Silver Chains

Ash looked around the empty room while Lassiter huddled shivering in the corner. He could smell old blood, raw sweat and stale semen. The bed Richard had been chained to smelled of fear and pain, so much pain. The vampire scowled in anger at the things he imagined happened here. The vampire had long desired the werewolf king because of his beauty and power, and Richard had not run when he and Jean-Claude shared memories with him and Anita to save her, which had led Asher to hope one day he might have the Ulfric in his bed. But not after being raped and tortured! Richard would be haunted by the memories of this for a long time.

"What do we do?" Truth asked solemnly, also aware of what had happened here.

"We wait for Jean-Claude to arrive or at least tell us what he wants," Asher said and opened his mind to the Master of the City. "Mon ami?"

"Oui?" the voice echoed back to him.

"The loup is gone. What do you desire of us?"

"Nothing until Anita hears something else from Kiskil-lilla."

Asher looked back at Lassiter and frowned. He wanted to strike the man, beat him, for being the one who captured the wolf. Perhaps when they had Richard back and everyone involved with it was dead.


Richard awoke in a dazed stupor chained to a thick trunked tree, his arms behind the trunk bound tightly with silver bracelets. He let his eyes roll upwards into the branches. It was so dark, so very dark, but the wolf inside of him could see in the perfect darkness and whispered, "Sycamore." Tough old tree, Richard thought and tried to tug on the chains, but his arms were twisted behind him in such a way that he could get no leverage. And there was a mask over his mouth and nose. He could smell chemicals. If he became too difficult to manage, they would sedate him again with gas or ether or something similar.

The chains burned, and his skin was close to be one solid sore. And he was thirsty and hungry, but if he was to die, he didn't imagine anyone thinking to give him a drink. Lowering his head, he tried to keep his shields tight and in place. He didn't want Anita to feel him dying. Jean-Claude and her cats would keep her alive and safe. Her perfect cats. Tears that he shouldn't shed burned his eyes.

Something moved, drawing his attention to it. That strange little creature that had spent most of its time hiding and staring at him was sitting on its haunches watching him now. It inched closer, it's odd golden eyes fixated on his face and eyes. Richard did not want it to come any closer and growled at it, a deep rumbling growl that spoke of returning power.

"Get out of here!" a woman's voice hissed and sent the imp scurrying for cover.

Richard stared up at the smiling demoness who lowered herself to kneel beside him, or to be more exact, she was straddling his thighs but not touching him. "They need to watch you better," she said and stroked his cheek, drawing another growl out of him. "How sweet," she laughed and looked down at the chained body. "How beautiful." Brushing the exposed skin of his right breast, she smiled and said, "Time to let Anita know what we want of her."

And with just her touch, she drew her own brand of ardeur out of Richard, bowing his back and making him scream. She mounted him, taking all of that long hard length of maleness deep within her, and rode the power down the long metaphysical line that connected him to Anita and Jean-Claude.


Edward pulled off the road and slammed the brakes on. There was some powerful magical shit going on around him and he didn't like it. Anita screamed and reached for Jean-Claude, but he was also being attacked by Kiskil-lilla and couldn't help her. But he was of the mind to summon one of the wolves to him. Jamil answered and learned initmately what feeding the ardeur meant. Micah could not help her again, but Requiem could, and it was enough to keep the demoness from pulling the life force out of Richard.

"Oh, very good," she purred in Jean-Claude and Anita's mind. "I thought this would get your attention."

"What do you want, Kiskil-lilla?" Jean-Claude asked breathlessly as Jamil crawled away from him.

"Anita."

Slumped against Requiem who was forcing himself to move, Anita said, "You have me."

"No, I want you alone. Right now you have...well..you know what you have," the demoness purred. "Right now I want you to walk into the field and wait. That's all you have to do. If anyone goes with you, I'll kill the wolf right now."

Micah reached for Anita's hand to hold her back. He didn't care if the werewolf died, Richard was not worth Anita's life, but he knew Anita did not see it that way. She would give her life for Richard.

"Be careful," he pleaded softly.

Anita knodded quickly and glanced at Jean-Claude as she climbed out of the jeep. "Don't look so gloomy," she told him. "I've still got Edward's little bug inside of me, remember?"

"Be careful," he echoed Micah.

"Just don't take too long finding us," Anita said and turned to look at the field of sorghum. Taking a deep breath, she started walking while the men watched in grim silence. A hundred yards into the field and she stopped. Now what? Something started moving in front of her, a creature with a man's body and a raven's head.

"Andras!" Jamil hissed as the creature grabbed Anita and disappeared.