Home / Werewolf / The Beast's Slave / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of The Beast's Slave: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

71 Chapters

1

River crouches low by the tall river reed, her body judders in slight anticipation watching the girl and boy run hand in hand as they periodically cast slight glances over their shoulders.The boy presses her against the tree, the messy fumbling of stark youthful hands is clear as he touches her. River moves slightly in the swamp, swatting at a stray fly that buzzes noisily beside her ear.She is far enough not to be seen, and close enough to gaze in morbid fascination at his calloused, coal stained hand that slides beneath the girl’s dress. It goes higher and higher revealing her soft pale legs, unmarred by scars and coagulated bruises like River’s.There is something sonorous and resonant to their intimacy that grows heated and wild as he touches something hidden beneath the girl’s garments. River knows what it is and the thought wraps fingers of flames around her neck, as though he himself is touching her.She shifts, her heart drums

2

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

“Where have you been?” A voice questions from behind following the casting of a shadow over River, temporarily shading her from the glaring sun. “Rita has been searching for you since morning.”River finishes scrubbing her hands clean in the bucket filled with ice water, then cups a handful splashing it over her face in an attempt at cooling the rose that shakes in her blood, and shadows her cheeks. “I was washing the linens.” She lies smoothly, avoiding the girl’s stern stare.“Is it an emergency?” In truthfulness, River’s heart still tumbles, body juddering at the inability to rid herself of the intimacy image.The girl shifts to her side as they pick a path back towards the village, “Not really, it is in regards to tonight.”River licks her teeth thoughtfully, squinting up ahead as a group of children rush past them, wooden swords clashing playfully, “What of tonight?”

3

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

“He watches you,” the girl whispers, soft lips brushing the shell of River’s ear. River blinks feigning disinterest whilst her heart slams against her sternum within.“Who?” Her voice leaves in wistful indifference. Amusedly, her friend leans against her forearm, dropping her temple on her shoulder with a hum; “Do not act so nonchalance, River, your face says otherwise.”A rose shakes in her blood and shadows her cheeks. River sucks a mouthful of the cool night air and spares a glance upwards.Past the red, orange and yellow ball of rage that roars upwards eating its way through the wooden pyramid at its base. Plumes of grey are buffeted into the night sky, carried aimlessly by the chill October wind.Ashen debris glides silently away from the smoke onto the throng of excited children and talkative adults that all sit around the great bonfire beast, their eyes transformed into orbs of light each flickering orange

4

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

Rome was not built in a day, but it surely fell in one.Siege and terror spread throughout the city. Consciousness ebbs through her thinly, she grows aware of the hardened earth beneath her cheek and flaming heat licking across her cheeks, thick heady smoke invading her lungs, charring it.River begins to cough, struggling to blink past the haze of tears clouding her vision. The dullness that fills her hearing clears and with it comes piercing incongruous cries and high pitching wails. Something - someone - is pushing on her shoulder with forceful violence, urging her to wake.Dull throbbing phantoms along her temple and she groans, tentatively touching only to pull away with dark smudged fingertips. River angles her head slowly, faltering at the feel of something weighted on her neck, the clinking of metal.A collar and chain. She notices the women and girls then, each huddled amongst each other like sheep, petrified eyes widened in horror, reflecting fl

5

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

Immediately, two guards appear by River’s side and, tugging at the shackles that bind her wrists, take her to his hut. River blinks downcast, fixating on her sandals as they walk across a low field, sounds of banter fading in the distant background.His building is separated from the rest, privacy. Much to her surprise, it is a substantial building, with a veranda on two sides and steps leading up to the main door. River is taking through a large hall and into an equally large room at the back. Despite the size, the furniture is sparse - single large bed, a divan set against one wall, a study table with a seat and two thick leather-bound books stacked neatly beside a candle.Wordlessly the men unchain her and step out of the room, shutting it behind. River stills at the centre, uncertain stare drifting from one corner to the next.Alone, she thinks.Shaking with cold and shock, she moves to sit on the bed’s foot but catches herself, realizing

6

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

River startles awake then stills as jarring pain shoots up the back of her neck. She hisses, raising a tentative hand to her now sore neck then the skull, rubbing it in gentle soothing circles. A moment passes as she adjusts to the unfamiliar room she currently lay in.The divan she had passed out on, now the current source of all her muscle aches, is stiff beneath her body. She exhales softly, face scrunching at the putrid scent of her breath and body odour. For a heartbeat, everything seems normal, and she is close to rising with chores listing themselves in her mind habitually.Mistress needed her morning herbal tea then linen washed, rosemary-scented candles lit and the curtains are drawn to allow light dissolve the musty darkness that blanketed during the night -- River halts.All thoughts in her mind scatter like dry leaves during a whirlwind, her attention drifts across the unfamiliar room that takes shape. She draws in a shallow, measured breath as reali

7

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

Hadrius.River did not know the extent of power in which his name held. The simple murmur of that word set both men and women apart from, avoiding the girl much like a plague.As though his name had been branded across her forehead, each place she walked the women scattered from her path like dry leaves.Something was terribly wrong with their reaction, River realizes, yet no one dared tell her the reason.Twice she tried approaching two girls, bent over a cauldron stirring thick chunks of stew for the men’s dinner. One girl glanced up, as though sensing an unwanted presence, then her eyes widened to saucers and she scurried away. The other simply hunched over the pot and played pretend, feigning she was not there.It unnerved River, their reactions. Something bitter and hot swirled in her belly each time she stepped out of his tent. Not that she minded for isolation had always been her preference, still…River blows out a breat

8

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

There is a silence.The evening darkens in the room. Noiselessly, and with silver feet, the shadows creep in from the corners. The colours fade wearily out of things.Hadrius is motionless, strangely staring at the naked mortal that stands before him. A girl, he had not noticed before, with the slight formation of hectic spots of red burning on her cheeks - he simply stares with vague indifference, so much so his expression would be no different whilst regarding a fly on the wall.She seems hardly eighteen years of age, with a little flower-like face, a small Greek head with messy plaited coils of dark-brown hair, feverish eyes that burn hazel wells of amethyst caution, lips that are like the petals of a rose.The woman behind Hadrius stirs, and slips like a ghost between him and the door, nimbly making her way to the bed. The girl seems disturbed by the sudden presence, dropping her head sharply whilst reaching for the towel on the bed. Her small hands b

9

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

Little clouds that, like ravelling skeins of glossy white silk, are drifting across the hollowed turquoise of the autumn sky. The scent of a thunderstorm and snow drifts by closely.As River walks through the camp, she looks at the common women, noticing a split lip here, a bruise there. One girl, young and otherwise pretty, had a star-burst scar on her forehead where a spear butt had struck. Her stare lingers on their faces long enough to feel an ice finger touch her heart.She wonders if Hadrius would be as callous and brutal as the men. She expects nothing short of such violence, yet hopes she would not surpass his limits. He held the power in their relationship and should he wake up one day and decide to whip her bloody, neither man nor woman would bat an eyelash at his actions.River licks her teeth and grits her teeth at the possibility of such a thing happening; she is a slave and mistakes are bound to happen, a spill of wine here, the crease of cloth the

10

The Beast's Slave/Carrel

Leaves crunch beneath Hadrius’ bare feet.He moves with agile ease, in hand he carries the limp body of the woman he had murdered amidst fucking her.His eyes idly scan the campsite, seeking men who sat outside their huts or around the fire speaking in low tones, sharpening their battle swords or simply dozing with chins tucked on their chests.Hadrius steps past the treeline, walking deeper and deeper still. The woman in his arms sways lifelessly, eyes dimmed like the onset of glaucoma and staring at the twilight sky. The trees rise all around forming a thick canopy of leaves that block out the moonlight, allowing only faint slants of white that cut across his bare back and ponytail that sways with elegant laziness, the silver barbells pierced horizontally on his nipples glimmer wickedly.He ducks beneath a low branch and straightens as the trees slowly part, revealing a partial clearing where his second-in-command currently stands, nude, arms cros

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