Page 29 of Mushy Stuff
How did all of this turn into such a mess? Will Wold come after me?
Oh gods, I suddenly remember what this Elven’s plans are for me. Oh gods, is he going to expect sex tonight? Will I be able to do that? Will I be able to suffer through and fake it? I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this. Is this going to be what my life is like from now on? Pretty dresses and fancy baths, followed by fancy dinners, then forcing myself to have sex with that horrible… male?
The thought of him touching me, Gods, I can’t do that. I begin trembling. I feel like I can’t catch my breath, and I hear my breathing get heavier. This stupid corset, I can’t breathe with this stupid corset on. I begin pulling at the dress, desperately trying to figure out a way to loosen it so I can breathe. One of the servants notices my anxiety and must realize the source. She gently takes both of my hands in hers. “Calm yourself, woman. Our Lord only wants dinner and conversation from you tonight. He will wait until you no longer smell of the Guardian before he takes you to his bed. He will satisfy himself with…others until he is able to have you.”
Relief floods through me. But then I realize what she just said. “He has others? Other women or female guests?”
She averts her eyes and shakes her head. “No, no other guests. He will choose from…” The other servant gives her a look to silence her, and she trails off without finishing the sentence. I understand though. He will choose from his servants. Probably one of these two females will have to go to bed with him. The horror of it settles into me. Gods, this is awful.
“Can I at least know what his name is?” I ask.
The servant says, “It’s Lord Varik. But he will not want you to use his name. Just say ‘my lord’ to him.”
“Okay. How long will it take for the scent to be gone?” I feel like I have a knot in my throat just from thinking about this.
The servant looks at me and shrugs. “Probably a few days.”
A few days, that’s all I have. Oh gods. I have to figure out how to get out of here.
Chapter 21
Ipaceoutsidethewalls of the estate. I am sure to stay hidden from the Elven guards that I see.
My birth mother’s estate. I cannot believe that Lydia’s kidnapping has brought me back here to this horrible home. Is this all for my birth mother? Is she still alive? That is not something I have worried about since I was a child.
It doesn’t matter if my birth mother is a part of this. It changes nothing. I will still break into the estate and rescue Lydia. It doesen’t matter who tries to stand in my way.
I hear noises from the front gate.
I silently stalk my way over to a nearby tree and watch to see what the noise is. It’s a cart leaving. The back of the cart is uncovered but I am able to scent that Lydia was in it. This is the cart that carried her here. I can also scent that she vomited in the cart, and I growl. The two female scentsthat stole her are driving the cart. Rage burns through me that these females would dare to take her.
I leap from tree to tree until I have caught up with the cart, then I leap into the back of it. I immediately grab the older of the two females and throw her to the ground. I jump down on top of her and pin her by her throat. My claws dig in and little rivulets of blood run from the wounds and drip to the dirt under her. The other female is screaming. I am growling and snarling at this point.
I am made of rage. I roar in the older female’s face, and the other female begs me not to kill her. But I will not let these two live. They will pay for this with their lives.
I snarl. “Where is she? Where is my mate?”
The female that I have pinned down gasps and chokes as she tries to respond to me. I loosen my grip on her throat just a small bit. She coughs as she says, “Please, don’t kill her. Do what you want to me, but don’t kill my daughter.”
Daughter? I look to the younger female that is cowering by the cart. That explains why their scents were so similar.
I snarl again. “Your fate is not up for debate. Where is my mate?”
The mother begs again, and tears are rolling off of her face. “Please…please have mercy on us. He took her…he took my daughter.” She chokes on a sob. “He forced her into his bed. He told me he would sell her to the highest bidder if I did not find someone better.” She gasps and coughs. “He wanted…someone that wasn’t a dirty Guardian.”
I look to her daughter. She is on the ground on her knees and openly weeping now. I can scent the male on her and I growl. Lydia wouldn’t want me to hurt these two females.
“Please, I only took her so that he would let my daughter go.” She chokes again and sobs. “I’m sorry. I had to save my daughter.”
I yank her up off the ground and shove her toward the cart. She stumbles and falls near her daughter. Her daughter crawls to her side and holds her.
“I should spill your blood for what you stole from me, but she would not want me to hurt you. That is the only reason you are still alive. Now tell me where she is.”
The mother is still gasping and sobbing. “Thank you, sir…thank you…thank you.”
I roar, “Tell me where my mate is!”
“He took her. He wanted her cleaned up so that they could dine together,” she says between sobs. “He said he would not have her in his bed while she smelled of dirty Guardian seed.” She gasps for breath. “You yet have time to help her. It should take a few days for your scent to wear off.”
