Page 51 of Eat Me

I glare at him, pushing his hands away. He gives me an amused look, but steps back, letting me have my way,

“Well, I didn’t get much of a choice, now did I? Survive or die? Not much of a choice.” I spit these words out like venom, not wanting to be near this man longer than I had to.

“There’s always a choice...” Elijah says, as he leans forward his breath hot on my ear, “You chose to kill... you could have let them kill you… so don’t be so self-righteous. You're a murderer just like us now.” His words make my stomach drop. He then motions for Owen to let go. He does, stepping away, letting me stand there with the inner turmoil of what I’d done to survive.

I’m just as bad as them now, ‘A murderer’.I feel my legs giving out, overwhelmed by the weight of what I've done and Elijah's cruel words. Before I hit the ground, strong arms catch me. Looking up, I see Marcus holding me, his blue eyes intense as they search my face.

"Easy now," he murmurs, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "It's been a long night."

I want to fight, to push him away, but I had no strength left. The adrenaline that has kept me going is fading fast, leaving me shaky and weak. Sobs wrack my body as I curl into Marcus, no longer caring about appearing strong in front of these men.

"That's it, little bird," Jasper croons, his eyes soft as he looks at me curl into Marcus, who’s holding me up. "Let it all out. The first kill is always the hardest." I feel the rest of my strength leave me and Marcus fully picks me up, I don’t even fight back as he holds me bridal style, letting the others still see me.

Elijah sighs softly as he speaks, his voice uncharacteristically gentle as he looks at me in Marcus’s arms. "It gets easier, Victoria. In time, you'll come to embrace this part of yourself."

"I don't want it to get easier," I choke out between sobs, feeling cold even though I’m against a warm body. I stay silent as my tears start to slow, but the numb feeling is still there.

"What happens now?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. Am I still going to be locked up? Or is there going to be something else that has to happen? It isn’t like there’s a manual on what to do when you get kidnapped by a cannibal family to become their wife. Yeah…. not something you hear every day.

Elijah steps forward, his green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Now, we take you home. Our home. Where you belong.” Elijah's words send a chill through me. Home. Their home. The place where I would be expected to live out the rest of my days as their wife. The thought makes my stomach churn.

“It won’t be home…it’s going to be my prison,” I whisper, shaking my head weakly. I’m overwhelmed and right now I just want to sleep and pretend everything’s okay.

“It will become a home to you soon enough. You just have to get used to it.” Owen speaks as he steps closer, his blue eyes intense as he looks down at me in Marcus's arms. "It doesn'tmatter what you want any more, sweetheart. You're ours now. Forever."

Fresh tears well up in my eyes at his words. The finality of it all was crushing. There was no escape, no going back to my old life. I’m trapped. Owen chuckles, the sound sending shivers down my spine. "Oh sweetheart, this is a new start. You’ll get accustomed to it and fit in just fine.”

I want to argue, to fight back, but exhaustion is overtaking me. The events of the night - the terror, the violence, the killing - had drained me completely. I let myself go limp in Marcus’s arms, a big sigh leaving me.

Marcus adjusts his grip on me. "Let's get her cleaned up," He gives a chuckle as he looks down at me. "We have a wedding to prepare for, after all."

‘Wedding?’

That word echoes in my mind, filling me with a cold dread that seems to seep into my very bones. I curl tighter into myself in Marcus's arms, as if I could somehow make myself small enough to disappear entirely. "Wedding," I repeat numbly, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. "So, you aren’t going to just force me to sign a marriage certificate…."

Jasper laughs, the sound grating against my already frayed nerves. "Oh, no little bird. We’re having a wedding. White dress, black tie…the whole thing."

I shake my head weakly, still cradled in Marcus's arms. "No, I won't do it. You may be forcing me to marry you, but you can’t expect me to behave in front of a bunch of people and be happy about it.”

Elijah steps closer, his green eyes gleaming dangerously in the moonlight. "Oh, Victoria," he says, his voice a silky purr that sent chills down my spine. "You still don't understand, do you? You don't have a choice in this matter."

His hand reaches out, fingers ghosting along my cheek in a mockery of a loving caress. I fight the urge to smack them away from me but know that would probably get another reprimand from the man.

“You’ll make a beautiful bride, but you will be made to behave before the wedding. We have to plan and send invites out…so there’s time for you to adjust.” Owen tells me, even as I open my mouth to protest. But my protests fall on deaf ears. The brothers continue to talk amongst themselves, discussing plans and preparations as casually as if they’re planning a dinner party rather than a forced marriage.

"Please," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "I can't... I don't want this."

"Shh," Marcus soothes, his grip on me tightening slightly. "It's alright, Princess… We'll take care of everything." I feel movement as Marcus begins walking, carrying me away from the bloody scene in the forest. The other brothers fell into step around us, their presence a constant reminder of my new reality. With each step, I felt myself being carried further away from my old life and deeper into their world.

As Marcus carries me through the forest, I feel my consciousness slipping away. The exhaustion, both physical and emotional, is overwhelming. The brothers' voices fade into a distant murmur as darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision.

I fight against it at first, afraid of what might happen if I let my guard down completely. But in the end, my body's need for rest wins out. As my eyes flutter closed, I catch one last glimpse of the moon through the trees before everything goes black.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Victoria

When I wake up, I find myself in an unfamiliar room. Soft sunlight filtering through gauzy curtains, casting a warm glow over the elegant furnishings. For a moment, I lay here disoriented, struggling to remember how I got here. Then it all comes flooding back - the forest, the blood, the brothers claiming me as their bride.

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