Page 148 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Isaak hugged her tightly. “Anna, I’m so glad to see you.” His familiar Swedish accent warmed her heart. “Tatiana told me what an impression you made on her on Tuesday.” He studied her intently for a long moment. “Are you still living with Jack?”

Isaak knew a little bit of what had happened after her parents had died. He’d had several arguments with Jack about Anna, suspecting Jack had been abusive, but there’d never been enough evidence to prove anything. Devin had talked to him and assured him everything was fine. And everyone believed Devin when he spoke.

Anna shook her head.

He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Are things... better?”

She smiled. “Yes. Much. I have my own place. And Devin said I could dance more.”

Isaak’s eyes filled with tears, and he hugged her again. “I’m so happy, Anna. I’m so glad you’re out of that... out of Jack’s control.” He kissed the top of her head, then pulled away and looked at her. “I want you in the summer sessions. If you do well, I will seriously consider you for the company in the fall.”

Anna’s jaw dropped open. “Isaak, you haven’t even seen me dance?—‍”

“I don’t need to, Anna. You are your parents’ daughter. Tatiana finally saw that.” He chuckled and glanced over at Tatiana, who shrugged, a pretty smile on her face.

Anna grinned.

“Tatiana will give you the details about the Intensives. They start a week from Monday. Even if you have to start late for some reason, I want you there, okay?”

She nodded, her heart soaring again.

“I must go. Call the studio when you decide.”

“I will.”

Isaak kissed her head once more and then headed across the studio toward the exit. Anna watched him leave, her heart filled with affection for him. He walked tall and with the elegance of a retired premier danseur. He had always believed in her; always been her advocate.

Anna took her place in the corner, dreaming about the Summer Intensives. Class flew by and she felt as if she were flying again. Tatiana gave her a flier with the information about the classes, and Anna drove home feeling very proud of herself.

Aaron was waiting for her at her apartment and Anna excitedly told him the good news.

“I knew you could do it.” He kissed her deeply. “C’mon. Let’s go celebrate.” He grinned and she giggled as he pulled her into her bedroom.

Chapter 62

Alex regained consciousness feeling very uncomfortable. Without moving or opening his eyes, he took stock of what he knew. He didn’t sense anyone else in the room, but that didn’t mean an especially skilled someone wasn’t there. His arms were bound to something above his head. Moving his feet was difficult and the sounds of chain scraping against stone echoed in the room.

Where the hell was he? The last thing he remembered was sitting in Devin’s study at the Manor, arguing about Anna. Then he got a little dizzy...

Shit. Devin must have drugged him. He was normally on alert for that type of thing, but once again, he’d underestimated Devin. There were unspoken rules about messing around with the children of Brothers. Especially children of the Elders. And especially Elder-Sons.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Decorative sconces on four walls cast a pale yellow glow on the stone walls. Whips, chains, and other gruesome instruments lined the far wall.

He shivered in the chilly air and glanced down to see his naked chest. Odd. Devin would never proposition him. Why was he naked and bound in what appeared to be a dungeon?

He didn’t think he’d been injured, though when he looked down, dark streaks on his cock caught his attention. In the dim light, he couldn’t be certain, but it looked like... blood? Oh, hell, what had he done? Or what had someone done to him? He wasn’t in pain, aside from tired muscles. Sebastian had healed him last night. By the feel of his joints, he’d only been in this position for an hour or so.

Blue light flickered to his side, and he turned his head to see a TV attached to the wall come to life. His stomach clenched and he swallowed back vomit as horrifying images flashed on the screen. It was silent footage of himself and three girls. Three young girls.

Oh, God. He couldn’t have done that. He wouldn’t have done that. No, it had to be a trick. It couldn’t be real. Even in his rages, he’d never hurt a young girl. He’d go after the things he wanted, but he’d never had a taste for young girls.

As much as he wanted to turn away, he forced himself to objectively watch his face on the screen. He wasn’t raging. He wasn’t angry. He was just... enjoying himself?

His stomach churned as he watched the girls silently scream as he did unspeakable things to them. He could imagine how much he was hurting them. Hell, he had to be careful with full-grown women. Being as large as he was had its disadvantages sometimes.

Enough. He turned away as his stomach heaved and emptied itself down his chest. He didn’t even try to keep himself clean, but continued to puke until his stomach was empty. When it finally was, he continued to dry-heave for several more minutes until he slumped against his bindings.

He squeezed his eyes shut as hot tears filled his eyes. Shame and guilt twisted like knives in his gut and heart. Their blood was on his body. The proof was on the screen. He’d done it, though he had no recollection of it.

---