Page 52 of The Sanguine Selection
And the first step is to make her want us like she’s never craved anything before. Our touch, our presence—everything. But to do this, we must break her first. Snap her will and remold it to our liking, and the easiest route is to gain dominion over her body. Soon, she’ll know pleasure like none other, but for now, she will only get small tastes until she’s ready to be ours.
And then my twin and I will use her to flush out the traitors.
25
Oxana
Locked in a gilded cage,a royal pet to the twin kings—that’s all I am. All I think I might ever become. I thought things were bad before, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The bars of my old living space seem like thick walls compared to this… this cage.
Never before have I felt so trapped, so…just taken advantage of. When the kings rescued me from those attackers, I expected—
I don’t know what I expected. Certainly not this. Not a cage of bars standing alone in an ornate but abandoned bedroom. The kings come and go from two adjoining rooms, taking turns to watch me or something, like I’m a child that needs a babysitter. But they don’t talk to me like I’m a person. Hell, they usually don’t acknowledge me at all.
It’s maddening.
My mind runs through cycles of boredom, reciting the books I had back home, the ones I’ve read hundreds of times, knowing them word for word. Then I sing all the songs I know—in my head of course— before starting it all over again. So badly, I wish to ask for a book to keep me company, just anything to pass the time besides their comings and goings and the ticking beats of my forlorn heart.
But I don’t, afraid of the retribution my next words might cause them to seek. And as much as I hate to admit it, I almost want the punishment, because it would break up the monotonous days that are my existence.
Almost.
More often than not, my mind wanders to thoughts of them, of what they’ve made me do, of what they’ve done to me.
Of how much I liked it.
I’d be lying to myself if I denied it, denied the pull drawing me towards them though I’m always thwarted by these damned golden bars.
As though they timed it, both of their gilded doors swing open and out walk the twin kings. My heart lurches and instinctively, I scoot to the back of the cage, tucking my knees up to my chin. They look impeccable today, both wearing dark leather pants and loose cream tunics. Both have their hair pulled back, though a dark strand of Marek’s has fallen out and hangs loosely by his beautiful face.
Beautiful?
I stare at one, then the other, my eyes grazing down their skin like a soft caress. From the heated gazes of their unnatural eyes, to the sharp angles of their high cheekbones and angular noses, to the supple lips around rather scandalous mouths that are practiced at the most wicked things…
They are beautiful, no other word fits perfectly.
They are also frightening and unpredictable, and sometimes I get confused if I actually want them, or despise them.
The twins stare at each other, eerily unmoving, as if some unspoken words are exchanged, then Marek steps to the door of my cage. I suck in a breath as he waves his hand and the lock clicks open. He swings the door wide and extends his hand. “Come, little pet. We have need of you.”
Cautiously, I rise and straighten out my pathetic excuse for a nightgown and step towards him, placing my hand in his. Their touch is always cold, a shock to my system. Unless their mouths are on me, then they heat up like a carefully cultivated ember, their temperatures slowly rising. Maybe it has something to do with my blood.
So gross.
I can tell by the way their eyes blaze that they hunger, and I know their fangs will be embedded in my skin soon enough.
Marek leads me out of the cage and releases me just before Mikhail. His eyes roam down me and my body quickly recalls how it felt to be on my knees before him, his…cock in my mouth.
I shiver as he pulls something out of his pocket. It’s a length of leather and my brows furrow inquisitively. “Turn around,” he orders, and I do, my face almost smashing into the hard chest of Marek. Shit, when did he get so close behind me. I lift my eyes to his and the corner of one lip twitches as he reaches for me. I jerk away when he reaches for me, very aware of how Mikhail's… private area presses against my lower back.
Marek tsks. “Settle down, little one, I only need to lift your hair. No need to be so jumpy.” I swallow hard as he lifts my hair, tugging harder than is necessary, while Mikhail wraps something cool around my throat. My hands fly up to pull it away but suddenly I can’t move my arms, can’t move anything.
Marek grins, swiping up a tear that trails down my cheek and licking it off his finger as the band around my neck tightens. I hear a lock click into place, then my body is my own again. With my eyes fixed on Marek’s, I reach up and finger the strap.
Then I hear a snap of metal before the band tugs at my neck and I turn to Mikhail. With a smug grin he holds up a length of leather attached to the one at my neck and I gasp, realizing what this is.
“A collar for our little pet,” Mikhail muses. “Oh, I almost forgot the best part.” Marek laughs from behind me as if he already knows what’s about to happen as Mikhail reaches into his pocket and pulls out…a bell? He rings it, then, with a swift movement, he has it hooked to the collar. “There. Now we always know where our little pet has run off to.”
I’m mortified.
