Viola Grace - Saguinary Seduction, page 19
Now, there was no telling what it was capable of doing.
Kendryck had not said a word. The Chief’s fears seemed unreasonable, but there was no arguing fear. His instinct told him that the predator was after something else entirely, which did not include random killing of humans. Still, the Chief was too scared to listen, much less understand. The hunter knew the feline was only trying to protect its territory and would kill anyone it perceived as a threat…except him, of course.
He used his killer instinct to think like the beast. He was the only one who could find it and bring it to justice. But do I want to? he asked, listening to the Chief’s plan. To be honest, he felt more sympathetic with the predator than the humans. Still, he had a job to do and conscience never conflicted with duty.
Days passed without another trace of the predator as if the last killing had finally satisfied its bloody thirst. Even the other animals were safe from its hungry fangs for a period. Tensions eased and the team relaxed its patrols. Almost imperceptibly, work slowed down for the hunters, though idleness was never a good policy, especially for Kendryck.
Most people turned to family when times were slower. The hunter, instead, furrowed inside his inner world made of bloody images and violent scenes. As the nightmares became more frequent, he feared to lose control, giving in to the 169
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blonde women's challenge to go beyond mere fantasies. She wanted him to do something real, but he sternly resisted.
Through it all, Therry’s image became his only fragment of sanity. Still wary of human relations, particularly the ones that grew silently on a person, Kendryck tried to remove the youth from his mind. He did not need friends, of course. Women were his only fixation when he was in a particular mood. The hunter liked to watch them in the streets, their hips swaying from side to side. He had no interest in knowing them, just became excited wondering how they would react if bound and gagged.
Men, on the other hand, never excited his imagination or his sex. Yet, Therry had left an impalpable trace inside.
Kendryck passed by his hut often during his scouting rounds, his eyes searching the premises for signs of life. He never saw him, but just to look at the place where Therry lived made him feel better. Too bad the feeling did not last long. As time dragged on, the need to be physically close to the youth grew unbearably until one day, his wish came true quite by chance.
Kendryck scouted the forest daily in search of fresh tracks, but the predator was too smart and left no visible traces of his passage, even ignoring the hunter's rudimentary traps.
Strategically positioned, Kendryck hoped they would catch the beast during its weaker moments, yet no matter how many times he checked, they were always empty. Damn, he cursed under his breath, uncovering the hidden trap, I just can't seem able to fool this blasted beast. Looking dejectedly around, he noticed he was near the hut, so decided to check that area as well.
The place seemed empty as usual. The hunter was just about to leave, when he spotted Therry walking up from the forest. Dressed in black, he moved stealthily, hardly making a sound. Again, he reminded Kendryck of a weary feline, just escaped from the hunter’s clutches.
“Hello there,” Therry called. “Care for something to drink?”
“I sure would,” Kendryck replied, glad to see the young 170
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man.
Once inside, Therry first checked the water, then set the fire and prepared the herbs in the cups. Fascinated, Kendryck watched him from the leather skins, his gestures almost ritual.
They had only met once, yet Therry acted as if he had prepared the brew a million times before in Kendryck’s presence or rather as if they had shared more than just a cup of tea.
Kendryck shook his head to remove those thoughts. The youth meant nothing to him. As a matter of fact, he did not want to start any lasting relationship with someone whom he did not even know. Besides, having chosen to live far away from humans, Therry himself obviously did not wish close proximities except with the mysterious Tamara of which Kendryck had found no trace despite his frequent visits.
“Oh, she’s around here somewhere,” Therry contradicted, taking the pail off the fire.
Confused, Kendryck's blank gaze followed Therry's movements. “Who?”
“Tamara. She doesn’t like staying at home.”
Kendryck did not enquire further. He accepted the infusion and made space for Therry. “Things have been quiet lately,” he said, sipping the brew slowly.
“I know. Your men have kept away.”
“Actually, the predator keeps me away. Have you seen it again?”
Therry shook his head. “I haven’t had the pleasure.”
“I wonder where it hides. A big animal like him—”
“I told you it’s a she,” Therry cut in, annoyed. Then he continued more gently. “The forest is a big place. There are plenty of places to hide.”
“Probably, but it also hasn’t eaten lately.”
“How can you tell?”
“Well, we haven’t found any carcasses lately.”
“The forest is a big place,” Therry repeated. “They could be hidden anywhere.”
Kendryck shrugged. “You seem to know your way inside this big place. Have you got something to hide as well?”
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Looking intently at the fire, Therry did not reply.
The hunter watched his profile lit by the flames and the question popped out unbidden. “And how can you stand living here? Alone, I mean.” He had talked without thinking, but now it was too late to take it back.
Therry’s green eyes blazed. “That’s a funny question, coming from you.”
“Why?”
“I believe, you’re no lover of the human race. either”
“That may be, but I never thought of cutting my link with it.”
“What’s the use of keeping a link when you’re really not interested?”
“That’s no reason to cut off the connection with your own kind.”
“My kind? I find animals closer to me than humans ever will be…with a few exceptions,” he added softly before turning to him. “I find them boring and shallow. Most of all, they don’t understand about what really matters in life.”
“But you do?” the hunter challenged.
The green gaze burned into Kendryck. Almost in a trance, he explained, “Physical life and death are the only things that matter. Blood tells me if I’m in or out of life. When I feel it pumping inside, I know I’m alive. When I spill it, then life is in danger and death may set in at any time.” His green eyes did not waver. “You’ve learned this lesson all too well and your killer instinct never allows you to forget it.”
Kendryck’s blood ran cold. A shiver traveled down his back, while for a moment, the world stopped spinning. “What do you mean?” he asked coldly.
“I know you, Kendryck the hunter. You pretend to be human, but you’re really a predator in disguise. Your blood runs hot and wild, demanding immediate satisfaction…and not just to your thirst. You turn your preys into a sexual game before killing them in a surge of violent pleasure. You love to see fear in your victim’s eyes, relish in their pain, feel stronger by their violent death. Yet, your human conscience can’t stand 172
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this animal side and chastises it at every turn. But is it a dream or is it real?”
Kendryck turned into ice. How this mere boy knew about his horrible nightmares was a mystery. “You’re completely off track, boy,” he sneered angrily, scrambling to his feet. “I’m not the animal you describe.” Without another word, he turned coldly away and left the hut.
* * * *
That night, the dream seemed even more real. He met the girl on the village’s outskirts, a different one this time. She was slimmer than the other one, with a dark head. But he did not much care for hair color. She was walking alone, hurrying back home it seemed, when he stopped her. “Excuse me, lady. I’m looking for the Chief’s residence. I have an important message to deliver.” “Look, it’s right this way in the center of the village. If you follow me, I’ll take you there.”
“Thank you. You’re most kind.”
He had followed her, but when she crossed a dark corner, he had pushed her off the main road. Before she could scream, he gagged her. She struggled, trying to get free, but he tied her hands and feet. He took her to the edge of the forest, her lightweight hardly an inconvenience.
The forest was very quiet in the moonless night, cold and very dark. It looked like the perfect time to satisfy his uncontrollable urge. With a sigh of satisfaction, he used his knife to rip off her clothes, relishing the sight of the violent goose bumps that traveled through her skin.
She tried to scream again, but only a muffled sound escaped. Her fear only increased his excitement for the bloody ritual, while her pain matched the size of his pleasure. But Therry’s words kept intruding, despite his efforts to shut them out. So in a fit of rage, his knife cut through her warm flesh, while still pushing inside her ass. Blood spurted everywhere, staining her white skin and falling on him as well. He hurt the 173
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girl on purpose, unable to stop, enjoying every red slash. In fact, the more blood he drew, the more he wanted to spill.
Just like all the other dreams, this, too, ended all too quickly in a dark empty room, sweat on the bed, bloody taste still in his mouth, stomach wet and sticky.
* * * *
“The beast struck again last night,” the Chief informed his team, “and very close to home.” “Where, Chief?” one man enquired.
“Right outside the village. A farmer found her mangled body, her poor remains all chewed up.”
“Are you sure they were chewed?” Kendryck asked, afraid of the answer. Images from last night’s dream were still clear in his mind, especially how he had struck out with his knife. “I mean—” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Our predator has been quiet these past days, so why should it strike now?”
“Kendryck, although inexperienced, we know the difference between a man’s and an animal killing. Our predator assaulted her. There’s no doubt. Now, get out there and find this beast. I can’t take this pressure anymore.”
They left the village together, vowing to bring back the culprit, though they did not feel so optimistic. Kendryck was confused. Still unsure whether he had dreamt the incident or not, he could not honestly blame the predator for the bloody death. Yet, if it had been real, then the beast must have watched him from a distance, moving on the woman right after he had finished with her. But if that were true, why spare me? he wondered.
“Are you sure the predator killed the woman?” Kendryck insisted with another team member.
“Sure, I saw her. No man could have done…that to her.”
Kendryck was not convinced. With a thumping in his heart and blood rushing to his ears, he ran inside the forest. An awful doubt was too loud to shut out. He had to find a straight 174
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answer and only one place had it. He ran like a madman through the trees, his lungs bursting from lack of air, his muscles burning from the effort. Finally, he reached his destination.
The hut seemed empty, but Kendryck did not stop at the front door. With a shove, he broke through. Therry sat on the leather skins, waiting for him.
“What have you done to me?” Kendryck shouted, running to him. “Answer me!” But when he came up to the youth, he lost his impetus and fell down on his knees. “Why?” he asked instead.
Therry reached for a knife, laying by his side, and slid the sharp blade on his arm. A thin red line appeared, dripping on the leather skin. Therry looked at it for a second, then turned it to Kendryck. The smell of fresh blood drove the hunter wild.
Without thinking, he grabbed Therry’s arm and sucked the wound, his tongue avidly tracing its edge.
This was the signal Therry had been waiting. He pushed Kendryck down, his hand closing on his cock. He felt it move, rising to the increasing pressure. Still holding his arm in the hunter’s face, Therry bent down and his mouth replaced his fingers. At the warmth, Kendryck’s bulging head pressed against his trousers. Therry unbuttoned them. His tongue wrapped around the rising length, then slid down to the base and went back up, sucking all the way.
Kendryck had no time to think. Desire enflamed every pore and he only wanted an explosive release, which was not long in coming. Therry’s expert tongue circled the bursting head, then he swallowed him whole. His hands followed the same movement and for Kendryck, it was the finishing line.
Heaving, he flooded Therry’s mouth with a powerful jet.
Therry sucked avidly all the fluid, but his mouth refused to quit and his tongue traveled anew on the shriveled length.
Kendryck responded immediately. Soon he became hard again. Therry grabbed Kendryck’s hand and placed it over his own growing desire.
The hunter at first was surprised. He had never been with a 175
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man. But Therry pulled out the hard cock and Kendryck’s hand automatically closed on it. Therry moaned with pleasure, his mouth busy once again. Neither could last much longer.
“Take me, hunter,” the youth pleaded. “I want to feel you inside.”
The request felt dangerous to Kendryck and he wondered briefly if his morbid tastes would get the better of him just like in his dreams.
“Don’t worry, hunter,” Therry reassured, reading his mind again. “I’m used to treating beasts.”
At these words, Kendryck felt a wave of pleasure wash over him. His cock had never felt harder nor did Therry’s tight opening seem more inviting. Slipping inside was easy, the youth more than ready for him. He moved, sliding inside out, increasing the rhythm, losing himself in it. Yet, this time he had no bloody fantasy.
Unlike the women, Therry obviously enjoyed the frantic movement, responding thrust to thrust, pushing back hard against the hunter. This made all the difference and Kendryck got caught in the wild movement until he felt Therry tense, his flesh closing around the hard cock, sucking it deeper inside, then releasing it suddenly before tightening once more. The waves followed one another with a rapid intensity that pulled Kendryck further inside and finally depleted him of any fluid.
Exhausted, they stopped moving together. Kendryck could not believe what had just happened. This was his first time with a man and he had enjoyed it like never before with a woman.
“Don’t worry,” Therry assured. “It’s natural.”
Natural doesn’t even begin to describe it, Kendryck thought.
“Actually, Therry, it was extraordinary. For the first time I really liked it and I didn’t get nasty thoughts about—”
“I know, hunter. You didn’t think about killing.”
How Therry knew so much about him was a question Kendryck preferred not to ask. It was obvious he had experience with his sort. He saw it carved on the youth’s flesh, in the tiny wounds that crossed his chest and shoulders.
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Kendryck did not want to know about them or anything else, for that matter, wishing he could walk out of the hut and pretend nothing had happened. But it was already too late.
Against the hunter’s better judgment, Therry drew him into an enchanted world, full of silence, looks and physical love.
Uncaring about the feline still at large, Kendryck seemed unable to keep away from the youth, running to him every day, hoping to find him available…and he always was.
They spent hot afternoons rolling on top of one other, blood from Therry’s wounds sprayed on both their bodies.
Kendryck never had enough of the bloody taste. He sucked it deeply, enjoying the feel of his tongue on the uneven edges of the wound.
Therry seemed to find it absolutely acceptable. He tempted Kendryck by flashing his wrists during their herbal tea ritual, then when he cut the flesh, sometimes he postponed the pleasurable moment. The hunter could not remember anyone who had raised his desire to such a fever pitch with movements apparently unconnected to sex.
“You are the one linking blood to sex,” Therry pointed out one day. “Most people make a different connection with blood altogether.”
“Most people think blood is death when in reality it’s life.”
Therry’s hand slipped down Kendryck’s chest, heading to his stomach. “True, blood is usually associated with death rather than life. But you choose to see it differently. Then again, you feel blood like few ever do.”
The hand reached its intended destination and their dance began again. There was little space for talk. Both loners, they felt more comfortable with physical expressions, rather than playing the mind’s games.
The nightmares also disappeared thanks to Therry. His daily ritual kept the night demons away…for a time. As usual, things were just too good to last.
* * * *
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One day, as he headed to Therry’s cabin, Kendryck heard a noise beyond a row of trees. Carefully threading his way, the hunter crept closer, hiding behind a tree. He was not alone. In the clearing beyond, a black panther feasted on a slaughtered sheep, which the predator had carried from the fields. The beast seemed unaware of the hunter, so Kendryck watched fascinated as its fangs worked their way into the bloody pulp.
Its paws held the body still, while sharp teeth ripped through the flesh, tearing and pulling at pieces of meat. Blood dripped from every cut and a pool of red liquid was forming under the carcass.
Kendryck watched a while longer before raising his bow and arrow. He would serve justice, finally, in honor of all the dead and redeem the blood spilled. Afraid to breathe, he aimed at the black body in front of him. He was about to shoot, when Therry came out behind the panther and walked straight at it.
