porridge, watching as they awkwardly mimicked my actions. There was a strange companionable silence as we all broke our fast.

XXX

Angelika "Red Rose" Ramirez POV

Glenn spoke first. "You are here as the blood moon sacrifice from your village. Do you understand that?"

I nodded.

"You are payment for our protection and, as such, will bend to our will and serve us in any manner we demand. If you do not, the innocent lives of those in your village will suffer."

Again, I could only nod.

"I am Glenn. This is Elias, Daniel, Darius and Donald."

During the chaos and fear of the night before, they had all seemed as one to me, brother beasts, with glowing amber eyes. Now, in the morning light, I could see the subtle differences. Glenn was the oldest and the clear leader of the pack. He was tall with ink-black hair tinged with silver and had a forthright manner. Elias was the brawniest of the five and by far the angriest. His massive chest was covered in thick swirls of chestnut hair. He seemed the most beast-like. Donald had yet to speak. He was tall and sinewy. His hair was a light brown which only emphasized the amber of his eyes.

Darius was the only one who had smiled at me. True, I think it was because he found my drunken state amusing, but I clung to the notion that perhaps out of the five, he would be the most sympathetic to my plight. I knew Daniel by the deep rumble of his voice. As tall as the rest, his wide-set shoulders and sharp gaze gave him a fearsome air. He was the one hoping my presence was a sign. I trembled to think what he would do in his disappointment when he learned I was nothing but an unwanted orphan - a disposable member of the village whose only contribution to their lives would be my death. My sacrificial death.

"Are...you...are you going to...to kill me?"

I closed my eyes as I awaited his response. Not daring to breathe, I felt lightheaded and frightened.

"That depends on your obedience," said Glenn.

I opened my eyes and met his stern glare. "Did you kill the others? Those who came before me?"

"Their fate is none of your concern. Worry about yourself," grumbled Elias.

"Enough talking. You have had your turn, Glenn. She is mine now."

"Wait! No!"

Ignoring my cry, Elias grabbed my arm and pulled me up, placing a shoulder in my middle as he hefted me high. Beating on his back, I screamed and yelled as he carried me further and further away from the fire and deeper into the forest. Desperately, I kicked my legs out but that only earned me a stinging slap to my bottom, the power of his open palm felt through the heavy brocade of my cloak. As the light of the fire faded into the distance, the chill of the forest crept in.

I could see frosty puffs of air with every exhale. Long after I had ceased to pound on his back and cry out, he finally halted, unceremoniously depositing me on a bed of pine boughs. Searching my surroundings, I saw a wondrous sight. Great boulders of ice and snow surrounded a steaming pool of water. It appeared like magic out of the forest floor. An enchanted grotto of fire and ice.

As I lay sprawled at his feet, Elias removed the fur pelt which covered one arm and part of his chest. I froze in fear when he reached for the stitched leather and fur kilt which was slung low on his hips."No! Don't!"With a smirk, he let the fabric fall, and a menacing extension of his body sprang free. As thick as a tree branch, it seemed to be made of sinew, pulsing with blood. Shaking my head, I tried to crawl backward. Elias stepped on my cloak. Undaunted, I dropped my shoulders so my arms would slide out of the sleeves. Knowing my thin gown would be no protection against the elements, I still would give up the warmth of my red cloak if it meant escape from the threat of the beast before me. Elias gave a low-throated chuckle as he watched me struggle to free myself from the thick folds of my cloak.

"There is no escape, Red Rose. Accept your fate as I have accepted mine."

"Never," I responded hotly. His face broke into a morbid pantomime of a smile.

"I was hoping you would have the spirit to fight me, for I am not in the mood to be gentle with you."

Reaching down, he fisted the delicate fabric of my gown and lifted me bodily by it. As if I weighed no more than a sparrow, he tossed me into the warm water. Sputtering and choking as my head broke the surface, I pushed the wet strands of hair away from my face as I struggled to stay afloat. The wet material snaked and twisted around my legs. With my every movement, the gown became more entangled.

Desperately swinging my arms through the water, I was losing the fight. With an awful swoosh, I once again plunged beneath the clear blue surface. The sounds of frantic splashing, and the frightened call of the birds all vanished. Underwater...silence reigned as I sank deeper and deeper down into the darkness. A strong arm wrapped around my middle, hefting my weightless body upward. I could see sparkling flashes of light, the sun dancing over the water, just before I was lifted high. Gasping as we broke the surface, I was carried across the hot spring to the edge. My toes touched smooth rock as he set me on some sort of underwater ledge. The water lapped around my body just above my hips. Elias stood before me. With his superior height, the water crested low on his hips. That menacing extension of his body bobbed up and down with the movement of the water. I tried to shift backward, but his hand around my waist prevented it.

"Foolish girl, why did you not swim?" Elias angrily chastised.

"I would have had my gown not prevented it!" I fumed back.

"If your gown is the problem, then we need to get rid of it."

"No!"

His two large fists gripped the collar of the gown and viciously rent the simple, thin fabric in two. Grabbing at the sides, I tried to fight his hands and cover my nakedness with what was left. He only laughed. Pulling me forward, he pushed the fabric off my shoulders and down my arms. I watched helplessly as the two pieces of fabric floated away. With its billowing folds and the ripple of the water, it almost looked like a pair of wings in flight, before the waterlogged cloth slipped below the surface and sank.

Wrapping my arms over my breasts, I glared up at the unmerciful giant before me. Though I'd been stripped the day before, I hadn't felt truly bared. Even when Glenn...when Glenn...even last night, I'd felt the cover of darkness had concealed me like a shroud. Now, as bright sunshine glistened through the dark trees and bounced off the water, there was no place to hide. Enduring his scrutiny, I could not help but see the stark contrasts in our bodies. Mine is smooth, pale, and slight. His darkly tanned, big, and muscled. Dark hair covered his chest and...lower.

The men of my village were short with the weak, lanky limbs that came from little manual labor. Not so with these five wolf-men. Despite my hatred of my enslavement to them, there was something deep and primal...an instinct...that responded to their display of strength and power.

A core feminine ache to be protected and cared for. The problem was, that protecting and caring for me were the very last things on these men's minds. Crying out in fright, I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes when he made a sudden movement toward me. I could feel the warmth of his body as he stepped closer. That...thing...brushed high against my stomach. His only response was a deep chuckle. Keeping my eyes closed, trying to block out the frightening and confusing thoughts his presence elicited, I could smell the fresh scent of sandalwood.

Peeking through my lashes, I saw his large hands covered in fragrant foam as he lathered them with a bar of soap. Placing the soap on the rock behind me, he commanded, "Open your eyes."

Fearing what my disobedience would bring, I obeyed.

"Now lower your arms. You need to bathe. It may have been hundreds of years since I have taken a woman, but I'll not fuck one stinking of the village."

Wondering if fucking meant what Glenn had done to my body the night before, I tearfully complied. "Please, you don't have to...to...fuck with me," I begged Elias. He didn't respond. Reaching out, he placed his hands on my breasts. My mouth fell open in shock. Unable to form the words to protest, I could only feel. Caressing and kneading my flesh, he rubbed his hands in circles, leaving a sudsy trail of soap lather. My breasts felt heavy as my nipples tightened painfully into small buds. The scrape of his work-roughened palms over my soft flesh only heightened the sensation of his touch.

When his hands moved to my shoulders and then down my arms, I had to bite my lip to stifle a groan of disappointment. Slipping his hand beneath the water, he flattened his palm over my sensitive core. Still slightly swollen from Glenn's touch, I winced as Elias's finger pushed between the folds. His hand moved back and forth, and the friction of his touch caused a fluttering sensation to settle deep in my stomach...and lower.

My breath came in soft, harried gasps as his touch quickened. Sliding my feet to the sides of the slippery stone ledge, I opened my legs wider. His middle finger pressed into my body. Once, twice. This time, I did groan when he pulled free. My now sensitive nipples were tickled by his chest hair as he leaned over me to reach for the soap. Working the soap into a heavy, thick lather, he placed it aside and pushed his fingers into my hair. Entangling his hands in my wavy locks, he rubbed my scalp and ran his hands down large fistfuls of hair, coating each curl in fragrant foam.

His hands caressed down the curve of my back before settling low, just above my bottom. Pulling me forward, my hips pressed against his stomach, he trapped his engorged protrusion between us. Despite the warmth of the water, his skin felt hotter. As if he burned with his internal fire.

Using his right hand, he grasped my hair and turned me to the side, forcing my body back. My breasts were thrust upward as my back bowed under the pressure of his grasp. The water lapped at the sides of my face as he rinsed the soap from my hair. Feeling lightheaded and overwhelmed when he set my body upright, all I could think about was his touch and the growing ache between my legs. Leaning over me, he once again reached for the soap.

Watching him handle it, his palms twisting and turning it, I couldn't help but wish he was soaping my breasts once more. Tossing the soap aside, he lowered his brow and held my gaze for a moment. Seeing movement, my eyes slipped lower. He was handling himself. Rubbing the protrusion up and down, up and down, covering it in a soft lather.

"Do you know what a cock is, Red Rose?"

I shook my head no.

Nodding to the protrusion in his hand, he said, "This is a cock." The word was so guttural and coarse. It suited him."Say it. Say cock."

Licking my lips, I obeyed. "Cock."

His full lips broke out into a satisfied smile. "Now turn around."

Unsure, I just stared. I didn't want to take my eyes off this dangerous man."I said, turn around," he repeated, his voice lowering with anger. With no choice, I turned my back to him.

"Now place your hands on the rock and lean forward."

Although encircled by great, jagged pieces of rock, there was a large flat space cut out to form a stepping ledge. I placed my palms on its smooth, flat surface.

"Lean forward. I want your nipples to touch the rock."

Hesitantly, I leaned forward, only to swing back the moment my nipples touched the cold surface. A restraining hand on my back forced me down again. I moaned as the rock edges sent sharp frissons of pain across my breasts. My nipples tightened painfully. "Please, it hurts. The rock is too edged."

"Up on your toes. I want your ass above the water," he ordered.

Moving up on my toes would only force more contact with the ice. "Please don't make me," I begged.

Elias grasped a fistful of my wet hair and yanked on it sharply. I cried out in fear as he said through his clenched jaw, "Do as I command."

I lifted my body on my toes. The movement crushed my breasts and middle against the ice. My stomach clenched and twisted from the freezing contact. Releasing my hair, his hand moved down my back. I could feel his finger push between the cleft of my bottom.

Remembering the intrusive feel of Glenn's finger there, I whimpered.

Unlike Glenn who'd only teased my forbidden hole to intimidate me, Elias pushed the tip of his finger inside.

"Oh God! What are you doing?"

He refused to answer. After swirling his finger along the rim, he pulled it free. I heaved a sigh of relief but it was short-lived. Grasping my bottom cheeks, he pulled them open. It was both painful and humiliating."No! Stop!"I tried to twist my hips away but the cold scrape of the ice on my nipples and his firm grasp kept me in place. I felt something warm and large press against my forbidden hole. I tried to turn to look over my back but his growl had me swinging my head obediently forward again.

"Can you feel where my cock is, Red Rose?"

"Yes," I whimpered.

"Where is it?"

"It's pushing against my...my bottom."

"Say ass."

"What?"

"Say it's pushing into my ass."

"Oh God," I moaned in agony.

"Say it."

"Your cock is pushing into my...my ass."

XXX