Page 115 of The Slave in A Princess Disguise

Tyke’s throat bobbed. His gaze locked with Aekeira's on the bed, and a resentful glare contorted his features. Then, he looked up at Lord Vladya, puffing out his chest. "It will be an honor. As My Lord wishes."

Lord Vladya positioned himself, and the first crack of the whip sliced through the air. Followed by another, and another.

Slavemaster Tyke tried to stifle his cries, but after the fourth lash, he was openly screaming.

Aekeira tried to count the lashes but lost track after thirty. Deep welts and bruises crisscrossed his back, each strike leaving a fresh mark.

Lord Vladya showed no mercy, his arm rising and falling with unrestrained power. Tyke’s flesh became a raw, bloody mess.

By the gods. Is this what was meant for her?Aekeira shuddered. No wonder he had warned her, urged her to run.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, she buried her head in the silken sheets, her body wracked with tremors at every strike. Arousal waned, leaving her cold despite the warmth of the sheets around her.

Finally, the strokes ceased. Only the slavemaster’s whimpers and ragged breaths remained.

Tentatively, she lifted her head, peeking out from beneath the sheets. Slavemaster Tyke lay crumpled on the floor, his body battered and bleeding.

Lord Vladya crouched before him, lifting the man’s chin casually, forcing him to meet his eyes.

“I lied, Tyke,” Lord Vladya said calmly. “This is not an honor strike. This is a punishment.”

He nodded toward Aekeira, who flinched at the acknowledgment. “You hurt her.” His hand caressed a trail of blood from the slavemaster’s cheek. “The next time you do, I will have your colleagues whip you in front of the entire square, where every slave and master alike will witness it. Do you want that?”

Slavemaster Tyke’s eyes went wide, terror flashing across his face as tears streamed down his cheeks. “No, Your Highness. Please, I swear on my life it will never happen again!”

“From today onward, you are responsible for her protection,” Lord Vladya continued coolly. “Ensure that none of the other slavemasters mistreat, overwork, or evenlookat her the wrong way. If I receive even a whisper of a single complaint… you will answer for it. Do you understand?”

Slave Master Tyke bristled. “B-but, My Lord, it’s not something I can control, it—"

Lord Vladya’s brows ascended to his hairline. “Did you just question my orders?”

He shook his head so hard it was a wonder how it remained attached to his shoulder. “I will guard her with my life! Your command is my duty, My Lord.”

Lord Vladya straightened. “Get out.”

The slavemaster scrambled to his feet, and scurried out, leaving them alone once more.

As Lord Vladya turned to face her, some of the wildness that burned in his eyes dimmed. He must have read something in her expression because his face went blank.

Without a word, he moved around the bed, untying the knots that bound her wrists and ankles. Aekeira barely noticed the immediate relief from the pressure, all her attention focused on him.

Once he freed her, he turned away, throwing a command over his shoulder. "Go."

She sat up, watching him disappear into an adjoining room. Part of her was relieved by his order.

On one hand, Aekeira truly did want to run after witnessing, a show of that lurking violence in his gray eyes. He had told her before, she had known this would happen, but there was a difference between knowing andknowing.

On the other hand, a larger part of her wanted to hold him. To hug him close to her chest.

Aekeira didn’t believe he had punished Slavemaster Tyke simply as an outlet for his violence. There were countless prisoners in the fortress he could have chosen, yet he had singled out the one who had hurt her.

He had done itfor her.

To protect her.

Heavens, I love this male.

Fear, deeper than any Aekeira had known before, overwhelmed her. Her vision blurred, her world spinning. She sat back on her heels, shaken to the core.

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