Chapter 36

My face feels dry when I wake in the morning, dried tears salting my skin. It’s early when I wake, but I use that to my advantage, slipping my robe on, grabbing my wash things and towel, and padding out of my room along to the bathroom for a shower.

I have the space to myself, which I’d expected given how early it is, and I wash the stress of last night away under water so hot my skin is turning pink.

I turn into the spray, facing the wall and letting the water cascade down over my face as I take deep breaths.

“Hello, Cora.”

I scream, falling into the wall and banging my head as a gloved hand is slammed over my mouth to stifle me.

I fight the panic that surges within me, my heart pounding wildly in my chest as I try to catch my breath. I can’t see who it is, but I know it’s him. The one who has been watching me, waiting for his moment to strike.

I’m so, so stupid. Last night I laid in bed, touching myself to the thought of him, but in the cold light of day, I’m terrified of him.

“What do you want?” I manage to choke out when he removes his hand from my mouth.

No answer. Just the sound of his breath against my ear. I struggle, trying to push his arm away, but he only tightens his grip, pulling me closer, away from the wall and back into the stream of water.

It pelts down on my face, and I panic, unable to catch my breath in the torrential, never-ending stream. With one hand, he reaches past me, adjusting the temperature so it’s no longer burning, but he doesn’t let me out of the rushing water.

“Please,” I choke out.

Why is he here? Why now? How did he find me? What does he want?

The water cascades down my body, numbing me, washing away the fear that has gripped me. I struggle in his grasp, but he tightens his grip, pulling me closer to him, and my body responds. My mind responds. It gives in, submits.

“What do you want?” I plead, my voice barely audible over the roar of the water.

He doesn’t answer. Not right away. Instead, he moves his hand to my throat and squeezes gently, like I did last night, and presses his lips to my ear, whispering a phrase that sends a shiver down my spine.

“You belong to me, Cora.”

The words echo in my mind, a cruel reminder of the darkness that has consumed me. I’m powerless against him, and I know it.

He spins me round to face him, and it’s like the last six months never happened. He’s here, in my shower stall, dressed exactly like he always did, staring at me impassively through his enigmatic mask.

With a trembling hand, but feeling emboldened, I reach up and attempt to remove his mask, desperate to see his face, to understand the monster who controls my every move. But he grabs my wrist, his grip firm and unyielding.

“No,” he growls. “You’ll see me only when I choose to let you.”

His words somehow give me hope. Someday he plans to reveal himself to me. But…when?

It’s an impossible cruelty that just as I’m on the brink of happiness with Slater, he reappeared to remind me why I can never be happy with someone who’s as good as my stepbrother.

His fingers trail a path down my neck, sending shivers coursing through my body. I struggle to break free, but his grip only tightens.

“Please,” I whimper, the desperation thick in my voice. “Let me go,” I beg, not meaning a word of it. My words should have been, please use me, remind me why I’m yours, show me that you’ve missed me too.

He leans in, raising his mask just enough to reveal his lips, and kisses me again, his lips brushing against my temple. “I’ll let you go when I decide you’ve suffered enough.”

I don’t want him to let me go though. I want him to make me his.

With that, he releases me, stepping back to let the water continue to pummel me. My heart is racing, and I can feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. But I can’t deny the desire that still smolders within me, even amidst the fear.

“Who are you?” I croak, trying to gain some semblance of control.

He chuckles, the sound sinister in the confined space. “Does it really matter, Cora?”

I shake my head, feeling like I’ve been through enough. “I want to know you. I want to understand why you do this to me.”

He steps closer, his body heat enveloping me. “I do this because you belong to me. You’re part of me now, whether you like it or not.”

I swallow hard, then manage to ask, “How do I belong to you?”

His gaze intensifies, as if I’ve touched on a deep, dark part of myself. “You belong to me in your mind, in your body, in your very soul. I am in you, and you are in me. That is the only way it can be.”

I take a deep breath, trying to process his words. They’re both terrifying and exhilarating, like a rollercoaster ride that leaves me breathless and begging for more. But there’s no turning back now. I’m his, and there’s nothing I can do to change that.

He smirks, the expression sending shivers down my spine. “Now, you know who I am. On your knees.”

I hesitate, but then obey, dropping to my knees before him. His posture reflects his satisfaction as he steps closer.

I suppress a shiver and look up at him, meeting his gaze. “What do you want from me?” I manage to choke out, my voice shaking with fear and desire.

His gaze never wavering, he leans down and whispers in my ear. “I want you to accept your place in my world, Cora. To let go of all other attachments, all other desires, and embrace only me. You belong to me, and you will serve me faithfully.”

My heart pounds in my chest as I think of Slater. I’m torn. I want what the masked man is offering, but to give myself to him entirely? I don’t know if I can do it.

The water cascades down my body, washing away any remnants of my resistance. With a quivering lip, I nod, accepting my fate.

He reaches down, grabbing the back of my head with a firm grip, his fingers digging into my scalp, pain and pleasure mingling as he forces my head back, exposing my throat.

“Good,” he hisses. “Let me make sure you remember who your owner is.”

Without releasing me, he uses his other hand to free his cock, and as soon as he’s exposed, I’m leaning forward eagerly, lips parted in anticipation before he can yank me to him.

I don’t know the exact moment when I lost control, but I know that it was instant. All thoughts of Slater vanish, replaced by the raw hunger for this man before me. As his cock head brushes against my lips, I open my mouth even wider to accept it, feeling his throbbing length fill me.

He pushes deeper, and I meet him with equal force, swallowing him whole until he is buried deep inside my throat. His grip on my hair tightens, and a guttural moan escapes him, mingling with the sound of the cascading water.

His thrusts become more urgent, and my head bangs against the shower wall with each one. The masked man grunts, his breathing ragged as he takes control.

Finally, he groans out a warning, his hips stuttering as pleasure washes over him. “Now,” he growls, “that’s it.”

His seed fills my throat, and I swallow it greedily, eager to please him.

As soon as he’s finished, he pulls away and releases me. I try to stand but stumble, my legs weak from the intensity of our encounter.

“Remember who you belong to, Cora,” he threatens, turning and disappearing from my shower stall, leaving me alone, my skin still prickling with sensation.

I remain in the shower for what feels like hours, trying to process everything that has happened, once again. Eventually, sounds in the bathroom outside shake me out of my trance, and I shut off the water and dry myself.

Wrapped in just a towel, with another wrapped in my hair, and carrying my pajamas and shower things, I pad back along the corridor to my bedroom. Slipping inside, I close the door and lean back against it, shutting my eyes and taking several deep breaths.