Cruel Saints

This is going to be so bad. The only thing counting in my favor is that Dante’s not allowed to kill me on St. Monarch’s grounds.

My lips part, dread spinning a dizzying web around me. As Lucian starts to enter the dining hall, Dante grabs hold of my arm in an unforgiving grip, and I’m dragged through the foyer and up the stairs. When Dante shoves me down the hallway, and I realize we’re headed toward my suite, I rear back against his hold. “We can talk in the foyer.”

“Shut up,” Dante snaps, and he yanks me so hard a sharp pain shoots through my shoulder. A gasp explodes over my lips, and then I’m shoved against my door. “Open it.”

I shake my head, knowing if I do that, Dante will be able to do anything to me. He might not be able to kill me on St. Monarch’s grounds, but there are much worse things than death.

“Bitch,” he growls, and losing the little patience he had with me, he backhands me across the face. My cheek goes up in flames, and before I can recover, Dante spots the key I keep on the chain around my neck and yanks it off, making the links bite into my skin before they break.

Within a second, Dante has the door open, and I’m shoved harshly inside.

Years of fear overwhelm me, and I’m unable to think straight. My breaths explode over my lips, and my heart is nothing more than a whisper, too scared to face the monster in front of me.

It’s too late to hide, though. The monster is here, and there’s nothing I can do because he’s so much stronger than me.

The past two and a half weeks, I’ve let down my guard. I thought I was safe at St. Monarch’s. It makes what’s about to happen so much worse. The other times I was mentally prepared, but not today.

The thoughts are fleeting because Dante pounces on me, his right hand clamping around my throat. “You thought you’d be safe from me here? Wrong, Principessa.” His knuckles slam into my jaw, and the blow has my ear rinning, and a dizzying wave of pain makes it hard to focus on anything.

Dante’s grip on my throat tightens, cutting off my air supply. “I told you to stay away from Cotroni!”

His fingers keep digging into my skin, and it feels like he’s trying to squeeze whatever air I have from my body. I begin to slap and claw at his hand while I strain to gasp for air.

“Have you let him touch you?” Dante asks, his gaze enraged with madness. “Have you let him fuck you?”

I try to shake my head as my vision grows dark around the edges.

“You’re mine, Principessa. I’ve convinced your father to let us marry in two weeks.” Through my fading vision, all I can see is the cruel gleam in Dante’s eyes as his words rain down on me like acid. “I’ll fuck you so hard at night you won’t be able to walk by day.”

My lashes begin to lower, as the meager strength I have leaves my body, and my legs give way beneath me.

He’s going to kill me. The realization drowns me in horror, and then everything goes black as I slump to the floor.

LUCIAN

This is none of your fucking business.

Yet, I can’t stop myself from going to Elena’s suite. My mind tells me to ignore what I saw – Dante dragging Elena harshly away. My heart, however, refuses to turn a blind eye as I take the stairs two at a time.

Nearing Elena’s suite, I hear Dante growl, “Have you let him touch you? Have you let him fuck you?”

For a moment, the corner of my mouth lifts, thinking Dante sees me as a threat. Rightly so. I’m half his age and more powerful than he can ever hope to be.

“You’re mine, Principessa. I’ve convinced your father to let us marry in two weeks.”

The news makes a frown form on my forehead.

“I’ll fuck you so hard at night you won’t be able to walk by day.”

The door isn’t closed all the way, and I slam my palm against the wood, making it swing open. What I see makes all rationality leave me – Elena’s eyes flutter closed, and then she collapses to the floor.

Motherfucker.

Dante pulls his foot back to kick her, but I move forward, and grabbing hold of his shoulders, I yank him away from where he’s towering over her.

I should do the whole world a favor and kill him.

Dante staggers back with a shocked expression widening his eyes when they focus on me.

Anger rushes through my veins, and it’s more potent than anything I’ve felt before. I can’t form words, so I instead resort to action. My fist connects with Dante’s jaw, forcing his head back.