~Aspen
Were Kastriv an ordinary man, he would be dead.
I look toward my husband, so shocked I'm lost for words. He seems to be struggling to form a response too, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"You...You what?"
Kastriv examines my husband with an unforgiving, ice cold gaze. "I want to fuck your wife. And you're going to let me."
I could throw up. Not because the notion disgusts me, although it does terrify me, I'm just so afraid he's serious, motivated by...I have no idea.
This can't just be because of a general attraction to me. I mean, he may be a Noble, but no one in their right mind would attempt to barter the use of someone's wife for their own pleasure. At least I never thought someone could be so unhinged.
Oliver looks at me with frightfully wide eyes. "You mean Aspen? Really?"
Kastriv dips his head. "Yes."
"Can I ask why?"
"I want to know how badly you want these Demon's eradicated," he murmurs, not releasing Oliver from the intensity of his gaze.
So he is serious? It's hard to tell. There's the barest hint of an amused smile flirting with his lips, suggesting he's enjoying watching the both of squirm.
"A lot, of course. But I could find you any other woman..." Oliver barters.
Oliver couldn't care less about me. If he offers me up to Kastriv, though, then he loses, and the Noble gets what he wants. Maintaining the ruse that he's a loving husband is imperative, even if he silently wishes he could just hand me off for the night.
Kastriv's attention shifts to me, dark gaze tracing down my face, over my lips. "I don't want another woman. I want Aspen."
I need to defend myself...I can't just let this happen.
"I-"
Oliver holds his hand up, glowering at me. "Aspen, don't say anything."
My closes. If I disobey Oliver now, he will either hand me off happily to Kastriv now as a form of punishment, or he will refuse, and punish me himself.
"Well, what will it be?" Kastriv pushes.
"I want the Demon's gone, badly, but this is my wife." Oliver reaches over to caress my arm, as if it proves his love for me, how desperate he is to keep me for himself. It takes all my self control not to rip my arm away in disgust.
Kastriv's eyes cool. "If you do not accept, I will ensure all other Noble's will not sponsor your endeavours."
Oliver goes silent for a moment, flicking through his options. "You would just sleep with her?"
"Yes."
"But you wouldn't get her pregnant, right?" Oliver looks over me, disgust lingering in his expression. A Noble's child would be an impossible inconvenience for him. He couldn't care less about the implications on me.
Kastriv leans back in his chair, staring off into the distance, which I'm currently wishing I could flee toward. "Personally, I am opposed to her having to take a tonic, as the side effects are undesirable."
Oliver tenses. "But you would wear-"
"I don't like anything between myself and my lover. Does this change your answer?" The Noble's tone is getting pushier, giving Oliver less of a chance to gather his thoughts.
There are numerous other forms of contraceptive. Not that Oliver would know about any of them. We don't sleep together, and even if we did, it would be my responsibility, not his.
Oliver releases a tight sigh. "I suppose not."
My expression remains neutral, but the horror gathering inside me is threatening to spill over. I want to scream at the both of them, to turn on them, but the consequences to reacting would haunt me for the rest of the year, not just the night.
Kastriv smiles, clasping his hands together. "Excellent. I hope you are not opposed to me being rough with her, it's how I like it."
Rough?
How rough is rough to a Noble? Is it like what I imagine when I’m splayed out in my bed late at night, thinking about those who I can never have?
Or is it more sinister?
I used to dream of being with a Noble, about living in their reality, instead of mind, and experiencing what those incredible bodies riddled with magic are capable of. Now, the thought of that makes me want to be sick.
"Go ahead, Kastriv," Oliver concedes.
Kastriv's gaze flickers to me, monitoring for a reaction that I refuse to show. "I'm talking bruises, tying her up...making her beg and submit to me."
Oliver shifts uncomfortably, knowing the Noble is trying to embarrass him, but can do nothing to avoid it. "Nothing I myself don't do to her."
I would roll my eyes, if I weren't contemplating ways to get out of this. My fantasies about being with a Noble have now devolved into nothing, as I stare back at the terrifying man. I wish this soft breeze would carry me away to somewhere that I can make decisions for myself, where my life isn't being constantly threatened.
"It will likely be multiple times in a single night," he continues.
"I'm not opposed," Oliver grumbles, completely submitting.
"Perfect. Leave then," Kastriv demands, getting to his feet. Oliver scrambles up also, but I take my time, worried my legs are going to collapse out from under me. I'm going to be left alone with the Noble...
Oliver steps in front of Kastriv, whose superior height becomes increasingly noticeable. "I thought I was staying here the night."
"No, I only intend for Aspen to stay. I shall have her returned home tomorrow." Kastriv looks at me, but I glance away, training my attention on the flat, distant horizon.
Oliver reaches out, shaking the Noble's hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."
I know I shouldn't, but I grab at Oliver's hand, desperately hoping he will see how insane this bargain is. "Oliver, please don't leave me here..."
He doesn't even look at me, avoiding my reach out to him before he steps off the deck. Both Kastriv and I watch him stalk through the foyer, to the front door, and then out of it, likely overjoyed at how little he had to give up to get what he desired.
Swallowing thickly, I keep my gaze trained at my feet, knowing if I flee, Kastriv can catch me, and if I attack him...Well, there's no point even considering how that would go.
"Why don't we go inside?" Kastriv offers.
Nodding numbly, I follow him inside, the glass door gliding closed behind us. Is he going to touch me? Is he going to get to it right now, or will he wait until the sun has fully fallen beneath the horizon? It's getting close to being dark, deep shadows sprawling out through the room.
Glancing up at Kastriv, I see him watching me, his previous amusement having vanished, a cold air about him now.
I shudder, backing up cautiously as he starts to advance on me.
"Do you truly believe I would pay your husband to have sex with you?" he demands. He's angry, I realise, a shadow passing over his face, deepening his sharp features.
I gape at him. "You just did."
He doesn't stop his advance, even as I stumble away, until my back bumps up against a piece of furniture, and I'm forced to look up at him. "I have no intentions of sleeping with you, Aspen. I just wanted to see how badly Oliver wanted those Demon's dead."
"Oh..."
"Try not to look so relieved," he notes, quirking a brow.
I can't help it, my knees quivering uneasily. I'm not going to be forced to be with Kastriv in such a horrific manner, and I would try with relief, even if he doesn't want to see it. Regardless, I'm still here alone, with no way out.
"Why talk about getting me pregnant, about bruising me then?" I ask warily.
"I wanted to push him, to make him want it. And shredding his dignity was quite satisfying too. I don't particularly like him," he notes.
I stare at his back as he turns away.
"Why not?"
"Because who in their right mind wants Demon's eradicated? Only fools who know nothing about them," he mumbles. He shrugs his jacket off, discarding it on a nearby seat. It reveals his toned arms and single, deep red tattoo on his right bicep.
I blink. "You just-"
"A band of Angel-bloods stand no chance against a single Demon. Most are ancient, or have been trained since birth, as Demon's tend to stick to their own clans. An untrained one's power alone rivals the most powerful Angel-blood," he explains.
I don't bother hiding my shock. "Really?"
His gaze traces over me, like he knows something I don't. "Uh huh."
My mother has always assured me that I only have trace amounts of Demon blood in me, so my power will always be limited. I doubt I would ever be able to rival an Angel-blood; especially one like Kastriv.
But it does make me wonder what else I've been lied to about.
"So shall I go home now?" I ask, motioning to the door. The moment I'm allowed out, I'm going to sprint for that door and never look back.
"No. I hope you stay and maintain this ruse, and continue to do so when you return home," he murmurs.
I don't usually talk back, especially to those with magic. Each time I've done so, Oliver has punished me greatly, and often times, not physically. He knows my weakness, and how best to exploit them to cause the most amount of pain possible.
"You embarrassed me. You made me feel like nothing but a piece of meat...Why would I help you?" I snap.
Some part of me, some deep, scarred part, expects Kastriv to rear back and strike me for speaking out of turn to him. But he doesn't so much as flinch, unbothered by my raised voice and aggressive tone.
"Because I get the feeling you don't like your husband very much either," he mutters.
I could deny that, exclaim my relationship with Oliver is full of love and compassion, but I don't feel very loyal to him right now. He left me to get fucked by some Noble, all of his own gain. He doesn't deserve my favour right now.
"That's not the point."
"I would have loved nothing more than for you to speak up and defend yourself, but you didn't. I assume that has something to do with him?" Kastriv accusatory tone leaves me stumbling for a response.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I look elsewhere. "I didn't know what to say."
"Not only did I push him, but I was pushing you too, Aspen," he breathes.
He appears as though he is struggling to contain his anger...or is that something else? He doesn't look happy, whatever it is. He knows too much, see's too much. The moment he came into our home, I knew he didn't believe Oliver and I's charade.
But what does he expect me to say? If I admit to him that Oliver is abusive, and has been since I married him, Oliver would know, and nothing good would happen to me.
I especially don't trust a Noble to help me.
"I wasn't really going to let you sleep with me." I would have stood up for myself, demanded he decide differently, had it gotten to that.
Kastriv's jaw tightens. "Really? Because it truly sounded like you gave up."
I look away. Gave up? It's all I seem to do recently. For the first two years of my marriage, I tried everything in my power to get away, to start a new life. It all failed. So yes, I suppose I have given up.
"Tell me, were you going to let me fuck you to the point of bruising you? Were you going to risk bearing my child?" His voice is gathering in force now, a primal anger threatening to let lose.
He can't know the truth...No one can know the truth...
He closes the gap between us, until he's so close I can almost feel his breath against my skin. "Tell me!"
My hands clench into fists, and I release a frustrated growl. "I don't know...Okay I don't know, I never have a choice, ever. All I'm meant to be is the perfect wife, and I would rather have sex with you then him."
Kastriv grows silent as confusion echo's across his face.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" he whispers.
I run my hand down my face, realising I've said too much, that this is going to reflect terribly on me. "Is there somewhere for me to sleep? I'm exhausted."
"Hey, look at me," Kastriv demands, grabbing my arm to pull it away from my face with shockingly gentle force. "Tell me what you meant by that? That you would rather have sex with me, a man you presumed to abusive and dangerous, then your own husband?"
"It doesn't matter, okay? Please let me sleep," I beg. Please, just let up.
Kastriv looks torn, reading the desperation on my face. Eventually he sighs, backing away, letting me stumble forward into the space he once occupied.
"Fine. We have more to speak about in the morning," he murmurs dismissively, waving his hand.
I don't waste any time, as he explains where, upstairs, the guest room is, heading straight up to it.
I lock the door behind me, pressing my back up against it.
I'm doomed. Kastriv is going to tell Oliver what I said, and I'll never see the light of day again...All because of how damn persistent the Noble is.
Collapsing onto the bed, I close my eyes. I should get some sleep, and be grateful I'm not in Kastriv's room tonight, servicing him.
I tug the sheets down, and then back up, not bothering to take my clothes off. It doesn't feel right doing that here, anyways.
As I lean to turn the lamp off, my hands brush against a small, white tube. Frowning, I pick it up, examining it.
Burn cream.
I glance down at my hand, which I've kept bandaged all day, hoping Kastriv believed my excuse about burning it during cooking, despite the fact that we have staff.
Either way, he's clearly thought about it, purposefully leaving this medicine for me, when Oliver insisted I didn't need any.
Unwinding my bandage, I toss it away, applying the burn cream, before redressing the wound with the fresh bandages left next to the tube.
Settling back down in my pillow, I hold my hand close to my chest.
It can't mean anything, I think to myself, as I let sleep overcome me.
~AspenYawning, I wander down the stairs, holding my stomach.I'm nervous to see Kastriv again, and in this large home, I'm afraid of stumbling into something I shouldn't see. So I head straight down to where we were yesterday, lingering between the foyer and the living area."Good morning."I flinch, whirling around.Kastriv strolls down the stairs, not much longer after I did. He must have just woken, ivory hair mussed in such a way that has my mouth dryi
~Aspen"I can't believe he did that."I stuff my head deeper into my pillow. "Neither can I."My friend stands by my bedroom window, gazing out.Kaia has been the only friend I've had since meeting Oliver. He made me cut off all of them, and right now, he doesn't know I'm close to Kaia. He suspects, but ultimately, he thinks so little of his staff, I don't think he believes I would befriend her."We need to get you out of here soon, okay?" She turns, lookin
~AspenBoth Oliver and I are left speechless.I try not to look at him, to reveal anything. If Kastriv knows I am a Demon, who knows what he could do...He claims to believe others like me are not dangerous, but that does not mean he can be trusted.Oliver let's out a choked laugh. "Aspen is not a Demon.""The spirits information may not always be reliable, however, this I am certain about," Kastriv says lowly.If Kastriv is so confident in his assessment, w
~AspenKastriv is methodical and efficient as he continues to sew up my wound."Fuck this," I grit out, stomach clenching. It's odd, knowing I should be feeling more pain currently. My arm is numb, either from adrenaline, or from whatever tonic Kastriv gave me, that is currently making my head spin.Finally, after what feels like centuries passing, Kastriv pulls away.I watch as he turns back to his table, rummaging through the supplies. "All done now. Let me clean it up and bandage it."
~AspenI stare blankly up into those dark eyes of his, wondering, despite his seriousness, if he is teasing me."What?" I whisper.Kastriv lets out a long breath. "I know...I've seen this woman since I was a child, so you can imagine my horror when I first laid eyes on you."I hadn't noticed...Although that attentive eyes of his always troubled me. It were as if he was looking at me like he knew me, knew my secrets.And now this?
~AspenI shiver, pressing deeper into the couch, clasping the hot cup of tea between my hands.Kastriv sits on the coffee table in front of me, our legs basically intertwining. He has had the same grim look on his face since I came in."I'm sorry, Aspen, but I'm not letting you return to him," he murmurs lowly, brows furrowed.I swallow thickly.The thought of going back to Oliver now has my heart racing to the point of pain, leaving my limbs trembling and head spinning. It feels different this time.This time, I have a way out."I'm not going back. I'm done," I say over the rim of my cup, sipping the hot tea. I'm still shivering, my clothes and hair soaked through from my trek in the rain, but the blanket Kastriv draped over my shoulders earlier has helped.Kastriv leans forward, reaching out to brush his thumb along my cheek. When he pulls away, there's dried blood on the surface of his glove from the small cuts along my face."How could anyone do this to you?" He says it less like
~Aspen"Kastriv!"I'm at his side in an instant, shaking his limbs. He's alive, but barely. It was as if something overcame him, turning him into a monster.He's completely limp as I shake him incessantly, trying to bring some life back into him. His breathing remains faint, while he is entirely unresponsive.And I'm out here, somewhere in Territory Ten, alone."Please wake up...Please," I beg, groaning with frustration. He's my way out of here, with his magical abilities...And once it gets dark, who knows what creatures will come out of the forest to tear me apart.Eventually, I gather resources to light a fire, which is almost impossible, considering how damp the material is, but by the time night has officially fallen, I've created a spark that grows into a healthy fire.Kastriv remains unconscious. The best I can do for him is sit close, and keep an eye on the fire.Soon enough, my eyes become tired and my body grows wary.I need sleep. But can I really sleep out here? In the dist
~AspenWe return to the same area first thing in the morning.The same internal tugging feeling has me leading Kastriv through the forest. The difficult terrain has it taking a while, but Kastriv insists it's part of the test for me to lead him there."Can you sense it?" he asks after a while of walking.I wipe sweat from my brow, squinting to look through the trees. "It's around here."It feels like I'm being drawn to something, that there is a tether between it and myself, that is pulling taut with each step I take in the right direction."I go where you go, Aspen," Kastriv says from behind me."Do you really not know where it is? Or are you testing me?" I question, looking over my shoulder, giving him my best accusatory stare. He's told me he's testing me, but how much of this is really necessary?"Genuinely, I don't know exactly where the site is. I just have a general idea," he tells me.He hasn't made any comments that I've been heading in the wrong direction, so I continue."Gre