Chapter 5

5

J en

There is a knock at my door, and I jump up off the bed. It feels like I’ve been locked inside this room for days instead of hours. Seven hours and forty-two minutes, to be exact. I haven’t seen anyone in all of this time. I’ve been left to contemplate my fate. There will be consequences. The lieutenant was clear about that.

“Come in,” I say, expecting them to do it, anyway. My hands are clutched in front of me. I’m expecting the general to walk into the room. I know he will be angry. I almost made it off the island. I was so close.

The door opens, and two masked guards come inside, standing before me. What are they planning? Am I going to be given to someone now? Will I be married off? Or thrown into the jungle to the feral men who live there? Will my family be left with nothing? I shudder at the thought.

Caleb will be taken away and end up in foster care. If something like that happened, my mom would be devastated. It would adversely affect her health.

No! I need to stay strong for them.

“Come with us, Miss Harris,” one of the guards says as he walks toward me. The second one follows behind him.

I’m in a lavish room in the palace. It reminds me of a hotel room. It would fit any five-star hotel, and yet I am no less a prisoner.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask.

“You must come with us,” the other one says, looking at his watch. “Right now.” He adds, “Or we will be late.”

“Late for what?”

“For the punishment,” he growls. I can’t see their faces, but I know that they are angry with me. I’m not sure why. They would do exactly the same had the tables been turned. I tried to escape. I’m a prisoner, so that is to be expected.

“Punishment?” I narrow my eyes. “What are you going to do to me?”

The first one grips my arm and not too gently. I might have bruises there later. When I don’t follow, his grip tightens, and he pulls me along.

Yep, I’m definitely going to have bruises.

“No, leave me alone.” I try to pull free, but it doesn’t work. He’s too strong. “I want to go home.”

“You can’t go home,” the second one says, using a harsh tone. “You need to watch.”

Watch. I frown. Watch what? What are they talking about?

I am dragged along the hallways. Some are lined with armor. Others show tapestries depicting dragons and men in various stages of shift. There are those showing battles, and others are of feasts, all the images swirling together in a dizzying array of colors and people.

We enter a large hall, and even though it is still daylight, torches flicker on the stone walls. I’ve never been in this part of the palace. Before long, we enter a hallway; it’s one I recognize. It takes us to the operations side of the palace, where all the work happens. I get the familiar scent of baking bread and laundry being done.

By now, I have accepted my fate and walk alongside the guard. His grip on me has relaxed somewhat as we go through one of the back doors that leads outside. They are walking fast; I am almost jogging to keep up. No one says anything, which is weird. I start to ask a question but bite it back. I get the feeling that they aren’t going to tell me anything.

I am marched down several passageways. I don’t see anyone other than guards. Still, no one says anything. I wish I knew what was going on. Why won’t they tell me?

Then we head up a set of spiral stairs that lead out into a side alley. I’ve never been to this section either. Once again, I am astounded by the vastness of the castle. By now, my hair is sticking to my neck and brow. It’s hot and humid despite it being late in the afternoon. The sun is already low in the sky. It won’t be more than an hour or two before it sets. I’ve given up trying to figure out what’s going on. I’ll drive myself nuts if I keep going through all of the many scenarios, each one worse than the last.

I hear the sound of a big crowd somewhere close by. There are murmurs of people talking under their breath. Lots of people, from the sounds of it.

We round a corner, and I find myself in a large courtyard that is surrounded by high stone walls adorned with intricate carvings of dragons. In the center stands a large fountain, the water cascading down in what should be a soothing rhythm. It isn’t. I’m on edge. My heart beats faster and faster, and my palms feel sweaty. The air is charged. It feels wrong. It’s tense. The gardens beyond the courtyard are filled with lush greenery, with colorful blooming flowers and neatly trimmed hedges, but my eyes are quickly drawn to Rex.

Oh, no…Rex!

He looks at me, his eyes moving to the ground. He looks…afraid but determined. Why?

I wonder for the hundredth time what the heck is going on. I want to go to him, to apologize, but my guard holds onto me.

Rex is shirtless and maskless, unlike all of the many guards in attendance. There are also regular folk, including a few I recognize from the kitchen and back-of-house areas.

“Tara,” I say when I see the head cook.

I know she must have heard me, but she doesn’t look my way. Instead, she squares her shoulders, keeping her gaze on Rex, whose head is still bowed.

They’re angry. I can’t blame them.

A man steps forward. He is wearing the full uniform of the guard; his chest bears a gold crest that tells me he is the general. It’s what is in his hand that has my heart racing and my mouth turning dry. My stomach churns, making me glad I haven’t eaten since this morning.

“No,” I whisper. “What is this?” I say louder. “Please, don’t!”

The general ignores me. He doesn’t so much as look my way.

“Rex, you were given strict instructions to watch the human. You were told not to let her out of your sight. You disobeyed a direct order, and you must accept your fate.”

Rex nods once.

The general hefts the whip in his hand. It has a bone handle carved with an intricate design, with several long, leather tassels that come off the top. At the tip of each tassel is a wicked-looking silver barb. “You must willingly receive twenty lashes across your back. I issued you with an order, and therefore, I will be the one to deliver the punishment.”

“Yes, Sir,” Rex says; his jaw is tight. “I am ready to accept my punishment.”

The general flicks the whip, and a loud, bone-jarring crack sounds. “On your knees, Private.”

Rex gets down on the stone floor. He looks completely defeated; his head hangs low.

“Stop this!” I yell, trying to run forward.

My guard’s grip tightens on my arm. “You need to be silent, female, or it will be worse for Rex,” he says into the shell of my ear. “The general will add extra lashes for your insolence.”

Surely not, and yet, deep down inside, I know it to be true. This is insane. It’s…brutal and wrong in every fathomable way. I want to scream it. I want to go over there and give the general a piece of my mind, and yet I know that none of it would help. In fact, I would make things worse.

This is all my fault. It’s on me.

Someone hands Rex something. He mutters his thanks and puts it in his mouth between his teeth. I realize that it is a piece of leather for him to bite down on so that he doesn’t accidentally bite his tongue. Maybe to help grit his teeth against the pain. I can’t imagine what must be going through his mind. It’s my fault this is happening. Rex is such a nice guy. I took advantage of that…of him. I feel terrible. Here I was, worried about what would happen to me. I never once expected this…not this. Never this.

“No,” I whisper, my eyes stinging and my throat clogged.

“Ready?” the general asks, but before Rex can answer, he delivers the first lash with brutal force. The sound is sickening.

I whimper, feeling tears fall down my cheeks.

Rex bites down on the leather, his eyes going wide for a second.

“One,” the general says, then he lifts the whip for a second time. He brings it down again; this time, Rex grunts.

By the time he counts five, Rex makes a sound of agony. It tears through me. Tears blur my vision as I watch Rex endure the punishment meant for me over and over again, each strike cutting through the air with a sickening sound. Before long, Rex is screaming every time the whip cuts into him. Rex’s body jerks with each impact, his face is contorted in agony. I can’t bear to watch, but I can’t pull my eyes away, either. The guards hold me firmly in place, their grip like iron bands around my arms. Tears stream down my face at the injustice of it all.

After what feels like an eternity, the general finally lowers the whip. Rex is trembling, blood trickling down his back where the lashes have slashed through his skin. He hangs his head, swaying. I’m not sure how he holds himself up after that. His breaths come in ragged gasps.

The general steps forward, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Had enough yet, boy?” he taunts, his voice dripping with malice.

I hate him.

Rex raises his head slowly, his eyes dull with defeat. He takes the leather from his mouth with a trembling hand. “Yes,” he pushes out between chapped lips.

“Have you learned your lesson?”

“Yes, Sir,” he croaks. “Thank you.”

“You are hereby demoted. You will go back to basic guard duties until you earn your place back in the upper guard ranks.”

I can’t seem to stop the tears. I’m still crying when everyone starts to file away. That’s when I see him. A man standing across the courtyard. No, not a man at all. It’s often evident that the people here are shifters. They’re taller, bigger; they’re extra. They’re more than simply humans. I’ve never been so acutely aware of that fact until right now, and in this moment. He’s huge. Not just tall, but packed with lean muscle, too. Although there are a whole lot of people here, his presence is impossible to ignore.

I can see every ridge of his abs since he isn’t wearing a shirt. Tattoos adorn his upper chest and arms. All of the men here have them, but not this many. He has two full sleeves, and I suspect his back will be covered, too. Perhaps his thighs as well. His abs are all bronzed skin and clear of ink, which makes them stand out even more, somehow. His shoulders are impossibly wide. His biceps are thick.

Shit! I realize with a start that I am staring at him. I look up, and his eyes are on me; they’re dark and narrowed. His lightly stubbled jaw is tight. His hair is cropped close to his skull on the sides and slightly longer on top. He looks mean and angry. His focus is solely on me, like he has something against me. I’ve never seen him in my life. I would have remembered him. Maybe he knows Rex, and like everyone else here, he blames me for what happened. I guess I can’t blame him for his response. I wish I could apologize to Rex, who is being led away by two others. He keeps his head bowed. His back continues to bleed, dripping down his back and down the back of his pants.

I feel terrible. I wish I could tell him I’m sorry. I wish I could explain. I know that Rex would understand. I’m sure he would forgive me if he knew the whole story.

When I look back at where the stranger was standing moments earlier, he is gone. My eyes scan the crowd as they leave. I realize that I am looking for him and stop.

Some of the men undress and shift. One by one, they all depart until just a few of us are left.

“The general wants a word,” the guard holding my arm tells me, leading me back toward the castle.

I don’t pay much attention to my surroundings on the way through the castle. I couldn’t tell which path we took. The guards lead me through a door and into an empty room. The general is inside, waiting. He has removed the mask, which he is holding in a gloved hand. Droplets glint on his gloves. Crimson stains his gold crest. It’s Rex’s blood. It makes me sick to my stomach to see it there.

“Ah, Miss Harris,” he says, smiling like he is greeting an old friend. “You may wait outside,” he addresses my guards, who leave, closing the door behind them.

“Why did you have to do that?” I ask, trying hard not to cry all over again. I don’t want to give this asshole the satisfaction. “It wasn’t Rex’s fault. He didn’t deserve that.”

“You disobeyed me. Rex disobeyed me, too. He has had his punishment; now it is your turn, Miss Harris.”

“What are you going to do with me?” I pull back my shoulders and lift my chin. I won’t be so easily broken. “Do I need to kneel to be beaten?”

He laughs. “Don’t tempt me.” He shakes his head. “No, you wouldn’t survive a beating from me, and you’re far too valuable to lose.”

I half expect him to tell me that he’s sending me off to the jungle to be used by the feral dragons, but once again, that won’t be my fate since I’m too valuable to him. They just used that particular threat to try to keep me in line.

He smiles and looks down his nose at me through narrowed eyes. “I’m going to give you one last chance to do the right thing for your family back home and, well, for yourself. I don’t want this to turn nasty.”

Too late for that.

“All I want is to go home,” I tell him.

“We had a deal.”

“You left me waiting for two months. You refused a meeting with me. You just left me in the dark. Now, I’m afraid that I’ve changed my mind about mating someone for money.” I fold my arms. “I want to go home to the Mainland and to my family.”

“It’s a big pity you’ve changed your mind, Miss Harris. You do realize that you’d be going home to nothing,” he says.

“I don’t trust you, General. It’s really as simple as that. I want to go home!” I inject venom into my voice.

“You wouldn’t last more than a couple of months before you lost the home you want so badly to go back to. I looked into you and your family. I did my homework, Miss Harris. You were up to your eyeballs in debt when you were called as a Tribute. The money they paid you was an absolute godsend. What would you have done otherwise? How would you have continued with the medical billings piling up? The rent going unpaid for months? I’m sure you struggled to put food on the table and to buy the basics. What would you have done?” He lifts his brows. The general has made it his business to find out about me. I hate that he knows so much. It gives him the upper hand.

“I would have made a plan,” I choke out.

“You would have ended up on the street. Your brother would have ended up in the foster system. It’s what will happen if you return. Is that what you want for yourself? For your family?”

“If I knew with absolute certainty that my family would get the money, that I could trust you, I would go along with this farce of an arrangement,” I push out, feeling my eyes sting. “I’d go along with it, but I can’t and I won’t because I don’t trust you.”

“You can trust me.” His voice has softened. His eyes, too. “I’m sorry we didn’t entertain your request for a meeting. It was because we didn’t have anything for you yet. I told you that we needed the necessary approvals. That we needed to find a suitable candidate. I told you I would come for you as soon as the time was right.”

“In the meantime, I was expected to play guessing games. All the while knowing that my family’s money was running out. I’ve changed my mind. Let me go home…please.” My voice has a pleading edge I don’t like.

“You would leave with nothing. Your mother only has three hundred dollars left in the bank.”

I sob, putting a hand in front of my mouth, blinking hard to stop the tears. I knew there wouldn’t be much left, but three hundred bucks is nothing.

“That’s not even enough to cover the rent due at the end of the month, which is in a few short days from now. It certainly isn’t enough to put food on the table. We won’t talk about the cost of your mother’s astronomical medical care. I feel sorry for you, Miss Harris. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders. All of your troubles can disappear just like that…” He clicks his fingers.

I lick my lips, trying hard to remain impassive when my mind is running at a mile a minute. “All the more reason for me to get home so that I can—”

“So that you can do what, exactly? So that you can take a job that pays minimum wage, perhaps? Even if you found two jobs, it wouldn’t be enough to cover your expenses. It won’t work. You know it, and I know it.”

I press my lips together to prevent them from wobbling. He’s right. I hate it, but he’s right on the money. I’m screwed. My family needs me. I don’t have much of a choice at all.

“You don’t have a job to go back to. They replaced you the day after you left. You have no special qualifications. You need me just as much as I need you. We can help each other, Miss Harris.”

I hate this.

“Ten million in my mother’s account or—”

“Not so fast, Miss Harris. You lost the right to negotiate when you went against our deal. When you disobeyed me.” He wags his finger at me.

Asshole!

“What did you expect? It was taking too long. I knew my family wouldn’t cope for much longer, and it turned out it was worse than I ever could have imagined.” I swipe a lone tear off my cheek, anger bubbling up inside me. “Did you expect me to just wait around endlessly?”

I don’t want to be married off to someone I don’t love. I haven’t had much time for dating, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming of a wedding, of being with someone I love, being with someone who loves me back. I dreamed of having children, even though it terrifies me. What if I am like my mom? What if the same thing happens to me? Still, the thought of little feet, milky breath, and chubby cheeks makes me smile inside. It’s confusing wanting something and being terrified of it, all at the same time.

All I know is that this was not supposed to be my fate. What choice do I have? I groan inside, my chest tightening with hurt and frustration.

“Are you listening, Miss Harris? Because I would listen if I were you. This is your last chance. This is it. I was ready to throw you in jail. To throw away the damned key, but Lieutenant Jakes changed my mind. I will send your family five million on the day you say, ‘I do’.”

“ Before I say, ‘I do’, the money needs to be in the bank. I want proof, and it’s ten million.”

“It went down to five when you attempted to escape. If you try that again, there will be no money for your family, but you will be married off, regardless; trust me on that, little missy.” His voice is gruff, and his blue eyes are icy cold. So much so that they give me the creeps. “When you have a healthy baby, I will add another two million. If it’s a girl, I’ll make it three. There is no negotiation.”

“Like I have a say regarding gender,” I mumble, more to myself. Any semblance of control in this situation is slipping fast. “As long as I don’t have to get pregnant right away. I need some time to get to know my new husband…at least a year.” I’m too young to be a mom.

He shrugs. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. Do you accept the new terms? I would say that I am being generous, given the circumstances. I don’t have to give you anything.” He narrows his eyes. “I’m being rather nice. We’ll expedite the whole thing. You will be mated in a matter of weeks, and until then, your mother has her credit card. There isn’t much on it, so we need to move fast at this point.”

I hold back another sob. “You won’t leave me in the dark like you did before?”

“No, I’m sorry that happened. You will be informed every step of the way.”

“Do you swear that my mother will get the five million?” I ask in a small voice.

“I swear it.” He nods, looking solemn. “Do you agree to the mating?”

I nod. “Yes,” I whisper. “What will happen if I don’t like the candidate? What if we don’t get along at all?” It’s been another big fear of mine.

“You will be happy to know that I’ve arranged for you to meet twelve males. You will meet them over the next two weeks, and then you will be expected to choose between them.”

No!

Yes!

Crap!

It’s suddenly very real. I don’t want to do this. I have to. I wish I didn’t have to. My heart thumps. It’s what I’ve been waiting for. Now that it’s here, I’m panicking.

At least I can choose. This has gone better than expected.

“Miss Harris?” He lifts his brows. “My patience is running thin.”

I nod. “Fine. Yes, I accept.”

“Good. There will be no more escape attempts. If you try that again, your family won’t get a penny. You won’t get the luxury of choosing your partner. We have an agreement; let’s stick to it, and in return, your family will receive a large sum of money.”

“We have a deal.” I turn my eyes to the carpet at my feet. I’m ashamed. I feel like a prostitute. Like I’m being trafficked. It’s almost worse that I’m getting money out of the deal. My family will get the money. They will. Not me! I remind myself of that. It will work out in the end. It has to. I’m sure that one of the twelve men…shifters, will be someone I can love or, at the very least, someone I can learn to like. I can do this. I nod, pulling in a deep breath. “It’s acceptable,” I tell him. “I’ll do it.”

When I look up, the general is smiling. “Now you are catching on. Good! Don’t forget that no one should know how you came to the island. They can never find out that I had you kidnapped.”

“I will keep my mouth shut.” I sigh. “But know that I won’t marry anyone until the money is in the bank. Until my family is taken care of.”

“Fair enough, Miss Harris. You know the terms. I am a fair male, but if you break our arrangement, there will be dire consequences. Not just for you, but for your family as well.”

I nod, feeling sick to my stomach.