Page 7

Chapter seven

Astria Zielle

The next morning, the sound of boots woke me. I jumped up with my weapon in hand as soldiers surrounded us.

Dirus stood and roared. I plastered my back to the cage. His body exploded in a blink of an eye into a huge black wolf. On all fours, he came up to my hip, and part of me wondered if I could ride him.

“A werewolf,” I whispered to myself. Where did his clothes go? Since they didn’t litter the cage floor.

Bunson opened the door. “Astria, none of your shit, or I’ll beat you until you can’t speak.”

The wolf’s growling crested. It should have been terrifying, yet I couldn’t conjure an ounce of fear. I knew he was a threat, but my instincts wouldn’t work right. For some stupid reason, I half felt safe.

Bunson’s blood-red eyes landed on the wolf. “The governor wants to parley.”

Dirus turned back into a man just as fast as he’d turned into an animal. If I’d blinked, I would have missed it. His clothes managed to survive the shifting.

How did that work? Did shifting hurt? Did he lose control of himself?

But I held all of those questions in.

“I’d love to have a discussion with him.” His growl remained steady, despite his human form. “She comes with me.”

“Absolutely not.” Bunson glared at me. “She stays in the cage where she can’t hurt anyone.”

Dirus snorted as if that were preposterous.

“The governor is your only ticket out of here,” I informed him. “I suggest playing by their rules.”

“Says the woman who never plays by our rules.” There was a session with Bunson in my near future. I could feel it in my bones.

“I like to think that’s what makes me an expert.”

“Astria.” Bunson’s mouth twisted. “Shut the fuck up.”

“I’ll be right back,” Dirus told me, and walked out of the cage with Bunson. I watched them walk down the hall where my father would be found in his office.

More likely than not, they’d make some deal that held more profit for Dirus than the one with me. He’d give Dirus his choice of women, wine, and a house. Turn him to the dark side.

Good thing I never put faith in the idea he could take me home. Otherwise, I might be disappointed.

It didn’t take ten minutes before Bunson stomped back into the room, eyeing me like I shot his cat. Oh fuck. Guess that session was coming sooner rather than later.

I kept the weapon I managed to get my hands on and held it ready to do whatever I needed to do. Either my death sentence was here or Bunson was going to have his way with me, and either way that door would have to fucking open for that to happen.

I wasted one opportunity when Dirus turning into a wolf shocked me, but I wouldn’t waste another.

The door swung open, and I stayed glued to my spot. I tried to steady my hands, but the murderous rage on Bunson’s face tested my nerves. He was scary when he was dominating and psychotic. No one wanted to deal with him when there was murder in his eyes. Not even my father.

Now wasn’t the time to get excited and sloppy.

“Mr. Morales.” Bunson couldn’t have shoved more disdain into those words if he tried. “Has asked for you.”

I blinked up at him. “What?”

I didn’t hear that right.

“Get up, Astria,” Bunson yelled.

I put my weapon down, and Bunson’s teeth snapped together hard enough I was convinced he broke some teeth. I willingly followed him out, but the pulsating aura of some unidentifiable emotion made my hair stand on end.

He tossed me into the icy prison shower, clothes and all. “Clean up. His majesty demands you be presentable.”

“Okay.” I pulled my clothes off when he didn’t move to leave. I didn’t see a point in modesty. He’d probably seen parts of me my husband hadn’t.

His greedy eyes burned me even as I shivered under the slush pelting me. I rushed to get out, and before I had the water completely off, he slammed me into the porcelain tiles on the wall.

“You’re going to be mine, Astria. Don’t think for a second that you can escape me through him.”

“What do you mean? I’m already married.” That earned me another slam against the wall.

“That boy can’t control you and everyone knows it.” His voice darkened. “I will convince him to give you to me.”

Fear shook me to the core. As bad as my husband was, being married to Antoine Bunson was a death sentence. As evil as he was at work, everyone knew he was twenty times worse at home. Most women didn’t last a month. They quit giving him women, because there weren’t enough of us.

I spit in his face. It wasn’t bad enough that I had to endure him here? I refused to tolerate him at home. Let them kill me. Anything but him.

His punch hit me hard enough that I hit the ground and I couldn’t tell which way was up. Blood filled my mouth. My lips and jaw were taking a hell of a beating over the last couple of days.

“Bunson! The wolf demanded she be unharmed,” a guard reminded him quietly.

He ripped me up by my hair.

“You know you’re my favorite,” Bunson whispered in my ear, as his belt jingled behind me.

And I hated it.

***

When Bunson finally dragged me into my father’s office. His tight grip on my arm reminded me how he felt about this. My fingers had gone numb between here and there.

“What the fuck is this?” Dirus pried me away from Bunson’s bruising grip. “I said unharmed. Not with bruises on her arms, blood on her face, and your cum all over her.”

A snarl ripped out of his chest, and Bunson’s lips twisted in the smile that made me want to run in the other direction.

“Remember what I said, Astria.”

Dirus stepped between us, blocking me with his giant body. As if he could shield me from Bunson’s gaze.

“I’m sure it’s her own fault. She never cooperates.” My father frowned at me. “She’s difficult.”

“I said unharmed. I didn’t give any exceptional circumstances, in which it would be acceptable for her to be brought to me in a different condition than what I left her in.” The growl in Dirus’s chest made me take a few steps away from him.

“When will you just behave?” My father asked me. Like I was the one making his life harder than it needed to be.

I considered spitting in his face too, but I’d already had my shit wrecked. Without my magic and Bunson here, it wasn’t worth it.

“I’m sorry. I’m a simple-minded woman. Takes me a long time to learn my lesson,” I answered as slowly as possible, like my brain just couldn’t do words. “I heard it’s an inherited trait.”

“Try to not fuck up this time,” he growled at me, but compared to Dirus, the sound was a joke. “He has requested your assistance on a task. I told him how incorrigible you are, but you are the only person he’ll work with.”

“Your men don’t touch her while she’s with me. No ifs, ands, or buts,” Dirus roared. “For all this shit talking about her, your men can’t take a simple order themselves. Now take the fucking collar off.”

“Trust me, boy. You don’t want me to do that.” My father snickered. “Not if you want her to cooperate.”

“I’m not worried about it.”

“The answer is no. She can be your tour guide, but the collar stays on. She’s going to be buried in that collar. Just in case.” My father pointed at me. “That’s how dangerous she is.”

“Fine.” Dirus turned to face me and pointed to the door. “Lead the way, Astria.”

I did as he asked and led him through security. I pretended I didn’t notice the itchy fingers on the guards.

“You should be dead. Peter is never going to be the same because of you,” one finally said as they opened the last door.

Yeah, and his wife, my best friend, would never be the same because of him. But they didn’t give one damn about that. No one cared that she died three times and her own daughter had to bring her back, because she’s the only healer left on the island.

No one cared that her face was forever scarred to where she wasn’t recognizable anymore.

Keep your mouth shut, you stupid bitch.

Blood flooded my mouth as I bit my tongue. Now that I was out of the box, I remembered exactly why I did what I did. I was never remorseful for my actions, just that Kylie was impacted by them.

I felt eyes piercing me, and followed the feeling, until I was looking up into Dirus’s intense gaze. If he stared any harder, he’d have a front-row seat to my thoughts.

Now that was an idea nightmares were made from.

I pointed to the other side of the doors and kept walking so I couldn’t see his face. But those eyes still drilled into my back. The sensation was insane, like he was under my skin.

He didn’t speak until we were a comfortable distance away. “Is it safe to talk?”

“Never.”

He chuckled behind me. Funny how even his amusement sounded so serious. “The governor is your father.”

“Yep.”

“Who is he really? Name. Date of Birth. Social Security.”

“Quinn Gadson. Birthday is November eighteenth. I don’t know the year, but it’s a holiday.”

“Of course it is.” He snorted. “Pompous ass.”

“I’ve never heard of a social security…?”

“It’s an American thing. It’s basically your identification paper.”

“What’s American?”

The sound of his boots on the dirt behind me halted. “You don’t know anything about the outside world?”

“I understand it’s taught in the upper grade levels, but women are no longer allowed to receive education once they turn twelve or bleed. Whichever happens first.”

“What happens then? You’re married off?”

“Auctioned.”

“Like cattle.” He caught up with me easily with his long legs.

“I’d rather be cattle.” If he wanted honesty, I’d give it to him.

“I think I’d agree with you.” He nodded his understanding. “Not the kind of place to walk around without a cock. That’s for sure.” He nodded toward the prison. “Who is that other guy?”

“Antoine Bunson,” I answered.

“He’s a cunt.” Dirus nodded to my clothes. “I notice most of the women wear a similar get up. Is it issued?”

“No. They hate it.” I eyed the buttons and layers I was wearing. We weren’t allowed to wear pants. These layered skirts with countless buttons and ties hid my hips and thighs. My button-down, long-sleeve, high-neck shirt covered a corset that was tied in and the overcoat covered my breasts.

“So why?” His eyes landed on me again. I couldn’t stand to look at him for more than a few moments. The eye contact was too much.

“It’s annoying to take off.”

“Compliant resistance. Smart.”

“I came up with it a couple of years ago. A lot of the women followed suit.” I shrugged. “Another problem I caused.”

“I hope you cause more before we take off from this cursed land.” He grabbed something in his pocket, and I put a solid hand over his wrist.

“It’s a handkerchief to wipe the blood off your face,” he told me calmly. “It’s the best I can offer you.”

I released him and he held the fabric out to me. I grabbed it and wiped my mouth.

“May I touch you to help?”

“No.” I shrank back, ready to be backhanded.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

My eyebrows scrunched together, and I found myself taken aback. I tried to remember if a man had ever asked me if I was hurt. I hurt everywhere. I always hurt everywhere. “I’m fine.”

He nodded at me and kept walking. “He’s looking for a de facto. Someone who projected to the outside world this place exists. Someone betrayed him and he wants to know who. Any ideas?”

“Not really. Women don’t have the knowledge for something like that. Men have no reason to do such a thing. Why would it matter if we were found by the outside world?”

“The amount of societal rules being broken here is going to get a reaction from someone. War will be on their doorstep sooner rather than later.”

“What rules?”

“Rape. Murder. Pedophilia. Slavery. Domestic Violence. Just to start.”

“These things aren’t acceptable outside of here?”

“In varying degrees. Everyone has their perspective on these things, but overall, no.”

“I see. Is there a land where none of these things exist at all?” If I was really going to get the chance to leave, that’s where I wanted to go.

“Not completely. But I tell you what, I’ll give you a list of the best places for a woman and her plus one to go when we get out of here.”

I didn’t want to let hope grow inside of me. If this was all a cruel trick, I didn’t want any disappointment. If nothing else, I was out of the box, my cell, and even if I had this damn collar on I was breathing fresh air. Could I even dare to want more?

Could I get my baby girl out of here before she suffered my fate?