Page 17 of Madness Behind the Mask
Over the last eight days, I’ve had my two brothers find out everything they can about Antonio and the rest of the Death Hunt. Although when we join the Shadow Domain, I’ll be fighting the vampiric Blood Fangs as well, Aleric’s gang is not my priority. I want Antonio’s head mounted on my wall and his pelt laid out in a rug on our floor.
There are whispers of Antonio planning something big. He wants nothing less than to have the entire Shadow Domain wiped from existence. But he will wait years if he needs to, dangerously patient. Then again, he could strike tomorrow if all is how he wants it.
Time is not a luxury we have. And if Sau wakes and is too traumatized by what they did to her…
“Do it now,” David says as he stands. “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.”
Heading for the door, he leaves me alone with my wife.
Seven
CADEN
16 May1917
She doesn’t move when I stand.
She doesn’t move when I sit on the edge of the bed.
She doesn’t move even when I drag the covers down her small body, revealing her white nightgown.
She just lies there, completely dead to the world, and I reach forward to check her pulse, pressing two fingers to her neck. It beats steadily beneath my tips, and I take solace in the fact that she isn’tcompletelydead. She just looks it with how still she is. Even her chest barely moves.
“Wake up, Sau,” I whisper as I watch her expressionless face. Not a flicker of an eyelid. Not a twitch of the brow. She looks entirely peaceful.
Perhaps what David saidisfor the best. Perhaps she would rathergetpregnant this way rather than when sheis awake.
My stomach twists, not on board with this at all. She isso small, so young, and so utterly voiceless. What if I do something she doesn’t like? What if I go too fast? What if she wants me to stop?She is a virgin...
The churning intensifies,bubbling up my throatas Istare at the woman I vowed to defend. Who I promised I would take it slow with, let her lead on our wedding night when I found her shaking with nerves the night before.
She wanted our first time to be special.
Iwant that too…
But if I don’t do this,I could lose everything my father wants for this family.Icouldlose what I was promised all those years ago – control ofone ofthe most,if notthemost,powerful witch Familiesin all of the US. Worse…I could lose my two young brothers. I am not naiveenough to think Father will not punish them for my reluctance.
At the thought of him, my spine grows rigid. I have seen the bruises he leaves on Mother, the fear he ruptures in her eyes. I swore I would never do those things to my wife.
But here I am.
My hands tied.
“What do you want me to do, Sau?” I ask, tracing my fingersup to her cheek. “I need to get you pregnant.” Not just for my seat on the throne but for hers. If she doesn’t give this Family an heir, David will become Boss, robbing her of her birthright. Then Father will kill Sau so I can become a widow and marry again. Perhaps to Cara Jervis or Terra Harrison –two powerhouses in the Midwest who are currently at war with each other; either will benefit from our alliance.
“Ican’t lose you, Sau,” I say, having come to the only conclusion that’s available to us. Leaning forward, I kiss her forehead, then hover over her lips. A bolt of desire shoots through me as my eyes flick to them. I haven’t kissed her since our wedding. We didn’t get the wedding night we should’ve, and my need for her starts to thicken my cock. Ilean forward…
Then snap back, shame filling me.
She is asleep.
She can’t say no.
It would be wrong.
But I have to get her pregnant, or the both of us will lose everything.
Standing, I strip off my clothes, keeping my eyes on her face. She doesn’t move, doesn’t wake. Naked, I crawl back onto the bed, my cock soft. I hike up her thin gown, dragging it slowly up her thighs. With it bunched at her waist, I kneel over her and grip my cock, stroking it to get hard. I don’t need to actually fuck her to get her pregnant. I just need to push my come inside her. This way, our first time can still be special, and we can have the heirs we need.
