Page 378 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Anna nodded. “Yes, my lord.” She changed direction and headed toward the lodge.

She cleaned up and then made her way to the pavilion to greet Devin. He met with one politician after another and Anna spent her time giving blowjobs or being fucked.

Devin kept her with him that night, but was not kind. The next morning, they headed back to San Francisco, the Elder-Sons using her as they wished on the way back.

Chapter 176

As Devin drove Anna home early Monday afternoon, the numbness in her heart melted away. She blinked away the tears, not wanting Devin to see how much she was hurting. He’d probably enjoy it. She hadn’t spoken to him since they’d arrived back in San Francisco.

She fixed her gaze on the passing scenery through the car window. How would she ever tell Alex that the baby was gone? How could she explain the baby wasn’t even what—no, who—they thought. That it had been some sort of grotesque and twisted ritual Devin had inflicted on her, made worse by his deception about the origins of the child. Her grief mixed with disgust. Grief over the loss of a dream she’d shared with Alex. Disgust at the truth of what Devin had done to her.

Anna dug her fingernails into her palms, fighting to keep her emotions in check for just a while longer. She wanted to scream. She wanted to scratch Devin’s eyes out. She wanted to curl into a ball and sob for the loss of what could have been. The precious gift she’d thought Ben had given her.

By the time Devin pulled up in front of her house, she didn’t know what to do. She waited for Devin to hand her the suitcase from the trunk, then turned and walked up the sidewalk without a word. Gracefully, with her head lifted high, as if she really were the Elder-Mistress Alex wanted her to be.

Once inside, she closed the door softly behind her. She stared at the empty foyer for a moment before crumpling to the floor, a wailing scream escaping her throat in a flood of tears.

Aaron heard the door open and close, and then the scream. He sprinted from the great room to see Anna curled up in a ball next to the door, sobbing hysterically. He ran over and fell to his knees to gather her close. What had Devin done to her?

He pulled her into his arms, rocking her gently, trying to get her to calm down enough to tell him what had happened, but it didn’t work. She kicked her feet and slammed her fists onto the floor. Every once in a while, an unearthly scream would escape her throat that gave him chills. God, what had happened to her?

Frau Gersten came in looking concerned. He looked at her helplessly. She pointed upstairs and he nodded.

“Anna, I’m gonna take you up to your room.” He carefully scooped her up in his arms and carried her up to her bedroom. Frau Gersten pulled the covers back and Aaron laid Anna gently on the bed. He then nestled in behind her, cradling her as she continued to sob, offering what comfort he could in her distress.

Suddenly, she took a deep, shuddering breath and was still. Aaron peered over her shoulder to make sure she was still breathing. Her eyes were closed and her body relaxed. She’d fallen asleep.

Aaron let out a sigh of relief. He held her for a minute longer and then slowly untangled himself and rolled out of bed. He needed to call Travis.

Fifteen minutes later, after talking to Travis, Aaron dropped into a chair near Anna’s bed and stared at her.

No wonder she’d been hysterical. He shook his head as he watched her chest rise and fall in what seemed to be a peaceful sleep. He didn’t dare wake her. She needed it.

Aaron wanted to find Devin and strangle him with his bare hands. How dare he hurt Anna like that! Alex had said he and Devin had come to an understanding as to how Anna was to be treated. Did Devin think that just because Alex was out of town, he could get away with something like that? What kind of sick bastard tore a baby from a woman’s womb?

He needed to call Wilhelm. Alex had told him to call his dad if something happened. Well, this was definitely a something. He searched his contacts for Wilhelm’s number and dialed. He had no idea what time it was in Germany, but if it was late, he was pretty sure Wilhelm would forgive him once he found out what happened.

Wilhelm jumped as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He’d been absorbed in a political document and had lost track of time. He pulled the phone out and frowned at the screen. Why would Aaron be calling him?

“Hello, Aaron.” He leaned back in his chair. “Is everything alright?”

Wilhelm’s horror grew with each word as Aaron recounted the weekend’s events he’d learned from Travis. He hurried out to the sitting room where Ilsa sat, rocking Otto to sleep. The baby had been struggling with colic for several weeks and Ilsa was very good at calming him down. Wilhelm paused and smiled, taken back twenty-eight years to when Ilsa had held Alex in the same way.

Ilsa looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.

“Thank you for calling me and letting me know, Aaron. I appreciate it.”

“Sir, I hate to ask. But... I think Anna might need you here. With Alex out of town...”

“Yes. I think you are right.” Wilhelm thought for a moment. “I will be there as soon as I can. Keep her calm if you can. If she’s willing to dance tomorrow, take her. You know how dancing helps her.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll call you when I land.” They said goodbye, and Wilhelm looked sadly at his wife.

“What’s wrong?” Ilsa asked, concern filling her eyes.

“It’s Anna. She’s—‍” He sighed, not wanting to say the words. “Devin took the baby. It wasn’t Ben’s. Devin did it all for some disgusting Brotherhood ritual.” Wilhelm ran his hand through his hair. “I think I need to go to her. At least until Alex gets home.”

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