Author's Note:
I would like to thank MediocreAuthor for her keen eye as my beta-reader, and DeducibleBabeMester for offering her editing expertise. Working with them both has been a pleasure.
The following Chapter, and this Series overall, exists in a dark vein of a Post-Apocalyptic world overshadowed by fragmented morality, violence, survival and psychologically compelling scenes that may be unsuitable for sensitive audiences.
This Chapter is mild, and contains elements of romantic sexual encounters and descriptions of sexual servitude.
I ask that you please read no further if you are triggered by these topics as described or simply find them unappealing. All scenes depicted are entirely fictional and penned for mature audiences, for the purpose of dark entertainment with erotic horror in mind.
Reader discretion is advised.
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Charlotte's eyes fluttered open to pitch black in her room. As consciousness returned to her, she could hear the rolling of the ocean and feel the comforting presence of Daniel resting against her. For the first time that she could remember, she wasn't plagued with fear or anxiety, or frenzied to panic with the knowledge that unwanted, antagonistic company lay in wait to haunt her waking hours. She spent the day prior as she desired; the tension and expectancies of her new purpose were lost to her entirely. She focused her attention in full on the only good thing she knew here. She felt warm. She felt at peace.
She felt safe.
A smile touched her full, soft pink lips. Her slender arms encircled the thin body of the taller, younger man, who only pulled her closer as she stirred and held her in his usual way. She buried her face against his neck and breathed the scent of his skin in, and dared herself to embrace the first moment of true happiness she had in a very, very long time.
There was fierce protectiveness in the way Dog held her. She noticed with amusement long ago that she barely had room to breathe when he pulled her close in his sleep. Dog held on to her tightly, fearing in some deeply subconscious state that when he woke, she might be gone. He held her in this very same way long before that nervousness became reality; he held her strongly, tightly, as if he never wanted to let her go. Waking to find Charlotte missing had happened several times now... It was a justified fear.
He only parted from her earlier to return the stolen Firebird keys to Slash's room before the fact that they were missing drew unwanted attention. He gathered anything edible he thought would not be missed from their ration stores before returning to her. They ate, and laughed, and held one another between eager sexually charged sessions without a second thought. When nightfall came, Charlotte slept better than she had in months. It was difficult not to be enthralled by him; impossible not to be enveloped in their displays of affection as they indulged and learned one another so intimately throughout the night...
Charlotte wouldn't have believed Daniel to be inexperienced or unfamiliar with the nature of sex or pleasure if it hadn't been confirmed to her, not the way he seemed to melt effortlessly into the role. He needed very little guidance or direction, and even less instruction on ways to please her. He read her body; every want and need, knowing just where to kiss and how to tease, or the pace she desired. It was exceptional--almost astounding to her--how good he was at it. She was certain the fact that she actually
wanted him
amplified their long awaited union twenty times over.
The day and evening had been nothing short of magical.
There was lingering disappointment that bordered on sadness now, realizing that their time was bound to come to an end sooner rather than later. It was a new day. She wanted to reason against it and stubbornly remain here with Danny in her room, but her logical thoughts tried their best to inspire her to push forward and see out the contract as she agreed to. She only had a handful of days remaining in this week. If she kept him, then Colton would come down viciously on them both.
Skully teased that her time not in service of the group could be spent however she wanted, with whomever she pleased. Dove wasn't certain how much truth was behind that. The word of their newly declared leader held just as much merit as that of his second-in-command.
She trusted snakes more.
It was apparent by now that Colton Callaghan would do whatever he pleased, and bend the rules to his favor whenever he liked. She didn't believe anything that man said could be trusted.
He could have just as easily used the thought of small freedoms to bait her into demure submission right before he tightened the grip on her leash and reined her in. But... if he
wasn't
lying to her... if she could truly have her time when not forced to cater to the carnal whims of the group, what was to stop her from keeping Daniel this near to her every night she could?