The Big Bad Wolf

A new face enters the camp and with him a thrum of excitement seems to spread amongst the men. A hubub of excited voices and renewed vigour carries through the encampment like smoke on the wind. I watch the exchange between the stranger and the commander; which ends with Ayris nodding his approval and appearing to seal some sort of deal that has the men roaring with jubilation. I turn my head back towards him and our eyes lock. Shit. He's caught me red handed eavesdropping, even though I couldn't even make out a word that was said. Panic shoots through me and my face heats with embarrassment; and annoyingly, with lust. Every time he looks into my eyes I remember how we were together in my dreams, so tender with one another and so consumed with desire. My heart beats rapidly and I feel my core clench. Damnit. Does my vagina not realise that it was only a dream? And also hello the guy is clearly mentally unhinged, why are you doing somersaults for a guy that has major anger issues and literally hates you.

My vagina doesn't seem to care. She knows what she wants and I curse her internally for it before dashing back inside the tent, my confused core aching with need for a man it can't have. I sit beside Sunam; the healer, praying Ayris doesn't stride over here and berate me once again. I can imagine sobbing whilst being perpetually aroused by the person upsetting you is a real mindfuck and honestly I'm not keen to find out what thats like.

"That man out there seems to be bringing good news?" I question, as I pour myself and Sunam some tea. He nods and takes the cup from me

"That is Saul, the men are always happy to see him"

"Why?"

"He is the owner of several bordellos in neighbouring villages not far from here"

"Bordellos?" I question, feeling stupid for not knowing what that means.

Sunam nods, and appears to be searching for the right words.

"Whorehouses" he states.

The tea I was so delicately sipping has now been spat across the ground.

"So... the men are heading into town to sleep with prostitutes?" I question. I'm not sure I can bring myself to say 'whores'. Sex work is still valid work and I'm not judging anyone for it.

"No, the women will come here, Saul won't want to risk turning away regular customers in favour of allowing Ayris's men to fill one of his establishments, so he'll send a selection of women from each bordello and they'll set up a tent here. That way he can still have regular trade in the whorehouse as well as the agreement he has in place with the commander"

A tent? Like, a big; giant sex tent? Honestly that sounds like a horrific idea, tents are hardly soundproof. Also what happens then? Do the men get in a big line and wait their turn or is it like a big orgy where everyone does it at the same time? I have so many questions but I don't want Sunam to think I'm a massive creep, so I just nod in acknowledgement, unsure what to say next and just casually sip my tea, as if discussing a big sex tent full of soldiers is the most natural thing in the world.

Honestly this place just keeps getting stranger.

After all the tea I've drank it should be no great surprise that my bladder now feels as if its going to explode. Sunam agrees to escort me outside to find somewhere to relieve myself, and I hesitate at the doorway to his tent. Partially from embarrassment at the thought that a strange man (as nice as he seems) is taking me to find somewhere to pee, but also I don't want to risk making Ayris angry again. I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to leave the tent after what transpired the other night.

After Sunam's assurance that I can't be expected to pee in the tent, I reluctantly slip outside and follow him through the camp.

I catch a few of the men eyeing me as we stroll past tents and open fires, snippets of lewd and vulgar conversations about the 'pleasure tent' filter to my ears and I wrinkle my nose in distaste. Sunam is stopped by one of the men and I find myself rooted behind him, as he gives the soldier some advice regarding a red and angry looking cut to his eyebrow. The man's gaze briefly flits in my direction, before returning to Sunam. As I wait patiently for their exchange to wrap up I catch the sound of voices somewhere behind our position.

"You think its coincidence that Saul shows up the day after she lands in camp?" a deep male voice questions "She'll end up in the tent and then he'll take her back to one of the whorehouses"

"We can all have a go on her before she leaves. A feeble human would need some serious breaking in, even one as round as her. I'll be amazed if she could even take a shifter's cock. Hope she's good with her mouth"

They both erupt into laughter and the colour drains from my face as I realise they have to be talking about me. I turn and see the culprits as they walk past us, a smug grin plastered on their faces as they spot me; one of them even having the audacity to wink at me as he passes. My belly rolls and I feel my shoulders prickle as I realise everything they've said is probably true. Ayris can't bare to look at me. It makes sense that he'd want rid of me, I don't belong in a military camp and given the less than chivalrous attitudes of the men I've encountered here so far I'm guessing they probbaly don't think highly enough of women to see them as anything more than a placeholder for their penis.

Oh the irony. The woman who's so inexperienced she couldn't even convince her own fiance to touch her is now going to be sent to work in a brothel. Honestly, I'd probably laugh if my situation wasn't so tragic.

I'm pulled from my thoughts by Sunam, who guides me to the treeline and shows me where I can go to relieve myself and I scurry off without a word. Thankfully he keeps his distance and I'm able to do my business with only limited feelings of embarrassment. As I straighten out my clothes I weigh up my options; stay here and risk being sent to work in a brothel, or take my chances in the forest. I scurry as quietly as possible through the trees and make a dash for it, my feet padding wildly against the crisp leaves and twigs on the forest floor. I curse my lack of planning, as I realise I have no supplies or even extra clothes to keep me warm, but its too late to worry about that now. A howl rips me from my thoughts and the threads of panic that had begun to weave their way along my shoulder blades are now rippling down my spine and I stop with a jolt as I realise the noise was most definitely coming from somewhere in front of me.

I have no time to think of a strategy as something begins to emerge from the trees. A beast the size of which I can't even begin comprehend, a wolf, but so large that it towers above me, despite being on all fours. Fur so black I struggle to make out its features, all except the gold eyes that almost seem to glow as they lock upon me. I stand frozen, unable to barely breathe as the beast stalks towards me, eyeing me up as if it means to devour me. My eyes close and I can do nothing but wait for the inevitable as tears begin to roll down my cheeks.

I stumble in shock as I feel the beast's tongue lathe its way from my jaw, stroking upwards towards my eyes, almost as if its trying to lap my tears away, and I fall backwards, landing on my backside with a thud. The beast follows my motions and continues to lap at any and all exposed skin with its tongue, stroking down my neck, across my chest and back up towards the other side of my jaw, until its completely coated me in its saliva. Once satisfied it lowers down on its haunches and studies me. Glowing eyes never once blinking or looking away, as I sit on my sore bottom, unable to snatch my eyes away. Its ebony fur catches gently in the breeze that filters between the trees, and for the first time I notice its neck and front paws are saturated in something dark and viscous.

Blood, you idiot. Its probably been hunting. I pray to whoever is up there listening that maybe the wolf has had his fill, and he's really not looking for a Laurel shaped meal right now, but I realise my chances are slim. The beast rises and my heartrate is rapid as I watch it begin to pace around me in a wide circle. My mouth gapes as it begins to mark the perimeter by peeing as it stalks around me. The beast strides towards me and I gasp as it looms over me, its body so large its able to stand over my sitting frame with no effort, and forces me to lay on my back on the grass, encaging me within its paws. It then lowers itself to the side of me before resting a black, gore-drenched paw over my stomach. There's no doubt now that the metallic stench that invades my nostrils is the blood coating its fur. The streaks of red now brushed across the shirt given to me in the healer's tent. And then the beast lets out a soft rumbling noise before closing its eyes in what seems to be peaceful contentment.