Chapter Nine
Maeve
This made me nervous.
I never expected to be in this position.
Draven had said we were going to a party.
I’m scared, because we had been in our little bubble for a couple of weeks now, and I liked it.
I no longer had my own room, and all my things had been moved into his bedroom.
We had spent a lot of time together in the past few weeks.
I loved being around him, and I loved the attention he showed me.
This was different, though. This was a party with apparently a lot of important people—men and women from similar circles—and I couldn’t help but wonder if someone was going to recognize me from the trade. This was one of those parties where wealth mattered.
Draven had chosen my dress, one that molded to every curve and seemed to have sequins or jewels in a floral pattern. The dress looked like it cost a fortune and could double as a wedding dress, although Draven and I were not married.
My hair had been styled, and there was a small clip, complete with a jewel, that glinted in the light.
Some of my hair had been left down to curve around my face, and the rest twisted up.
He had gotten someone in to do my makeup and hair, and all afternoon I’d been primped, tugged, pulled, and pushed.
I’m surprised I was able to feel my body at all.
Even my toenails had been played with, painted with a manicure so I could wear the strappy heels.
I looked the part for whatever role Draven wanted me to play.
I was nervous in the car as his men drove us to this party, and we arrived at a long, well-lit driveway going toward a mansion.
“Whose party is this?”
Draven shrugged.
I didn’t know if he wanted me to know, or if it didn’t matter at all.
I saw lots of butler-type men, holding open doors. This felt a little overwhelming, and I didn’t know what to do. Draven opened his door and held his hand out toward me. It was his hand, his presence I trusted more than anything.
Once out of the safety of the car, there really was no going back. I was stuck here on Draven’s arm. He pulled me in close, wrapping an arm around my waist and laying it on my hip. He leaned in close, pressing a kiss to my temple. “You’re stunning.”
This made me smile. “Thank you.”
“And it’s my party.”
This surprised me. “What?”
“Yes, this is my party, but no one is aware of whose party it is,” Draven said.
I had no idea what was going on. “Is this your home?”
“I’ve rented it out for a few nights.” He pulled me in close.
Something was going on tonight, and I honestly didn’t know what. I felt nervous. Draven had chosen my whole outfit. I wasn’t going to lie, I did feel pretty. From the dress to the makeup, I felt stunning. I loved it.
But now I was even more nervous, because he must have done this for a reason. I felt a little sick and tried not to dwell too much on what it could all mean.
He held onto me, and I was thankful for that, especially with the way I felt. I didn’t want to be this nervous.
We entered the party, and there were a lot of people present. I was never invited to parties, and my family rarely had any at the house. They often went out to parties.
There was no one I recognized. I didn’t pay attention to anyone else during that trade, which felt like a lifetime ago, and almost like a bad memory.
Draven had spared no expense in putting on a show.
There were gymnasts spinning on what looked to be sheets.
I wasn’t that understanding of the terminology, but they looked stunning.
A small band played on some kind of stage, and it was a beautiful sound.
Waiters and waitresses passed with trays of champagne and little nibbles to keep the appetite at bay.
I felt so out of place. This was dripping with luxury.
This was not where I was ever meant to be, and I found myself sinking against Draven a little more, my nerves getting the better of me. I didn’t like this feeling.
And that was when I caught sight of them, the only people I would ever recognize—my parents, my two remaining brothers, and my sister. All together, looking mighty happy with themselves.
I couldn’t help but pause in my steps as I caught sight of my old family. I didn’t know how I would feel if I ever saw them again. I had hoped they would miss me or wish they hadn’t sold me. One look at them, and I could see they didn’t care. I wasn’t even a memory to them.
“Do not panic,” Draven said.
“What are they doing here?” I asked.
“It’s all part of the plan.”
I had no idea what Draven had planned. In that moment, I felt a little sick. This was Draven’s party. Everything he was doing was for a reason, and I didn’t have the first clue what that reason was. Was I nervous for them? I didn’t know.
I wasn’t sure if they had seen me. “I need to use the bathroom,” I said.
He smiled and pointed in the direction, but he also surprised me by escorting me to the bathroom.
“I’ll wait here for you,” he said.
I made my way inside the bathroom, and there was no one in the ladies’ room, which was a relief. I didn’t need to use the bathroom, but I felt like I needed a minute or a hundred to compose myself. I was not going to leave Draven out there for long.
Entering the cubicle, I pulled the lid down and sat on it. Pressing my hands at either side of my face, I was careful not to mess up my makeup or my hair. I happened to like the way it looked, and I didn’t want to spoil it now.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. Took another deep breath and exhaled again.
In and out, I breathed deeply, trying to gain some focus on my situation.
This is exactly how I felt when I discovered the paperwork that indicated I was born to be sold.
They had my sister as a backup, but at no point did they ever question getting rid of me.
Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly closed them and clenched my hands into fists. I was not going to give them the time of day. I was not crying for them. I was crying for the old me, the one that had wanted their approval, their love, their everything.
I was not going to make a fool of myself. My situation wasn’t so dire. I happened to like Draven, and I knew that was putting it mildly. It was messed up, but I knew my feelings were a lot stronger than just liking him. It was impossible not to.
I was falling for him. He was the nicest, sexiest, sweetest, most caring person I had ever met, and I knew he wasn’t a good man. That was what was so ironic—I knew he had something to do with my brother’s death. And yet, he had been the only one to show me he cared.
Once my head was in the right place, I stepped out of the bathroom stall to come face to face with my sister, Lilliana.
“I thought I had seen you come here,” Lilliana said.
I stared at her and folded my arms beneath my breasts.
I was not going to be the one to talk first. Sometimes, growing up, she would taunt me, especially when I knew the truth, and our parents decided not to hide it anymore.
She would constantly tell me I wasn’t good enough, and that the only reason she wasn’t using me for practice was because I was not allowed to be harmed.
My sister tutted when she looked down at me. There was a time I might have let that stare affect me.
“I’m shocked to see you’re still alive,” she said.
Rather than frown or look scared, I offered her a smile. For the first time in our lives together, this unnerved her. I hold open my arms and turn for her to get a full look at my very perfect, healthy body.
“It is nice to know you care,” I said.
“You’re going to die,” she said.
I smiled.
“You’re nothing but a toy,” she said. “He’s going to use you, play with you, and then he’s going to hurt you.”
I stepped close to her, and I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t cower away. I moved so we were eye to eye, toe to toe. “I hope you enjoy the party. It was Draven that invited you.” And with that, I stepped away from her and left the room.
I found Draven waiting for me. I moved toward him, and his gaze didn’t waver, not even as I heard the door open behind me.
“You let her come inside?” I asked.
“Yeah, because I had a feeling there were some things you needed to realize.”
“Like what?”
“You’re the safest one in your family,” he said.
I smiled at him, and we made our way back through the crowd. We mingled for a long time.
The hours floated by. When he talked business, I was more distracted by the dancers and watching the events unfold. I noticed my family had seen me, and every time I found their gaze, they wouldn’t look away. They were staring, on alert. I saw it in the way they held themselves.
It was getting late, and the shoes were starting to pinch, but I was having a lot of fun. This was my first real party where I didn’t have to sneak off to enjoy it. Draven stayed by my side, and I loved every second of the music.
I didn’t know what the plan was for tonight. I didn’t even know he had organized a party, so I certainly didn’t know what was going to happen next.
I stood holding a glass of champagne, feeling light on my feet.
I was happy. Besides my family being there, casting their disapproving looks, I was having a good time.
I was not being kept hidden, and Draven seemed happy to have me on his arm.
I belonged to him. It was strange, because I did expect to be a little weary about being owned by a man.
I kind of liked it. I guess I’m not going to be high on any woman’s list for feminism.
We all liked what we liked, and I happened to enjoy being Draven’s woman.
I’m not sure when, but Draven must have given a signal, the music came to a stop, and he was handed a microphone.
“Thank you all so much for coming to this delightful event,” Draven said, to which there was a round of applause.
My nerves were fast approaching, I clapped, smiled, and tried to make sense of what was happening, because I didn’t completely know.