Servant of the Undead

"What did you find out?"

The leather straps she bound his legs with were reddish-brown and about an inch thick. It was obvious by the efficient way her fingers worked the straps into knots, she had experience with tethering. Once the straps were secure, she tugged on the binds. "You'll be able to walk fine. They're only there to keep you from running."

He moved his legs, testing the limits of the binds. "Where would I run to?"

"You're crafty, Researcher." She ran her fingers down his neck. "You might think you could build a dog sled and take off through the woods."

"Where are we?"

"See? That's what I mean." She tapped her temple. "You're always thinking." Then she pushed herself off the bed, crossed the room to take a loop of keys from a hook. "Why don't you do us some good and start thinking something useful for a change." She unlocked the chain from the wall then hooked the padlock on one of the hooks embedded into the wall.

"You never did tell me what you found out in the library, before I interrupted you."

He got up, adjusted the chain so it hung behind him, and walked alongside the bed. The tethers were manageable. "Interrupted? That's what you're calling it?"

"I don't remember you complaining."

If only he'd known.

But looking back, even if he had, he may have fucked her anyway.

No. Not maybe.

"Tell me," she said. "What did you find out?"

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the cover over his thighs and cock. "Are you seriously asking? You know because you're proof of it."

She hung the keys then wiggled the drawer, wood squeaking until it was closed. "Tell me anyway," she said, perching herself on the table and placing her feet on the seat of the chair.

He described the tracker he'd read about, how the man followed the tribe into the woods and watched them train those freshly turned how to acquire servants to live off the sex. After she prompted him, he told her about the drawings, and the details of the sex rituals. She asked for more. "That really is all of it," he said.

She hopped down, walked to the window.

Hayden got up and tugged on the chain. The metal rubbed against floor. "Can you take this off?"

She shook her head, gaze still fixed on something outside. "I wanted to know—" A rap on the door stopped her. She shoved Hayden back onto the bed then pulled the door open a few inches.

"It's time," a voice came through the narrow opening.

"I told him we were coming."

"Just doing what I'm told, Mattie."

"We're coming, Oscar. Tell him that." She pushed the door closed. "Matthew wants to meet you."

"I want to see Rachelle."

"You will." She went to the closet, pulled out a fur cloak, threw it at him. "Put that on." She ran looked him over. "Unless you'd rather go naked. Which I'm totally okay with."

Hayden threw the cloak over his shoulders then lifted the chain over it. The softened hide caressed his skin as he covered his body. She wrapped a cloak around herself.

"Why bother?" he asked.

"Ice is bad for the skin after a while."

"No kidding," he asked, smirking.

She stood by the open door. "Give me the end of the chain."

"You're not serious?"

"You want the others to know you're mine." She held out her hand. He handed her the last few links. His boots were by the door. She waited while he lifted the tethers and put them on.

They moved out into the night.