Page 16 of Broken By the Battleship

I smirk as she stiffens in my arms.

Chapter 7

Iris

My stomach aches from eating too much, but I stare at the new room in wonder and horror.

A thin mat sits in the middle of the floor with a single pillow and a thin blanket folded in the center. Chains and ropes hang from the ceiling. Large metal cages line three of the four walls. Each one boasts stacks and stacks of soft, fluffy things.

Padlocks secure the cages closed, trapping euphoria out of reach.

It’s cruel. Too cruel.

The Battleship saunters into the room as though he isn’t dangling the biggest tease in front of my face. I swallow as tears prickle the back of my eyes.

Ever since my father murdered my mother, my brothers and I shared the nest she left behind. My father never gave us another scrap of fabric besides shabby clothes, and those I had to barter for when he gave me permission to go down the hall.

Yet The Battleship has enough nesting material stashed away to build dozens of nests at once.

My heart aches.

I swallow again and force my eyes away from the cages, but the chains hanging from the ceiling only increase my dread.

Heat rises from my toes again, but this time, it burns hotter and infects every cell in my body. Sweat gathers on my brow and pain spears through my abdomen. My core clenches and slick wets my folds.

A low, decadent vibration steals my senses. My pain drifts away and the scorching heat morphs into a delicious throbbing.

When my insides finally relax, I suck down a desperate breath, only to drown in spicy alpha pheromones. Wild and raw, his scent steals my thoughts and fills me with need.

A feminine rumble echoes in my ears. Jealousy snaps through me.

I jerk as the world flips and I land on the cold, tacky material of the sleeping pad. I stare at my clenched hands digging into the blue sleeping mat, struggling to connect my senses back to reality.

As the fog of need wanes, an embarrassed flush heats my face. I look up into rings of green and fight an unexpected wave of abandonment.

The alpha my body yearns for walks away from me without a backward glance. He steps over the threshold and disappears into the other room, leaving the door wide open, but I don’t dare move.

My womb throbs heavy and low in my abdomen. A puddle forms underneath me. I breathe through another cramp and twist my fingers harder into the mat.

Fabric rustles. The Battleship crosses from the washroom back toward the entrance with a towel slung low over his hips.

My mouth waters at the sight of his muscles. The cool air wafting over my nipples highlights their need for touch.

I bite the inside of my cheek and swallow my tears.

The air-tight seal on the front door hisses open.

I rise onto my knees, intending to jump up and run toward freedom, but another heat wave scorches through me, and by the time my vision returns, my entire body shakes as I hang my head on hands and knees, halfway off the mat.

The Battleship speaks to someone. I crawl closer to the doorway but stay out of sight, too aware of my nakedness to reveal myself to the stranger.

“Send two full servings of chicken, fruit, and bread from my stash to the new acquisitions. Assign them their own canteens and silverware to maintain as well. Their training starts tomorrow.”

My heart gives a prolonged squeeze at The Battleship’s words before galloping so hard my chest aches. I drop onto my hip, wrap my arms around myself, and lean my shoulder on the wall between the doorframe and the nearest cage.

Skepticism sweeps through me, but a small, quiet part of me longs to believe him. Even if it’s too much to ask of an alpha in this cruel world, I yearn to believe he plans to keep his promise.

But then again, he promised my father he’d break me. This may just be part of a bigger scheme.

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