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“Rhyder,” I protested, but my brother only encircled his arms tighter around me, one hand twisting my hair so tightly it was almost painful, the other on my waist, burning through my T-shirt.

“Warrior, put her with the other whores,” Eli called.

“I do not want to go with you,” I whispered, finally able to get words out, my throat feeling parched and dry.

Was there any point to saying it? Had there been any point in trying to escape him?

Had this always been ordained, destined?

Was this the Allfather’s doing to reward Rhyder for his many deeds in service of the faith?

“Temperance, you belong with me,” Rhyder said with awful finality, his arm around my waist as he led me over to the cart.

“Oh, Rhyder,” Eli added as I walked up the steps, “don’t forget to check her. No whores in camp unless they’ve been examined.”

My brother turned to the Enforcer with a frown.

“Temperance is not unclean.”

“You know the rules, Rhyder,” Eli said. “No one from the cities comes into our settlement without ensuring they won’t spread the pox or other disease. Now check your sister’s fucking cunt or I’ll do it for you.”

Rhyder’s hand was on the front of my sweatshirt, tightening it with a growl. His hand was so massive it almost spanned the width of both breasts, and I tried to tug experimentally at his hold.

Nope

Utterly caught

Like I always had been

“If you touch her again,you will die. I swear that on the Allfather,” he snarled.

“Then do it, Holy Warrior,” Eli said.

Oh fuck no

Did that mean he was going to examine me like Eli did all those other women in the coffee shop?

I might’ve lost my head and run then, but my brother didn’t let go of my sweatshirt.

Instead, he twisted me around to face him.

There was a frown on his harsh face, and I shivered as I looked at him.

Should I try to run away? Push him off? How could I fight my brother?

“Stay still, sister,” he said, pulling me in front of him so I was visible to the other Congregants waiting in a circle on the gritty, filthy city street.

I felt almost frozen with terror, my stomach roiling with the sound of his big fingers undoing the button on my jeans. Theripof the zipper was achingly loud in the stillness of the city street. Whenever a raiding party came to town, all city sounds vanished as everyone sheltered in place fearfully. Just waiting for the Congregants to take what their lust and blood demanded and leave.

But my brother’s lust was demandingmethis time.

Vainly, I tightened my knees as I felt his fingers on my belly. Then his hands gripped my jeans firmly, dragging them down my hips so they rested on my thighs.

I felt horribly, shamefully exposed, in only my worn flowered panties.

Rhyder grunted behind me and I felt my cheeks burn as he hooked his fingers over the edge of my panties and pulled them down too, leaving my pussy fully exposed in the slanting afternoon sunshine.

I didn’t want to look out at Eli, Abel, or any of the other Congregants, seeing how their eyes circled my pussy lips. But I also didn’t want to look down at where Rhyder’s fingers moved, tanned and thick against my pale stomach, the callouses rough on my soft skin, sliding down to the crest of my sex.