Page 72 of Astrid at Sea

“Please. You don’t have to do this,” I pleaded, hating how pathetic I sounded.

“You’re right. I don’t have to, but I want to, and I’m going to,” he chuckled lowly. “Don’t worry, Astrid of Jorvik. I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”

I shuffled back until my back pressed against the wall of empty bottles, and there was nowhere else to go. Frode smirked at this, at my vulnerability, and at this moment, I wished I could disappear—anything to escape Frode and his despicable intentions.

I kept my eyes trained on him, fearful of sudden actions, and watched as his fingers played with the strings around his waist, slowly undoing them.

“I don’t want you to do anything to me,” I protested in a small voice, hating how vulnerable I sounded.

“That’s not what your eyes are telling me.” He dropped his breeches and ripped his tunic over his head, leaving him standing bare butt naked in front of me.

If I had any doubts about what Frode would do to me before, they were all cleared up now. It was apparent what he planned to do to me, whether I liked it or not.

Call me weak, scared, a coward, but I knew I couldn’t live with this sort of violation.

I saw it happen once in Jorvik when I was much younger. Some sailors had stopped by on their travels for a night of rest and some food. Barden had been kind enough to accommodate them, but two of them snuck off their ship during the night and picked a random hut.

The mother and father were tied up and blindfolded while the two men did despicable things to their daughter and only child. She had just turned eighteen.

In the morning, the men were gone, never to be seen again, and by the following evening, the girl they had violated was no more as well.

This was the first time I had thought back to that poor woman since her funeral, and I suddenly felt devastation like I had never felt before. I was far too young then to understand the gravity of the situation or why she had made that choice, but right now, moments away from having the same thing that had been done to her done to me, I didn’t see any fault in her decision. The pain was hers to live with alone and hers to manage however she saw fit. And she chose not to.

“You don’t have to do this, Frode,” I begged, furiously fighting with the ropes tying my hands together. It was no use. They were too tight.

Frode moved to stand in front of me and licked his lips; his eyes locked on me and the way I struggled on his bed.

“Don’t act like you weren’t begging for it earlier.”

I didn’t dare look up. Not when I knew he was completely naked, and his cock would be right in my face if I did.

“Why me?”

Frode shrugged. “I don’t see any other females on the ship, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve laid with a woman.”

“Please,” I begged, even though I knew it was useless. Frode was a pirate, and pirates weren’t known for their mercy. He would do to me what he wanted, and I could either submit to it in hopes that he wouldn’t hurt me or fight back.

“That’s right, Astrid of Jorvik. I love it when females beg for me.”

It took everything I had not to be sick in my mouth.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it good for you.”

I cleared my throat and looked away from him. “Can I have some time before we…”

“What do you need time for?” He asked.

“Prepare myself,” I whispered, still refusing to look at him. I need time to get used to the idea before we proceed.”

Frode watched me through narrowed eyes, not looking convinced. “How much time do you need?”

“I don’t know.” I bowed my head and sniffled. The tears were real, but I was milking them, hoping he would feel bad for me and back off. “Talk to me, Frode.”

His dark eyebrows knitted together, and he asked gruffly, “About what?”

“Anything. I need a distraction to clear my head.” I buried my face in my hands as best as I could with my wrists still tied. “Tell me about yourself. How did you end up as a pirate?”

The room went silent. I thought maybe I had angered Frode with the question when he was naked and moments away fromflipping me over, pushing up my skirt and mounting me against my will, but when I looked up, he had a peculiar, somewhat distant look about him.

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