Page 69 of Sinful

He was wrong. My worldhadended, the second he took me out of Alderwood and forced me into this cage. This was my punishment for giving into the temptation of the flesh during all those long, forbidden nights in the hot springs.

“I know you didn’t mean what you said, Rose,” Sebastian went on. His voice was softer now, yet no less dangerous. “You don’t really believe you belong to me. Not yet.”

I swallowed hard and stared up at him, refusing to speak or even nod. I didn’t dare to deny him, but he could obviously see the hatred simmering in my eyes.

“But you will. It’s only a matter of time until you’re mine, Rose. Every single piece of you.” He smirked again and slapped my bare ass, making me yelp. “Mine.And I’m never letting you go. Never, never,never.”

18

Rose

I didn’t seeSebastian for three whole days after he used the toy on me. He left food, water, and fresh clothing for me when I was asleep, and that was how I tracked the passing of time.

Part of me was grateful to not have to see him, given the hot shame that poured through my mind and body whenever I recalled the way I begged him for an orgasm. The rest of me was starting to go crazy from the mind-numbing boredom and constant barrage of questions in my head.

I kept wondering why the Entity had abandoned me in such a nightmarish situation. I would then wonder if he’d placed me here on purpose as a test of my strength and devotion, and then I’d cry because I knew I was failing miserably. In my darkest moments, I even briefly wondered if Sebastian was right after all—that the Entity wasn’t even real.

I couldn’t entertain that thought for long. It was too horrible. Too sacrilegious. As soon as it started to drift across my mind, I’d pinch my arm and turn my attention to something else. Unfortunately, that ‘something else’ usually wound up being the obsessive thought pattern I’d developed since Sebastian decided to leave me alone for so long.

A strange, twisted part of me had started to wonder if he’d decided to abandon me because of my lack of experience. I’d really tried my best when he shoved himself in my mouth the other day, and he’d even told me that I was a natural, but to have him disappear for so long afterwards hurt and confused me. The thought that I might have displeased him bothered me, and I ached with envy when I pictured him taking his satisfaction with another woman instead. An outsider woman, who was probably far more experienced and knew exactly how to please him.

What bothered me the most about this line of thinking was the fact that I was even considering it at all. Why should I care if Sebastian was pleased with me? He was a monster. He’d taken me away from my people, locked me in a cage, and stripped me of all my dignity. He didn’t deserve to feel happiness or pleasure. Especially not from me.

And yet, those thoughts and worries still came unbidden, making my stomach churn and my pulse race.

I tried my best to distract myself from the darkness in my mind by focusing on my attempt at digging a hole out of this place. I’d managed to dislodge several stones with the spoon, and I’d also dug out half an inch of dirt in a circle big enough for me to squeeze through once it became a full-blown tunnel.

It was slow, tedious work, and I estimated that it would take me at least six months to dig my way out of here. That was a long time, but it was nothing compared to the rest of my life.

It occurred to me that I would miss my Tetrad ritual during those months, and that made me concerned about the Covenant’s reaction upon my return. I predicted they would be terrified about my disappearance but also angry with me for missing the ritual, because without my contribution to the Tetrad process, the veil separating the Darkness from the world would grow thinner and weaken, allowing all sorts of monstrosities to spill onto our land.

Given that… would they welcome me back with open arms? What role would I play in society? Would I just be Rosamund the teacher, instead of Rosamund the celestial virgin? Or would they allow me to participate in a different eclipse ritual instead?

I had no idea, and the confusion and fear made my head spin. The only thing that made me feel slightly better about any of it was the fact that the Covenant’s uncertain reaction to my return was a problem for a future version of me—a version that escaped this hellish place. A version that finished the tunnel, clawed my way out of here, made it home.

That thought spurred me on, imbuing me with enough hopeful energy to chip away at the hard dirt for hours upon hours.

Just as I removed yet another stone in order to widen the hole in the wall, there was a scuffing sound somewhere outside the glass wall. Heart racing, I leapt back from the hole, shoved the bed back in its place, and hid the spoon under the mattress. Then I knelt by the bed, hands clasped in front of me as if I’d simply been praying.

From behind me, I heard the soft hiss of the lock disengaging, followed by heavy footsteps as Sebastian stepped inside. “Good morning, Rose.”

I turned to him, eyes immediately landing on the tray balanced on one hand. He smiled and set it down on the floor. “Oatmeal for breakfast. I added some brown sugar on top for you, as a little treat for being so good the last time we were together.”

That horrible, twisted part of my mind glowed with happiness and relief at his words. He was pleased with my performance after all.

I pushed the unwanted thoughts aside and bowed my head. “Thank you, Master,” I murmured.

Really, I wanted to scream at him.Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why did you leave me alone for so long?

“I assume you have some questions, so you may speak freely for now,” Sebastian said.

I swallowed hard and looked up. “You left me alone for so long. Where have you been?”

His lips stretched in a cold smile. “You missed me, huh?”

“I…” I trailed off, lips parting as I tried to figure out a response that wouldn’t get me punished.

Sebastian’s smile widened to a mocking grin. “That was a joke, Rose. I know you didn’t miss me,” he said. “To answer your question—I’ve had urgent work matters to attend to. Seems a few people missed the memo about me taking time off. I’ve also been up at Alderwood a few times, helping out with the search.”

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