Slowly, and with a very dull knife.
“I want to see it,” she said the moment Colin moved the device away from her face.
“Me, too,” Nicolai announced, and without any more warning she found herself being lifted into his arms.
“I meant that I wanted someone to hand me a mirror,” she protested as Nikolai stood up and walked her across the room. Colin was moved, too, and a moment later she was blinking away a flurry of dancing spots that appeared when he flicked on the overhead light. When the spots cleared she realized that Nikolai had carried her over to a full length mirror, and he was staring at their reflections with a look of pure, male satisfaction. She turned her head, revealing the new mark, and her heart twisted in her chest. She’d been claimed.
She looked closer, and a small part of her mind was pleased to note that at least the design wasn’t horrific. The stylized pattern that comprised both their initials had been done tastefully. If it wasn’t for the fact that the mark was basically a brand announcing to the world that she was their possession, she might have even thought it was pretty.
A third reflection appeared in the mirror as Colin joined them, looking so pleased that for a moment Alayna thought he might start purring. She looked at the image of the three of them together, naked, and tears stung at her eyes as she accepted that this was really happening. The two men she’d come to rob and stayed to enjoy for a single night’s pleasure, now owned her.
It wasn’t fair.
“If that other bedroom is for your chosen, then that means it’s mine now, right?” she asked, fighting to keep her emotions in check. She would not let them see her cry.
Not tonight, not ever.
“It is…” Nikolai trailed off and lifted her higher against his chest. It was obvious he didn’t want her to leave, but there was no way she was staying with them. Not after what had happened.
“Not just the room, Alayna. Everything we have is yours now.” Colin lifted his hand and stroked her hair gently, his fingers toying with the strands. “If you want some time to come to terms with all this, we’ll leave you in peace. But Alayna, I meant it. If you run, we’ll come after you. So I’m asking you to stay. Stay and give us a chance to show you this can work. It will work.”
“Like I have any fucking choice,” she snapped and a single tear slid down her cheek. She dashed it away with the back of her hand and hoped neither man had seen it. Nikolai set her on her feet without a word, but his hand caressed her shoulder for a moment before he moved away.
“You’ll see, minx. We’ll make you happy. We’re going to be a family.”
Family.
The word made her blood run cold. Alayna straightened her spine, lifted her chin and marched out of the room, her hair swaying from side to side as she left. She kept it together until she was safe inside her new bedroom. The moment the door slammed shut behind her she gave in to her tears, curling up in the corner of the room, legs bent, arms wrapped around her knees and head bowed so she could muffle her sobs.
It was bad enough that she had screwed up and gotten caught. Worse still that she’d stayed and indulged her fantasies, thinking she was too smart to get found out. Now she had been claimed by the very men who controlled the flow of goods she made a living stealing. Goods her people needed to survive and were denied because greedy men diverted shipments, reselling much-needed supplies on the black market at impossible prices. Now she was useless to the people who relied on her, a possession with no rights and no future except to be a sex toy and broodmare to a pair of men she barely knew.
Alayna didn’t know what it meant to be a mother. She’d never had one. She was a damned good thief, a savvy fighter and a capable killer when it was necessary. There was only one thing in the world that truly scared her, motherhood.
She stayed on the floor until dawn before
“I want to see it,” she said the moment Colin moved the device away from her face.
“Me, too,” Nicolai announced, and without any more warning she found herself being lifted into his arms.
“I meant that I wanted someone to hand me a mirror,” she protested as Nikolai stood up and walked her across the room. Colin was moved, too, and a moment later she was blinking away a flurry of dancing spots that appeared when he flicked on the overhead light. When the spots cleared she realized that Nikolai had carried her over to a full length mirror, and he was staring at their reflections with a look of pure, male satisfaction. She turned her head, revealing the new mark, and her heart twisted in her chest. She’d been claimed.
She looked closer, and a small part of her mind was pleased to note that at least the design wasn’t horrific. The stylized pattern that comprised both their initials had been done tastefully. If it wasn’t for the fact that the mark was basically a brand announcing to the world that she was their possession, she might have even thought it was pretty.
A third reflection appeared in the mirror as Colin joined them, looking so pleased that for a moment Alayna thought he might start purring. She looked at the image of the three of them together, naked, and tears stung at her eyes as she accepted that this was really happening. The two men she’d come to rob and stayed to enjoy for a single night’s pleasure, now owned her.
It wasn’t fair.
“If that other bedroom is for your chosen, then that means it’s mine now, right?” she asked, fighting to keep her emotions in check. She would not let them see her cry.
Not tonight, not ever.
“It is…” Nikolai trailed off and lifted her higher against his chest. It was obvious he didn’t want her to leave, but there was no way she was staying with them. Not after what had happened.
“Not just the room, Alayna. Everything we have is yours now.” Colin lifted his hand and stroked her hair gently, his fingers toying with the strands. “If you want some time to come to terms with all this, we’ll leave you in peace. But Alayna, I meant it. If you run, we’ll come after you. So I’m asking you to stay. Stay and give us a chance to show you this can work. It will work.”
“Like I have any fucking choice,” she snapped and a single tear slid down her cheek. She dashed it away with the back of her hand and hoped neither man had seen it. Nikolai set her on her feet without a word, but his hand caressed her shoulder for a moment before he moved away.
“You’ll see, minx. We’ll make you happy. We’re going to be a family.”
Family.
The word made her blood run cold. Alayna straightened her spine, lifted her chin and marched out of the room, her hair swaying from side to side as she left. She kept it together until she was safe inside her new bedroom. The moment the door slammed shut behind her she gave in to her tears, curling up in the corner of the room, legs bent, arms wrapped around her knees and head bowed so she could muffle her sobs.
It was bad enough that she had screwed up and gotten caught. Worse still that she’d stayed and indulged her fantasies, thinking she was too smart to get found out. Now she had been claimed by the very men who controlled the flow of goods she made a living stealing. Goods her people needed to survive and were denied because greedy men diverted shipments, reselling much-needed supplies on the black market at impossible prices. Now she was useless to the people who relied on her, a possession with no rights and no future except to be a sex toy and broodmare to a pair of men she barely knew.
Alayna didn’t know what it meant to be a mother. She’d never had one. She was a damned good thief, a savvy fighter and a capable killer when it was necessary. There was only one thing in the world that truly scared her, motherhood.
She stayed on the floor until dawn before
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