The civilians who traveled on horses and in carts peered curiously at the naked teen riding with their lord, but kept their comments to themselves. Some of the soldiers were a different story. Most looked amused but ignored him after a few minutes. More than a few took great delight in Edan's fall from their lord's good graces. As soon as they saw all that bare pale skin, they seemed less like men and more like wolves. They jeered and hooted, some even reaching out to stroke or pinch any flesh they could reach.

Edan scowled and curled up against Lord Dominik, tucking his legs against his body as a barrier. He buried his face in his knees and tried to ignore the people around him, especially the man he was forced to be so close to.

"I've heard that cats often don't want anyone but their owners to pet them," Dominik said with obvious delight. "Perhaps you're a kitten after all."

When they once again reached the head of the group, Dom released the reigns. With both hands free, he was able to pet and stroke his captive. His fingers were gentle over his numerous scrapes and bruises. The man seemed to enjoy circling each one with feather-soft caresses.

Edan hated the fact that the tender affection actually felt good to him. It wasn't so hard to hate the man when he was hurting him, but the unexpected gentleness always confused Edan and put him on edge. How was he supposed to feel when he was touched in such a way?

Edan momentarily relaxed in Dominick's arms, letting out a soft sigh. The swaying of the horse's movement and the lord's strong hands began to lull him to sleep. He closed his eyes, still curled up against the man's broad chest.

When Edan woke at midday to his growling stomach he was sore from more than bruises. His legs felt like they would cramp if he tried to move them and his back was aching from his neck to his tailbone.

"Hello, sleepy," Dominik said with a smile, pressing a kiss to the teen's flaxen locks.

"Ow..." Edan groaned softly, trying to stretch his body, but quickly stopped, his groan turning into a pitiful whimper of pain.

"What's wrong?" Dom asked with a frown, looking unfairly relaxed and comfortable in the saddle.

"My body hurts," Edan mumbled, not sure if the man would care about his pain or not.

"Need to stretch your legs, pet?" the lord asked.

"It hurts to move," Edan whined, glancing up at the man helplessly.

Dominik's frown deepened. He urged his horse to the edge of the road and pulled to a stop. He waved his captain, Duncan, on when he looked over with concern. They stopped under a tall green tree, shaded from the noon sun.

Edan cried out when Lord Dominik swept Edan into his arms and swung off the tall horse. They landed with a jarring thud that set off twisting cramps in Edan's lower limbs. He nearly leapt from his captor's arms, only to crash to the ground when his legs couldn't hold him. The boy had been through more strife in the last day and a half than in all of his life before then. He'd been hanged from his wrists for hours, walked half a day, and slept poorly. He'd been smacked, punched, humiliated, and assaulted. Which was added on to his mental anguish over everything that happened at the temple. All those men dead. People he'd known all his sheltered life.

With spasming muscles he hit the ground hard with a sharp cry of pain.

Dominik swore and dropped to Edan's side. "Show me what's hurting."

Edan bit back a loud sob and shook his head, letting his tousled hair fall to cover his face.

"Everything hurts," the boy whimpered.

Strong fingers ran over the boy's body, searching until they found the knotting muscles of his legs. Dominik forced them straight and began roughly rubbing the worst spots.

Edan cried out again and jerked away from the man.

"STOP! That hurts!" He sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The lord ignored him, grabbing the teen again and holding him down with one knee while he worked over Edan's legs. He dug his thumbs into tight knots, forcing them loose as Edan flailed and begged for him to stop. The man continued with determination until the muscles uncoiled. He set to stretching Edan's limbs, pulling them this way and that, until he was sure they wouldn't cramp up again. He finally sat back on the ground, glaring at his captive's legs as though daring them to try such a stunt again.

Edan laid still, sobbing quietly, afraid to move an inch because the pain had been so bad; surely it would be worse if he moved. But after a few tense moments, he tentatively tried to move one of his legs and realized that he actually felt a lot better. He was somewhat sore from the lord's rough hands, but he no longer had cramps in his muscles and he could actually move. He glanced back at the big man sitting beside him and murmured a quiet "thank you" before dropping his eyes to the dirt.

"Damn, you alright now, pet?" Dom asked with concern as he reached out to wipe the tears from the boy's face.

Edan flinched from the hand coming towards his face, but then forced himself to stay still and nodded.

"I should have woken you to let you stretch your legs." Dominik sighed. "You were sleeping so sweetly against me, though. I ought to have known being curled into a ball while on the back of a horse might do more than leave you stiff." He stroked Edan's soft cheek. "I apologize."

The teen blinked at the man, caught off guard by his sudden kindness and apology. Edan still didn't know how to react when Lord Dominick was kind to him; it felt strange, but it was a good strange. He realized he should probably respond while he had the chance.

"Um, i-it's okay... Thank you, Master," Edan spoke softly, quickly lowering his eyes to the ground again.

The man's smile was wide and genuine. He stood and went to his horse, who was standing patiently. The animal seemed to be enjoying the break. Dom quickly rummaged through his pack. When he returned to his captive, he was holding the clothes Edan had been given that morning and a green-skinned fruit the teen had never seen before.

"Eat this. It helps with muscle cramps." Dominik handed the teen the fruit. "Then I'll help you get dressed."

Edan took the fruit obediently and examined it for a moment before taking a hesitant bite. A sweet juice flooded his tongue and dripped down his chin. The boy's eyes widened and he took a bigger bite, much more eager this time.

"Watch out for the seeds," the lord chuckled, watching the sweet juice dribble down the teen's chin.

The fruit had been a bit bruised from riding around with him, but the boy certainly didn't seem to mind. Dominik recalled that he had one more, and quickly retrieved it for his captive.

Edan ate both pieces of fruit with enthusiasm, enjoying the unique flavor that he had never had the joy of tasting before. He was careful not to eat any seeds, but he made sure to get every juicy piece he could eat. When he was finished he realized with embarrassment that his chin and chest were soaked from the juices. He glanced up at the lord helplessly, wondering if the man had something for him to clean up with.

Before the teen could work up the courage to ask, he found the confusing lord's mouth pressed to his. Dominik licked at Edan's lips, stealing the sweet sticky juice. Edan gasped, but stayed perfectly still, allowing the man to do what he wished.

The lord's mouth moved down, gently licking and nipping sweetened skin. He lingered at the teen's throat, his stubble dragging across Edan's sensitive flesh. A breathy moan escaped the boy's mouth as a shudder ran through his body. Edan felt that confusing mix of emotions start to overwhelm him again, making him feel hot as he trembled.

Dominik sat back on the ground, pulling the teen to kneel on his thighs. The man's arms wound around his captive's waist as his mouth wandered lower, sucking and licking. He delighted in the boy's response to his touch. It made Dom want to make his captive shake and moan in pleasure. It was strange for the lord, who normally wanted to bring more pain than pleasure to his bed partners and then comfort them after. Sometimes things felt backwards with his pet. Dominik didn't worry over it, however. The boy was his to use however he wanted, even if that meant the teen would enjoy being used. Dom reminded himself he didn't truly care about what the boy felt, that the prisoner was just a pet.

Dominik leaned down to capture a rapidly hardening nipple in his mouth, giving it a hard suck.

Edan cried out softly, throwing his head back from the sensation. His body trembled and he found himself thinking of how much he enjoyed having the lord's mouth on him, licking and biting. The thought startled him, but he didn't pull away, enjoying the moment too much to do anything but try to remember how to breathe.

The caravan had passed by, no eyes were on them as Lord Dominik swept his lips across the boy's chest to capture the other pebbled pink nipple in his mouth. He nibbled gently, enjoying the soft sounds falling from Edan's lips. He pulled back for a moment, looking at the young man in his arms. Even bruised and traumatized, his captive was beautiful. Tousled blond locks fell around turquoise eyes like precious gems. Dominik held those eyes as he brushed his thumb across Edan's tight nipple.

The teen stared at the lord, his lips parted as soft panting breaths left his mouth. The way the man was looking at him right then was strange, but it wasn't a frightening look, so he didn't look away. Edan felt a shiver run through him from the intense gaze of his Master and he found himself thinking of how handsome Dominik was, which made him blush.

"I think we need to stretch you a bit before you get back on the horse, hmm?"

The lord's voice was a sultry purr as he pushed Edan back onto a patch of soft grass. The teen was suddenly reminded of his naked state as cool blades of grass brushed his warm skin, making him shiver.

Dominik grasped the boy's foot, his thumb rubbing into the arch. Edan's leg was straightened and lifted so the heel hooked on the larger man's shoulder. Dom leaned forward, pushing the teen's slender leg into a stretch until the older man's crotch was pressed to Edan's.

Edan gasped, his eyes wide as he gazed up at the lord. A soft moan left his lips without his permission, making him wonder why he was reacting in such a way.

"Feel a nice stretch?" Dom asked wickedly, pressing forward a little harder.

The moan was louder this time, wrenching from Edan's throat. He threw his head back and closed his eyes, unable to believe how he was acting.

Dominik shifted, letting Edan's leg slide down. He lifted the other foot with one hand, unfastening his pants with the other. The teen's heel was hooked over his shoulder as Dom's cock, hot and hard, sprung out to slap against Edan's inner thigh. When Dominik leaned forward, their lengths lined up as the boy felt a delicious pull in the sore muscles of his leg.

Edan gasped again as he looked down his body, but this time out of fear instead of pleasure. He had almost forgotten how big the lord's member was and seeing it again made his stomach knot in dread. Was the man going to take him for the first time right then, out in the open for everyone to see!?

"W-wait, please..." Edan whimpered, staring up at the lord's face.

That scarred brow lifted in what was quickly becoming a familiar expression, but he paused. He didn't pull back, but he didn't press their erections tighter together. Surprisingly, he didn't look angry either, simply curious.

Edan was terrified of making the man angry again, especially when he was in such a vulnerable position. He had just been offered his clothes back as well and didn't want to lose the privilege. The boy bit his lip nervously, but finally spoke.

"I-I don't want the first time to be outside..." he mumbled, looking away from the lord's face.

"You want a bed with silk sheets?" the lord asked teasingly. "Flower petals strewn about?"

Edan blushed and shook his head, feeling foolish.

"N-no, it's just..." he trailed off, not bothering to finish his sentence because he knew it wouldn't matter what he said; Dominik would do what he wanted, when he wanted to do it. Nothing Edan said would stop it.

Dominik let the boy's leg fall to the side as he leaned forward. His palms rested on the grass to either side of Edan's head. The lord rolled his hips, rubbing their cocks together as he grinned down at his captive.

"I could do that for you," Dom purred. "I'm not some wild young buck that can't reign himself in for a few days." Dominik nuzzled Edan's throat, his cock throbbing with every beat of his heart. "Would you like that, pet? A warm soft bed for me to fuck you in?"

Edan stared up at the man and nodded quickly.

"I-I would like that very much," he spoke quietly, lowering his eyes.

It wasn't the prospect of being in a bed the first time he was taken that he was agreeing to, it was the fact that it would be a "few days" before it happened. Just the thought of being raped by the lord's huge cock made Edan feel like he was going to vomit. If he could prolong the wait for the horrible experience, even for a few days, it would be worth it. Maybe he could even figure out some way to escape before it happened.

Lord Dominik's arousal surged at the admission from the boy beneath him.

His pet wanted to be fucked... in Dom's bed.

He ground his hips down, rubbing himself roughly against the teen.

"And if I allow this... reprieve, you'll come willingly to my bed?" Dominik growled, his thick cock sliding against the teen's. "Submit to whatever I want? Act the proper whore for me?"

Edan swallowed hard, but nodded again, willing to agree to anything if it would give him a few days to make a plan.

"Yes, M-Master," he responded obediently. "Whatever you want."

Dom groaned loudly, his hips pumping faster against his captive. The man suddenly stopped, grunting as Edan felt wet warmth splash against him. The teen stared down at his body covered in the lord's cum, feeling dirty and very much like a whore right then. He felt his cheeks blush and he quickly covered his face with trembling hands.

"Shhhh," the lord hushed, kissing the back of the boy's knuckles.

He moved downward, pressing soft kisses against Edan's fair skin. When Dominik reached the seed he'd spilled, his warm tongue snuck forward to lick clean his captive's flesh. Edan squirmed under the man's mouth, trying not to think about how good it felt when the lord's tongue moved against his skin.

Edan's turquoise eyes opened wide but unseeing as Lord Dominik's seeking mouth found his erection. His captor suckled on the head for a moment before taking Edan's flesh deeper, past his warm lips. The teen gasped loudly, his hands fisting in the grass underneath him as pleasure flooded his senses. His back arched and his hips bucked subconsciously as a moan tore from his throat.

Dom chuckled, causing vibrations that made Edan cry out desperately and thrust instinctively. The lord couldn't help but smirk before speeding up the pace set by Edan. The older man took absolute delight in wringing such delicious reactions from his captive.

Sucking hard on the tip made Edan squeak adorably. Taking him down to the root made the boy's moans drop in pitch, throaty and seductive. A hint of teeth dragged across the shaft made Edan gasp and shiver.

All while Lord Dominik watched the teen with the hungry eyes of a predator.

Edan's mind seemed to go blank as the lord pleasured him. All he could think about was the amazing feelings rushing through his body. It felt so good he could hardly breathe. Noises that didn't sound like him came from his mouth and he vaguely realized how shameful he was acting, but the pleasure was too great to be worried about that right then. Nothing seemed important except for his Master's hot mouth.

Dominik pulled back, his calloused fingers closing over Edan's erection and pumping it. He grinned as his hand was quickly slicked by fluid leaking from the flushed tip. He pulled his gaze up to his captive's face. The teen's cheeks were a warm pink that spread down to his heaving chest. The lord couldn't resist catching one pebbled nipple in his mouth and giving it a nip.

"Do you want this, pet?" Dominik asked, his voice low and rough. "Do you like what I do to you?"

Edan gasped and found himself nodding frantically.

"Y-yes... I w-want it," the boy stammered out, not even completely sure what words were coming out of his mouth at that moment. He had a brief thought that he would agree to anything as long as the lord continued touching him.

"Tell me who you belong to." Dominik's hand moved faster, his emerald eyes locked on Edan's face.

"Y-you, Master!" Edan gasped out, so lost in his bliss he couldn't think straight.

"Such a sweet little whore," Lord Dominik purred in an affectionate tone that clashed with his crude words.

The man's raven head dipped down to catch Edan's cock between his lips again. He sucked hard, rubbing his warm tongue up and down his captive's shaft as his head bobbed quickly.

Edan cried out loudly, his voice carrying through the trees and sending birds scattering. His body spasmed as he came into the lord's mouth, leaving him limp and motionless when the overwhelming orgasm finally stopped.

Dominik kept sucking until Edan began squirming with discomfort. He pulled back, licking his lips, then leaned close to the teen.

"Kiss me," the lord whispered.

Edan hesitated for a moment, but then tentatively leaned forward to meet the man's lips with his own. Dominick's mouth immediately opened, his tongue finding its way into Edan's mouth. Edan could taste his own seed on the man's tongue, but the taste didn't bother him as much as it had before when he had to lick the lord's fingers clean. The teen found himself leaning into the kiss as it deepened, pressing his body closer to the large, muscled one above him.

Edan wasn't sure why he kissed Dominick so willingly, in fact he complied to the man's demand so freely that it actually startled him. But the boy couldn't deny that there was something that he liked about the lord's kisses. There was something about the man's mouth that actually made him want to kiss him.

A soft whimper escaped Edan's lips at the sudden thought and he pulled back slightly, his eyes wide with disbelief of his own actions.

"You tempt me into surprising things," Dominik said thoughtfully.

He stroked his thumb across the boy's soft cheek and smiled before pulling himself to his feet. He offered Edan a hand up.

Edan blinked at the man's hand for a few seconds before sliding his much smaller one into Dominik's and looking up at the lord. Edan was pulled up so quickly, his head spun a little. He blinked and found himself wrapped in strong arms. The lord gave his captive a gentle squeeze before letting the boy stand on his own unsteady legs. Dom whistled as he picked up Edan's borrowed clothes, shaking them to clean them off a bit. The man crouched, holding out the skirt for Edan to step into.

The boy murmured a soft thank you and gingerly reached out to place his hand on Dominick's shoulder to steady himself. As he lifted his foot to step into the skirt, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked up and was startled to see one of the lord's soldiers watching them from behind a tree. The man's eyes locked with Edan's and the boy felt a cold chill run up his spine. He sucked in a startled breath and stumbled as he lost his balance slightly.

Rough hands were there to steady him, seemingly oblivious to Edan's shock. The lord stood, then helped the teen into the borrowed blouse as well. Dominik gave Edan a peck on the forehead and a roguish grin before leading the younger man back to the horse, who was happily enjoying the break.

The soldier caught Dom's eye when he was reaching down to pull Edan up onto the saddle in front of him.

"Harold!" the lord called as he situated Edan on the pillow. "I suppose your captain sent you to be my nursemaid."

"I saw you nursing on something, Lord Dominik, but it wasn't anything of mine," the soldier replied with a grating laugh, his muddy brown eyes raking over Edan.

Edan blushed deeply and quickly looked away from the man's unnerving gaze, unsure of why it was bothering him so much.

"You're not doing a very good job as a guard if you're ogling my pet and not watching for danger," the lord observed with a frown.

"Of course, my lord." The grin melted from his face. "Apologies."

Dominik didn't know why the thought of the soldier's eyes on Edan as he'd found his pleasure bothered Dom so much. It made him want to punch Harold in the throat, which was ridiculous.

Dominik still tucked his little captive to his side, away from the soldier.

Edan subconsciously pressed himself closer to Lord Dominik, trying to distance himself from the odd man. He glanced up at his master, secretly grateful that the man scolded the soldier for watching them.

Dom's strong arm held the teen close, and they were off. They trotted quickly toward the disappearing caravan. Harold had to scurry to his own horse to catch up.

When the soldier was abreast of them, he spoke.

"Lord, I deeply apologize if I offered offense."

"It's fine, Harold." Dominik sighed, then gave the soldier a tight smile. "I'm sorry if I was short with you. If I do things out in the open, I should expect that someone might see." He rubbed his temple. "Being away from home is vexing. I shouldn't take it out on others."

Edan sat quietly as he listened to the two men talk. He glanced back slightly to look at Lord Dominik's face when the man spoke of his home, wondering if perhaps the lord felt uncomfortable being away from his land. It seemed impossible to Edan that the intimidating man could be afraid of anything, he seemed to exude confidence, but perhaps there were different sides of Dominik that the boy had yet to see.

Lord Dominik was chatting easily with Harold by the time they caught up with the wagons. He took the good-natured ribbing from his men with a smile. Edan was cringing, however, glad to at least be clothed again.

The creepy soldier, Harold, stayed close. His conversation with Lord Dominik was relaxed, but Edan winced whenever the soldier's cold eyes cut to him. It kept the boy on edge. He didn't even leave when they took breaks to allow Edan to stretch his legs and snack.

By the time they reached the next camp, Edan was strung tight with uneasy tension.

Dominik slid from the horse while Edan clung to the horse's midnight mane and prayed he wouldn't fall. The lord held his arms out to the nervous blond.

"Come on then, pet."

Edan hesitated, looking down at Dominik's outstretched hands to make sure that the man would catch him. He slowly began to slide off the horse's back, but then suddenly lost his grip and fell. The teen let out an embarrassing squeak of surprise before he was quickly scooped up into strong arms.

"Poor thing," Dominik murmured with a crooked smile as Edan clung to him. "I think Shade's a bit tall for you." He dropped a peck on the crown of the boy's head. "Though I do enjoy holding you while we ride. Even if it is a distracting temptation."

Edan felt himself blush from the man's words even though he tried his best not to. It confused him when he reacted this way to Dominik's affections. He wasn't supposed to like the things the lord said about him. It wasn't right.

The lord was oblivious to his captive's thoughts as he carried him through the camp. People bustled around, setting up tents and taking care of horses. Kethel had taken Dominik's horse, Shade, again. Away from the activity, Dom set Edan down on a log in a quiet corner.

"Stay here, pet." The tall warrior leaned down to kiss the boy's forehead. "I have things to attend to. I'll see if Kethel can come and keep an eye on you. Don't wander off." He ruffled the teen's curls. "There's a lake nearby and there might be bunyips around."

Edan watched Dominik walk away, wondering what the man was talking about. He glanced around at the trees hoping that the commotion of the people in the camp would keep any kind of creatures at bay. The small teen wrapped his arms around himself for comfort, feeling very out of place in the dense cluster of trees surrounding him.

Edan didn't see a bunyip while he nervously scanned the area around him. The horse-tailed, dog-faced beast the size of a pony was generally considered a myth. He heard eerie yips and howls from the forest, though. It made him shiver.

When he heard someone pushing aside branches, coming toward him, the boy sagged with relief. Even with all the terrible things Lord Dominik had said about Kethel that morning, Edan would still feel safer with the young soldier around. But it wasn't Kethel who had come to look after him.

Harold grinned as he loomed over Edan.

"Miss me?" the soldier growled.