5. Belle #3
I gasp, covering my mouth once I register the noise. Surely, he’s just being crass, riling up his father, but I didn’t expect this proper conversation to head to the land of fucks.
“No.” Lord Pan chuckles.
My ribs press against my corset with the release of my breath.
He cuts a piece of meat, taking a bite. “You fuck the handmaids. I want you to produce me an heir.”
“What?” I jump to my feet, slamming my hands against the table.
“Ah, so she does speak.” Peter laughs, finally looking at me with wide eyes. “What an interesting choice, Father.”
Lord Pan ignores my outburst, carrying on and waving his fork.
“Not just you, Peter, but your brother as well. You know that he’s as much my son as you are, even if we share no blood, both bound by the blood of family.
Both of you lack different skills for me to determine who would be best suited for the throne.
This is how I make my choice. Whichever of you can get her pregnant first,” he gives Rourke a pointed look, “and keeps her alive until she gives birth, will be the new heir of Neverhaven, carrying on the throne with a magic born.”
“Fuck this!” I yell. I can’t believe I thought being quiet and playing along was the best course of action.
They’re talking about me as if I’m not here.
They view me as complacent, that I’ll just lie there as they force their way into my womb.
Maybe whatever magic runs through the instrument at my throat is dumbing me down.
I rip the jewels off my neck and slam them to the table, pretending it’s the Darling.
“No one’s getting me pregnant.” Peter and Lord Pan continue to ignore me, Rourke continues to stare, but I doubt it’s because he’s interested in what I have to say.
“Hello.” I wave a hand in front of Lord Pan’s face.
“Can you hear me? I’m not letting your weird sons fuck me to prove some sort of point.
I get it, you’ve all got small dicks, and this is your attempt to overcompensate, but deal with your family shit another way, like normal people. ”
“Hmm, that almost stung.” Peter laughs, clasping his hands in front of him. Maybe it was better to be silent and ignored. Having two brothers staring at me is almost too much. Rourke grips the side of his armchair, his plate clean but looking even hungrier than he did moments before.
Lord Pan sighs, finally turning to me and cracking his neck.
“I hoped that filling you up with our fine food after scraping you out of the gutters would make you see reason.” He smiles, all teeth.
“Darling Belle, you don’t have a choice in the matter.
I bought you from those pirates. If it wasn’t me it would have been someone with far less grand accommodations.
What terrible fate we all face at the hands of our ancestors, but this is yours.
You are the lost pixie that’s been returned.
You are property of Hollowbrook, and my boys will do with you as they see fit. ”
I grab the knife from the side of my plate, aiming it at one green eye, but before I can even get remotely close, my body freezes, an invisible wall preventing me from stabbing him.
I don’t pull back, though, determined to use my will and whatever power is left in me to break through.
Nothing budges and I only end up shaking against the force.
Lord Pan laughs. “Did you forget? Is your brain as small as your size? You’re in a Darling, bound by the blood in your veins and of the Pan name.
You can’t hurt us, you can’t even hurt yourself, and you can’t escape.
My boys may lack brains and focus, but they are in no shortage of size.
They can overtake you without breaking a sweat.
” He turns his attention back to his nearly finished meal.
I abandon my attempts to hurt him, instead tucking the knife into my corset as he gives an eye roll to his sons.
I swipe his plate off the table, satisfied when it meets the ground with a shatter.
I wonder how that’s possible, even if I’m deliriously glad it is.
Perhaps it wouldn’t work if I directed the plate at him instead of the floor. Damn, this stupid magic is confusing.
Lord Pan slowly rolls his attention back to me, his left eye twitching. “Now I’ve had enough of that,” he says through gritted teeth. “Shadows, take Belle back to her chambers and lock her in. She’s lost roaming privileges.”
Large hands wrap around my middle. I attempt to kick at the wall of muscle, but all I can do is twitch.
It seems the Darling also works for staff as well as the Pans.
I do the only thing I can, scream, like a wild, feral animal.
The three Pans can’t hide their annoyance at my pitch as I’m dragged out of the grand room.
Good, if all I can do is scream, they’ll have to rip my vocal cords from my throat to get me to be any sort of pleasant.
Regardless of what they believe, their magic Darling won't make me as darling as they hope.