Page 69 of Their Blood Rite

‘Freedom.’

‘Let you go?’ he scoffs. ‘No.’ His arm returns over his eyes as he settles to sleep.

‘Let me out of this room. Let me walk the grounds. Let me…’ I take a second to think about what I want. About what I might get.

‘What?’ Shaw urges.

‘Have some fucking fun,’ I choose. We face each other. ‘I leave here, I’m dead. I fight you guys, I’ll wish I was dead. You want my blood, have it. Just let me live a little.’

‘And what does that look like? Letting you live a little?’

‘Let me walk the grounds. Explore. Meet the others who live here. I saw one with horns the other day.’

‘I’m not sure you would much like the company we keep. The creatures that live in this place aren’t known for their gentlemanly nature.’

‘And you are?’

‘True…’

‘I don’t know who you think I am. You said entitled princess. You called me a spoilt brat,’ I shake my head. ‘You have me confused with someone else. I’ve never been entitled to anything and most certainly have never been spoilt. My father puts on a good show for the coven. I played the role of dutiful daughter well because if I didn’t… I think you know what I would get. I like swearing. Getting dirty. Running through the wildness of the trees. Getting soaked in the lakes. I want to read outside in the sunshine. Back home, reading wasn’t for females. But Ilovereading.’ I swallow an anxious swallow. ‘I want you to promise you won’t ever use the trigger against me. I don’t want to get beaten. And I don’t want to be controlled.’

‘We will never use the trigger,’ Shaw cuts in. 'And I never would have if I knew you needed to be hurt afterwards.’ I believe him. I believe that dark flash of anger in his eyes and the outrage I saw when they discovered what my father did. ‘So you want to be let loose here? If we agree, you’ll do everything we say?’

‘When you say everything…’

‘If we want blood, you’ll give it?’

‘Yes. Once a week.’

‘Twice a week'

‘And clothing optional,’ Archie cuts in.

I scoff. ‘Clothing entirely mandatory,’ I reply, making Archie groan loudly.

‘Anything else?’ Dorian asks dryly. ‘Some gold, perhaps? A sword?’

‘Yes. There is something, actually. I want to watch Cole bow to you, and I want him to see me standing with you, looking fucking stunning and strong.’ The corner of Shaw’s mouth pulls up a little. ‘I want to make him pay for what he did to me. He can have the coven. But I want him to know that I am happy and strong. That I am more free now than I was before. I don’t care if it’s true or not. I want him to think it is. To be consumed by it. He said he would love me forever. That he would protect me. He stabbed me and watched everyone else cut me.’ That slight smile on Shaw’s lips falters. ‘Then he fucked my best friend right in front of me. Again. And his father was going to…’ I look to my right. To Archie, who saved me from that dagger. ‘Do we have a deal?’ I ask.

All three of the men sit up and have a meeting over the top of the bed. They whisper too quietly for me to hear as they kneel on the floor around me. I wait, butterflies becoming swarming bees in my stomach.

They return to their makeshift beds.

‘Blood twice a week for all three of us,’ Shaw declares. ‘Whenever and however we choose. Together or separate.’

‘Fine,’ I agree.

‘You will follow our rules and behave yourself in all ways.’

‘Okay.’

‘You will never hurt yourself again. And no lies. We ask you something, you answer.’

‘Anything else?’

‘Yes. You will never refuse us when we need you to use your magic.’

‘You want me to reanimate dead cats?’

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