In this searing
sequel to the vampiric bondage bestseller, Ariel's Desire, a demon from
Lucien's past who threatens to destroy the lovers plus the entire vampire
coven. Their only hope is a man who may have been driven by his own tortures.
It begins when Ariel's friend Mike is turned over to a Native American
tribe to be trained as a warrior. But first he must make a dark journey from
dog to human being. First he is trained as a dog and taught to obey every order
instantly. He is also taught to curb his sexual impulses with restraining
devices as he journeys through horse, stallion, and cougar. At the same
time, a Native American maiden is sent to the vampire settlement where she is
forced into sexual bondage by the man who claims her, and subjected to
sadistically cruel torments. As in Ariel's Desire, Candace Smith has invented
several new bondage devices that make Dark Journey more than a bit of a
rougher ride.
There was a busty
blonde hanging over the fence and Mike forced himself to smile at her. His
triking blue eyes, set off by his wavy black hair, always earned him ladies’
attentions and his choice of weekend sex partners when Ariel buried herself in
her botany studies. The woman merely glanced at him, then at the cuffs, and
went back to joking with the Vampires.
Everyone in their
group received a warm, excited welcome except him. He understood he was to be
an outcast here as well, and tried to convince himself it did not matter.
Grayed, weathered wooden buildings lined the street on either side, with
corrals and a few outbuildings set further back. ‘So, this
is my new home.’ He
looked at the depressing village, already working on a plan to escape. His eyes
traveled to the corral and the docile animals standing inside by the fence. It
should be easy enough to steal a horse.
His eyes wandered
while his feet moved him forward with the group. It took a moment to realize
they had stopped in front a big building halfway down the street. The Clansmen
dismounted and helped their women off the horses. Lucien greeted a smiling
older man who still managed a formidable
presence. The man
walked off the porch, embraced Ethan, and the busty blonde from the fence
joined them.
Mike turned his
attention back to the hall when the doorway was filled with three more Indians.
He looked again at his cuffs and compared them to the leather breeches the
Indians wore, and a hollow feeling began to gnaw at his gut.
The Indians on the
either end were of average size and tightly muscled like Black Horse, the
Indian who met them on the grasslands. Mike had no trouble discerning the man
in the middle was the leader. He stood at least four inches taller than Mike’s
six feet and muscular arms crossed over a massive bronze chest. His thick
straight black hair hung loose to his waist, and although he was laughing with
Lucien, his strength and proud bearing were frightening.
Mike’s nerves began
to vibrate in warning and the instinct to flee was only squelched by the
knowledge he would have to rip the piercing in his sack to run. There was no
doubt he would be subdued quickly. The imposing Indian had glanced at his cuffs
several times. Mike had a real bad feeling about this.
Lucien finished the
light banter with the Indian about how things had gone at the settlement in his
absence. The discussion turned to Mike. and the fear gnawing in his belly
became an empty hole of terror. Lucien made some kind of back handed comment
about Mike’s independence and
continued to inform
the Indian about his disruptive manner and attempts at escape.
“Wind Seeker,” Black
Horse chuckled, “Lucien has given us a real winner, this time. The coward’s
bright idea to distract the Clansmen was to drown Ariel.”
Given to them?
Lucien gave me to Indians? Mike felt his balls shrivel inside the confines of
the pouch as the piercing black eyes looked down at him in outrage. An
irrational thought to explain to the man that he knew Lucien would get her to
safety, stuck in his paralyzed throat. He did not hear
the clipped
statement the Indian made to Lucien as he strode off the porch.
Mike panicked and
took a useless step backward, and Wind Seeker reached down and grabbed the ring
under his sack and viciously twisted. The unexpected pain was immense and Mike
screamed. The big man grabbed the back of Mike‘s hair and tilted his head back,
glaring at him. “I’m not as nice as the Clansmen,” the Indian seethed.
Dark Divas
Dakota's Review: While I really loved the first book in this series, I absolutely adore
Dark Journey: Arial’s Desire II.
Ms. Smith
has outdone herself this time. After reading the first book, I couldn’t
wait to get my hands on the second – especially when I found out that
we find out the fate of Mike, Ariel’s ex-boyfriend, after he arrives at
the Indian Village.
Ms. Smith
delivered the same strong writing in this book as she did the first.
While we still revisit some of the characters of the first book, I will
have to say this book is entirely Mike’s even though Arial has her
moments.
Ms. Smith has cleverly intertwined the first book
with the second. This is no easy feat for an author to pull off. I will
have to say while the reader doesn’t have to read the first book, I
would highly recommend it. It makes the second book all the better.
Especially when comparing the Mike from book one to the Mike of book
two. The same type of sizzling BDSM sex scenes were once more delivered
by
Ms. Smith, and are not for the faint of heart. I thoroughly
enjoyed this book, along with the first. This reviewer will be looking
forward to reading this author again.
Rated5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read By Dakota!
