Page 50 of Eat Me

The man makes a horrible gurgling sound, blood’s bubbling from his lips. He stumbles backward, hands grasping weakly at the wound in his chest. My body goes numb as I watch his body hit the ground. I can feel the beginning of a panic attack coming on as I become aware of my surroundings again.

‘Oh god’I thought as I look at the man’s dead body. I know I had to kill him, or he would have killed me. The first kill had been purely an accident…but this one…this one was intentional. If I hadn’t, he would have killed me. Knowing this doesn’t relieve anything. It doesn’t stop the feeling of nausea and the feeling of bile rising in my throat. I swallow, the burn in my throat making tears come to my eyes. I can’t break now. Not after everything. I couldn't...wouldn’tbreak here.

I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings when I hear a yell and someone’s coming towards me. Suddenly, his blood droplets hit my face as I see the last men die. “You need to stay on your guard at all times.” A voice brings me out of my thoughts, looking to the side of me, I see one of the men I don’t want anything to do with.

“Owen.”I whisper, the resignation in my voice as his smile grows. He drops his own knife on the ground and steps towards me.

“Hello Sweetheart.” He leans down, his thumb whipping the blood off my cheek as he takes me in. I’m sure I look like a sight. Mud and blood splatter on me, twigs and leaves in my hair. “You did such a good job till the last one. Now, you’re one of us.” He leans down, his lips crashing into my own. I didn’t move, shock going through me as I’m brought closer to the man in front of me. He circles one arm around my waist and the other coming up my back, under my hair and to the base of my neck as his lips cover my own.

He pulls away from me, his blue eyes full of hunger and chuckles, “Well, our soon to be wife is definitely going to fit rightin.” He leans down once again, and I try to pull back not wanting to be kissed by this man again but the grip at the base of my neck kept me from moving.

As he leans down his lips close to mine again, blue eyes gleaming as he looks at me in amusement, he goes to my cheek instead, his tongue coming out and licking the blood off, causing a shudder to go through me.

“I think my brothers are going to want their turn now. Be a good sweetheart and greet them, your other finances.” I blanch at the thought, my eyes snapping away from his to look around me to see the other three watching us from not that far away.

I stand frozen as Owen pulls away; his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. My mind reels, struggling to process everything that has just happened. The blood of the men I'd killed still stained my hands, my clothes, my face, and now Owen's kiss burns on my lips, a stark reminder of the future that awaits me.

As if in a daze, I turn to face the other brothers. They approach slowly, with predatory grace in every step. Elijah reaches me first, his green eyes intense as they rake over my blood-spattered form.

"You've done well, Victoria," he murmurs, reaching out to cup my cheek. I flinch at the contact but don't pull away. "You've proven yourself worthy of our family."

Marcus is next, his expression calculating as he circles me. "I knew you had it in you," he said, his voice low and approving.

Jasper grins, eyes alight with hunger as he looks me over, “Don’t you look beautiful too. I knew blood would look good on you.”

I blanch at his words, the sick feeling coming back to my stomach. Owen, still having his arms around me, pulls me closer. I feel Elijah’s thumb caress my cheek, what I’m sure is meant to be soothing circles…but wasn’t. It takes another minute before I finally find my voice.

"Don't touch me," I whisper, my voice hoarse from the earlier choking. I try to push away from him, but his grip on my waist stays. Elijah has let his hand fall, but he still stands close as he watches me. I can feel his heavy gaze boring into me.

"Now, now, sweetheart," Owen chides, his tone mockingly gentle. "Is that any way to greet your future husbands?"

A hysterical laugh bubbles up in my throat. "Husbands? You're insane. All of you." My eyes dart to where the other brothers are.

‘Fiancés’….

‘Future husbands’…

The reality of what has just happened, of what I'd done, comes crashing down on me. I have killed two men with my own hands. I’m covered in their blood, and now these monsters are calling me their fiancée.

"No," I whisper, shaking my head. " I can't... I won't..." I feel the panic starting to set in as my breathing quickens and my body starts to shake.

Owen's grip on me tightens as if trying to give me comfort or a warning. "Oh, but you will, sweetheart. You've passed the final test. You're ours now."

I try to pull away, but his hold is like iron, keeping me in place. "Let me go," I say, my voice shaking. "Please, just let me go."

"Now why would we do that when we've worked so hard to make you ours?" Elijah's smooth voice cuts through my thoughts as he looks down at me. "You belong with us now, Victoria. There's no going back."

Frantically shaking my head, tears streaming down my face, mixing with blood, I feel the strong arms around me keep me tighten, still not letting me run away. "No, I don't belong here. I don't want this. Please, just let me go."

Jasper steps closer, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Oh, little bird. You don't have a choice anymore. You've proven yourself worthy of our family. Of us."

Marcus circles around, all three of them mere steps away from me while I’m trapped in Owen’s arms, "You killed for us, Victoria. You've tasted blood. There's no turning back now."

I feel my breaths coming in short gasps as panic threatens to overwhelm me. The brothers' words echoing in my mind -'ours', 'wife', and 'family'. This can't be happening. I don’t want to become part of this twisted family. I can’t marry these men who had put me through such horrors.

"No," I whisper again, shaking my head. "I don't want to do it…I didn't want to kill them!" I cry out, tears streaming down my face. "You forced me into it. That doesn't make me like you."

Jasper laughs, the sound sending chills as he moves closer, his hand coming to my neck, his fingers gently fluttering against the skin I know would be bruised from the repeated trauma from being grabbed there.“ You survived, and I love the fire in your eyes. You get to live…isn’t that a good thing?”

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