He
looked unnaturally small and fragile laying beneath me. The smell of his blood
and my semen mixing together just flooded my senses, which was probably a good thing,
since the boy hadn’t bathed in days. Not that the whelp had been given the
option mind you.
I
hadn’t quite expected him to bleed as much as he did though. Putting us both
through this wouldn’t have done much good if he died right after the bloody claiming.
The boy was sobbing. He’d completely given up on trying to push me away. I
shook my head, I could sit and brood like some great magnificent tosser later.
Better yet I could just act like a bloke and deal with it. Point being I had
other priorities.
I
scented the boy, trying to concentrate despite the racket the Poof’s followers
were making. Good, he was bleeding, but it didn’t smell like he was in serious
danger. He wasn’t resisting me at all though, which was unlike him enough to
worry me. Well there was nothing I could do about it in the middle of Angelus’
“Great Hall”. And he wonders why I call him a ponce.
I
straightened myself, and then picked the boy up leaving his clothing behind.
They were rags at this point anyway. Harris weighed surprisingly little. I
Don’t suppose the wanker had been feeding the captives all that much. I turned
to look at Angelus; if the bastard wasn’t satisfied, I didn’t know what I was
going to do. I wanted so badly to wipe the damn smirk off his bloody face, but
there was no way I could fight my way out of here with all these minions
around. Well maybe if I had been alone… At any rate, for the moment I… we were
at his mercy. After what seemed like an eternity, he nodded giving me leave.
If
I hadn’t been carrying the whelp, I probably would have gone after the king of
hair gel when I heard the wanker start to applaud. In a way it’s a good thing
the boy started trembling, it forced me to focus on the problem at hand.
I
shoved my way out of the hall, snarling at anyone who came near us. How my
grandsire managed to find another of these mausoleums in Sunny hell, I’ll never
know. The great psychotic one is a bloodhound for the sodding things.
I
made my way up a couple of floors and down the corridor towards the west wing,
to the quarters I’d been assigned. There were a couple of minions standing
guard outside the door of course. For my protection Angelus had insisted. After
all there were still plenty of demons out there angry that I’d been the
Slayer’s lapdog. I didn’t bother mentioning that the same could be said of him.
As long as they stayed the Hell away from me and the boy, I’d live with it.
I
was a little surprised when one of the minions opened the door for us. I could
have managed, but it would have been awkward with the boy cradled in my arms. I
walked in and kicked the door shut behind us. I made my way to the bathroom and
found that my instructions had actually been followed; there was a hot bath
waiting for the boy. I hadn’t been all that sure the minions would honor my
request or even listen in the first place.
I
set the boy down next to the old claw foot tub and dipped my hand in to make
sure the water wasn’t scalding. It was was a little on the warm side, but still
nothing unbearable. At least I wasn’t going to be bathing the boy in a tub full
of acid, which frankly I wouldn’t put past that arse Angelus.
I
picked the boy back up and lowered him carefully into the steaming water. He
still hadn’t said a word this entire time, which would have worried me with any
of the Scobbies, but with this one it was particularly out of character.
I took one of the washcloths off of the ridiculously ornate towel rack and
soaked it, before gently trying to scrub away some of the week’s grime covering
the slayerette.
He’d
been silent for so long, that when he spoke, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Don’t touch me.”
“I’m
just trying to clean you up a bit.” I told him. I wasn’t sure what to say to
him. Hallmark doesn’t exactly make greetings for this sort of occasion.
“Washing
away the evidence you mean,” the youth sneered. I was actually relieved. His
voice had a hysterical edge to it, but at least he was talking. At any rate he
seemed to be a lot closer to his usual belligerent self.
“You
watch to much CSI, pet,” I replied trying to keep my voice light. I was all too
aware of what I’d just done. I also knew that things were going to get worse
before they got better.
“I’m
not your fucking pet.” There right on schedule, the words that could get us all
killed.
In
retrospect there must have been a better way to handle the next few moments,
but damned if I’ve come up with it. The soul, for all its supposed glory hasn’t
added mush to my existence, but a big heaping pile of guilt.
He
shrieked as I reached over and grabbed his throat by one hand. My other arm
shot under water and caressed the one place I knew he never wanted me to touch
again. His breath was coming in panicked gasps.
“Actually
Alexander, that’s precisely what you now are. Marked by me in every way. You’re
mine now.” How I kept my voice from cracking during that little speech I still
don’t know. The boy’s heart was beating furiously. I could literally smell his
fear. He’d unconsciously started shaking again.
I
had his undivided attention now. I just hoped he would listen to me. I loosened
my grip on his neck and started lightly caressing the flesh there, careful not
to upset the fresh bite mark. I quickly removed my other hand from between his
legs. My shirt sleeve was sopping, but I ignored it, I just started cleaning
him again.
“I
claimed you as mine. You’re marked now. Every Vampire or demon that you come
across now, will know that you are mine. You’re marked as my property,” I
explained in what I hoped was a soothing tone of voice.
“Why?”
he whispered. I wasn’t even sure what he was asking. Why I was saying this? Why
would I want to make him mine? Why had I raped him?
“It
wasn’t my idea, pet. I’m sorry,” It wasn’t adequate and it never would be. The
only thing I could do now was look after him the best I could.
“Sorry?
You’re fucking sorry?” He spat. He had every right to be angry and I knew it.
That however didn’t make his resentful gaze any easier to bare.
“I
had to Xander. Certain concessions had to be made to keep you and the Bit
alive. You, what just happened to you, was the price we had to pay for your
lives,” I told him shedding my wet shirt. I think I pulled it off just so I
could avoid looking at him for a moment.
“What
the hell are you talking about?” He demanded grabbing my wrist and stopping the
compulsive washing just I’d resumed.
“Angelus,”
I answered uneasily.
“You’re
saying that Angelus made you…” the boy faltered turning his gaze away.
“Rape
you. Yes in a way,” there I’d managed to say it. I’d raped the boy, violated
him in the worst way possible.
“What
the Hell does that mean? In a way?” He demanded angrily.
“Angelus
agreed to allow you and Dawn to live, if and only if I claimed you as a pet. Taking
you sexually, as well as biting you was part of the claiming ritual.” I
explained.
“Why
didn’t you just tell me? I would have let you if… if it meant he would let
Dawnie go,” He whispered in an unsteady voice. At least he seemed to be
listening to me. He was still afraid, but was at least cautiously considering
that what I was telling him was the truth.
“Tilt
your head back,” I ordered, pushing him back so I could wash some of the grime
out of his hair. “You couldn’t know before hand. It was part of the agreement
that I made with my Grandsire. I asked to be allowed to speak to you, but he
refused, said if I warned you ahead of time the deal was off.” I explained. The
next part of the explanation I wasn’t looking forward to. The boy was going to explode.
“Xander, I said he’d agreed to let her live. I never said anything about
letting her go,” I told him as I rinsed the shampoo out of his hair.
“What,
where is she?” He demanded, trying to bat me away as I attempted to towel his
hair dry.
I
hesitated a moment before answering. “In his bed,” I replied, letting the water
out of the tub without meeting his eyes.
“What?
You left Dawnie with that maniac!” He shouted, as I did my best to dry him off
with a fluffy white towel. The boy was so exhausted that he was barely able to
stand, let alone fight me off.
“She’s
alive. He needed some practical reason to keep her alive. Something that
wouldn’t make him lose face in the demon community. Besides, He’s always liked
them young and innocent. What do you think Darla’s little school girl routine
was all about,” I asked scooping him back into my arms.
“How
do you know about that? You weren’t even in Sunnydale back then?” He asked, he
seemed more curious then anything else.
“The
slayer told me about it once,” I answered, laying him carefully in the center
of the large four poster bed that dominated the bedroom. He eyed me warily as I
reached into the nightstand for the supplies I’d left there. I took out a
bottle of antiseptic and quickly cleaned the bite mark on his neck. It had
pretty much already stopped bleeding, but I taped a piece of gauze there just
for good measure. The boy thankfully didn’t fight me as I did this.
His
other injuries, I was afraid he wouldn’t be so cooperative about. I pulled out
the jar of ointment that I’d sent the minions out to the healer to get, and set
it down on the bed beside him.
“I’m
going to turn you onto your stomach now,” I warned him as I reached to do just
that. It was obvious he would have fought me if he’d still had the energy.
“Calm
down pet,” I tried to soothe; careful not to touch him more than was necessary.
”This ointment is going to help you heal. It’s a bit of a potion really, got it
from a demon healer. I need you to spread your legs for me,” I warned, moving
his legs apart.
“S…Spike.
Please don’t. I can’t,” he begged me, tears beginning to run down his cheeks.
“Pet
this is going to help you. It will make you feel better, I promise. All you need
to do is lay still and try to relax. It’ll be over soon.” I tried to reassure,
carefully rubbing his back.
“Why
did you have to be so rough in the first place,” Xander reproached.
“I’m
sorry, but you needed to bleed. Our fluids needed to mix for the chant’s magic
to work,” I really wasn’t the demon to explain it to him. I really didn’t know
that much about the demon traditions. The watcher probably knows more about it
to be honest.
“That’s
just… gross.” He replied, scrunching up his face.
“Most
demon rituals tend to be, whelp. Look, I’d prefer to use this on you, but I
won’t force the issue. I was told it would help numb the pain a little. You
could try to apply it yourself, but it would be easier if it was done for you,”
I offered.
“Okay,”
He Agreed. I shouldn’t be surprised. This one has never been short on bravery.
I
nodded to him, picking the jar up off of the bed. “It’s going to be a little
cool,” I warned. He whimpered as soon as my finger came into contact with his
red and torn anus.
“Keep
talking to me pet,” I suggested, hoping to distract the boy long enough to
finish my ministrations.
“Why?
Why did Angelus make you do this?”
“It
amuses him. He knows bloody well that we’ve never gotten on. The idea of us
shackled to each other for the rest of your life, well it’s just the kind
of joke he’d love.”
“Yeah,
I guess he would get some twisted thrill out of this. Oh God, please no. I
don’t think I can do this,” my brunet companion moaned as I spread some of the
medicinal cream inside of him.
“Shush,
you’re doing so well Pet. I’m almost done. Keep asking me questions. Occupy
your mind with other things.” I suggested.
“Angelus
is kind of psycho. How do you know he won’t just kill us all? He can’t be fond
of you right now.” Xan asked, sounding more than a little concerned at the
prospect, which surprised me. I was actually quite touched that the boy was
still concerned for me despite what I’d just done to him.
“It’s
always a risk, but I think he’s enjoying these head games too much,” I answered,
hoping that I was right on this count. “Besides I’ve managed to speak to Dawn.
She understands what she has to do. She knows that she has to keep him and his
new childer happy. Hopefully he’ll grow attached to her, before he tires of
playing with her. The fact that I’ve officially put claim to you actually helps
her chances. It would give me too much status in our clan to be the only Master
with a blood pet,” I explained, quickly covering the walls of his torn passage
with a thick coating of the healing cream.
“Jesus
Christ Spike, she’s 17. Your answer is to tell her to whore herself out to that
creep,” he shouted at me from over his shoulder. He seemed to, the very least,
have forgotten about what I’d been doing. Didn’t even notice when I finally
pulled my fingers out of him.
“All
done,” I announced needlessly reaching down and pulling the covers over his
nude body.
“Spike,
she’s just a kid,” He mumbled sleepily into his pillow. The boy was completely
worn out.
“Buffy
was even younger than that when she took up with Angel. Bugger, I never thought
I’d miss the great big poofter. Try and sleep for a bit, I’ll see about getting
you something to eat when you wake up,” I suggested, running a hand through his
still damp hair. Xander just nodded sleepily. Curling up into an almost fetal
position, he drifted into a troubled sleep.