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

Red Rose Ramirez POV

The awful pressure increased. I tried to clench my body tightly closed. He pushed harder. I could feel my body weakening. My hole began to stretch open. His cock started to slip inside.

"No," I moaned. There was a sharp biting pain as the pressure built then seemed to ease. I could feel him inside of me. I breathed heavily through the pain, thinking the worst must be over. I could feel his body shift behind me, then the pressure increased again. He was pushing his hips forward. I could feel his cock penetrating my body deeper. My inner passage stretched and strained to accommodate his bulk.

"Stop!" I screamed. "It hurts! It hurts!"He gave a small thrust forward before leaning over my body.

Grabbing my hair, he forced my head back. "Does it hurt? Good. I want it to hurt. I want you to feel pain. I want you to feel helpless."

Hurt. Pain. Helpless. Elias thrust his cock deeper inside me. Punctuating each word. Hurt. Pain. Helpless.

"Why? I don't understand. Why?" I cried.

"Because that is how I felt when your village cursed me for all eternity," he ground out before pounding inside of me. I was being torn apart. The piercing pain was agony. My stomach twisted as he forced himself deeper and deeper. I could feel him pumping his hips. Thrusting in and out. Forcing my body to accept his unnatural demands. He must have stretched me beyond what I could endure because I could feel the sting of the soap right at my entrance. The sting of an open wound. Still, he continued to pound into me. My mouth was open as I keened and wailed. My cries of pain set the birds to screeching in return. His hands released my bottom cheeks. One hand spanned my middle, sheltering me from the sharp edge of the rock. The other reached between my legs. He began to caress me in time with the rhythm of his thrusts into my bottom. My body began to respond. To use the pain for my pleasure.

Everything was twisted and turned around. The feel of the warm water on my legs contrasted with the harsh bite of the ice against my nipples. The pain in my bottom with the tingling pleasure between my legs. The sound of his harsh breathing intermingled with my cries and moans.

 "I'm going to fill your ass with my cum. You will be tainted with my scent from the inside out," he ground out as he pinched the hooded nub between my legs.

It was too much. Stars burst behind my eyelids. A deep, dark rushing sound roared in my ears as my body stretched tautly then went limp with the release. Leaning forward, I was grateful for the cool feel of the rock against my heated cheeks. My body rocked to and fro several more times before Elias shouted pleasure. Grabbing my hips tightly, he thrust into the hilt, his hot seed releasing deep into my bottom.

After he pulled free, he lifted my limp body into his arms and kicked his feet from the stone ledge, sending us into the deeper, even warmer, waters. The floating sensation as our bodies bobbed up and down in the water only added to the strange, lightheaded feeling that had invaded my thoughts and limbs.

Through half-closed eyes, I looked down at my body. My breasts and stomach were an angry red from being pressed against the earth. The bare lips of my core seemed swollen while my bottom's opening felt stretched and bruised. Tilting my head back, I searched Elias's face. Sensing my regard, he turned his intense amber gaze on me. The tight set of his jaw had softened. His features gentled.

"My brothers in this curse may be right. You, my little Red Rose, may be something special after all."

Returning to the camp wrapped only in my red cloak, I was surprised when Darius handed me a simple skirt, blouse, stockings, and slippers. At Elias's questioning gaze, Darius said, "We ran into a few of the huntsmen while you were bathing Red Rose. They dropped off their usual offering of flour and leather goods.

Daniel noticed they had two sacks filled with women's garb so he latched onto one of them. They fought him a bit, but once Daniel started to growl, they decided it wasn't worth angering the wolves and released it."I strained to listen while attempting to appear uninterested. There were huntsmen in the woods. Huntsmen who knew of the wolves. These huntsmen saw these men in their wolf state and gave them goods and food as some sort of offering. Would they help me? Shivering, I went and sat on a log used as a stool before the fire. Though the heat from the flames licked my skin, I couldn't remove the cold that ran through my veins. Thoughts of how the dark force must have entered my body haunted me. It was the only explanation for the way my body responded to the touch of these men. Demons had to be lurking inside of me, and maybe I was becoming an animal myself. Would I too become one of the wolves? Was that why I saw men because I had already become a beast like them?

I couldn't get Glenn, Elias, and the sinful acts that had occurred out of my mind. I should detest both of them and yet...I also couldn't stop thinking of how the rest of their bodies had felt around me as we had slept last night. Their bodies all touched me, protecting me in their warmth. I had felt comforted even though I was merely their captive. Each man's heavy breathing acted as a soft lullaby while I had the best sleep of my life.

The men seemed to be preoccupied with doing duties around the camp. Elias chopped and stacked wood near the fire. Daniel sharpened a dagger in long fluid strokes against a rock. Darius expertly created a spear out of wood, shaving the end to a sharp point. Glenn worked on butchering a deer that had been hunted down earlier.

Each one of them glanced at me from time to time, their amber eyes capturing me in their stare each time. I couldn't tell if they were looks of lustful hunger, or looks of concern for my well-being. They were men of few words, yet they all seemed to communicate in their way. Donald approached me and placed a heavy fur on my shoulders. It smelled like them. Man. The scent overpowered my senses, and I closed my eyes and inhaled. Something about their spicy, earthy essence gave me an odd feeling of comfort. The warmth blanketing me was from far more than just the heavy furs. It was like the fur that lay heavy on my back provided me with the battle armor needed to fight this inner storm raging inside of me.

He then kneeled next to me and placed a piece of leather full of berries on my lap. "You need to eat," he said. "The deer will be ready soon, but until it is, eat this." He then inhaled deeply and a soft, growl-like sound emerged from his lips. He quickly stood and walked off, leaving me alone once again.

Staring down at the display of gathered forest delights, my stomach rumbled. I wanted to grab a handful of berries and shove them into my mouth before Donald changed his mind and kept the food for himself. But then I paused. Why was no one else eating the berries? Why just me?Poison?Was that their intention?I still didn't know what their intention was and what they would do next. What had they done to the other sacrifices who never returned to the village? Would my fate be the same as theirs? And if so, what was that fate to be? To kill me by poison? Deadly forest berries? Or maybe it wasn't the kind of poison that would kill but would simply act to cast me in a deep sleep so they could have their way with me with no resistance.

However, they didn't seem to care if I resisted or not.

"Why aren't you eating?" Donald asked from the other side of the fire.

The flames blazing in front of his frame gave off the impression that he was the devil himself. In leathers and fur with little coverage of his muscular frame, he could easily be mistaken for an ancient god, though I knew the animalistic nature that lurked beneath the chiseled flesh.

"I'm not hungry," I lied.

"Eat them anyway."

I shook my head, my mouth watering with how plump and inviting the berries appeared to be.

"Eat," he demanded as he stormed over to me. His insistence convinced me even more that the berries could indeed be poison."No," I somehow dared to say even though I saw thunderous clouds approaching before I could seek shelter from the storm. I had just enough time to look at the other men as they stared on in curiosity before Donald gripped the back of my neck and squeezed. "Do not mistake me as a weak man because I offered food," he warned as he forced my head down to stare at the fruit.

I placed my shaking fingertips on the berries and couldn't drum up the courage to eat them. If I were to die, it would not be by my hand. No. They would have to kill me and face eternal damnation for the brutality. And if the berries were to pacify me or make me sleep through their violations rather than to have them face their acts, I would not submit. They would have to taste my salty tears as they pressed their lips to mine. I would not make this easy for any of them.

Donald's grip on the nape of my neck slid to the base of my skull as he took hold of a handful of hair and tugged. With my head pulled back, Donald leaned down to my ear and said, "Are you going to eat the berries?"

I swallowed hard, which was difficult since my head was tilted back and my neck stretched. "I said I'm not hungry,"

I somehow said as my body shivered in anticipation of what would now come. I knew Donald wasn't a weak man. He didn't have to say so. I would never consider any of the five men around this campfire weak. They were creatures of the forest to be feared and appeased at all costs. Every single villager believed it to be so, and I was no different. But I couldn't eat the berries. I just couldn't.

"Very well," Donald said, yanking my hair even harder as he stood to his full height once again. "If you won't put the berries in your mouth, then we will put something else in instead."Pulling me to stand with his fist rooted in my hair, he cast the fur he had just placed on my shoulders to the ground. The berries that had been on my lap had fallen to the dirt, and now I wished I had just simply eaten them. I had a feeling my foolish mistake would be one I wouldn't soon forget. He tugged my head back again, exposing the front of my neck. Lowering his mouth to my throat, he licked a path to my ear where he whispered, "Take off your clothes immediately unless you want me to tear them off of you. It would be a shame to destroy the outfit you haven't even had for a day yet."Remembering how Elias had effortlessly ripped my gown from my body in the spring, I quickly complied.

I didn't want to have to be naked before these men all the time, and if this outfit got ruined by Donald, the possibility of me having nothing to wear but maybe one of their heavy furs had my shaking hands fumbling with the material to remove it on my terms.

"Hurry," Donald growled.

I whimpered when he yanked on my hair even harder. I desperately wished for one of the other men to step in and help calm Donald's growing temper. What I wouldn't do for one of them to have mercy on me right now. But I had also started to see that they all respected each other completely. Not one of them was about to contradict or go against another from their pack. They would watch, but never intervene. I had to admire the level of loyalty they had to each other even though I wished otherwise.

When I stepped out of the last remaining item-my skirt-and stood completely nude in front of Donald with the fire roaring behind me, I held my breath as I waited for what would come. My sex was still so very tender from Glenn, my anus even worse from Elias, and my nipples still had a dull ache from the freezing touch of the rock. I wasn't sure my body could take much more.

"Down on your knees," Donald directed.

His hand was still fisted in my hair, but I didn't need him to tug me down to follow his command. At this point, I was prepared to do whatever the man asked of me. I was not a foolish woman, and I had quickly begun to realize that resisting these men only made it worse. When my knees made contact with the thatched ground of the cave, Donald pulled my hair and tilted my head back just enough that I had no choice but to look into his wolf-like eyes. They were like how all the others had been; Predator. Hunter. Dominator.

"I was going to give you until tomorrow before claiming what was mine. I was going to give you some time to recover from what you have already endured. But you clearly do consider my kindness as a sign of weakness, and for that you will be punished."

"I don't. I swear it," I pleaded, though I knew deep down it would do no good.

"Your actions overpower your words, lass."

"I don't consider you weak at all. I was just afraid to eat the berries."

"Afraid?"

"Yes," I squeaked.

"Well, I am about to show you what you truly should be afraid of."Finally releasing my hair, Donald untied a piece of leather that circled his waist. It was wide and thick and acted as his belt. The minute he did so, he looked over my shoulder at one of the men behind me. I knew they were all watching without even having to see for myself. I could feel their gazes searing into my skin. "Darius, do you mind assisting me in teaching our sacrifice what happens when she defies one of us?"

I remained naked on my knees, trying to breathe through the overpowering feeling of doom. Darius walked up to Donald, and Donald handed him the leather strap."Use this on her while I fill her mouth with something far scarier than the simple berries I had offered in kindness."Donald then adjusted his kilt out of the way and sat on the stump that I had once been sitting on. His thick cock stood ready for what I assumed would be my attention. He reminded me of a mighty king sitting on his throne as I, a mere servant, kneeled before him.

"Come kneel between my legs," he ordered.

I crawled the short distance to get there and did what he asked. As I did so, Donald kicked off the remaining clothing that had covered his bottom half. He then positioned himself in a way that the fire was beside us. I didn't say anything, and I tried to avoid his eyes. My only hope now was to show the man complete obedience in hopes he changed his mind and didn't feel he needed to teach me a lesson.

"Let's give you something else to feast upon rather than those berries," he said, scooting to the edge of the stump. "Come put my cock in your mouth."

I glanced at the scattered berries on the ground and hopefully gathered them up as a sign of good faith. "Please," I said. "I'll eat the berries. I'm sorry."

Fear of what was to come removed any earlier hesitation I had in eating what very well could be poison. Poison sounded so much better than what I had a feeling would come soon.

"Oh yes, lass. You will be eating those berries," he said with a wicked grin as he took them from my dirty palm. "But now, you will have a much"-he looked down at his thick cock-"larger meal."

XXX