Page 28 of Frost Bite

Tears stream down my cheeks as Famine’s cock taps the back of my throat. I steal a deep breath through my nose when he retreats.

Conquest pulls my face toward him and slips his cock in next. I feel the blush creeping from my neck down to my chest as the shame of what I allow them to do fills me. Astheyfill me from every angle.

“Imogen,” they chant. Their voices are low and demonic, but the cadence stirs something deep in my soul. Like a long-forgotten folktale or distant lullaby. Visions of my riders storming through the woods flash in my mind. They are my captors, my monsters, but also, my legends.

The Four Horsemen of the Wild Hunt, and they are obsessed with…me.

Death’s cum fills me first. It’s hot and thick. But it’s War who sends me over the edge. I shudder between them. A feral cry rips from my throat as my orgasm claims me like a thief in the night.

Famine and Conquest take turns punishing my mouth. They choke and gag me, their invasion making me raw and ravenous.I welcome it, spun like golden thread between them. My body is on fire, resurrected by the ancient longing etched in my bones.

I swallow Famine’s offering, gulping it down like a goblet of sweet mead. He laughs, consumed by his own rapture. With his essence still dripping down my chin, Conquest reenters. He grips the sides of my head as he unravels on my tongue.

He tilts his head back and roars, “May the gods witness our power.”

An ache stirs in my nub, sending me into a frenzy. I moan around Conquest’s cock, lapping ferociously at the underside of his shaft while I swallow every drop he unleashes.

They chant my name louder, singing my praises like devoted worshippers. And yet it is I who serves them. The dreams I once had as a girl have transformed intothis. I longed for an awakening.An adventure. I begged the gods for pleasure.

In this moment, I finally realize my prayers have been answered. There is no joy to be had in my old life. The alternative, in which my sister now faces, is being sold off to a man twice her age. A man she will loathe until he dies after bearing him unruly children. The disgust when she has to numb herself with opium just to get through another night of him fondling her. A life that I have now escaped.

It is notmysacrifice that is worthy. It is Lucy’s. For I am truly free while she still lives in chains.

A breath lodges in my throat. I burst into tears and collapse onto Death’s chest. I feel the full weight of my fate. Their hands are gentle, stroking and caressing my limbs. Their thunderous voices now soft as they soothe and coax.

Even War is tender as his fingertips dance along my spine. “Are you mourning your innocence, little doe?”

I choke on my sobs, my chest heaving as I sit up. I’m suddenly nervous in the stillness with all of their eyes on me.“No. I am filled with guilt for the ones I’ve left behind. Their innocence will come at a much higher price.”

The rest of the night moves fast, yet slow at the same time, like a fever dream. I cry as they bathe me. With merciful hands, they rub ointments and creams over every inch of me, taking extra care of the places they’ve penetrated.

Then the nourishment comes. Conquest feeds me soup while Famine brushes my hair and War reads aloud from an old book. But I don’t focus on the words, just his voice. And Death sits across from me, holding my gaze. He views me with amusement and curiosity. I let them dote on me as I fade away into the darkest recesses of my mind. Until I can’t keep my heavy lids open any longer.

I wake up in a sea of tangled limbs, aching in places I’ve never ached before. They have me trapped in a heap of thick, muscular legs, chiseled arms, and heavy furs. I sigh as they sleep. It’s the first quiet moment I’ve had to myself since I was first abandoned in the woods.

It’s tranquil here. There’s the faint sound of ravens squawking in the distance and the sweet melodic chirps from songbirds who perch on the window ledge. I marvel at the fact that I’m in a castle with four strange and beautiful men, with nothing to want for ever again. Itisa fairy tale, albeit a dark one.

The fear has almost left me now, too exhausted to battle my adrenaline any longer. I’ve been hunted, starved, fed, drowned, buried in dirt, and yet they tuck me away for safekeeping. It never crossed my mind, as I was running through thewoods, that the Four Horsemen could be my saviors, not my executioners.

But there’s an uncertain spark in the air. A penance that was never paid. A new fear unfurls in my bones. My breath hitches. They were meant to chase me. To capture me. But I wasn’t their sacrifice to claim. They’ve stolen me, and now I wonder who will paythatprice.

“Has our sleeping beauty awakened?” Conquest asks. War, Famine, and Death stretch out around me, fluffing my furs and pillows. I fixate on the wooden beams above my head, shivering despite the warmth from four brutish men.

Death nuzzles my neck. “What weighs on your mind, little doe?”

I lick my lips, willing moisture back into my mouth. “What will you tell Saint Nick? He must be furious you haven’t delivered me to him.”

The four of them exchange a ferocious look. They each reach out possessively to lay a hand on some part of my body.

“He’s not your concern,” War snaps.

“But I am his. Will he come for me?” I shudder at the thought. “Or will he make you kill another in my place?”

Famine snorts. “We don’t take orders from him anymore. If he wants to come, let him.”

“I dare him to try and take you from us,” War adds through gritted teeth.

Death slips out of bed and stands before us, naked and beautiful. “There are wards around this castle… these lands. No one can enter but us. And you. Our doe-eyed queen.”