Female Prey & the Elusive Prey (21 page)

“What are you thinking?” Alpha asked.

“Oh, nothing…” Kimberley shook her head. “Just…why do you keep calling me ‘elf-girl’?”

His hand brushed her ear, making her shiver. “These,” he answered. “The first day I saw you, they made me think of elves.”

He hadn’t struck her as the kind to think of elves…or even to know about them. She looked at him closely. No, he wasn’t kidding or teasing her. She had been teased about her ears plenty of times when she was a kid, and she could tell.

“Oh.”

They sat next to each other in silence for a while. A hawk was overhead, soaring in slow, lazy circles as it searched for a meal. Somewhere out in the lake, a fish jumped.

“The boat will be here soon.” Alpha broke the silence. “They’ll have clothes for you to wear.”

Kimberley nodded absently. She was still trying to get used to the idea that she was free now. If she wanted, she could get up, walk around, even go for a swim in the lake. No, scratch swimming. That lake was just too damned cold. Even if she was free, she rather suspected that one of the things she really would like to do right now was out of the question. She wanted to grab Alpha, kiss him, fuck his brains out right here on the dock. She might be free, but Alpha probably wasn’t. The dock was in sight of the lodge, too. If she did anything, and Alpha let her, someone might see. It might get Alpha into trouble. She took one long breath, held it, let it out in a long sigh.

“Here,” Alpha went on, “You should have this back.” He held it out to her. Kimberley recognized her survival knife. She thought that it had been fed to the fire along with everything else she’d taken into the woods with her. She looked into Alpha’s eyes again.

“Take it,” he urged her. “It’s a good knife.” She looked at it in his hand, remembering clearly the day she was trying to pull it out to stab at him with it. He turned it, and she could see, etched neatly into the hilt: ‘Elf-girl”. There was no doubt in her mind that he’d done that himself. She started to reach for it, then stopped.

“So, I get to keep a souvenir?”

“Well, yes. I guess you could call it that.”

“And what about you? Do you get to keep one? Or is that against the rules?”

He thought about it for a moment, then laughed. “I don’t think that the rules cover that.”

Kimberley smiled. She closed his fingers around the hilt of the knife. “You keep this.” She almost whispered to him. “I want something else for my souvenir.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” He looked at her suspiciously.

“This.” He had laid the chains and handcuffs on the dock after he’d taken them off of her. Kimberley picked up the chain. The padlock was still on it. “Plus the key, of course.”

“Of course.” He fished around in his shirt pocket, and pulled out the key. “Here.”

Kimberley stuck the key into the padlock, and laid it and the chain on the dock next to her. She leaned against Alpha, smiling. They stayed like that, not talking, until the long-awaited boat came into view as it rounded a bend. Alpha had kept his arm around her all the time, and as the boat drew nearer, he gave her an almost imperceptible hug and stood up.

“See ya, elf-girl.” He saluted her with the knife, smiling.

“See ya, Alpha,” she replied, smiling back, enjoying the puzzled look on his face just before he turned and strode away along the dock. She watched him go until he went back into the cabin and out of her sight. She heard someone call to her from the boat.

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

“Hey…hey! Hold up a minute, will you?”

Kimberley stopped and turned around. Barbara was lagging well behind her, trying to catch up.

“Fine example of a fitness-center manager you are!” Kimberley grinned. “What’s the matter? You that out of shape?”

“Ha.” Barbara puffed as she drew nearer. “And ‘ha’ again. How much does this freakin’ pack weigh? Fifty, sixty pounds? I’m just not used to carrying so much weight is all.”

“Oh.” Kimberley’s grin faded. “Well, it’s not THAT heavy. More like thirty-five pounds, but I think you’re carrying it a bit wrong. Here, let me see.”

Barbara stood patiently as Kimberley checked her pack, adjusted a few things. They were small details, but Kimberley was used to backpacking. Barbara was not, and wouldn’t have known what to do.

“There,” she said at last. “How’s that?”

Barbara shifted her shoulders a bit, took a few steps. “Hey, that’s much better! Thanks!”

“Now will you keep up?”

“If you go a little slower.” Barbara nodded. “Or are you going to try to jog all the way there?”

“All right, all right. I’ll slow down for you.”

“Deal. Now, can we take a break?”

“Sure.” Kimberley agreed. She could use a little rest herself. “We can sit on that log over there. It’s in the shade.”

“Ahhhhhhhhh…” Barbara exhaled gratefully as she sat on the old fallen tree. “Seriously, Kim, are you in some kind of hurry? Are you hoping to come across that guy again, that ‘Alpha’ you kept telling me about? Hm?” She nudged Kimberley in her ribs playfully.

“I don’t know…” Kimberley paused to take a long swig from her canteen. The water was not as cool as it had been an hour earlier. “I’ve been thinking about that, and I really don’t know. Part of me does. He was big…all over…and strong, and just mean enough.” She shivered, remembering. “First man ever to use my little round ass, too. A girl doesn’t forget that.”

“Okay, so that’s one part.” Barbara took out her own canteen and uncapped it. “But what’s the other part? Of you, I mean.”

Kimberley shrugged as best she could while still wearing the backpack. “The other part…well, I just don’t know. Part of the thrill last year was trying to learn what three complete strangers wanted, how to please each one of them. So, I keep thinking that maybe another complete stranger or two will recapture that. But…I don’t know for sure, and I kinda doubt that any stranger will be able to do to me what Alpha did.”

“Hm.” Barbara drank quickly and recapped her canteen. “Well, from what you’ve told me about him, I wouldn’t mind coming across that Alpha guy myself.” She chuckled. “Of course, I’d put up a fight at first. It helps to get the juices flowing. Or are you calling dibs on him now?”

Kimberley looked around before replying. It wasn’t the same place as last year. The ground wasn’t as hilly, and most of the trees were hardwoods, not pines. It also wasn’t the same arrangement as last year. She wondered about whatever kind of organization was behind such odd “tour packages”.

“No, I’m not calling dibs,” she answered. “It wouldn’t do me any good. We won’t have anything at all to say about who gets us, or what they do to us after we’re got. You know that.”

“Just kidding.” Barbara shrugged. “How far do we have to go yet?”

“Not far.” Kimberley shook her head. “We should reach that place…what’s it called?”

“Gordburg.” Barbara offered.

“Yeah, Gordburg. Well, we should reach that town before sundown. We register there tonight, get a good hot meal and a good night’s sleep in a real bed. Then tomorrow the game begins.”

“It should be interesting.” Barbara said. She didn’t sound certain about it.

Kimberley laughed. “You having second thoughts too?”

“Second thoughts, third thoughts…but I’m still going.” Barbara replied. “Roller coasters still scare the Hell out of me some times, but I keep riding them.”

Kimberley nodded. “Here’s to the roller coasters.” She held up her canteen in a toast.

The Elusive Prey

Chapter One

“Hey…HEY! Hold up a minute, will you?”

Kimberley stopped and turned around. Barbara was lagging well behind her, trying to catch up.

“Fine example of a fitness-center manager you are!” Kimberley grinned. “What’s the matter? You that out of shape?”

“Ha.” Barbara puffed as she drew nearer. “And ‘ha’ again. How much does this freakin’ pack weigh? Fifty, sixty pounds? I’m just not used to carrying so much weight is all.”

“Oh.” Kimberley’s grin faded. “Well, it’s not that heavy. More like thirty pounds, but I think you’re carrying it a bit wrong. Here, let me see.”

Barbara stood patiently as Kimberley checked her pack, adjusted a few things. They were small details, but Kimberley was used to backpacking. Barbara was not and wouldn’t have known what to do.

“There,” she said at last. “How’s that?”

Barbara shifted her shoulders a bit, took a few steps. “Hey, that’s much better! Thanks!”

“Now will you keep up?”

“If you go a little slower.” Barbara nodded. “Or are you going to try to jog all the way there?”

“All right, all right. I’ll slow down for you.”

“Deal. Now, can we take a break?”

“Sure,” Kimberley agreed. She could use a little rest herself. “We can sit on that log over there. It’s in the shade.”

“Ahhhhhhhhh…” Barbara exhaled gratefully as she sat on the old fallen tree. “Seriously, Kim, are you in some kind of hurry? Are you hoping to come across that guy again, that ‘Alpha’ you keep telling me about? Hm?” She nudged Kimberley in her ribs playfully.

“I don’t know…” Kimberley paused to take a long swig from her canteen. The water was not as cool as it had been an hour earlier. “I’ve been thinking about that, and I really don’t know. Part of me does. He was big…all over…and strong, and just mean enough.” She shivered, remembering. “First man ever to use my little round ass, too.”

“Okay, so that’s one part.” Barbara took out her own canteen and uncapped it. “But what’s the other part? Of you, I mean.”

Kimberley shrugged as best she could while still wearing the backpack. “The other part…well, I just don’t know. Part of the thrill last year was trying to learn what three complete strangers wanted, how to please each one of them. So, I keep thinking that maybe another complete stranger or two will recapture that. But…I don’t know for sure, and I kinda doubt that any stranger will be able to do to me what Alpha did.”

“Hm.” Barbara drank quickly and recapped her canteen. “Well, from what you’ve told me about him, I wouldn’t mind coming across that Alpha guy myself.” She chuckled. “Of course, I’d put up a fight at first. It helps to get the juices flowing. Or are you calling dibs on him now?”

Kimberley looked around before replying. It wasn’t the same place as last year. The ground wasn’t as hilly and most of the trees were hardwoods, not pines. It also wasn’t the same arrangement as last year. She wondered about whatever kind of organization was behind such odd “tour packages”.

“No, I’m not calling dibs,” she answered. “It wouldn’t do me any good. We won’t have anything at all to say about who gets us, or what they do to us after we’re got. You know that.”

“Just kidding.” Barbara shrugged. “How far do we have to go yet?”

“Not far.” Kimberley shook her head. “We should reach that place…what’s it called?”

“Gordburg.” Barbara offered.

“Yeah, Gordburg. Well, we should reach that town before sundown. We register there tonight, get a good hot meal and a good night’s sleep in a real bed. Then tomorrow, the game begins.”

“It should be interesting,” Barbara said. She didn’t sound certain about it.

Kimberley laughed. “You having second thoughts, too?”

“Second thoughts, third thoughts…but I’m still going,” Barbara replied. “Roller coasters still scare the hell out of me some times, but I keep riding them.”

Kimberley nodded. “Here’s to the roller coasters.” She held up her canteen in a toast.

Barbara obligingly clinked her canteen against Kimberley’s with a smile. “What are we getting ourselves into?”

“My very dear friend, we are getting ourselves into our fantasies. Everybody has them, but how many go as far as we do to make them come true?”

Barbara chuckled dryly. “I’ll bet a lot more than come back to try it again, like we are. I have to tell you, after my first time I swore I’d never do that again!”

“And you still talked me into trying it for myself?” Kimberley eyed her with mock anger. “Gee, thanks!”

“Hey…you’re here again, and this time you talked me into it. I think we’re even, Kim.”

“Mmmm…maybe.” Kimberley shrugged, smiling. ‘And maybe not quite,’ she thought to herself. She stood up, stretching within the limits her backpack allowed. “Come on, Barbie-doll. I want a hot bath and a hot meal and we can only get those in town. You’re slowing us up.”

Barbara rose with an exaggerated groan. “Lead on, lead on,” she waved a hand at Kimberley. “I’ll try to keep up.”

“Just remember,” Kimberley called back over her shoulder as she started along the trail again, “Hot baths and hot meals.”

They made better time now. Maybe the little adjustments she’d made to Barbara’s pack did the trick or maybe the idea of hot baths and food gave Barbara the bit of inspiration she needed. Or, maybe it was both in combination. Whatever, so long as it worked.

Usually on a hike like this one, Kimberley would pass the time looking around as she walked, trying to identify the different plants and trees, listening to the bird calls and breathing in the kaleidoscope of scents and odors. She tried to do that now, but it wasn’t working. Her mind kept replaying scenes from last year, some were quick little snapshots, others longer and more detailed. All of them were powerful. Some of them were a little disturbing. She could almost feel the bonds on her wrists and ankles, the faint caress of air on her bare skin, and always, the memory of cocks, in her pussy, in her mouth, and up her ass. She shuddered. More than anything, she remembered Alpha; how he looked, how he felt, even his scent. It was unlikely she would meet him again, very, very unlikely. And still…a girl could dream, couldn’t she? She had even had her hair cropped short again, just like it had been last year. She was Elf-girl again. Barbara might have her own little dreams about coming back, because she had been letting her hair grow ever since they had decided to do this one more time. It had been the middle of winter, bitterly cold and dreary. One long night they had spent talking about it, slightly giggly, sexy, girl-talk fueled by one too many bottles of wine. That night, coming back had just seemed to be the thing to do. It had even seemed that way the next morning. Barbara’s hair was not as long as it had been in that picture Kimberley had seen, but it still made for an impressively long ponytail as it poked out from under the new bush hat she’d bought for the occasion. Kimberley herself had settled on a baseball cap this year. It shaded her eyes just as well and was less likely to fall off her head. Also, she wouldn’t mind as much if it got fed to a fire. From what Barbara had told her, she hadn’t had everything burned up by her captors. She had been staked out spread-eagle, though, and apparently had spent more than one night tied to a tree. It would be interesting to see what this year had in store for her. Kimberley wanted to see that very much.