Darkness Embraced Read online

  Dredd let out a roar and prepared for battle.

  Chapter 2

  Ivy stared at the stars, though they now swam through her tears. She thought she was all done with crying, but the primal fear she felt at this moment heartily disagreed. Her body shook with it.

  Something was moving toward her. She could only hear it, rustling the foliage, toying with her. The faint grunting and growling as it circled the tree she was tied to. Her breaths came in short pants as her terror grew to near hysteria, the puffs of air now visible in the cold night air. She had been trying to shimmy the ropes loose since dusk to no avail. Her naïve hopes of escape were quickly dwindling as the ropes held fast. And the thing continued to stalk.

  Keep your eyes up, Ivy. Keep your eyes up.

  She kept telling herself as much over and over, reasoning that there was no need to see what it was that was hunting her. Ivy was starting to believe the Ajax were real, that the ShadowBorn were right. If she gazed upon it, it would only make her final moments that much more gruesome. And so she stayed, eyes up, for several paralyzing moments as the creature circled her, ever so slowly moving closer and closer.

  In a flash it was on her, slamming her body into the rough tree bark. Though Ivy was tensed for assault, her body was still jarred by the violent attack. She screamed as all coherent thoughts fled. Her head snapped down against her will, demanding to see the threat. And then she screamed again.

  It was a man, but not like any man she had ever seen. He was a giant, with huge muscles and sharp fangs. His long dark hair was greasy and hung in her face as he pressed his dirty body against her, his arousal prodding her stomach. Bile rose in her throat as Ivy struggled against the ropes. Surely this was a dreaded and evil Ajax, in the flesh. “No! Get off me!”

  “You are mine,” The male hissed. He spoke in her native tongue of Islesh, but his voice was heavily accented, and his words were spoken haltingly. “My claim.” He licked her cheek. When she whimpered, he struck her across the face.

  Ivy almost blacked out, as pain radiated across her cheek, making her vision blurry. She tasted the blood as it trickled from the corner of her mouth.

  “Feng tor solanten. You must surr-en-der.” The Ajax rasped angrily.

  Still dazed, Ivy responded weakly. “Never!”

  “Est! All Ajax will call Talis champion.” The Ajax shoved her harder against the tree, ignoring her as she cried out from the pain of the tree bark scraping her spine. He began lifting her dress, shredding the skirts with his fierce ripping and bruising the delicate skin of her thighs. Ivy struggled as hard as she could but he quickly wedged his body between her legs, and she knew that the battle was over before it began. Rape was imminent, and she’d never stood a chance. It was all so unfair. Damn those ShadowBorn bastards to the third hell!

  Just as her attacker bared his fangs and moved toward her neck, a deafening roar ripped through the night. A huge beast came hurtling through the trees and descended upon the Ajax with the fury of a demon. Weight lifted off of her in an instant as her attacker was flung twenty feet.

  It was another Ajax, even more fearsome. The fight between the two males was violent but brief. It was obvious the first one did not stand a chance against the newcomer. Ivy watched as his head was ripped from his body. She had never seen anything gorier in her life, yet in her shock she felt only grateful that he was dead.

  In the few suspended moments following the fray, Ivy felt paralyzed. But the numbness quickly wore off, and her fear returned as she realized she’d been rescued from one horrific fate, only to be delivered to another one. A fate at the hands of the most terrifying creature she’d ever laid eyes on. He threw the severed head to the ground and began stalking toward her.

  This Ajax was larger than she had believed possible, easily seven feet tall, yet there was no lankiness to him. He was thick and broad, with bulging muscles. He also possessed fangs and had menacing-looking weapons strapped to his body on a wide belt. His dark hair was long and unkempt, with several shanks hanging around his face in braids. Much of his darkly tanned skin was covered in intricate markings, tattoos she supposed, which wound around his arms and onto parts of his chest. His skin was extraordinarily dirty and was also now covered in blood from his victim, which had spattered onto his bare torso. The newcomer wore only breeches and boots, the latter clearly made from sort of animal hide. But most noticeable of all were the two large scars criss-crossing his face, forming a perfect X. He was completely savage and absolutely terrifying.

  The Ajax came to a stop about a foot in front of her. He stared, his expression growing darker.

  Oh Gods, will the nightmare never end?

  “Please don’t hurt me,” She begged in a whisper, the events of the last several minutes taking a toll. She sagged against the ropes that bound her.

  His brows narrowed at her words. “Nayan.” He barked in a language she didn’t understand, his voice deep and gruff.

  The guttural order both startled and angered Ivy. She was on the verge of hysteria, her exhaustion and horror over the day leaving her irrational. “I’m a little busy being tied up here,” she snapped in return.

  “Nayan,” he said, softer this time. He shook his head, seeming agitated. Then he did something unexpected. Reaching out, his touch gentle despite his large hands, he lifted her chin until her eyes met his again. Then with his other hand he reached out and wiped the blood from her face. Ivy was too stunned, and too helpless, to do anything but gape at him.

  She let him continue his ministrations for a moment, since she really had no choice and she was busy trying to process what was happening anyway. Under other circumstances, she might point out to him that his hands were so filthy he was really not doing much in the way of cleaning her face off, but then again, she might just say thank you. Ivy got the feeling that his gesture was more symbolic, a way of telling her he was sorry she was injured. Did that mean he wasn’t going to hurt her?

  “I don’t understand what you are saying,” she finally whispered.

  The Ajax drew his brow together in confusion. “Feng nom il Ajaxyan?”

  She could only assume he was asking her if she spoke the tongue of the Ajax. “N-no. I only speak Islesh,” Ivy told him, referring to the main language of the Dark Isle.

  After a few moments, he stopped wiping and reached down to grab a sharp knife from his belt, lifting it high. Her fear landed a punch in her gut.

  So much for the gentle giant.

  She felt almost betrayed, because for a moment this male had made her think he might not hurt her. Why be gentle and wipe her face if he was just going to hack her up and eat her?

  “Damn you!” Ivy cried. “Just do it then, damn you!”

  His expression was puzzled for a moment, and he then walked around the tree and sliced.

  Thwack! Just like that, the heavy ropes binding Ivy fell limply to the ground. He hadn’t stabbed her, he had cut her free. Her hope soared anew. Dare she believe that this terrifying male would help her?

  Ivy wrapped her newly freed arms around her middle and turned toward him, watching him as he placed the knife back in his belt. She couldn’t read his expression. He towered over her, inches from touching her, his figure illuminated in the moonlight. He had to be the most intimidating male she had ever laid eyes on yet she was about to cling to him like a lifeline.

  “I’m Ivy,” she said, lifting her arm and pointing her finger toward her chest. “My name is Eye-vee. “

  “I-vy,” He said thickly. Hearing her name on his lips was strange, and an odd shiver coursed down her spine. She nodded at him.

  “Dredd,” He said, and pointed to himself.

  “Dredd,” she parroted back quickly, feeling lightheaded with relief. They had just succeeded with introductions. And he’d freed her.

  The relief was short lived. Dredd suddenly gripped her arms and leaned down, his breath coming in hard gasps on her neck. His fangs pierced her, and she cried out in pain. “Wait! Please—” Her pleas
were cut off as he ground his fangs deeper into her neck, drinking her blood. Ivy screamed in agony.

  After what seemed an eternity, but was probably only a few moments, Dredd pulled back, his hands gentling on her arms, his face slack with satisfaction as he licked the remaining blood from his fangs. “Nayan,” he said again, and then in Islesh, “Mine.”

  At that, Ivy found she could take no more. In the midst of the sinister woods, and in the company of an Ajax, she fainted.

  ****

  Dredd caught her and swiftly pulled her up into his arms, holding her like a baby. Just the feel of this female against him was enough to send his arousal spiraling over the edge. He wanted to toss her down and rut atop her like the savage he was. But he was fighting for control, something that went against the very nature of an Ajax. Dredd sensed that he must tread gently, this female more fragile than he had ever seen, much smaller in stature than Ajax women. He regretted hurting her with his claiming, but it couldn’t be helped. Without his mark upon her neck, any other Ajax warrior could come along and fight to take her. Now, she was claimed, and no other Ajax could touch her, or else feel the wrath of the God of the Mountain. It was bad enough that Talis had gotten to her first, had dared to touch and even strike her. Dredd wished he could behead the warrior a second time. If Merck had any plans to try to get to her, Dredd would happily show him the error of his ways.

  He gazed down at her face, noticing her pallor and the wet streaks left by her tears. Dredd gripped her tighter, foreign feelings flooding his gut, possessive ones. His female had been afraid. It was his job now to see she was afraid no more. The Vessel was his, and he would work to deserve her. She was a rare beauty to be sure, with long golden hair falling in waves down her back and eyes the color of the sea. The dress she wore showed off her feminine curves to perfection, the tops of her pale breasts exposed to his gaze. Dredd could barely wait to see her stripped bare, her thighs opening for him.

  Dredd began moving with purpose. He headed to the nearby cave he had been using as shelter of late. There would be some items in the cave to make it more bearable for Ivy. He was no stranger to sleeping on the hard ground, but one look at Ivy assured him she was not used to such harsh conditions.

  He reached the cave, set Ivy down on a pile of furs, and went to work building a small fire. Once that was done, he sat back and studied his new female, the one who was to be his for all time. She was laying close to the fire, and the flames only served to illuminate her beauty.

  A picture too perfect.

  No, Dredd told himself resolutely, the fates were changing for him. Ivy was different in every way from Annis. He sensed a sweetness in her, though she possessed a survival instinct that could not be denied. He could not fault her for that, but rather admired it.

  And his erection was currently reminding him just how much he admired her. Dredd was still taken aback at the fierceness of his arousal, so long he had gone without it. He didn’t wish to hurt Ivy, and even wanted to please her, but he didn’t have the first idea how, and his primal need for her was making rational thought difficult. Dredd had spent little time in female company, had never even lain with a woman, thanks to Annis and her treachery.

  He wanted to prepare Ivy for what would happen tonight, for her to desire him as he desired her. His face grew hot at the thought of displeasing her, of her finding him lacking. But what choice did he have? A female needed to cleave to her male, and one who was well and truly claimed was more likely to do so.

  Dredd spoke some Islesh, as the Ajax occasionally traded goods with rivermen and traders from Grave’s End and were taught basic communication at a young age. But it was a rudimentary amount at best. What female wished to bed a strange male she couldn’t even have a conversation with? Dredd did not know much about females, but he knew they loved to talk.

  Steeling his resolve, Dredd put the thoughts from him mind. He would be inside her this night.

  ****

  Ivy awoke with a start. The memory of the evening’s events came back with a vengeance. Her face and neck ached and she wanted nothing more than to sink back into blessed unconsciousness. But to do such would be foolish. Despite her exhaustion, she sat up and looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, knowing she needed her wits about her. She was in some kind of cave, only about ten feet from the entrance, lying on musty fur blankets. There was a fire going, and across the fire, sat the Ajax called Dredd. He was staring at her intently, the flames reflected in his eyes. His heated and proprietary gaze said it all, making her tremble despite the heat.

  She swallowed and met his stare. Was he going to bite her again? Gods, she hoped not. It hurt so badly. It really upset her, because she was just starting to think this Ajax would not hurt her, and then he betrayed her thus. Ivy got the feeling his bite was a brand of some sort, the equivalent to peeing on her leg. And that angered her. She had not been removed from ShadowBorn slavery only to become the property of an Ajax.

  But as she watched him over the fire, she admitted to herself that while his appearance was alarming, there was something about him that was appealing to her. He looked so different from the pasty, slender males of the Shadow Born. He was tanned from the sun and thick with muscle. Everything about him shouted virility and masculinity. And he did not seem cruel like the Ajax that had attacked her. So why did he have to go and be a brute?

  Ivy began to feel a bit uncomfortable with her train of thought, as if the man staring at her from across the fire could read her mind.

  And this was no normal man. How on earth would she rebuff Dredd if he tried to take her? He chose that moment to lift his left arm up, wrist to his mouth, and sink his fangs in to the flesh.

  Oh, Gods, please say I don’t have to drink his blood!! Is this some kind of bizarre Ajax ritual?

  After a moment he sat back and watched her again, a calm expression plastered on his dirty face. His wounds continued to drip blood on the floor of the cave, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  Ivy forced herself to speak. “Why did you do that?”

  Dredd said nothing, simply staring.

  “Why did you do that?” She whispered again, pointing at his wound.

  A long time went by. Just when she thought he either couldn’t understand her or was choosing to ignore her he slowly uttered the word, “Distract.”

  Ivy was utterly confused. “I don’t understand.”

  Dredd’s eyes continued to pierce hers from across the fire. His gaze was so intense she almost squirmed on the pile of furs. The scarred X across his face was illuminated in the firelight, and what had first been a glaring deformity now seemed to be a badge. What had he been through that he suffered such an injury and lived?

  After waiting another mini eternity for him to answer she finally heard him. His voice was like the deep rumbling thunder. “Distract.”

  “What do you need distraction from?” Ivy was starting to get worried, fearing that there was something going on that she needed to know about.

  “This,” Dredd cupped the bulge between his legs to illustrate his point, his eyes going heavy-lidded.

  Ivy gasped.

  Oh, hells no!

  He was forced to injure himself to keep from pouncing on her and stealing her virginity? She was in deep trouble here, and if he expected a thank you for restraining himself he could wait a lifetime or two. She scooted back until her back hit the cave wall and looked around for any available weapons. Nothing.

  She could see Dredd’s jaw tightening. He rose and began pacing the cave and then punched one of the walls with such force, the rock dented and crumbled.

  Ivy jumped at the deafening sound. She was at the mercy of an Ajax, a strong, dangerous male, capable of removing heads and breaking rock with his bare hands. It seemed inevitable that he was going to rape her.

  As if he read her thoughts, Dredd was suddenly standing over her on the furs, looking down at her with open hunger. He was going to hurt her. The Ajax was a brutish giant, and if the bite
to her neck was any indication, his taking of her maidenhead would be excruciating.

  He knelt down and pushed her back on the furs, none too gently. Anger spiked within her. “Get off me, you ogre!” She pushed against him, his weight pressing down on her making her feel trapped.

  “Ev tonden nom vunde il,” he said softly, and pulled her hands above her head.

  I will try not to hurt you...

  “I don’t know what you are saying!” Ivy’s struggles succeeded only in helping to further wedge his bulk between her thighs. She froze when she felt his hardness, his very large hardness, press against her core. Then he leaned down and kissed the exposed top of her breast, grazing her skin with his tongue. She gasped, unable to deny the small thrill that shot through her at the touch of his lips on her skin.

  He wrenched the top of her bodice down, exposing her right breast to his gaze. Her pale nipple pebbled as he gazed upon it, and she blushed. No one had ever seen her breasts before.

  The sight of her breast seemed to send him into a bit of a frenzy. He thrust against her roughly, and then reared back to unfasten his breeches. His large shaft sprang forth from his open breeches, and the sight of it filled Ivy with new panic. How could this be happening?

  “I hate you for this,” Ivy hissed. She closed her eyes and turned her face to the side, a tear escaping to slip down her cheek.

  She kept her eyes closed, and after a few moments she realized he had stopped moving. He lay on top of her but he had not yet tried to enter her. Then she felt his hand on her cheek.