Page 18 of Bought to Break
When the shudders had finally eased, she felt herself being gently dressed and the Brothers lay next to her, both cuddling her sated body. She lay looking up at the stars in a half-awake bliss. Then she frowned. Again, she had been given pleasure and they had taken none. Why?
* * *
They travelledsouth for three days, stopping to rest only at night. Oddly, the Brothers didn’t touch her again save accidental brushes of their bodies while they slept, nor did they speak again about the Brothers’gifts. They also made sure that one of them was always with her, so her plans for escape stayed at the back of her mind. She still planned to leave. She had to find her da. All she needed was the chance. Though this was a far cry from life as a slave in the village, it couldn’t last. And Viktor and Sorin had already begun to worm their way into her heart. What would happen to her when the Brothers resumed their lives in an army of mercenaries? Surely she wouldn’t travel around with them; the little woman mending their clothes. It was laughable.
Though the weather was fair and the air relatively warm considering it was full winter, by the end of the second day Lana was miserable. Her legs and back hurt from their break-neck pace and she was nervous about meeting this third Brother, Kane.
She didn’t know much about him save what little Viktor and Sorin had said, especially about thisgifthe supposedly had, and she had been left with an anticipation bordering on fear. After the evening at the ruins, any questions were met with silence, which made her worry more. What were they hiding?
On the morning of the third day, after riding for half the night, they came upon a crossroads. Lana’s heart began to pound as she read the name of the town on the old wooden signpost.Kingway.The Brothers had brought her almost to where her father lived. They continued past the turnoff, but she was so close! If she wanted to get to him, she had to flee soon.
Not long afterwards,they reached a camp close to a wide river. There were clusters of small tents around a larger one. Lana counted seven men around the two fires, eating their morning meal. Most greeted or nodded to the Brothers, and no one seemed surprised at their sudden arrival. Sorin lifted her from Viktor’s horse and set her on her feet, but, to her chagrin, her legs immediately crumpled from the many hours on the horse.
Sorin grabbed her and Viktor tutted. ‘Have to get you used to riding, little bird.’
‘She can practise on me, Viktor!’ called one of the sell-swords, and some of the others laughed loudly.
Lana didn’t look at them, knowing her cheeks would be flushed and entertain them even more. Sorin gave them a quelling look as he lifted her effortlessly into his arms. She began to wrap her arms around his neck, but then froze.
‘They’re only having their fun, Lana, but they’ll treat you with respect. We’ll make sure of that.’
‘Thank you,’ she said stiffly, ‘but it isn’t … put me down, please. My legs will hold me.’
Inside that tent was Kane, and something told her that it was important to meet him on equal footing – so to speak.
Sorin set her down with a light, reassuring squeeze to the back of her neck and, thankfully, her legs didn’t collapse under her. Viktor and Sorin walked in the direction of the large tent and she followed them slowly, willing herself not to shake. Why was she so anxious?
They went through the flap and it closed behind her, plunging them into a gloom that so contrasted with the brightness outside that it took a long moment for her eyes to adjust. What she saw when they did made her gasp quietly.
To say that the tent was opulent was an understatement. There were furs lining the floor, sheer curtains hanging from the ceiling to give a sense of multiple rooms, a table heaped with food, and several large pallets and cots. Various weapons, so large she doubted she’d even be able to lift them, were littered about. At a massive desk, an equally large man sat, bent over some parchments in front of him.
‘You’re a day late,’ he said, not looking up.
‘We were delayed,’ Viktor said indifferently, walking towards the table, where a vast array of meats and fruits were piled on large plates.
‘Clearly.’ Kane shuffled through his papers.
Lana glanced at Sorin, who rolled his eyes at her with a grin.
He cleared his throat. ‘Kane.’
Finally, the third Brother looked up from his desk. If it was possible, he was even more beautiful than Viktor and Sorin, but they looked remarkably civilised next to his rugged features. He had a few days’ stubble and a long, thin scar running down one side of his face that disappeared into the dark hair of his unshaven cheek. He was dressed in black, like the others, and his eyes were a piercing blue.
His eyes narrowed when they locked on her, and his lip turned upward into a sneer. ‘What is this?’
What, not who.Lana swallowed hard, her stomach a knot of dread. She wanted to turn and run, but Sorin was just behind her.
‘This is Lana,’ Sorin answered and propelled her to the fore with a hand at the small of her back.
She stepped forward only because she’d have fallen otherwise, but every fibre of her being shouted at her to run from the man in front of her. He looked at her like she was prey, and Viktor’s words suddenly came back to her.Some of them could transform into creatures.Her hands shook, and she tried to hide them in her skirts as she stared at him. He knew she was afraid, she could see it in his beautiful, wicked eyes, and he was enjoying it. She tried to push the fear away. That was how she had dealt with it all those years as Dirk’s property – just remembered who she was and where she came from – a source of pride. She was not some mewling, downtrodden, pathetic slave girl.
But it wasn’t enough in front of this man, this force of nature. Even anger seemed to evaporate in his presence, leaving only terror. She wanted to turn and escape his gaze; either that or cower before him. She didn’t even know how she was still on her feet. Something told her that she must not obey this command, wherever it was coming from. She had to stay where she was. She had to.
He stared at her, almost as if he was willing her to do something.
‘We leave at dawn tomorrow. Not nearly enough time to play with her,’ he said quietly. ‘No matter howdelectableshe appears to be.’
‘That’s not why we brought her here,’ Viktor growled from the table, and Kane smiled coldly.
