Page 73 of Silver

As soon as she’s facing the gate, her arms and legs exactly where they belong, Daphne leans her head forward and opens her mouth to accept the bit.

“I’m so proud of you, little slut. You’ve come so far. I think you’re going to enjoy the surprise I have for you.” I fasten the bit, blindfold her, restrain her, and lock her in the kennel. “Be back in a while.”

She’s so beautiful that I have to pause and look at her. She’s drooling, but she’s not in distress like she was the first several days. I’ve often wondered how I will feel once I have her trained in a way that following my orders is second nature. Will I grow bored? Will I need to increase the stakes in order to get a buzz out of her fear and tears?

As I stare at her, I think not. Our dynamic has shifted. It turns out her unquestioning obedience makes my cock just as hard as her reluctance and tears used to. I like a combination of both.

Dragging myself away, I head downstairs to heat something for dinner. I freeze as soon as I step into the kitchen. All four of my brothers are standing around the room, arms crossed, as if they’ve been waiting for me.

“Are you planning to keep her?” Talon asks.

I match their stances, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall, just inside the room. “Yes.”

Lucien narrows his gaze. “Just because Rook claimed a woman, doesn’t mean you had to. Did you do this to get back at him for pranking your sister?”

I flinch. “I don’t see what one has to do with the other. Daphne is not Rook’s sister. And, yes, I pranked her. And, no, I didn’t meet her after Rook brought Bri to the house. I met Daphne weeks ago.”

Talon narrows his gaze. “Lucien and I have only seen glimpses of her in passing. It seems like you have a tight rein on her.”

I nod. “I do. For now.” I won’t cow to my brothers. I keep my head held high.

Rook scowls. “How do you know she won’t go to the police?”

I roll my eyes. “How do you know Briana won’t?”

Rook smirks. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

After shoving off the wall, I plant my hands on my hips. “You lied to my sister and terrorized her for weeks. I’d say you’re fucking lucky she didn’t press charges.”

Dante hasn’t spoken yet. He knows the most. Not because I’ve told him anything, but because he’s been in my room. He’s seen the setup. He lifts a brow. “Does she know you pranked her yet?”

“No. And none of you are going to fucking tell her, either.”

“She’s going to lose her shit!” Rook shouts. “Just like Briana did. It took a lot of fucking groveling on my part to earn her trust back. You should learn from my mistakes. Instead, you’re keeping this girl enslaved in your room.”

“She goes to classes,” I growl in response.

Lucien chuckles sardonically. “It doesn’t seem to me she’s free to roam the campus. You walk her to her classes and back home. I bet you stand outside the door and wait for her. Did you threaten her?”

I don’t answer his question. “Listen, I have things under control. When she’s ready, I’ll assimilate her into family dinners.”

I shift my attention to Dante and point a finger at him. He looks uncomfortable, running a hand over the top of his head. “Don’t you fucking judge me,” I warn. After all, he’s toying with a woman, too. He has no room to talk.

The truth is, all five of us are fucked up. Through no fault of our own, we carry the weight of a tremendous amount of shit in our heads. We saw and did things before the age of eighteen that most people don’t face in a lifetime.

Dante sighs before glancing around the room. “I’m stalking a woman, too,” he admits. I’m probably the only person he’s told until now.

Lucien groans. “Is this a pandemic?”

Talon chuckles. “Seems like it. So the house rule of terrorizing one random freshman each fall and never contacting her again is obliterated.”

“It would seem that way,” Lucien responds.

“Fine,” Talon retorts. “All bets are off then.” He pops his knuckles and leaves the room.

Lucien follows. They act like they have women in mind and are holding back. I have no evidence that it’s true, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Rook is staring at me. “You’re sure she’s not going to fucking rat you out?”