“Elisa,” Belore calls to her. “I need for you to demonstrate to my future Queen how I like to be satisfied.”
Lips parted, eyes widening, she takes note of every arms man in the room. Hand tightening and loosening on her arm repeatedly, she nibbles at her lip, taking slow, hesitant steps toward Belore and the bed.
“No!” I bark. “She doesn’t need to demonstrate anything. You shouldn’t be intimate with her while we’re all watching.”
“It’s not the first time they’ve seen me take pleasure from her,” he sniggers. “Speak to me like that again and Matheas will suffer.”
Looking over at him, he’s slumped forward, the wrist cuffs holding up his tired body, but thankfully, the blood pouring out of his wound has slowed. Across from me, Elisa stops in front of Belore. Putting her thumbs between the fabric of her dress and her skin, she folds it down, removing it from her rounded breasts and petite, curvy frame. Stepping forward, she embraces him, kissing him as he cups her ass, squeezing it in his hands.
Taking a step back, she turns around, putting her back to him and moves her hair to one side of her shoulder. Looking at the floor, she places her arms behind her back and awaits him to do something.
With a satisfied smile, Belore reaches to the items dangling on the wall to the left of him. Gathering rope, he begins wrapping it around her wrists and arms, binding her arms in a folded position behind her back. Once complete, he kisses her neck as he massages a breast in his hand.
Eyes on me, the arousal in his gaze sickens me, churning my stomach. Fisting her hair, he pulls her head back, biting and licking at her neck. Moving her forward, he bends her over the bed. Lifting her easily, he positions her fully on the mattress, her head laid on the bedspread and knees bent toward her chest. Unfastening his pants, he comes forward, his length held in his hand. Stroking himself, he reaches between her legs. When her brows pinch inward, and her lips tighten, she gives away her discomfort.
“Stop!”
Belore laughs. “What is it, Fiora? You want to take her place?”
“Please, stop all of this. Have your arms men take Matheas to the healing chamber, release Elisa, and I’ll cooperate. I swear to you.”
“Fiora, don’t,” Matheas rasps.
The arms man in front of him punches him in the rib, next to his wound. Blood spills out as Matheas grunts, his head lolling to the side. Barely holding back tears, I glance back and forth between Matheas and Belore, my heart pounding heavily in my chest, sweat beading along my neck and forehead.
“Belore, please! This needs to end. I’ll cooperate with you. I know we can come to an agreement.”
Stepping back, Belore gathers a riding crop from the items on the wall. Elisa’s eyes pinch closed, and she bites into her lip. The riding crop lands on her ass with a frightening ‘thwap,’ tears trickling down her reddened face.
“I’ll let them go on one condition. You take Elisa’s place. I want you like this, completely subdued and under my control.”
“Fiora—”
As soon as Matheas says my name, the soldier slams a fist into his gut. When Matheas spits up blood, I commit to my decision.
“Let them go. I’ll take her place.”
Belore’s smirk twists his face in triumph.
“Release him and take him to the healing chamber. It’s time the Queen learns her place.”
There’s no fight left in Matheas. When they release him, he collapses on the floor, having lost enough blood to drain his strength. The ache in my chest throbs as I watch them drag him away. Belore sets the riding crop on the bed and unties Elisa’s arms. As soon as she’s freed, she rubs her red, chafed wrists, staring at me with a combination of fear and concern in her eyes.
Thank you, she mouths silently.
Belore slaps her ass, startling her and jolting her forward. With all fours on the bed, she crawls across it and steps off the other side, making a quick exit out of the room.
“I don’t want them to watch.”
Belore tucks himself back in his pants and approaches me.
“I can’t trust you not to try to kill me again, so you’ll have to accept an audience.”
“If we’re ever going to trust each other, it needs to start now.”
With a finger, he traces the shape of my face, his pupils dilating as he studies my features.
“It’ll be a long time before I trust you if I ever do. You have a lot to make up for, but I’m pleased you’re starting now.”
“Are you willing to lay with me without hurting me?”
An uncontrollable laughter escapes him.
“No, Fiora.” With a finger, he taps at his neck. “You owe me some pain.”
Unhooking my cuffs from the bed frame, he keeps hold of the chain, leading me to the side of the bed.
“Belore, please. One arms man is enough. He can stand guard and alert the others if I attempt anything.”
Belore glances over my shoulder to the remaining four arms men in the room. With a tilt of his head, he gives a signal. Looking over my shoulder, I watch three out of four arms men leave the room.
“Now it’s your turn to give me something I want.” Applying pressure to my shoulder, he forces me to my knees. “You bite me, and I’ll cut off Matheas’s cock. Do you understand me?”
Taking the very thought from my mind, he stares down at me with a gaze that promises suffering if I don’t cooperate. Hatred courses through me, pumping my adrenaline so fiercely, I have to force myself to remain calm and focus. Glancing at the items around me, I consider what I can use as a weapon once he’s vulnerable. Most devices are only for restraining, and the others are too far out of reach. Grip on my chin, he forces me to meet his angry eyes and awaits me to answer.
“Fiora?”
“Yes.”
Gathering my hair in one hand, he holds it firmly in his fist as he gathers his flaccid cock and begins stroking it.
“Start referring to me as ‘my King.’”
“Yes, my King.”
“You might learn to become an obedient Queen, after all. Now suck my cock like Matheas’s life depends on it because it does.”
Tightening his grip on my hair, he yanks my head, angling my mouth to his erection. Nostrils flared, lips pinched closed, I struggle to submit and give him pleasure. When the memories of Matheas’s battered body flashes through my mind, I part my mouth, my stomach churning with nausea. Behind us, an arms man rushes into the room and draws our attention.
“King Ryker has arrived and is requesting your company immediately.”
With a snarl, he jerks my head violently, angry eyes glaring at me.
“Wipe the smile off your face, Fiora. We’re finishing where we left off as soon as he departs Iowan.”
Shoved against the bed, the pain does little to distract me from my relief. Hope replaces the anger and hatred burdening my heart.
CHAPTER SIX
MATHEAS
The cover of the healing tube opens and my first thought is getting to Fiora. I don’t know how long I’ve been in here. By now, she’s had to suffer through Belore’s torture and rape. Imagining the things he could have done to her is the worst kind of pain I’ve suffered, more than the brutal torment I’ve endured since being here. Heart pounding in my chest, I grab my pants and put them on quickly, chug the glass of water on the table, and exit the healing chamber. Four arms men are waiting outside, armed laser guns pointed at my face and chest.
“Where is she?” Heat flushes through my body. Each moment they deter me is a moment too long from Fiora.
“With King Belore, where she belongs,” one of them snaps back, his scarred lip curling in disgust of me. It’s no wonder. I’m the one who gave him that scar when I got a hold of his belt knife the first week I was here.
“You’re to go back to your room and wait to be called on like the dog you are.”
As if his pathetic insults are going to affect me. I couldn’t care less. Having Fiora safely back in my arms is my only c
oncern.
“Are they still in his suite?”
The arms man with the scar sniggers. “What our King does with the Queen is none of your business. You need to learn your place. You’re alive only because you’re leverage. Once the meeting is over, our King won’t need you anymore.”
“Meeting?”
My brow rises, and one of the other arms men kicks his boot.
“Shut your mouth.”
“King Ryker has arrived then?” Their darting gazes to one another confirms my suspicion. “Queen Fiora isn’t in Belore’s suite anymore, is she?”
The arms man with the scar on his lip curls it in irritation. Pointing his gun higher at me, he motions his head down the hall.
“Get moving, and don’t think about giving us trouble. Our King’s hospitality is growing thin.”
Fists clenched at my sides, I follow the order, surrounded by their guns aimed at my body. Knowing Ryker is here to negotiate creates a whirlpool of emotions for me to work through. I believe he’ll want Fiora back. He’s wanted her since shortly after meeting her, and if he’s laid with her, there’s no doubt in my mind he sees a future with her.
Knowing the man he is, he’ll try to strike a bargain, some kind of agreement Belore can settle on. I imagine he’ll offer to give Belore Anauka if he returns Fiora to him. I don’t see him being willing to leave Iowan without her. That leaves me with two choices—stay here and die or get out of the palace so I can get back to her.
Monitoring their movement, I consider stealing one of their guns, shooting them, and working my way out of the palace. I’d have to move fast, find somewhere to hide while I try to get a message out to Pollo. It’s a great risk, and the thought of failing and leaving Fiora heartbroken tightens my chest. Maybe that’s what she needs though—for me to be out of her life so she can marry King Ryker and have the kind of protection and political advantages I could never offer her.
My breath accelerates, my limbs tingling at the thought of never feeling her love, never seeing her beautiful face again, never being able to have the life and children we talked about. There’s only one choice I truly have, and it’s not remaining here to die.
As we ascend the staircase, I bend my arms, holding them close and charge sideways, slamming one of the soldiers into the railing. Losing his balance, his arms flail and the gun goes flying into the air as he lurches forward, body tumbling over the banister. The blast of a laser gun whistles past my ear, blocking out all other sounds and creating a piercing ring in my ears. Ignoring the pain, I attack the closest soldier. Losing our footing, we slip and roll down the stairs as we fight for control of his gun.
Landing at the bottom of the stairs, I hold him beneath me and punch his face, knocking him out with one solid hit. Grabbing his soldier’s garb, I roll him in front of me, using him as a blockade as another shot from a laser gun comes my direction. It hits the soldier in the back, searing fabric and skin.
Muffled shouts and orders are screamed at me, but I can’t fully make out the words. Grabbing the gun, I shoot back, hitting one soldier’s arm. Blood pours out from red, scorched skin. Getting to my feet, I keep firing as I make my way toward the exit. More shouts come from the hallway, my gaze darting from them to the two soldiers descending the stairs. Continuing to fire shots, I take rushed steps to the door. Turning for it, my body slams into the frame, the scorching heat of a laser gun temporarily demobilizing me. Reaching for the panel, another shot hits my arm and I yank it back as the blast burns through skin.
Picturing Fiora’s stunning smile and ocean blue eyes, I reach once more, making contact with the switch to open the doors. As they open, I stumble through, the cold, fresh air a shock to my body after my time in captivity. Another blast hits me in the leg and my knee buckles. Landing in the frigid snow, I look down at the drops of red smearing the white powder beneath me. Coughing, I bring my wounded arm close to my chest as my surroundings blur. Black boots fill my vision before a harsh, blunt pain develops on the back of my head.
* * *
~FIORA~
Having been given a dress and coat from one of Belore’s mistresses, I sit in his rover craft, tugging the warm fur around me like a blanket. Outside, the frigid air whips my hair around as my bare feet grow sodden and numb from the snow. Across from me, Belore stares off, his usual menacing gaze thoughtful as he nervously bites at a nail. I’m anxious myself, eager to see Ryker and equally afraid of the outcome of this meeting. As the rover craft descends, I look out the window at the one-story silver building where our gathering is taking place. I overheard Belore’s arms men saying Ryker refused to meet in the palace, insisting on a neutral location, and that I be brought to the meeting.
Beyond the window are several other rover crafts, including Ryker’s, his arms men, and Belore’s additional soldiers. We’re on the edge of Iowan in a sizeable city that would be worth exploring if I wasn’t being held captive and entering into a negotiation that could change the course of my life forever. Heart rate accelerating, I rise with the arms men. Belore grabs my arm, tightening his hold.
“Remember, you’re here because I allowed it. You belong to me, Fiora, and no offer Ryker makes will convince me to let you go.”
Jerking my arm from his grasp, I glare at him.
“I’m here because Ryker insisted on it. I know you’re afraid and maybe you should be.”
There’s a tick in his jaw before he grabs my neck, squeezing it as he brings me closer.
“I think you enjoy testing my patience. I’ll remind you later why that’s a mistake.”
The pressure of his lips comes down on mine, his grip forcing me to remain in place and endure the unwanted intimacy. I bite his lip, and he jerks back, his hand going to his mouth and lowering with blood on it. Nostrils flared, he snarls like an angry bear, his hand moving to strike me. Blocking his swing, I shove him back.
“You may think I’m beneath you and unworthy of respect, but it would be wise of you to remember I’m still a Queen. Even if you and Ryker come to an agreement that leaves me with you, it’ll only be a matter of time before my father and the Anaukin arms men come for me. You can torture me, rape me, beat me, but I will never give you Anauka.”
Rubbing the blood between his index and thumb, he glowers at me, the edge of his mouth rising.
“Even if that means losing your precious Matheas?”
Ignoring the rush of heat across my chest and the twisting of my gut, I raise my chin to him.
“We’re both prepared to die if that’s what it takes to keep you from destroying our people and home.”
Snatching my arm, he grips it so tight I fight back a whimper.
“You still haven’t realized the lengths I’ll go to, have you? I’ll torture Matheas daily, bring him to the brink of death as you watch and witness his pain, unable to console him, unable to touch him. I’ll castrate him and force him to watch as I take pleasure from your body, leaving him to suffer, never being able to feel your pussy again.”
A single tear rolls down my cheek, my face hot with anger. Putting my hands on his shoulders, I slam my knee into his groin. Eyes widening, face flushing red, he comes at me, hands going for my neck. Throwing my fist, I hit his jaw, knocking him back a step. Pain travels up my arm, but I don’t quit. Charging him, I strike at his face again, but he blocks me, his large palm coming across my face, whipping my head sideways.
Grabbing me, he loops an arm around my neck, pinning my back to his chest as he tightens his hold, choking me. Hand traveling down the length of my body, he touches between my legs, moving the fabric of the dress against my opening. His warm breath and sinister voice grates across my ear.
“You’re a foolish woman, Fiora.” In front of me, his arms men have their laser guns pointed at my chest. “Fighting me only makes me want you more.” His erect cock presses between the fabric of our clothes. My muscles tighten, my breathing labored as he licks the shell of my ear. “It’s why you’re meant to be mine.”
Forcefu
lly pressing his fingers against my pussy lips, he draws a whimper from me.
“No matter what Ryker offers, you’ll agree to stay with me, or Matheas will pay severely for your betrayal. Do you understand?”
With him squeezing my neck tighter, I struggle to breathe, barely getting the word out.
“Yes.”
“This is my last warning; my patience has been exhausted. Learn to be my Queen, or I’ll make your life unbearable.”
He shoves me forward, and my hand goes for my neck as I suck in air, gulping every breath. A staff member hands him a wet cloth, and he wipes his hand and face clean as he watches me with his villainous green eyes, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
“I do respect the amount of fight you have in you, part of me hopes you never lose it. You’d become just another boring female if you did. No man of strength wants a pathetic, timid woman in his bed. When I take you tonight, I’m not going to be gentle. We’ll see how much of that fight you’ll have left when I’m finished with you.”
Another tear rolls down my cheek as my face and neck burn with anger, masking the pain of his abuse.
“I see you’re finally coming to understand me.”
He hands the stained cloth to the staff member, then extends his bent elbow, awaiting me to take it.
“The time to start behaving as my Queen is now.”
* * *
~MATHEAS~
The familiar scent of copper fills my nostrils as I struggle to move. I’m back in the dark, bare room I’ve come to loathe, my entire body aching, the pain excruciating. Lying on the floor, my breathing labored, I wonder if this is it, if I’ve failed the woman I love. My death feels near, dancing in the shadows, whispering of peace and promising to end the pain.
The string that tethers me to the here and now is Fiora. I imagine her devastation the same way I did when I was taken from the crash site, hidden here, so I was believed to be dead. I can see her face in the palm of her hands as tears stain her cheeks and clothes. All I want is to wrap my arms around her, hold her against my chest and tell her I’m not going anywhere, that I’ll always be there for her, always protect her. That will never be possible if I die here, cold and alone on the floor.
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