Page 45 of Devour (Blood and Roses #1)

Ariel

“ D o you need help with that?”

I glance down at the nipple clamp again. I know I wasn’t paying much attention to Mistress Tilly, but I’m not clueless.

The black leather fits around the neck, and the metal rings are clearly meant for the nipples. Livia picks the perfect moment to make a snide comment. She must’ve been eavesdropping—I didn’t even notice. Our beds are close, just one between us, and the girl in that one is already fast asleep.

“Why don’t you help me instead?” I shoot her one of my stink-eye glares, but her attention is locked on Lucia.

Lucia, however, doesn’t even look her way.

“Don’t mind her,” she whispers to me.

Livia snorts.

“I could get one from Mistress Tilly and you could help me fix it. Since you wanna touch a nipple so—bad.”

I catch the look Livia throws me with that last line.

It’s the kind of look a jealous boyfriend gives when someone else gets too close to their girl.

But just as quickly, her face shifts back into the usual bitchy expression when Lucia doesn’t respond.

Lucia just pulls the covers over herself, turning to the other side.

“Goodnight,” she mutters.

“Goodnight,” I echo automatically, still processing what just happened. I glance back at Livia, she’s turned away now too, curled under her blanket.

It hits me then. Livia obviously likes Lucia.

That’s why she’s been acting so weird toward me, maybe she thinks Lucia likes me back.

But I know Lucia is just being kind because that’s who she is.

Still, I feel a little bad for Livia. I don’t know if Lucia even likes girls…

and both of them are about to be auctioned off to some man. It makes my stomach twist.

I wish there was something I could do for them. But I can’t even save myself. The only thing I can think about now is how to avoid the auction. I need to still be here… when Luca comes.

With a sigh, I drop the nipple clamps on the bed beside me and pull the covers up to my chin.

As I close my eyes, an unsettling thought creeps in—what if Livia tries to take me out in my sleep?

I crack one eye open and glance in her direction.

Her back is still turned to me. I hope it stays that way.

Nausea is the first thing that wakes me. The lights in the dorm are still dim when I rush to the bathroom, dry heaving over the sink—but nothing comes up.

My stomach feels hollow. I haven’t eaten much since I got here. I just picked at dinner last night. I need to eat something today or I really will get sick.

“Are you okay?”

The unexpected voice makes me jump. I turn toward it—it’s Livia.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” she says. “I was just using the bathroom and saw you bent over the sink for a while.”

“I’m okay—” The dry heaving hits again, cutting me off. I bend over the sink, gagging. When it finally passes, I realize Livia is gently patting my back. She’s… surprisingly gentle.

“You don’t look okay,” she murmurs, her voice softer than I’ve ever heard it.

I slowly straighten, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “I think it’s just stress… and maybe hunger. But…” I pause, the thought forming like a storm cloud in my head. “I’m starting to suspect it’s something more.”

The signs are too familiar—morning sickness, loss of appetite… and I just realized I missed my period this month. My hand flies to my mouth as the realization crashes into me. I could be pregnant. In God knows where, about to be auctioned off to whoever.

As if sensing my panic, Livia pulls me into a hug. She’s much taller than I am—built like some kind of tattooed Amazon warrior, my face ends up buried against her shoulder as the sobs take over. Full, aching sobs. And she just holds me, murmuring quiet words I can’t even make out.

When the tears finally slow, I pull back and lean against the sink, trying to come back to my senses. If I am pregnant, I can’t let anyone find out.

This is a virgin auction, after all. What would they do if they found out I’m not? I want to ask her, but… she might suspect something. She’s being kind right now, but that doesn’t mean I can trust her not to rat me out if she figures it out.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble, wiping my eyes. “I’m not usually like this… it’s just—this place. It’s messing with my head.”

“I understand,” she says quietly.

My breath hitches. I freeze, thinking she’s figured me out—until she continues, “I went through the same thing when I first got here.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding in a rush as she says that. In fact, we all do. Livia shifts her weight against the sink, arms loosely crossed as she stares at her reflection in the mirror.

“It doesn’t get easier,” she says quietly. “But you get used to pretending it does.”

“Were you sold too?” I ask.

“Oh no,” she replies, her voice dry. “I owed a lot of money to the wrong people. It was either this… or they killed me.”

I want to ask how—press for more details—but she glances toward the hallway.

“We should get back to the dorm,” she says. “The lights are going to come on soon.”

“Sure. You go ahead—I’ll catch up.”

“You sure?”

I nod. “Yeah. Thanks.”

When I get back to the dorm, I’m still surprised Livia could be that nice. You really should not judge a book by its cover. I’m pulling the covers over me when Lucia mumbles, “Where were you?”

“Bathroom.”

“Hmmm.”

The dorm lights flicker on. Livia was right. I don’t even know if it’s day or night in this place anymore. I was hoping I could catch a little more sleep, but I groan under the covers and don’t take them off until Lucia gives me a light shake.

I peel the blanket from my face slowly and head to the bathroom. I shower, get dressed, and I’m just about to leave for the mess hall when Lucia stops me.

“Aren’t you going to wear it?” she asks.

“It…?” I blink at her. “Oh—you mean the nipple clamp.” “I tried, and it hurts,” I lie smoothly. The truth is, I haven’t even put it on. And I don’t want to. I’m hoping that if I piss off Mistress Tilly enough, she’ll consider me unfit to participate in the next auction.

“You shouldn’t anger Mistress Tilly.”

“Why?”

She glances around, as if someone might be listening in. Once she’s sure everyone else is distracted, she leans in and lowers her voice.

“I overheard Lexa and her crew talking about disqualification—and what happens if someone gets disqualified.”

“What?” I ask, needing her to get to the point.

“They get sent to the Games automatically.”

“The Games? What are the Games?”

“I don’t know exactly,” she says, her brows knitting together. “But I think it’s bad. During class, the mistresses keep saying we need to get auctioned—that it’s the only way we can pay off our debt to Crimson Dawn.”

“So, if we don’t get auctioned… do they send us to the Games instead? Until our debt is paid?”

She nods, confirming it. There’s really no way out of this. I can’t avoid the auction. If I’m disqualified, I’ll be sent to some nightmare I don’t understand. The Games—whatever they are—sound worse than being sold. My only hope now is that Luca finds me… before it’s too late.

“I left it on the bed,” I murmur. “I’ll go get it. Meet you at the mess Hall?”

“Okay,” she says gently. “Don’t take too long.”

I head back to the dorm and grab the nipple clamp from where I left it on the bed. My hands hesitate as I hold it, then I sigh and force myself to do it.

I slide off the strap of my dress and gently position the leather collar around my neck, fastening it snugly—but not too tight. A thin chain dangles from the center ring, ending in two cold metal clips. I wince as I open the clamps and attach them to each nipple.

The pressure is sharp, biting just enough to sting without drawing blood. I suck in a breath. It’s humiliating. Painful. But it’s better than the Games.

Today’s training was on how to use a butt plug. Mistress Tilly even brought in a couple to demonstrate the act. I had to keep swallowing to stop myself from throwing up—I don’t know if it was the display or my hormones turning my stomach.

When a thick, cock-shaped object—Mistress Tilly called it a dildo—disappeared into the woman’s ass, the expression on her face was pure ecstasy.

I would’ve thought she was acting… if I hadn’t seen the glistening wetness between her legs. Was she really enjoying this? Something inside her ass, being watched, displayed like an object?

Maybe they gave her something. Drugs, maybe. Because I can’t understand how anyone could want that. And yet… I kept watching. I couldn’t look away.

Then a man stepped forward and replaced the dildo with his cock. He started fucking her ass in earnest, their moans and groans echoing through the room as they climaxed together.

After that session, Mistress Tilly made me wear the nipple clamps every day for the next four days.

My nipples ache constantly. I still can’t eat much, but I’ve managed to keep down some bread and toast. I thought about sneaking a piece back to the dorm, but I didn’t want to draw attention.

My morning sickness hasn’t gone away, but I’ve learned to be more careful. I haven’t had another run-in with anyone in the bathroom since that morning with Livia.

We haven’t spoken since—it’s almost like the conversation never happened. But she’s no longer mean to me. I told Lana I think she’s actually a decent person deep down, but she doesn’t believe it.

“Today is our last training session together,” Mistress Tilly announces, her voice crisp. “And I have a parting gift for you all.” She claps her hands once, sharp and commanding.

Several masked women file into the room, each holding black bags. They hand one to each of us before disappearing. I reach into mine and pull out a scrap of fabric—or at least, I think it’s fabric. Thin straps attached to what barely qualifies as clothing.

It’s tiny, so revealing it couldn’t possibly cover anything. I know I’ve lost weight since arriving here, but not that much. It must be what we’re expected to wear at the auction. I shove it back into the bag.