Page 29 of Gladiator's Captive
Suddenly, the air wouldn’t enter my lungs and a freezing cold seeped inside my skull. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think.
“Serena!” His voice was still filled with a growl, but as Rager’s eyes settled on me, there was no more hatred in them. I was too stunned to answer, only staring at him, blinking through the stupor. In a few long strides, Rager was at my side. “You’re in shock.”
His face was twisted with worry as he lifted me once more in his arms. He brought me back to the living area of the outpost, then sat me down on one of the chairs, carefully, like I was made of porcelain.
As soon as the bodies were out of sight, the cold, shocked feeling in my skull began to fade. I wasn’t feeling great, but at least, I could breathe.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, he didn’t have a chance.” Speaking made things easier, but my brain still felt fuzzy.
But Rager didn’t hear my answer; his fingers ran along my limbs, lifting my arms, trailing down my legs, until he was confident I was as unmolested as I had been when he left me.
“I’m fine, really.”
“You’re not hurt.”
There was relief in Rager’s voice. Relief that soon gave way to something darker. Rager got to his feet, walking a few steps away, then back, his eyes shining with unmistakable irritation. No, not irritation. Anger. Rager was angry. At me.
“I told you to stay hidden.” Rager finally spoke as he turned to face me, his handsome, well-carved face a mask of pure wrath. Things bubbled in my belly at the sight of Rager’s anger, directed solely at me. “But you had to disobey me.”
Rager shook his head, his features taking a resolute, definitive expression. That thing that came alive in my belly now quivered with fear as I eyed him carefully. He was being unfair, but his warning came back to me. Warnings of corporal punishment, of pain and control surged into my already overwhelmed mind. But as the fear rose, so did my temper. Surely Rager knew I just wanted to help?
“I was. I stayed where you told me to,” I defended myself, my voice rising near the breaking point despite my best effort to control it. I had been too scared, had seen death too close. I wasn’t controlling anything. “But then I heard them coming back toward the outpost. I was scared they would kill you.”
“And you thought I couldn’t handle two simple Imperial Guards, two deserters?” Rager stepped closer, anger vibrant on his features now. A cruel edge had his mouth curved down into a fearsome grimace.
“And it looks like I was right to do so!” Tears burst through my words, tears of fear and frustration at the way he blamed me. “They had already captured you when I came.”
“I was in perfect control of the situation. I only let them capture me because I wasn’t sure if there were two or three of them in the outpost.” Rager growled viciously, but there were no other signs that he was losing control. In fact, the more I shouted, the more control the Muharib seemed to have over his own temper. “All you did by coming after me was risk your own life.”
My eyes stung with tears as I faced Rager’s anger, but I refused to back down. Not after all that happened. I was done being meek, done obeying a man out of fear and cowardice.
“What is it to you if I die?” I whispered and watched as Rager’s face melted at my words. “What do you care if the daughter of the man you hate dies? And don’t tell me it’s because of the deal you struck with me, because we both know that’s bullshit. You got the necklace, you don’t need me anymore.”
“I just saw the female under my protection handled by another male in a way that is totally unacceptable, saw her put her life at risk after she disobeyed my direct orders.” Rager spoke low, the glint in his eyes dangerous. “If I were you, I would mind me right now. You do not want to test my patience.”
I almost choked on outrage. After all I had lived through, I was out of caution, out of sanity. I knew I should back down, should bend my head and obey, but I was too far gone. Seeing Rager like this, an inch away from his death had been a wound to my soul, had hurt in a way I wasn’t ready to deal with.
“So, I’m just supposed to shut up?” My voice inflated as Rager glared at me. “I’m just supposed to beg and apologize for saving your life? Well, you can choke on that, Rager! Champion of Valcan or not, you will not tell me what to do!”
By the end, I was screaming. When I was finished, I was out of breath, staring at the calm, unreadable face of the Muharib warrior as he eyed me. There was no emotion showing in his face, nothing betraying any feeling. The darkness of his animal markings on his skin was the only indication of the violence of the emotions that still agitated him.
“You are mine, Serena. Mine to protect, mine to command. Mine to fuck. For the last time, do you understand that I am a man of my word and I will punish you for disobeying me?” There was a heaviness in the way Rager spoke. Feelings he didn’t let on, but that transpired in his tone anyway. And with those feelings came danger.
“Now, I will give you a choice. You can either accept my punishment or fight it. Either way, you will learn to obey.”
I’m an idiot. I should just shut up.I had the lucidity of the thought, but as Rager’s stern, authoritarian gaze rested on me, full of confidence, of the knowledge that he was the one in charge, I couldn’t back down.
To hell with the consequences.
“Never.” I trembled as I uttered the ultimate defiance. I knew better, knew there would be a mighty retribution, but this was so unfair, my entire body shivered with outrage. “I will never submit.”
Rager’s eyes reduced to slits and his mouth became a cruel, thin line. His hands reached for his belt. Blood deserted my face and my cheeks went numb. My eyes latched on the wide, thick leather belt and refused to let go as Rager passed it from one hand to the other.
“You played with fire.” Rager finally spoke, his voice soft as velvet, deadly as a blade. “Now it’s time to see if you’ll get burned.”
The leather belt made a dry, detonating sound as Rager pulled on the strands, slamming the width of it together. Leather on leather.
