Page 4 of Bought to Break
‘Thought you’d make a fool of me, did you?’
She froze, her eyes snapping open in terror.
Ather grabbed her and pulled her up easily, hauling her from the stall. She was reminded of how strong he really was despite his hours of leisure – and how heavy-handed with the lash.
Before she could utter a sound, he wound his fingers through her hair as he grabbed his favourite crop hanging on the wall. He pushed her over a hanging saddle and brought the whip down on her back.
She cried out at the blow. ‘No, Master! Please!’
It whistled through the air and this time landed on her arse cheeks. She squealed and he laughed cruelly.
‘I’m going to give you such a beating you won’t be able to sit down for a fortnight. Then,’ he leaned close, ‘I’m going to fuck you. After what I got a glimpse of last night, let’s see what else is under all this cloth.’
She struggled as he began to pull at her rags, but he held her dirty plait tightly. With a loud tear, she felt her clothes fall away. Hearing and feeling nothing from Ather, she opened her eyes to look back at him. He was staring at her nakedness as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. Then he smiled coldly. ‘If I’d known what you were hiding, I’d have taken you long before now, slave.’
Lana wanted to scream her name at him, remind him that their mothers had been friends when they’d still been alive. Tears came to her eyes. She should have run last night without the supplies she needed.
She whimpered, digging her nails into the leather of the saddle. He kept up the beating until her back, arse and thighs were on fire and it took all of her will not to give him the satisfaction of her cries. Suddenly he stopped. Was it over? Had he tired himself enough that she’d get a reprieve?
Suddenly he kicked her legs apart and she felt the crop grazing her inner thigh, travelling upwards. A coldness settled in her stomach. Her breath was coming in short pants and the world was spinning. Why, oh why hadn’t she slept in her hiding place?
He slapped her private place with the crop twice in quick succession and she jumped with a scream. She heard him chuckle and began to sob as quietly as she could. She couldn’t stop her tears as she felt his hand where the crop had been, his fingers digging into her. She’d never been touched like this before. In her younger, naïve years, she’d imagined her husband would be the first on her wedding night – but it would be now. Here, in this barn as the horses looked on, by Ather, a man she hated. She felt like she was finally dying inside.
‘We’ve come for our horses, boy.’
A voice cut through the fear and the pain. She recognised it but, she couldn’t remember who it belonged to.
Ather stopped what he was doing. ‘Come back later. I’m busy.’
‘We’ll take them now.’
Ather’s punishing grip left her, but she stayed where she was, knowing it would be all the worse for her if he noticed her move before he was finished with her.
‘I said I’m busy! Who do you think you are? This is my–’ Ather suddenly fell into the hay next to her, clutching his jaw with a yell of pain.
This was her chance. She sank to the ground, grabbing her clothes and straightening in one fluid movement. She flexed her muscles, getting ready to flee, though she was shaking awfully. She spun and leapt for the door, but a large arm attached to a towering man caught her before she’d even made it halfway.
‘Not so fast, girl.’
Then she remembered the voice. The Dark Brothers from yestereve. She began to struggle in his grasp, but he subdued her easily. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked up into his face. It was the one not called Viktor.
‘Please let me go. I beg you. Please.’
He didn’t release her. Instead he looked at his Brother and something passed between them.
‘No.’
Then the man turned her around in his arms so she was looking at Viktor, and she knew he was looking at the marks made by the crop. Her face burned with shame as she clutched her ruined clothes to her front, fresh tears forming in her eyes.
‘Get the stablemaster, boy,’ Viktor demanded, not even bothering to look at Ather, who scrambled up and ran like the demon horde of a dark realm were at his heels, leaving her with the two mercenaries.
She was pushed – though somewhat gently – to Viktor. Then her clothes were prised from her hands. She gave a small cry as she was left with nothing to cover her body. She tried to conceal herself with her arms, but they were pulled to her sides.
‘Leave them there.’
She did as he ordered, shaking so hard her teeth were chattering. Were the sell-swords going to take up where Ather had left off? Were they both going to rape her? Remembering the screams of the women caught in the open during the raids, she took an unsteady breath and yet more tears slid down her cheeks. A hand forced her chin up until she was looking into Viktor’s face.
‘What did you do to make him beat you, slave?’
