Page 49

And nothing I said ever convinced him to let me do it by myself.

I trudged over to the tent, still trembling all over.

Eli did not like that Rhyder had claimed me, and I thought he was going to use me to get at my brother.

That was a very dangerous game, and I didn’t like to think where it would end.

I didn’t want to lie down but I was exhausted, and I slumped to the ground, too tired even to wipe my brother’s semen from where it clung to my thighs, made a sticky mess of my calves.

The howls of the dogs as they were sent out to tear up the corpse frightened me, the tan canvas of the tent barely any protection against them.

But it wasn’t the tent that kept me protected.

It was Rhyder.

My lips were sore and aching, and I gently touched one to feel them swollen and puffed-up.

Despite my fear and panic, I still felt sleepy as I lay my head down on the pillow and blankets. Rhyder was methodical, neat and tidy with everything he did, and it looked like he hadn’t changed. I rubbed my dirty legs all over his sleeping bag as one last weak defiance.

The ground was hard and cold, but the blankets were soft.

I should be trying to think of ways to escape, but I felt drowsy and weak, my obedience reluctant and resentful.

If I ran, Rhyder would chase.

There was no escape for me

But I didn’t have to like it, didn’t have to like his power or his control.

My cunt still felt soft and supple, my body still covered with the sticky drying mess of his releases and mine, his cum running down my throat, covering my breasts. I could even feel it pooled in my belly button, running in rivulets down to my ankles.

The way I had come on his hard thigh, the way I had felt the vibrations through my body. . . shameful. It wasunnatural. Wrong. I had come with his voice in my ear and my tits tightening.

Depravity. I was being brainwashed again, like my deprogrammer had warned would happen if my brother ever found me again.

The only thing was that my mouth had agreed with my deprogrammer that it wasn’t likely he would ever catch up with me. . .

But deep in my soul I had known that was a lie. . .

Rhyder would find me.

I was almost asleep when he came in.

Drowsily, I heard him pull off his jacket and step out of his pants, then lie down beside me.

I tried to stay very still as he moved so close that I could feel my skin buzz, even though he wasn’t touching me.

The Holy Relic around his neck brushed cool against my back, and I heard him raise it to his mouth to kiss.

“Sister, I’m going to mark you as soon as I can,” he said. “With my sign, so it’s clear who you belong to.”

I was exhausted, too tired to protest as he put a hand on my belly, pulling me back into his arms.

His skin felt heated, burning to the touch.

“I wanted the first time to be in front of everyone,” he rumbled, stirring the fine hairs on my neck. “So I could claim you as mine in front of the Allfather and the whole Congregation.”

I was too sleepy to have a good response to this, so I just closed my eyes tighter and tried to go to sleep.