Page 31 of Eat Me

"We expect you to adapt," Marcus says calmly.

Shaking my head, not wanting to hear their twisted praise, "What does it matter? I'm still just a prisoner here. Whether I stay calm or not, I'm still at your mercy." I bite my lip, after letting some of the emotions I’ve been keeping, explode out.

I’m not sure what flashes in Jasper's eyes but a feral smile takes over his face as he moves so that he can crouch down in front of me. "For now, yes and if you continue to impress us, you’ll be a part of this‘insane family’as you call us.”

A cold chill runs down my spine at his words as I recoil from Jasper's words, my back pressing against the cold concrete wall. "I don't want to be part of your family." My voice is shaking slightly despite my efforts to stay calm. "I want to go home."

Jasper leans in closer to me, his breath hot on my face, "This is your home now, little bird. The sooner you accept that the better off you'll be."

“Do you all expect me to accept you if I pass all your tests? I know you’re all looking for a wife, but I don’t want that…” I want to leave here and pretend none of this ever happened.

“You can’t seriously expect me to accept all of you and a life like this.” I know I'm pulling from thin air, but if we’re talking about this, I’m going to see what kind of information I can get from them.

"Oh, we're very serious about you, little bird," Jasper purrs, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. I don’t hesitate in flinching away from his touch. "You've shown such promise. It’d be a shame to waste all that potential."

Vehemently shaking my head at his words, I feel the weight of dread settling on my chest. There has to be a way to get free of them and this place.

Marcus sighs, exchanging a look with Jasper. "We understand this is overwhelming for you right now. But you'll come to see things our way in time. We told you what we wanted and expected at the beginning of this... you were chosen for us, and we don’t want to let you go."

“You haven’t been here long enough to get to know us, and so far, these tests have shown you’ve done very well.” I see the grin on Jasper’s face as reaches out and touches me again. This time his thumb runs over my lips before letting his hand fall. “We got attached to you much more quickly than the others you’ve been around.”

I turn my head away, unable to look at the manic gleam in his eyes. My heart’s pounding so hard I’m sure they can hear it.

"Easy, Jasper," Marcus says, his tone a gentle, yet warning. He stands up, reaches out and places a hand on his brother's shoulder, pulling him up and away from me, enough that I have breathing room. "Give her some space."

Jasper growls but allows Marcus to tug him away. I take a shaky breath, trying to process everything they were saying. The idea that they were getting "attached" to me after such a short time, after everything they'd put me through, was deeply unsettling.

"You can't seriously expect me to just... accept all of this," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "To be okay with murder and torture. To want to be part of your family after what you've done."

Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We don't expect you to accept it all at once. It takes time to adjust to our way of life. But you've shown such potential already. With time and guidance, you could truly thrive here."

I shook my head, feeling tears prick at my eyes. "I don't want to thrive here. I want to go home. I want my old life back…” I shook my head looking up at the two of them. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling that had taken over my body. My mind was reeling, struggling to process everything that had happened and what they were telling me now.

"I also just don't understand," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "How can you talk about family and attachment when you just tortured someone before killing them? How am I supposed to ever trust you or feel safe here?"

Marcus's expression softened slightly. "We know it's difficult to comprehend right now. Our ways are... different from what you're used to. But everything we do has a purpose. We're not mindless killers."

I let out a harsh laugh, curling more into myself. "Could've fooled me."

Jasper's eyes flashed dangerously, voice low. "Watch your tone. We've been patient with you so far, but don't push your luck."

I flinched at his words, causing Marcus to sigh, running a hand through his dark hair. "It's not something that can be easily explained or understood immediately. Our ways may seem cruel to outsiders, but they've ensured our family's survival and prosperity for generations."

“I don’t know if I want to understand your ways,” I told him softly, I guess I didn’t stay as strong as I wanted to in this situation. I was crumbling after everything that had happened. I have seen two people die. I think they are expecting too much from me.

“Can I get some time alone…” I wanted to process everything and didn’t want to talk to these two anymore. I saw the two look at each other, having a silent conversation before answering me.

“Someone will be back later to bring you dinner,” Marcus told me, but food was the last thing I had on my mind. I just wanted to be alone to be in my own head.

“Don’t get too lost in your thoughts and emotions,” Jasper spoke up next, his eyes burning into me. I shut my eyes and curled into myself not giving him an answer.

I can only wish later would be better…but I highly doubt it.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Victoria

Sitting in the corner of my cell curled up for what feels like hours, my mind keeps replaying the horrific events I had witnessed over and over. The sound of Amber's screams, the sight of her blood pooling on the floor, the cold gleam in Jasper's eyes as he tortures and kills her - it all haunts me, refusing to let me find any peace.

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