A/N: hey guys, sorry for the wait. I've been in a slump lately, to say the least. But I'm hoping this is a decent enough start to a sequel. You guys seemed to love the first so much, I hope I don't disappoint!
Prologue
Darkness. Wet soil against cold skin. A stabbing pain behind the eyelids. When she opened her eyes a blanket of starry sky spread before her, framed by long tendrils of spanish moss reaching out for her. Her muscles felt heavy as lead and her body refused to move under her command. Above the vultures circled, eyeballing their possible prey. She struggled to move fingers, feet, arms. Then with all her might she sat up, pushing her long dirty hair from her face. He left her there. Bray left her alone. She stood tenderly, trying to brush the leaves and muck from her linen sundress. Then she did the only thing she knew to do. She walked. Barefoot around cyprus knees and tiptoeing across soft ground.
At home Bray the tossed her sandals into the corner of his room. His room, and his room alone. There was no place for her here anymore. There was no need for her tender flesh anymore. Quickly he hid the very few signs she was ever there at all. Anything feminine was tossed into a trunk and shoved into the back of the closet. Save for one picture. Taking a seat on the floor, he leaned back against the bed as he fished in his pocket for his knife. With great gentleness he removed her picture from the frame and looked it over. It was taken at the beginning of their game, during one of their backroom escapades. She was so pretty, so innocent looking. Her eyes heavy and lustful as she looked at him behind the camera. Bray sighed heavily and unfolded his knife, scratching over the eyes in the picture. Then he sealed it back into the frame and placed it back on his bedside. A testament to his latest mistake. When he leaned on the windowsill he stared into the inky blackness of the night, wondering if she were dead yet.
Downstairs Erick looked at him with pleading eyes. "It'll do you best to forget about her, brother." "What have you done with her?" Erick roared, grabbing Bray by the collar of his hawaiian shirt and shoving him against the wall. Fearless, Bray laughed in the bigger man's face. "What I do with all my broken toys. I discarded her." Luke crossed the room at the sight of Erick's balled fist, dragging him away from their leader. "She's a person!" Erick yelled as Luke pushed him by the shoulders, putting his own body between Erick and Bray. "So is everyone else, brother. What makes her so special? What makes her any different that the bodies you've smashed your way through all these years?" Erick couldn't answer as he slumped against the pantry door with tears welling up in his eyes. "I asked you a question, boy." Bray demanded, crossing the room towards the bigger man. "What makes her any different?" He asked, getting in Erick's face. "Did you love her?" He asked gruffly. "She wasn't yours to love, Rowan. She was mine to fuck." Erick glared at him through his tears, his blood boiling. He stood suddenly, pushing Bray backwards as he did so. "I'm with you because I wasn't treated as a human. Not because I wanted to do the same to others!" Bray laughed again, shaking his head at Erick. "The wolves are not the same as the sheep, my boy. Sheep are to be dined upon, not hold power." Luke followed Erick, trying his best to keep him from leaving. "Let him go, brother." Bray commanded.
"You'll come running back. You'll come running back to me!" Bray sang loudly from the porch as Erick bounded down the steps and began the walk back to town.