by Chloe Cole
A fear that was rapidly fading in the wake of this other feeling I couldn’t shake.
I couldn’t deny it. Just as they’d said the night before, if he wanted to hurt me, he already would have. Moments ago, he had my throat in his tiger teeth. And now, with no clothing between us, he could have me if he so chose.
“You know,” Dimitri finally spoke, the desire in his eyes swirling with warning as his nostrils flared, “I’ve always liked a good hunt. I’ll deny it to my dying breath to the others, but I was half hoping you would run, Princess. The view alone was worth the struggle. That’s the first and last time, though. Next time, you’ll pay for trying to escape me.”
His crude words shot me back to reality and I struggled beneath him.
“Stop playing games with me,” I growled. I was tired of being afraid. I was tired of being treated like a toy.
“Seems like you’re the one playing games. You act as if you hate me, but your body says something else entirely.”
He flexed his hips, and I bit my lip hard to swallow a groan as his thick member ground against my pelvis.
Dear god, that felt good.
“Dream on,” I managed, cursing the breathless quality of my voice. “I-If you wanted me not to hate you, you shouldn’t have kidnapped me. You shouldn’t have bound me in a collar like a wild animal and-”
“Still playing hard to get, are we?”
“Not hard to get,” I spat, “impossible to get. It will be a cold day in hell if I ever respond to you.”
“Well then, Princess, you’d better get a coat, because I can assure you that day is coming.”
Dimitri winked before he climbed off of me and got to his feet. He held out a hand to pull me up, which I slapped away.
I stood on my own and brushed twigs and branches out of my hair. I knew he was still staring at my naked body. I covered myself with my arms as best I could and forced my eyes to remain level with his. I was scared that if I looked down I might never look away.
Dimitri arched an eyebrow. “It’s a long walk back, Princess. You not even going to try to steal a glance? Just a little one?” He held his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart teasingly. “I won’t blame you. Besides, I’ve seen all of you, might as well make it even. And, might I add, all of you is pretty amazing.”
I swallowed and lifted my chin higher, wishing my pulse would stop pounding in my ears.
“Suit yourself,” Dimitri said, grabbing me by the upper arm and turning me back around again.
As he walked me back to the stream to retrieve our clothes, I fought off the swirling feeling of excitement in my belly. Was I seriously attracted to Dimitri? To one of my captors?
It was wrong and I knew it, but I was powerless against it. My body called to him like a bird to the sky. Just the touch of his hand on my arm was electric.
Guilt washed over me in one, massive wave.
How could I be having feelings like this when my sister was surely worried about me? She would have no idea where I was, or who had taken me. She would be terrified, as I would be if our roles were reversed. As I had been when she and her suitors had disappeared, abandoning their posts to overthrow the tyrannical Sebastian Du Monde.
The hot sting of tears came, and I prayed that Dimitri wouldn’t look over at me and see me crying. I didn’t want his attention. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to cry until there was nothing left.
I continued walking, planting one foot in front of the other, tears streaming down my face, until we reached the water’s edge. We waded in and crossed it. I dipped my head under to wash away the tears.
The iron collar was sitting in the grass when we got out of the water. We dressed, not speaking to one another, and then he turned to face me as I did up the lacing at the front of my tunic. He stooped and plucked the collar from the ground.
“When you’re ready,” he said. His voice was gentler than usual.
I bit my bottom lip and turned around, lifting my hair for him to put the collar on. It clicked closed and the weight around my shoulders was immediately uncomfortable. I stepped away from him and started walking back to camp, and towards the others, as if nothing had happened.
Dimitri followed, his footsteps silent behind me.
My escape attempt had failed but my resolve to get away had strengthened tenfold. Because now, not only did I have to fear what my captors might do, I also had to fear what I might do.
God and my Queen forgive me.
Chapter 6
I heard the rolling crash of waves before the ocean came into view. The horses stepped lightly down the winding path that had been cut into the cliff overhanging the water. Below, sharp rocks jutted from the frothing waves, as if calling for our deaths.
I swallowed and tightened my grip on the reins.
At the end of the row of sharp rocks was a dock, which housed a single ship. The sails were down and the ship bucked upon the roiling water. The mast creaked in the whipping winds as we made our way steadily down.
The closer to the Laughing Sea that we got, the emptier I felt. Once I got on that ship, I knew the chances of ever seeing my sister again would be slim to none. Sure, they would ask for ransom. And Anaya would send it even as she tried to find me. Then, they would ask for more. There would be no end to it, of that I was sure. I was like a fat, golden-egg bearing goose.
Eventually, Anaya would become a memory, and I would become the same to her, even though I knew she would never tire of looking for me.
My stomach clenched with grief and I mentally cursed Dimitri once again.
So close. I’d been so close to escaping. He hadn’t mentioned my failed escape attempt when the others had gotten back to the clearing, and I hadn’t either, but I was sure they could sense my defeat. Things had been very quiet for the past few hours on the road, and I aimed to keep it that way.
The path widened out when we reached the bottom of the cliff. As we rode to the dock, Mathias drew his horse up beside mine. He cast a wary glance in my direction. Over the course of the day, I had sensed a softening in him. His gaze was full of what I could only describe as pity. Right now, as the hooves of the horses clicked on the wooden dock, that pity was at an all-time high.
“The ship is nicer in the sunlight,” Mathias said, “I assure you. And your quarters are quite lovely. You’ll have time to sort through everything in your room. If there’s anything you need, let us know. We’ll be stopping for supplies either tomorrow or the following morning, depending on the wind.”
“Stopping where?” I asked.
“A small port town called Rift Shore. You’ll be coming with us. It’s probably not like anyplace you’ve ever seen before. You might even enjoy-”
“And then where?” I cut in, already knowing he wouldn’t answer my question, but asking it all the same.
“We have a long journey, Iris. You might as well try to make the best of it, all right? We’re not going to hurt you.” His face was solemn and I steeled my heart against it. Trusting any of them would be a critical error. “Believe that.”
Mathias tapped his heels against his horse’s sides and the stallion trotted up ahead to ride beside Eryk, who had been in the lead for the better half of the day. I watched their backs as they swayed back and forth in their saddles.
I was going to be alone on a ship with these four men. I swallowed hard, panic fluttering in my chest again.
Focus, Iris.
If there were stops planned along the way, each would be a new opportunity to escape. I would cling to that hope to the bitter end.
When we drew up beside the ship, I was startled to see a man standing under a rickety hut at the end of the dock. I nearly begged for his help. Told him that I was a prisoner, but when he glanced at me in my collar, eyes lighting with a lusty gleam, my hopes sank. Even if he was a match for the men I was with, which he wasn’t, I feared I’d only be going from bad to worse.
He tore his gaze from me as he took our horses and gear, and I watched Mathias slip
a gold coin into his grimy palm. The dock worker looked more than pleased as he clasped Mathias’s hand and shook it eagerly.
Then we climbed aboard the ship, my shoes clicking on the plank hooked into the dock and over the railing of the ship that bore her painted name.
The Duchess.
The sails, though folded, looked to be in near pristine condition. The rest of the ship, however, was well worn. The deck was covered in tread marks from at least a decade of sailors walking upon it. Chunks of wood had been hacked out of the side rails. Everything was wet and caked in salt.
Titus pulled the plank on board and stowed it up against one of the rails, his massive muscles rippling. As he tied it in place, Mathias put his hand lightly between my shoulders.
“I’ll escort you to your cabin, Princess.”
“Iris,” I pleaded more than demanded. Apparently, this new tact worked because he nodded.
“Very well. Iris, then. I will take you to your cabin. We will be setting sail shortly.”
I let him guide me through a set of wooden doors and immediately down a slick staircase. I nearly lost my footing, but he reached out with his strong arms and stabilized me. Our bodies brushed and I instantly stiffened.
Enemy.
His gaze was steady as he waited patiently for me to collect myself before he proceeded to descend. At the bottom of the stairs was a hall flanked by four doors; two on each side. Behind the stairs was another set that descended into murky darkness.
“What’s down there?” I asked, unsure if I wanted to know the answer.
“Right now?” Mathias asked. “Nothing. If we had a crew, that’s where they would sleep.”
He brought me to the last door on the right, turned the handle, and pushed it open. He let me step in first, and then followed me in, searching out lamps and candles on several surfaces to light them with a match he struck upon a box on top of the white oak dresser.
The room was quite beautiful. It was certainly not what I had been expecting. Despite Mathias’s reassurances, I was pretty sure I would be sleeping in a damp, dark hole that smelled like shellfish and man stink.
Instead, it was a spacious, airy room that was entirely dry. There were three porthole windows along the wall with a trough beneath them to catch any ocean spray. It smelled like lavender and lemon, and I suspected the men had spent a good amount of time and effort preparing for my stay.
How utterly strange.
Mathias crossed the room and went to the bed, where he lit candles on the tables on each side. Soon the room was basked in a warm glow, and the feeling of unease in my gut was less intense.
He looked over his shoulder at me as he shook the match to extinguish the flame. “Will this do?” he asked.
Why did he care? Why did any of them care?
“This is fine,” I said, clasping my hands in front of myself, trying not to let my confusion show.
“Is there anything else you need? Something we missed, perhaps?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Very well.” He strode purposefully back to the door. “These are your quarters, Iris, and so long as you behave yourself, they will remain your private place. We don’t wish to bother you here. If you need time on your own, you will have it. But that is only if you don’t break our trust a third time.”
“A…third time?” I asked uncertainly.
“Yes. As in, don’t stab anyone with a fork or attempt to con one of us into removing your collar so that you can make a break for it. Although, I do hear the sight of you in your shifted form is something to behold.”
My cheeks started to burn and I turned away hurriedly to hide my embarrassment. So much for thinking Dimitri had kept our encounter to himself. What else had he told the others?
Surely, not about that wisp of a moment that had fluttered between us? The one that defied explanation?
I gritted my teeth and willed the color in my cheeks to subside.
“I won’t try to escape again,” I lied smoothly.
“Good,” Mathias said, gripping the door handle. “We sail on the hour. You may join us topside, if you wish. The sun will be setting as we pull away. After, we will sit down to dinner in the Captain’s quarters. We would love to see you there, but understand if you prefer to be alone. Fresh linens and dresses are in the drawers.”
He drew the door closed and then paused. Something was there, tugging at the firm lines of his mouth as he stared at the floorboards by my feet. There was more he wanted to say.
“Was there something else?” I asked.
His eyes shot up to me. It was as if he had forgotten I was there. “No. Nothing. I will leave you now,” he said, pulling the door closed.
When it clicked behind him, I regarded the room with a feeling of cool detachment.
Was any of this real? It seemed, for a still cold moment, that I was living in a dream. The ship rocked from the waves and the walls creaked, straining under pressure. Everything in the room slid gently port-side; just enough for something that appeared to be a bottle of perfume to slide to the other edge of the dresser.
The ship swayed back again, and everything began to sickeningly spin in my head.
I stumbled for the bed and pitched forward, collapsing face first into a soft blanket. That was where the lavender smell was coming from, I realized. The relaxing, familiar smell brought me back from the cusp of fainting. I inhaled a deep, slow breath and closed my eyes.
The world felt real again.
I was on a ship, and I was about to be very, very far away from Ironhaven. From my sister. From everything I’d ever known and somehow, I had to survive.
My throat tightened like some ill-intent creature was wrapping its fingers around my neck. It burned. The tears broke free and it took everything I had not to sob out loud.
This was it. I’d rid myself of the poison of my own self-pity, and then?
I’d find a way to get my freedom and make these bastards pay. For the sleepless nights and the fear. For trying to hurt my beloved sister. And, not least of all, for making me feel things I shouldn’t feel.
Chapter 7
Two hours later, I made the journey up to the deck. The despair had faded, leaving a hollow, empty feeling in its wake, and I was starving.
The scent of food tickled my nose as soon as I pushed through the doors. I found myself standing in a warmly lit cabin that was at least four times bigger than mine. There was a dark cherry oak desk up against beautiful windows on the back wall, a bed on the port-side, and a dining table in the middle of the room, which was engulfed by my four captors.
They all looked up at me when I walked in. The conversation that had filled the space died, but their gazes were warm, almost like they were happy to see me.
I lifted my chin and turned away. I was happy, too…happy to see something that sort of resembled food on the table. Buns that looked rock hard sat in a fabric basket, and there was something dark and steaming in a pot between them.
“Come, sit,” Eryk said, getting to his feet and pulling out the chair beside him. The others all stood as I stepped forward and settled into the chair. Eryk pushed it in before returning to his seat, then he took my napkin, fluffed it out, and rested it gently across my thighs.
“Pleased to see that you have not forfeited the meal,” Mathias said. “You need to get something in your stomach or the sea will wreak havoc on you.”
I nodded, my mouth tightly shut, and accepted the basket. Titus handed me. I felt his eyes on me as I grabbed a bun and lowered it to my plate.
“Was everything in your room to your liking?” Titus asked.
I glanced up at him. His dark brows furrowed together above his bright brown eyes. I nodded. “Yes, it’s quite nice, actually,” I replied carefully.
Eryk spooned some of the concoction from the pot onto my plate. It smelled like grease and oil and gravy. My stomach growled, but I foresaw it tasting like an old sock.
Gingerly, I took my fork and took a bite. It was
n’t bad enough not to eat it in the state of starvation I was in. I hadn’t had a proper meal in days, and my body had been pushed to the limits between the Gathering Ceremony and all that had happened since. I needed to replenish.
I suffered through the first three bites, and then the flavor grew on me, and it became easier to eat as I dipped the stale bun into the not-quite gravy soup.
Something hairy brushed my leg under the table. I let out a shriek of surprise and pushed my chair back, searching with wide eyes for the culprit.
What I saw was a shaggy, scruffy, floppy-eared dog looking back at me. Its tongue lolled out of his mouth and his head tipped to one side.
“That there is Hildie,” Titus said, his low voice like a rumble, “she’s the ship’s Captain.”
I was still bent over looking under the table. I whistled and Hildie came to me, her tail wagging gently.
“Hey, girl,” I said, letting her sniff my knee. When she nuzzled me with her nose and pressed her shoulder against my shin, I reached out and gave her a greeting scratch on her shoulders. “Aren’t you a sweetheart?” I cooed softly.
Titus chuckled. “Never seen her take to someone that fast before.”
I looked up and couldn’t help but smile. “Dogs like me. Is she yours?”
“Yes.” Titus nodded. “I picked her up a few years back from a guy who couldn’t afford to keep her fed.”
Dimitri snickered and Titus shot him a daring glare. Dimitri didn’t seem intimidated by Titus, and he leaned forward and grinned sheepishly at me. “Hildie is the closest thing to a wife Titus has ever had,” he said.
Eryk’s firm lips twitched and suddenly, I couldn’t help it. A chuckle bubbled out of me.
I wished I had been able to hold it in, but there it was, and there was no taking it back.
Titus’s gaze held mine, a glow there that hadn’t been before.
“You’re bloody easy on the eyes…especially when you smile, lass. If all it takes is a little fun at my expense, I’ll gladly be the whipping boy for the rest of the trip,” he announced.