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“Your father is a good man, Wynter. He has a lot of responsibility and does a good job at looking after our village. Along with the other three forefathers, they’re saints in my eyes.”

I choose my next words carefully. “Is it true they take young boys from the outside and bring them to the village to train as warriors?”

He stares at me for a few silent seconds before nodding. “But only the boys who need us,” he adds quickly. “Boys who have no parents. They’re usually unruly and misbehaving. Nobody can handle them.”

“So, how do we help?”

“We take them in and give them a home, a purpose.”

“I guess that’s a good thing.” But it doesn’t feel right, not really.

Once we’ve eaten, we rejoin the others, and I’m handed a fourth drink. This time, I take my time, and once I’ve drained my glass, I feel even more dizzy. I push to stand and almost fall, but Leonie jumps up to steady me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m a little . . . I feel really dizzy,” I mutter, realising my voice doesn’t sound right and my eyes are heavy.

“I’ll take her back,” Lenny offers, pulling me against him and wrapping an arm around me.

“We should all go,” Leonie suggests.

“He’s got this,” says Jax, grabbing her arm and tugging her to sit down. She looks worried, so I offer her a smile, giving a little wave before I’m led away.

The deeper into the cave we get, the worse I feel. My head spins, and there’s a ringing sound in my ears. Lenny keeps us moving, practically dragging me along until we get into a small clearing. “Let’s rest,” he says, dumping me on a large stone in the centre. I lie back and close my eyes.

“I had a good time tonight,” I tell him, even though my words sound funny.

I feel him crawling over me and open my eyes.

My smile soon fades when I see him staring down at me with a suggestive glint in his eye.

He looks fuzzy, like there’re two of him.

“Now, it’s time for my payment,” he says with a grin.

Before I can protest, he presses his lips to mine.

They’re too wet, and I turn my head to avoid them. “Come on, Wynter, don’t tease me.”

“I’m not,” I mutter, trying to shake him off as he grabs my face and forces me to look at him. His fingers dig into me, hurting, but he doesn’t seem to care as he kisses me again.

I lie still, praying he’ll take the hint, and when he gets up, I’m relieved. I’ll talk to him tomorrow when I feel better, set him straight.

But then I feel his hands travelling up my thighs and under my dress. “Hey,” I mutter, batting them away. It doesn’t deter him, and he settles himself between my legs. “What are you doing?” I mumble, trying to shove him off but missing completely.

“I got you dinner,” he snaps, slapping my hands away. “It’s the least you owe me.”

I panic, knowing there’s no way I can stop him. He’s so much stronger than me. “No,” I whisper, clamping my legs as closed as I can with him between them.

“You’re a fucking tease,” he snaps, and I shiver at the harsh tone in his voice. He’s angry. “All you have to do is lie there. I’m gonna do all the hard work.” I feel his hands pulling at my underwear.

“I don’t want to,” I snap, and I know it’s loud enough for him to hear, but he continues to try and remove my underwear.

He takes my hand and shoves it against his groin. “Feel how hard I am,” he growls. It’s warm, and I yelp in surprise. “Just touch me,” he snaps, forcing me to wrap my hand around him.

“What the fuck is going on?”

I’m relieved to hear Leonie, and Lenny scrambles around to fasten his trousers. “Jeez, Lee, a little privacy.”

“You’re in the passage to the village. Everyone is heading back, so I suggest you go on ahead,” she snaps.

“You think the others wouldn’t join in?” he sneers. “Fuck, this princess needs a few cocks in her to show her she’s the same as us.”

“Well, it isn’t happening tonight, not on my watch,” she tells him, and I feel her hand in mine. “Get up, Wynter. Let’s go.”

“Maybe you both need a lesson in who’s in charge around here,” he growls.

“I’ll tell Martha everything,” she warns. “I’ll tell her about the bar and the mobile phone you have. She’ll go to the forefathers.”

“You’ll hang beside me if that happens,” he says with a laugh.

“I’d rather hang than allow you to touch either of us,” she spits. “Now, stay the hell away from us.”

She drags me off, and I stumble along behind her as we rush through the darkness. “How do you know where you’re going?” I ask.

“I’ve learnt these caves. Hurry, before he tells the others and they all come.”

“Are you really going to tell on them?”

“No. Don’t ever date any of the guards, Wynter,” she says firmly. “Don’t be alone with them when Martha isn’t nearby to hear your screams.”

“I don’t understand,” I whisper, almost in tears. I’m tired and dizzy, and everything is happening so fast, yet it all feels blurry.

“Because you’re drunk,” she snaps. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” Drunk?

We find the steps and climb them. Then, we run all the way back to the cave entrance and back to the sleeping quarters. “Lock your door,” she tells me, kissing me on the forehead as I go into my room. “We’ll speak tomorrow.”

Wrath

“There’s another ceremony tonight. They reckon you’re going to be chosen,” says Leonie as she wraps her hands around my erection.

She’s distracted today and not as annoyingly chatty.

Lenny bangs on the window, and she shrinks back slightly.

Something’s happened between the two, I can sense her nervousness when he’s around.

“Are you sucking or talking?” he barks.

“Prick,” she mutters under her breath before taking me in her mouth. Lenny watches like he often does. “He’s just pissed because I ruined his night,” she whispers, coming up for air.

I close my eyes, concentrating on holding back.

I can’t come with him watching or it’ll be more beatings.

“Like any woman would willingly sleep with that monster.” She sucks me in again, and when I open my eyes, Lenny is gone.

She sits up. “I reckon he came here because his parents knew he was a monster and they thought this place would save him.” She runs her hand up and down my shaft, and when I jerk, she pauses.

“Poor Wynter is too innocent,” she adds, and I grab her wrist at the mention of her. Leonie gasps as I haul her closer.

“Wynter?” I repeat, shocking myself, but I have to know what she means.

“She went on a date with Lenny, and he almost hurt her,” she whispers.

“He made threats to hurt us both.” My heart hammers hard in my chest, and Leonie smiles.

“You like her,” she states. I release her, and she stumbles back, rubbing her wrist. “There’s no way to stop him, Wrath. I think I’ve just made things worse.”

The door opens, and Lenny appears. “Martha wants you in the kitchen,” he tells Leonie, and she grabs her shirt, pulling it on as she leaves.

His eyes linger on me before he laughs and leaves. I’ll wipe that smile off his smug face.