Chapter 51

Alex reclined on his cot along the wall of the cellar, reading. Greg and Erich were playing cards on Greg’s cot. Seth was drawing and Tony napped. A single lightbulb hanging from the middle of the cement room provided the only light and Alex had to position himself just-so on his bed to see the words in the first-edition leather-bound Russian copy of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

They’d been in the room for about a day and a half. It was chilly, quiet, and boring. No window allowed them to gauge the passing hours. Only the silent digital clock on the wall and each man’s breathing gave any indication of the passage of time. No sounds crept through the thick stone walls or heavy steel door. Every time Greg or Erich moved their cards, it sounded as if they were scraping rough metal poles together. Alex could even hear the scratch of Seth’s pencil against the drawing paper.

Enough food sat on the shelves for at least a week, along with several jugs of water. There was even a small, plumbed toilet in the corner. It was a good toilet; no smells escaped once flushed, though privacy was severely lacking. But the men had been together long enough to not be bothered by the sight or sound of one another taking a moment—or more—to relieve themselves.

Everyone jumped at the clack of the bolt moving in the door. It swung open silently and they looked up as one.

“Hello, boys.”

Devin strolled inside and looked around, an amused smile on his face. “Nice place.”

Alex growled, jumped to his feet, and charged the Elder. “Why you fucking?—?”

Two guards appeared in the doorway, their rifles brandished and pointing directly at Alex. He skidded to a stop, but then grinned at Devin. “You can’t fucking kill me, you bastard.”

Devin tilted his head. “You’re right.” He waved his hand and the guards shifted their aim to the other men in the group. “You’ve lost enough men since you’ve been here. Do you really want to lose two more?”

Alex gritted his teeth and balled his fists, fighting the urge to not jump on the other man and beat him to a pulp. Devin moved and Alex caught sight of... something. Something was different about the man. Subtle, but definitely different. But try as he might, he couldn’t identify the change.

“It’d be worth it, Alex,” Seth growled from behind him.

No. It wouldn’t. And it was a battle he couldn’t win. On top of that, hurting Devin would hurt Anna. He blew out a breath and relaxed. A tiny bit. “What do you want?”

“You know your accent has become even more pronounced? I can barely understand you.”

Alex growled again and didn’t make any effort to clear his speech. “What the hell do you want, you fucking bastard?”

Devin arched a brow. “You’re not surprised to see me?”

Alex frowned. “I already figured out you orchestrated the entire thing.”

“Really?”

“The guards forget I speak Russian.” He looked around the room. If looks could kill, Devin would be dead four times over. It was tempting to allow his men to do the pummeling, to keep Anna from being hurt, but they couldn’t beat the speed of a bullet coming out of a rifle. Especially with their past injuries.

Devin smiled. “I knew you were a smart man. I’m glad.” He gave a mock bow. “Victory over an imbecile wouldn’t be quite as satisfying.”

Alex gritted his teeth.

“Look at it this way. At least you know that you’ll eventually be freed. Once I perform the final ritual with Anna...” He shrugged. “There’s no reason for you to be kept prisoner any longer.”

Alex growled, irritated that the man wouldn’t answer his question. “What do you want?”

Devin strolled around the room, looking at the shelves of food along the wall and tapping the plastic jugs of water with his foot. “Just wanted to see how you were holding up.”

Alex crossed his arms over his chest.

Devin walked to Seth and put his hand on his head. Seth froze, his eyes wide, and stared up at Devin from his cot.

Alex drew his brows together. What was going on? Seth would never let Devin touch him.

Devin slid his hand down Seth’s temple. “Stand.”

Alex lunged toward Devin, but he held up his hand and Alex hit an invisible wall. “Touch him or me and the guard over there will put a bullet in his head.”

Alex fisted his hands and watched in horror as Devin leaned forward to whisper into Seth’s ear. Seth closed his eyes and unfastened his jeans, letting them drop to the floor. Devin grasped Seth’s soft cock and looked back at Alex, a triumphant grin on his face, then stroked Seth to hardness. Seth moaned and closed his eyes.

“Why don’t you kneel and let me fuck you?” Devin spoke softly, hypnotically.

Alex swallowed as the Elder’s words swirled around him. He tried to shake his head, but he couldn’t move, and he watched helplessly as Seth obeyed Devin.

There was nothing sensual about what Devin did to Seth. Alex and the others were paralyzed, unable to aid their friend or even avert their gaze as Devin took him without mercy. Seth screamed in pain as Devin forced himself into his body without preparation or lube. Alex held his breath, praying Devin wouldn’t kill him with his spikes, but it seemed Devin only wanted to torment Seth, not kill him.

When Devin finished, he stood and turned to Alex. “Do you think Anna feels our pleasure?” he asked, stepping close.

Alex swallowed, still frozen in place. What the hell was going on? Why couldn’t he, or the others, move and fight the bastard?

Devin motioned to Seth. “I could hurt him all I wanted and Anna wouldn’t be affected. Only you.”

Seth whimpered and buried his face in the rough wool blankets on the bed.

Devin slid a finger over Alex’s temple and a rush of warmth spread through his body. “Kneel and submit, Alexander Kunzberg, Elder-Son of Hessen.”

Alex’s mind screamed to fight back, but his body obeyed.

Devin accepted a tube of lube from the guard and spread it over himself. “Wouldn’t want Anna to be hurt by this.”

Alex grunted as Devin entered his body. He and his men had been here for many years and the Dirne were rarely brought up to visit, so they made do amongst themselves. Seth would be worse off if they hadn’t.

Devin leaned forward, pressing his head against Alex’s. “Anna was reunited with your family tonight. Who do you think she’s fucking right now? Your brother or your father?” He wrapped his hand around Alex’s cock and Alex closed his eyes. “Do you think she’s feeling my pleasure or yours? Or both while she fucks your father and brother?” He chuckled. “Or maybe both at the same time.”

Alex hung his head, trying to ignore Devin’s words, but the images danced in his mind regardless. And fuck, Devin was making it feel good. He fisted his hands into the blanket. He didn’t want to enjoy what Devin was doing to him.

Suddenly, his body and cock exploded in orgasm under Devin’s firm grasp and he cried out, gasping for air and shaking with the intensity of the sensation.

Devin thrust hard, emptying himself into Alex’s body, and then chuckled. He stood and Alex heard him fastening his jeans. “Thank you for that, Alex. Your submission was a gift I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

Devin walked away. The metal door slammed shut a moment later and Alex slumped to the floor, the cement cold against his bare hip.

He heard footsteps behind him and someone helped him back into his bed.

“Seth . . .”

“Tony and Erich have him,” Greg said in a low voice. “We have a first aid kit. He’ll be okay. Are you?”

Alex squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face with his hands. “He made me like it.” He opened his eyes and stared up at Greg. “How the hell did he do that? How the hell did he get that kind of power?”

Alex’s breath caught in his throat, his mind racing to grasp the reality of what he’d just said. The pieces fell together, forming a sinister puzzle that explained Devin’s unnerving control of the American Elders and the submissive compliance of himself and his father. And who knew who else? Anger surged through his body, his fists clenching into the blankets.

Anna, his beloved Anna, was being stripped of her powers—her very essence—by that tyrant. Shock mingled with sorrow and rage. He couldn’t fathom the depth of cruelty Devin was capable of, using Anna in such a way.

Yet, amidst his fury, a haunting sense of helplessness engulfed him. Devin had grown powerful. Too powerful. What chance did anyone have against his unstoppable might? It was like facing an inevitable storm, knowing full well it was going to destroy everything in its path but being powerless to stop it.

His jaw tightened, resolve hardening within. He vowed to himself to find a way to escape. For Anna’s sake, and for the sake of the entire world.