Page 69 of Caged By Dance and Desire

“What? What did he do?” Outrage warmed my voice. I could handle my own punishment, but Mathen hadn't done anything wrong.

“He let you leave. He succumbed to a baby succubus.” The cheer didn’t entirely conceal the steel. “His job’s to protect you, and he failed. You were taken. There's consequences, boo boo.”

“But it's not his fault!” I exclaimed, my voice carrying.

Andrei and Mathen turned, Mathen’s expression resolute, Andrei’s emotionless. Mathen glanced beyond me, presumably meeting Philea's eyes, and she tightened her arm.

“Yup. Come on, girl,” she said, nipping my earlobe. Hard. “Pussy up. If you fuss it’ll distress the males, and they're already difficult enough to deal with.”

I stiffened my muscles in order to remain still as Mathen knelt, calmly removing his shirt. Constin strode forward?—

“No!”

I threw myself forward, trying to break Philea’s hold but she didn't even grunt, easily keeping me still.

I wasn't weak. I strength trained, I conditioned my body. I wasn't weak. But she wasn't any less physically strong than the men.

She held me still. “Don’t make me pin you to the ground. That’s not how I want to go down our first time.”

“Andrei, don't do this,” I said as he took the whip from Constin and unfurled it. “I'll never forgive you.”

Andrei and Constin exchanged a glance, then looked at Mathen with a clear nonverbal demand to handle the human. Mathen's shoulders rose as he inhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Hasannah,” Mathen said in a firm voice. “This is going to happen. You have to be strong, Anali. I told you it would be all right.”

He was the one about to be whipped, but he was trying to comfortme. It shamed and forced me to calm down. I closed my eyes and didn't open them until I'd composed myself.

When I did, I nodded, and Andrei turned back to Mathen.

“Twenty lashes, luudthen,” the High Lord said quietly. “I don't think she can bear any more.”

For a paralyzing second I hated him, hated Andrei. But I set my jaw and watched. Witnessed the consequences of my mistake.

Watched as Andrei whipped Mathen, each blow hard and heavy, his full strength behind the strike. Mathen barked out the count, unfaltering as blood bloomed on his back.

Twenty didn’t seem like much, but when the whip was wielded by Andreien. . .

By the fifteenth strike, Mathen’s voice faltered, once. Voices rose in the courtyard, bolstering him, taking up the count on his behalf.

When it was over, Philea released me and I ran forward, dropping on my knees in front of him, but not touching.

“Mathen.Mathen.”

He lifted his head, eyes clouded, and tried to smile. Mathen reached out his hands and I clasped them.

“I’m fine, Anali,” he said, and his voice sounded almost normal.

I squeezed. “I know you are. You’re the strongest person I know.”

He chuckled, then winced. “I’m not, but you’re kind to say so.”

“Hasannah,” Andrei said, and his continued remoteness warned me.

I turned slowly, still on my knees, and looked up. “High Lord?”

He met my gaze. “And now, you.”

My breath came in shallow pants. “Fine. If Mathen can endure it, so can I.”

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