Page 78 of Fool Moon First Aid

“Well, that depends, my love, on what Ava has to offer the board,” Mr. Castellon interjects, his sharp gaze assessing me like I’m nothing more than a pawn to him.

My father’s voice cuts through the tension. “Ava graduated veterinary school a year early as valedictorian. I believe you will find she has plenty to offer you.”

Trapped in this gilded cage, my voice fails me. I’m screaming on the inside, plotting my escape from this nightmare, where my accomplishments, my desires, and my autonomy are being bartered away before my very eyes.

“Well, that is yet to be seen,” the other man says dismissively, igniting a new wave of anxiety within me. “We still have to address the most recent rumors.”

Rumors?

“Father, is now really the time for this?” Elijah reaches for my hand, which I don’t give him, but he doesn’t care, gripping my hand as though it belongs to him. It doesn’t. “Let Ava and I spend the evening together before we dive into the heresy.”

“Now is absolutely the time for this.” His father puffs away at his cigar. “I’d want to know if my future wife has been sullied by a wolf.” Shock ripples through me as the man leans toward me. “Did you let them fuck you in beast form?”

The audacity of these people, questioning my personal life and insinuating things about me with no shred of decency—it’s too much. “What the fuck?” I blurt out, the outrage I’ve been bottling up finally spilling over.

“Darling, just answer the question.” Elijah’s grip tightens, a silent warning as his father leans in, his question so vile, it sends shockwaves through me. My mind races for a way out, but in this moment, surrounded by judgment and expectation, I can’t come up with anything. “Did you let them fuck you?”This time, I smell the rot on his breath, and I lean back, trying to get as far from him as I can.

“How is that any of your business?” I snap out, finally finding my voice.

“Darling, just answer the question,” Elijah presses, his voice eerily calm amidst the storm. His claim over my personal history, over my body, chills me to the bone. “Did you” —his eyes burn through me— “let them fuck you?”

Cornered, with every instinct screaming at me to flee, I whisper, “No.”

Not yet.

As my mind races for an escape, the realization that I’m in deeper waters than I ever imagined becomes painfully clear. My safety, my freedom, hangs in the balance, and my next move could very well determine my fate. This was a mistake.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Elijah’s attempt at smoothing things over doesn’t fool me. He looks to his father for some sort of approval, but all he gets is a grunt. My heart’s doing this crazy drum solo in my chest as I glance around the room.

My dad’s gaze nails me to the spot. He has this smile on his face that sends a chill down my spine. “Ava isn’t quite ready to know all of our secrets,” he says, but his eyes are on me, like he’s dropping a hint about a test I haven’t studied for. “One day, perhaps, but that’s something she will need to earn. Don’t you agree, Elijah?”

“Of course,” Elijah replies, his grip on my hand tightening. It’s like he’s trying to communicate his own set of rules through that iron clasp. “I have no doubt she will learn her place in time.” He turns his expectant eyes on me, like I’m a puzzle he’s solved. “Won’t you, darling?”

The way he says darling makes my skin crawl. I’m trapped in a scene I don’t want to be part of, with my exit options stripped away.

Refusing to play along, I glare back at Elijah, letting my silence speak volumes.

“Would you all excuse us? I believe it’s time I teach my future bride her place,” Elijah says, chilling me to the core with the coldness in his voice. My entire body tenses up, and alarm bells ring loud and clear in my head.

“That’s my boy,” Mr. Castellon says proudly, getting to his feet. “I believe dinner is almost served.” He reaches for his wife’s hand. “It only took my beloved Marjorie a month to break. Didn’t it, sweetheart?”

Excuse me?

Miss Piggy smiles lovingly at her husband. It’s a crazy smirk telling me she isn’t sane. “Oh, darling, I gave in much earlier, but I enjoyed the punishment.”

My father chuckles. “Let’s give them some space.” I watch in horror as the three of them stand and leave the room, shutting the door behind them with a finality that sends my blood pressure through the roof.

“Ava, you haven’t touched your drink,” Elijah notes, an order veiled as concern.

“I don’t drink,” I whisper, defiance fueling my voice, despite the fear. His warning hangs in the air, a threat masked as advice.

“You’re going to want to,” he warns a moment before he strikes me.

Ava

Shock zips through me like a relentless current that refuses to ebb. Confused and more than a little ticked off, I glare at the closed door, feeling the sting on my cheek like a badge of dishonor. It burns all right, and then there’s the fear—this wild, unwelcome guest that decides to throw a party in my veins, bubbling up from my toes and making its way up until I’m practically gagging on it.

“No screams,” Elijah whispers, his voice a chilling caress that I definitely didn’t sign up for. He pinches my chin, yanking my attention back to him with a harsh grip. “It won’t be too hard to break you in.”

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