Silent Captive (Wren's Song 2)

He smoothed sticky hair from her face, staring down at what must be horrible damage with a frown.

“So pretty…”

Teeth chattering—and yes, her tongue felt all of them—Wren could offer up only another sorry sob.

“Beg him for the lives of your boys. Do it now before it’s too late.”

That got her attention.

Despite the wreckage of her fingers and her bleeding wrists, Wren tried to grasp the front of his shirt. A shirt already marked with her blood, sweat, and tears.

“We will get past this, all of us.” He pressed a kiss to her aching forehead. “But only if you submit.”

Nodding emphatically, Wren gagged on the gore in her throat and tried to sign.

She would not be signing for some time. Truly mute, tears fell, the salt stinging as they ran their course.

He held her eyes, purring as if the sound might set her at ease. “Someday I hope you’ll tell me what that letter said.”

Before she might find a way to reply, he stood, hauled her up into his arms, chains and all, and carried her sorry, half-frozen body out of the dark.

It was a short walk to Caspian’s room, Wren noting that his hive seemed oddly silent. Beyond the sound of rushing water there were no yelps from whipped slaves, no barked orders from evil men. Just the water, the thrum in her chest, and the sound of Toby’s breathing.

Two guards flanked the door, one opening it without so much as a glance at the bloodied, naked woman. And then she was inside.

It struck her how familiar the space had become. The scents swept through her nostrils, invaded her lungs, and set that constant throb in her chest to spiraling heights.

Caspian waited. Kieran too.

The pair of them stood in the center of the space, but Wren couldn’t make out their expressions. She was too busy enjoying the wounds exposed by fresh clothes.

Even in all her pain, in all that desperation, she enjoyed that Caspian’s eyes had both been blackened. That the corners of his mouth were crusted with blood. Under his clothes she pictured long strips of missing flesh, maybe even one of her missing fingernails burrowed deep to prick and harm.

These were evil thoughts. That man, that hateful, vile, deceiver had the lives of her boys in his hands, and though her chest thumped, her lips blubbered.

This awful person wanted her to scrape at his feet. He owned them all. His word meant nothing.

But he was her only chance.

Ground met her knees, Toby laying her naked, chain-draped body at the feet of his master.

Thoughts of Mikael smiling from his hospital bed, the sound of his laughter ringing clear with no tinge of a wheeze, and Wren broke.

Just like all the women in these caverns.

Clinging to his boot, lips pressed the laces, she wept a river of pain and begged.

Kieran’s scent neared until paper and pen were laid beside her.

“Write that you are mine,” Caspian demanded, draping the ultimatum in a seductive purr.

Manacled wrists moved together to pick up the pen, fumbled it, and tried again. It took agonizing ages to gather it in a fist only three fingers could grasp. Even longer to try to scratch upon the page, Please don’t hurt my boys.

“Then submit.” He crouched over her bent head, a hand tangling in her wet hair. “Write it.”

The sounds that came from her as she penned his demand were pathetic, angry, horrible… but she did as he requested, that hand on her head oddly supportive.

I’m yours.

“You are.” His fist tightened in her hair, gathering the mass back so he might yank her head upward to expose the worst of her wounds.

Her throat, she felt fresh blood pump from the open wound to trickle warm down so much cold skin.

“Look at me.”

Lavender eyes tracked over massive legs, a belted waist. They dragged over the fresh shirt that hugged a muscled stomach, flexed pectorals to a neck that had the tiny, swollen bite of a female mouth. He pulled her hair all the tighter until she met a gaze full of something she could not name.

Thumb swiping her tears, Caspian purred. “I was extremely impressed with your strength, little mouse.”

The unwelcome beat in her chest pulsed, shook her, and sent another escaped drip of Alpha cum to trickle from her pussy.

“It took hours to tame you and I enjoyed every last fucking minute.”

Fucking. Because he had fucked her raw.

He knelt even lower, pulling her ear to his lips. “And so did you, pretty mouse.”