Page 136 of Their Blood Rite

‘I’m a whore, alright. His whore. His slut. Would you like me to describe it in detail, Cole? What he does to the woman you were to marry? How he knows exactly what to do and how to do it?’

‘That’s because he’s had so much practice with all the other whores he’s had.’

‘Do you happen to have a list with their names? I’ll send them a thank you note. Especially to whoever taught him that trick he does with his tongue.’

He tightens his grip a little more.

‘I will stain the snow of our village red with your blood when he tosses you aside like the whore you are.’ His fucked up face leers into mine. I’m sure it still hurts like hell. ‘You will beg for me to end your suffering, and I can not wait to hear your pleading. Just like you did when you were tied to the tree at the Blood Rite, and my father had the blade between your legs. That was music to my ears. I think about it when I take your best friend to bed every night.’

‘And I do not think of you at all as I lie beside the man you hate.’ I force my face forward, holding that smile. ‘Or underneath him. Or on top.’ His face goes rigid with rage. ‘Now get the fuck off me.’

‘Your bones will end up in our crypt or the village gates. Mark my words.’

‘Well, let’s hope they don’t end up at the gate. Or yours will be put up there just the same. Yours and everyone else's in the coven. You know as well as I do that if they find out I came from your coven, you’ll be slaughtered. So perhaps you should work a little harder at protecting our secret. Because if it all goes wrongand Shaw turns me away, I won’t return to you. I won’t run. I’ll come here and ensure everyone knows precisely what I am.’ I shove him, and he releases me to stagger back a few steps. ‘If I’m to die, you better believe I will be taking every single one of you with me.’

‘Spoken like a true blood witch.’

‘And don’t you forget it.’ Taking a minute, I straighten my dress and smooth my hair. ‘I shall leave you to practice your kneeling. See you soon, Cole. I’ll be the one standing tall, right next to your new master.’

I grab the red dress and stride past him, feeling proud.

My hand reaches for the door handle.

A series of thuds ring out. A very specific series of thuds.

‘Furatus aer.’

My chest feels crushed as I breathe out my last bit of air.

I turn. Cole has my father’s cane.

He also has my father’s trigger and has used it on me.

The compulsion takes over. The need and panic. I’m on my knees before him, awaiting my instructions.

‘I may have to kneel before your brutish, murdering, monstrous lover.’ He undoes his trousers and holds himself in front of me. ‘But not before I have his girl’s mouth wrapped around me.’ He taps my lips. ‘Open.’

I shake my head and seal my lips shut.

I can’t breathe.

‘You have betrayed me and broken my heart. You have humiliated me, Ashe, and torn apart the coven.’ He sneers in disgust. ‘You are the reason my father is dead. So do as you are told and open your mouth.’

I don’t. I’ll die first. He grabs my face and starts to prise my jaw open.

‘When you have a dick in your mouth, you can breathe. And you are not leaving this room until you have had cum in yourmouth, then you will take ten strikes. And you will not take a breath if you refuse any of what I have said. Now… open.’

I close my eyes, disgust swallowing me whole, knowing how this works. His words are law. I’m tied to them and will not be free to breathe until I’ve degraded myself.

‘That’s it,’ he says, his voice rough and heavy as he forces his fingers inside my mouth. ‘Eyes forwards. Don’t move.’

My fists ball up in my lap and tears spring behind my closed eyes.

Don’t cry, I tell myself.Don’t you dare give him the satisfactionof seeing you cry.

He releases me, and I hear choking and wheezing.

Fearfully, I open my eyes.

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