Page 10 of Claiming What's His

His hand tightens on my waist and I flinch at the pain of his fingers gripping the soft flesh. The strange thing is, it doesn’t smell like I expected it to. When someone says dungeon, I picture concrete floors and rock walls with sconces lining them. This sounds like marble and smells heavenly. Leather, orange, and something spicy. It reminds me of the stuff my grandma would boil on the stove around Christmas. It’s one of my fondest memories of my childhood. Everything changed when she passed away. A tear escapes me and I swipe it away quickly, the scent triggering a stream of memories I packed away in a little box in my mind.

It’s also nice and warm down here when I expected it to be cold and wet like a real dungeon. I guess I should be grateful.

We come to a stop and music intensifies through the darkness. Goosebumps scatter all over my body and then Ryder’s hand leaves my waist. I reach for him, but there’s nothing there. The warmth I felt disappears. Fear swallows me up once more as I sway my hands around to see if he’s just a little further than I thought. My hand connects with something that feels like…curtains?

I run my hands up and down the silky fabric that seems to be surrounding the ceiling. I look up, seeing long streams of white cloth. They’re bright against the darkness here.

Then I’m lifted, swaying through the darkness. My body immediately tightens up and I hear a whisper telling me to relax, so I do. I let my body become fluid, like dancing. I realize these must be aerial acrobats but I’m terrified that anything can happen. I don’t know how high we are from the floor.

Air whooshes around me, the combination of the breeze on my skin and my adrenaline pumping feels amazing. Low lights turn on and I’m in awe of my surroundings. This dungeon is beautiful with high ceilings, black walls, and maroon and gold accents throughout. I stare at the masked woman holding me.

“Don’t worry, Krista. You’re safe here.”

How does she know my name?

We slow to a stop, and she brings me back to the ground, spinning us soft and slow as my feet meet the ground. I’m lifted by two men in maroon velvet suits who are also masked. hey carry me, making a makeshift throne of their bodies. I look around for familiar faces, but it’s impossible. They are all masked and wearing white outfits and have bare feet. A voice booms as I’m being walked to some sort of altar. Wait. An altar? We aren’t getting married, are we?

“Kneel to the order of the sons of Knight.”

Every man gets on one knee and the woman next to them places a hand on their shoulders. I’m guessing they are couples. I don’t see any single people here. I notice a flash of something to the side and instantly face in the direction it came from. Britt has her hand on Derek’s shoulder as he kneels.My heart floods with emotion, my throat thick.

She smiles and I watch her lips as she mouths, “You are okay. I love you.”

I am placed at the top of the velvet onyx stairs and that’s when I see him. Ryder. The only one in a Black on Black suit and a black mask. Suddenly, a group of people approach me, removing my clothes and heels. “Wait, no. Please don’t,” I beg.

I look at Ryder and he just stares at me, unmoving. I glance over my shoulder at Britt, and see she is facing forward like everyone else. They create a straight line that forms the aisle, facing the people on the other side, like statues.

Ryder takes my hand before he spins me and whispers, “You look beautiful.”

“Ryder,” I beg, needing security.

“Shhh,” he says quietly.

He leads me forward and spreads my arms out like wings, dressing me in a sheer, see-through black robe. My hard nipples peek through the fabric and my anxiousness turns to excitement as my heart races in anticipation about what’s happening here.

The voice booms in the giant space, causing me to jump at the sudden noise. The drumming music plays consistently in the background, vibrations of its energy reverberating through space, and time stills.

“See the girl.” All heads turn. “Praise her, as she is claimed by our son, the Knight, Ryder, a god among men.”

“We praise her,” they all say in unison.

“Midnight will meet us in five minutes. May the cleansing begin.”

Ryder takes off all his clothes, his chest rising and falling as he removes each piece of clothing. His dick is long and hard and I can’t help but stare as a woman behind him grabs every article of his clothing.

He walks up to me, grabbing my hand as butterflies invade my stomach. I smile as he leads me to a huge black stone tub with white marble throughout. He steps in first, the milky substance engulfing him, and he sits on his knees. I step one foot in and roses, lavender, and other dried flowers surround my ankles.

“Sit,” Ryder commands and I obey. The woman who was getting his clothes now hands him a glass pitcher.

He fills it with the substance in the tub and begins to speak.

“Every flower here has a purpose. Purity, love, luck, peace, fertility, and strength. As I cleanse you, I claim you. I remove every negative thing from you and replace it with these things.”

He stares at me with a mixture of adoration and lust. There is a calmness and a storm in his eyes brewing at the exact same time.

“Close your eyes,” he orders.

I do.

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