Chapter 2

Elena slowly dipped in an out of sleep, the rocking of the ship doing nothing to ease her stomach. Yes, she had been sailing the seas for a few months, but nothing had compared to this. Below, in the brig, she could hear the waves crashing up against her cell walls. She could see and smell the rotting of food and salt as water trickled in from a small hole. She groggily opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't.

Memories of what had happened previously flooded her mind; the ship being raid, pirates, and…Matt.

Her eyes slowly focused so she could see, but didn't help with the welling of tears in her eyes. All she could do was pray that he was okay, that the bullet didn't kill him. Elena couldn't handle the thought that the maybe be hurt or worse.

Elena started coughing harshly, trying her best to clear her throat. It felt like sandpaper and burned. Her stomach didn't do much better, crying out for something, anything, that would help to ease her hunger. It was cold as well. Even though Elena could make out the open sun through some of the cracks in the wall, she found herself shivering, her wet dress clinging to her body uncomfortably.

And with that she found herself slipping away again to the gentle rocking of the boat…

Damon ran a hand over his face, scratching at his beard, as he tried to drink away his troubles like he did almost every day. His feet where propped up on his desk and his elbow was titled forwards so that it rested on his forehead, shielding his eyes from the harsh rays. His head was pounding and the alcohol wasn't really doing anything to help, but he didn't really care at that point.

Just then, Damon's first man and most loyal friend, stepped into the room.

"Captain," Ric sighed, placing his hat on the table. "We need to talk."

Damon glared at the pirate standing before him before removing his feet from where they were, crossing his arms. "Take a seat." He said after a moment, prepared to listen to what the man wanted to say.

Ric took the seat opposite his captain. "Stefan and I were discussed the girl's situation, and you know you can't just leave the girl in the brig. She's going to get sick…she'll die."

Damon stared down at the drink in his hand and gulped the harsh tasting bourbon down quickly.

"I know that…however I can't have her running about on the ship. It's not safe."

"And you think it's safer to leave her down there where any man could grab her?" Ric challenged, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know you don't want that to happen."

Damon sighed, shaking his head after a moment of contemplating the situation. "Well, what do you think I should do with her?" He scratched his stubble and leant forwards on the desk. "You've seen first-hand how violent she is. I mean, look what she did to me arm!"

He lifted his sleeve, revealing a fairly deep wound on his arm. It wasn't very big at all, about the size of a pin prick, but the area was badly bruised and a thin trail of blood had dried on the skin. It wasn't that Damon cared really seeing as most of his body was littered with battle scars, but it was the fact on how he'd gotten this new flesh wound. He couldn't very well tell the crew that he was attacked by a girl, it would just be humiliating.

Alaric coughed, trying to cover up his laughter at how pathetic his captain was acting. He'd known Damon for years, back when they were children and, even then, he had always been a sore loser when it came to battle. He knew that the fact he had let the girl get the better of him had wounded not only himself, but his pride which was why the girl was locked up.

"Well maybe you should go talk to her? Get to know her, maybe?" Alaric suggested. "She has to be feeling rather miserable and, besides, you can't leave her down there for two weeks. That would just be cruel!"

Damon rubbed his face and nodded. "But what in the blazes am I supposed to do with 'er?" He asked.

Alaric stared blankly back at him. He opened his mouth to speak but the door to the cabin opened and both men turned to see who had entered. Stefan, Damon's brother and best man, stepped inside the cabin. He was always the primmer and proper brother, dressing more like a nobleman than a pirate. But he was Damon's only family and he'd vowed to protect and look after him no matter what.

"I wanted to talk about the prisoner, the girl." He explained, joining the other two men at the desk. "Have you decided what to do with her?" He inquired, taking a glass of bourbon from the cabinet.

Alaric shook his head. "Don't waste your breath, Stefan. Damon's pride is too sore to talk about the subject."

"It is not!" Damon retorted, slamming his fist down on the desk.

"Then what are you going to do about her?"

The captain fell silent, looking down at his hands and twirling the ring around his finger. It was true, he was keeping her down there not because he thought she would escape, but that he was embarrassed by the situation. Ransom wasn't something that really came into play for him, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Besides, when he'd seen the Gilbert flag flying high in the sky, he just couldn't resist a chance for payback.

One never forgets…

Damon downed the last of his drink, turning to his brother and breathing deeply.

"Go prepare some food for her and have it brought in here." He spoke calmly, even though he felt anything but that. "Alaric, I want you to find some dresses from the trunk in the storage room. I'm sure we have something that would suit her for now."

"Of course." Stefan nodded. "What about you, brother?"

He let out an annoyed sigh. "I guess I'll go get the girl."

Elena felt sick, but with no food in her stomach, she was felt feeling weaker than ever. She would have never believed that something like this could happen to her. It wasn't supposed to! But there was nothing she could do about it now. She started to wonder if they were going to starve her to death and drop her body in to the murky waters below. She thought about her father, her brother and Matt.

Oh, Matty…

She shivered again. She had been unbearably cold all night and desperately wished she could have a change of clothes. It didn't help either that the floor of the brig was covered in cold water as well. She clutched at the necklace, her mother's, that hung just above her breast, wishing above all else that she could be anywhere but there.

"Hmm…"

Elena's eyes flashed open in anger at the voice she heard. Standing before her was the monster from last night. Oh, what was his name? Ma…Mas…Mason!

He looked at her through the bars on the cell door, running his fingers along the lock as he licked his lips. Worried, Elena slowly rose from her stop on the floor, backing away into the corner and as far away from him as possible.

"Tell me, are you a virgin?" He asked bluntly, grinning as he took the key out of his pocket, slowly unlatching the door.

His words made her shiver and she wondered what this guy wanted from her. Clearly, it couldn't be something good. The way his grinned at her with his slightly crooked teeth was enough to put her on edge, let alone the fact that he was now inching the door open with the toe of his boot. He took one firm step into the cell, closing the door behind him and blocking off her escape route.

"I bet you are, aren't you." He mused, coming closer to her, now reaching out to stroke her hair. "Such a pretty little thing like you, probably waiting for you 'beloved'? Ha!" Mason mocked, running his hand down her throat.

"P-please…sir…" Elena begged, seeing no other way out, looking down at the floor. "Please…d-don't…"

"Oh, but darling, I want to." He smirked, licking his lips again. "Besides, I bet you'd enjoy it, whore."

He gripped her face, forcing her head around to look at him. She could smell his breath, a horrid stench, and could feel the dirt of his skin. Mason's face came forward, his nose nuzzling her neck before he bit down roughly, intent on marking her with a love bite.

"You smell delicious, darling." He murmured.

"Let me go!" She shrieked, her voice cracking.

"Shut the hell up!" Mason growled, his hand clapping over her mouth, muffling her screams.

She tried to shake him off, but his body suddenly pushed roughly against her own, pressing her firmly to the wall. That was when she felt his evident arousal poke her leg, making her even more frantic to try and get away from him.

"I like it rough too," He whispered in her ear, biting on it in the process.

She used her free arms and started punching, slapping and attacking him in any way she could. Elena soon became hysterically, thrashing around in this man's hold, doing anything to try and escape. He growled, using one hand to hold both of Elena's hands above her head while using his other to unbuckle his pants. He leaned in even closer.

"No…no! Please, don't!" She cried, her whole body shaking violently.

"Oh, I like them feisty. It makes the whole experience a lot more…interesting!" Mason grinned as he trailed his hand lower, slipping it under her dress and snaking it higher. "I'm gonna enjoy this." He whispered, yanking her head to the side. Elena's breath caught in her throat as he put his mouth on her chest, trailing upwards towards her collarbone and up to her earlobe.

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed, praying that someone on this ship would show her mercy.

Mason growled again, slapping her face hard so that her head banged against the wall. Searing pain shot through her cheek and she whimpered slightly, trying to bring her hand up to cradle her face, but she couldn't, because he was still pinning them down. He then snatched her wrists, pulling her against him. Her vision went blurry and her sounds became muffled, her muscles too weak to fight anymore.

She felt her dress being lifted, the feeling of his hands on her thighs, spreading them as he wiggled out of his trousers. She felt hot tears start to run down her cheeks, knowing that any moment now this man would take her and there was nothing she could do to stop him…

Suddenly Mason's pressing weight was gone and she slumped to the floor with a small scream. Elena's head hit the ground hard, dots appearing in her vision and her movements seemed slow as she tried to make out her surroundings.

She could hear yells and crashes and looked up to see a body standing between her and the man who had attacked her. Mason was now lying face down on the floor, groaning out loud as the figure in front of Elena repeatedly kicked him in the gut. Blood was now sipping from his mouth as he coughed violently as two other men hurriedly into the brig, drag Mason off of the floor and into the opposite cell.

Then, the man who'd defended her knelt in front of her, blue eyes glinting angrily as they took in her dishevelled condition. She jumped in surprise at how close he was and he grimaced, his lips set into a hard line.

Damon…

"Are you alright?" He breathed heavily down at her, his eyes soft.

Elena opened her mouth to form a sentence but the words went dry in her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her wet dress was now ripped in several different locations, barely holding itself together. She flinched away when she felt Damon's hand reach for her wounded cheek, making him stop his action instantly. Damon quickly shrugged out of his long coat, wrapping it around Elena's shoulders as he helped her to her feet. She swayed a little, the whole world seeming out of set.

"Whoa, there." He said calmly, holding her arms steady as he led her out of the brig, giving Alaric and Stefan brief orders to keep Mason locked away. "I'm going to take you to a cabin with a bed so that you can rest and we can fix you up. I promise you'll be safe and you'll be much more comfortable."

Elena looked at him confused, managing to nod slightly as he held her, walking her swiftly out on to the deck and across to the main cabin. She tried to ignore the hushed whispers from the other men on the ship, keeping her head down and relying on Damon for support. She felt like her legs might give way at any second, sending her crashing to the floor and delivering a whole world of new pain.

When the entered the cabin, Damon helped Elena into an empty chair and grabbed his own, pulling it over so that he was sat right in front of her. She waited, her tears drying, but the fear still evident in her eyes. What was he going to do? Lock her in there with him for his amusement? Did he really save her because he cared, or was it because he wanted to do it himself? She shuddered at the thought.

Damon slowly reached out to touch her cheek and Elena snapped her eyes shut, a sob cracking in her throat. She was shaking, gripping the material of the coat as he delicately trailed his fingertips down the side of her face and across her wounded skin where she'd been hit. It stung, but she didn't really notice, too consumed by the unknown of what this man could do to her.

He'd saved her, yes, but he was still her captor. Nothing more.

"Hey, relax." He said softly, dropping his hand to hers, soothing the skin. "You don't have to be afraid, savvy? I won't hurt you."

He reached up and gently ceased her wrist, lowering it to her side so that she wasn't gripping the coat as hard anymore. He moved to gently cup her jaw in his strong hand, his thumb brushing over the marks and the small cut in the centre of her cheek.

"T-thank y-you." Elena whispered, hugging her body again, trying to warm any part of her that she could.

"You don't have to thank me." Damon replied, reaching over to grab two glasses and a bottle of bourbon, filling both and handing one to her. "Here, this should help with the pain."

Elena eyed the drink carefully, meeting Damon's gaze for a moment before gratefully taking the drink, slipping it carefully. She choked as it hit the back of her throat, burning like acid as she spat the rest back into her glass. She wiped the liquid from her chin, staring back at him with a confused look.

"Yeah...it's...strong." He offered a smile, trying to do anything to gain her trust.

Elena placed the drink on the desk, pulling her legs closer to herself as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. He watched her quietly, noting that she now looked nothing like the woman he had taken from the ship. Her features where washed out and her skin was pale, her lips cracked and her body shaking. The beautiful dress that she had worn was now only rags and her hair was flat and lifeless. Damon swallowed back the guilt. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He'd never wanted this to happen. Seeing her down in the cell and that pathetic, disgusting excuse of a man touching her made him want to kill Mason.

Elena looked down, face twisted in pain. And then, she released it all. Everything that had been building up inside of her. Tears swelled in her eyes and she let out a sob, holding her head in her hand. Damon watched, eyes wide and completely at a loss at what to do. How did he comfort her? What was he supposed to do?

"Hey…Elena," Damon cooed, leaning forward and stroking her hair. "It's alright, it's alright."

And that's when Elena snapped.

She shoved his hand away from her, standing up and towering over him. "No! None of this is alright! How dare you even think that any of this would be fine?" Angry tears fell from her face, unable to control herself. "You kidnapped me. This is your fault, all of it!"

"Elena-…"

"Please just take me home, I beg you. I'll give you anything you want, just please take me home." Her voice broke and so did her energy to stand, her body weaker as she fell to her knees. "Please...please…" She repeated.

Damon froze, looking down at the most enchanting woman who was begging at his feet, pleading with him. He grabbed her shoulders and gently ushered her to get up, letting her fall against him in the chair. She continued to sob harshly, leaving him wanting to comfort her as he wrapped his arms around her frail body. She struggled for a few moments, but Damon refused to loosen his hold, her energy running low as she slumped in his embrace. Elena let the rest of her tears make wet patches on his shirt, but he didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Elena," He embraced her tightly as she clung onto his chest for dear life. "I'm sorry for everything, but I can't change it now. In two weeks, I'll take you home, but no sooner."

Elena let out another painful cry, pulling away from his hold, leaning heavily on the arm of the chair to support herself. She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeves, making a move to the cabin doors, not wanting to be near him for another second.

Finally, Elena blinked away her tears and focused on walking forwards, determined to make it to out of the room and away from him. She made the first step when the light-headiness took over once again as she felt her knees turn to jelly. She couldn't do it. There was no way she was making it out, but she pushed forward, yanking the door open and stepping out.

The light of the sun blocked her vision and Elena fell back, crashing into the outside wall by the doors. Her breathing became ragged as she tried to contemplate what to do next. Her vision started to turn black, everything blotted out and nothing mattered. All she could think of was the world crashing around her in a messy blur.

She felt a muscular pair of arms grab her, deep voice was calling her name and she could feel silky cloth under her cheek as she sank deeper into the dark abyss.

Hey guys! First off I am sorry you all had to wait so long for the second chapter! I honestly didn't think it would take me this long. It has just been so crazy at the moment that I haven't had a proper chance to just sit and write. However, I will try and get my more frequent updates back now that everything with my University is settled now. Second of all, thank you all for the posit feedback for this. It will be a mini story of around twenty or so chapters.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a spare few hours yesterday and just sat at my desk, refusing to move until I'd finished the chapter XD Thanks, as always, to my beta Amy(LiveBreatheVampires) and I will update as soon as I can :)

Oh and for anyone reading 'Can't Be Tamed', I am so sorry for the lack of updates! Bloody writers block! I know what I want to write, but I've been lacking any inspiration and I've just been struggling to write the chapter. However, I think I'm almost done, just the last section to write and then I should be able to post it by Wednesday. Again, sorry, but I want to make sure that the content I am posting is descent, long and that it (hopefully!) keeps you guys hooked :)

Please let me know what you think of this and I will update as soon as I can. Thanks!

Next chapter: Elena comes to terms with living temperately on the ship whilst Damon tried to show her the best ways to pass the time. Stay tuned ;)