12
Lucia
It was a while before I noticed the dress Mikhail left me beside the tray of food. My dark surroundings don’t allow me to make out much of the features but the fabric feels light and comfortable. The sleeves are short and the hem falls below my knees.
The dress covers me up but it doesn’t provide much warmth.
Locked in the dungeon-like basement, I curl up on the floor and try to get some rest.
Even though I keep my eyes closed, it’s difficult to escape into slumber. The cold and hard floor is uncomfortable, making me twist and turn to find a good position to sleep in. There’s also an unavoidable feeling of being watched that keeps me from relaxing.
I must’ve slipped into a doze at some point because a sudden noise jerks me awake. Curled up on the floor, I listen intently to the sound of approaching boots.
Light floods through the door on top of the staircase. A tall man is silhouetted against it and is fast descending the stairs.
I push myself to sit up, the movement sending sharp spikes of pain throughout my body. Resting on the hard ground hasn’t helped with the soreness in my muscles.
“Wakey, wakey, Princess,” says an eerily cheerful tone.
Leon , my mind whispers, recognizing his voice at once.
Coming to stand before me, he stares down at me. “It’s time to get you out of here.”
“Really?” I breathe.
“Don’t get any ideas, though,” he adds in a more serious tone. “You’re still our prisoner. I’m just taking you to a better room for you to nest in. You’ll be staying with us longer, so we might as well keep you comfortable. Right?”
When I don’t move, he leans down and grabs my arm, hauling me to my feet. Without another word, he drags me up the stairs until we’ve reached the door.
My eyes blink against the sudden brightness. It takes me a moment to realize we’re inside a modest-sized room. Bright sunshine streams through the glass windows, illuminating digging forks and shovels that are lined up against one of the walls. An upturned wheelbarrow sits in the corner. The smell of freshly turned earth hits my nostrils, confusing me.
Where exactly am I?
Looking down, I see a long, white dress clinging to my frame. My feet are bare and dusty from walking around in the basement.
“This way,” says Leon.
I glance toward him, seeing him properly for the first time since he kidnapped me from my wedding.
His back is turned toward me as he walks out of the room but I catch a glimpse of flaming-red hair that’s gathered into a low ponytail. He’s dressed in black jeans paired with a matching leather jacket.
Hurrying after him, I walk through the door and find myself transported to a very different place.
Green hedges, taller than me, fence me on both sides. They enclose the narrow path ahead, tapering into a bend in the distance.
The next thing that draws my attention is the imposing Gothic manor rising in the distance. The architecture is built of weathered black granite, reminding me of middle-aged European cathedrals.
What is such a building doing in the middle of Ashville?
Are we in Ashville? I wonder confusedly.
The tall hedges on my either side don’t allow me to see anything else. They’ve grown to a height of at least fifteen feet, forming walls of green.
Leon has already disappeared beyond the curved path before me. I hurry forward, feeling relieved when I find him further along the narrow passage. He glances back and gestures for me to keep following him.
“Where are we?” I ask, keeping my distance from him.
“Home,” he says without glancing back. “It’s grand, isn’t it?”
A tourist may find the Gothic monstrosity “grand”. It certainly suits a demonic man like Damien. I can easily imagine him sitting on an ancient throne, like a beast from a fairy tale, who watches over his dreadful, barren estate.
As a prisoner though, I just want to get the hell out of here.
“I haven’t spoken to Damien yet,” Leon continues to say. “He was going to throw you back to your brother but that plan’s going to change. We need to keep you here longer.”
Anxiety coils tight in my gut.
I don’t want to be handed over to Callum but I doubt staying here longer is any better. They’ve already used me and hurt me. They won’t stop abusing me even after my heat is over. They’ll keep it up until they’re bored of me or kill me.
I need to get out of here. The thought takes root in my mind, blinding me to all logic and reason.
Gathering all my strength, I run past Leon, sprinting down the hedge-lined path.
“Hey!” he calls out. “Come back here right now!”
I don’t even turn around to see if he’s chasing me.
I barely get to run for a minute before my feet come to a skidding stop in front of a tall, solid wall of green hedges.
There was a different route back there , I think, deciding to back up and go that way.
Panting, I run in a different direction but a minute later, I come across another solid wall built of the same green hedge.
No matter which way I run, I’m always met with an obstacle. My insane need to escape keeps getting blocked by hedge walls that are too tall to climb. It’s a while before I realize what is happening.
I’m trapped inside a hedge maze.
Soft, maniacal laughter sounds from somewhere close by. “You’re such a naughty kitty,” Leon’s voice floats toward me. “There’s no escaping us, darling.”
“Shit,” I mutter, turning around to go the way I’d just come from.
“Oww!” I moan, feeling a painful stab in the sole of my foot.
Sinking to the ground, I raise the hurt foot and find a large splinter poking out from my heel. A tiny trickle of blood flows from the wound, mixing with the dirt caking my sole.
I pull the splinter out and bite my lip to drown a pained groan.
A little more blood flows out and the wound hurts worse than before. “Damn it!” I moan as my eyes water from the pain. Hurt and lost, I feel the bite of crushing defeat.
Lazy footsteps soon approach me. Looking up, I see Leon drawing closer to me.
He kneels before me, giving me the first opportunity to gaze at his face.
Surprise flickers through me. He’s beautiful despite the flaw marring his face. A long, thin scar runs across his forehead, cutting a path to his left cheek. Thankfully, his gorgeous amber eye remains unscathed.
There’s a tiny skull tattoo underneath his right eye while a snarling wolf’s face is engraved over the expanse of his neck. His fiery strands fall into his eyes, giving him a dark, sinful look.
I draw in a shuddering breath. Leon’s face is hauntingly familiar.
“Recognize me?” he asks, bringing his face so close I can feel his warm breath fanning my lashes.
Leon is familiar but the only thing I recognize about him is his unique amber eyes. He reminds me of the boy I’d fallen in love with a long time ago.
“I killed them,” Callum’s callous voice rings in my mind.
Seven years have passed since I last saw Leon and his brothers. Even though they share the same name, could it be really him? Is my terror-stricken mind playing tricks on me?
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly while he flicks and rotates a butterfly knife at a blinding speed in his right hand.
“I’m sure we can help you remember.” He sets the blade at the base of my throat.
I want to scream but I’m afraid to even swallow. A single wrong move can cut me.
He presses the blade deeper and I scoot away, my back hitting the branches and twigs from the hedge.
“Please,” I whisper, feeling the twigs digging into my back painfully.
Leon’s amber eyes gleam like liquid gold as he soaks in my terror. “I’d have cut you if that’s what I wanted to do,” he says in a low, throaty growl that reverberates through me. He moves the blade away from my throat but only to have it glide over my collarbones and then down my bare arm.
There’s truth to his words. He’s extremely deft with the knife. I feel the sharpness of the blade but not once does it cut into my skin.
It’s the lurking danger that causes me to stop breathing and stare at him like I’m a paralyzed prey in the clutches of a venomous cobra.
A powerful throb goes through me, jerking me out of my trance. My pussy pulses with need, reminding me of the hunger that nearly decimates it.
He brings the tip to rest on my left knee. With extreme deftness, he skims it down my leg and stops at my ankle.
I sit still while he grabs my injured foot and brings it closer to his face. “You hurt yourself,” he says, his eyebrows knitting together.
“Fuck you,” I spit, desperately wanting to kick him but helpless to even move.
Soft chuckles escape him. “I know that’s what you want, kitty.”
He pushes the knife under my dress. Skimming the tip over my thighs, he lays the blade against my pussy. The feel of the cold steel against my heated skin sends a shiver of pleasure through me.
It’s a second too late when I realize I’ve moaned out loud. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I stare guiltily into Leon’s eyes.
A knowing grin lights up his beautiful, angelic face. Moving closer, he pushes up the hem of my dress and dips a finger between my thighs.
“You’re soaking,” he says, slipping another finger inside my folds. “This garden is starting to smell like a fucking bakery now. You’re perfuming too hard, kitty. You want me to eat your sweet pussy, don’t you?”
My head falls back as pure heat thrums through me, heating up my cold body to the tips of my toes.
“The surprises keep coming,” he mutters in a low voice.
He thrusts his fingers deeper inside me, causing me to arch against the hedge. The twigs and branches dig deeper into my flesh but I don’t care as I chase the pleasure his fingers bring me.
My hips jerk forward. If Leon was even a little distracted, the knife would’ve sliced through my pussy lips. He pumps me while maintaining delicate control over his blade.
Uncontrollable moans escape me. My nipples pebble against the thin fabric of the dress, leaving no room for any doubt.
It doesn’t matter how much I hate the way he violates me. My body is thoroughly enjoying the way his fingers stretch my walls and his thumb circles over my thrumming clit.
My cheeks burn as his intense gaze traps me. I can’t look away even as I gasp and moan for breath.
Noises I never imagined I could make escape me as every muscle in my body tightens. His fingers thrust in harder and faster, making my ecstasy spiral higher.
“Oh, fuck!” I moan out, my mouth falling open as intense pleasure shudders through me.
Leon’s greedy mouth smashes against my lips, his tongue darting in while his fingers remain buried deep inside my clamping pussy.
It feels like he’s flicked on a switch. All my terror and shame disappear, replaced by an intense need to hold him tight against me as I ride the hard waves that are wrenched out of me.
His kiss turns raw and almost desperate as he leaves bites on my plump lower lips. Whimpers escape me as I cling to his broad, muscular shoulders. His tongue continues attacking mine until I’m clawing at the back of his neck.
Needing him closer, I clutch the front of his shirt and pull hard. Unless he removes his clothes and lets me feel the searing touch of his naked skin, I’ll go crazy with the lust burning inside me.
“Do you want to tear my clothes off, kitty?” he croons against my lips.
A frustrated noise escapes me as I desperately fist his shirt but fail to tear it open.
Low, throaty chuckles escape him and before I know it, he’s taking his shirt off, giving me a glimpse of rock-hard abs that seem to have been carved by the Greek gods themselves. “Is this what you want?” he asks, placing my hand over his chest.
Instead of replying to him, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. The knife in his hand clatters to the ground and lies at my feet. I can easily grab it while he’s distracted and stab him but his blood won’t satisfy the inferno burning in my core.
I need him .
Somehow, with me clinging onto him, his tongue still attacking mine, we both fall to the ground. The sudden motion is enough for me to break away, giving me a moment to feel the rough hardness of the ground underneath me.
Leon hovers over me, breathing heavily, his pupils darkening with desire. “I hate giving you what you want but I can’t help myself,” he says in a deep, raspy voice.
A small voice in the back of my head tells me he’s dangerous but my body’s demands drown it out. Reaching up, I pull him back to me with all the force I can muster.
He captures my mouth in a hard, brutal kiss while his hands fumble with the buttons of his jeans.
My vision turns hazy with lust. “I need you,” I moan, not caring that I’m practically begging him.
Lifting his head, he stares deep into my eyes which has me writhing with burning desire. For a second, I wonder if he’s waiting for my permission but the next moment, he lunges at me.
Parting my legs with his knee, he settles over me and enters me with one hard thrust.
A cry escapes me as my tight walls stretch to their limits.
Leon’s mouth descends on mine as pleasure throbs through me. My hands claw at his back, scraping and drawing blood as he plunges inside me.
This close to him, I can’t ignore the pheromones wafting all around me. Leon smells of cloves and cinnamon, the fragrance reminding me of warm fall afternoons.
Despite the wild, animalistic rutting, I feel a sense of safety stealing through me. A sliver of surprise cuts through the haze of lust, giving me a glimpse of Leon’s true nature.
Leon’s mouth moves down my neck, kissing and nipping.
His thrusts grow harder, faster, and rougher. His thick cock fills every inch of me, hitting me at that sweet spot that has me crying out with each plunge.
His cock’s head swells deep within me, latching onto my pulsing core. His teeth sink into my right shoulder just as his climax knots inside me.
I hold onto him tight as waves of hot pleasure lash at me. Breathless groans escape me as he fills me up with his fiery essence.
He stays buried deep inside me while I desperately try to catch my breath.
Shifting his weight off me, he gently touches a sore spot on my shoulder. The tip of his finger comes away with a smear of blood. Staring deep into my eyes, he flicks his tongue, tasting my blood.
“Sweet,” he growls, his amber eyes gleaming with dark desire.
As the intensity of my pleasure slowly dims, I become aware of the tiny pebbles and twigs underneath me. They must’ve torn a hole through my dress by now.
Shifting away, I push him off me.
“Is that how you play, Princess?” he asks with a growl that sends my heart pounding against my ears. “Take what you need and then push me away?” The resentment in his voice brings back my fear.
Getting to his feet, he adjusts his length and pulls up his trousers.
“Get up and follow me,” he says in a commanding tone. “Or don’t. You can try breaking through the maze but chances are you’ll be lost in it for days and we’ll have to send someone out here to clean up your rotting corpse.”
Turning away, he starts walking away.
I don’t want to move from my spot but the threat of getting lost is too real.
Pushing the hem of my dress down, I follow him. A terrible truth slowly sinks into me. I’m not going to escape this place until they let me go willingly.