Page 114 of Their Blood Rite

‘Who owed money, Pixie?’

‘Doesn’t matter,’ I breathe.

‘It does. If someone hurt you-’

‘Like kidnap, bite and threaten me? Or took it in turns to face fuck me in front of all their little friends to punish me?’ I snort. His logic is lacking. ‘You will tire of me. There will come a time when you only want to feed from me for your magic. Maybe fuck me when the mood takes you. And I will grow to become indifferent to you. Whenever they come, your bites and attentions will be just another part of my day or week.’

‘You would be happy with a life like that?’

‘I accepted the beatings. The punishments. The future I had laid out before me with Cole. I can adjust to anything,Master. And I will do it with my head high and get everything from life I can. We all die. I don’t want to die without enjoying myself as much as possible.’ Old memories slowly start resurfacing. Images seep through the cracks in the wall I put up so long ago. I’m a pro at blocking out the shit I don’t want to think about, but yet I’m swamped by nightmares I thought long forgotten. ‘Strange,’ I mumble absentmindedly.

‘What’s strange?’ he asks softly.

‘How much a man enjoys a little girl’s tears…’ I whisper.

I realise he’s staring at me with a stern frown that ages him considerably. His mind is racing in there. Those eyes are trying to search my soul.

‘Why would the human king want me to attend his court tonight?’ I ask, hoping to interrupt his thoughts before he asks me anything else.

‘No idea,’ he replies, that same frown remaining. ‘But he calls, we go. That includes you.’ He inhales sharply. ‘Ashe, did someone hurt you at the coven?’

The bedroom door opens. A few heavy steps and a pair of hands grab my ankles. I’m pulled out to see Shaw standing over me.

‘Why, good afternoon, Master,’ I smirk, lying between his legs as he peers down at me. ‘And what can I do for you?’

‘You can get out from under my bed,’ he sighs. His eyes look me up and down. ‘And you can wash, sort your hair, and get dressed. The carriage leaves in a couple of hours. You look like you’ve been screwed sideways by three Males all night long.’

‘Why, thank you.’

‘Normally, thatwouldbe a compliment. But today, I need you looking like a runaway earth witch who fell in love with a vampire who seduced you in the woods.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘That’s the story. You and one of us are in love. You left your Coven to be together. The alternative is the truth, which will get us, and your coven, obliterated.’

‘Whose the lucky guy I’m besotted with?’

‘Undecided,’ Dorian grunts from the doorway.

‘There’s a dress by the bath,’ Shaw tells me. ‘The banshee will be up to help you with your hair if needed.’

‘She’ll be more likely to shave her bald after she saw you with your dick down her throat, Shaw.’ Archie scoffs. ‘The banshee is in love with you.’

‘She is not in love with me,’ he insists.

Archie and I both share a look. How can someone be so clueless?

I get to my feet and head to the bathroom.

Washed, dressed and ready for whatever the hell is coming, I head out of the bedroom and make my way to the main doors. As I approach the top of the stairs, I hear their voices down in the hall. They talk in a low yet jovial manner, laughing and teasing as they wait. As I reach the top of the stairs, I admire them all.

Dorian is dressed all in black. His hair is loose, with a few braids trailing down his back. His dark jacket has the collar pulled up, and a fresh shirt is unbuttoned, showing the dark tattoos on his chest. Archie is in a light grey coat and emerald green shirt that hangs loosely off his muscled frame. His hair is an unkempt mess, as usual. The pure white of it catches in thelight coming through the open door. Shaw is in black and red, looking almost regal. His deep red shirt is unbuttoned at the top, and his coat falls past his knees.

Everything on these men fits to perfection.

All three look like gods in skin suits. I take a moment to admire them. Their muscular frames. Their confidence. Their power. How well their clothes hug their frames. How their smiles are enough to have me staring. Their swords rest at their hips, making me feel safe.

All three are walking monsters. Powerful killers. Fucking lethal.

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