Page 43 of Eat Me

Gabriel's eyes narrowed slightly at my question. "No, they don't want to break your spirit entirely but make no mistake - they will do whatever is necessary to ensure your compliance and loyalty to this family.

He pauses as he studies me intently before continuing, as his voice lowers to a low whisper, "My sons can be... intense when they feel challenged or threatened. They've inherited that trait from me, I'm afraid. It's in their nature - in our nature - to dominate and control. And if you don’t fall in line with our family you could end up being a threat."

I suppress a shudder at his words, remembering the cold gleam in Jasper's eyes during Amber's torture, the possessive way Elijah has spoken about me belonging to them, "And what exactly does this family need me to be?" I ask, dreading the answer I already know, deep down in the pit of my soul.

Gabriel's lips curve into a cold smile. "A loyal wife. A devoted mother to the next generation. Someone who will uphold our traditions and way of life without question."

I suppress a shudder at his words, imagining what kind of ‘creative’ punishments they might have in store if I’m not going to be someone they want. "So, what you're saying is, I have no real choice here. It's either submit willingly or be forced into submission."

Gabriel looks at me, with softening eyes as he stands up, making me shift back a bit away from him, "You're a smart girl, Victoria. I can see why my boys are so taken with you." He reaches out, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

“You will do just fine in this family. I know my boys will…help with the adjustment period that I’m sure you’ll go through.” He then leans down, kissing my forehead. My body went still not daring to move or even breathe until he took a step back.

“Now be a good daughter-in-law and get some rest. I will have food delivered later and I expect you to eat it. One of the boys will be here to ensure you do.” He gives me one last look before leaving me alone in the room. My stomach turns and my body feels like ice as I sit here alone.

“I’m not your daughter-in-law... yet” I mutter into the empty room; I know he’s no longer there, but I still needed to say those words.

I sit in a stunned silence for several minutes. The silence of the room almost makes my ears ring. Gabriel…his words echoing in my mind. The casual way he spoke about my future, about breaking me, if necessary. It sent chills down my spine. Once again, I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling that has taken over my body.

Part of me wants to scream, to rage against the injustice of it all. But what good would that do? They’ve made it abundantly clear that my feelings, my desires, mean nothing to them. I’m just a prize to be won, a possession to be claimed and molded to their liking.

"I'm not your daughter-in-law," I whisper again, as if saying it out loud somehow makes it true. But deep down, I know I’m fighting a losing battle. They’ve made it clear that I have no real choice in the matter. Once again, I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling that has taken over my body.

"This can't be happening," I whisper to the empty room. But I know it is. This nightmare is all too real, and it seems there’s no waking up from it. I don’t like when my choices are taken from me, and this whole situation is very much out of my control. I also know that I’m probably never going to have that kind of control of my life again.

As the hours tick by, I find myself growing increasingly anxious about what this final test might entail. After everything I'd been through already, I can’t figure out what else they could possibly do. Curling up in the corner of the bed, with my back pressed against the wall, I keep my heavy eyes on the door, knowing someone would eventually come. What I wasn’t expecting, was to close my eyes and be pulled into sleep.

Chapter Thirty-One

Victoria

Waking with a start, my heart racing, trying to orient myself, and for a moment I couldn't remember where I am, but then reality comes crashing back. I’m still in the room they’d given me, still a prisoner of this twisted family.

As my eyes adjust to the dim lighting, I realized I’m not alone. Marcus is sitting in a chair by the bed, he has a book in his hand. He’s flipping through it absent-mindedly, before his eyes flicker to me. Blue eyes flicker with amusement as a hint of a smile came to his lips. A tray of food sits on the bedside table, steam still rising from what looks like a bowl of soup.

"Good evening, sleeping beauty," Marcus hums, his voice soft but carrying an undercurrent of something I can't quite place. "I hope you're feeling more... cooperative than you were with my father earlier."

I tense at his words, pushing myself up into a sitting position. "How long have you been here?" I ask, hating how vulnerable Ifeel. I knew falling asleep wasn’t a good idea, but it seems like my body had a mind of its own. Marcus’s lips curve into a grin, teeth showing, making me feel a bit unsettled. Licking my lips nervously, I curl my arms around myself.

“I haven’t been here too long. If you hadn’t woken up on your own, I'd woke you in the next few minutes so the food wouldn’t get cold.” He tells me, shutting the book and setting it on the small desk next to him. He leans back in the wooden chair as if he’s waiting for me to argue about something. Which was a total possibility…

"What time is it?" I ask, changing the subject about the food getting cold. I don’t want to eat. I don’t want to chance them feeding me‘human’meat again.

Marcus makes a small tsk sound before he glances at his watch. "Just past seven in the evening. You've been asleep for a few hours." He motions to the bedside table, the smell of food making my stomach growl traitorously despite my apprehension, "I brought you dinner. Father mentioned you haven't been eating, which won't do."

"I'm not hungry," and that’s a total lie. My eyes betray me and dart to the soup before going back to Marcus. He just shakes his head at me. He knows I’m lying. The sound of my stomach kind of ruins any lie I can say about not wanting food.

Marcus raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. "Your stomach seems to disagree," he says, his voice tinged with amusement at my bald-faced lie. "Come now, Tori. We both know you need to keep your strength up."

I swallow hard, eyeing the soup warily. "How do I know it's not... like the last meal?" I ask, unable to keep the disgust from my voice. I would be second-guessing anything they give me as food from now on…how couldn’t I?

"It's just chicken noodle soup," he says, his voice taking on a coaxing tone. "Nothing... unusual in it, I promise."

I eye him warily, not sure if I can trust his words. Though none of the men have ever lied to me while here. They’ve always been truthful and upfront with almost everything besides what was going to happen during the tests, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Because I have no reason to lie to you at this point," Marcus says, his blue eyes intense as they meet mine. “This is simply about keeping you nourished."

I eye the bowl suspiciously, torn between my hunger and my distrust. Glancing at Marcus once again, I decide not to move to eat the soup. He sighs before he stands up smoothly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. I tense at his proximity but force myself to hold my ground. Marcus picks up the bowl of soup and holds it out to me.

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