Page 6 of Unhallowed

“This is my bedroom, Firefly.” I drag her to my bed and sit her down. “And we can’t stay together until…after.”

“After what?”

Uh, how do I answer that? How do I tell her that I bought her from her parents and they gave her over like she was nothing? How do I tell her I belong to a secret society, a fucking cult, and the only way to protect her and have her be a part of my life is through marriage? Through the consecration of it?

This is proving to be more difficult than I expected.

“Angel, I have something to tell you.” I need to figure out a way not to give too much away. She immediately stiffens, her blue eyes narrowing on my own. “After your parents kicked me out onto the street, I was adopted by the family who owns this house.”

She gasps for the millionth time. “That’s incredible!”

I nod my head yes, because I feel very lucky. “They are very powerful people. I’m saying…they hold key positions in the U.S. government that I can’t divulge yet.”

Like Secretary of State.

Senators.

This cult controls the government, every aspect of it, it’s monopolized. All decisions go through The Fellowship, they’ve made sure of it, and eventually they’ll go through The Heathens too when the time comes. When we graduate from graduate school and we’re given our own positions in the government. It’s possible I may start out at the state government level before moving up to the federal government, but I’ll get there eventually. I’m still young. I’ll be a senior next year and move on to law school, then everything will fall into place. I will know exactly what I’ll be doing with my life. At least for the next few years.

“And why is that?”

“Because they won’t trust you until…” You belong to The Family. Until you have no choice. Until there’s no way out because you’ve married into a fucking cult that you can’t get out of. Not alive. We live and die by the rules. We inhale and exhale The Heathens. “...you’re mine in every way.” The Fellowship consists of thirteen founding families and The Heathens are their children. My father is the leader of The Fellowship, theDux, and consequently my adoptive brother Killian is the leader of The Heathens as first born. Together, we consist of The Family.

“How did I get here, Draven?” she asks carefully, and even her eyes are guarded. I think she’s beginning to understand that something about this is important even if she doesn’t know how yet. “Why am I here?”

How do I say this in a way that lets her down easy? I can’t. There are no words that can make this better. “Your parents let me have you if I gave them something in return.”

Angel shakes her head. “What? What did they accept in return?” The hurt on her face is enough to bring me to my knees in front of her. I kneel and take her hands in mine.

“Money.”

Her breath whooshes out. “No way. They don’t care about that. God wouldn’t approve.”

“Fuck God!” I snap. I’ve never believed in Him or the teachings they shoved down my throat. Where the fuck was He when we were stuck in that basement for years? “They did it, Angel. You’re here, aren’t you? Do you really believe they’d just let you go out of the goodness of their hearts? No. Not after locking you up for that long. So fuck them.”

“But why am I here? Why did you want me to come here withyou?”

I reach up to touch her hair. “Because I could finally get you back. I’m in a good place, baby. I’m powerful too. I’ll be getting a government position when I’m done with school.”

“Are you rich?”

I smile. “I’m more than rich, baby.” I try to think of words that won’t freak her out too much. “With excellence comes wealth, and with wealth comes power.” That’s something my father has ingrained into my brain for years now.

She’s stunned into silence with that, and her chest begins to heave a little.

“You’re here to be my wife, baby.”Mine. “Don’t be scared, Firefly.” I stroke her cheek and she shivers. “It was the only way out of your fucking prison.” And your only way into a new one.

“Wife?” she squeaks, her voice smaller than I’ve ever heard before. Like she’s scared. I guess she should be. The marriage ritual is nothing like Christian weddings. “I’m twenty-one years old, Draven! Shouldn’t we take this a little bit slower? Give ourselves more time?”

“I’ve loved you forever, Angel. No age will keep me from making you mine.”

“I’m already yours, Draven,” she mumbles. “You don’t need marriage to prove it.”

“You’re right. But we need marriage to be able to keep you here.”

Angel frowns. “I don’t understand.”

“I can’t explain, yet. I’m sorry.” I plead with my eyes. “Please. Just let me take care of you.”

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