Page 87 of Her Dark Promise

He exclaimed, “This is boring. You’re all boring.” Then, he set his eyes on me. “You made me a wager, and I lost. Yet, you haven’t used me in weeks.” He strode toward me until he stood directly in front of my chair, his groin situated at the same level as my face. “Use me,your grace.Make good on your promise.”

I leaned back as he put an arm on the back of my chair and ran a hand down my face. He was pushing his limit with me, and I was just about ready to show him exactly who was in charge in this relationship.

“Bastian, enough. Sit down before she kills you. She has threatened it enough times that she might follow through if you keep pestering her.” Soren tried to reason with him, annoyed with his brother’s brazen behavior.

I could see Callum on high alert, ready to come to my aid if I called for him, but I wouldn’t. This was between Bastian and I.

“Listen to your brother, hunter. He seems wise for his years, unlike a certain male standing before me.”

Bastian laughed. “Relax a little, your majesty, and enjoy the ride.” And before I could make a move, Emilia had dropped her goblet on the carpet and screamed.

We were all shocked at her outburst, that such a strangled noise could come out of her.

“You,” Emilia said in a strangled voice.

Bastian had straightened and looked around, unsure why Emilia was looking at him like that. “What did I do?”

She tucked her feet under herself on the chair and began to beat the side of her head with her fists. I pushed Bastian back hard enough to make him fall flat on his ass as I rushed to her side and held her hands.

“Emilia, stop!”

Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, then screamed again. “You did this to me! You and your family made me like this!”

“Get out!” I commanded the room, but no one moved, frozen at the sight of the scene.

“No!” She struggled against me and shot at Bastian, “I live with regret every day of my fucking life because of whatyourfather did to me!”

I looked back to find Bastian, still on the ground, eyes widened. He was speechless.

Soren said calmly, not wanting to anger her further, “We know you’re one of the chosen. Our sincerest apologies—”

Emilia continued on and pointed to her throat. “I was only thirteen. Do you know what they do to the children who get chosen?” Complete silence. No one moved. “They treat them like kings. But not me… My aunt was given extra gold coins to allow a few of the men to use me because they found my body appealing. I had a very little body, then.”

“Oh my god.”

I couldn’t tell who said it as my attention was completely on Emilia.

Her entire body was shaking as she stood and screamed, “No! Look at me!”

I fell back on my heels as she took a few steps toward Bastian and pointed at him. She put her hand on her throat, doing her best to breathe. Failing, she continued, “The night that I was sacrificed, I was sent down one of the alleys where three men were waiting. I tried to run, but they caught me. They all laughed at me as my aunt sneered, saying that she couldn’t afford me anymore, that I was a burden she was happy to be rid of. That I should be thankful that I would be able to help more before being slaughtered.”

She looked at Soren, he was kneeling on the ground, horrified.

“I begged. I yelled. I pleaded. But nothing worked. ‘Relax and enjoy yourself’. That’s what they said to me. I was thirteen fucking years old!”

She began to hyperventilate, but I didn’t dare touch her. Not when she was baring her soul out to that man’s sons.

“No wonder you hate us,” Soren said barely above a whisper.

“I—I don’t know what to say.” Bastian had moved to sit on his knees. “I am so sorry, Emilia. I am so sorry for what happened to you.”

“When they were done, they beat me until they thought they killed me, punching my throat several times.” Her hand went to her throat. She looked down, not in shame, but in rage. “And now… I can barely speak for long without having to use my hands because my throat still aches, even after all this time.”

Soren stood and walked over to her cautiously. He seemed defeated. I could tell that he wanted to apologize, but no amount of remorse or groveling could undo what had already been done. The damage was irreversible.

“You look just like him. The monster from my nightmares!” She screamed before all hell broke loose. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this anymore!”

Emilia jumped on Soren so abruptly that they both fell backward. She wrapped her hands around his throat, sinking her nails into his skin.

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