Cara hid behind the boxes praying that she was concealed enough to escape the search. She remembered what the sailor had told her in a rush before he'd run off to join the fight on deck. Stay hidden. Avoid the initial search. Sneak to the hiding space and stay there until rescue or dock. She didn't know if rescue would come or if she'd have to find some way to get to safety when they finally reached whatever port the Pirates would take them to.
She stiffened as laughing voices approached and the door crashed open. Clenching her fists she suppressed a sob, terrified she'd be discovered and sold off as a servant to some monster in a strange country. She squeezed her eyes shut as if it would prevent the men searching the room from finding her.
"Plenty of fancy stuff to sell off. Should make a decent profit," she heard from the other side of the cabin. "Not much in here though, just looks like some woman's crap being shipped off. Could sell the clothes for rags and get a few pennies for the other bits."
"Funny, I didn't hear anyone talk about finding a lass on board," came the reply from unnervingly close by.
She heard the shifting of crates ahead of her and cowered, wishing they'd leave so she could catch her breath and sneak to the hatch she'd been shown when they set out.
''Fat bitch from the looks of it," laughed the voice across the room as she heard fabric rustle. She blushed, hating the pirate for the insult. It was bad enough that her life was in danger but to insult her as well added an extra sting.
Suddenly she cried out as she was lifted by a strong hand in her hair.
"Fat? Guess you won't be complaining when I claim her then!" The voice nearby materialised into the smiling man looming over her as he pulled her hair to drag her from her hiding spot. She'd been concentrating so hard on making no noise she hadn't realised the last crate blocking her from view had shifted.
Cara cried out and grabbed at the vice like hand in her hair as she was pulled without ceremony through the corridor and thrown across to the ship which had pulled alongside. She staggered to her feet scrambling for stability so she could do something, anything to get away. She'd rather drown that end up on the auction block. Before she could even catch her breath the enormous pirates hand gripped her throat and pulled her back against him.
"Don't bother, it's not like there's anywhere to run," came the laugh from behind her. "I'll be claiming ownership of this one as part of my share," he announced to the laughter of his shipmates. He leaned in closer to her and sneered, "Captains privilege".
She struggled briefly until he tightened his grip, realising a man strong enough to throw her around like he had would easily crush her throat. Maybe she could survive being prisoner and escape when they reached whatever port they'd dock at?
With a prod to her back she was marched across deck, the Captain picking up a coil of thin rope as he walked her through a door and into a cabin. She looked around her as the hand transferred to her wrists and began to bind them behind her back. This was far too nice to be where they would keep her. Maybe they wanted to question her first? Remembering the smears of blood on the deck she doubted any of he crew had lived to be interrogated.
""What do you want from me? I don't know anything about... Well, anything. Please don't hurt me, I'm sure I'll fetch more money unharmed and I won't try to escape. I'll follow orders I sw...."
The Captain cut off her pleas by shoving a rag in her mouth before going back to his knots, testing her ability to slip the bonds. He whistled to himself as he pushed her to the bunk and poured a cup of wine, watching her as he drank. She whimpered as she struggled to right herself, her skirts twisting around her legs.
He shrugged off his coat and stepped towards her, pulling a knife from his boot. Her screams were muffled by the rag as she struggled and he pinned her down with his hand at her bruised throat.
The humming continued as she felt metal on her chest, warmed by its place in the captains boot. She froze, unable to breathe as it slid across her skin and under the edge of her bodice. After a moment the fabric began to give way, sliced in a clean line down to below her belly button. She remained still, closing her eyes as the knife returned to cut across the shoulders of her dress, wincing as it nicked her skin at the base of her neck. After a moment of stillness she felt the wet pressure of the Pirates tongue licking way the drop of blood that was sure to be there, jumping from the unexpected touch before crying out again as his mouth moved and he bit down on her breast.
Her struggles began again, screams muted by her makeshift gag as he spread the ragged fabric to fondle her breasts. The return of the knife, this time at her throat, stilled her once again and she breathed hard, trying to remain calm as the Captain began to suck and lick one nipple while pinching the other. She moaned almost involuntarily when his mouth left and he switched nipples, sobbing as he bit hard before gently soothing it with his tongue.
She kept her eyes closed, hoping that if she didn't look her ordeal would somehow magically stop. She tried to ignore the wetness between her thighs as she reminded herself, over and over, that this should not be happening. She wasn't enjoying it. This wasn't her choice. She almost moaned at the loss of the Pirates touch as he moved away, but before she could react the bunk shifted and his knee landed on her stomach, pushing her down.
He grabbed the cut fabric of her skirts and ripped them apart, throwing them aside so she lay naked on top of a pile of rags. As she squirmed and struggled, he sighed and reached back to the rope wound it in a loop around her neck, securing it as a loose leash and tying it to a ring on the wall. She tugged against it, realising it was futile as all she managed to do was strangle herself. He pushed the rags further into her mouth as she stared up at him, tears streaking her face.
