It was difficult learning the terrain before the snow had fallen, now she stood zero chances. And she wasn’t even sure if any of the traps were set, so those seemed out of the question. If she needed food she’d have to hunt the old fashion way.
Her eyes roamed to the beautiful tools Skarde had secretly crafted for her.
...
“I left you something. It’s up to you to find it. Think of it as one of those games you like to play.” He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them. “But it’s more of a mating gift.”
“Oh,” she replied with guilt. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“You’ve already given me everything I’ve ever wanted.” His eyes gleamed with a knowing satisfaction. “A mate. Without you, I would have ended up living the rest of my life alone without knowing what it truly meant to love.”
She couldn’t hold back, and jumped in his arms, tackling him with a large hug. “Who would have thought that you, such a growly troll, could be so romantic?”
“Romantic? Hmmm, maybe I am being too soft...you are the soft one. Perhaps I should be more hard then.”
Something prodded her bottom and she knew instantly he wasn’t even talking about the same thing. “Hard? You call that hard?” She asked with incredulity.
Skarde snarled. It was his turn to attack her.
…
She remembered that night like it was yesterday. It was just before his hibernation began. They made love feverishly, and the next morning he crawled his way into the back of the cave. It broke her heart. She wanted him up here, near the cave mouth so she could keep her eyes on him, snuggle up against him at night or whenever she felt lonely, but there was a deep-rooted urge that he had that demanded otherwise. Presumably, a survival instinct to prevent something from killing them off while they slept.
She refocused her mind on her gifts. A spear, a dagger, an axe, and a net. Each was carved from a beautiful mahogany colored wood, with floral designs etched into the side, but at the center of each was their initials. Delilah held the gifts against her chest, cherishing them and then grabbed some smoked meat and sat down.
Her mate was very skilled and it only made her wonder what he’d be capable of doing if he had access to the things Bethania had. For starters, he wouldn’t be limited to rudimentary bone tools. With a mine, forge, and a smelter he could craft more than just basic equipment. Skarde was very industrious, and she knew he enjoyed the hard work, but at the same time, something deep inside her told her that as crafty as he was, he wasn’t interested in those kinds of things. His heart belonged in the forest, crafting what he could from his kills.
The rest of her day continued like most, she’d find something to keep herself busy, ate when she was hungry, cleaned when she felt the need to tidy up and worked on crafts, but only sparingly so she didn’t run out of materials before winter was over.
The next morning, Delilah jolted awake, and it had nothing to do with the flap annoying whipping around from the wind. No. The sound that had awoken her was much more sinister than that. At first she thought that Skarde had finally awoken, but deep down in her heart, she knew that wasn’t true and she quickly realized how wrong her initial hopes were.
“I don’t know why they are making us guardsmen waste our time on this. The bitch is probably dead. Ain’t no way she survived all this time on her own. What’s it been? Two and a half months now?” someone asked.
“I agree. Let’s just tell them we found a body and be done with it,” another said.
“Don’t be a fool. If she does end up showing her face, we will never get that promotion!” the first one replied angrily.
“Why can’t we just claim the body was unable to be identified? It would clear up our problems now and we can get back to more important things. If she does show up we can claim it was a misunderstanding,” the second protested
Delilah listened to their conversation as she wrapped another fur around her body to keep her warm. She had to put the fire out, if she didn’t and the men made their way inside, they would know someone was around. As quickly and silently as she could, she dumped water over the flames, drenching the fire. Then she tossed a fur over the pit and headed back into the cave and crouched down.
While she had no idea where exactly the guardsmen were, but she knew they must be close if their voices carried over the wind as it had.
Are they that blind? These are the men sworn to protect Bethania and they can’t even see what’s in front of them.
Delilah scoffed, then in her panic, she covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. It was doubtful they heard the slight noise, but it was imperative that she was more careful.
“What’s that?”
No. No. No. She felt foolish for tempting fate, and now look what happened.
“It’s probably some old hermit,” the second one answered.
“Ahh, fuck let the old man be. I just want to get the hell out of here.”
“Don’t be a downer, Frank. Imagine how fun it would be if we ruined his fucking day?” the second one asked suggestively.
“Nathan, no. Stop dragging me into trouble.”
Delilah almost felt bad for the man, forced out from his home, probably even his wife to look for her. It was a shame they still thought she was a threat, all these months later. What was she going to do? She couldn’t fight them. Heaven forbid they stick around.
A moment later, the flap covering the entrance was ripped down and it took everything she had not to yell at the men for their intrusion. This was her home, not theirs and if Skarde wasn’t hibernating their asses would have been torn to shreds long before they had a chance to even get close to their den.
The cave lit up in a blinding white light. Delilah squinted her eyes instead of covering them with her hands, not wanting to draw attention by the movement. When she could finally see again, she took stock of the two men breaking into her home. They had the classic guardsmen insignia worn proudly on their chests, but that was as far as her recognition went. She didn’t know this Nathan or his companion.
“Look at all this shit. It’s fucking garbage, it’s a waste of our time.” Frank complained with exasperation.
It’s not garbage! Delilah mentally argued, hoping they would move along quickly and never come back.
A tremor ran through her body as Nathan lifted the fur covering the firepit.
“Perfect. I thought it was getting cold in here. Let’s light this up. Pass my some branches.”
Nathan stuck his hand out impatiently waiting for an irritated Frank to pass him what he’d requested, all the while Delilah inched further and further into the back of the cave, to no avail.
Why in the world is this happening now? Why couldn’t they have come for me when Skarde was still awake?
A few minutes later, the fire came to life. While she was grateful for the heat, unfortunately, she stumbled against something in her attempt to retreat further in the cave and it didn’t go unnoticed.
“Who is there?” Frank whipped his head toward her. “You! I know you! Come here.”
Her moment of indecision cost her freedom. If she would have ran into the back of the cave they could have easily made a torch and chased after her. The cave wasn’t that deep and if they decided to follow, they would have discovered Skarde. She couldn’t betray him like that.
Nathan and Frank flanked her. Delilah rushed forward and snatched her spear off the ground and pointed it to them.
Two of them, one of me.
“Now, now. Let’s not do that,” Nathan pretended to ease up.
She shot them a warning look, and raised her spear. “You need to leave. Now. And never return.”
They both stepped forward, but this time, she didn’t retreat. Standing her ground was her final act of defiance.
“Unfortunately we can’t do that,” Frank said, jumping forward to snatch her hand around her spear. “Now!” he yelled at the other guardsman.
Nathan used her distraction to
snatch her arm. In less than a second her spear was snatched from her, her hands were wrapped behind her back, and something was covered over her head.
It was over.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Delilah
She had no idea how long it had been since she was abducted from the cave, brought back to Bethania and thrown into a cell, nor how long it took for someone to come in and chain her to the wall like her father used to do. At least she assumed it was Bethania, but honestly, she could have been anywhere. Her captors placed a burlap covering over her head. All she knew was that wherever she was, it was dark, gritty and disgusting.
It smelled foul. Sex, excrement, and despair all swirled up in a nasty combination which assualted her nose since the moment she’d arrived.
How any man got excited and managed to do the things they were doing to the poor women in the other cells was beyond her.
Her cell was small and for the most part dark. The only light she had was what flitted through the small opening at the top of the wooden door and the tiny window with bars on the far side of the room.
Courtesy of her captors included one stained blanket to sleep on and a bucket to do her business. Delilah knew her options were grim, but she couldn’t lose hope.
Her presence here was nothing short of a painful reminder of her past, and though she wanted to claim this was torturous agony, she couldn’t. Not when the only thing she could hear were the pained screams of women being raped over and over again. This was so much worse, and deep down Delilah knew that whatever torture they had planned for her, had barely just begun.
Was that her fate all along? To end up here like Mathias had mentioned all those months ago? There was no doubt in her mind that this was the place he referred to. The relief house.
Disgusted with the idea she was ever friends with such a man made it all the more easier to ignore those memories. Being saved by Skarde was the best thing to ever happen to her. It allowed her heart to heal so she could love.
I just need to bide my time, my mate will come for me when he wakes.
"You have a visitor, just as I promised. Be a good girl and behave yourself." Dave, the guardsman posted outside her cell loudly announced.
Delilah squirmed against her restraints. The last thing she wanted was to be taken, erasing the memory of her mate’s touch on her body. She was stronger now and knew that someone she’d survive this torture, but her heart ached for Skarde.
Flickering candlelight and creaking from the door as it opened were the only indication someone had entered her cell. Then she heard something hard thack against the ground.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Anticipation drove her mad. Who was this person and what did they want?
Delilah shuddered at the dark thoughts raging in her mind. No matter what was about to happen, she refused to give in, to relent to these sick, perverted men.
“You know, when they sent for me at my office and told me they found my delinquent daughter I almost didn’t believe them, but then I thought I had to find out for myself. Should their words be true, how wonderful it would be for me to have my daughter back.”
No...it can’t be.
Delilah’s heart completely stopped as her efforts to release herself from the restraints doubled.
"I thought you knew better than that. Those restraints will hold anything."
Her entire body shook as she found enough courage to look over her shoulder and when she did, every drop of blood drained from her face.
"Y..you...d... died," and stammered, eyes wide in horror as she took in the sight of her father. Memories of him falling to the ground, unmoving filled her vision. Wasn’t that what happened? People pointed and called her murderer, they chased after her for her crimes they believed she committed.
How could this be happening? People didn’t come back from the grave. Ghosts weren’t real. And yet her father stood only a few feet away with his favorite whip wrapped in his hands.
"You think death would take me after the wrongs you’ve committed? I think not. This isn’t my first choice for punishment, but it is convenient. And a whore such as yourself should get along just fine...providing the men aren’t too rough and reopen your wounds."
"What wounds?"
The moment she opened her mouth, she knew it was too late. The whip crackled in the air, and it was the only warning she had before it bit into the skin on her back.
"No. Father stop!" She cried out painfully.
“You should be dead after what you did. Instead, you get to live and serve. This is your place now. By the time I’m finished with you, you won’t survive the needs of the men here,” he responded without skipping a lash.
He continued whipping her until her sobs she’d it and her voice was so raw she could be longer speak. Her legs could barely keep her up. She struggled to stand, and instead slumped down with her arms above her head, pulled taught from her restraints.
Her father leaned down, she could feel his breath near her ear.
“Here you can follow your whorish mother’s footsteps. I bet she’d be proud of her daughter.”
A horrible realization came upon her.
He’s not my real father.
"Clean her up. I’ll be back in a few days time. I want her skin healed just enough so I can open them all over again," her father ordered to someone behind her back.
Footsteps approached, but Delilah didn’t even flinch. She ignored the burning pain and retreated into the back of her mind, thinking of Skarde. His sweet smile, deep laugh and the way he would rumble when he spoke low enough. She missed him terribly, and in this moment, needed him more than ever.
***
Several days had passed. Delilah was on edge. She knew the man that she thought was her father all her life would be back any moment to continue his punishment, but until he arrived she’d spent every waking moment learning as much as she could about this relief house.
She was done crying.
After spending her first evening putting together the broken pieces of her life, she wondered why she didn’t see the massive stack of towering evidence before.
The way he changed when her mother died. How the warm look in his eyes disappeared. The cold way he would say daughter, and then the way he had said her daughter the other day.
She wasn’t his. Her mother had an affair. It was the only thing that made sense. Who her real father was, she’d probably never know, but it didn’t change a thing.
Even if her mother had an affair, it didn’t excuse the way she was treated. She was done being a victim. Done being a pawn. Her life in Bethanie is over. All she cared about now was escaping and getting back to the only love of her life. Skarde.
“Make sure she’s ready,” Dave shouted before tossing Marie back into her cell and then slamming it shut.
Moments passed by as Marie dropped to her knees to examine Delilah’s back.
“It’s looking a lot better now,” Marie whispered.
The wet cold cloth dabbing on her skin caused her wounds to sting, but at least it wasn’t as bad as the first day.
Delilah turned and looked at the red-headed beauty over her shoulder, then clasped her hands before she could do anything else. It was no wonder they kidnapped her, she could have had any man she chose. “How many guards are there?”
“At least two in this hallway and one in the other. There’s too much commotion upstairs to really sort things out. Sorry I wish I could tell you more,” Marie said with a regretful frown.
“No, this is good. They haven’t even let me out yet, but I guess I can’t complain. It’s better than...well you know. It’s crap they are doing this. I don’t even know how they are getting away with it.”
After finding out nearly fifteen women had been kidnapped and were being held hostage here, Delilah nearly lost her mind. Where was the outrage? How could they do this without people knowing what was going on. Fifteen missing women from any village should be concerning enough, but it se
emed that either no one knew and cared, or the people that did, couldn’t do anything about it.
“I’ve been here a few months now. I had to get used to it, the others that didn’t, didn’t last. I’m still holding on to hope that we can get out of here. All of us,” Marie dipped the rag back into the water and rang it out.
At this point, she let Marie do her thing. She didn’t want her to tend to her, but if they were both caught sitting around and talking, who knew what the guards would do in retaliation.
“We’re going to get through this. Just find a spot in your mind and hold on. If you can, get as much info from the other girls.”
“I rarely get to see them, but I’ll try.”
The door burst open.
“Enough chit chat. Marie get your ass out of here. I’m sure someone has a need of that tight hole of yours,” Dave ordered, with an angry glare on his face.
Marie left without a word, leaving Delila all alone with the guard who has been licking his lips ever since she’d arrived.
“Out of my way,” a voice ordered and a moment later, Mr. Hackley, the man whom she knew as her father all her life, stormed through, looking a little more disheveled than the last time she saw him. “Tie her up.”
Guardsman Dave entered the room behind her rather with rope in his hands, and tied her against the wall like he’d done that last time. There was no reason to protest, it would only earn her more lashes. The problem was, she now had to learn how to bring her submissive side out, after so many good months with her mate, she’d learn to be open and free, and all those things spelled out one thing. His fury.
“Good, now get out.”
“Why are you doing this, father?” Delilah enunciated the word with hatred just like he had.
Silence rode the air.
“What did you just say to me?”
“Why are you pretending? It’s clear you’re not even my real father, yet you still pretended to be all this time. Why?”
Crack!
She bit her lip and swallowed a scream as his whip tore into her previous wounds still trying to heal.
The Lonely Troll Page 18