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6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Iris

It's a scenic view, what lies beyond Remus's bedroom. In the years I've been on this Earth, I've never seen anything like it. I don't know how long I've been standing here, but I can't tear my eyes away from the glass as I take in the large waterfall that crashes below. My gaze travels up to the edge of the crested hill, where the sun is slowly sinking behind the mountainside, casting an orange glow over the land.

The sun didn't look like this in the blight.

"Iris, move away from the glass."

I tense when the sound of Remus's voice carries across the room. I turn at the sound of his voice just in time to see him entering, moving away from the glass and to the edge of the bed with my eyes down. I hear his footsteps as he walks around me, not bothering to acknowledge me past his reprimand .

It took me two whole days to heal from his "soul-sucking." It was a terrifying and painful experience I never want to feel again. The situation itself adds to the growing list of questions about the Leviathan race. But it does reignite the fear I feel for him. I've seen him very little during my recovery time, which is okay with me. The last thing I want is for him to get any ideas around me, especially since he can make my body do what he wants just by touching me.

He chooses this moment to appear next to me, placing something on the bed.

"You can move," he says.

I release a relaxed breath, slowly raising my eyes. I'm not a fool. Remus seems to be a very powerful and calculating being. In the past weeks, he has laid out his expectations and given me corresponding punishment if they aren't properly adhered to. I know that he is preparing me for something. But for what? I have no idea.

I don't bother looking at him as I turn to see what he's placed behind me. I furrow my brow in confusion.

A dress?

The dress is white with jewels that look like diamonds encasing it. The sleeves are long and elegant, but the length of the dress looks like it would fall to my thighs.

Remus takes a seat next to the dress, looking up at me. His emotionless eyes roam over me, adding to my unease. I've never met such a strange being. He's like a sculpture. He never smiles, never speaks, and hardly moves. He's obviously inhuman. It's still unnerving and downright terrifying to be in a room alone with him, even if I am aware of his true nature.

He gently tugs my arm, pulling me onto his lap. I keep my eyes trained on his chest, but my heart rate is already giving me away just being near him. He uses his hand to guide my face to his. Staring into his eyes takes my breath away. The color is entrancing. I can barely bring myself to think straight.

His eyes drop to my lips, and I feel the cold splash of reality hit me. Fear comes at me in full effect as I recall his…feeding.

Remus senses my emotions. The corner of his mouth slightly upturns. I wouldn't notice it if I weren't so close to him. He leans into me, his lips lightly pressing against my shoulder. He places a soft kiss there before moving closer to the base of my throat. His lips latch onto my exposed flesh, and I release a soft gasp as intense coils of pleasure spark from that area. I feel the warmth of his tongue moving in a circle on the skin, eliciting more pleasure. Against my better judgment, I release a shuddering breath, arching my throat.

The hard press of Remus's erection straining against his pants presses against me as I squirm atop his lap. His hands roam over my body until he pulls me flush against him, a deep growl of approval emitting from his chest.

"Can you feel that?" he murmurs against my throat.

I don't know if he's referring to himself or my own arousal. I'm so lost in my growing need that I nearly jump out of my skin when a loud beep assaults my ears. Remus places a soft kiss against my shoulder, his laugh wafting over us .

"Time to prepare."

After fighting with the servants and Remus's threats, I am eventually cleaned and dressed for what I'm assuming is a special event. The tight material of the dress feels… foreign against my skin. It's softer than anything I've felt before like it's going to lift off of my flesh at any moment. I keep tugging at the hem of the dress in fear that it will ride up higher than my thighs.

I look up as Ruth approaches me with diamond-encased shoes with small heels on them.

"The master has chosen these for you to wear tonight," she says in a monotonous tone. I stare at her in shock.

She spoke.

I tilt my head, trying to look into her eyes, but I can't from this angle. Her head is lowered, focusing on my feet.

"Ruth?" I whisper.

She doesn't respond.

"Ruth, can you hear me?" I whisper hastily.

"She can't hear you, nor will she respond to you unless I will it." I jump at the sound of Remus's voice as he enters the room.

My mouth runs dry at the sight of him. He's dressed in regal attire, I assume. He's wearing all white, which strangely adds emphasis to his own hair. The top of his clothing has a high collar and a cape latched around the front. But his hair isn't pulled back all the way. He has it in a half-up style with a jeweled pendant holding it in place.

Wherever we're going, it must involve his society .

"And her name isn't Ruth," he says, shocking me out of my ogling. I mentally slap myself. I completely forgot that I named them myself. Of course, he would find fault in that. Remus walks toward us, and Ruth moves before he has to utter a single word. He takes her place and finishes fastening the shoes around my feet.

"You will be on your best behavior tonight," he says.

His eyes don't leave his task, but he doesn't have to look at me for me to know how serious he is at this moment.

"Remember the rules, and things will run smoothly. Defy me, and you may very well get yourself killed." I flinch at his words.

Remus isn't one to make idle threats, as I've come to learn living in his care the past few months. He stands, and I expect him to walk away, but he doesn't. He pulls out a crystallized choker. It would pass for a choker if we were normal, and I hadn't seen these before.

The center jewel is the same symbol on Remus's body. It looks beautiful, but I recognize it for what it truly is.

It's his way of branding me for the public eye.

For the first time since he told me to consider myself broken, I feel a flicker ignite inside of me. All the resentment I've kept stashed away for the sake of survival comes rushing to the surface. I narrow my eyes at him, and I know the moment he sees my rebellious spirit.

"You're crazy if you think I'm putting that on," I snap.

Remus doesn't move, he doesn't speak, he just stares me down. Then, his eyebrow raises ever so slightly, and I see something gleam behind that amethyst gaze—something dangerous. He reaches for me, and I do my best to stand my ground. His hand brushes across my collarbone lightly then trails to the low collar of the dress. He silently loops a finger underneath the fabric and yanks me roughly into him.

I cry out, stumbling into his chest, and he takes the moment to capture me with that harsh gaze.

"I'd rather not get blood on such a lovely dress." His gaze drops to the dress, taking in every stitch and embellishment, genuinely admiring the fabric as he considers whether or not to stain it with my blood. He then raises his gaze to meet mine, and I can see the blue flecks within the purple burning bright.

In my time with him, I've come to learn Remus's tells. The blue in his eyes should never burn brighter than the purple. That's a very bad thing, no matter what the expression on his face gives. He stands over me, knowing that I am waging war within myself on whether or not to battle him.

"Do not push me, Iris. You will not like the result."

We stare each other down, and I can feel my resolve breaking. Crumbling . I try to keep my brave fa?ade, but the pure aura of intimidation he radiates breaks me down with barely a fight.

Would you stand tall in front of a firing squad? Would you stand your ground against a bear? A lion, perhaps? Remus is more dangerous than all of those combined. I know it, he knows it, and the instincts I was born with sure as hell know it.

Remus smirks as he moves the necklace closer to my throat, and I don't protest. I stand, weak and frightened, as he places it around my throat. I tense as a small jolt of energy rushes through me before a heavy weight descends over me from my head to my toes. Once the feeling settles over me completely, a light blue stream of light radiates from the jewel in the necklace to Remus's palm.

His eyes raise to meet mine.

"You will be on your best behavior tonight, Iris."

As he walks away, the weighted feeling drifts into my mind, compelling me to follow. I no longer have the willpower to refuse. Anger and resentment find their way into my heart as I follow Remus, and we make our way to our destination.

The resentment I felt only minutes before has morphed into sheer awe as I take in the city beneath us. Cars are a thing of the past for the Leviathan empire. They use bizarre machines that hover in the air to transport themselves to and from their destinations. It's just another way of proving how behind humanity was when it came to advancements. My stomach dips as the ship begins its descent to our destination, and I take in the massive building we've begun approaching. From the outside, it looks intimidating. The walls are high and made of a beige material that takes on a more organic shape as opposed to the rectangular buildings I grew up surrounded by.

I note that our descent doesn't lead us to a parking lot or the front of a building. We come toward one of the walls of the building that opens upon the ship's approach. A soft gasp leaves my lips. The floor lights up with a beam of light blue, directing the ship to its own hangar within the building. It's unlike anything I've ever seen.

I shift my gaze to Remus, and he is watching me with an amused expression.

"You are easily impressed," he says, eyeing me.

"How can you not be impressed with all of this—"

My words catch in my throat when I turn to face Remus to find him studying me intensely. His intoxicating scent washes over me, stealing away all coherent thoughts I had. A small smile tickles the corner of his mouth.

"You haven't the slightest clue what more there is in this existence to be impressed with."

It's hard keeping up with Remus. Especially when the surrounding scenery occupies my attention. I've only ever seen the outside of buildings that were in ruins, buildings that were created by humanity. And they still don't compare to the elegant walls surrounding me. Humanity's creations felt bold and suffocating, covering every piece of land they could and replacing grass with concrete. But these buildings look natural, almost as if they are a part of nature rather than mowing it down for their existence. The interior is elegant and natural as well, giving me an unwanted sense of comfort within these alien walls .

The sound of unfamiliar voices pulls me out of my gawking, and I look up to see that we're approaching what I can only assume are Leviathan. I take them in silently behind Remus as they greet him, one in particular stepping forward to hold Remus's attention. They're speaking a foreign language, but I recognize the pattern as the same language Remus spoke when he first laid eyes on me in the blight.

The Leviathan individual speaking to Remus is also dressed in formal clothing. His outfit has sleeves and embroidered accents. His hair is cropped, and his eyes are dark, unlike Remus's. I've only ever been around Remus, but I see no comparison in their race as I take in this Leviathan. The gaze of the Leviathan speaking to Remus travels toward me, and I immediately lower my eyes, remembering Remus's very clear warning.

The "necklace" around my neck is a light reminder of the command he holds over me. The weight I felt when leaving Remus's residence has all but disappeared, so I can only assume that Remus is relying on my obedience at this moment.

They speak a little longer, their tones suggesting it's a pleasant conversation. The Leviathan speaking to Remus bows slightly before turning away from Remus, and I immediately lower my gaze once again. I keep my eyes down as I hear the sound of Remus approaching.

"Good girl," Remus's voice washes over me with a hint of mockery, causing my anger to flare. "We will be entering the banquet hall now. I expect nothing but good behavior from you, Iris. "

I hear the sound of horns blaring, followed by what I can only guess is an announcement in the Leviathan language before the large double doors before us open to reveal the magnificent hall. Applause washes over my ears before anything else. It's deafening. The Leviathan people are actually excited about the arrival of Remus. It unveils his importance in adding more pieces to the puzzle. He isn't a random citizen of the Leviathan society.

He's someone important to elicit a response like this.

Remus steps into the room, and I follow, keeping my head down. While keeping my head down, I raise my eyes slightly to look around as we pass through. Everyone bows to Remus as he passes. Not only that, but Remus and I seem to be the only ones in white at this clearly formal affair. The applause doesn't stop as Remus makes his way through the room. Even when we reach a floating beam that carries us up a flight of stairs. Once we reach the top, my eyes widen as realization dawns on me. It all makes sense now. The applause, the announcement, the bows, and especially the large throne that Remus is making his way to.

Remus turns to face the crowd, his eyes grazing over the room with authority and arrogance. His gaze passes briefly over me before he faces the crowd, holding his hands up to silence the applause. He opens his mouth, and a speech begins.

His voice is calm yet firm—gentle yet authoritative as he speaks to his people in his native tongue. He's clearly in command. I look past him to all the Leviathan, watching their leader with smiles on their lips and looks of awe in their gazes. They're taken by Remus's presence. They adore him. They truly listen to what he's saying to them, pleased with whatever it is that leaves his lips.

From this high up, I can keep my head bowed and my gaze steady as I look at the beings below. I was right. None of them are wearing white—only Remus and me. Remus is also the only one with white hair and, from what I've seen so far, purple eyes. The rest of the Leviathan, while unnaturally beautiful, do not share any features with Remus.

I look back to Remus, my confusion increasing.

Just what exactly is he?

Applause erupts, pulling me out of my thoughts just as Remus returns to the throne. He takes his seat, and the party resumes in full swing. Soft music plays as chatter erupts, and the crowd turns to one another, their attention leaving Remus.

"I can see the gears turning in your head, Iris. Speak your mind," he says.

I shift my attention to Remus. He's watching me with a strange expression, his hand propped under his chin as he takes me in. He reads me so easily, yet I have no idea what is happening in his mind.

"Your society...is color-coded?" I ask.

"How very clever you are." His smile widens, and he lightly pulls at the fabric of his shirt while he explains his society's rules.

"The white is a sign of nobility—my nobility, to be more specific. I am the only one who wears it," he says.

I take in the society consisting of Leviathan. They're laughing, enjoying each other's company. Some brought their human slaves with them. To boast no doubt about their place in society. The humans wear inhibitors, their gazes as blank as Ruth's. It makes my heart ache. It's despicable. I turn my attention to Remus, who is looking out over the crowd with indifference, completely blind to the sick display before him.

"How can you live with yourself?" I hiss.

Remus looks up, gesturing for a server.

"Calm yourself, Iris." He says it so low I'm surprised I hear it. "The sooner you accept your position in this society, the easier your life will be. There is nothing you can do for the human race. Remember that. You can't even do anything for yourself."

I narrow my gaze but keep my mouth shut nonetheless as a member of the Leviathan society comes to greet Remus. His words stab at me. He's right. I couldn't protect anyone in the blight. I couldn't prevent myself from being caught or even escape once I was in his grasp. I am as helpless as the humans who wear inhibitors. The only difference is that my mind is free of an inhibitor to wallow in my self-pity.

As the night drags on, more Leviathan arrive to greet Remus, each of them bowing before approaching and taking care not to touch him at all. Not one of them speaks English as well; they all speak in their native tongue offering toast after toast to Remus who politely smiles. He never drinks, though. He only gestures with the glass. As I take in the rest of the room, I suddenly realize the Leviathan in attendance are eating food. I swiftly look at others to make sure my observation is correct. They're holding small plates with food on them, and even the servers walk around with more than just drinks .

The final visitor bows to Remus, taking his leave down the steps when I decide to voice my question.

"I thought you said your race doesn't eat like we do?" I ask.

Remus actually smiles while keeping his gaze trained ahead.

"I never said my race, Pet." His tone suggests the discussion is closed. Each time he answers anything about himself, he only opens more questions. I release an irritated sigh, looking back over the crowd as I've been all night. I focus on Leviathan after Leviathan, watching each of them interact with each other. They smile familiarly, enjoying each other's company while they're at it.

Another Leviathan society member approaches, pulling Remus's attention. As they converse, I notice more approaching. One of which has a human behind him. My eyes widen slightly as I take her in, her features familiar. It's Leah. One of the girls I survived with while in the blight. Remus said they were all dead, but he was wrong. She's here, her gaze vacant from the inhibitor she wears. Any fear that lingered in my chest evaporates as newfound hope blooms. Her being alive means any one of them could be alive.

I take a small step forward, and I know Remus notices. But I don't care. I take another step, and Remus still has yet to say or do anything as a consequence. And the longer I watch her, the more memories emerge in my mind, forcing my reluctance and hopelessness out the window. Now, instinct possesses me to grab her and run. My feet are moving before my mind has a chance to entertain the consequences. I take off down the steps in desperation, ignoring the sound of shocked Leviathan. My panic overtakes me as I stumble, crashing right into Leah .

My arms wrap around her waist, holding her tight as we stumble down the steps, crashing to the floor. I ignore the pain, scrambling to my feet as I quickly try and pull Leah up with me. But she won't move.

"Leah!" I shout, grasping her face between my palms. Her dull eyes see right through me as I shake her. "Leah, please!"

Tears spill from my eyes as she ignores me, her mind locked away in the same dark chasm as Remus's slaves. Her pupils are heavily dilated as she looks at nothing, and her legs are firmly planted. I reach for the inhibitor, planning to rip it off of her.

"It's me, Iris-Ah!" I cry out in pain as I'm roughly pulled away from her. To my shock, it isn't Remus that is doing so. It's a Leviathan. He's snarling something at me, his gaze narrowed, and his hand raised, ready to strike. I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the pain to reach me, opening my eyes when it doesn't.

Remus stands over the Leviathan, his hand locked in a death grip with Remus. Remus towers over this Leviathan easily, his expression holding something I've never seen before.

Rage. Murderous rage.

A loud crack fills the room, followed by the Leviathan's scream of pain. The surrounding Leviathan watching the scene gasp, and I faintly register that everyone has stopped to watch the drama unfold. Remus grabs the Leviathan by his shirt, pulling him in close as he growls something in their native tongue, causing the being to turn visibly pale. Even I shiver from his tone. Remus releases the Leviathan, shoving him so hard that he stumbles, landing on his ass, his arm bent at an unnatural angle .

Remus turns to me, and even though he's dressed in all white, he looks evil. He reaches for me, and I immediately back away, letting my turmoil fuel me.

"Don't touch me! You're despicable! All of you are! You're all wrong for this enslavement! We have every right to the freedom that you have!" I screech.

Remus quickly snatches me off the ground, his hand wrapped around my arm so tight that my adrenaline spikes further. I don't know where my sudden burst of bravery comes from. Maybe it's from all of the emotions I've kept tamped down out of fear. Or maybe it's from seeing Leah—a stark reminder of the horrible past we've all endured and shared as a result of this invasion.

"Iris—"

I look Remus directly in his eyes, letting my adrenaline-fueled rage fuel me.

"You can try all you want, but you will never break me," I hiss.

Silence washes over the room, everyone in attendance stopping to watch how the scene plays out. I keep my brave fa?ade, even as Remus shows no emotional reaction. Then, as if a switch has been flipped, he smiles. He releases me, letting me step away from him, his eyes still focused on my face as he slowly steps around me.

"Maybe I can't break you..."

Horror washes over me as I realize the direction of his footsteps.

Leah .

"But...," Remus grabs her roughly, bringing her in close to him.

"I can..." He pulls the silver dot away from her temple, and her dull gaze leaves, her pupil shrinking as consciousness finds its way into her mind.

Her gaze meets mine an instant before Remus finishes his sentence, "Break her."

With that final word, he roughly shoves her to the ground, all amusement gone from his face as he brings his foot down on her leg. The loud snap fills the room, as does Leah's cry of agony.

"No!" I scream, reaching for her, but Remus holds his hand toward me, and an invisible force pushes my body back. He leans over her, grabs her arm in his, and crushes it with a swift squeeze. Leah screams and begs for mercy, my cries mingling with hers. But Remus ignores the both of us, seeming to enjoy himself.

Remus's amethyst eyes meet mine, freezing me in place.

"Shall we go for her neck next?" he asks mockingly.

"No, please! Please!" My screams are filling the hall louder than anything else in the room as his hand lightly caresses her throat.

"Please! I'll do anything!" I scream, finally catching his attention. He stops what he's doing, looks at me, and muses over his final decision.

He finally stands, making his way toward me. As he walks past me, the blue beam connects to his palm, and I feel myself being pulled out of the room. I don't have the time to look back at Leah. I can't check on her. I can't even lie to her and tell her everything will be okay. Leah was the one who we could count on when it came down to it. She was always ready for combat, always tough. And now, she sits in the center of a Leviathan-infested room in complete agony because of me.

Remus drags me out of the hall and into the hallway with me screaming for Leah the entire way. He finally gets tired of my cries, picking me up and roughly smashing me into the nearest column. I grunt in pain from the force.

"You seem to lack the mental capacity to understand the situation you have created for yourself, so let me refresh your memory." His eyes seem to burn brighter with every word he speaks. "Regardless of your wishes, you will do as I say. You are here because I pulled you out of that wasteland, allowing you to serve me. Not the other way around. You belong to me, Iris."

I hear the sound of another Leviathan on the other side of Remus, and he drops me, responding to them. He glares at me one last time before whipping away from me.

"We are leaving."

We are back at Remus's dwelling, and the night is far from over. His room is dark, illuminated only by the soft glow of the lights within the walls. My bones vibrate with a combination of anger and fear. And I try my best to hold onto the anger as Remus enters the room.

I want to kill him. I want to break his limbs like he did Leah's. But I know that Remus is far from anything I've encountered before. I think back to that moment at the banquet. When I went for Leah he didn't even touch me and my body was propelled back by an invisible force. It reminds me of the day I met him in the blight. Something similar happened, but at the time, I had just assumed it was because he was so fast.

I look up to where he is across the room. His eyes are focused on his task. He's removing his clothes. He starts with the cape that wraps around him, tossing it on the chair, and then begins to remove the items that are wrapped around his arms.

His gaze meets mine.

"What am I to do with such an ill-mannered pet?" he asks. He begins walking toward me as he pulls his shirt off, leaving him in only a pair of pants.

"I thought we went over the rules. I thought you understood." He almost sounds disappointed as he reaches under my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his.

I suck in a shuddering breath as he searches my face.

"Did you mean it, Iris? Will I never truly break you?" he asks.

His voice is strangely soft, adding to the terrifying aura he exudes at this moment. I think of Leah, Margot, and all the other girls who could be alive and struggling in this empire. Even the women who are here in Remus's care, under the spell of inhibitors. I use those thoughts to fuel my bravery, looking Remus in the eyes.

"I... will never... obey you," I whisper out of spite. I regret it the moment the words leave my lips. Remus's gaze turns dangerous. I just challenged him. And he accepted it. His thumb runs over my cheek .

"Such a hot-tempered mouth from such a feeble being," he says mockingly. I jerk my head out of his grasp, raising my fist to his face. He catches my hand easily, his gaze narrowing.

"I think I've overestimated you," he says.

He squeezes my hand, causing me to flinch in pain. I cry out as he pushes me back onto the bed. His arms hold mine between his with ease, pulling them over my head as he crawls over me. I can feel my heartbeat thundering against my chest at the drastic dynamic shift between us in a matter of seconds. His grip tightens, causing me to flinch in pain, but it doesn't faze him.

"You're just like the rest of your wretched race, believing you are entitled to something when you are not. Slavery is in your DNA; it's what you were created for," he growls. I grit my teeth in irritation, unable to move my arms from his steely grip.

"Fuck you!" I cry out, thrusting my head up, colliding with his own as hard as I can. Stars dot my vision, and a splitting headache immediately rushes over me. I fall back onto the pillow, blinking furiously, trying to still the suddenly spinning room.

When my vision finally clears, Remus is watching me without a scratch on him. His head is completely clear of bruising, as if I hadn't just head-butted him. His expression is dark, the pupils in his eyes dilating slowly. I expect him to break my arm like he did to Leah's, but he does the exact opposite.

His free hand snakes up through my hair, pulling roughly on my strands, forcing me to expose my neck for him. He leans into me, and I feel the heat radiating from his body as he places a warm kiss on my throat .

His lips are soft, like rose petals. He continues to lightly press kisses along my throat before his kisses turn into sucking. He pulls my flesh between his teeth, lightly nipping at the skin. I begin to struggle, trying my best to break free as my body reacts to his attention.

A dull ache begins to throb between my legs, and I can feel my nipples beading beneath the fabric of the dress. Horror washes over me at my body's reaction to him. I recognize this feeling. It's lust. I'm feeling lust for him.

"No...," I let out in a shaky whisper, grasping Remus's attention.

He pulls away from me, a smile on his lips and something sinister in his eyes.

"You don't seem to grasp the difference between you and me. And you have grown exceedingly bold in a matter of hours. It is time to show you your place in this society. In my society."

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