Page 10 of Frost Bite
As my heartbeat slows to a normal pace, the weight of his words bears down on me. I clench and unclench my fists, forcing the blood back into my veins. “It is my duty. I swore an oath to die. If I live… then it was all for nothing.”
War snatches my wrists. But instead of brutalizing them further, he rubs the inside flesh with his thumbs. “There will be no more killing now that we have you. The Wild Hunt is over. You are the last sacrifice. And you will return with us to ourhome. We will feed you, shelter you, and bathe you. In return, we will do whatever it is we wish.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, my mouth still dry. “The town will starve without my sacrifice to Saint Nick.”
“So let them starve,” War growls. “What have they done for you to make them warrant your sympathy?”
This creature is terrifying, monstrous, and cruel. But he speaks the truth. “I-I don’t know. But what of my sister? And Saint Nick? Won’t he be angry and take her instead?”
He flattens his palm against my belly, caressing my heated flesh. “You don’t need to worry about him, little doe. We are the Four Horsemen. No one is more formidable than us.”
I nod. As I gaze upon his face, I’m mesmerized. He’s beautiful when he’s not snarling at me. “You won’t miss the thrill of the hunt?”
His eyes darken even as he grins. “The hunt doesn’t end with your capture. It’s only just begun. You will soon learn the sorts of games we like to play with our prey.”
A cold shiver trails up my spine. Is this better than death? All my life, I’ve been raised to prepare for the sacrifice. I paid little attention to others, never making friends, never bothering to find any hobbies, andneverdaring myself to dream.
My fate was sealed. As the eldest daughter, I would die, so my sister could live. And as penance, she will have to sacrificeherfirst daughter. And so on for every generation.
Sometimes I wonder if it ever keeps my mother up at night, knowing she gets to live all while sacrificing her own kin. I worry about my sister. She’s a gentle soul with a glorious heart.This will break her.
“Who are those tears for?” War huffs.
I blink a few times, bringing myself back to the present. I touch my cheeks to find them wet. “For the ones who will neverbe free from this blasphemous ritual. For every woman whose life you’ve taken.”
He wraps his hand around my throat but doesn’t squeeze. “They are in a kinder place now. I promise you that. Don’t waste your tears on corpses, little doe. Save them all for us. We will make you earn each one of them.”
The more vile his tongue, the more I ache for his touch. Perhaps I’m a glutton for punishment. Maybe I deserve to be brutalized for eternity for enjoying this. I should’ve thrown myself into the river instead of playing their games. Now I have more shame than I know what to do with.
“I’m a coward who has brought nothing but shame upon my family name,” I snap.
He pulls me up to a sitting position by my neck. “If you continue to speak so poorly about yourself, I will be pressed to cut out your tongue.”
Confusion rattles me. I look into his murderous gaze, struggling to interpret his emotions. Three hours ago, I didn’t think he had any. “Why bother? You don’t care about what I want.”
He pushes me back down onto the bed but doesn’t release my throat. “We’ll have to work on your sour disposition. Maybe after you’ve taken all four of our cocks, you’ll become more pleasant to be around.”
I nearly burst out laughing. Which is odd, because I can barely feel my hands, my throat still burns, and I have the deadliest creature in all existence straddling me. “I was wondering the same thing about you actually. All that pent-up aggression, the endless murdering of innocents… how long has it been since you’ve had a release? Maybeyou’llbe less grumpy after you’ve fucked my pussy.” I don’t know where this newfound bravery has come from. But there’s something about this man that sours my words, provoking me to bark back.
His grip tightens again, and his nostrils flare. “Don’t push me, woman. I will fuck more than just your pussy. You have a few holes I can find use for.”
Now it’s my turn to smirk. I don’t know if it’s the lack of oxygen to my brain, or the mere fact that I’ve been taken hostage by four immortals who plan to violate my body for the foreseeable future, but my fear is twisting and turning into something else. Something just as toxic as them.
I let out a little sigh. “I’ll always have a death wish as long as you keep me. I will never want this. You’re a monster. Anabomination. You can fuck me all you want, but I would rather die if given a choice.”
He lowers his face till it’s inches from mine, his breath hot, his eyes murderous as he growls, “Liar.”
I’m back on my feet again, wrapped in Conquest’s cloak. My limbs ache, and I’m struggling to remain upright while War laces up my boots. This is a twisted game. A dark and cruel turn of fate. But I can’t ignore that nagging feeling in my gut that maybe… this is freedom.
If not for the sacrifice or the Wild Hunt, my destiny would’ve led me to a man of my father’s choosing. I’d bear him children, tend to his house, and maybe enjoy a few minutes of chatter with the other women in the village while we gather berries for supper.
Itsoundspleasant. Safe. Predictable. But in some ways, it is another form of death. Marriage, as we know it, can murder a woman’s soul. It stifles our bodies, forcing us into countless nights of sexual servitude—satisfying our husbands whilst never receiving any pleasure in return.
At least that was what Lady Jezebel, the village healer, used to whisper to us once we became of age. Until the others found out. They called her a witch and burned her alive. We were told she was evil. Demented. But what if she was right?
As I watch the way War’s fingers move over me, the softness with which he buttons my coat, gently tucking my hair inside the hood, the way just one graze of his knuckles across my cheek sends delightful shivers up my spine… Maybe this is themercyof the gods. And not a punishment after all.
But the night is still young. They could still kill me after they’ve had their fun. I cannot trust any of this or them. The Four Horsemen are not known for their kindness. They are death bringers, monsters who kill without remorse.