Page 50 of Claimed By the Sinful Dragon
“Look at me,” he commanded, and when I didn’t respond, he bent over me, grasping my chin in a bruising grip between thumb and forefinger, and forced me to obey. “You look so…ordinary. But you, my girl, will be the jewel of my collection. If you are what they claim you are.”
Abruptly, he released my chin roughly, and rose to his feet, staring down at me.
“But whether you are, or are not, rest assured that you will learn to obey. You saw, no doubt, my tethered pet wolves on your way in?”
Pets. That’s exactly how he viewed them. And me. He arched a brow and I realized the question wasn’t rhetorical. He wanted to rub my nose in his superiority, and his power over me. Forcing my pride down in a painful lump, I nodded and answered.
“Yes.”
“Yes,Your Highness.”
Words. They were just words. I’d done worse things than say words to survive. So why did they taste so bitter? “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Good girl. Perhaps you’ll avoid their fate, after all. They were the alpha pair of a pack of wolves on the far side of the continent. When I got word of their unique coloring, I had to have them for my collection.”
He strode to the table, collecting something that I couldn’t make out. And then Icouldmake it out, and I wished to hell I hadn’t. A metal collar…and a leash. He strode back toward me.
“They were defiant as well, at first,” he told me, his tone casual. “Now they live on chains, and when the mood takes me, I have the female shift back and allow my guards to rut her in front of the male.” His face shadowed, and his voice hardened. “That is the fate of those who defy me. I would not advise you test me.”
“You’re a monster,” I whispered, before I could stop myself. I flinched back, waiting for the blow, but it didn’t come. Instead, he brought his face even closer to mine, so close I could feel the heat for his breath by my ear.
“Yes, I am. And there’s something you should know about monsters: we always win. Because monsters aren’t hampered by foolish notions like fair or just. You’d do well to remember that.”
I’d thought he hoarded rare things, but I saw now that I missed something. He didn’t just hoard rare things, though that would be bad enough. He hoarded rare,brokenthings. And he delighted in the breaking. The collar snapped shut around my neck before I could pull away, and the chain leash hung limply between my breasts to my waist.
“Yes, Your Highness,” I whispered. Better he thought I was already broken. He wanted to scare me into submission? Let him think I was already there—and hopefully, get bored and leave me alone.
His hand thudded down into my cheek and I cried out in pain as the force of the blow threw me back to the ground. Agony exploded through my head, but before I could process it, his hand wrapped in my hair and hauled me up onto my knees. As I swayed there, staring at him through unfocussed eyes, held in place only by his grip, I silently vowed that I would find a way to end him. Whatever the cost.
“Ah, there she is.” His eyes shone in triumph. “You were so meek I was starting to think the wolf lied about what you are. But I see it now.”
“I’m just a null,” I insisted, openly glaring at him, because fuck it, he was going to beat me regardless.
“You’re so much more than that. And once I break you and rebuild you, you’ll see it, too. Once you’re mine completely.”
A shiver ran the length of my spine. I didn’t know what he thought I was, but he was wrong. And when he realized that… I needed to get out of here before that happened.
“Nothing to say to that?” he taunted, and I pressed my lips together. “No matter. You’ll entertain me whether you will it or not. And your children…”
“My what?” I gasped, jerking back and then hissing in pain as his hand in my hair jerked me to a halt.
“Oh, I’m not just interested in collecting you. I’m going to breed you.”
I retched. My stomach was going to empty itself all over his stupid fucking cloak and probably priceless shoes, and I couldn’t quite find it in me to care.Breedme? I swallowed hard. He wasn’t just evil, he was crazy.
He released my hair and skittered back with a scowl of disgust, but quickly composed his expression into an imperious sneer.
“I bred my wolves, of course. But their young were disappointingly plain. Do you know what happens to those who disappoint me?”
Nausea threatened to overcome me all over again. No wonder those shifters had looked completely broken. I couldn’t even begin to understand what they’d been through—and I never wanted to be on the receiving end of it. I’d make him kill me first.
“You’re insane if you think I’ll ever let you do that to me. But that’s exactly what you are, isn’t it?” I twisted round to look at my guard, now standing by the door. “Did you know your master is insane? Does he pay you extra to put up with his delusions?”
“Have you finished with your temper tantrum?” Uther asked, his voice bored, as though he was dealing with a petulant child, and not the woman who was going to be his downfall—one way or the other.
“Oh, I’m finished all right,” I told him, snapping my gaze round to meet his blistering eyes. “I’ll die before I let you rip a single child from me.”
“You will no doubt wish for death many times…but you’ll find I am not a merciful master.”
