For You I Suffer Part 53
The fleshy knob of the bandit leader's arousal rubbed up and down the crevasse of my ass as though to torture me with the helplessness of my position. My shackled hands balled into fists and my opening clenched tightly, trying desperately to deny him access. But the inexorable press of his member against my hole continued unabated. Why he did not just thrust pass my weak defenses, I could not guess. Perhaps he just wanted me to know that he could do so at any time and that this could go easily or painfully at his whim. Sweat broke out over my face as I dedicated all of my attention to denying what was happening.
Only once since beginning my tenure at the castle had I been genuinely raped. Only Treize had truly abused me sexually. Even that occurrence, however, had happened under the uninhibiting influence of an endless flow of excellent wine. No matter the intensity or difficulty of my encounters, I had never felt that I was in any real danger or that I was being forced against my will. Rather, every experience had been about showing me that there was strength and pleasure to be found in subjugating myself to another. But when I felt the tip of the bandit's cock begin to overwhelm my feeble attempts to keep him out, I feared that even that nightmarish incident with the Slaburry ambassador would seem painless compared to this. This time I was not drunk and insensible. No, this time I would feel everything.
"Let me in little slave." My eyes squeezed shut as the boss murmured in my ear. I shivered as my hair slid over my skin when he pushed the mass over my shoulder. "Don't make me have to force you. You'll last longer for the rest of my men if you just relax. But make no mistake," he said as his sharp teeth nibbled at my ear, "if it takes fucking you against this tree all night, we will have our fill of you."
Shuddering at his bald threat, I almost considered giving in. After all, it was not as if I had not been taken before by near strangers. If I just let the bandits have their way with me, maybe they would let me go so I could continue to try and find my way home. But if I continued to resist, I was certain to be violated in the most terrible of ways. Not even Dorothy's whip had approached this level of cruelty because, while I thought I might die from her abuse, I knew I would survive this and that I might be forced to endure it again and again. No matter how my body might last, my mind would surely be broken. And there would be no Quatre to save me this time. The baron would know of my plight so that he might drunkenly avenge my honor.
And just with the merest thought of the man from whom I was so recklessly trying to escape, I knew that I could not surrender to this horrid band of thieves. I had undertaken this mad journey to try and reclaim myself, to find the pride I had so willingly laid at the baron's feet. If I simply allowed these bastards to take me, even though doing so would save me from pain, what would I have accomplished in leaving the castle and Heero behind? I would still be allowing someone else to control me, to have command over my body, to rob me of my self.
"Never," I whispered. "I will never let you have me." The sense of victory I felt was truly hollow as the scarred man growled in my ear.
"Good, I'll enjoy it more if you scream."
I bit down on my lip at the first sensation of ripping pain. With only the silent trees to witness my humiliation, I was truly on my own, lost like a lamb amongst the wolves.
"Please," I cried softly, though I knew that no one would hear.
The sound was so soft that I almost did not hear it at first, but the man pressed tightly against my back had ears honed from a life of living by his wits. He froze, and this time I did hear the low growl that floated out from the darkness in front of us. The other bandits were too intent on watching their leader take me to heed much else, and even when the growling grew subtly louder, they remained oblivious. But all revelry came to a dead stop when an unearthly sound split the night.
The wolf's howl was bright and clear. If that were not startling enough, another joined it for the opposite side of the field, then another and another. The sound resonated off of the trees until it seemed that we were surrounded on all sides. The bandit leader leapt back, fumbling for the knife at his waist as the rest of the bandits similarly reached for their weapons. They were wild eyed and confused to a man, wolves clearly the last thing they were expecting to encounter. Even they had to know that the baron's soldiers had made a concerted effort to roust any lupine denizens from the parts of the forest closest to the castle and its villages. It was unthinkable that even a few had lingered, let alone the number that could possibly strike up with a racket as this.
The man who had only a moment ago been so intent on raping me, cast about with a wide-eyed stare, his manhood flopping limply from the opening of his breeches as though all of the blood had been frightened out of his cock. The bandits began to cluster near the cooking fire as yet another howl sounded from the tree-shadowed darkness.
I was certainly not immune from the primal fear that gripped the other men at the chill-inducing cry. The first wolf directly in front of me struck up his mournful call, once again. I pulled frantically at the branch over which my chain was trapped, my efforts greatly hindered by the violent shivering that shook me from head to toe.
"Help me!" I shouted over my shoulder at the panicky thieves, but they could hardly be bothered to spare a thought for the naked captive they had chained to a tree. I saw a few anxious glances thrown my way, but rather than fear for my safety, I could see their relief at the thought that a pack of hungry wolves would clearly go for the most ready target first. The little food I had managed to eat earlier that day threatened to abandon me as I realized that I made by far the easiest pickings.
"There!" All eyes flew toward the trees on my far right as one of the men pointed in that direction. A slobbering muzzle slowly came into view, seeming to materialize out of the darkness itself as the beast stepped into the clearing. It remained hidden except for its brown nose, its bared teeth, and the golden eyes that seized up the potential danger before it.
"Shit, there's another one!" This time, the emerging figure was even harder to see as this wolf was as black as the night that sheltered it. It seemed slightly smaller than the first wolf that had appeared, but its teeth were just as sharp and its golden eyed stare was just as intent.
It was joined by two more fellows at various angles to the first, one brown like the first and the other a startling white. But I barely noticed them as I kept my frightened gazed focused directly ahead toward where the first howl had come. The darkness seemed to breathe as a shadow moved within. A shape seemed to detach itself, moving closer to where I stood helpless, my arms stretched uselessly above my head. Ever vulnerable part of my body was exposed, the tender expanse of my stomach, the fluttering pulse of my throat, the shriveled bits dangling between my legs.
I tried to shy away from the approaching figure, tugging even more forcefully at the branch. The old branch greeted my frenzied efforts with heedless sturdiness. The tip of the wolf's nose came into view followed by its muzzle. Sobs tore at my throat as I imagined that I could already feel the beast's sharp teeth ripping into my flesh. But when the creature suddenly stepped completely into the open such that I could see it clearly, I froze in complete shock at the sight of the large, gray body, and a narrowed, silver gaze.
"Argent?" I spoke his name in barely a whisper, almost afraid that if I said it louder I would break the spell and he would disappear as suddenly as he had appeared. If the wolf heard me he gave no indication as his brilliant gaze remained fixed on the men gathered behind me. But he stopped at my side, his dense fur lush and soft as he leaned against my leg.
A muttered curse reached my ear, breaking me out of my bemused state. I looked over my shoulder to find that the other wolves of Argent's pack had fully revealed themselves, as well. Trowa had figured that Argent was a lone wolf when we first encountered him injured on the edge of the gamesman's land. I had no reason to doubt Trowa's accuracy, but it seemed as though the wolf had managed to find some friend since we released him from our care. And to a beast, they were fixated on the men standing nervously near the fire.
Nearly all of the bandits were just as riveted on the wolves. But their leader seemed intent on the large creature standing utterly still next to me. I saw his hand tightened its grip on his knife as he glared at the gray wolf.
"What the hell is this?" he growled. He raised his furious gaze to my startled one, and behind his blustered I could see his fear. "What are you, boy? Some kind of gods blasted wizard?"
I did not answer the ridiculous question, sensing it was born out of apprehension rather than any serious inquiry. But the man was rapidly substituting his fear with angry bluster. He bared his teeth, his dark eyes narrowing as the grimace twisted the scar on his face until he looked just as wild as the beasts surround him and his men.
"Well I don't care what kind of sorcery you used to call these creatures here. Once my men take care of them, we'll get back to business, eh?" The bandits laughed nervously at their leader's crude promise, though the sound rapidly grew stronger, and the man himself grinned as his confidence returned. "I don't know what you think these dumb beasts will be able to do against a dozen armed men, boy. But I'll be damned if I let some mangy dogs stop me from enjoying your pretty little ass." He unsheathed his knife and started toward us.
"No, Argent! Run!" I shouted at the wolf as he lowered his head and growled at the approaching man, his ears flattened against his head. Visions of the terrible wound I had found him with flashing across my mind. I would rather suffer the humiliation of letting the bandits have their way with me rather than see any of the beautiful creatures hurt in any way. I was certain the beasts would retreat in the face of the naked steel that the thieves were even then unsheathing. But to my horror, the wolves stood their ground.
Fortunately, none of the men had bows to hand, but although any confrontation would be in close quarters, the boss had surely told the truth about the wolves' chances. A stone flew toward Argent from off to my right, and he leapt away from the projectile with a startled yip. My hair flew out in an arc as I whipped my head around toward the source of the attack. One of the bandits, the taller of the men who had first captured me, had managed to get behind the gray wolf while he had been focused on the leader. Argent quickly recovered and turned to face this new threat, the fur on the back of his neck rising in a stiff fringe as a low sound rumbled menacingly in his throat.
I stared at the confrontation between the man and the wolf. Although the sound of shouts, growls, and barking whines behind me told me that the other bandits had begun to attack Argent's companions, I kept my attention focused on the gray lupine. I did not speak so as not to distract him, but in my mind I begged for him to run off and save himself from this fight he would be sorely pressed to win. The bandit pulled his sword and edged toward the wolf with three feet of folded steel acting as a buffer between himself and 150 pounds of incensed canine.
So intent was I on Argent's fate that I was caught completely off guard as a strong arm wrapped around my waist just as a large hand came up to take my throat in a tight grip. I arched my head backward, trying desperately to ease the pressure on my throat. But the boss merely chuckled as he closed his hand even more firmly.
"Take care of that," he said calmly to the man backing Argent away with his sword. "And then once you've finished cleaning the blood off, we can have some fun with this one, yeah?"
The old panic had begun to take hold of me, spreading through my body as my lungs strained for breath. Restrained as my hands were, I could not peel the scarred bandit away from my throat. All I could do was hang helplessly as spots started to float before my eyes. I gasped for air, my body flinging about wildly as I struggled to throw the man off of me. But he simply held on, knowing that it would not be long before I passed out. Darkness more solid than the night flicked at the edges of my vision, and I began to sag as my knees grew weak. My heart beat with a sputtering rhythm as it was robbed of the fuel it needed to function. Two thoughts flitted through my mind as unconsciousness took me. I was immensely thankful that Argent had come for me, that he had tried to save me even though it meant his doom. And above all, even though I had tried so hard to run away from him, now that the end had come, I could admit how sorry I was that I would never again lay eyes on my beloved master.
Suddenly, something large slammed into my side, freeing me from the bandit leader's punishing hold. Prompted by a primitive need for air, my lungs expanded greedily, sucking in a large breath so quickly that my throat ached from the fast rush of air sweeping down into my body before I was even fully aware that I could breath. I coughed violently, my chest heaved with the attempt to catch up with the breaths I had lost. My eyes flew open and I had to blink rapidly before my vision cleared enough for me to see.
Dizzily, I glanced to the left to see the bandit leader sitting on the ground, stunned as a large, gray wolf stood over him. Rather than confront the other thief, Argent had instead attacked the man choking me as though he had understood that my life was in immediate danger. A knife lay in the dirt at my feet and I realized that the bandit had lost his weapon from the force of the wolf's lunging attack. Argent inched forward over the unarmed man, saliva dripping from his jaws as he snarled. The boss' dark eyes stretched wide with terror as he realized that the large wolf's silver gaze was fixed upon his throat.
I stared at the scene with horrid fascination, my stomach clenching at the though that a man was about to die in such an awful way. But I could not deny the vengeful part of me that waited for the moment with eager anticipation. Disgusted with myself, I turned my head away. I squinted my eyes as I awaited the sound of the man's strangled screams, but they opened wide when I saw a bright gleam at the edge of my vision. The bandit who had been holding Argent at bay had abandoned his sword for the knife strapped at his waist. Focused on his leader's dire situation, he turned the blade so that it rested along his palm. He took careful aim, and my heart stopped as he raised his hand and poised the knife for a throw.
"No!" I screamed. I pulled at my trapped hands, hoping that somehow I could get in the man's way. I would rather catch the knife in my own chest that be forced to watch it strike my beautiful wolf. But the tree branch showed as much consideration for my struggles as it ever had and I knew that I was too far away to help. The bandit sneered and reared back to lend power to his throw.
"Argent!"
A dull thwack reached my ears just before the whimper of a weak moan. I thought that the sound had come from me until I heard the thud of something heavy hitting the ground. I looked over in astonishment as the knife-thrower lay in the dirt with a look of surprise on his face and a still quivering arrow sticking out from his chest. A loud cry sounded from the bandits, and I looked around in time to see a large contingent of armed men materialize from the forest.
One of the brown wolves at the far side of the clearing lay unmoving but the others quickly fled away from the newcomers and melted into the forest as though they had never been there at all. Only Argent remained, but my ability to focus on him all but disappeared as I looked towards the men moving into the ring of light cast by the cooking fire.
"Duo!" Quatre yelled as he caught sight of me. The small blond flew across the ground until he reached my side. Argent growled at him, but he kept his position guarding over the bandit leader. Quatre reached up to try and remove the chain holding me captive from the branch, but he was too short to reach it. He cursed at his inability to help me, but before he could build up a bigger head of steam, a taller man came over to us.
"Here, I've got him," Wufei said calmly as he lifted the chain free. My shoulders burned from the strain of being held over my head for so long, but I merely lowered them slowly as my eyes remained riveted across the open field.
"Get this thing off of me!" the bandit leader shouted, his voice tight with fear. Slaver dripped onto his cheek from Argent's jowls. Wufei eyed the wolf warily as he rested a hand on the pommel of his sword. Quatre stopped him from drawing it with a hand on the darker man's arm.
"Wait!" he breathed. "I can hardly believe it, but with that the gray coat and those silver eyes.... I think this is the same wolf Duo told me about. The one he and Trowa were nursing back to health." Wufei scowled at him at the dubious explanation, but Quatre nodded in my direction. "Look at Duo, he does not look at all afraid of the wolf."
Indeed, such an emotion was quite beyond me. I was frozen in shock but at the same time, I felt as though my body was on fire with an almost indescribable longing. I stepped forward unknowingly, my body taking over even as my mind struggled for understanding. I stared intently at the man walking towards me, the bow in his hand already notched with another arrow.
"My lord," I whispered. My heart swelled nearly to bursting as I was captured by an enraged dark blue glare.
TBC...
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