Feline Hunted

[RainingHeat]

This story is Closed for myself and Dryfter

We hope you enjoy​

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Her den was warm, dry, a haven for one such as herself. There was wood for a fire, a bota of water, some fresh vegetables, and even some fresh meat, she had managed to capture a rabbit just this morning. The bedding was made of the softest of pine needles, supplemented with feathers, and a rather large, downy soft, cotton blanket that she had stolen, yes stolen, from the local town. She hated having to steal. Hated it. But, she did what she needed to do to survive, and to stay free. That was very important to her, being free, because so many wanted to take that away from her.

She had actually stolen 3 blankets over the last several months. These were needed for warmth in the winter months. In truth, that was about all she had. Her den and the blankets. Otherwise, her food source was the forest around her. Her water and bathing source, the nearby river and waterfall pool.

She was one of a rare breed, and a sought after breed.

She was not entirely human. She was a race of human and feline, intermingled at some genetic level. She was not alone. There were others, some like her, partially human, partially feline. Others, mingled with canine, and even others mingled with deer. She, and her kind were not shapeshifters, like a Lycan/Werewolf. She was permanently mixed, looking like a human in her appearance, but she was covered in fine, soft fur, striped like a wild tiger. She the black tipped ears of a tiger as well, hidden beneath a human mane of deep auburn red. Her eyes, decidedly catlike, a gleaming golden color.

That was what had given her the name she now carried.

Gleam

Named by her very human, very normal mother, who had been attacked and raped by a Feline mixed Male. Her mother had tried to hide Gleam, for as long as she could. And in fact, had died while saving her, the townspeople having discovered the human woman with the Feline Mingled child. Gleam had managed to make it into the forest and hide, the same forest where she now lived.

Many of those who were mingled as she was, were very wild, very feral,her Father was no exception. Some others, were more, human, atlho still feral. Gleam could speak as human, walk as human, and act human. She learned that from her mother. But she was still a wild "animal", still a wild creature.

They, they being her kind, were prize game. Hunted, they were very, very hunted.

And not like the big game that was also hunted, deer, bear, moose. They were hunted for meat, fur, for the trophy on the wall.

But not her kind. Her kind were hunted as *pets*. Pets was a kind word. It was more like servants, or slaves, sexual slaves. Altho of mingled blood, females were very similar to human females, possessing 2 breasts tipped with nipples, and a very working vagina. Human Men sought females like Gleam for pleasure. Their pleasure. Males were also hunted and trained, sold to female Humans for the same thing. They too had a working cock, much like human Men. Altho Males were hunted as well for pit fighting, an ugly violent sport that many humans for some reason enjoy. It was not a good life, once captured, most of the time. Even tho, as mentioned, Gleam, and others of her species had much the same intelligence as humans, once possessed, they were treated as slaves or animals. It was not a good life.

It was said that some bred those of mingled blood, like herself, in captivity, for pleasure, for sport. Several Hunters were employed by these breeding groups to hunt and capture females and males for breeding.

This was why Gleam treasured her freedom. She was not an animal, not in her own mind, therefore she should not be treated as one.

It was known that many of her kind lived in the area. It was the prefect habitat, with shelter, food and water abundantly available. And, she had been seen, on several occasions, by people in the nearby village. Children playing had spoken of the pretty "tiger lady" that often emerged from the forest edge, and that the "tiger lady" had even smiled at them. Gleam had always loved children. She longed to approach them, but dared not to. She would watch the kids play from a distance, hearing their laugh, enjoying their smiles. When they did see her, and sometimes they did, they were not afraid. That was what Gleam liked the most. The kids were not scared of her. And, they had no reason to be. She would never, ever hurt them.

The Hunters, often bands of humans, they were a whole other story. She had been hunted for some time now, but she was elusive, quick, and crafty, and the band of hunters had not caught up to her, not yet. They were not the brightest bunch of humans at times. That worked to her advantage!

This night was no different than any other. Gleam had eluded the band of Hunters and was confident that they would never find her, or her den. She did not realize that when they exited the woods, with their newest captive, a small feral doe-girl, that one of them had remained.

Please follow this Link for a picture of Gleam
http://flic.kr/p/ciZ9mE

 

[dryfter]

He'd been in this business too long.

Even now, Lucian watched as a pair of hunters struggled with a deer-like mixed breed, the humans laughing as she shrieked in abstract terror.....the thin shift the creature wore to protect its modesty torn away even as its lithe, almost too skinny frame was pinned roughly to the damp forest soil. A studded collar slipped firmly about the newly captured's neck, heart rending sobs filling the wooded glen where she had finally been brought to ground.

"How about this one, Lucian?"

The lanky blonde turned to look at his best friend and fellow hunter. Together they had amassed a small fortune pursuing and claiming these hybrids....these.....mixed breeds. And yet, as he took a long look at the skittish form of the obviously frightened doe girl, a honey skinned hand ran through his sandy blonde locks.

"You know she's not what I'm after, Carl."

Standing well over six foot, he towered over his friend, seemingly more so when one took into account the hardened muscle that kept his simple white cotton t-shirt tight against his chest....his own sweat the only marring of its surface where it showed through the open khaki vest he wore. A brawny arm lifted a canteen to his lips almost in annoyance as he took a well deserved swig of water.

"Ah yes, the ghost of the woods. You're after that tiger girl yet, aren't you? You even sure she really exists?"

A long deliberate pull of the refreshing liquid, followed by an absent minded wiping of the excess onto the back of a sun kissed hand.

"Yeah....she's here. The villagers talk of her in mixed tones. Seems the adults are scared to death of her. The children seem to think she's a good luck spirit or something. That only scares the parents more. Makes 'em think she's going to spirit away their kids or something."

A soft chuckle.

"So you're going to stay out here, aren't you? C'mon Lucian.....we got three of the buggers. We're going to make a fortune already. Let's go home."

He simply shook his head.....bending over slightly to reach for a tan colored fedora and plopping it unceremoniously onto his sweat matted head.

"I'm not selling this one."

A long silence.

"She's eluded every hunter who's come here for her. Made people like you wonder if she even exists. I'm going to find her. And when I do I'm going to take her and make her mine. Whether she likes it or not, I'm going to make this little ghost call me Master. And all those bitchy millionaires can be jealous of me for a change."

He shot Carl a grin from over one shoulder.....already starting to separate himself from the rest of the hunters he had travelled with for so long now.

"You just make sure you keep her away from the males we captured. She'll be pregnant before you make it back to any sane civilization if you don't.....and you know how much that drops her value. Would hate to have some pompous jackass' pet ruined for him before they even get it, right?"

A round of laughter greeted his comment, more than one hunter overhearing at least that much of their conversation. In the background, Lucian could hear one comment that it might not be the hybrid males that were the biggest thread of doing that......

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He did his best to not growl in annoyance as yet another bead of sweat descended from his mosquito bitten brow to sting his vision. He had camped here for days after they had left.....and he was getting dangerously low on food. Yet he was stubborn, rationing out what he did have and keeping close tabs on his water supply. With each passing day, the hunter had checked the winds.....moving his position about the calm forest lake so as to hopefully stay upwind and keep his scent from giving away his presence.

She had to come here. Granted, there were other streams and ponds she could bathe in. But a creature as elusive as her had to move around considerably, not likely staying in any one place too long. Not only that, but this lake was fairly secluded.....when one took into account the tall bluffs on the far end, and the thorny wild raspberry vines and gooseberry bushes that made approach from that direction most certainly awkward, painful, and noisy.

In short, it was perfect.....just the kind of terrain a feral breed just might take a chance on. He was certain he was right......

Now to see if his food and water supplies would hold out long enough to prove it.

 

[RainingHeat]

The doe-girl. Her keening cry, her heart-rending sobs, and, most prominent, the scent of her fear, permeated the forest right after her capture. The males, they were not quite as bad. No cry, no sobbing, instead growling, swearing, threats, and the scent of rage. The males exuded those same traits when the females were in heat, so sometimes, it was difficult to tell what had prompted the reaction, unless of course the foul scent of humans were involved.

But it was the doe-girl fear that Gleam had caught in the air that evening. It was that very smell that had sent her into hiding. It was always good to lay low for a couple of days when a hunt and/or capture was detected. This particular hunt had caught Gleam a bit by surprise. She was closer to those hunters than they even realized, and if the doe-girl had not caught their attention, Gleam may have been in for the chase of her life. That was what happened when she let the children of the village distract her.

She had been thinking of them, again, and the game of hide and seek they had been playing just hours earlier. She had lain in the shadows, the cool grass and the soft breeze playing over her relaxing form. The kids, 3 girls and 2 boys, were playing a mere 15 feet away and they had no clue she was there. Hide and seek, a game not unlike the life she lived, she thought, but with far less dire results.

When the little blonde girl with the impossibly curly hair had hidden right next to her, Gleam could not help but reach out.

"hi" she said softly, offering a gentle smile.

The little girl smiled widely in return "hi tiger lady" She had heard all about the ghostly tiger lady, but showed no fear at all. Instead, with a bit of a cant to her head, the little girl reached out and touched Gleam's shoulder, feeling the downy soft fur that covered her skin.

"soft" Gleam said

"soft" the girl repeated with a giggle.

"Found you Chrissy" a young boy's voice called out, his eyes widening with he caught glance of Gleam. "Wow, a feral" he stood there staring.

That was Gleam's cue to go, and with a gentle pat to the top of Chrissy's head, she turned and melted into the bushes and trees, the forest seeming to envelop her.

That had been Gleam's distraction that evening as she made her way back to her den. That, thinking about those sweet kids, is what almost drove Gleam into that chase, the chase of her life, if she had not startled the doe-girl, sending her sprinting out into the clearing, and into the sites of the Hunters.

And, it was not just the scent of the doe-girl's fear. Mingled with that smell, was another. The smell of rutting, of mating, of sex. Human and feral. It was not quite as strong, obviously the scent was coming from further away, but it was there. The Hunters, the Hunters had sampled the doe-girl, Gleam was sure of it. The thought made her stomach turn. The poor thing, she thought. Gleam had heard what the Hunters often did if a particularly attractive feral was captured. Not to mention what happened to them once they were sold.

Sure, the males, if not sold for pit fighting, got sex all the time. For the male ferals, it was something they craved, altho being chained or caged often threw them into a rage. For female ferals, it was worse. It was tandamount to being raped, over and over again, let alone being caged or chained. And from what Gleam had heard, and seen glimpses of, female ferals were shared with several human males. The thought was repulsive to Gleam, to any female feral.

The doe-girl had been shared, Gleam could discern several male scents.

It drove Gleam into hiding.

But, as the days passed, the heat and humidity built. She desperately needed, wanted, to bathe, and gather some fresh water. The forest had been strangely quiet. She had not detected any further hunting. The building heat may have had something to do with that, and the mosquito and black fly infestation. Ick. Yeah, she really needed to stretch her legs, bathe in some cool water and fill her bota.

A slight rumble of her belly cemented it for her. She was tired of her food provisions, and with that, the sudden thought of wild raspberries and gooseberries skittered across her mind. It had been some time since she had ventured to the lake. Most of the time she liked the waterfall at the base of the mountain, but that was a 2 day hike and it was just too hot for that kind of hike. She had become wary of the stream close by, too close to her den for now. And she frequented there often. And, there were no berries there. The lake. She would go to the lake. It was large, she could swim, feast on berries and actually spend a couple of days there. The brush and thickets would work for shelter, the wild flowers that lined the shore would work for covering her scent as well, Gleam didn't want to be found by a male feral either for that matter. She was untouched, and liked it that way. And, she thought to herself, it had been quiet since the doe-girl was taken.

She set out before dawn, wanting to get to the lake long before the noon day sun sat high in the sky. She would bathe and breakfast on the berries, spend the afternoon sleeping in the thicket, out of sight, the flowers masking her from other ferals, and the evening she could swim and fish. Perfect!!!

Within 3 hours, Gleam was approaching the lake. She could smell the moisture in the air. The thicket on the south was overgrown, perfect for hiding her, and it was there she paused. The bota lifted from her shoulder, boots slipped off from her feet. For longer trips, she often wore her soft deerskin boots. Over her form, she wore a long, white peasant blouse, another treasure that she stole from the village. The delicate material caressing the swell of her breasts, bushing against each nipple, draping down past the curve of her hips and ass, to tickle her mid thigh. She hated pants or trousers of anykind, she finding them much to restrictive and far from silent. She might as well be a human thundering thru the woods when wearing pants. About her waist, cinching in that pretty white blouse, hung what looked like a belt. In reality it was a leather rope, again made from deerskin. She carried it with her, just in case it was ever needed, for trapping, or just carrying captured prey.

She had pulled back her flaming red mane into a pony tail, tied again with deerskin leather.

Feet now bare, she emerged from the thicket, pausing to sample a handful of raspberries, before approaching the water. Hesitating for just a moment, she tasted the air, scenting nothing but the water before her, hearing nothing out of the ordinary.

Hearing nothing

Hearing................... nothing

What happened to the water birds? She had heard them at all the other times she had come to this lake, they were everywhere. Had she spooked them? No, no, she had been silent in her approach, her footfalls making no sound what so ever. Why was it so quiet? Why were they not fishing, and singing to one another?

Something.................. was wrong...................

 

[dryfter]

It first he was certain she was a mirage, a culmination of what he wanted to see rather than what he was actually seeing.

He hadn't expected her to come from the bluffs, yet as his feral vision approached the calm lakeside, he perhaps should have expected it. He could almost see a soft splash of berry juice darkening the corner of her full lips as she circled around to more manageable land. As she drew nearer.....he got a better and better look at her until it became crystal clear that this was not just a hallucination brought on by his lack of supplies.

And what a vision she was! Far better than he could have hoped and more than enough to stir a raging fire in his loins. Often times, the hybrids he caught were scared, pitiful creatures.....gaunt from hunger and constant hiding. But this....tigress.....was full bodied, and curved beautifully. Lucian grinned as he regarded the simple blouse she wore as her only semblance of modesty. Would it be wrong to consider such a frail defense even more arousing than if she'd simply appeared before him nude in all her glory?

He didn't miss the hint of her nipples as they made their sharp contours known against the swelling fabric of her chest. He noted that she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail....tied there with something unidentifiable at this distance......it made her less the wild and feral vixen, and more the calm and confident creature in her own habitat.

Lucian had no doubts she already knew what had happened to the hybrids they had found and captured. Even now, he kept a wary eye on his surroundings, knowing full well that it might not just be the two of them here. It was just that paranoia that made him almost miss it........

She had stopped......her lovely shoulders tensing even as her ears and nose tested the air. The hunter frowned.....he had been here for days lying in wait. What could he have possibly missed, what could have gone wrong to alert her? Surely if he just waited a little longer, he would get to see everything she had to offer him as she continued on to a cool, refreshing bath.

When he finally got a good look on her face, he knew he was wrong. Bathtime was over. She was spooked by something.

And then it hit him. It wasn't the noises about her.....it was the lack thereof. He hid his presence well from her......but the birds of the forest cast a damning light upon him with their total absence in his presence.

"Might as well come out. Seems the fun's about to start after all."

He didn't try to hide his voice....even when she reacted. Thankfully he hadn't stayed crouched this whole time or his knees would have been far too shot to give chase.

"So you're our little tigress, huh?"

Lucian didn't believe in any more violence than what was necessary. He knew she would most likely run when the thought occurred to her, and instead didn't make a single move in her direction.....letting her see him slowly pack the business end of a long, hollowed out reed far too sturdy to be native to these lands. He'd only get one shot, yet if the dart hit.....she'd go down fast enough. Conscious too. The blowgun dart was tipped with the best non-lethal paralytic money could by.

"I've been looking for you."

 

[RainingHeat]

"Might as well come out. Seems the fun's about to start after all."

Gleam did not move when she heard the voice, not a muscle save her ears, which turned toward the sound, and the slightest twitch of her shoulders. If she could have ceased her heart beating she would have. Every fiber in her very being tensed. She had not been this close to a human, heard one this clearly, since she had been very young and with her mother.

"So you're our little tigress, huh?"

Our Little Tigress? What was that supposed to mean??? She was not the only Feline mingled Feral in the area, and she knew there were others tigers. But then again, had she seen another female? Wait, no, she had seen only males. Male Ferals outnumbered Female Ferals as it was. That was one reason why female humans were sometimes attacked and raped. The reasoning was easy, there was more demand for the Female of her kind then Males, so females were hunted and captured much more than Males, that simple.

Still she did not move, nor turn her head to look upon the human. She was winding up, like a wicked spring about to be sprung.

"I've been looking for you."

That, those words, made her turn her head, bringing her golden eyes to look upon the Hunter. Fire, sparks of both rage and fear, ignited in that gaze. Her breathing was slow, deliberate, she had dropped the fresh berries she had been enjoying.

Her mind was racing thru her options. Turn and run, but the surface was rough, and covered with brush, berry bushes, the thickets, and brambles. And she was not that well aquainted with the surrounds to know the easiest, fastest way to escape. Attack, that was always an option, and even tho she looked alot like a tiger, and she had quite sharp incisors, she had no claws to speak of. And any weapons she had brought, which consisted only of a small dagger, was back with the bota. Beg, there would be none of that, it never worked anyway and she knew that. Swim, that was the best, fastest, and most viable option, not to mention she was a damned good swimmer.

All these options flew thru her conscious thoughts in the fraction of a second.

"keep looking" her voice was deep, lyrical. Some ferals could not speak well, others could. It all depended on upbringing. She could speak just fine.

Gleam saw that hollowed out reed. She had seen something like those before, some of her own kind used them for hunting for food, but his, his was longer, thicker, and obviously more sturdy than what she had seen used here. What he packed in it, she had no idea at all. She was not about to wait around and find out.

The spring that was her muscles sprung, sending her in a running leap toward the water. She hit the surface hard, with a growl of triumph that turned into a deep throated yelp of pain. Something hit her, and hit her hard, the pain struck her like a firey hot cattle prod, and then it was gone.

Completely gone..

As was her ability to move.

SHIT her mind screamed SHIT SHIT SHIT

As hard as she willed her arms, legs, to move, nothing. Absolutely nothing but complete stillness. She would drown, it was that simple. Her eyes wide in terror, she looked to the shore at the Hunter, before the water flowed over her head, obscuring her view, and her breathing.

 

[dryfter]

Well that hadn't gone the way he had hoped.

"Keep looking."

She bolted then. Strange. He had honestly been expecting her to attack. Was it because she was female? In truth, Lucian had only seen male tiger ferals up until this very moment.....and when cornered.....a male tiger hybrid always attacked.

Not that the end result would change, or so he initially thought as he brought the polished blowgun up his lips almost as fast at it had taken her to turn around. A brief puffing of his cheeks, an angry belch of loosed air from the business end of the sturdy tube, and the hunter watched as the angry hornet of a dart pierced the soft flesh of a thigh just below the hem of her lovely blouse. Not a fatal shot in the least......but an effective one......just below where he guessed the femoral artery must be. If he was right.....at the rate she was moving, speeding up her bloodflow.....the poison would take effect even faster than normal.

It wasn't until after she had cut cleanly through the surface of the water that he realized the implications of that very venom. He had been careless.

"FUCK!"

With a clatter, the blowgun was discarded onto the rocky soil even as frenzied fingers clutched at the open ends of his vest, tearing the garment away. He was already racing towards the water's edge as he stripped the now dirtied white cotton tee he'd worn underneath up and over his head just in time for him to get a few good strides into the water and plunge headlong after his prize.

A few awkward moments and he realized he'd not had time to remove his boots. Lucian growled in annoyance. They were laced tightly and weren't the kind to be easily kicked off. He'd have to make do, and whatever he did, it would have to be done fast.

What he lacked in dynamics, he made up for in sheer brawn and desperation. Willing his muscles to pull him along, he found himself thankful for the clarity of the freshwater.....giving him the chance to spot her and pursue. He was anything but gentle as he reached her, instantly kicking hard and repeatedly towards the surface as his own lungs burned. This was far too sexy of a prize to let drown here!

The human hunter had closed his eyes, more from the strain of trying to bring the two of them back up than anything else. So the cool afternoon air about the lake came as a surprise even to him as the sound of his one good flailing arm thrashing the water filled his ears as readily as greedily gulped air filled his lungs.

It seemed like forever before he had maneuvered them enough towards shore that his feet could find ground again. And when they did, it illicited a pained groan, the full extent of his exertion just now coming to him. With a wet plop, he released her, letting the curvy little tigress crumple to a heap upon the sand as he wobbled his way upshore just a little more. If he could just reach his camp.......

Then he'd reach his backpack. And with that, the collar he'd saved just for her. He wasn't even sure if she was still alive, but if she was......

By the end of the day, she'd be shown who she belonged to now.

If she wasn't conscious yet, he would wait. He would wait and make sure she understood what was happening to her.....and what it meant for her......and what she was now.

And then the training would begin. She would learn. He did not restrain her in anyway.....for now.

After all....it would be some time before he had to worry about her going anywhere.

 

[RainingHeat]

The water was calming, soothing, and for a moment, just a moment, welcoming. That is before she started to panic. Not being able to breathe will do that to you. That, and not being able to move to help yourself out of your not being able to breathe dilemma.

Gleam's mind certainly was not paralyzed, tho the rest of her was. She valiantly tried to get something to move, an arm, a leg, she could not even open her mouth to scream for help, altho that would not have done her any good, there was no one there to help her.

Wait....

Except him...

Her golden eyes were still open and staring, when she saw the blur above the water, heard the tremendous splash, and the awkward swimming toward where she was. Gods, humans just could not seem to swim gracefully, now could they. She could, and she was built much like them. When she swam, and she loved swimming, she would cut thru the water swiftly, silently, as if the water and she were one and on friendly terms. When humans swam, they blundered about, splashing, crashing, and just being, well, loud and clumsy. He was no different, not that he could have been swift and silent, given the big cumbersome boots on his feet.

She tried to take a breath, and got nothing but water. At least her lungs were not paralyzed, but fat lot of good that was doing now. That was the last thought she had before the water and lack of air, dulled her senses. Gleam tried to fight blacking out, tried to stop gulping in water, but her body did not quite understand what was happening and kept trying in vain to breathe.

Gleam blinked and opened her eyes. She was standing at the water's edge, seeming to watch the events that were unfolding before her. A human male, breaking the surface of the water, holding something in his grasp, wet, heavy, and obviously unconscious. With a slight cant to her head, a long red tendril lightly tumbling over one shoulder, she watches, as he makes his way to shore with his prize, gasping and sputtering, his footing not yet too secure, the heavy burden finally sliding to the ground with a wet thud.

Looking at the figure that lay at the feet of the Hunter, he still regaining his own breath and equilibrium, she realized... it was her. She was out cold, golden eyes closed. Her mouth was slightly open, and her body coughed a bit in reflex, trying to expel the water taken in. The white peasant blouse she had worn was opened, exposing her nakedness beneath. Downy soft fur soaking, clinging to her skin. The cool air now caressing her form, as she took a deep gasp of air, the curve of her breasts quivered just a bit, pink tipped with slightly hardening nipples. Any movement for the moment was purely reflexive, and the Gleam that was watching knew that the Gleam that was laying there still could not move.

Wait, that was her. Yes, that was her. This was a dream and she was watching herself, herself with the Hunter. The Human who had done this to her.

The Dream Gleam faded, as the real Gleam, laying on the grass, slowly began to awaken. Had she been asleep? Why was she wet? It took a few moments before her mind could regain a foothold in reality. The sun's rays bathed her, slowly beginning the process of drying her. She could feel her long red hair, several dripping tendrils, clinging to her back. It was a strange sensation at the moment. She could feel that and the ground beneath her, but could not feel her arms or legs, hands or feet, to move. Her entire body frozen, except for her breathing, and the sporadic blinking of her eyes.

And her voice. It was a challenge and a struggle, but Gleam gained control over her mouth and jaw. She slid the tip of her delicate pink tongue out to roll gently over her lips, before attempting to speak. She could not see anyone, she could not see him specifically, but every instinct in her body told her he was there, and close. His scent, like a wet, dirty mule, was everywhere.

"I know....." she paused, trying to stay focused. The fear, which had been held at bay during all that had happened, was again churning in her belly. "I... I know you are there, and....... I know you did this to me" her voice, deep, a bare whisper as she tried, again in vain, to move at all, but again, was unsuccessful.

 

[dryfter]

"I know....."

Lucian tensed at the sound. He hadn't been expecting her to regain consciousness so soon.....and he certainly hadn't been expecting her to be able to speak.

"I... I know you are there, and....... I know you did this to me."

A soft chuckle could be heard through the brush as he regarded her words, yet there was no malice in the sound. A moment later and he moved into her view, knowing she'd probably feel at least a tiny bit more comfortable if she could see him. Not that she'd ever be at ease around him, unable to move as she was now.

"You're half right. I am here, but I'm not the fool who tried to escape into the lake, now am I? I'm just the fool who dove in after you."

He was still dripping wet, yet it was her he was concerned about. Fortunately, he'd had the sense to bring along a blanket, not that it had seen much use in his excitement the hunt had brought him. But now.....

Now that she was captured, she was his responsibility. And he wasn't as cruel of a master as others he had sold to. She might be half animal....but she was half human too....and with her fur as drenched as it was and unable to shake the wetness off.....she would catch ill just like any human woman might.

He wasn't gentle about it, but nor did he linger on her finer curves as he inch by inch drew the blanket across her body, scrubbing its coarse surface hard over her contours as he sought to draw the water from her. This wasn't how he had hoped to explore her for the first time.....and he rushed as if doing so might remove the memory so he could start clean later.

"You speak well. I'm surprised. Most can't."

Ever step he took resulted in a squish from his waterlogged boots. Yet Lucian took care to make sure she was as dry as he could get her before taking the time to finally relinquish them.

"There you go.....now you won't freeze to death. Might be the middle of the day yet, but there's a good breeze, no sense taking chances. Though I suppose by now, you're probably wishing you were dead, eh?"

A ruddy hand moved to brush a damp lock of hair from his face as he finally took the time to admire her.....not caring if she saw his hungry look as he took in her body close up for the first time.

"That blanket wasn't the only thing I brought. I'm sure you suspect that, don't you? I bet you even know what happened a few days back to your little doe friend?"

Lucian smiled softly, reaching behind him for where he'd tucked the stiff leather collar into the back of his leather leggings. He watched her closely, drinking in her reaction as he produced it before her. Somehow he just knew she would know what it was......and what it meant.....

"You're mine now, my little tigress. And you're going to serve me well. You might not want to at first.....but I think you'll come around just fine, won't you? Female ferals have a tendency to do that once properly mated and trained."

He let his words sink in, watching her every reaction and expression, even as the rough surface of the leather fit snugly against her delicate throat.

"But I'm not like other Masters, kitten. I'm not about to share you with anyone. At least not if you serve me properly, that is. Bad pets must be punished after all, you know....."

The thought of the doe girl he had caught and sent home with the others days ago made him bristle just a little. He hadn't missed the looks that the other men had given the timid little creature. Just as he knew she wasn't going to sell well by the time they got her home. What a waste......

"And that's why I came here alone for you. I can't trust you with them, you see. Pretty little kitten like you? I'm not the sharing type. You're collared now, and by law that makes you mine. Though I'm sure you'll have enough to say about it when you start being able to move again."

He reached down once more.....shifting slightly in adjustment as he moved to pick her up again. Unlike the sack of weight he had carried beneath an arm earlier, this time she was cradled carefully before him as her precious lake slowly moved into the distance.....

"For now.....we make our way back to camp. Not to worry, its not far. Then we get to work on your training."

 

[RainingHeat]

Gleam heard that soft laugh. If she could have turned on him in that instant, dagger or no, she would have. But of course, she could not move. She was trapped, and worse, she was helpless.

As he moved into her line of vision, he spoke.

"You're half right. I am here, but I'm not the fool who tried to escape into the lake, now am I? I'm just the fool who dove in after you."

Gleam said nothing, she just warily watched him. Sure, he had dove in and saved her, but why???? Altho she had a deep feeling she already knew. She was not stupid. She knew exactly what the market was for her kind. She always had.

Shivering, she silently kept her golden tinged eyes on him, as he moved toward her. If she could have flinched, she would have. Hell if she could have grabbed at him, balls, eyes, anything to grab or poke or attack, and sank her incisors into flesh, she would have. But she could not. Whatever he had shot her full of had a firm grip on her.

"You speak well. I'm surprised. Most can't."

"no don 't" she growled as he approached her with the blanket. Did she want to be dry? Hell yes. She could already feel the chill settling deep inside her, and even tho the sun was high, that damned lake water was colder than she had bargained for. The blanket actually felt good, but she was not about to admit that. His hands on her, that did NOT feel good and quietly under her breath, she kept growling, low in her throat.

"There you go.....now you won't freeze to death. Might be the middle of the day yet, but there's a good breeze, no sense taking chances. Though I suppose by now, you're probably wishing you were dead, eh?"

That caused a reaction in her. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, that flicker of fear alit within. She managed to beat it back, looking away from him, with her eyes only of course. The sun was warming her, flowing over her form like the touch of a heated lover and it felt sooo good. If only it would help with her paralysis.

So many answers to his little question went racing thru her mind. So many. But she did not put any of them to voice. She would not, could not, dared not, show him the ice cold fear she was feeling.

"That blanket wasn't the only thing I brought. I'm sure you suspect that, don't you? I bet you even know what happened a few days back to your little doe friend?"

Lucian smiled softly, reaching behind him for where he'd tucked the stiff leather collar into the back of his denim jeans. He watched her closely, drinking in her reaction as he produced it before her. Somehow he just knew she would know what it was......and what it meant.....

"You're mine now, my little tigress. And you're going to serve me well. You might not want to at first.....but I think you'll come around just fine, won't you? Female ferals have a tendency to do that once properly mated and trained."

Get ... Get away from me with that" she snarled, her voice stronger. "and yes, I know exactly what you filthy humans do to us!!! And I will NOT be mated and trained" the last words dripping with the hatred she felt at that very moment... But she could not retreat from him, or that disgusting leather collar he held. NO, NO, DON'T the words flashed brightly in her mind, filled with the near terror she was feeling, but managing thru her iron will, to keep under control.

The leather snugged to her throat, wrapping about the curve, claiming that slender neck, possessing. "No, NO" for a moment, her fear came thundering to the surface, never mind that her heart was hammering in her chest. She snapped at him, but again, no movement, she could not do anything outside the futile growlings and warnings that she tried.

"But I'm not like other Masters, kitten. I'm not about to share you with anyone. At least not if you serve me properly, that is. Bad pets must be punished after all, you know....."

"And that's why I came here alone for you. I can't trust you with them, you see. Pretty little kitten like you? I'm not the sharing type. You're collared now, and by law that makes you mine. Though I'm sure you'll have enough to say about it when you start being able to move again."

"BASTARD" the word fell from her lips. It dripped with the utter loathing she was feeling at that very moment.
"and yes, I speak very well" she spit "I am intelligent after all, not the dumb animal whore you humans think we are"

Gleam swallowed hard as he lifted her into his arms.

She was trapped. No, she was not screaming like the little doe girl had been, and she was not raging like the males of her kind often did. She would not have been screaming no matter the poison that the bastard had shot into her, but she sure as hell would be raging, fighting, if she could. But all she could do was lay limply in his arms, caught.

The lake, the lake she loved so much, began to fade into the distance as he walked. It dawned on her that she may never see it again, that she may never see her home again, that she may be caged, tortured, raped, mated, used, abused, that life as she had known it was over. All because she had let her guard down when she approached that lake. The birds, they were silent. She should have known better, she did know better. It took every ounce of will power she had left to not cry at that moment, every last ounce. He must of felt that resigned quiver to her body, altho at the moment, he could not see the light fading slightly in her eyes, she had closed them, trying to retreat back into her own mind, where it was safe.

 

[dryfter]

"I am intelligent after all, not the dumb animal whore you humans think we are."

Her resistance up to this point had been exciting, though it had been dampened by the fact that she couldn't move, couldn't even struggle as he carried her off. Still....the fact that she had growled her fear, finally shown panic in the face of the collar.....Lucian wondered if she even knew how aroused that had made him.

"Who called you dumb?"

Her simple outburst fouled his mood just like that.

"You think I hunt stupid animals, is that it? That I'd be content with taking just anything home with a set of tits and a hole for loving?"

A soft, sudden chuckle echoed ominously through the woods as his simple campsite drew nearer. Already, she could most likely smell the horse he had stabled there......though he himself couldn't see it just yet.

"You've eluded hunters for years. Granted, some of them passed on you when you were too young and scrawny, I'm sure. But you're legendary, kitten.....a feral smart enough to outsmart the hunters. That's hardly a "dumb animal", and you can rest assured that I'll be dealing with anyone who dares refer to you as such."

When he set her down this time, it was much more carefully than at the lakeshore. The scent of his blood may have been too faint to rankle his own nose, but it was sure to stir her own just a little. He had never bothered to redon his boots......had carried her to camp in just his bare feet.....ignoring the thorns, twigs and stones that had rallied to make the trip ginger and painful.

"I'm sure you won't forgive me for this.....but its necessary for now."

Firmly, he rolled her onto her stomach before claiming a slender wrist in each hand and pulling them behind her shapely backside. It wasn't long before she could feel the strong bindings of silken rope tightening fiercely about the appendages.

"Sorry about that, kitten.....but the toxin I injected into your body won't last much longer. I certainly don't need you getting it into your pretty head that attacking your Master will go over well for you."

He reached for her then......daring to slide a warm, rough hand under her now see through blouse to cup the culmination of her womanhood.....feeling the rosy crest of a nipple drag harshly across his palm.

"Firm....supple....perfect."

He knew she would react negatively. Expected it from someone who most likely hadn't been touched like this before in her life.

"Now I'm going to ask you some questions, seeing as how you can speak just fine. But before you start wishing for the toxin to wear off so you can run off......."

Lucian stood up.....knowing she most likely watched his every move. Silently, he looped the other end of his silken rope around the harness of his saddle. Several moments passed as knot after knot securely tethered her to his mount.

"I don't trust you. You don't trust me. My mates went off to town with the cages meant for your kind, so you're going to walk.....and we start shortly. But first, I want to get some things straight with you, little kitten."

He watched with almost eagle like intensity for any signs of the paralytic beginning to loose its hold on her. He would maintain a tight rein on this one, or she would run first chance she got for sure.

"I'm the master. You're the pet. You will learn how to serve, and one day soon, you'll even enjoy it. I can promise you a much better life than what you've been living out here."

His eyes roamed hungrily over her full frame, his own lust barely constrained.

"Let me show you how our relationship works. I'm going to give you a question. Then I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do if you do....and do not answer it. Then I'll let you decide whether you want to or not. I won't always tell you of consequences for displeasing me, kitten. But its good to give examples."

Lucian took a deep breath....silently hanging his fedora on his saddle horn.

"Let's start with something simple. Your name. You will tell me your name. And if you don't have one, or you refuse.....I will name you. Whatever name you do have that you refused to tell me.....will be gone. Erased. And believe me, in time, it will be."

A soft smile, yet with a hardened edge within those keen eyes.

"A generous offer, yes? Giving you the chance to retain just a little of your past?"

Silently he waited for her reply, before moving on to a much more sensitive topic.

"Have you mated before?"

That should get a reaction.

"Know that if you refuse to answer the question.....or I feel that you're lying to me.....I'll check for myself, you're my property now after all."

 

[RainingHeat]

She listened to his words. She had struck a chord when she called him a Hunter of dumb animals. She certainly never thought herself, her kind, or any other animal dumb for that matter.

"You've eluded hunters for years. Granted, some of them passed on you when you were too young and scrawny, I'm sure. But you're legendary, kitten.....a feral smart enough to outsmart the hunters. That's hardly a "dumb animal", and you can rest assured that I'll be dealing with anyone who dares refer to you as such."

His answer, quite frankly, surprised her. She never saw herself as a legend. She was just, well, smart. Smart enough until now that is.

She refused to acknowledge his words for now, staying completely silent as he set her to the forest floor once more. Of course she tried to move, but her muscles were still frozen, and not obeying any of her commands. She snarled in frustration, all but ignoring him. The only thing on her mind at the moment, was getting free, somehow, getting free.

"I'm sure you won't forgive me for this.....but its necessary for now."

Gasping outloud as she is rolled to her belly. Again, she grumbles and growls low while he binds her wrists. The rope, thank goodness did not cut into the skin, but he bound her tightly, that much she could feel...

FEEL...

Gleam was starting to feel her arms, her wrists, her hands. The blood flowing, warming, the muscles protesting being tied behind her, the rope tightly secure, even as she realized she could move her arms just a bit, ever so little, but it was something.

"Sorry about that, kitten.....but the toxin I injected into your body won't last much longer. I certainly don't need you getting it into your pretty head that attacking your Master will go over well for you."

It was wearing off. Slowly. So very slowly, it was wearing off. She didn't way anything to his words, she merely watched him with a flowing fire in her golden eyes. Every move he made, his slow, measured breathing. She took stock in her mind of his height, guessed at his weight. He was no weakling, that was for sure. And he was not one of the young, inexperienced Hunters that often frequented the woods. That was going to make it all the harder for her. But she was determined. She had already made up her mind that she was going to escape.

"Firm....supple....perfect."

It was funny. Her mind was so busy thinking, planning, forging, her escape, that she had not even realized he had moved in closer, his hand sliding beneath the still damp blouse she had been wearing. But his words, coupled with his touch, well, that caught her attention.
The sensation of his palm, cupping, pressing, gliding over her still sensitive nipples brought forth a almost violent gasp....

"Get the FUCK away from me" she nearly yelled, oh yes, her voice was almost back to normal. The whole of her form shook, more in reaction than her consciously doing it. She snapped at his hand, nearly catching it this time, her fangs, tho not large by any means, were sharp... but she missed, by mere inches.

She watched him get up. She was quaking in her anger and frustration, and, truth be told, fear.

"I don't trust you. You don't trust me. My mates went off to town with the cages meant for your kind, so you're going to walk.....and we start shortly. But first, I want to get some things straight with you, little kitten."

"I'm the master. You're the pet. You will learn how to serve, and one day soon, you'll even enjoy it. I can promise you a much better life than what you've been living out here."

His eyes roamed hungrily over her full frame, his own lust barely constrained.

"Let me show you how our relationship works. I'm going to give you a question. Then I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do if you do....and do not answer it. Then I'll let you decide whether you want to or not. I won't always tell you of consequences for displeasing me, kitten. But its good to give examples."

She listened, her eyes never leaving his. The look that flashed in his gaze was not lost on her. He was no different than any of the other Hunters. He wanted nothing more than to use her, to sate his own pleasures and perversions. Just like all the rest.

"Let's start with something simple. Your name. You will tell me your name. And if you don't have one, or you refuse.....I will name you. Whatever name you do have that you refused to tell me.....will be gone. Erased. And believe me, in time, it will be."

A soft smile, yet with a hardened edge within those keen eyes.

"A generous offer, yes? Giving you the chance to retain just a little of your past?"

A low, vicious growl preceeded her answer. "Gleam... I am called... Gleam, and your offer is far from generous. Generous would be allowing me my freedom!"

"Have you mated before?"

She actually blushed, the color rising high and fast in her cheeks, the heat cascading thru the whole of her form.

"Know that if you refuse to answer the question.....or I feel that you're lying to me.....I'll check for myself, you're my property now after all."

"Fuck YOU" Gleam spit at him, she suddenly got to her feet. It was as much of a surprise to her, as it perhaps was to him. But the toxin had not released it's hold completely and she went down quickly as her legs gave way, a yelp of anger and shock escaping her lips as she sprawled on her back, the silken rope going taut, pulling at the large horse that it was fastened to. The horse didn't budge.

 

[dryfter]

"I see. I took note earlier that you don't have claws. How unfortunate. That must have made things tough for you."

He had barely jerked his hand back in time. Lucian had little doubt that had he reacted any slower, his little pet to be would have easily bitten clean through. The sight of her sharpened teeth was indeed enough to give him pause. At least silk wasn't so easily bitten through. If he had to.....he force her into docility again.

"Get the FUCK away from me"

For a moment their eyes met, and despite the fury behind the words, he could see the fear that lie deep within.....

The angry retort was ignored, let slide without consequence. She had not yet been put in her place yet. But she would be soon. Then never again would she make such a demand from her Master.

The questioning started, and went about as well as he expected. Her name was precious to her, and despite her decrying his generosity, it was one thing he had been certain she couldn't bring herself to lose.

"Gleam," he repeated softly.....instantly committing the name to memory with a slight nod.

"Then I reward you exactly how I promised. You are allowed to keep your name.....Gleam."

And just like the first......her reaction to the second question was almost exactly as he had anticipated.....minus the rather charming blush that colored her face. He hadn't been aware that tigress ferals could blush. This one could.....and it was a look that suited her. Silently, the blonde hunter made a mental note to make sure this wasn't the only time she did so.

"Fuck YOU"

A wan smile coupled with that hungry look. He was completely unfazed.....at least not until she had shot to her feet in a rage. And yet, as fast as it had taken him to ball a fist in preparation for an attack, she toppled with a piteous cry......the drug obviously not having completely worn off yet. Kneeling.....not giving her a chance to recover......a firm, tanned hand slid along one thigh, the other hovering like a snake.....waiting for her reaction......remembering well her last response to being touched. This was much more intimate......and would no doubt bring a violent response unparallelled to the previous one.

"How nice of you to offer. And here I thought it would be a problem getting you to submit to me."

If her head shot up to bite at him again, she would find him more than ready this time. He was already planning to go for her throat.....to pin that pretty head, collar and all, against the hard, unforgiving soil where it couldn't do any harm.

"Remember what I said? You don't tell me.....I check for myself."

 

[RainingHeat]

"How nice of you to offer. And here I thought it would be a problem getting you to submit to me."

She yowled in complete rage, his words, and the placement of his hand, driving her well over the edge. The feeling of his fingers, so close to the very heat of her, the most intimate of places, where none, save herself, had ever touched before. She had fought off the advances of others of her kind, from feline to even canine ferals. She had no desire to just mate. And she would NOT submit to a filthy, foul Human.

She never had the desire to just mate.

Gleam wanted to be in love.

She had seen the humans in love, and she envied that one small aspect.

Love.

She would never know love.

And she was not about to allow another to use her without her consent or love. It was that simple. And NOT a Human. The very thought, the very idea, turned her stomach.

If she had been at full strength, she would have been quite the handful. But the toxin refused to allow her complete control of her legs, and her hands and arms, well, they were bound. She kicked out, or tried to, but with him kneeling over her, the effects of the toxin, her being restrained, and her abject terror at her situation, all worked against her.

Her back arching, she tried to throw him off...

"GET OFF ME... GET OFF!!!!" She was screaming now, her voice a mingling of a roar and a scream, altho it was still as feminine as ever, with a deep throated purr that seemed to echo just behind the panic that was now voicing itself.

"Remember what I said? You don't tell me.....I check for myself."

She stopped, her form going still, except her deep almost frenzied panting. Gleam let her eyes bore into his, and she actually bared her fangs.

"NO, I have never mated" she finally conceded before she indeed did lunged at him, snapping. She had no snout like a tiger, her face was decidedly human save for the soft fur and stripes, but she made quite the effort to tear into him, going for his face, his cheek.

 

[dryfter]

Her head shot up, just as he knew it would......surprisingly after she had finally backed down enough from her fury to answer his question. Had she been trying to lull him into a false sense of security by pretending to submit just a little? Either way, as her fanged mouth slammed shut far too close to his face for comfort, his waiting hand struck just as violently......making sure she didn't have a second chance to maul him as he drove her back down to earth hard enough to create a fiery corona of her own red hair about her as her head connected solidly with the damp ground.

"Gleam...."

Her name might have been familiar to her, but the hardened edge with which it was delivered surely couldn't have been.

"That's twice now you've attacked me."

The grip on her throat tightened, and perhaps for the first time, he allowed just a little genuine anger to creep into his visage. He wouldn't kill her, not with all he planned for her, but then again.....she didn't need to know that. Even then, there are worse things than death......

"Perhaps you'd prefer I just mated you right here and now in your precious forest?"

He let his words sink in as she thrashed against him, watching the rise and fall off her majestic breasts......even daring to dip his head enough to plant a moist kiss upon one such swell. The blouse she wore had become annoying, but it was allowed to remain for now. After all.....it did little to nothing to hide the moist heat that he had felt briefly as he had drawn close to her sex......it had been a shame that he had lost contact with her in the more pressing situation of trying to not have his face eaten.

"You wouldn't like that, would you?"

He released her then, rising fast enough to convey that his anger was far from fading.....yet carefully distancing himself from her as the tigress struggled to regain her breath.

"You'll get your chance. I'll cut you loose once we get to my cabin on the other side of the mountains. And you can take your best shot at killing me if that's what you want. But I think you know what's going to happen to you if you fail."

A grim look darkened his face as he regarded her.

"We've a three day journey ahead of us. And like I said....you're walking. If you can't walk anymore, I'll have the horse drag you, so I suggest not dallying."

He stomped back up to her, mindless of his bruised feet for the moment as he waited for her to rise again.

"There's one other thing."

Reaching for her, Lucian stopped short of actually grabbing her, instead balling up his fingers in the still damp fabric of her blouse.

"You're not permitted to wear clothing around me unless its been given to you by me. You won't be needing this anymore."

The chirping of the woodland songbirds came to an instant halt as instead the tiny glen was filled with the sound of fabric rending. If he had any doubts as to the shape and contours the wetly clinging cloth had been hiding, they were gone now as the hunter got his first real look at his prized pet. And just as quickly, without any of the lust he had shown her before......he turned and smoothly mounted the mare......

"Now let's be off."

 

[dryfter]

**Edited - double post. Sorry**

 

[RainingHeat]

The force with which he had slammed her back to earth momentarily brought stars to her eyes. It was his voice, and the anger, the harsh edge, that dragged her back to the here and now, not that she wanted to be in the here and now, but she had no other choice.

"Gleam...."

"That's twice now you've attacked me."

Oh he was not a happy camper. But then again, it was not her place to make him a happy camper. That was how she saw it anyways.

"Perhaps you'd prefer I just mated you right here and now in your precious forest?"

She bristled beneath him, fighting to breathe against the pressure that he so easily exerted on her throat. Her eyes widen, meeting his heated gaze. She did not cease struggling, thrashing, but gaining no ground. He was in the dominant position, she the submissive, with her hands bound, her legs pinned under the weight of him. Her legs were only now finally beginning to work properly as it was. The lack of air flow slowly began to weaken her fight, she gasping to gain any air that she could.

"No.... no.. don't" the words slipped past her lips, unintentional. It was a momentary glance at the real fear that she was feeling at the thought of being taken by him.

"no.. NO" when he dipped his head, his lips alighting against the curve of her breast, she nearly panicked again. She went completely tense, and was ready to fight once more, even if it meant him strangling her right then and there, but he went no further, lifting his head once more.

"You wouldn't like that, would you?"

Gleam growled her answer, but it was more than obvious.

He was off her then. If she had not been bound, if she had not been poisoned, if she had not been denied air, then more than likely she would have moved fast enough to attack him and break his neck. But given her very dire circumstances, she merely backed up a it, taking deep gasping breaths for the air she so needed. Sitting up, she turned slightly, effectively turning her back on him as best she could. She did not want to look her tormenter in the face. Long tendrils of her still damp hair, a deep shade of brilliant crimson, fell forward to hide her face for the moment, she lowering her head, trying to still her shaking.

"You'll get your chance. I'll cut you loose once we get to my cabin on the other side of the mountains. And you can take your best shot at killing me if that's what you want. But I think you know what's going to happen to you if you fail."

Gleam snapped her head up at those words.

"Do you give your word???" she snarled. She had no reason to trust him, but, if he kept his word, than that may be her one chance, her one and only chance to be free again. If he were stupid enough to allow her this.

"We've a three day journey ahead of us. And like I said....you're walking. If you can't walk anymore, I'll have the horse drag you, so I suggest not dallying."

Three days. She would have to survive this horror for 3 days. She was surprisingly calm when she answered. Gleam would conserve her anger and her strength for that moment, that one moment, to kill him and be free.

"I will walk"

A bit unsteady, but she started to get to her feet when he thudded toward her again. It was then she realized he was barefoot. How strange, even she preferred boots, when given the freedom for that choice, when deep in the woods like this.

"There's one other thing."

Reaching for her, Lucian stopped short of actually grabbing her, instead balling up his fingers in the still damp fabric of her blouse.

"You're not permitted to wear clothing around me unless its been given to you by me. You won't be needing this anymore."

The blouse was torn away, the sound of the soft cotton tearing echoing hauntingly in the still very quiet woods around them, this leaving her bared. Gleam instinctively tried to cover herself, but her hands, of course, were bound. Swiftly she turned away from him, her cheeks coloring red in shame at being naked like this.


"Now let's be off."

"wait" she paused, her mind racing. Three days. A journey of three days would take her thru several villages she was sure. Several villages of humans. Male humans. Seeing her naked. Completely naked.

"please" Gods she hated saying that to him. "Do not make me parade in front of those humans, naked. Male humans" She would not beg, there was no quivering or pleading to her voice, it was a request.

"I will not fight, I will cooperate, until we reach your cabin, but please, this is, shaming, humiliating. Please"

 

[dryfter]

"Wait."

The hunter paused in the saddle, frowning softly, turning just enough to glance at her over his shoulder.

"Please."

That got his attention. The blonde hunter twisting in the saddle more earnestly now. What he saw pleased him immensely.....her lithe, nude body turned from him, her innocence finally on display as she struggled with her newfound nakedness and the impossibility of keeping it from him.

"Do not make me parade in front of those humans, naked. Male humans."

He frowned softly, making sure she saw his eyes taking in her beauty once more. He took his time to think before his reply.

"You need to learn that your actions have consequences now. This is your punishment for attacking me. Had you not been so rash, you would have remained clothed at least until Ellington."

He didn't hide the frown from his face as he considered that place and the bile it brought to his throat.

"The humans won't touch you in the one small village closest to us. Their adults are scared to death of you. So I'd suggest you carry yourself with pride rather than quiver with fear. You of all people would know how animals react when they see fear."

His frown deepened, and if Gleam was intuitive at all, she might see that it was not meant for her, but for something else. Something that was putting him in a far fouler mood than either of her attacks on him.

"Ellington is the only large city we will encounter. And by law, hybrid females are to be kept naked there. You once called yourself a dumb animal. When we arrive there, please allow me to show you what one truly looks like."

He wasn't one to sit around forever.....and with a soft pressing of his heels, the mare started forward. Yet he wasn't in a mood to stop talking either.

"I've done an extensive amount of hunting for Duke Ellington and some of his rather wealthier companions. I've become quite familiar with his "tastes" in hybrids, and must say you're quite the match for him."

He took a breath and let this all sink in.....

"However, there was a small clause in my contract with the Duke.....a contract that long ago expired, yet I've kept going because of that clause. And that is, in exchange for my services, as part of the deal I'm allowed to hunt down one hybrid for myself."

A wan smile....hidden beneath the wide brim of his fedora as his head dipped low.

"All these years.....and you're my first hybrid. You're the one I claimed, Gleam. And you're the one that had eluded me all these years. As of today.....I'm retired."

His smile turned quirky as memories from the more recent of years flitted across his vision.

"I've not gagged you, as you can well see. You're more than free to snap and bite at anyone who attempts to touch you. The only one allowed to do that is me. Just know that if you turn those fangs of yours against the rope that holds you.....I'm going to loop it around your neck next."

The brush was rough.....yet she at least was shod, far better equipped to deal with it than he was. Yet he remembered vividly which direction the game trail was. He hadn't been a ranger for the King for so many years for nothing.

"Perhaps.....perhaps if you manage to behave until we put Ellington behind us.....then I will give you something to wear. It will save your modesty as we pass through the serfs and villages where you're a little less well known."

For long seconds he simply listened to the gentle clopping of horse hooves, the sharp snapping of twigs and small branches being caught beneath the ponderous creature's weight.

"I should also mention, Gleam.....that in these places, that collar either designates you as a hybrid for sale, or that you've been claimed. Removing it designates you as free......and I don't think even you want to advertise that in a city of human "males" do you?"

 

[RainingHeat]

"You need to learn that your actions have consequences now. This is your punishment for attacking me. Had you not been so rash, you would have remained clothed at least until Ellington."

"The humans won't touch you in the one small village closest to us. Their adults are scared to death of you. So I'd suggest you carry yourself with pride rather than quiver with fear. You of all people would know how animals react when they see fear."

He was right of course. Many of the small villages in this area, especially the one closest to her den, were well famaliar with who and what she was, and were quite frightened of her, except for the children. She sighed softly. The children. She was going to miss watching the kids play. She was going to miss that most of all.

"I have no intention of quivering with fear" she sniped back, pulling on the rope slightly in frustration. It was a battle she was not going to win and she knew it. If only she had the chance to make him feel the same way, shamed, humiliated, parading him around naked for all the world to see. If only she ever had the chance.

She went quiet as she waited for him to move. But his mind was elsewhere for that moment, and Gleam noted the furrow in his brow seeming to deepen. She sensed his anger, his displeasure, but she had done nothing. Surely her one comment would not have set him off, in fact, she had thought he would be pleased that she was not going to be the pathetic little feral that so many hunters had caught, that instead she was going to be the tiger that she was meant to be, proud, and altho captured, not beaten.

Wait... please him???

She had no intention of pleasing him, ever. But then again, she would not cower before the humans, whether that be pleasing to him or not. It was pleasing to HER to walk with her head up, no matter the fact that he was forcing her to be naked. That was a shame she would need to deal with. Many of the ferals went naked. Others wore coverings. She just hated the fact that so many eyes would be seeing her, this way.. Hated it.

But his frown went deeper than her, Gleam realized that. Much deeper. Was it Ellington? She had heard stories about Ellingtion and the Duke. Many stories. Of his appetite for ferals, and his treatment of said ferals. It was true that all ferals in Ellington were to be naked, Gleam had heard that as well. All ferals were to be presented to the Duke as well, if she remembered correctly. For what reason, she did not know, but she was sure it was because he was a disgusting, filthy example of a human being and wanted to view their nakedness for his own amusement. It was said that he liked both females and males, and often used both. It was also said that his obsession for ferals had so taken over his life that his wife, and mistress was no longer of interest to him.

When they began to move, she easily kept up. He was obviously in the mood to talk, and Gleam figured, the more she knew about him, the easier it would be to find his weakness and kill him. But also, listening to him took her mind off the fact that she was about to be shown off like the prized mare he now rode.

"As of today.....I'm retired."

"One less Hunter to torment us" she retorted. It was not sarcastic, just simply a stated fact.

"I've not gagged you, as you can well see. You're more than free to snap and bite at anyone who attempts to touch you. The only one allowed to do that is me. Just know that if you turn those fangs of yours against the rope that holds you.....I'm going to loop it around your neck next."

She didn't want that. The collar was bad enough, to be lead around by a leash like that, was more humiliating to her than even being naked.

"I understand..." she paused. She did not even know his name.

"Perhaps.....perhaps if you manage to behave until we put Ellington behind us.....then I will give you something to wear. It will save your modesty as we pass through the serfs and villages where you're a little less well known."

"I should also mention, Gleam.....that in these places, that collar either designates you as a hybrid for sale, or that you've been claimed. Removing it designates you as free......and I don't think even you want to advertise that in a city of human "males" do you?"

He was right. In the mid of a village or town or city, if that collar were removed, and she were free, she would be fair game for any who wished to capture and claim her. She would likely be torn apart. Not a pleasant option, at all.

"I ... understand..." again she paused...

"what is your name? Please allow me to address you by... name.."

It was her way of asking him to not subject her to calling him Master, not in front of others, not in the villages or towns. The thought of having to do that made her belly tumble.

She would do what he wanted, for these 3 days, until she had her chance. She would make sure she would get her chance. At least, once at his cabin, it would be back to one on one. She had no way of winning any kind of freedom while anywhere near the villages and towns or Ellington that was for sure.

 

[dryfter]

"I understand..."

That was the second time now she had deferred to him. And the thought pleased him enough to take his thoughts away from the disgusting Duke. He didn't fault her for rejoicing that there was now one less hunter in the world, after all, it was one less hunter too late for her.

He didn't once think for a second that all the fight had gone out of Gleam, not with the few simple concessions she'd given so far in response to fact and threats. She would go along with him just long enough to find a chance to escape if she could.....and if she could kill him whilst doing so.....well, that would no doubt only be considered a bonus.

"What is your name? Please allow me to address you by... name..."

A light eyebrow arched slightly at the question, unexpected as it was. She was concerned with what to call him? Still....this was a question that would be good to answer.

"My name is Lucian Galandros. Ex-ranger of his Majesty, King Roland.....but....that's a long story. You, Gleam, will refer to me as Master when you're addressed in public.....and can refer to me as Master Lucian while we're alone or on my personal grounds in the mountains."

He knew that was most likely why she had asked. A proud creature who was trying so desperately not to submit would bristle at the thought of calling him Master. Truth be told, he saw no reason to deny his actual name from her, and so it was willingly given.

"This will become important in Ellington. The nobility there like to ensure that hybrids are "properly docile". I'd suggest going along with it while you're there unless you'd like to be struck. My promise to protect you doesn't extend to open disobedience and disrespect in the face of my peers."

Peers. What a disgusting thought. But it was true. His cabin was his, along with a good portion of mountain land and surrounding forest. That made him a land owner, and with it......a petty lord. He hated that name. Hated the thought of even being regarded as one of them. Still.....

"You'll find them to be quite the court of pigs, though you're forbidden to say so. It's also customary to present all captured hybrids to the Duke himself. You'll be presented formally, so prepare yourself."

Lucian's left hand dipped softly to the mare's left side.....drawing up a crossbow that had been as of yet unseen to the hybrid who trailed behind him. Silently....he reached for a similarly placed quiver slung the cumbersome leather over his shoulder as he fitted a smallish bolt into the notched groove of the contraption, its thick firing cord already wound up and held in place.

"There's a chance that the Duke might not want to.....honor.....his deal with me. The contract is expired after all."

When he turned again, it was with a rather sad smile on his face, a smile full of worry, and not just for himself.

"Be sure to run swiftly if we have to. I know you can do it, Gleam, I've seen you run."

As he turned back to their path, his voice dipped lower.....much more hollow, with just that touch of sadness.

"Because if the Duke doesn't honor his agreement......I'm going to have to kill him. I won't let a monster like that have you."

 

[RainingHeat]

"My name is Lucian Galandros. Ex-ranger of his Majesty, King Roland.....but....that's a long story. You, Gleam, will refer to me as Master when you're addressed in public.....and can refer to me as Master Lucian while we're alone or on my personal grounds in the mountains."

"This will become important in Ellington. The nobility there like to ensure that hybrids are "properly docile". I'd suggest going along with it while you're there unless you'd like to be struck. My promise to protect you doesn't extend to open disobedience and disrespect in the face of my peers."

A low growl escaped her lips at that. But truth be told, Gleam had expected that. She knew what was happening, what happened with ferals, enslaved. She knew it all. For the moment, he was the "devil" she knew, no matter how limited. She did not want to be taken away by the "devil" she did not know, which could be so much worse. Not that Lucien was perfect, but she was not dead, yet, nor injured for that matter.

"You'll find them to be quite the court of pigs, though you're forbidden to say so. It's also customary to present all captured hybrids to the Duke himself. You'll be presented formally, so prepare yourself."

"I had heard that" she conceded, taking a deep breath as she walked. The sun was warm, yet she was shivering slightly because of her fear. "get ahold of yourself Gleam, stay calm and you will get thru this, you will" her inner voice did help calm her, and she steadied her shaking form.

She watched him closely as he withdrew a wicked crossbow. Oh what she could have done with that. It was gorgeous and would have been perfect for hunting. But, it was not hers, and never would be. But she would definitely be getting one to as soon as she were free...

"There's a chance that the Duke might not want to.....honor.....his deal with me. The contract is expired after all."
"Be sure to run swiftly if we have to. I know you can do it, Gleam, I've seen you run."

"Because if the Duke doesn't honor his agreement......I'm going to have to kill him. I won't let a monster like that have you."

That statement stopped her in her tracks. In fact, she was so in shock that the horse had to pull her along for a moment before she gained her footing and kept up again. To be honest, she was not sure what to make of what he had just said.

He would kill to protect her?.... but why??

She wanted to question him, so wanted to. The words were on the very tip of her tongue, but they were approaching the outskirts if the village and Gleam stayed silent. She did not want the villagers taunting her, and staying silent seemed the best way to keep them, intimidated.

The first few steps into the village that Gleam knew so well, were uneventful, until the children began calling out.

"look... look... it's the tiger lady"....

It did not take long for the parents and others to gather and gawk. It was obvious they knew the Hunter well. How had Gleam missed seeing him before? He was handsome, that was for sure, far different from alot of the lowlife Hunters she was more familiar with and used to seeing. In fact, it was obvious that some of the ladies in the village fancied him, a couple winking as he passed, and giving a more than filthy look to the feral that trailed behind. Gleam held her head up, and let her eyes glance to each face. She would not look down, pout, or cower. Never.

"Look at that shape, look at those tits" Teenaged boys. Figured, they were future filthy hunters she was sure.

None approached her, all stood back, gawking, staring, some peppering the Hunter with questions.

"How did you catch her?"

"What do you think she's worth?"

"Are you going to sell her to the zoo?" The zoo was the nickname for the breeding facility where they bred ferals just for the use of and sale to ... humans.

"did she fight? Did you have to defang her?"

Most of these questions were innocent. It would be some of the other towns, and Ellington, where the more pointed, and disgusting questions would come.

Only a child, the little blonde girl, Chrissy that Gleam had watched paying hide and seek a few days before dare to approach the bound feral. She broke away from her mother and ran up to the bound tigress feral, reaching out to pet the soft fur of her thigh, the mother too panicked to follow.

"Chrissy!!" The mother looked at the Hunter, fully expecting him to shoot down the vicious feral before she could hurt her precious little girl.

"Soft" she said, smiling up at Gleam.

Gleam smiled back, not making any sudden moves. She would be killed on the spot if there was even a hint that she would harm the child, and even tho she did not look up at him, she was sure her Captor had that crossbow pointed at her at this very moment.

"yes, soft" Gleam answered, bowing her head to the child "now, go back to your mother like a good little one"

There were several hushed, and very shocked, gasps at the sound of Gleam's voice.

The girl waved and ran back to her horrified mother's side. Gleam, fighting the tears that threatened to run, knowing she would never see the kids again, turned away. "Please, get me out of here" she implored Lucien. "please...... Master" her words did not quiver or show the intense emotion she was feeling, they were flat, and she battled to keep them that way.

 

[dryfter]

And again she had taken him by surprise.....

Lucian had felt the rope snap taut, and spun around. But what he saw written all over the tigress' face was almost enough to freeze him in place. The hunter wasn't sure what he had said.....but he was certain he'd never seen her give that look before. Thankfully, she regained her footing after only a slight stumble and began to walk once more.

The sun had just begun its descent for the day when they arrived at the first village. It was just as it had always been.....as it should be. The villagers had come out in droves to see what he had caught. More than a few recognized her.

And as usual, he was inundated with questions. Pausing just long enough to politely field a few of them so as not to leave them feeling ignored or insignificant before him.

"look... look... it's the tiger lady"....

"Look at that shape, look at those tits"

Poor child was probably getting to see his first pair of bare breasts. And though he was teenaged in years, he definitely didn't have the bollocks to risk getting close and doing more than just seeing them.

"How did you catch her?"

"How do I always catch them? With patience. That's the true key to catching a trophy hybrid."

"Bah, patience....who needs that to catch a dumb animal anyway?"

Lucian calmly dismounted from his horse.....the crowd parting slightly to let him pass as he found himself facing a rather large and slovenly man. His breath reeked of wine even to his human nose....not that it mattered. A second later and a thick hand crashed hard against the side of the brute's face.

"Wha...what was that for?!"

A fierce scowl that cut even through the man's alcoholic haze.

"A promise. And I always keep my promises."

"A wha...?"

"If I hear you call her that again. I'll kill you."

His left hand brought around the crossbow and the man paled suddenly and backed off in a hurry.

"Consider this....friend. She's lived her entire life and probably never once touched a bottle. That already puts her above you in intelligence, so do hold your tongue, yes?"

The ranger didn't wait to watch the drunkard stumble over a cobblestone and fall backwards onto his sizable rump. Instead, he watched curiously as a little blonde girl ran innocently towards his new pet.

"Soft."

Lucian watched. Not in anger, but in awe as the daring little girl actually reached out to touch Gleam. But just as amazing was that the tigress allowed the contact, the look in her eyes one of unmistakable concern.

"Yes, soft." Gleam answered, bowing her head to the child. "Now go back to your mother like a good little one."

The little one obeyed quickly enough, though not without a look of sadness. Her poor mother flinched slightly and stammered out a quick apology for her daughter's rudeness as he approached. That was a lot better than most of the others, who simply gawked at the hybrid's ability to speak.

"Her name is Gleam."

The little one called Chrissy looked up at him for just a moment.

"Gleam......"

He smiled as he watched her gaze travel back to the tigress she so obviously was in awe of.

"Please, get me out of here. Please...... Master."

The blonde hunter stiffened. He hadn't missed the use of his title. Gleam must want out of here badly to submit to him to that extent, even just once. He paused for a second to meet her flat gaze.....a gaze he was sure was hiding something.....how she truly felt. He nodded twice in understanding.....and then knelt before Chrissy.

"As you can see, Gleam is uncomfortable here. So we must be going. But I'll send a missive for you and your mother soon to come visit, ok? Does that sound like fun? Have you ever seen the mountains before?"

"Can Papa come?"

Lucian flashed his toothy smile again and nodded much more emphatically, "Of course your Papa can come. I'll send for you soon, ok?"

He straightened then.....already making his way, crossbow and all towards the horse and Gleam. He'd never once pointed it at her. He hadn't brought her all this way, endured this long, to end her now.

"As for the rest of you. Gleam is mine and will be treated as mine. I have no intentions of selling her to the zoo, or any other noble who offers gold in exchange for her. Duke Ellington has promised me a hybrid of my choosing for my own service, and with you all as my witness, I have chosen Gleam."

Another murmur, a torrent of comments and chattering voices, the gossip already starting. He didn't miss a few of the fairer women casting vicious glances back at the tigress as well as a few pointed comments of how an animal couldn't possibly satisfy him like they could.

"I'd not stray close to her ladies. I've not defanged her, and I have no intentions of doing so. She can hear you much clearer than I'm sure any of you would be comfortable with."

With that, he clambored back up into the saddle and began again......in all, it had only been a couple minutes since Gleam's passive request, and he already felt he'd waited too long in granting it. She hadn't been harmed physically......he only hoped his one action with the girl "Chrissy" had perhaps eased a wound he hadn't been allowed to see.

 

[RainingHeat]

This Hunter was just full of surprises...

First was his exchange with the slovenly fat man. Gleam had seen that man before, he was always following and pestering the human females of the village. She had been especially careful to never let him see her in any way shape or form. He sickened her then, he sickened her now.

But Lucien, the Hunter.... His exchange with the fat man, shocked Gleam yet again. The sound of flesh striking flesh when Lucien punched him, echoed for a moment, the gathering of villagers having gone silent when this little confrontation began.

"Wha...what was that for?!"

A fierce scowl that cut even through the man's alcoholic haze.

"A promise. And I always keep my promises."

"A wha...?"

"If I hear you call her that again. I'll kill you."

His left hand brought around the crossbow and the man paled suddenly and backed off in a hurry.

He may have not given his word to her when he promised her a chance for her freedom in 3 days time, he did not give it then, but hearing his words, he effectively gave it now. He was a man of his word, which to Gleam was surprising. She did not think Hunters had a honorable bone in their bodies. This one obviously did.

Then, she watched his exchange with the little girl that had approached her, Chrissy. A softness that shone in his eyes. An invitation extended, which completely caught Gleam off guard. Why? Did he have a child? Somewhere? Had he ever? Did he miss a child? A daughter? It was more than apparent that she was more than he had bargained for, but equally, he was more than she had bargained for as well. Both had a lot to learn.

"As you can see, Gleam is uncomfortable here. So we must be going."

Uncomfortable did not begin to describe it, and it had nothing to do with her being naked. Gleam honestly did not know how much longer she could look into the eyes of the children she had grown so used to watching, that she had grown so fond of. She had so desperately wanted her own, someday, and the thought that, well, that it may never happen for her now, unless she were bred in some cage, tightened in her heart, dulling the golden light in her eyes for just a moment.

"As for the rest of you. Gleam is mine and will be treated as mine. I have no intentions of selling her to the zoo, or any other noble who offers gold in exchange for her. Duke Ellington has promised me a hybrid of my choosing for my own service, and with you all as my witness, I have chosen Gleam."

That brought her head up and nudged her out of her mood. She would not feel sorry for herself, she could not afford to. She would get thru this until they reached his cabin, then she would gain her freedom, no matter what. Yes, she had uttered the word Master, yes, she was disgusted by it, and no, she would not be submitting to him even tho she wore his collar. Surely he knew, understood, it was only her need to get the hell out of here had she spit that word out. Maybe he didn't know why, she was not going to tell him. Let him think what he wanted, but she was not going to let him know how much those kids affected her. He would just use that against her, wouldn't he???

Gleam heard some of the remarks made when he claimed her as his, mainly from the females that stood just out of reach. Oh she could have lunged at them, but that would do her no service and only get her punished. NO, Gleam would bide her time, but she could not help but allow the slightest of grins at his next simple statement...

"I'd not stray close to her ladies. I've not defanged her, and I have no intentions of doing so. She can hear you much clearer than I'm sure any of you would be comfortable with."

"it is not my fault that you can not bed down your own kind. Perhaps if you would bury your head in the ground, a male may pleasure himself without having to gaze upon your face" Her words were snarled from between tightened lips. Gleam never cared what others thought of her, but the idea of being called a filthy animal, or worse, a cat whore, just grated on her, and given the events of the day, her mood was not at it's highest that was for sure. Except for the little girl, she had been the highlight.

She was grateful that he honored her request to leave and followed him out of the village. Most went silent after Gleam's little remark, but she knew they would be talking tonight. And already, several had left the village, going on ahead, with news of the capture of the elusive Tigress, and.... she could speak!!! Of course some said that the Hunter had softened, not selling her as he should. She would surely fetch quite the price, and, as word spread, some were considering offers. How could the Hunter pass up on such riches, silver, and maybe even gold, if she were as beautiful and alluring as the rumors were now stating.

It had only been a few hours since her capture and parade thru the village, yet the stories were multiplying and multiplying fast. They had yet to get to Ellington, but that was only a matter of time.

Gleam was silent since leaving the village, her thoughts on the little girl, and his invitation. Why? To humiliate her in front of the girl? But for some reason, she did not think that was it. Was it because she showed such a ... connection... to the girl? Had he invited her for ...Gleam? For her? She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not even realize the horse had stopped until she marched right into the animal's hind end, loosing her balance and slipping backwards with an awkward yelp. It was really quite comical, her red hair flaying and eyes widening ... and when she landed on her backside she could not help but yell " Ohhh shit"... and actually burst out laughing.

It seemed out of place, but in reality, it was a stress relief, because to be honest, tears were much closer to the surface.

But worse, Gleam had missed the dirty, filthy sent of the band of Hunters that was just before them. They were downwind of where she and Lucien were approaching from, but her sense of smell, and her hearing, should still have been able to detect them. Her senses and mind were a bit muddled with everything that was happening. Altho that was no excuse and could be quite, dangerous...

 

[dryfter]

He felt more than witnessed Gleam walking right into his horse's posterior. He might have scolded her. Might have found it hilarious. Might have thought a lot of things, if not for the sight he faced now.

Cages.

"Well now.....you finally got her. Good for you. To be honest, we were betting against you."

Lucian's mood had actually been improving up until this moment. Now, it plummeted to an all time low.

"Fancy bumping into you again so soon, Carl. Off on the hunt again?"

The strapping young lad nodded softly, not once taking his eyes off the loaded crossbow Lucian held prominently across his saddle.

"They sold well. Cept for that doe of course. Made one of the men take her on for spoiling her like that."

As much as Lucian frowned, his younger counterpart seemed to grin. Not that it was unexpected. The ranger was already fully aware of the men that had spread out around them, no matter their attempts to stay hidden from view.

"So this is how you plan to make your fortune? By stealing hunts from others more skilled than you, Carl?"

The younger man frowned softly, his dark hair tousled and as wild looking as his greed filled eyes.

"Now what makes you think I'd turn on you, Lucian."

That was a laugh. A bloody laugh.

"Because you've heard by now how I got her. She's more of a prize than you'll land your entire life, AND, she can smell the rest of the hunting party you've got spread around us."

That toothy smile again as he grinned at his younger counterpart.

"No, I didn't need to look at her to know that she knows they're there. You've at least a decade to go before you learn everything I've learned."

The crossbow swung across the saddle to his right.....its heavy frame jumping suddenly as the thrum of the string sent a deadly missile hurtling through the air.

Both men heard the meaty crunch as the bolt bit deep into its target, an agonized scream filling the air......then silence as Carl frowned suddenly.

"That was rash, Lucian. It'll take you at least another minute to crank another bolt into place. And now the men are pissed."

"I wonder if you'll still be alive at the end of that minute, Carl."

"I wonder if a tied up feral tigress will live through that minute as well."

"Don't be insulting. We both know she's the prize you came here for. You won't harm a single hair on her pretty little head. Who sent you? Ellington?"

Thin lips pursed just a little. His guess had been right. He knew it.

"He didn't pay you enough, Carl."

That brought about a laugh.

"We still outnumber you six to one and half, Lucien. And you're lucky I'm counting that bitch as even a half. Yours. Right. You forget who you work for. Your trophies are paid in good solid gold, you seem to have forgotten that. But its not too late. Just turn her over, and nobody else has to die here today. I'll even forget that you shot Garreth."

That grin again.....how Carl HATED that damn look on Lucian's face!

"You know what? I'm going to have to say no. Furthermore......"

The hunter slowly stripped off his vest, the leather more of a hindrance now than ever before. This would have been a perfect time for his ambushers to attack....if they weren't all so damn wary of him. Perhaps rightfully so. Seconds later, his dirty, stained white tee fell away as well.

He was scarred. Deep and jagged, and the reason he had to give up the bow in favor of something more manageable like the crossbow. One didn't walk away from a brawl like the one he had in the past and not bear such things. Worse still, he knew she could see it too, and part of him wondered what Gleam's reaction would be. Hopefully she wouldn't find him weak just because his left arm bore such ragged markings......signs of an animal much bigger than any standing here today having left its mark on him. The flesh beneath the whitish scar was still heavily muscled and brawny, just twisted slightly in testament to the old battle wound that he displayed so openly now.

If that massive monster.....that bear.....back then hadn't scared him. These men certainly wouldn't now. Not when he had something to protect.

They came for him then. Knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to nock another bolt into his crossbow. And for the first time.......

The light went out of the ranger's eyes.

He spun, he kicked. Grabbed wrists and used their own blades to parry almost certainly fatal blows. Drove hardened fists against leather armor that could only partially cushion the blows he delivered. As fast as they moved, they were uncoordinated, and that at least was something he could use to his advantage.

A flash of steel and he twisted.....a new scar would be born, as Carl's blade flashed just up and over his hip bone, cutting deep. His gratitude was recieved just as swiftly as an elbow smashed into the man's face, sending him staggering backward spraying blood from a shattered nose.

Dipping low, he grabbed a dagger from the stricken man's boot, spinning painfully but quickly enough to rise up and drive the sharpened point up and under another attacker's unprotected chin. The assailant dropped silently to the ground......his mouth pinned shut as death claimed him.

"Mine. You son of a bitch. You dare to try and steal what's mine?!"

The few of them that remained seemed to have lost their will to fight. Two dead and half the remaining left groaning on the ground in pain. And yet, he stood......bleeding profusely, but alive. His one time apprentice didn't have time to scream as Lucian pounced with a ferocity that could only be matched by a hybrid. But the hunter had no claws with which to rake and tear, no fangs with which to rend and rip.

So he snapped his knee upward instead, the shockwave of it connecting solidly beneath the younger man's chin sending a rippling effect through his entire body as briefly Lucian let the man experience the sensation of being airborne.

"I taught you better than that, you jackal. You bother to get back up and I'll......"

The night's air filled with the unmistakable sound of a crossbow being cranked taut. Yet none of them dared to move to prevent him from doing so.

Disgusted, he moved to his vest, disregarding his shirt. It was filthy anyway. Instead, he moved to her......the dusty garment sliding easily over her shoulders as he felt her flinch slightly.

"Change of plans. If the Duke's got the stones to send half assed assassins after me.......we won't be worrying about some of his laws. Might smell a little, but its better than nothing. This way the locals won't have anything to jerk off to when we reach Ellington, and it'll send a clear cut message to Duke Ellington about just what I think of his "laws."

 

[RainingHeat]

Gleam was back on her feet in an instant, standing stock still. Her form was tense, as tense as a tightly wound spring. She listened, raising her head slightly, placing the location of each of the men as they surrounded her and her Captor. Their foul odor filled the air, so much so it was choking.

One was slowly approaching her. It took only the slightest snarl from Gleam to alert Lucien, but he already was moving, and Gleam, almost by instinct, as if they had been together for years, ducked slightly as the crossbow swung across the saddle to his right.....its heavy frame jumping suddenly as the thrum of the string sent a deadly missile hurtling through the air, passing Gleam, and slamming into it's intended target.

Both men heard the meaty crunch as the bolt bit deep into its target, an agonized scream filling the air......then silence as Carl frowned suddenly.

The scream was almost girlish as the hunter clutched his chest, the blood spurting, and fell to the ground.

Gleam stood straight once more, moving a step closer to the horse, her golden eyes darting from one hunter to the other.

"That was rash, Lucian. It'll take you at least another minute to crank another bolt into place. And now the men are pissed."
"I wonder if you'll still be alive at the end of that minute, Carl."
"I wonder if a tied up feral tigress will live through that minute as well."
"Don't be insulting. We both know she's the prize you came here for. You won't harm a single hair on her pretty little head. Who sent you? Ellington?"
"He didn't pay you enough, Carl."
"We still outnumber you six to one and half, Lucien. And you're lucky I'm counting that bitch as even a half. Yours. Right. You forget who you work for. Your trophies are paid in good solid gold, you seem to have forgotten that. But its not too late. Just turn her over, and nobody else has to die here today. I'll even forget that you shot Garreth."

Gleam shot a look at Carl, a look of pure loathing. "You should not underestimate me.... Carl" she growled. She knew she was outnumbered, but she would not go down without a fight, or without taking several of them with her. They did not appear to possess the same toxin that Lucien had used to capture her. That, had been their big mistake.

"You know what? I'm going to have to say no. Furthermore......"

She watched as he dismounted, his leather vest and tee discarded. Gleam saw the scars, wounds from battles past. She recognized the bear claws that had obviously ripped into him, yet he had survived. He was a fighter, and a damned strong one. She made a quick mental note that gaining her freedom in 3 days time was probably not going to be as easy as she had hoped. But that was a moot point right now.

The fight happened so fast, there were fists flying, gruntings, and the glint of sharpened blades. Strange tho, for the moment she was all but forgotten. Gleam moved quickly, tearing thru the rope that had bound her to the horse with her sharp fangs, she quickly bringing her arms forward to free her wrists. Running to the side of the horse, grabbing the downed crossbow, loading a bolt from the saddle bag, she leaped onto the back of the twitching animal.

"Mine. You son of a bitch. You dare to try and steal what's mine?!"

A shot rang out as she loosed the bolt, another hunter, wielding a dagger behind Lucien, the steel piercing his throat, fell to the ground. She loaded another, as Lucien stepped back, she was ready to loose another shot if any approached either her or him. The Hunters had lost their will to fight, but Gleam was not about to grant them their lives. She shot each, killing all that lay there, the last saved for Carl, the bolt shot straight thru what heart he had. If she had another, she would have shot it thru his head. She knew that face, knew that hunter, and knew of his cruelties.

Now, yes, she could have easily spurred the horse and escaped, yes, she could have just as easily shot Lucien. But he was a Fighter, she would not take that from him. Not after what he had been thru, the scars proving that. Before he could even realize, she dropped the crossbow and slid off the horse. She did not move when he approached her, the leather vest slipping over her form. Gleam flinched back slightly at the touch, just because he gained respect from her, the way he fought to protect her, as well as the evidence that his life had not necessarily been easy, she still did not want him touching her.

"Change of plans. If the Duke's got the stones to send half assed assassins after me.......we won't be worrying about some of his laws. Might smell a little, but its better than nothing. This way the locals won't have anything to jerk off to when we reach Ellington, and it'll send a clear cut message to Duke Ellington about just what I think of his laws."

Gleam nodded to his words, before adding her own, her voice soft, but determined.

"3 days, your cabin, then I will fight for my freedom" She could see the slightly bemused, perhaps more like surprised, look on his face, given she had free'd herself, gotten the crossbow, shot the other hunters, but not him. And... she remained. "You fought to protect me, I have returned the favor, I too am honorable. "

"3 days." she nodded. "You will find that I may not be so honorable then. And I want your promise you will not touch me until that time" Gleam met his gaze. She hoped he was as honorable as he had shown himself to be. She was a hunter too, and altho her freedom meant everything to her, she would not cower away and leave him to be slaughtered when outnumbered as he was. He could have given her up, and he did not, so as much as she wanted her freedom, she knew it was only fair she gain it by fighting for it, in 3 days...

"3 days" she repeated.

 

[dryfter]

When it was all over, and he'd had a chance to wipe an errant splashing of blood from his eyes, a swift glance and a soft frown was his only reaction to the seven corpses that surrounded him. He had intended to leave some of them alive.....he wasn't a killer after all, and knew how precious life was. Gleam, on the other hand, had no similar intentions. Perhaps it was best this way. Nobody would follow them, and perhaps their deaths would serve as an example.

A bare foot nudged Carl softly, the man unresponsive, a bolt driven clean through his heart.

"You're a damned fool," he whispered softly. "What's all that gold gonna get you now?"

He turned to finally look back at her.....the sadness of the scene reflecting deeper in his eyes than she could ever see, or even imagine. Loss of life was never a thing to be celebrated. Even when it became necessary.

"You didn't run."

The tone of his voice was flat, expressionless. Though deep down he knew he would be surprised as soon as the shock from this slaughter wore off. Even more surprising was how she lowered his weapon rather than try to nock another bolt in place and finish him off.

"3 days, your cabin, then I will fight for my freedom."

That seemed to finally snap him out of his stupor as a little more awareness returned to his gaze. Still....he shook his blonde locks slightly as he searched his surroundings briefly in search of his hat. He found it paces away from where it had fallen in the midst of the brutal melee.....silently pressing the tanned fabric back atop his dusty blonde curls.

"You fought to protect me, I have returned the favor, I too am honorable."

"Paladins are honorable. I'm a ranger, and an ex one at that. I don't fight for honor. I fight for survival. For me, and for those that are worth protecting. If breaking a promise would save the life of a loved one, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

When he turned back to her, it was to throw a foot into the stirrup and painfully haul himself back into the saddle. He never once said a word about how close she was, still resting atop the horse herself.

"As you can see, touching you is going to happen. Unless of course, you choose to walk again. But if you're looking for a promise that I won't assault you or try to bed you before we reach the cabin, well that's a condition I'm more than happy to meet at the moment."

His hip burned. Fortunately, the would be camping for the night soon. She had her chance to run, to escape. If she hadn't taken it just then.....Lucian severely doubted she'd choose the middle of the night to make her run. If he was lucky, he could maybe even find.....

"We'll be camping down for the evening soon. Let me know if those ears of yours pick up the sound of a stream or any other running water is good. Hell, even if you can scent a lake nearby."

He was still short on water. He hadn't remembered to refill his canteen before setting off with her in tow. Plus, he knew that the wound he'd sustained would have to be cleaned. If not, he'd no doubt be so feverish from infection by the time he reached the mountains that his new conquest would easily claim her freedom, and most likely his life with it.

"We're going to skirt the edges of Ellington. I don't feel the need to give the Duke a shot at us with his more armored soldiers....you know.....ones that actually know how to fight?"

The ranger spat on the ground as the horse lurched into smooth motion once more.

"He's a butcher. Conveniently the pets I deliver to him have fatal accidents. Or so he says. Accidents. I've heard differently from his maidservants. The screams....the sexual torture....."

For a second his hands tightened on the reins....as did the arms around Gleam that were holding them. Then the evening air stirred softly with a rather hollow sounding chuckle.

"So I started freeing them. Deliver them to him to fulfill the contract.....pop the locks on their cages when he wasn't looking. He's still looking for the thief responsible."

He winced softly as the horse's gait jolted him every step. There was no doubt that this would be a long trip. Still.....it was good to be rid of a secret like that. Even if she did eventually kill him when they arrived, at least she'd know he was different from the others. And she had so much to learn yet too......