Page 7 of Her Tortured Beasts

“The pleasure is mine, Olly,” Xander murmurs. Does he sound pensive? Is that a note of apprehension in his voice, or is that just my soul-weary, fatigued state?

“Your old rooms are freshened up and ready with all the comforts.”

Olly introduces the maid, a brunette by the name of Heather, and they all ignore my irrelevant Boneweaver ass.

I can’t believe Xander has both a manservant and a maid. But, of course he does. His giant egoic lord dragon ass wouldn’t be complete without a set of humans waiting on him claw and tail.

They lead us down a long corridor and up yet another set of stairs. The vaulted ceiling soars high above us, the other levels wrapping around the walls mezzanine style like ribbons around a gift box. Gold glints at every opportunity. Ancient stone dragon heads sit on pillars and some in glass cases. Gems are inlaid on name plaques, portraits are ornately framed, and my bare feet trod upon plush crimson runners.

I’m barely able to keep my eyes open as we reach Xander’s rooms and he has to tug at my chain to get me through his receiving room and into a large space occupied with a king bed on one side, a bathroom on the other and?—

A muttered curse leaves my lips.

Because they’ve prepared for me.

Against the eastern wall of his room sits a square cast iron cage. The bars are thick and black, twined with gold because, of course, they couldn’t help it. It’s big enough to allow a person to lie down, but short enough that I would have to kneel in it. On the floor lies a folded pink blanket and two ceramic…dogbowls. One with water, the other with something that looks like kibble.

Next to that is a puppy pee pad.

By the Wild Mother. I gape at the thing as Heather removes a black key from her starched apron pocket and hands it to Xander.

“We won’t need the training pads,” Xander says with abject disgust. “I won’t have it urinating on the floor.”

“Apologies, my lord,” Heather says quickly. “None of us were sure what condition she would be in.”

Did they think I’d arrive crawling on all fours, yowling and barking? Bunch of nutters.

“I’m not going in there,” I say, crinkling my nose.

With the slow, fluid movement that could only be made by a predator, Xander turns around. Cruelty and anger drapes around his shoulders like a coat. Wisely, Heather and Olly flee the room, quiet as mice, shutting the door behind them with a definitive click.

So well trained.

So well aware of the danger of dragons.

I cross my arms and stare those glowing eyes down. “You’re taking credit for my surrender and I don’t appreciate it.”

“Use the bathroom,” Xander sneers. “You need it.”

With a flick of his wrist, the golden chain snaps free of my collar, making me stumble forward. My hand flies towards the collar as the chain disappears into the gold bangle on Xander’s hand. He takes out a set of metal keys and unlocks the shackles around my wrists with brusque efficiency, removing them and stepping away.

I’m as free as I can be.

But I don’t move towards the bathroom. I narrow my eyes at him. “I am here of my own accord.”

He doesn’t miss a beat. “Yes, and that means you’ve signed your life away. You are subject to the rules here. Comply, or face the consequences.”

I shake my head, my heart a tight fist, my throat threatening to shut entirely. But I push through it. “You?—”

Xander whirls around and grabs me by the throat, shoving me right against the wall. “You will haunt me no longer,” he hisses into my face. The fire in his gaze might burn me alive.“You don’t get to live in my head anymore. You don’t get to control me. I am free of you. Forever.”

Shock slams into me harder than a slap. I had no idea I affected him that badly. That I…lived in his head, unwanted.

“I never controlled you,” I choke out.

He lets me go with a snarl, striding away without another glance. I all but sag against the wall. Without another word, I hurry into the bathroom and slam the door shut behind me, pressing myself against the wood, breathing hard and squeezing my eyes shut against the pain of it all.

Taking a shaky breath, my bladder suddenly makes herself known. I blink open my eyes and rush to the toilet, planting myself on it like it’ll save me.

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