Page 37 of Trapped to Tame
She was pushed to the ground and felt something holding her down. She couldn't move her arms or legs and she screamed as pain began to lance through her.
There was a scuffle to the side. The pain stopped and something shrieked. Then all was silent, and she was left shaking on the ground. She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't hold, and she fell back with a cry.
A torch appeared next to her, and she startled before recognizing that it was Fie standing over her.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
She nodded.
‘Come.’
He grabbed her by the arm and roughly pulled her to her feet, practically dragging her back into the cave. Inside, Drax and Priest were awake as well, both looking furious beyond words. Eve abruptly felt just as afraid as she had outside and turned to flee, but Fie stood in the way, his arms crossed. His glamor was gone. He looked bigger, more ferocious. They all did.
She turned back to the others, her stance widening in case she needed to fight. Priest exploded first.
‘What the fuck were you doing out there without this?’
He threw the amulet at her, and she fumbled for it, putting it around her neck immediately.
‘I forgot to put it back on.’
‘You can't forget something like that, you stupid female,’ Priest growled.
He came forward, his hand was raised, and she flinched away, knowing that he was about to hit her and remembering how much stronger he was than she.
He looked surprised by her reaction, lowering his arm and she saw he was only gesturing in his anger.
‘You don't know me well, female,’ he snarled, standing in front of her and putting his face close to hers, ‘but the only time I will ever strike you is when you know it's coming.’
She took an odd comfort in his words as he turned around and walked back to where Drax stood.
‘What were you thinking?’ Drax asked. ‘You cannot leave the safety of the circle at night without us. You were almost killed just now.’
‘She is useless,’ Priest muttered, ‘A faechildcould have saved itself.’ He spat on the ground. ‘If we hadn't bound her, we could kill her now and be on our way. Instead, we are pumping our resources into thishalf-bloodwho can’t even find her magick!’
Eve, tried not to cringe at his awful words, but couldn't quite manage it. She turned away from them both, so they wouldn't see the foolish tears in her eyes. She would not cry, she said to herself, but she remembered promising the same with the Bull so many times and he’d always had her sobbing.
‘Shut your mouth,’ Drax snapped at Priest.
Then he looked at her, his expression grim and apologetic. ‘This cannot go unpunished, Fourth. You put the unit in danger, and you were warned what would happen.’
‘Will you give her the lash?’ Priest looked pleased. ‘That might at least instill some discipline into her.’
Eve looked from one to the other.Lash?
Drax shook his head. ‘She’s lived her life in the rings. The lash will do nothing.’
Priest stepped closer. ‘I know what might.’
The gleam in his eye made her swallow hard. What was he going to do? She steeled herself. Whatever it was, she would not plead nor beg them for mercy.
‘You will not move,’ he ordered her, ‘or we’ll simply force you not to. Your choice.’
Her body quaked, but there was nothing she could do. There was no escape from whatever penalty he’d decided on.
His eyes didn’t move from hers as his hands unbuckled her belt just as Drax had done at the inn. It fell to the cave floor with an echoing clang and Priest’s hand slipped into her breeches, settling between her legs. He meant to hurt her. Eve’s bottom lip trembled, and she shut her eyes.
‘Look at me,’ he commanded.
