Page 67 of Trapped to Tame
‘They're going to watch everything I do to you,’ he promised darkly. ‘Perhaps I’ll let them join in the fun with you before I sell them to the Horde.’
Eve struggled in his grip as his meaty hand grasped her breast and kneaded it hard through what was left of her clothes. She looked away, clenching her jaw, and not giving him the satisfaction of her pained whimpers. She would give him nothing.
After a few moments, when she did not react, he snorted. ‘Trying to ruin my fun, Eve?’ He tutted. ‘I can make you play my games.’
He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her from the room and down the creaking stairs, into the cellars lit by only one, lone candle.
The three Brothers sat looking bored and frustrated as if they’d been waiting awhile and her lip curled in disgust and disbelief, her worst suspicions realized. They’d been working for Talik. That was why they’d come to the city, so that they could return her to him. Why else would they be here?
When they noticed her, they all stood – even Priest – their eyes moving over her, lingering on her ruined clothes.
She sent them a venomous look as the Bull dropped her to the ground in front of him, but what she saw in their faces confused her. Their countenances ranged from anger to horror to fear.
‘Leave her be,’ said Fie and the Bull laughed.
‘I must thank whichever one of you destroyed her iron bonds,’ he said to them. ‘Talik has provided me with much better ones. In these,’ he kicked at them, making them clank, ‘she can hardly move.’ He looked down at her. ‘This will be much easier without you fighting the inevitable.’
Eve hung her head.
‘On your knees.’
She pulled herself up from the dirt floor, kneeling and expecting the blow that would come next. The Bull was nothing if not predictable.
The strike sent her sprawling to the floor again.
‘Get up,’ he ordered, and she returned to her position in front of him, her body swaying.
She looked past the Bull to the Brothers who were all standing across the room, the pain of their betrayal cutting deep. She'd been foolish enough to think that at least some of their kindnesses had been real, but they’d been using her just like everyone always had.
She blinked back tears, but one tracked its way down her cheek and the Bull laughed at her.
‘Crying already?’ he taunted. ‘Time outside the rings has made you weak, woman.’
He unbuttoned his breeches and she stared down at the floor, knowing what he was going to make her do in front of the Brothers. Maybe they would jeer at her and join in, she thought. Perhaps they’d all take their turn with her.
But then the cellar door creaked opened and Talik called down to the Bull. ‘He is coming. I need you upstairs,’ he said, sounding panicked. ‘NOW!’
The Bull cursed, picked Eve up, and flung her across the room like a child playing roughly with a ragdoll.
She thudded into the crumbling stones of the wall and fell to the floor with a groan, her back and head throbbing.
‘If I come back down here and find you’ve moved, I’ll break your arms and legs before you pleasure me,’ he grunted, stomping up the stairs and leaving her and the Brothers alone.
She struggled to sit up.
‘Eve,’ Drax said, trying to come closer, but flinching away from the edge of the stones they stood behind. ‘Are you all right?’
She looked at him and the others dispassionately. ‘As if you care,’ she said dully, looking away.
She was broken and defeated. She watched them from the corner of her eye as they began to fight amongst themselves.
‘Look what you've done,’ Drax said to Priest. ‘Is this what you wanted? Look at her! What do you think he's going to do to her when he comes back?’
He pushed Priest and Priest swore as his back touched the edge of the circle, leaping forwards as if it burned him.
‘How did they know how to catch us?’ Fie asked.
Because they have experience with fae,’ Drax muttered, his eyes back on Eve.
