Page 58 of Bought and Shared
My mother sits beside me on the bed and demurely folds her hands in her lap. Lovingly brushing the hair out of my face, she frowns. “It’s what God wants, Aurora. You might not understand it right now but give it time and you will. I assure you.”
Before I can argue my case further, two men enter the room: my father and Micah. I want to simultaneously scream and cry. How can this be happening? What are their plans for me? Whatever they are, Oren and Knox will never stand for it. They’ll figure out where I am and they’ll come for me. I’m certain of it.
My escort, Rollins, must have noticed I was missing within minutes of me being taken. I can’t imagine Micah had much time to sneak me off the base before my absence was noted. Though I’d been unconscious when it happened, I knew the little rat must have had help. Help that must have come from the inside.
“Good, she’s awake,” my father notes as he moves into the room like this whole situation is normal, though it’s anything but.
My mother smiles with relief at his presence. “She is, Israel, and she has questions. I told our wayward daughter that God has spoken, but she’s struggling with His command. I know you can make her see reason, husband. You can always been able to get through to her when no one else can.”
My father’s sternest expression falls into place. He steeples his hands together like he does whenever he’s about to start in with one of his lectures.
This kind of thing might have worked on me as a child but it won’t anymore. Whatever he wants to say, I don’t want to hear it. My father can’t make me see reason in this situation because it isn’t reasonable. No amount of pressure or fear tactics are going to change that.
“I’m sorry, Aurora. I have failed you,” my father begins in his deep baritone. “I shouldn’t have allowed you to leave this house to become a slave to our enemies no matter how terribly they threatened us.”
This speech of his is quite unexpected. My father hasn’t ever apologized to me before. As nice as it is to hear, his words don’t have the power to sway me anymore. They actually have the opposite effect.
I know the truth. Despite his pretty apology, my father doesn’t care about what I want. He never has. Hell, the man had me kidnapped and drugged so he could impose his will on me! That is not the love of a father for his daughter. It isn’t about God, either. It’s about his own power and his ego. It’s about a daughter he can no longer control, and that fact is just something my father can’t accept.
Swallowing my righteous anger, I lick my dry lips before responding, “Father, I’m not angry with you. I understand we did what we had to do. I’m not looking for an apology or a way to fix it. I want to go back to the base,” I say, intentionally not mentioning my masters, which I instinctively know will just make him angrier. “I’ve decided I want to get a college degree.For the first time, I have clear plans for my future, for whatIwant out of life. Please don’t take that away from me.”
My father’s eyes burn with a fury I’ve never seen before. That rage scares me. It tells me he has no intention of listening to anything I have to say because he’s already made up his mind about what he’s going to do.
“You are my daughter, Aurora, andIknow what’s best for you,” he says in an attempt to bully me into submission like he always has.
My mother claimed my father could always make me see reason. The truth is, my father frightens me. He always has. Whenever I stepped out of line as a child, my mother wielded that fear to make me capitulate.
But I am not a child anymore. It doesn’t matter what my parents want. I have needs and desires of my own, and those needs and desires aren’t going to be denied because of my family’s pride and religious devotion.
Raising my chin, I look the intimidating man directly in the eye when I say, “I’m your daughter, father, but I’m also my own woman. I deserve to make up my mind aboutmylife and what I want from it. I don’t want to get married and live at the compound. I want to go to school and travel the world. I want to see new things and new places and meet new people. It’s what I’ve always wanted but could never tell you about because I knew you wouldn’t approve.”
My father’s body stiffens at my rebuke. “You’re right, Micah, she’s been corrupted. My daughter would never have talked to me like this. Aurora is definitely in need of a strict hand to get her back in line. As her future husband, that’s your job now.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing! My father has no intention of listening to anything I say. He’s too arrogant to listen to anyone but himself and his committee of sycophants.
Micah, standing behind my father, gives me an contemptuous smile. “I’ll keep her in line, Sir. Don’t you worry about that. She’ll be in good, strong hands.”
I want to be sick. How is this happening? I can’t believe I’ve been betrayed by my own kin! By those who have sworn to protect me.
“Come on, Isabelle,” my father says to my mother, as he walks toward the door. “Let’s leave Micah to it. Aurora is his to command now.”
His to command! Absolutely NOT. As long as I draw breath, I vow to fight against Micah and his so-called authority.
“Please!” I call out, trying one final time to woo my mother onto my side. “Don’t leave me! Micah can’t be trusted.”
There’s a moment when I think I might have convinced her I’m right. Then she glances in my father’s direction. His censoring glare is enough for her to submissively lower her gaze to the floor. “My daughter belongs to you now, Micah. I trust you’ll take good care of her.”
To my ultimate disappointment, my parents walk out of the room, leaving me alone with Micah. I can’t keep the loathing out of my eyes as I stare him down, wishing for him to spontaneously combust.
Micah closes in on me then, his posture conveying that he thinks he’s won. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, his gaze passively roves over me. It pauses on my breasts, which are practically pouring out of my dress. I’m still wearing the revealing one mymasters gave me. His look isn’t lustful, merely curious. Like he’s never seen one before and simply wants a closer look.
“So, you’ve resorted to drugging women who reject you now, Micah? How pathetic!” My condemnation for his actions leaks out of my every pore.
The arrogant self-satisfied man smirks like he finds my attempt at an insult cute. “It was my duty to bring you back to the compound. Your father said I needed to use all means possible to bring you home.”
I snort. “Now you’re hiding behind my father to excuse your criminal actions. So typical.”
The familiar chant of my people spills out of Micah’s mouth as easily as his lies. “It’s God’s will that we wed, Aurora. Who am I to question his order.”
