Page 54 of Eat Me

Marcus's smile widens slightly at my brusque tone. "Of course, Princess. Your other fiancés are eagerly awaiting your presence at breakfast." He offers his arm to me, ever the gentleman despite the circumstances.

I hesitate, eyeing his outstretched arm warily and taking it feels like another small surrender, another step towards accepting this twisted reality they’re forcing on me. But I know refusing would likely only lead to him physically manhandling me, so I reluctantly place my hand on his arm.

He grins down at me as he leads me through the house. The house is grand, with high ceilings and ornate decor that speaks of old money and refined taste. In another life, I might have been impressed. Now, it just feels like a gilded cage.

"The others are waiting in the dining room," Marcus explains as we walk. "We thought it best to have a... family breakfast just between the four of us and yourself. "

I do appreciate that. I didn’t know how I would be around more of his family. I nod stiffly at Marcus's words, grateful at least that I won't have to face the entire family just yet. The thought of sitting down to a ‘family breakfast’ with the men who had kidnapped and terrorized me was surreal enough without adding more people to the mix.

As Marcus leads us through the grand hallways, trying to keep my emotions in check. The house is beautiful, with its high ceilings and ornate decor, but it feels more like a museum than a home. Everything’s in pristine and perfect condition, untouched by the horrors that had brought me here.

As we approach the dining room, I can hear muffled voices and the clink of silverware. My steps falter, anxiety twisting in my stomach at the thought of facing all four brothers at once. Marcus must sense my hesitation because he pauses and turns to face me.

"Take a deep breath," he says softly, his blue eyes searching mine. "I know this is overwhelming, but we're not going to hurt you or make you eat anything part of our regular diet. We just want to have a nice breakfast together."

I want to laugh at the absurdity of his words. A‘nice breakfast’with these men. Taking a deep breath, I steele myself as Marcus opens the door. The room falls silent as we enter. Three pairs of eyes turn to me, expressions ranging from Elijah's cool assessment to Jasper's hungry gaze.

Owen’s the first to break the silence, rising from his seat with a broad smile. "Good morning, sweetheart. You look absolutely ravishing."

I tense at his words, instinctively pressing closer to Marcus before I catch myself and pull away. I hate how easily they can unsettle me with just a few words. I tense as he approaches, but he simply pulls out the chair next to him, gesturing for me to sit. I hesitate, glancing around the table. Elijah sits at the head, with Jasper across from Owen. Marcus gently guides me to the offered seat before taking his own place beside me.

"Thank you," I murmur, my voice barely audible as I move to the chair that’s pulled out. The table is laden with an assortment of breakfast foods - pastries, fruit, eggs, and bacon. My stomachchurns at the sight, memories of the "special" meat they’d fed me before flashing through my mind.

Elijah spoke next, his green eyes raking over me in a way that makes me feel exposed despite the modest dress. "Indeed. That color suits you beautifully, Victoria."

Jasper remains seated, but his eyes gleam as he looks me up and down. "Our little bird, all dressed up. Isn't she a vision, brothers?" Feeling my cheeks flush with a mixture of embarrassment and anger at their blatant appreciation of how I look, I quickly sit down, hoping to block some of their view as I can still feel their eyes on me.

"Please, help yourself," Elijah says smoothly, his green eyes intense as they study me. "I assure you; nothing is human. Just pig for the meat today. We want to have a good time this morning without you having to worry about it.”

Eyeing the food warily, my stomach growls despite my apprehension. The spread looks and smells delicious - golden pastries, vibrant fruit, fluffy scrambled eggs. But after everything I'd been through, I couldn't help but be suspicious.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I ask, my voice quiet but firm. "That it's not... human?"

Jasper chuckles, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, little bird. Always so cautious." He reaches out, snagging a piece of bacon and popping it into his mouth. "See? Just ordinary pig bacon."

“You know you trying it isn’t going to prove anything to me.” I tell him with a deadpan expression. He eats human meat with no problem…so eating it like that isn’t going to make me want to eat it either.

Owen sighs giving Jasper a look, before giving a small smile. "We want you to be comfortable, sweetheart. Eat whatever you'd like. If you don’t want to eat meat today that’s fine.”

I hesitate a moment longer before slowly reaching for a croissant. My fingers tremble slightly as I tear off a small piece and placed it in my mouth. At least I know certain foods would be safe…I think I’ll stay away from meat for a little while. Or as long as they’d let me.

"Thank you," I murmur softly. I can feel their eyes on me as I continue to take small careful bites.

"So, Victoria," Jasper says cheerfully, as if this is a normal family breakfast, "We were thinking of giving you a tour of the grounds today. Would you like that?"

I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "Do I have a choice?"

Jasper’s smile turns sharp, as he takes another bite of the bacon, "Of course you do, little bird. It’s either back to your room…or going on the tour. Those are the two options.”

“Jasper,”Elijah cuts him off, giving him a pointed look. Jasper rolls his eyes, leaning back into the chair as he continues to eat his own breakfast.

Elijah turns his sharp eyes to me, “We’d like to spend some time with you and let you see your new home.” I’m not sure what I want to do. I want to see where I am, just to survey the area…. but I also want to hide away.

“Can we see how I feel after breakfast?” I bit my lip. It will depend on how breakfast goes and how everyone’s acting. I didn’t know if I wanted to hide away from them. My room may be my only safe-haven here.

“That’ll be fine. You may still be tired from everything that has happened to you. Your body will need the rest.” Elijah grins as he takes a bite of his own food, eyes on me. I don’t like the look he’s giving me, so I avert my eyes and look down at my plate.

Keeping my eyes lowered and focusing on my plate, I try to ignore the weight of their gazes. The brothers continue to make casual conversation around me, discussing plans for the day andvarious household matters as if this is a normal family breakfast. The surreal normalcy of it all makes my head spin.

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