Predatory Acts
by Jane Davitt

Chapter 2

Xander didn’t talk at all until they arrived at the windowless basement room Spike had rented for the time he was in Sunnydale. It should have felt claustrophobic but instead it was surprisingly cosy. A cave or a coffin?  Either way, it was sanctuary for both of them.

Spike closed the door and flipped the lock before walking over to a table holding glasses and two bottles. He poured out some vodka, splashing the liquid into a tumbler with a generous hand. Xander was standing, staring at nothing when he felt the glass shoved into his hand.

“Drink this and start talking,” Spike said. “I’m still in the mood to be entertained but I want to know what you are first.”

Xander took a cautious sip and choked as it burned his throat. Spike sighed impatiently. “Not got anything to go with it,” he said. “Vampires; not known for our skill with a cocktail shaker, you know. You’re lucky I get a taste for something other than blood now and then.”

Xander felt his legs begin to give way as the need to sleep overcame him. His stomach was full for the first time in hours; he was safe, and his eyelids were weighted with a drowsy contentment. He made it to the bed in a controlled stagger, brushing past a startled Spike, and fell asleep at once, the glass dropping from his hand.

Spike watched him in disbelief. The bugger was out cold. And taking up more than his fair share of the bed. He poured himself a drink, kicked Xander unceremoniously to the floor and flopped onto the bed, reaching out for the remote. He had no desire to go out again. The streets would be full of spies for the Master, only too keen to get him into trouble. He wasn’t all that popular with the minions. Strange, that. Or possibly not, as he’d been the cause of more than a few of them dying in the past. Word got around.

When he’d discovered that there was nothing at all of interest to watch he took a long sip of his drink, put it down on the night table and rolled over to look down at his comatose guest. A grin lit up his face like a candle illuminating a jack o’ lantern carved by Satan. Well, he had _something_ to play with at least.

As the sleepiness that followed feeding wore off, Xander woke up, stretching out lazily, eyes still shut. There was a metallic jangle and he froze, trying to identify the unfamiliar noise. Flight or fight – which was best? Opening his eyes he saw that he was still in the basement room, still with his new companion and neither option was available. There had been some changes while he slept. He was naked now, his clothes in an untidy heap by the door. That would have bothered him yesterday, but now he felt more concern over the fact that he was cuffed to the bed frame, his arms spread uncomfortably wide.

 Spike was sitting cross legged at the foot of the bed, his hands wrapped around Xander’s ankles possessively. He was partially stripped, his torso palely gleaming in the light of two lamps, one beside the bed, the other on the table with the bottles. He still wore black jeans, clinging needily to his thighs, but his feet were bare.  The animal in Xander panicked and he began to thrash, pulling down hard with all his strength, trying to snap the cuffs. The metal headboard creaked but held, as did the cuffs. Pain flared in his muscles and he felt the skin on his wrists begin to chafe against the metal. He managed to jerk his feet free and send Spike off the bed in an undignified scramble as the vampire avoided his frantic kicks, but he couldn’t release himself.

“Calm down,” Spike advised from the carpet. “I’ll let you go when you’ve answered a few questions.” Xander heard his words but they made no sense. He was trapped; held down, fear choking him, robbing him of all rationality.

Spike glared at him. “I _said_ stop it.” His voice was cold now, each word a threat. Recovering his grace, he stood up in one effortless movement and walked to the head of the bed. Grim-faced, he bent and gripped Xander by the throat, squeezing hard. The pain brought Xander back to himself as words could not, and he made an effort to relax and lie still, placating the creature who was controlling him. The pressure eased and Spike knelt by the bed and laid his lips gently against the red marks his fingers had made for a fleeting second. Xander felt a tremor run through him at the brush of those lips, remembering the kiss in the alley.

“That’s better,” Spike murmured, with an approving pat on Xander’s shoulder. “Can’t play till I know. Not safe.” He grinned, sitting back on his heels and looking at Xander. “So what’s a nice little human like you doing eating people? And no need to make it a long story.” He ran an appraising hand down Xander’s flank and chuckled. “Looks like you agree with me that there’re better things we could be doing.”

Looking down his body to an erection that was practically sitting up and begging – not to mention drooling – Xander had to agree.

***

When Xander had finished talking, his words halting and laboured as he fought to explain what he didn’t comprehend, Spike looked uneasy. “So, this pack of yours can track you? Don’t really want visitors.”

Xander shrugged. “I don’t know if they will or not. I’m still not –” He paused. He still wasn’t one of them, not wholly, but it hurt to admit it. Before the change they’d already been a pack. He was one of them by chance and he had been on the outskirts, his motivations far different from theirs when he walked into the hyenas’ cage. The change was working on him in different ways because of that. He felt anguish that still, _still_ he was an outsider. They would stay away until he called to them and at the moment he didn’t want them. Spike had fed him, had captured him. The vampire was alpha in Xander’s eyes and Xander didn’t want his pack to see him like this for fear of losing their fragile trust. If he concentrated he could feel their thoughts dimly. They had finished with the Bronze and they were going home, scattering for the night through habit. By tomorrow the change would have bitten too deeply for them to part again but tonight enough humanity remained to allow routine to supercede instinct.

“They won’t look for me tonight,” he said with certainty.

“Good. Well, I don’t know what happened to you exactly, or if it’ll last, but it doesn’t sound catching. Not like something bit you.”

Xander craned his head to look at Spike who had walked to the end of the bed and was casually peeling off his jeans, his back turned to him. “It doesn’t bother you? That I’m ...possessed?”

Spike turned his head and Xander saw his vampire face appear and then fade away. “What do you think?”

Xander lay unmoving as Spike sauntered over and began to undo the cuffs. “Could you – could you leave them on?” he whispered, his voice plaintive. The restraints freed him, he saw that now. Without them he would have to fight or leave and he didn’t want to do either. With them he could stay; guiltless, helpless...but the conflict in his mind was crippling him. He wanted what Spike was offering, craved it as he had the woman’s blood, but the idea of being weakest was frightening. The weak died first.

Spike shook his head. “No.”

“Why not?”

The eyes that stared down into his were awash with many emotions but not one of them was mercy. “Because everything you do to me and let me do to you is going to be your choice. You don’t get to console yourself with the thought you couldn’t help yourself.” Spike took the second cuff off and held the curved metal in his hand, weighing them as he watched Xander try to think this through. Then he hurled them away and sprawled on his back beside Xander, arms crossed behind his head.

“Go on, then,” he said lazily. “Get started.”

Xander moved to kneel beside Spike, looking down at the slender, strong body. He reached out a hesitant hand, letting it hover above the waiting flesh and swallowed. Spike frowned. “If you’re trying to wind me up – oh God, I don’t believe it.”

“What?” Xander said, feeling confusion fog his mind.

Spike sat up, poking Xander in the chest as he spoke. “You – are – a – virgin. A possessed, under age virgin.  Fucking you is corruption of a minor, not to mention bestiality and the whole loss of innocence bit.” He threw back his head and shouted with laughter. “You know that saying about being illegal in fifteen states or whatever? Fucking you is illegal world bloody wide mate, for one reason or another. I love it!” He paused and looked at Xander’s stricken face. “Ah, come here, pet. I’ll show you what to do.”

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