Kidnapped for the Auction

Rowan - Home Truths

Rowan woke up feeling too warm again. Instead of shoving Perin away this time she just lay under his arm, wondering what the day would bring. He had spooned up against her, his arm curled at her waist and she could feel that he was hard against her backside. She was rather ashamed to admit that it was not entirely unpleasant, at least whilst she knew that he wouldn’t be expecting to do anything with it. It felt big like the rest of him and the idea of s*x with him, particularly for her first time, was intimidating.

She had realised yesterday that she was going to be here for a while, not just a couple of weeks, but most likely months. She was going to have to wait and watch for an opportunity to escape, and that wouldn’t come until she was trusted and allowed to roam freely. She knew that this meant she would have to act like Perin’s wife for this to happen, so would eventually have to have s*x with him and probably let him bite her.

She was lucky though, Perin had said that he wouldn’t force her into anything, and she believed him. Despite the fact that he had purchased her in a slave auction, and was a blood drinking monster, he was actually a decent guy. And he was good looking. She has felt that last night; the attraction to him.

Even though what he might be frightened her, and she resented the idea of his “ownership” of her, there was a pull towards him, and every time he did something kind or thoughtful towards her it grew stronger. Must be Stockholm Syndrome she told herself, and started to ease herself out from under his arm.

She had just gotten to the point where she could slip out of the bed, when he shifted position and gathered her back to his chest again. He mumbled something intelligible, and she felt his lips brush the back of her neck. She tensed ready to leap away; was he going to try and bite her?

No, it would seem that he was just dreaming, as he quickly relaxed and started breathing evenly again. She didn’t know how long she lay there awake, feeling his warm body against hers and listening to his steady breaths.

Eventually, he began to shift restlessly and she knew he was awake when he apologised sleepily and rolled away from her back to his side of the bed. She stayed put, watching him as he got up and padded to the bathroom in his boxers; he really did have a fantastic body.

She waited until he had come out and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt before she got out of bed to perform her own ablutions.

She joined him about 10 minutes later, having dressed in some of her new jeans and a cream fine-knit jumper. He was already making his breakfast at the stove, scrambling some eggs whilst bacon sizzled in the pan next to them.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked her. “I’ll have to do a food shop today, I don’t have much in. Do you want to come?”

“Yes.” She said; what else would she do? Just sit around waiting? That was a point, what was she meant to do when he went back to work next week? Just stay locked in these rooms?

He finished cooking his breakfast and swiftly transferred it to a waiting plate. She spotted a box of muesli on the counter and reached for it, figuring cereal would be the quickest and easiest thing to have. She looked around for bowls and Perin reached into a cupboard on his way to the table and handed one to her.

“Spoons in that drawer there.” He said, pointing with his fork. “Milk in fridge.” He was grinning at her now.

“Thanks,” she said, semi-sarcastically. She made her breakfast and sat down opposite him, both of them eating in silence.

“I need a coffee, then we can go to the shop. Do you want one?” He got up, taking his plate over to the sink.

“Tea for me please.” She said, and he busied himself with the kettle. The domestic scene that was occurring here was at real odds with the situation, it was easy to forget sometimes that she was a prisoner here. Was this how it had started with the women who were here? Was this her becoming brainwashed in some way?

She finished her food and cup of tea, then watched him do a few bits of washing up and put a load of laundry in before he said he was ready to go shopping. Once again he led her through the corridors to the lift, and she was pleased to see that she actually recognised where they were, meaning her escape was just a tiny bit closer.

It was already dusk when they reached the supermarket, and Rowan guessed that it must be about 6.30 pm. They got a trolley and entered the store, Rowan initially just staying next to Perin unsure if he would want her input. He kept asking her what she thought about items or if she liked certain foods, and she quickly realised that he was happy to give her free rein on what they bought.

So far in her adult life there had never been a time when she didn’t have to be careful what she spent, so she revelled in being able to just put things in the trolley without checking prices. Usually she bought the cheapest stuff she could; a single newly qualified nurse made a pittance, and she often had to go without when a bill needed paying.

Perin smiled at her as she added a Mango and some Cherries, seeming faintly amused at her excitement at fresh fruit. They talked easily as they perused the aisles, and Rowan noticed several women eyeing him appreciatively as they passed. He was unrelentingly attentive to her though, which would have been flattering if it were not so worrying; he obviously really felt like she was his.

Is that really so bad? A traitorous little voice whispered from the back of her mind. Shut up Stockholm Syndrome!

They finally got to the checkout, and Rowan felt guilty about how much she had just cost him by her indulgent choices, but he didn’t bat an eyelid at the total, quickly paying with his card and wheeling their purchases to the carpark.

She tried to help him carry the bags to the car, but he took them from her with a frown.

“What?” she asked him, reaching for another bag.

“You don’t have to carry anything,” he said. “I can manage these.”

“And you don’t have to try and be a gentleman, I’m happy to help.”

He gave her a look that said he was going to carry everything regardless, and continued gathering the bags.

“Besides,” she continued wryly, “it’s hard for me to watch the elderly struggle without offering assistance.”

“I’ll give you elderly!” he growled, and transferring the bags into just one hand, he quickly bent and grabbed her around the back of her thighs hefting her onto his shoulder. She shrieked in surprise, then started to laugh as he jogged over towards the car.

He deposited her back on her feet by the passenger door, both of them breathless and grinning.

“Let me put these in the boot,” he said turning away to the back of the car, whilst she got in and put on her seatbelt. She realised then that for a few moments she had forgotten about the situation; she hadn’t even been looking for opportunities to escape when he had turned his back on her to load the car. It wouldn’t have worked anyway, she told herself, if she had ran at that moment then she wouldn’t have gotten far enough away for him to not catch her immediately.

Back in the compound, they took the shopping back to the apartment, Perin still refusing to let her carry anything. Once they arrived at the apartment they put things away, Rowan learning where things were in the kitchen, and she started to wonder what they would do for the rest of the evening. Usually if she had spare time she would go for a run, or maybe drive out to the woods to walk, but it would be dark now so outside activities didn’t appeal, and she wasn’t ready to go back to the gym after her experience yesterday.

“What do you do to relax around here?” she asked him once order had been restored to the kitchen.

“I go to the gym…” he said, raising his eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Nothing else?”

“I sometimes go to bars, but usually only to feed.”  His expression darkened at that statement and she wondered why; surely feeding was pleasurable for him? It should be the person getting bitten who would be the one to complain.

“When are you going out to feed?” she asked him, suddenly serious.

“I’m ok for the moment,” he replied. “I will go after the meal with my parents.”

“Ok.” As long as he was still planning to go elsewhere for it, it was fine by her. Although it did seem wrong somehow that she knew that he was planning to go out and hurt someone without doing anything to stop it.

“How will you do it?” she blurted, unable to keep the disgust from her voice.

“What do you mean?” He asked with a frown.

 “Will you just drag someone off the street?”

“To feed from?” He asked incredulously. “No!” He paused for a beat.  “Do you really want to know?” He seemed reluctant to tell her, and she wondered how bad it could be.

“Yes, I want to know.” She said, steeling herself for the worst; this was something she needed to know.

“Ok. I will go to a bar, looking for a reasonably inebriated woman, then get talking to her.”

“You attack drunk women?!” she interjected. Oh god, he really was a disgusting monster!

“I will go back to hers with her,” he continued, ignoring her outburst. “and spend a large part of the night pleasuring her in whatever way she sees fit. When she is suitably aroused and unaware I will quickly feed, disguising it as a lovebite and pretending that I’m as aroused as she is. Then I leave as soon as I can without arousing suspicion.”

He said it all dispassionately, but she could see that there were some strong emotions underlying his neutral delivery. It was obvious that he didn’t enjoy it, but what man didn’t enjoy casual s*x? Especially with the bonus of a free meal.

“You take advantage of drunk women for s*x and food?” Surely he could see how wrong that was?

“I take advantage of nothing!” he snapped, suddenly indignant. “I don’t force them to do anything! When they take someone back to their homes they are making themselves vulnerable to violence or theft from a stranger. If I’m that stranger then they are not going to be hurt, get to keep their possessions, and more often than not they are the ones making the demands!” He was flushed and angry, appearing disgusted with the whole thing.

“Then why do it like that if you don’t enjoy it?” she asked him.

“What’s the alternative?” he demanded. “Grab people off the street. Then I really would be the monster you think me!” He turned away from her and crossed the room, his jaw clenched tight.

She frowned at him, realising that she had lost this argument. It must be awful, soul destroying even, to have to go out and do something you hated for food. If she really thought about it, he was basically prostituting himself. 

She looked over at him as he started pacing and saw him through new eyes; he was a parasite, unable to live without a host, but he had conscience enough to know it. She suddenly felt incredibly sorry for him but it didn’t excuse him holding her here.

“I’m sorry,” she found herself saying. “I hadn’t realised the realities of your life.”

“I’m sorry.” He said shortly. “I shouldn’t have expected you to understand.”

There was an awkward silence as they both stayed their opposite sides of the room, not quite knowing how to bridge this latest divide between them.

“What time are we expected at your parents tomorrow?”  asked Rowan eventually, more to change the subject than anything else.

“Around 3.30,” he replied, making visible effort to come across pleasantly.  “My mother is desperate to meet you.”

“Really?” Rowan replied. How pleased was his mother going to be when she left her son high and dry at the earliest opportunity?

“Oh yeah. She has been hinting that I should hurry up and fulfil my duty of providing her with grandchildren for a while now!” He rolled his eyes and smiled bitterly, but she could see that his earlier bleak mood was dissipating.

However, grandchildren? This was getting a little too serious again, time for another subject change.

“Tell me about your brother.”

“Not much to tell. He works as a computer programmer, and has a lot to do with the compound’s online security processes. Total geek, but super smart. He annoys the hell out of me most of the time, which I guess is part of the job description of a little brother. He’s alright though, really.”  Perin grinned suddenly. “He was going to bid on you at the auction actually.”

Wow. Ok, now that was uncomfortable. It was obviously written all over her face how weird that sounded because Perin laughed.

“It’s not like that! Anyway, it was really your own fault!” He was still grinning at her as she felt white-hot anger at his words!

“My own fault!” she shrieked. “I had no choices about being taken from my bed in the middle of the night, no choice in what I wore , or…”

“You really don’t know, do you?” he interrupted.

“Know what?” she demanded angrily; she was getting pretty sick of “not knowing” things!  

“The night of the auction it wasn’t anything to do with your dress. You were keeping your head down and trying to be inconspicuous but all you did was make them wonder about you. You became a mystery to be solved.”

He couldn’t be serious. Men didn’t really think like that, did they?

“Maybe I’m talking too much,” he said when she just sat frowning at him. “What do you want to talk about now?”

“I don’t know,” she said, glad for another subject change. “Maybe have a cup of tea?”

“That would be nice. Milk, no sugar please.”

“You’re expecting me to make them?” she asked, disbelievingly.  

“Yep.” He said cheerfully. “This is your home now, so can’t keep acting like a guest forever.”

The audacity of him! Not only a prisoner, she was expected to serve him tea as well! She continued along this train of thought until she saw him trying to hide his grin and realised that he was winding her up on purpose.

“Mugs are in that cupboard,” he pointed out pompously and she was tempted to throw one at him.

It turned out to be quite a pleasant afternoon, or after midnight if she was being accurate. Perin teased her and took her returning jibes in good humour. He kept the subject matter light; careful not to get into anything that reminded her of the earlier discussion about how he got his sustenance or her captivity.  

They were making a lasagne later when she realised that they were actually becoming friends. Be it Stockholm syndrome, or maybe just the fact that he was being pleasant and engaging, but she realised that she was enjoying spending time with him. He seemed pleased that they were getting along, and if things continued like this it was going to be hard for her to remember the situation, and stay focused and vigilant for routes of escape.  

After they had their meal, they watched another movie, and it was soon time for them to go to bed. Lying awake after the lights went out, Rowan wondered if anyone had started looking for her yet. She would have missed two shifts by now; would anyone have been to her house to check on her? Would they have called the police, or would they just assume she couldn’t hack it and had decided to quit?

Perin shifted his leg and brushed hers, distracting her from her reverie. The last thoughts she had before sleep claimed her; what am I going to do?