To Be Claimed

Review Response:

Kat—Don’t worry about the evil smirks; I have a tendency to laugh maniacally in computer labs … much more disturbing.

Amejisuto—Yes, much smut … unfortunately not just yet. And ya’ll just have to wait to learn whom his old master was … I will tell; I swear! It might be interesting to see who you think it is though … guesses anyone?

Thankee mel!

Anon—Xan-love’s boldness is … a mixed combination, be patient.

Amanda—Yay! I always feel good when someone tells me I’ve done well at setting up a scene. I don’t know how much Willow and Buffy will play into the story yet. The plot after the smut is still forming.

********

Spike tried not to rip the door from its hinges. What in bloody Hell did the boy think he was doing? Spike had been inundated with that scent blast. Made him furious that anyone thought they could touch his Pet. Oh, and then! Then the boy had run.

“You are in so much trouble,” he growled. His fingers itched to light a cig. No. It’d ruin the scent trail. Left. Spike refused to run after his own property. Damn boy would be hunted right proper if he wasn’t going to listen to one simple order. Least he’d known better than to run toward the Slayer. Spike managed to shake off his demonic face and stalked after the whelp. His coat snapped sharply at his heels.

He turned into an alley that dead-ended not ten feet in. He could feel his eye twitch. Boy hadn’t time to backtrack. No immediately visible exits. Spike would not howl. He would not give into this frustration. He was a century older than the boy. He was a favored Childe of a powerful vampiric line.

He. Would. Not. Let. The Boy. Win.

Spike kicked a dumpster. Metal crumpled like paper before the entire thing tipped over, spilling trash down the alley. Spike blinked. Growling, he swung his foot through the scattered trash. Manhole. Sewers? Boy knew the town. He tore the cover away and stuck his head down to check. The scent was gone, yet Spike could hear a heartbeat. A very familiar heartbeat. Spike knelt up, head swiveling toward the club. Whelp could control his scent? Possibly control an entire club of humans and demons?

“He played us.” Spike looked back at the manhole—fighting an annoyed scowl. “He played me.” Spike dropped into the sewers and leisurely followed the heartbeat. He caught a whiff of his Pet’s typical scent—uninhibited with the heat and pheremones of earlier—nearly twenty minutes later. “Can’t suppress it indefinitely, eh?”

The heartbeat suddenly became muffled. As though the boy knew exactly when Spike was going to pick up the scent again. He took in his location. They seemed to be headed for University campus. The woods at the edge of campus?

Pulling himself out of the sewers, Spike was bombarded with hundreds of faint heartbeats. Might have been a successful tactic if Spike wasn’t entirely focused on that one sound, one scent … his Pet.

***

Xander stopped at the edge of the woods. Pausing, panting just a bit, he turned to look back over campus. He could see a dark figure slowly stalking straight for him. There was no hesitation or indecision in the stiff, angry gait. Xander gulped. Spike was pissed. Xander could understand that. By vampiric code, the blond had claimed Xander and expected to be obeyed. Unfortunately, he had a separate set of rules to uphold. At least, he did until Spike completed the claim.

Turning back to the trees, Xander began running again. Spike would catch him by morning. The vampire was toying with him right now—letting Xander get glimpses of dark coat and white-blond hair—running him down to lessen his fight later. Flash of movement to his left. Xander swore quietly as he scrambled over a fallen tree to veer right. The herding had begun. Early. It was very early in the hunt. Barely half an hour. Spike was going to force Xander to a place of Spike’s choosing. Likely within twenty minutes.

Faint, menacing laughter had him skidding and digging his feet into the ground to make a sharp right turn. Circling around campus. Forcing him back toward town. Trying to move left, back to the woods, earned a snarl and flash of yellow eyes. Spike was closing fast. Xander spun, stumbling—trying to use his hands to move faster. An arm snaked over his waist; he twisted, panting and kicking, even as he fell. He gasped in pain as his arms were wrenched above his head, one knee pinned to the ground, the other leg trapped hard between him and the furious vampire above him.

This was going to hurt.

***

“What is wrong with you, whelp?” Spike was snarling at the still squirming body beneath him. Brown eyes blinked up at him. The chest he was leaning against was heaving, trying to gulp in as much air as possible. “What are you playing at?” He was going to find out what was going on before fucking that deliciously warm body. Really.

“No … play,” Xander panted. Boy had run himself full out. Spike wondered how much longer his pet could have gone without collapsing. Seemed he was going to make it clear back to the cemeteries before he’d tried to break. He moved his free hand to stroke the collar sitting low on his boy’s throat. Everything seemed to be circling around that bit of leather tonight.

“Tell me.” Spike didn’t often have need to use the Master Voice. All Childer had the potential to learn it, develop it with growing age and power. Dru had loved it. Not many demons—no human—could resist it. Whelp looked like he was giving it a good go, though. Spike watched the grinding teeth, head thrown back and veins standing out in tension. Tempting.

“Need,” Xander was hissing through clenched teeth, “need Master.” Spike growled. There was more. Boy was still tense, still resisting. “Want … want you.” He grinned. That was good. Not that the boy had much choice, but it was nice to know. He waited to see if there was more. “Mar … Mar’ge … Mar’geshun.” Spike tensed even as Xander seemed to collapse—throat still arched and bared.

“Mar’geshun.” Well, that certainly explained … something.

******

Yes, I know … bad place to stop really, but the boys are being tetchy, and I still have to figure out the best way to explain Mar’geshun.