Tender Cruelty ~ A Ratigan Romance

P4

FOUR: A Dᴀʀᴋᴇʀ Sɪᴅᴇ

Warning – Ratigan's not happy!

"No... Miss Silkyfur... I am not all-right! Would you kindly get away from me so that I can regain my dignity?" The Professor hissed angrily at her and Rowena was a little startled. What did it matter about his dignity when she ha saved his life? Only as Ratigan stood up and knocked the dirt from his fur did he turn about to hiss at her, flashing his rather nasty teeth. "I do not require help from a disgusting, worthless, repulsive sewer rat like you!"

"Sewer rat?" Rowena was only able to mutter such before she straightened herself and remained suddenly stock-still. She stared almost into oblivion as the words swam around in her head and she tried hard to understand what on earth he was saying. Rowena was a Fancy Rat, she'd only been in the sewer because he lived there and what was wrong with her being a rat? He was a rat too! Why was he insulting another rat? She looked up to him with harsh eyes, but harsh words could not come out. "I was only doing what I would do for anyone."

Ratigan had finished cleaning his jacket but now his temper was flaring. He heard her words but imagined the contempt and the hidden disapproval within; as much as he wished to deny himself a rat he knew how his kind thought over this matter. He knew they might well looked down on him for denying himself, but he had seen what happens to the clever fellows that were too eager to be proud of their species... humans happened! Sneering he spun on his heel and glared at Rowena, about to give her a warning when...

The professor's trousers fell down, revealing his greying undergarments and making Rowena blush and begin to giggle. She turned her head away, understand how severely inappropriate the situation was but it was not the professor's fault. She'd loosened them to reduce the constriction upon his diaphragm, besides it was indeed very funny. Any threat he might wish to exact was lost in the humour as tears came to her eyes and she could not stop herself, even though the professor was fuming. Without even a hesitation he'd jerked around his inside pocket and grabbed the bell, holding it in front of Rowena's face.

"Another snigger and you'll be cat feed!" He hissed, but Rowena placed her hands to her hips and glared at him. He realised swiftly that she was not afraid of a cat and perhaps with good reason... Felicia never seemed fond of eating rats and indeed she was often afraid of them because of how much they fought and what they could do! But something very devilish flashed inside Ratigan's mind and his wicked smile formed. "I see you're not afraid of cats.... But I know one thing all young women are fearful of."

Before Rowena had a chance to struggle or give a complaint his claws darted out and gripped her wrist. With a violent hiss he dug the suddenly extending nails into her wrist and drew blood, making her squeal in pain. With a violent jerking motion Rowena was pulled towards the main barrel as ahead of her, Ratigan's back seemed to hunch and his breath became more rasping and dangerous. He was angry with being humiliated like this and his temper had broken out... he was the hideous Hyde-like rat once more as he pulled her on.

Guessing something was truly wrong and how swiftly the situation had changed, Rowena's manner towards being dragged altered. He began to pull back and scratch at his arm with her blunted claws; he did not react at all and continued to drag her on. Only when she bit him and he stopped did she think any affect had been made... only to scream in terror and feel her heart leap out of her body as he spun about reddened eyes and the look of insanity as he practically roared at her. Then she was pulled along, still struggling but this time so startled and upset that she began to cry quite unintentionally.

"If you cannot behave like a mouse-woman then I'll have to treat you like any rat! You've crossed me today, stupid female... you'll remember never to disrespect me again!" Padraic hissed viciously as Rowena remained crying and trying to tug her way free as she was taken into his bedroom. She did not understand how a simple laugh and her helping him out could cause such a reaction... could be considered an insult. What was his problem with her?

"Let me go! I've done nothing wrong!" Rowena bleated only to be pulled into the room, the door closed firmly and then back handed across the room. She landed heavily with a grunt and half scream. Her chest aching as she tried to scream out the pain from being winded and barely moaned. She knew the rattling had knocked her head a little, there was a taste of blood in her mouth, she'd obviously bit her lip but her eyes were having trouble opening to focus on the THING that was skulking towards her with a menacing purpose. When she regained enough air to speak and her eyes focused she bleated pitifully as one of his feet stomped on her tail. "LEAVE ME ALONE! PLEASE DON'T!"

"No... no mercy for the wretches like you... every one of us must suffer for being the plague we are!" His eyes flared, red and menacing and Rowena felt her heart skip a beat. She trembled as his words cut into her mind and his claws stabbed into her tail, making her whine softly in pain. With her little noises, the eyes seemed to become more excited and the professor strolled over to her side, placing a hard boot upon her back and pressing gently against her ribs to make her howl and gasp. "Such sweet noises from you... how interesting for a devil to have the voice of an angel..."

Rowena managed to lift her head towards him enough to see something truly dark and terrifying within him. She could not understand this sudden snap, especially when she had just saved his life. She'd known he'd been upset with her so she had kept out of his way, she'd left him alone. If things had gone her way then she would not have even been singing tonight. Tears trickled across her lilac coloured fur and suddenly her neck was grabbed at the scruff, his foot off her back and hands off her tail. She was jerked up and against his strong frame with a choking gasp of pain and realisation.

She was at his mercy....

"I wonder whether you will sound like an angel after I slit your throat." His tail seemed to whip upward and stroke at her neck. But his voice, harsh and cruel seemed to rasp over her shoulders to make her body tingle with a secret desire she wished did not exist. His whiskers pressed against her chin, ticklish and exciting in any other circumstance but in that moment they were as dangerous as cheese-wire. She could only imagine the great grin upon his face as his hands stretched around, one hand firm at the top of her hip and pinching at her flesh as another hand lifted to stroke her neck and down over her chest.

"Please... let me go..." She pleaded; her voice barely audible against the intense pounding of her heart in her ears. She had no true understanding of this kind of situation... no understanding of the cruelty. All Rowena knew was that this was wrong and she wanted to be left alone. Parts of her mind were inflamed and excited to be in such close quarters with a male of obvious power and interesting aspects. He was attractive, there was no doubt about that and his chest pressed against her back and his paws roving her body were exciting; but in a bad way.

"No." He whispered, softly and cruelly by her ears before gently pressing his lips upon her neck. A shot of heat ran through both their bodies and as Rowena's tears dribbled off her chin and onto his nose, he paused. Gently Ratigan lifted his head away and found himself staring at himself clasping Rowena inappropriately in front of a mirror. She was weeping... weeping so beautifully and trying to keep her eyes closed and he looked like...

"I am a monster." He whispered gently, his tail dropping and his hands leaving her form. He lowered his head and the grabbed a nearby box from his table. He lifted it high, Rowena flinched when she saw it in the mirror but spun around swiftly as he cast it. Mirror fragments seemed to explode around the room and Rowena felt his hands hold her body close, protecting her from the glass. But then when he released her she knew he would be angry. Before he even began screaming at her to get out of his sight, she'd run and the professor was left crumpled up on the floor in his misery.

Rowena ran out of the room and down the corridor with tears streaming from her eyes. The sound of the smash had alerted Captain Doran as he'd been heading into the lair. As he mounted the stairs and watched her run past to her room in tears, he froze in horror. For a moment he could only imagine what could have happened to make her cry, who she'd been whole but terrified. With a snarl he turned toward the professor's room, ready to beat him to a pulp for such horrific behaviour... but as he approached he froze. Doran knew he could not fight his own master and he owed the rat too much to endanger himself and his family. Instead he bolted back after Rowena and followed her to the room she'd been given.

"Oh Rowena..." He whispered fearfully as he entered and saw the tears streaming down her face. He stepped to where she knelt by the bed and was trying hard to understand what had happened. She was in hysterics but Doran could say nothing more without a lump forming in his throat. He could not excuse this behaviour and it would only make her hate him and feel scared if he tried to say anything but comfort.

As he leant down beside her, his calm presence and familiarity eased Rowena enough to spin around. She dropped forward into his arms and continued to weep over his shoulders. Doran was startled, feeling warmth within his heart that he had not felt in years. He too had been moved by her singing tonight and gently, in way she would regard as comfort but to him was so much more... Doran kissed her forehead wishing it was her lips.