Page 40 of Wrath

I follow reluctantly. “You don’t think he knows?”

“How could he? You went to meet the woman in the village, and she didn’t show. Who else would have said anything?”

We reach my father’s office, and Martha gives my hand a squeeze before leaving me there. The guard opens the door, and I step inside to find him behind his desk. In his hand, he’s holding a glass of amber liquid, and he knocks it back before grabbing a bottle to refill. “Alcohol,” I guess, nodding at it. “Isn’t that a banned item?”

He grins. “And what do you know about banned items, Wynter?”

“You’d be surprised what I know,” I say, taking a seat without being asked.

He eyes me with disdain, and I know he wants to yell at me for sitting, but instead, he gives another cruel smile. I brace myself for his next remark. “Actually, I’m not surprised at all.” He takes another drink. “I expected you to cause waves down there, but I knew you couldn’t do any damage.”

“Is there a reason you asked to see me?” I ask, making sure to keep my tone bored.

“You’re not scared,” he says thoughtfully.

“Why would I be?”

“Everyone is,” he says with a shrug. “But not you. I see the defiance in your eyes. It’s always been there. And so, I can’t leave you down in the caves for too long because you’ll bring me problems.” He laughs, and it’s cold. “You’ll start a revolution.”

I feel my heartrate speed up, panic warning me that he knows. “I wouldn’t,” I mutter, shaking my head. The thought of being taken out the caves scares me, not only because I’d be losing Wrath but also the friends I’ve made. It’s the only time I’ve ever felt a part of a family.

He laughs again. “You’re already building an alliance.” I shake my head. “Don’t lie, Wynter, you’re not good at it. You’ve been taking extra food, and I can only assume it’s for your new friends.”

“Because what you give the workers in the caves is too little. They’re hungry.”

“I give plenty, and you should be grateful you get anything at all,” he booms, slamming his hands on the desk. He takes a calming breath. “I think the best thing is to have you married.”

“Married?” I gasp, feeling instantly sick. “I’m the daughter of a warrior. I can’t get married.”

“Like I said before, I’m changing the rules.”

I push to my feet, the need to run away strong. “Who would marry me?” I ask with a nervous laugh. “Everyone knows I’m the daughter of a warrior.”

“You think they’ll defy me?” He grins. “I call the shots, and I will have you married.”

“I could be happy,” I say, trying to make him see this is a bad decision. “My husband might love me.”

“I doubt that, Wynter. There’s nothing loveable about you.”

“You’re going to risk me making a home and living happily ever after?” He finishes his drink before two guards enter the room. I glance at each, and then at the exit longingly, sensing I’m out of time. “Please,” I whisper. “I’ll stay quiet in the caves and get on with my job there. You won’t get any trouble from me.”

“Don’t beg, Wynter. It doesn’t suit you.” He gives a nod to the guards, who each grab my arms and lead me from the office kicking and screaming. It’s only when they release me in the large cave that I freeze. My father leans in the doorway. “But first, they want to see you perform.”

“They?”

“Your potential husbands. You understand that to make you more appealing, we have to break you first.”

“You’re sick,” I whisper.

He smirks before closing the door and locking it. I rush to it, pounding my fists against the strong wood and screaming to be let out. My pleas are met with silence, and I turn back to face theroom. I stare at the stone in the middle where Summer once lay screaming as the warriors put her through hell. There’s a fleeting thought that this could be a similar situation, but there’s no way my father would risk me getting pregnant to a warrior.

I take a deep breath and move to the centre of the room. Whatever they have planned for me, I have to stay calm. I glance at the four windows, the dark glass preventing me from seeing if anyone is watching, yet I somehow feel eyes on me. They’ll expect a reaction, and there is no way in hell I’m giving them one.

Wrath

The screaming women have been playing for hours. My ears ache from the sounds of terror and orgasms, and my cock is painful. When the door finally opens and the guard enters, I pull angrily on my chains. He smirks. “Relax, big guy, your time is coming.”

The guard shows me the yellow gun before he unlocks the chain from the wall.A silent warning.I stand and my hands are secured behind my back, just like they always are when they don’t want us to relieve ourselves. As we step from the room, I notice the three other warriors waiting with guards. It’s not often they take us all together—the last time was when the scared woman was in the centre, and they wanted us to fight to get to her.Wynter’s sister.I don’t like sharing, so my anger is already building as we head through the passages.

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