Page 5

CHAPTER THREE

WYNTER

I t’s been two days since the incident in the caves. Two days of being ignored. Two days of listening to Summer cry herself to sleep at night, refusing to let me comfort her in any way.

I’m preparing lunch when my father breezes in. Behind him is a slender woman with a pale complexion. She’s much younger than him, possibly early twenties. “There’s an extra guest for lunch,” he tells me, leading her through to the dining room.

Minutes later, I carry the salad bowl through and notice my father standing extremely close to the woman.

Her head is bowed, and he’s whispering in her ear.

I place the bowl on the table, and he steps back from her, pulling out a seat beside him so she can sit down.

My mother enters the room and pauses, looking mildly confused at the stranger sitting in her seat, but she doesn’t cause a fuss and instead takes the seat on the other side of my father.

I go back into the kitchen to grab a tray of sandwiches, and when I return to the dining room, Summer is also seated.

I place the tray down and take my own seat, leaving a space between Summer and me.

Father is the first to take a sandwich, like always.

He then offers the tray to the woman before placing it back on the table.

Mother frowns slightly but helps herself.

I want to scream at her for not asking the obvious question.

Who the fuck is this woman? Instead, I watch as everyone eats, unable to touch anything until my father tells me I can.

Once they’re finished, I eye the few sandwiches left, and my stomach growls in hunger.

“From now on, Annastasia will join us for every meal,” Father announces.

“You will all treat her with kindness.” My stomach growls louder.

“Wynter, please inform our suppliers and adjust the groceries accordingly. Annastasia will eat extra green vegetables and meat, as she is with child.”

We all look up, our eyes darting between the pair. “Anthony,” Mother says gently, “I don’t understand.”

“She will also be joining me in bed. You will now sleep in the next room.”

“She’s having your child?” Mother whispers.

“Twins,” he says proudly. “The doctor confirmed the pregnancy just this morning.”

“Only women who have carried a warrior’s child are worthy of having a founding family’s child,” my mother replies.

“I do not have to justify my choice to you,” he says firmly, pushing to stand.

My mother does the same. “I’ve been loyal,” she spits, and I wince at her tone. “I have given you a daughter.”

“And a rebellious, disrespectful wench,” he snaps, looking at me.

“But for me to remain at the top, I need a bigger family. You’re not up to the job, probably God’s punishment for the way Wynter has behaved.

” All eyes turn to me, and I shrivel down slightly.

“Annastasia will take your place beside me.”

“And what will be my role?” she asks.

“The same as it always was, to please me. I will call upon you when I require your services.”

“I am not a common whore,” she screams.

He rears his hand back and strikes her hard enough to knock her to the ground.

She lands on the floor at his feet, and he lowers, grabbing her hair and bringing her face to his.

“That is exactly what you are,” he spits.

“And unless you would like to end up in the circle like Summer, you will find your new role an honour and thank me for it daily.” He shoves her back down.

“Now, what would you like to say to me?”

She cowers slightly before taking a deep breath and muttering, “Thank you, sir.”

He holds out a hand to Annastasia, who takes it. He leads her away, picking up the leftover sandwiches and dropping them in the bin as he leaves the room.

I rush over to where Mother is sobbing in a heap on the floor and hold out my hand. She glares at it with contempt. “Do you see?” she demands, getting to her feet. I take a few steps back, wary of the anger in her eyes. “Your behaviour has consequences for us all.”

“I didn’t mean for any of this,” I cry, glancing at Summer, who is staring at her plate. “It’s him who’s evil, not me.”

“All you had to do was keep quiet,” she screams. “Now, you’ve ruined everything.” She leaves the room, sobbing into her hands.

I turn to Summer and whisper, “I’m sorry.”

She stands, finally lifting her eyes to mine. “It doesn’t make anything better,” she says sadly. “You have to follow the rules, Wynter. It’s simple.”

“But I don’t agree,” I whisper. “Why can’t you all see what I see?”

“What choice do we have?” she hisses. “There is no way out. We’re stuck here in this make-believe world they have created.

So, you can keep shouting about how unfair it is for women, but they don’t care, Wynter, and all your noise is getting everyone you love hurt.

So, do us all a favour and just stop.” I watch in stunned silence as she also leaves the room.

She’s wrong. There must be some way we can escape this madness. Jade talks all the time about the outside world, and maybe together, we can come up with a plan.

Wrath

Being force-fed the little blue pills, one after the other, means only one thing—it’s my turn to go to church today.

After my eagerness to pleasure myself in the circle a few nights ago, I’ve been beaten and starved and reminded over and over what my purpose is here—to impregnate the goddesses presented to us by our masters.

The door opens and dread fills me as a guard enters with another pill. He shows me his stick, knowing I’ll comply rather than feel the pain it delivers. I open my mouth, and he places it on my tongue. Once I’ve swallowed it, I open my mouth for him to check.

“It’s ten minutes until showtime, Mute. We expect a long and successful performance this evening.

If you mess it up, you’ll be sorry.” He waits for me to acknowledge him, and when I don’t, he points the stick in my direction.

I scramble away, wincing in anticipation, which only makes him laugh.

“You fucking pussy,” he mutters, shaking his head.

“I’ll send in your starter,” he adds, heading out the room.

The woman who enters looks terrified. Three guards gather in the doorway, watching with greedy eyes as she approaches me cautiously.

I want to reassure her that I can’t hurt her because I’m tied so tightly, I’ve lost feeling in my fingers and feet.

She squirts some cold gel onto her hands and rubs them together before settling between my open legs and gripping my erection.

I close my eyes and shudder with pleasure.

“You gotta sit over him, sweet thing,” says a guard, and the others laugh.

“Naked,” adds another.

I feel her stiffen in fright. “Want me to help?” asks the other, sounding much closer.

I open my eyes to see him hauling her to her feet.

His hands grope her breasts, and she squeezes her eyes shut.

“Fuck it, maybe he can just watch the show,” he adds, gripping her dress and ripping it down the middle.

Her breasts pop out, and he twists her nipples until she cries out.

I hate that sound, and I pull on my restraints, growling angrily.

“Now you’ve awoken the beast,” he whispers, turning her to face me. He places her hands on my knees and bends her over.

“Hurry the fuck up, Larry, before we get caught,” a guard warns, fisting his own cock.

Larry sniggers, pulling his trousers down to his ankles.

“Hold on for the ride,” he warns, shoving his dick into her.

She screams, her panicked eyes fixed on me as he takes what he wants.

“Suck his cock,” he orders, grabbing her hair and shoving her face to my erection.

When she sobs, shaking her head in refusal, he slaps her hard across the thigh.

She reluctantly sucks me into her warm mouth, and it disgusts me that I can’t hate it like I should.

My cock is so painfully hard, I have to concentrate so I don’t come, because that’ll earn me a whole world of pain.

Larry growls, coming hard. He pulls her mouth from my dick, and I sigh in relief.

“His turn,” he snaps, pushing her to her knees in front of the other guards.

The first fucks her mouth while the other gets behind her, not caring his friend’s cum is still inside her.

I watch as they use the poor woman, and once they’re finished, she runs from the room, sobbing.

“Now, Mute, are you all worked up and ready for your duties?”

Wynter

I’m not invited to the evening’s ceremony. It’s a relief because I don’t want to watch another woman go through the same pain my sister did. So, I wait until everyone else has headed off and then I take a walk into the village.

Jade is stacking crates in her father’s butcher shop. I tap on the window to get her attention, and she rushes to unlock the door. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages,” she cries, wrapping me in a hug as she pulls me inside.

“Things have been difficult at home,” I explain.

“Abel told me,” she says, offering a sympathetic smile. “I think we have it bad down here in the village, but I’m glad I don’t have your life right now.”

The villagers live on rations. Each family has a ration book, and they have to make their weekly supplies last them. However, being one of the four families, we can take as much or as little as we like, but we have to order in advance.

“We had a new family join us a couple weeks ago,” she adds, lifting a crate of meat and handing it to me. I place it with the others, and she opens the large walk-in fridge. “Rumour has it, your father already claimed one of their daughters.”

“Annastasia?”

“That’s her. What’s she like?”

“I haven’t seen her much. She was only introduced today, and she spent the day with my father.”

“It’s got everyone talking, seeing as it’s not how they normally do things.”

“It’s not like anyone will challenge him.”