Page 18 of Trapped to Tame
‘I'll not harm you, Fourth,’ he said, ‘so long as you do as you are bid. No more running off. You'll do as you're told, or you'll be punished as a Fourth.’
‘What does that mean?’ she asked, clearly not one to mince words.
‘We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Get some rest. It's been a long few days.’
Keeping her eyes on both of them, she went back to his bedroll and lay down upon it. It was a testament to how tired she must be that she simply did as she was told and didn’t try to fight.
Her nose wrinkled. ‘It smells like you.’
‘Aye, it's my bed,’ Drax replied, amused, and wondering if she was finally beginning to use her fae senses. ‘You’re safe enough here.’
His promise seemed to calm her, and he was struck by the idea that she took his words at face value. Trusting little thing.
She closed her eyes, promptly falling asleep and Drax rubbed his forehead. How were they going to proceed? They’d wanted to get to the Underhill as soon as possible, but it had been months since the portals had collapsed. Realistically, what was a few more days’ delay? They didn’t need to travel at a break-neck pace with her … But they shouldn’t stay at the Camp any longer than necessary. They’d be safe enough now, as should their Fourth, but one never knew for certain here. It was a camp of mercenaries, after all.
* * *
Eve
Eve woke again laterunsure of the time of day. A light, cold breeze ruffled the flaps of the tent where it didn't fit together properly, and, from the outside light, it looked to be dusk or dawn. She looked around the tent with trepidation, but none of the men … theBrotherswere there.
She’d heard them talking. She knew what they were. Dark Brothers. Members of the Dark Army.
Sitting up, she checked her person, ensuring all her clothes were still on, and was thankful to find they hadn't done anything more to her while she slept. She padded across the tent, feet bare and toes cold on the worn dirt floor. There was food on the table; nuts and meats, other things she’d never seen before. Too ravenous to bother with a plate, she grabbed two handfuls from the nearest bowl, stuffing bits of something she didn’t even recognize in her mouth and was pleasantly surprised at the meaty taste.
She'd learned long ago to take what she could, when she could because she never knew when the next meal would come, but she’d never felt so hungry. She grasped the jug on the table to pour some water into the goblet and wrinkled her nose in distaste when she smelled it was wine. How could they drink that nasty stuff?
Finding some water, she drank two cups of it in quick succession to sate her thirst. She peered through the gap in the tent flaps and wondered if she should venture outside the tent, but after what had already happened in this Camp … she hung her head. She'd never be a Brother now and Drax had said they could even more easily track her as well.
There was no point in running. There was no escape if they could just follow her forever, wherever she went. She'd expend valuable energy. They had told her at the beginning that if she helped them, they would free her. Did that bargain still stand even after she had tried to escape twice?
There was an ewer of water on another table by the wall of the tent, as well as a chamber pot. Keeping an eye on the entrance to the tent, she quickly squatted over the pot to relieve herself, wincing as her nethers burned at the same time. She grabbed the cloth, dipping it into the water and washing herself. There was very little in the way of mess. One of them had cleaned her. She shuddered at the invasion, stupid as that was. Men did this to women. That was a fact of life.
She’d learned something more as well that she hadn’t realized having only ever been taken by the Bull before. Cocks weren’t all the same. Drax’s was longer than the Bull’s. Thicker too. She shivered at the memory, wondering why it wasn't as abhorrent as it should be. Why couldn’t she think of him with the same disgust as she did the Bull? What had they done to her?
She heard someone approaching the tent from the outside, boots crunching in the frozen dirt. She pulled up her trousers quickly, turning to meet her foes. As soon as Drax entered alone, she ambushed him.
‘What did you do to me?’ she practically shrieked.
He looked unperturbed. He’d expected the question. ‘Claimed you as a Fourth. The only recourse after you lost to Priest in the ring. It was either that or have you taken as spoils of the Camp … to the pleasure tents.’
She let out a breath. That had been her fault.
‘But Priest could have let me win,’ she pointed out.
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘No, female, he couldn't. You'll learn that about Priest soon enough. Besides, you’re in the Brothers’ Camp now. This place is not like the little town you came from.’
‘Fat lot you know,’ she said quietly, not believing for a moment that the Brothers here were worse than the Bull or Jays or Talik.
Deciding to eat more from the table, she took one of the wooden plates from the pile, but then she sat in the chair too hard and winced, scowling as he gave her a knowing look. He tossed a small pot to her, and she caught it, looking at it curiously.
‘Salve,’ he said, gesturing with a nod to her down below region. ‘It'll help you heal faster.’
Suddenly embarrassed, Eve put it on the table. ‘I’ll be healed in two days,’ she muttered. ‘I don't need it.’
He gave her an assessing look. ‘It wasn't your first time.’
It was almost a question, but not quite. He was fishing.
