Dark Journey [Ariel's Desire 2] by Candace Smith Page A

hard test and will be rewarded and taken into the tribe, she’ll let go.”
    They all agreed this would be the best way to help Lucien with his new mate. When they reached Wind Seeker’s cabin, Shining Star was rocking their new son.   “Would you like to hold him, Constance?”
    “I’d love to.”   Constance sat and the baby was placed in her arms.   “How great is this one, Wind Seeker?”
    “He is your great, great, great, great, great nephew,” Wind Seeker counted on his fingers.   Wind Seeker liked to joke with Constance about how great he was.   He imagined his son, and his son’s son, would continue the tradition.
    Constance smiled down into the little black eyes.   The baby gurgled and waved his arms with delight as she played peek-a-boo with him … with her fangs.   Every time they burst down or flew up into her gums, he laughed.   She still felt a stab of pain that she would never hold a child of her own.
    Black Horse rode over to them.   “Lucien’s Clan is about ten minutes out.” Wind Seeker mounted and rode out to greet them.
    Constance handed the baby back to Shining Star.   “He’s a handsome one, Shining Star.   I‘ll bring Ariel over later to meet you.”
    “Thank you, Constance.” The proud mother went back to rocking her baby.
    Constance and Patrick greeted the other Clan as they arrived.   They were both struck by the look of adoration in Lucien’s eyes when he introduced the little woman who’d been riding with him.   There was no doubt, she was his mate.   As they greeted Nathan, Justin, Nicholas and Damon, they were alarmed to see the same expressions.
    “Patrick, I think there’s more going on here than just Lucien and Ariel,” Constance whispered.
    “I think you’re right.”
    “You don’t think they’ll try to join the Clan’s together again, do you?   We can’t split everyone up.   Six abductions on the flatlands would be noticed, no matter how well planned they are.”
    “No, Constance.   I don’t know what Lucien has in mind.   I think out of courtesy he’ll offer to let us rejoin them, but we’ve been apart for two centuries.   It would be an uncomfortable contest for leadership.   He won’t argue when I turn him down.   As far as what’s planned for the rest of the Vampires, I don’t know.   By all rights, they should be allowed to start their own Clans.   Let’s see what he’s come up with.”
    Constance took Ariel by the arm and showed her the Indian village.   When she held Shining Star’s baby, Constance stood behind her making the baby laugh with her fangs.   Ariel thought the baby had a delightful manner.
    They slowly made their way toward the stable and Ariel saw Mike for the first time.   She stopped and stared in horror.   Her former lover of two years was hitched to a post.   Reigns were tied to some round ring that kept his mouth open and the straps trailed down his back.   In addition to the tracers attached to the back of the collar, he now had two running down his chest through the nipple rings, separating around a slight erection and tied to the ring below his testicles. He was staring straight ahead. “Oh my god, Constance,” Ariel breathed.
    Ariel didn’t know when Constance had taken hold of her arm to gently massage her wrist.   “Calm down, Ariel.   He’s okay.   He’s much too valuable for them to ruin him.   He is being trained in obedience and patience.”
    “Constance, he doesn’t deserve this brutality.   I don’t understand.” Ariel was crying quietly.   She realized she didn’t want Mike to know she had seen him so humiliated.
    “Walk with me Ariel.   I knew you needed to see him, but now I want you to listen to what I say to you.”   Constance led Ariel back to the trees in a secluded area close to the Clans.   “Many years ago, it was my older brother the Indians received from the Clan.   He started out as a dog and worked himself up to stallion just as Mike has done.   He