Page 15 of Blood Bought

Chapter Seven:

Nesrin helped me intothigh-high, lace-up black leather boots and then led me out of my room and back to what I was calling the bloodwhores’ hostel. It was a room twice as large as Alaris’ with tall dressers and more beds than I could count at first glance, all full of naked, writhing humans who seemed to be in varying states of bliss. I tried shielding my eyes as we walked in, both out of respect for them and newness for me, but Nesrin slowly lowered my hand. “No. You need to see them... really see them.”

I blinked and looked around, noting teeth marks covering just about every inch of skin on some of them and only a couple of marks on others. I didn’t see anyone I recognized, but every single one of them looked happy.

Like they belonged here.

“Is this all they do when they’re not...?”

“That’s mostly up to them. As long as they behave and don’t hurt themselves, they’re allowed to roam the castle and even leave if they convince someone to escort them through the Faint Wood. They must dress if they leave this room, but they have access to the castle libraries, the kitchens, and the game rooms. Most simply choose to stay here because pleasing their masters is something that brings them fulfillment.”

I hated that word, but chose not to belittle them when I had no right. “Oh. And you’re showing me this so I don’t go out there and run off at the mouth about how awful it is to be a bloodwhore?”

“Precisely.”

“Take it from me,” a familiar voice said from behind me. “It’s definitely got its perks.”

I turned quickly to see Elenor smirking in the doorway. It was her, alright, but also... not. Her eyes were bright, vivid red and her stance was taller, more confident than I’d seen it any of the times she’d visited me in the cells. “You... what?”

“Oh, let’s just say that I was doing my duty, things got bad, then they got worse, and then they got awesome.” She bit her lip just to show me her fangs, and alarm bells went off in my head when I remembered Kellian saying he thought Alaris was going to punish her.

“Did Alaris do this to you?” I whispered, as if there was any chance in hell he wouldn’t hear me from wherever he was. “What happened?”

“Something I’d hoped would happen one day. Granted, he didn’t mean to, not so soon, but he’d never been that rough before.” She paused, helping herself to my thoughts with a curious expression. “Huh, I see now. Did you have to rub the soap around like that? My throat paid the consequence.”

My breath vanished from my lungs as my eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Elenor chuckled. “Virgin? Seriously? Quick lesson in sex ed, the cock doesn’t only go here.”

She pressed her fingers against her pussy, and I rolled my eyes as any compassion I might’ve felt for her vanished.

“I’m not that kind of virgin, but thanks. Just because I haven’t done it doesn’t mean I don’t know what can happen. So what, he throat-fucked you to death and turned you into a vampire as some half-assed apology, and it’s somehow my fault?”

“Pretty much,” she said simply. “I’m not really complaining, just a little sad he can never feed from me again.”

My stomach turned and my head swam as I tried to keep my balance. I was already a murderer — all because I’d denied him. The thought of him fucking her throat until she suffocated took him right back from “maybe misunderstood” to “avoid at all costs,” and all that did was make my job harder. How was I supposed to lead more people here when I knew now that this was a possibility?

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she snapped. “This was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. So what if my heart no longer beats? I’m not fucking cold anymore... or rather, I’mforevercold, but at least I can’t feel it.”

Nesrin escorted me past Elenor with a bowed head and a whispered apology, then turned to face me once we were in the hallway. “It’s a painless process. She would’ve suffered more as she died than she would’ve coming back as a Faux, and at least this way... she gets to live. This is unusual. Heir Alaris is always so careful never to hurt anyone, I can’t believe this happened at all. You must understand that.”

I nodded numbly, hearing her but not really listening. The fact that it could happen at all was too much for me, but as Malik and a much larger vampire came around the corner and snapped their fingers at me to join them, I was forcefully reminded that I didn’t have a choice here.

Or rather, I did... but it wasn’t a viable one.

“Okay,” I breathed. “I’m ready.”

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