Page 3 of Madness Behind the Mask
“It just does.”
“But –”
I roll my eyes. “No buts. And stop asking, ‘Why?’ all the time. It’s annoying.”
I turn on my side, wincing at the memory of being hit there.
“But I thought it comes when we bleed?” she pushes. “Why don’t you just wait?”
“Becausewe don’t have time. We need more soldiersnow. Antonio just ambushed Father a fewmonthsago and tried to kill him, remember?”
“But you’retwelve. That’stwo years older than when Mastarted. You’re already way late.”
Really? I didn’t notice.I roll my eyes.“It’s different for everyone, Jade. Now go to sleep.”
“So could I get mine tonight?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you have to be older than ten.”
“I turn ten tomorrow. So it could be tonight.”
“You turn seven. You’re six now,dummy. Seven comes after six, not ten.”
There’s a moment of silence, but I don’t dare hope that means she’s falling asleep. She’s most likely trying to count on her fingers.
“If I get mine before you, will I marry Caden?”
“No,” I snap, sitting up and glaring daggers in her direction. “He’s mine.” Ever since I was conceived, he’s been my destiny. When we marry, our Families will unite and fight against the werewolves and vampires plaguing St. Augustine together.
Which is why it’s so important I get my ascension soon. The vampires’ blood and sex trafficking is messing with our Family’s business of blackmail and extortion. We can’t exactly get weekly or monthly payments of hush money from people if they are being bled dry by the vampires or havingmost of their earnings taken away by their pimps.
As for the werewolves, we know they are planning something big, their new alpha having tried to lure my father into an ambush with talks of ‘peace’threemonths ago. Everyone knows the only way for there to be peace is if the vampires and werewolves are dead.
“But I want Caden,” Jade whines.
“Too bad. He’s mine. Now go to sleep.”
“But –”
“Now, Jade,” I snap.
She sighs grumpily but doesn’t make another sound. In another few minutes, she’s snoring softly, and I turn on my side to look out the window, wondering how long I have before Iam next disturbed. The stars shine brightly,meaning I’ve been out for a while and don’t havelong, maybe half an hour, if that, before Uncle David visits me to teach me how to be a good wife.
A good wife uses her tongue. Just like that. Just like that! Gods, Sau. Now swallow.
I’m not a fan of the end, the saltiness not a flavor I enjoy, but if I bob down deep enough, his cum will miss my tongue and it’s bearable. Plus, he always gives me some candy afterwards, and I love candy.
Rolling onto my back, I wonder what he’ll give me tonight. I really like gum, but there’s a shortage of it with the war going on across the ocean. I haven’t had a piece in months.
I wrinkle my nose, hoping he doesn’t give me licorice. I hate it; it’s absolutely awful, and I would rather taste his cum, but a good wife never complains about the gifts she’s given, meaning I’ll have to eat it.
This is my duty as a female Shadow – please the men who protect us, make their home life good to counter the nightmares they face on the streets they patrol. It’s also to bear children, to create the next generation of soldiers,and I press a hand to my belly as it flutters at the thought of swelling with my husband’s children. I smile.
Although Florida requires a woman to be eighteen to marry, if I get pregnant, I can marry at any age. There’s also Georgia just a few miles up that allows one to marry at ten. I’m two years older than that, so we have options in case Caden can’t get me pregnant before he’s drafted. There are talks aboutsuchhappening in the next few months with the war over in Europe heating up. My chest squeezes at the thought of losing my love before I even get the chance to marry him.
