CHAPTER 11

Spike wound his way through the tunnels and was stopped at the main entrance by a squad of vampires, one of them his own minion. The familiar voice yelped in surprise before the vampire fell to his knees in front of his creator. "Master Spike…. How may I be of service to you?"

"Get me Adam. NOW!" The minion rose and ran, stumbling over his own feet in haste. Spike chuckled. *Oh, yeah! Still the big bad, even wi' a chip in my head.*

*********

The room they were given was spacious and well appointed. There were several comfortable chairs, a side table stocked with a few bottles, glasses and a full ice bucket. A desk and a very large bed completed the furnishings. Angelus fingered the chains hanging on one wall in idle speculation; they would do quite nicely. He refused to look at Riley when the boy followed him into the room, carrying Buffy. "Put her on the bed, slave."

Riley complied, laying her carefully in the middle of the huge bed. She shared a small, scared smile with him and settled into the pillows to study Angelus. Buffy knew although the vampire exuded a sense of utter detachment, he was seething inside. Her only worry was who would bear the brunt of that fury. The drug in her system was still pulling her toward him but she was willing to defend Riley and herself, if the need arose.

Angelus spun on his heel and faced them, using her human lover as the focus for his rage. "On your knees, boy! Unless I give you permission, you are to remain on your knees in my presence."

Riley balked, furious at the demon for his high-handed tactic and glared at him with clenched fists. Angelus returned his look, glare for glare. "This is not the time to grow a back-bone, boy."

Riley held his ground, refusing to bend to the demon's will. Angelus knew they were being watched on one of Adam's monitors; this really was not the time for the boy to show such obvious disobedience. It was vital that it appear to his enemy he was in complete control of the young man. Angelus itched to beat some sense into the boy's head but he opted for subtlety.

The vampire sighed in disgust and closed his eyes. When they reopened, their chocolate brown depths were filled with a familiar gentle strength as Angel reminded Riley he was still there, still in control. He mouthed one word to him. "Please."

In an instant, Riley was on his knees with his head bowed. He trusted Angel, he even loved Angel, and he would obey Angel. Angelus smiled slowly at the change in the young man. "Clever, clever boy. Buff, you have really do have great taste in men."

Buffy looked up into Angelus' eyes, surprised by the amusement she saw in their depths and gave him a small smile. He beckoned to her, coaxing her from the bed until she stood in front of him, her head barely reaching his shoulder.

Angelus leaned over to possess her mouth in a thorough kiss, savoring the taste of the drug and traces of his semen clinging to her. It was a heady combination, guaranteed to drive him insane with need for her little body. He was looking forward to losing himself in her once he had exacted his vengeance on Adam's hapless minions.

It was even sweeter since he would have her human lover there to watch. Best to burn it into the boy's head exactly who she belonged to before soul-boy regained complete control. Such an entertaining way to spend an evening, a little violence.... Well actually a lot of violence, some mind-blowing sex, and dominance games all rolled into one. What vampire could ask for more?

A faint scent came to Angelus as he slowly ground his body into hers; it was a dearly remembered part of his past. The scent was definitely hers; it spoke volumes to him of pain, fear, humiliation and utter despair. That delightful combination surrounded her during the months of his freedom two years ago. She always smelled of it when he was near, he had been its sole cause. It had been his greatest source of delight. He reveled in its presence for it meant he was always in her thoughts, that she was as obsessed with him as he with her.

But that enticing, elusive scent was not coming from the wonderfully warm body in his arms. It was coming from the hallway, growing steadily stronger. Angelus took in a deep unneeded breath, using all of his concentration to draw it to him.

The scent was not fresh, it was faded by the dissolution of many hours and it was not pure. Mingled within it was the sharp tang of blood, the heavy musk of her sex and simple vampiric male satisfaction..... Adam had kept his word. He was delivering her assailants to their utter destruction.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Angelus released her from his full embrace reluctantly. He kept his arm wrapped around her waist as he held her tightly to his side. "Come in."

The door opened revealing Adam where he stood in the hallway. "Master Angelus, I have the items you requested."

"You may have them brought in." Adam nodded and five vampires were ushered into the room by his guards. They walked in, surveying the room nervously. Adam requested they accompany him to this place stating Master Angelus wanted to reward for their earlier service in his liberation.

As they filed into the room, a firestorm of possessive rage whirled through his senses. The delicious scent of his mate at her most vulnerable, her most appealing was rising off these vampires in waves. Her exquisite terror belonged to him; he was to be it's only cause.

It infuriated him even more than the fact they had known the pleasure of her body. After all, he shared that with Angel and her human lover. But this emotion was solely his possession, like the heady taste of her blood. It was something he would share with no one.

Angelus stroked his mate's side, soothing her with his large hands. He turned her toward the door and stepped behind her, keeping his hands on her shoulders. Buffy looked at the vampires with mild curiosity and then dread as her body recognized them, these were her rapists. She stiffened against him.

"Are these the ones?" Angelus spoke to her in an almost gentle tone of voice. She swallowed and nodded. "I am satisfied. Thank you for keeping your word."

"You are welcome. And here is the other item you requested." Adam set several vials of clear liquid on a small table by the door and left with the guards closing the door behind them. Angelus motioned to Riley, indicating he could stand. Riley followed his command, eager to exact vengeance on the bastards that had hurt her.

Buffy backed up into Angelus, pressing her body against his for protection. He held her for a moment then pushed her away. Buffy looked up at him in confusion, wondering why he had withdrawn his support.

Angelus leaned down and hissed in her ear. "You are the Slayer, the Chosen One... You are stronger than any vampire that ever walked this earth. You are my mate and you will not be afraid." He pulled a stake out of a pocket in his duster and handed it to her. It was the one she had carried into the maze.

Buffy's confusion cleared, she set her shoulders straight and glared up at him. "I am not afraid of anything, not of them and not of you...... But you are Angelus. You are the Scourge of Europe. These pitiful creatures defiled your mate and they still live?"

Angelus chuckled at her audacity; she had neatly turned the tables on him, giving him what he wanted in the first place. What a treasure she was.

"Give me the stake."

Buffy handed it back to him, a knowing smile on her lips.

With an answering smile, Angelus stalked towards the confused fledglings. They eyed him in terror, the truth of the situation finally sinking in. One of them sunk to his knees, babbling for mercy. "Master Angelus, please! We meant no harm..... Adam told us it was to help set you free."

"You meant no harm? You dare touch a master's mate, my mate no less and meant no harm?..... Tell me, did you enjoy the feel of her warmth around you? Was it not sweet to feel all that hot blood pulsing around your cock?" Angelus spoke in a quiet tone, the stake held idly between his fingers as he contemplated the cowering creature in front of him.

"No..No."

"No, you didn't do it? Are you calling my mate a liar?" He raised himself to his full height, the top of the kneeling fledge's head only reaching his waist.

"N-No, M-Master Angelus. I w-would never call your mate a liar." Tears were running down the cowering vampire's face. The other four retreated toward the door, searching for a way to escape. Riley had moved into position and leaned against the closed door, blocking their path.

"So you did do it?"

"Yes, Master Angelus."

"I see. And did you enjoy it?"

"No, Master Angelus."

"So you're saying my mate is not sweet? She is not warm? She is not the most delightful piece of ass you've ever had in your entire miserable existence?" Angelus' voice was growing quieter and each word dripped off his tongue like poisoned honey. The young vampire was quivering in terror, unsure of any of his words.

"N-No... Y-Yes, yes. She was sweet, Master Angelus. Sweet and warm and delightful. You are right."

"Answer me this on last thing and I'll send you on your way. Doesn't she have a cunt so tight and hot, it's worth dying for?" Angelus leaned closer, the stake no longer within the fledgling's line of sight. The fledge felt a spark of relief, he was going to be spared if he told the master the truth.

"Yes, Master Angelus." Angelus nodded in satisfaction at his response and fulfilled his promise to send him on his way...... straight to Hell. He drove the stake into his back, piercing the heart. The fledgling looked up in astonishment at his face, caught in that moment of time before dissolving into dust.

"So nice of you to agree with me on that point. I've always thought so." Angelus flicked the dust of his coat and turned to the other four with a cold smile on his lips. "Who's next?"

******

Angelus watched his slave with grim satisfaction. The boy had a flair for this sort of thing; he could get used to having him around. The one remaining vampire was still chained to the wall and Riley was calmly using his fists to take the quivering creature apart. *Give him a little training with some whips, dress him in a nice set leathers and he'd make a great top. Pity for him that I won't allow that.*

Angelus had dusted two of the others in swift succession. They panicked, milling around the room too fast for him to take his time. Riley assisted him ably with feet and fists, spinning one of them directly onto the stake in Angelus' hand. He felt a moment of grudging admiration, the boy had great reflexes and a smooth fighting style that needed little improvement.

His new slave had all the earmarks of a top-notch childe, it was a damn shame Angel's soul wouldn't allow it. *Shut up, Angel shut up. It was only idle speculation.... I'm not going to turn him. I promise. Soul-boy, you really are a pain in the ass! *

To Angelus' infinite amusement, Buffy did nothing to help them. She was supremely confidant they could handle the young vampires as they screamed incoherently in terror. His mate settled herself in one of the comfortable chairs like a little queen, watching them imperiously.

He laughed aloud at the sight. *Thank you Angel, for loving such a magnificent woman. Thank you Faith, for shooting us with that poisoned arrow and giving me the opportunity to taste her blood, to mate with this blond goddess. Yeah, it hurt like a bitch but it was so worth the pain.....*

Despite their desperate struggles, the last two were easily caught and chained. With a song in his heart, Angelus indulged himself in his second favorite pastime, torture. A pang of regret flickered over his face; it was a shame all his tools were in that trunk at the mansion. However with a little imagination and the letter opener he retrieved from the desk, an expert could do wonders.

Each strip of skin he peeled from their bodies soothed some of his outrage. They had been fed before being brought to him so they bled very nicely. Bones snapped with little popping sounds, tendons tore and muscles shredded as he dislocated their joints, knowing they would heal quickly so he could do it again and again. Angelus sighed, he wished he had the time to wait for their regeneration.

Riley stood behind him, silent and obedient. He kept expecting his slave to retch but the boy watched every movement with keen interest, his eyes gleaming with primitive satisfaction as they screamed. Oh yeah, she did have great taste in men.

The fourth fledge fell to his fangs. He fed from his neck, his arms, his legs, his back, taking small draughts and laughing, as his struggles became steadily weaker. The elixir of fear coursing through the stolen blood in his veins was delicious. His fangs tingled as he reveled in the sheer beauty of his work; he so enjoyed a good torture session. That bastard Marcus, the one Spike hired to torture the location of the Gem of Amara out of Angel was a rank amateur in comparison, he couldn't hold a candle to Angelus when he was inspired.

And nothing inspired Angelus more than his mate.

The vampire's head lolled back; there was very little blood left in his system when the master vampire stopped. He struggled to open his eyes, the last of his strength ebbing. Angelus licked his lips in satisfaction, savoring the blood and he turned slowly to his mate, offering her a share of his kill. "Lover? Would you like to finish this one?"

"I refuse to dirty my hands. Dust him."

"As you wish, my mate, as you wish." Angelus spun the stake in his hand, thrusting it behind him without a backward glance. It found its target with unerring accuracy and the vampire burst into dust. Buffy gave him a sweet satisfied smile, beckoning him into her embrace. He enfolded her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly, filling her mouth with his cool tongue.

Saffron eyes were dazed with lust when Angelus finally raised his head from her mouth. It was all he could do to concentrate on the task at hand; her scent was drawing him inward. So easy, it would be so easy to give in to the siren call of her blood and to be swept away.....

Though he shared the same body with Angel, Angelus wanted to bury himself in her warmth while he was in control. He wanted to direct their movement, wanted to savor her lushness on his tongue; he wanted it to be his name on her lips as she sobbed her fulfillment against his shoulder.

It was his turn.

But there was one last offense to his pride languishing against the wall, one last distraction before he could claim his mate fully.

The last vampire was not struggling; the cuts Angelus had inflicted were healed. Of all of them he was the oldest and it went against his grain to cower. He lifted his head, fixing Angelus with a look of cold disgust.

His voice was a sibilant hiss, "The Great Angelus..... The Scourge of Europe.... You should be ashamed to use that title. You're nothing but the Slayer's lap-dog..... She gives you an order and you obey...... Look at you, panting after her like she was the Queen of Hell. Trust me, that pussy ain't worth it."

"Not worth it? Fool, you don't understand the value of this woman. You are right, she is a Slayer. But not any Slayer, she is the best the Watcher's Council has ever produced... Believe me, I've been intimately acquainted with the usual caliber of the Chosen Ones."

His arms tightened around her as he shifted his gaze from the sneering vampire to his mate's exquisite face. "She is like a glorious flower, beckoning you to taste the honey of her kiss, to bask in the warmth of her beauty. But make no mistake, this is no soft flower. She is the bane of our existence, her every move is calculated to utterly destroy us where we stand....."

Angelus kissed her almost tenderly, amused by the surge of tears in her eyes. "How can I be so seduced by our enemy, how can she hold such a sway over me? Because, you ignorant bastard, what better mate for me could exist? What greater challenge could there be for a vampire but to vanquish his most deadly foe?"

His hands caressed Buffy, eliciting a moan of supplication as she nestled closer to his hard frame. "But not with my fists, no, that would only damage her body. How much more delicious it is to have vanquished her by my words, by a tender touch, by the joining of her strong heart with my cold dead one? I am not her lap-dog, I am her master and she is my mate. She is my greatest triumph and your downfall......."

Angelus' lips tightened, he had grown tired of this game. There were much better ways to occupy his hands now. Time to finish it and lose himself in her embrace. But why sully himself with this arrogant waste...... Why not let his new pet finish the job?

Riley stood at attention, eyes glittering with anticipation as he subconsciously awaited Angelus' order. The insults aimed at Buffy enflamed him; he itched to take this sneering fool apart with his bare hands. Part of Riley was appalled by his eagerness; it went against all of his mother's gentle upbringing.

But deep inside him, down below all the layers of training and tutelage beat the heart of an alpha male. The woman he loved, the bright beautiful little girl he adored had been violated and in front of him stood the last of creatures responsible. All his primal instincts were calling for its blood, for him to rend it limb from limb and all it would take was one word from Angelus, just one word.

"Slave." Riley snapped his head around to meet Angelus' eyes. Not the word he was hoping for but perhaps there would be more forthcoming. He waited. "You may begin."

A snarl worthy of a vampire tore from his throat and he descended on the defiant fledgling.

*******

It had been a profitable night, mused Adam.

Riley Finn was securely within his grasp, he was certain the vampire would tire of him eventually. Master Angelus was free from his prison and amenable to lending his name and assistance. The Slayer had been neutralized; Angelus upon tasting the potency of the drug in her blood would either drain her to death or turn her before the night was out. And now William the Bloody had come calling. Indeed, it had been a very profitable night.

Adam stopped at the door to the tunnels, waiting for his guards to open it. He had never met Spike but his reputation had preceded him. The history of this particular vampire was long and bloody, only his sire enjoyed a greater renown. Adam wondered what he would look like, probably another truly magnificent physical specimen like Angelus.

Spike spun around to face the door as it opened, clearly amazed by the bulk of the creature filling its space. He had been waiting patiently, well as patiently as he ever waited for anything, and an hour had elapsed. The commando squads would be hitting the tunnels soon, he was frantic to locate his sire before they did.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Spike had chosen the direct approach so he could warn Angel and spirit him away before the soldier boys decided to hustle him off to the lab for a happy little chip insertion party. *Bleedin' soul's bad enough. Think of how the great pouf would be if he couldn't fight.... Probably take up finger-painting or the guitar or some other such nonsense.*

Adam was taken aback, this vampire couldn't be the great William the Bloody. He was far too small, too slight to have amassed such a fearsome reputation. As frigid blue eyes locked on his, Adam immediately revised his opinion.

In those crystalline depths, he found the very fires of hell. Adam now believed every story, every rumor, every whisper ever spoken about this creature. This was a beast that raged against the light, his sleek frame a true compliment to Angelus' bulk. Once the Initiative's behavior modification chip was disabled, Spike would be a fine addition to his army.

Spike assessed Adam just as intently. He hated to admit it, but the Slayer had been right, this was the biggest, ugliest thing he had ever seen. The aura of evil that surrounded him was so seductive, reminding the demon within Spike of his own true nature. No wonder the residents of Sunnydale were quivering in their boots.

If only Adam hadn't taken the Slayer, he might have joined with him. But the chit belonged to Angelus just as he did and it was his duty to his sire to defend his property.... More's the pity.

"You Adam?"

"Yes, I take it that you are William the Bloody?"

"The one and only." Spike lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. He used his habit to draw his enemies into conversation. They could rarely keep quiet while he performed the simple task. Adam was no exception to the rule.

"Why have you come?"

"Don't all demons in Sunnydale come to you eventually, mate?"

"All but you."

"Well I figured it was about time I put in an appearance. Never like to be the first one to arrive at a party." He started his slow pacing, waiting to be invited into the lair.

"Why now?"

"Simple. I understand you have something of mine here."

"Yes, I have several of your minions. They have been quite anxious for you to join us."

"Not the vampire I'm looking for."

"And that would be...?"

"Big guy, broody, nancy looking hair, tends to not talk a lot.....'cept when he's fightin' and then he can't shut up. Goes by the name of Angel? You must have seen him, the tosser's hard to miss....." Spike leaned casually against the wall, watching Adam with hooded eyes. "Heard he was down here lookin' for that little blonde piece o'tail he craves so much."

"Angel is gone."

"Gone? As in been here and gone?" Panic shot through him, he hid the sudden shaking of his hands by tucking them behind his back. The smoke in his lungs escaped slowly as he exhaled. *Fuck, oh fuck, not dusted...... Not my sire.... *

"No, I mean Angel is gone. However Master Angelus is currently within, would you like to see him?"

Spike's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Angelus is here? Don't tell me Angel's soul flew the coop and my sire is loose?"

"Master Angelus is free and enjoying my hospitality at the moment. Would you care to join him?"

"Yeah, mate. That'd be good." Adam moved away from the door and gestured for Spike to enter.

********