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Annalise

I t’s freeing not knowing who you are or where you come from. The idea that you have something to lose becomes a foreign concept. The life you lead has no purpose or meaning. You’re detached from the world itself while being able to pursue what you desire freely.

I now have no fear. When I first met him, I knew Elias wasn’t to be trusted. But after waking up in the dungeons and hearing his rant, he has confirmed so much for me, including that there lies a bigger threat out there. This threat not only frightens him but also has something to do with me. Elias knows everything about me, including where the mark on my ribs came from. And now I see why he sees it as a threat.

It comes with immeasurable power.

The servant who was in my chambers when I lost control that night died, while the guards who entered were heavily injured. Part of me feels guilt for being the cause of a death. But another part is glad she became an example. She was a creature sent to spy on me for the king who tried to pass himself off as my savior, knowing full well he had everything to do with my injuries and lack of memory. No one in this kingdom can be trusted. And while Elias battles his lust for me, whatever threat is approaching gains ground daily. I must ensure I am far away when that threat arrives and that I have every chance of making it back to where I came from: Across the sea.

The sound of the dungeons opening fills the silent darkness, pulling me out of my thoughts. I tense as the sudden illumination of firelight covers the area. Unfortunately, I am so weak from being held without food and water that my vision has blurred. I can’t see who is entering the dungeons. I don’t have to wait long before I hear Elias’s gruff voice.

“Go ahead.”

Suddenly, the cold splash of water assaults my senses. I jolt away from the splash as it triggers another memory from what I’m assuming is my past life:

“I don’t know how you did it, but the king has placed you at his personal disposal.” I look up through gritted teeth as servants scrub my body, and a man looks down at me with disgust. I hate everything about him and his purpose in this place. But it stands out to me more that the king has placed me at his side, especially after he reprimanded me only hours ago for advocating for the weak.

I cry out, coughing as I try to expel the water that got caught in my lungs, my eyes burning from the soap.

“Take her quickly,” Elias calls as the doors to my cell are opened. I find myself grinning as I’m pulled up from the floor and taken wherever Elias deems necessary this time around.

By the time the servants finish cleaning me enough for the king, I am barely able to stand. My head lolls slightly as I am dragged through the palace. Once we reach our destination, I am thrown to the ground as soon as we enter the room. My hands are still chained together as the doors are closed firmly behind me, leaving me alone with Elias, who stands with his back to me, his attention focused on the wall before both of us. My frustrations grow as I try to make out the room, but I am still weak, allowing me only to see a few feet in front of me.

I know I should feel fearful at this moment, but I don’t. I feel more headstrong than I ever have in my time being here. Elias has filled in the crucial blanks of my memory.

He is a threat; he knows what happened to cause my memory loss, and he knew me before coming here. He also mentioned that I was a challenge before further confirming my theories. While he may outmatch me in strength, Elias has played himself in terms of wit. I have no reason to obey him other than fear. Even now, that emotion has dulled since the memory of the white-haired man consistently plagues my mind.

He is who I have to fear.

Elias turns away from the wall, pulling my attention. His expression is blank as he studies me, moving from around his desk to approach me. I note that he’s looking at a map. But I am so weak from lack of food, I can barely make it out. I need to get closer.

Elise kneels in front of me, his eyes narrowed as he looks me over, his gaze lingering on my neck and breasts before lifting back to my face. Even still, when he doesn’t trust me, he lusts after me.

He grips my face between his palms, studying me as he speaks.

“I’m sure you know by now that I am not human. No one in this palace is.” Elias’s thumb gently caresses my cheek, and I flinch when the sharp prick of his nail penetrating my flesh hits me. “Only you, Annalise. You were the only human within these walls.”

His thumb slowly smears the blood across my cheek as he continues to speak, and I feel myself fighting the chill crawling up my spine.

“You can imagine my frustration when I was awoken in the middle of the night to be told one of my servants had been killed, her body robbed of life by the human I let into my walls,” he says.

His hand gently drifts down the front of my dress, resting where the heated symbol lies beneath my clothing. Elias’s eyes follow his hand movement, narrowing slightly as he thinks.

“The product of letting humans know what we are,” he adds. But once again, it means nothing to me. Elias leans into me, his tongue darting out to taste the trail of blood he left on my cheek. I feel him shudder against me, his breathing shaky as his hand shifts from my rib to my breast.

He then pulls away from me slightly, searching my face for an answer. His eyes transform into that predator-like visage. And while it startles me, it doesn’t elicit the same emotion it once did. But I see the lust in his eyes. It outweighs his logical mind. He’s fighting with himself to give in or not. Once he gives in, he won’t be able to rid himself of me, and I think that’s where his hesitation lies. Whatever he knows about me fuels his hesitation, and my actions have solidified his theory of me being a threat.

Suddenly, he pulls away from me.

“My kind come in different strengths and forms. My forefathers hoped to rid the world of the creatures who continued to breed the monsters who have strayed further and further from their humanity. It was their hope to rid the world of the tribe who could wipe out entire continents if they wanted. Instead, my forefathers have given humans the means to create whatever the fuck you turned out to be,” he growls, standing over me.

Elias grabs me roughly by my arms, lifting me before smashing my back against the desk. I bite the inside of my cheek so as not to give him the satisfaction of causing me pain. But judging from his expression, it doesn’t matter. I tense as he runs his nose along my throat, his tongue leaving a trail once he’s satisfied. He grips my throat as he stands over me, and finally, fear of the unknown washes over me as I take in a strange black mist forming on his arms. Somehow, my body knows to fear it.

“But I will do what they could not. I will be the first to conquer your kind. I will control whatever power lies inside of you, even if it belongs to him . Everything that you are will belong to me, Annalise. Whatever you are, whatever they helped create, will be all mine,” he says.

His lips capture my own as his hands roam over my body freely. I don’t have the strength to fight him. I barely have the strength to remain conscious as he takes possession of my body. He releases me, grabbing my chained hands in his as he raises them over my head. His free hand tears the top of my dress, exposing me to him.

I release a gasp from the suddenness of his assault as his mouth covers my breast. His hand quickly lifts my dress, sliding up my thigh, and that’s when my instincts finally kick in. My hands try to pull from his grip, but I am not strong enough. I am not near strong enough.

Elias chuckles as he stands over me, his eyes boring into my own as his fingers drift between my legs, delving into my folds. His eyes remain lined to mine as he slowly strokes my clit, building my own arousal before dipping into me. I release another gasp, my cheeks growing warm from his attentions, and he’s enjoying watching my reaction.

I don’t know why I feel so panicked. I always expected this and had mentally prepared myself for it. But my body knows something that I don’t. As does Elias. He pushes another finger inside of me, and I hate the shaky moan that leaves my lips.

Elias smiles wickedly, my audible moan confirming enough for him as he removes his fingers. He shifts, and I feel the tip of his cock at my entrance. He holds my face tight in his grip as he enters me slowly. My eyes widen, and my mouth forms a silent “O” as he fully sheathes himself. I feel my inner walls stretching for him.

I vaguely note that I feel no pain. My body is used to this kind of activity, meaning somewhere in my past, I have done this before.

“Open your eyes. Look at me.” My eyes fly open as Elias roughly thrusts, once again forcing a cry from my lips. His eyes are filled with lust as he looks at me, taking in every piece of my face as if he’s never seen it before and will never see it again. He’s given into his desire, and now that he’s had a taste of how it feels, he has no idea just how badly he’s screwed up.

Elias continues to thrust, and my body reacts accordingly. Warmth washes over me, filling my every sense as he possesses me, and it takes all of my strength to remain present. At this moment, I am close enough to see what he was looking at when I walked in: the map behind his desk that holds the layout of land across the ocean.

The land that I am from.

And as he continues to have his way, I study the map, my eyes remaining wide as I memorize every name and square inch of that godforsaken kingdom. So that there will be nothing to stop me when I plan my escape.

Elias’s bedchamber is fit for a king. It is not only much larger than the room I stayed in, but it has a door that leads to a balcony overlooking this side of the ocean.

The Amsor Ocean.

It stretches all the way to a separate ocean and set of land that was marked as forbidden on Elias’s maps. And according to Elias himself, I am assuming that is where I am from. I chuckle to myself as I continue to eat the spread laid out before me.

Elias is a simple creature. And though he thinks he has broken some part of me, he has only made me stronger. He can have my body. It means nothing to me in the grand scheme of things. It has already been through so much prior to my memory loss. I have multiple scars that are slowly becoming proof of my desire to survive in my mind. I will use it in whatever way is necessary to get out of here, starting with lowering his guard and making him think it is his idea to conquer across the ocean.

I flinch as the marking on my side heats up. The heat is more intense tonight, but I’ve come to understand that, for my sake, that is a good thing. Elias himself revealed it to me.

“Even as that mark calls out to you, you have no idea what to do with it.”

The marking is calling to me, and whatever I can do with it is powerful enough for Elias to desire control of it. And that will be his downfall. It’s ironic how good my memory is, yet I can’t recall my life before a month ago. Elias’s kingdom is vast, but for him to round up the remaining humans that stretch to the ocean would require a lot of unnecessary manpower.

Why use his military to capture humans only to protect his kingdom when he could have more humans like me? He let it be known that he covets controlling me, and he also let it be known that there are more like me in my homeland across the ocean. Now, I must make him think it’s his idea, and he won’t be able to resist following through once he thinks he controls me.

I look up as the door to the room opens, and Elias enters. As he takes me in, a smug grin finds its way on his lips. I made sure to remain naked as I waited for his return. His smile deepens upon his approach as I shift my expression and widen my eyes.

It’s as I said. He thinks he’s broken some part of me. Playing the role of his broken victim comes easily. I quickly stand, bowing as he approaches.

“Your Majesty,” I murmur.

Elias chuckles, lifting my chin as he stands over me, studying me.

“How angry he would be to see you now,” he chuckles.

There he goes again, speaking of a man who I can’t remember but revealing more of my past to me in his lust. I gently pull my chin from his grip, but he grips my face, pulling me in close.

“You’re mine now, Annalise. Say it,” he growls as he studies me.

“I’m yours,” I whisper.

Satisfaction flashes across his gaze as he pushes me onto the bed and proceeds to ravage my body. I have to fight my smile as he falls right into the trap he was well aware of before he gave into his own desire. Before all of this is over, he will be doing exactly as I want without even realizing it.

In truth, he’s actually mine.