Dog Days of Summer (Damned of the 2/19th Book Four) - Finished

The Lion's Den

McDaurn Family Farm

Lewis County, WA, USA

8 Aug 1986

1330 Hours

We were deep into the back woods of Washington, off of Highway 12 and toward Mt. St. Helens in Lewis County. The farmhouse had stood for over a hundred years, little by  little being modernized and updated, rooms added, rooms removed, the design never perfect. In all that time it had been the seat of the Matron's powers, where the six old woman made all the decisions for the family. Who would marry who, if a prospective bride or groom was suitable, who would work what job and where, what name a child would carry, and most of all, how to wield the vast political power the family had gained over the long centuries.

Yes, centuries. My family is old, we're talking Fall of the Roman Empire and before old. During that time branches of the family have gained riches, gained political prominence, and all of the things that an old family collects and passes on.

Wherever you saw a Stillwater boy, be it a judge, factory worker, engineer or farmer, no matter what name they were using, you could bet that his girl was standing behind him with her hand jammed up his ass to use him as a puppet. Boys had no self-determination, everything they did was at the behest of their girls. The closest we came to free will was being in the military.

The farmhouse, old weathered wood with old style linseed oil rubbed into it until it shone, then left in the sun to fade. The weight I could feel settle on my shoulders as Matron Aine guided me toward the farmhouse was much deeper than simply what was waiting for me inside of the house but rather the full weight of centuries, eons of family history. Thousands of McDaurns through over a hundred generations had come before me, almost every single boy joining the military in one form or another. From common line troopers to special operations soldiers to cavalry riders, tank drivers, and jet pilots.

The lizard in the back of my head was trying to over-ride Matron Aine's touch, to figure out a way to break free of her control. I'd experienced it before, the touch of an Aine, but my little Aine in 2/19th, the Aine I'd grown up with, was immature. Matron Aine was experienced in controlling boys, bending them to her will, and wiping out their self-determination.

"He is struggling against me, I can feel it." Matron Aine giggled, shifting her grip from my arm to the back of my neck. Under her palm erupted in a painful, almost pleasurable, tingling that spread up my spine and into the base of my brain. My thoughts disintegrated and my erection returned. I couldn't think of anything but begging Matron Aine for permission to touch her skin, kiss her flesh, taste her sweat.

The lizard, muttering to itself like a boiling teakettle, took off the front panel of his workstation and began examining the contents, trying to find someway to adjust the wiring to bypass what Matron Aine was doing to us.

"Then control him, Matron Aine, he's merely a boy, or have you forgotten that  you are a Matron?" Matron Regan snapped.

Matron Aine giggled again. "Perhaps I should just release him, seeing as you did such a wonderful job of controlling him when you confronted him."The fingers loosened from around the back of my neck, moving to tease the nearly shaved away hairs back there, making slick fire shudder down my spine. "After all, he's merely a boy."

"Go ahead, Aine, after..." Uncle Ruari started to say.

"Matron Aine, Ruari, you will refer to me as Matron Aine and nothing else."Aine's voice was made of cold raw iron and promised dire punishment. I was aware that the small child inside of me was faintly whimpering but I couldn't stop it. "Unless you feel that you and Tiernan have enough in common for you to defy a full Sitting Matron as well as defy an Aine, boy." She let go of my neck, her hand trailing down my back. I could feel her fingertip even through the thick cloth of the Class-A jacket, the thin dress undershirt, and the cotton t-shirt, as if her nails were scratching the skin over my spine. "Anthony here respects me, fears me, even as his hatred of me burns in his veins, but he can't help that, my daughter, of course, will seek to use him to destroy me and break my power."