34. Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Four
Victoria
P ressing my back against the rough bark of the tree, I’m trying to quiet my ragged breathing. The forest is eerily silent now, no rustling leaves or snapping twigs to betray the presence of my pursuers. But I can feel eyes on me, watching from the shadows.
My grip tightens on the blood-slicked knife, knuckles white with tension. The weight of what I've done - of the life I've taken - threatens to overwhelm me. But I push it down, lock it away in a dark corner of my mind. I can't afford to break down now. Not when there are still two more men out there hunting me. A twig snapping somewhere to my left, causes me to whirl towards the sound, knife raised defensively. My heart’s pounding so loudly I’m sure it would give away my position.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," a man’s voice calls out into the dark. Taking a deep breath in, I try to calm my racing heart. Another twig snapping somewhere to my left forces me to spin and face towards the sound, heart pounding. A figure emerges from the darkness - another of the men, his eyes wild and cruel. He’s younger than the first, maybe in his early thirties, with dark hair matted with sweat and dirt.
"Please," I whisper, even as I raised the knife. "We don't have to do this." I know it’s not going to help though, just like it didn’t help with the last man.
The man's lips curl into a snarl, "Yes, we do," he growls. "It's you or me, and I'm not dying here." The man lunges at me at the same time he swings his fist at me. I did notice none of these men were given weapons like I had been.
I barely manage to duck under his swing, feeling the rush of air as his fist passed inches from my face. I stumble backward, and my back hits a tree trunk. The man presses his advantage, again lunging forward to grab me. I kept moving and avoiding his grasp as loud curses left him, echoing across the trees.
"Fight back!" he snarls, advancing on me again. "Or are you just going to let me kill you?"
Gripping the knife tighter, my hands shaking, "I don't want to hurt you," I say, my voice wavering. But even as the words leave my mouth, I know they’re a lie. A part of me - a dark, primal part I'd been trying to ignore - wants to lash out, to make him hurt the way I was hurting.
I didn’t want to do that…that would be proving them right.
"If you aren’t going to fight, then stay still so I can finish this.” He snarls out as he attempts to throw another punch at me. I narrow my eyes but quickly move out of the way again, my eyes leaving him for a second when I hear another twig snap.
It’s in this second; I feel his hand grasp around my wrist. A feeling of fear shoots through me as the man towers over me. “Got you now.” He grins, eyes glowing with hate as he looks down on me. I tighten my hand around the knife in my other hand as I have to make a decision. With a deep breath, I slash out with the knife, catching him across the forearm. He lets out a howl of pain and rage, blood welling from the shallow cut.
"You little bitch!" he snarls, lunging at me again. This time I’m not fast enough. His hands close around my throat, squeezing tightly as he slams my back against a tree. The knife falls from my grasp as I claw desperately at his fingers, fighting for air. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision as I continue to struggle. My lungs begin to burn, screaming for oxygen and in that moment, survival instincts overrode everything else. My hand scrabbles in the rough bark, and with the last bit of strength I brought my foot up, kicking him with all my might between his legs. I hear his scream but was only concentrating on the air flowing back into my lungs as he let me go.
Gasping for air as the man's grip on my throat loosens, my vision swimming as oxygen rushes back into my lungs. My throat burns and I know there’s going to be bruises, but I’m alive. The man stumbles back, cursing and clutching himself in pain from my kick. It dawns on me that I only have seconds before he’s going to recover. Taking my eyes off him is risky, but I frantically searched the ground, spotting the glint of the knife where it had fallen. Diving for it, my fingers closing around the hilt just as the man lunges at me once again with a roar of rage.
This time, I’m not hesitating. As he barrels towards me, I thrust the knife upward with all my strength. I feel the sickening give as the blade sinks into his chest, sliding in between his ribs. His eyes go wide in shock and pain. As the blade sinks into his flesh, causing his warm blood to gush out of the wound and all over my hands.
"I'm sorry," I choke out, tears streaming down my face. "I'm so sorry."
The man's eyes went wide with shock and pain. He stumbles backwards, hands grasping weakly at the knife that’s still embedded in his chest. "You...you..."
The man makes a horrible gurgling sound, blood’s bubbling from his lips. He stumbles backward, hands grasping weakly at the wound in his chest. My body goes numb as I watch his body hit the ground. I can feel the beginning of a panic attack coming on as I become aware of my surroundings again.
‘Oh god’ I thought as I look at the man’s dead body. I know I had to kill him, or he would have killed me. The first kill had been purely an accident…but this one…this one was intentional. If I hadn’t, he would have killed me. Knowing this doesn’t relieve anything. It doesn’t stop the feeling of nausea and the feeling of bile rising in my throat. I swallow, the burn in my throat making tears come to my eyes. I can’t break now. Not after everything. I couldn't... wouldn’t break here.
I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings when I hear a yell and someone’s coming towards me. Suddenly, his blood droplets hit my face as I see the last men die. “You need to stay on your guard at all times.” A voice brings me out of my thoughts, looking to the side of me, I see one of the men I don’t want anything to do with.
“Owen.” I whisper, the resignation in my voice as his smile grows. He drops his own knife on the ground and steps towards me.
“Hello Sweetheart.” He leans down, his thumb whipping the blood off my cheek as he takes me in. I’m sure I look like a sight. Mud and blood splatter on me, twigs and leaves in my hair. “You did such a good job till the last one. Now, you’re one of us.” He leans down, his lips crashing into my own. I didn’t move, shock going through me as I’m brought closer to the man in front of me. He circles one arm around my waist and the other coming up my back, under my hair and to the base of my neck as his lips cover my own.
He pulls away from me, his blue eyes full of hunger and chuckles, “Well, our soon to be wife is definitely going to fit right in.” He leans down once again, and I try to pull back not wanting to be kissed by this man again but the grip at the base of my neck kept me from moving.
As he leans down his lips close to mine again, blue eyes gleaming as he looks at me in amusement, he goes to my cheek instead, his tongue coming out and licking the blood off, causing a shudder to go through me.
“I think my brothers are going to want their turn now. Be a good sweetheart and greet them, your other finances.” I blanch at the thought, my eyes snapping away from his to look around me to see the other three watching us from not that far away.
I stand frozen as Owen pulls away; his eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. My mind reels, struggling to process everything that has just happened. The blood of the men I'd killed still stained my hands, my clothes, my face, and now Owen's kiss burns on my lips, a stark reminder of the future that awaits me.
As if in a daze, I turn to face the other brothers. They approach slowly, with predatory grace in every step. Elijah reaches me first, his green eyes intense as they rake over my blood-spattered form.
"You've done well, Victoria," he murmurs, reaching out to cup my cheek. I flinch at the contact but don't pull away. "You've proven yourself worthy of our family."
Marcus is next, his expression calculating as he circles me. "I knew you had it in you," he said, his voice low and approving.
Jasper grins, eyes alight with hunger as he looks me over, “Don’t you look beautiful too. I knew blood would look good on you.”
I blanch at his words, the sick feeling coming back to my stomach. Owen, still having his arms around me, pulls me closer. I feel Elijah’s thumb caress my cheek, what I’m sure is meant to be soothing circles…but wasn’t. It takes another minute before I finally find my voice.
"Don't touch me," I whisper, my voice hoarse from the earlier choking. I try to push away from him, but his grip on my waist stays. Elijah has let his hand fall, but he still stands close as he watches me. I can feel his heavy gaze boring into me.
"Now, now, sweetheart," Owen chides, his tone mockingly gentle. "Is that any way to greet your future husbands?"
A hysterical laugh bubbles up in my throat. "Husbands? You're insane. All of you." My eyes dart to where the other brothers are.
‘Fiancés’….
‘Future husbands’…
The reality of what has just happened, of what I'd done, comes crashing down on me. I have killed two men with my own hands. I’m covered in their blood, and now these monsters are calling me their fiancée.
"No," I whisper, shaking my head. " I can't... I won't..." I feel the panic starting to set in as my breathing quickens and my body starts to shake.
Owen's grip on me tightens as if trying to give me comfort or a warning. "Oh, but you will, sweetheart. You've passed the final test. You're ours now."
I try to pull away, but his hold is like iron, keeping me in place. "Let me go," I say, my voice shaking. "Please, just let me go."
"Now why would we do that when we've worked so hard to make you ours?" Elijah's smooth voice cuts through my thoughts as he looks down at me. "You belong with us now, Victoria. There's no going back."
Frantically shaking my head, tears streaming down my face, mixing with blood, I feel the strong arms around me keep me tighten, still not letting me run away. "No, I don't belong here. I don't want this. Please, just let me go."
Jasper steps closer, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Oh, little bird. You don't have a choice anymore. You've proven yourself worthy of our family. Of us."
Marcus circles around, all three of them mere steps away from me while I’m trapped in Owen’s arms, "You killed for us, Victoria. You've tasted blood. There's no turning back now."
I feel my breaths coming in short gasps as panic threatens to overwhelm me. The brothers' words echoing in my mind - 'ours', 'wife', and 'family' . This can't be happening. I don’t want to become part of this twisted family. I can’t marry these men who had put me through such horrors.
"No," I whisper again, shaking my head. "I don't want to do it…I didn't want to kill them!" I cry out, tears streaming down my face. "You forced me into it. That doesn't make me like you."
Jasper laughs, the sound sending chills as he moves closer, his hand coming to my neck, his fingers gently fluttering against the skin I know would be bruised from the repeated trauma from being grabbed there.“ You survived, and I love the fire in your eyes. You get to live…isn’t that a good thing?”
I glare at him, pushing his hands away. He gives me an amused look, but steps back, letting me have my way,
“Well, I didn’t get much of a choice, now did I? Survive or die? Not much of a choice.” I spit these words out like venom, not wanting to be near this man longer than I had to.
“There’s always a choice...” Elijah says, as he leans forward his breath hot on my ear, “You chose to kill... you could have let them kill you… so don’t be so self-righteous. You're a murderer just like us now.” His words make my stomach drop. He then motions for Owen to let go. He does, stepping away, letting me stand there with the inner turmoil of what I’d done to survive.
I’m just as bad as them now, ‘ A murderer’. I feel my legs giving out, overwhelmed by the weight of what I've done and Elijah's cruel words. Before I hit the ground, strong arms catch me. Looking up, I see Marcus holding me, his blue eyes intense as they search my face.
"Easy now," he murmurs, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "It's been a long night."
I want to fight, to push him away, but I had no strength left. The adrenaline that has kept me going is fading fast, leaving me shaky and weak. Sobs wrack my body as I curl into Marcus, no longer caring about appearing strong in front of these men.
"That's it, little bird," Jasper croons, his eyes soft as he looks at me curl into Marcus, who’s holding me up. "Let it all out. The first kill is always the hardest." I feel the rest of my strength leave me and Marcus fully picks me up, I don’t even fight back as he holds me bridal style, letting the others still see me.
Elijah sighs softly as he speaks, his voice uncharacteristically gentle as he looks at me in Marcus’s arms. "It gets easier, Victoria. In time, you'll come to embrace this part of yourself."
"I don't want it to get easier," I choke out between sobs, feeling cold even though I’m against a warm body. I stay silent as my tears start to slow, but the numb feeling is still there.
"What happens now?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. Am I still going to be locked up? Or is there going to be something else that has to happen? It isn’t like there’s a manual on what to do when you get kidnapped by a cannibal family to become their wife. Yeah…. not something you hear every day.
Elijah steps forward, his green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Now, we take you home. Our home. Where you belong.” Elijah's words send a chill through me. Home. Their home. The place where I would be expected to live out the rest of my days as their wife. The thought makes my stomach churn.
“It won’t be home…it’s going to be my prison,” I whisper, shaking my head weakly. I’m overwhelmed and right now I just want to sleep and pretend everything’s okay.
“It will become a home to you soon enough. You just have to get used to it.” Owen speaks as he steps closer, his blue eyes intense as he looks down at me in Marcus's arms. "It doesn't matter what you want any more, sweetheart. You're ours now. Forever."
Fresh tears well up in my eyes at his words. The finality of it all was crushing. There was no escape, no going back to my old life. I’m trapped. Owen chuckles, the sound sending shivers down my spine. "Oh sweetheart, this is a new start. You’ll get accustomed to it and fit in just fine.”
I want to argue, to fight back, but exhaustion is overtaking me. The events of the night - the terror, the violence, the killing - had drained me completely. I let myself go limp in Marcus’s arms, a big sigh leaving me.
Marcus adjusts his grip on me. "Let's get her cleaned up," He gives a chuckle as he looks down at me. "We have a wedding to prepare for, after all."
‘Wedding?’
That word echoes in my mind, filling me with a cold dread that seems to seep into my very bones. I curl tighter into myself in Marcus's arms, as if I could somehow make myself small enough to disappear entirely. "Wedding," I repeat numbly, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. "So, you aren’t going to just force me to sign a marriage certificate…."
Jasper laughs, the sound grating against my already frayed nerves. "Oh, no little bird. We’re having a wedding. White dress, black tie…the whole thing."
I shake my head weakly, still cradled in Marcus's arms. "No, I won't do it. You may be forcing me to marry you, but you can’t expect me to behave in front of a bunch of people and be happy about it.”
Elijah steps closer, his green eyes gleaming dangerously in the moonlight. "Oh, Victoria," he says, his voice a silky purr that sent chills down my spine. "You still don't understand, do you? You don't have a choice in this matter."
His hand reaches out, fingers ghosting along my cheek in a mockery of a loving caress. I fight the urge to smack them away from me but know that would probably get another reprimand from the man.
“You’ll make a beautiful bride, but you will be made to behave before the wedding. We have to plan and send invites out…so there’s time for you to adjust.” Owen tells me, even as I open my mouth to protest. But my protests fall on deaf ears. The brothers continue to talk amongst themselves, discussing plans and preparations as casually as if they’re planning a dinner party rather than a forced marriage.
"Please," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "I can't... I don't want this."
"Shh," Marcus soothes, his grip on me tightening slightly. "It's alright, Princess… We'll take care of everything." I feel movement as Marcus begins walking, carrying me away from the bloody scene in the forest. The other brothers fell into step around us, their presence a constant reminder of my new reality. With each step, I felt myself being carried further away from my old life and deeper into their world.
As Marcus carries me through the forest, I feel my consciousness slipping away. The exhaustion, both physical and emotional, is overwhelming. The brothers' voices fade into a distant murmur as darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision.
I fight against it at first, afraid of what might happen if I let my guard down completely. But in the end, my body's need for rest wins out. As my eyes flutter closed, I catch one last glimpse of the moon through the trees before everything goes black.