Page 79 of Cedarwood Cabin

“It’s only going to hurt more if you move,” Dax whispers in my ear.

Lyka closes the gap between us. I grit my teeth together and force myself to stay still.

The branding iron hovers above me and I can feel the heat radiate off it. Tears stream down my face and I can't help but squeal.

Lyka positions the branding iron on the right side of my pelvic area. He presses down on my skin and I let out an ear-splitting scream. The pain is excruciating as the branding iron sears through my flesh.

My body convulses against Dax's grip, but he pins me down. Every second feels like an eternity as I sit there in searing pain.

Lyka ensures the mark is seared deep into my skin. The scent of burnt skin and blood lingers in the air. Lyka grunts and removes the branding iron from my skin.

I can’t help but slump in Dax's arms. He kisses my cheek. “You’re a Faulkner now,” he says with pride in his voice.

I force myself to lift up my head and glance down. The letter F stares back at me. I am no longer me. I am theirs, a possession under their ownership.

I close my eyes, shake uncontrollably, and lay there, broken.

There is no escape. I am in hell.

LYKA

I watch Flora as she is fast asleep. I don't know how she looks so peaceful, considering the pain she must be in. Her dark blond hair frames her face, she almost looks angelic.

I gave her some strong pain medication and sleeping tablets. I lift the cover and pull it to the side, hoping I won't wake her up. I carefully inspect the brand, looking as it stands out against her pale skin. A slow smile spreads across my lips at the physical sight of our ownership over her. She stirs, moving her head slightly. With her eyes still closed, she furrows her brows.

I reach, moving a strand of hair away from her face, and place the cover back over her. Walking over to the other side of the room, I settle back down in the chair.

I admire Flora; she is very strong-willed. I’ve never seen someone as strong as her. This world was too cruel for her, leaving her alone with no one but Dax and me.

Dax insisted, telling me we were saving her and giving her a chance. Part of me didn't care if she killed herself in that forest. But the other part wanted to keep her. Claim her.

Now, she's marked and bound to us. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I didn’t give a shit if we went about it in a fucked up way.

I lean back in the chair and sigh, thinking about everything.

She was so lost and broken when we found her. I knew Dax was going to take her virginity; it was only a matter of time. The night it happened, I could see it in his eyes. He claimed her in the most intimate way. Of course, I wanted to be her first, but I was not worthy and never will be.

I’ve seen the other side of Dax, the side that he keeps hidden very well. He’s very good at putting on a fake mask, it helps lure people to us. But his darkness lurks beneath the surface. We’re equally as fucked up as the other. He manages to handle his emotions better than I do. However, despite this, we are brothers. We are Faulkners. And now, Flora is one of us, too.

She is ours.

I hear the door creak open and Dax enters the room.

“She’s still asleep then…” Dax says in a low voice.

“Yeah. The medication has knocked her out, thankfully.”

Dax gives a closed-lipped smile as he walks and stands beside me. We both watch her in silence. Flora makes a little whimpering sound, like she's having a bad dream. Too bad she won’t escape it when she wakes up. I sigh. It may take some time, but she will eventually come to terms with things. She doesn’t have another choice. When she gave her virginity, her trust, her art, her laughs, her broken heart, her shared desire to stay here forever with us…we knew that we would never let her go. A sick part of me loves watching her break in the process.

As much as I admire Flora’s strength, I admire her broken more.

We can only watch, wait, and hope she’ll understand in time.

The things we would do to keep this girl here. She has no idea.

TWENTY

FLORA

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