36. Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Six
Victoria
I stare at the closed door for a long moment after Marcus leaves, my emotions are a tangled mess. Part of me is relieved to be alone, but another part feels oddly bereft without his comforting presence. I shake my head in an attempt to try to clear those confusing thoughts.
With a deep sigh, I turn my attention to the dress laying out on the bed. It really is beautiful, and it’s the kind of dress I might have chosen for myself in another life. But here, it feels like just another way for them to control me, to mold me into their ideal bride.
With a heavy sigh, I push myself up and stand in front of my bed to look at the dress more closely. The fabric of the dress is soft and light against my fingers. It’s undeniably lovely, but wearing it signifies that I’m accepting their claim on me. Still, I know I can't stay in the nightgown forever. Reluctantly, I slip it off and pull on the blue dress.
It fits perfectly, of course. The thought that they had planned this so meticulously, buying clothes for me before I'd even arrived, sends a chill down my spine. I step into the sandals, grateful at least that they aren't too high or uncomfortable.
"Stop it," I mutter to myself. "Don't let yourself be charmed by pretty things." Cause things were just things. They can’t bring back lives, couldn’t bring back who I was before I came here and took lives.
Glancing around I see the vanity in the corner that also has a floor length mirror next to it. I hesitate before approaching the mirror, almost afraid of what I might see. Taking a deep breath, I step in front of it and freeze at the sight of my reflection.
The woman staring back at me is both familiar and strange. The dress fits perfectly, hugging my curves before flowing gracefully to the floor. The pale blue color makes my skin look luminous and brings out the green in my eyes. My dark hair falls in soft waves around my shoulders, looking somehow healthier and shinier than I remember. I can see the bruises on my neck and the ‘love bites’ left as well. I avert my gaze away from the marks.
But it’s my eyes that really catch my attention. They look... different. Haunted. The innocence that had once been there was gone, replaced by a weariness that makes me look older than my years. Gently touching my reflection, tracing the dark circles under my eyes and I see the tension in my jaw.
“ I look the same but different at the same time...” I whisper to my reflection. This’s the face of a woman who has killed, who has been broken and remade. I have the same face, but I feel like a totally different person.
I glance at my reflection one last time before going to the door and stepping out. Marcus is leaning on the wall across from the door, arms crossed with a small smile on his face as he sees me.
“You look beautiful. I’m glad we chose that color.” He tells me, pushing off the wall and standing in front of me.
I stand here, feeling exposed and vulnerable under Marcus's appreciative gaze. Part of me wants to retreat into the room, to hide from his intense blue eyes that seem to see right through me. But I force myself to stand tall, refusing to show weakness.
"Thank you," I say stiffly, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. "Can we just get this over with?" The sooner I get through this, the sooner I can retreat to the relative safety of my room.
Marcus's smile widens slightly at my brusque tone. "Of course, Princess. Your other fiancés are eagerly awaiting your presence at breakfast." He offers his arm to me, ever the gentleman despite the circumstances.
I hesitate, eyeing his outstretched arm warily and taking it feels like another small surrender, another step towards accepting this twisted reality they’re forcing on me. But I know refusing would likely only lead to him physically manhandling me, so I reluctantly place my hand on his arm.
He grins down at me as he leads me through the house. The house is grand, with high ceilings and ornate decor that speaks of old money and refined taste. In another life, I might have been impressed. Now, it just feels like a gilded cage.
"The others are waiting in the dining room," Marcus explains as we walk. "We thought it best to have a... family breakfast just between the four of us and yourself. "
I do appreciate that. I didn’t know how I would be around more of his family. I nod stiffly at Marcus's words, grateful at least that I won't have to face the entire family just yet. The thought of sitting down to a ‘family breakfast’ with the men who had kidnapped and terrorized me was surreal enough without adding more people to the mix.
As Marcus leads us through the grand hallways, trying to keep my emotions in check. The house is beautiful, with its high ceilings and ornate decor, but it feels more like a museum than a home. Everything’s in pristine and perfect condition, untouched by the horrors that had brought me here.
As we approach the dining room, I can hear muffled voices and the clink of silverware. My steps falter, anxiety twisting in my stomach at the thought of facing all four brothers at once. Marcus must sense my hesitation because he pauses and turns to face me.
"Take a deep breath," he says softly, his blue eyes searching mine. "I know this is overwhelming, but we're not going to hurt you or make you eat anything part of our regular diet. We just want to have a nice breakfast together."
I want to laugh at the absurdity of his words. A ‘nice breakfast’ with these men. Taking a deep breath, I steele myself as Marcus opens the door. The room falls silent as we enter. Three pairs of eyes turn to me, expressions ranging from Elijah's cool assessment to Jasper's hungry gaze.
Owen’s the first to break the silence, rising from his seat with a broad smile. "Good morning, sweetheart. You look absolutely ravishing."
I tense at his words, instinctively pressing closer to Marcus before I catch myself and pull away. I hate how easily they can unsettle me with just a few words. I tense as he approaches, but he simply pulls out the chair next to him, gesturing for me to sit. I hesitate, glancing around the table. Elijah sits at the head, with Jasper across from Owen. Marcus gently guides me to the offered seat before taking his own place beside me.
"Thank you," I murmur, my voice barely audible as I move to the chair that’s pulled out. The table is laden with an assortment of breakfast foods - pastries, fruit, eggs, and bacon. My stomach churns at the sight, memories of the "special" meat they’d fed me before flashing through my mind.
Elijah spoke next, his green eyes raking over me in a way that makes me feel exposed despite the modest dress. "Indeed. That color suits you beautifully, Victoria."
Jasper remains seated, but his eyes gleam as he looks me up and down. "Our little bird, all dressed up. Isn't she a vision, brothers?" Feeling my cheeks flush with a mixture of embarrassment and anger at their blatant appreciation of how I look, I quickly sit down, hoping to block some of their view as I can still feel their eyes on me.
"Please, help yourself," Elijah says smoothly, his green eyes intense as they study me. "I assure you; nothing is human. Just pig for the meat today. We want to have a good time this morning without you having to worry about it.”
Eyeing the food warily, my stomach growls despite my apprehension. The spread looks and smells delicious - golden pastries, vibrant fruit, fluffy scrambled eggs. But after everything I'd been through, I couldn't help but be suspicious.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I ask, my voice quiet but firm. "That it's not... human?"
Jasper chuckles, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, little bird. Always so cautious." He reaches out, snagging a piece of bacon and popping it into his mouth. "See? Just ordinary pig bacon."
“You know you trying it isn’t going to prove anything to me.” I tell him with a deadpan expression. He eats human meat with no problem…so eating it like that isn’t going to make me want to eat it either.
Owen sighs giving Jasper a look, before giving a small smile. "We want you to be comfortable, sweetheart. Eat whatever you'd like. If you don’t want to eat meat today that’s fine.”
I hesitate a moment longer before slowly reaching for a croissant. My fingers tremble slightly as I tear off a small piece and placed it in my mouth. At least I know certain foods would be safe…I think I’ll stay away from meat for a little while. Or as long as they’d let me.
"Thank you," I murmur softly. I can feel their eyes on me as I continue to take small careful bites.
"So, Victoria," Jasper says cheerfully, as if this is a normal family breakfast, "We were thinking of giving you a tour of the grounds today. Would you like that?"
I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "Do I have a choice?"
Jasper’s smile turns sharp, as he takes another bite of the bacon, "Of course you do, little bird. It’s either back to your room…or going on the tour. Those are the two options.”
“Jasper,” Elijah cuts him off, giving him a pointed look. Jasper rolls his eyes, leaning back into the chair as he continues to eat his own breakfast.
Elijah turns his sharp eyes to me, “We’d like to spend some time with you and let you see your new home.” I’m not sure what I want to do. I want to see where I am, just to survey the area…. but I also want to hide away.
“Can we see how I feel after breakfast?” I bit my lip. It will depend on how breakfast goes and how everyone’s acting. I didn’t know if I wanted to hide away from them. My room may be my only safe-haven here.
“That’ll be fine. You may still be tired from everything that has happened to you. Your body will need the rest.” Elijah grins as he takes a bite of his own food, eyes on me. I don’t like the look he’s giving me, so I avert my eyes and look down at my plate.
Keeping my eyes lowered and focusing on my plate, I try to ignore the weight of their gazes. The brothers continue to make casual conversation around me, discussing plans for the day and various household matters as if this is a normal family breakfast. The surreal normalcy of it all makes my head spin.
"Victoria," Owen's voice draws my attention. I glance up to see him watching me with a mixture of concern and something darker. "You've barely touched your food. You need to keep up your strength."
I look down at my plate, realizing I'd only managed a few bites of the croissant. My stomach’s churning with anxiety, making it difficult to eat. "I'm not very hungry," I murmur.
"Nonsense," Jasper cuts in, his tone brooking no argument. "You need to eat, little bird. We can't have our bride wasting away."
"They’re both right," Elijah's voice breaks through the room. I glance to him watching me with a mixture of concern and something darker. "You need to eat more than just that croissant. You must be starving after everything."
I tense, my appetite vanishing at his words. The memory of what ‘everything’ entailed - the terror, the blood, the lives I'd taken - threatened to overwhelm me. I quickly shoved those thoughts into the back corner of my mind to deal with later, trying to not think of the tests they made me go through.
“Fine.” I gave in, moving to grab some of the different fruits and some eggs. I stayed clear of the bacon and from the looks the brothers gave each other they knew why I did so. They really couldn’t possibly blame me.
I pick up my fork, stabbing the fruit more aggressively than I needed to and ate the fruit on my plate. I wasn’t hungry anymore but knew if I didn’t at least eat a small plate, they wouldn’t let me leave the table. The rest of breakfast passes in a tense silence, broken only by the occasional clink of silverware or murmured comment from one of the brothers. I managed to keep my eyes on my plate, forcing myself to eat small bites of the food. My stomachs in knots, a mixture of hunger and anxiety making it hard to keep anything down.
As the meal drew to a close, I could feel the weight of their expectant gazes on me. I knew they were waiting for my decision about the tour. Part of me wants to retreat to the relative safety of my room, to hide away from their intense scrutiny. But another part, the part that has helped me survive this far, knows that information is power. Seeing the layout of the house and grounds could be valuable if I ever have a chance to escape.
Taking a deep breath, I finally look up, meeting Elijah's piercing green eyes. "I think I’d like to go lay down. I would be fine doing a tour a little later. I think I need to lay down for a bit.” I feel nauseous…and if I stay, I will probably end up throwing up.
Elijah frowns seeing the look on my face, “How about we give you a couple hours and once you have rested, we can do a tour and have a light lunch in the garden.”
I paused in shock… garden? Though I guess I shouldn’t be with how this place looks. It’s huge. I take a breath and nod. “That will be fine.” I’m aware it isn’t really a request though. He gives me a smile when I don’t fight the plan. My head’s swimming with thoughts as I look around.
“But before we go, we do have a present for you.” I blink at Elijah wondering what kind of present they could be wanting to give me. I look around the room and can see them anticipating something.
“A present?” Curiosity is in my voice and from the men’s faces they heard it and are happy about it. I bite my lip shifting in my seat as I look back at Elijah who stands and walks over to me, moving the chair so I’m facing forward.
I feel my breath catch in my throat as Elijah kneels before me, the small black velvet box being carefully held in his hands. My heart begins to race, a mix of dread and disbelief washing over me. This can't be happening. Not now. Not like this.
"Victoria," Elijah begins, his green eyes intense as they lock onto mine. "We know this isn't a traditional courtship by any means. But we want you to know how serious we are about making you a part of our family."
He opens the box, revealing a stunning ring. The large center diamond sparkles brilliantly, surrounded by smaller sapphires and emeralds that match the brothers' eyes. It’s beautiful, but all I can see is another chain binding me to them.
"This ring symbolizes our commitment to you," Elijah continues, his voice low and earnest. "And your place in our family...that you will be our wife, and no one will be able to change that fact."
I stare at the ring, unable to speak. It’s beautiful, the kind of ring I never would have seen myself wearing because of how much it looks like it cost. I also see that the ring will be like a noose around my neck. An anchor keeping me tied to these four men forever.
"I don’t really get much of a choice, do I?” I give a sad smile, tears in my eyes but I push them back.
“Sorry, Darling. We want you. We don’t need your consent to make it legal, but we’d like this to go as smoothly as possible.” He holds his hand out, making me close my eyes as I take a deep breath, willing away the barrage of emotions filling me.
“You will be happy. It may take time, but we’re going to be devoted to you and only you. We hope you will be the same down the road.” Marcus’s voice breaks through.
With shaky hands I hold my hand out as I open my eyes to see the grinning faces of the men. Elijah slips the ring on my finger symbolizing my fate. I’m theirs. I belong to them, and they’re serious on not letting me go. I had a feeling even if I somehow, escaped they would hunt me down to the ends of the earth until I’m in their grasp again.
Elijah stands up, bringing me to a standing position as he leans down, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. A quick memory of something like this happening before ran through my head but I shake it out as I’m engulfed in the strong arms of Jasper. Who gives me a quick kiss before I’m being passed to each brother who did the same.
Looking around me, I’m filled with dread. This really is the start of a life I have no escape from. I either have to adapt…or die.