Page 37

“I do.”

I breathe a sigh of relief as soon as the words leave his lips, but then Xander turns his attention to me.

“Harper Westmore, now is the time for you to gift yourself to Lawson. Be warned: if you do this, you are binding yourself to him until he graduates. You will belong to him—mind, body, and soul—and there will be no way out, even if you want to.”

There’s a seriousness in Xander’s voice that I definitely didn’t hear when he was doing this with the other girls. It’s almost like he’s warning me to walk away now while I can—if only he knew I don’t have that luxury.

Lawson’s grip on my hip tightens to the point it’s almost bruising, and his breath flutters against my ear, making me tremble. “Remember the vows, sweetheart. Say them loud and proud, so they will never doubt you.” His voice is barely above a whisper, so only I can hear it, but it gives me the confidence I need to stand tall and project my voice the way he told me to.

“Everything I have, I gift to you.”

“Everything you give, I claim as mine,” Lawson adds.

“I bind myself to you in every way,” I state, my voice shaking slightly from the intensity of the words.

“Today, I make you mine.”

As soon as the words have left Lawson’s lips, it’s like my whole body reacts to the knowledge that I’m now his. The small hairs on my arms stand on end as a shiver ripples down my spine, my heart thumping so loud I can hear it buzzing in my ears.

Xander takes a step closer to us, before turning to address the room full of people watching our every move. “Before I can declare you as bonded, the Prize must show her unwavering loyalty to her Pledge.”

Before he’s even finished speaking, Lawson grabs a handful of my hair, and I let out a yelp as it tugs on my scalp. Once his grip is firm, he pushes downwards, making it very clear what he expects of me.

“On your knees,” he commands, his voice firm and gravelly.

Without hesitating, I sink to my knees, lowering my gaze so I’m staring at the floor, but Lawson quickly rectifies that by pulling on my hair until I’m facing the crowd once more.

“Don’t lower your eyes unless I tell you to. I want you to look at the room full of people who are here to watch your downfall.” There’s a cruelty to his voice that I wasn’t expecting, and it sets my nerves on edge even more.

I should have insisted he tell me what he has planned for this, as the anticipation may give me a heart attack.

Lawson then projects his voice, addressing the people in the room instead of me. “I’m sure most of you are wondering why someone with my name and status would accept Harper Westmore as a Prize. We’re all very aware that her father is a traitor, and that she’s no longer worth anything in our world.”

His words cut me like a knife, but I keep my head held high, not wanting them to see how much he’s hurting me. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop the tears from welling up, and only when I taste copper am I sure they won’t spill over.

None of these arseholes will ever see me cry!

Not even aware of the pain he’s putting me through, Lawson continues with his speech. “Harper has spent her whole life believing she’s going to be the perfect Order Wife. She’s remained a virgin for that very reason. But today, I’m going to prove to her that she will never be good enough for that. No respectable Obsidian Order member would ever want her as a wife, which leaves her with only one option—to become a whore.”

The room erupts into cheers as grown men whoop and holler like they’re at a sports game and their favourite team has just taken the lead. When in reality, they’re cheering at my downfall, as it suddenly hits me that I’ve made a massive mistake by trusting Lawson.

Lawson tugs on my hair once more, pulling back until I have no choice but to look up at him. He’s staring down at me, a blank face with no expression or emotions visible, and the coldness freezes my veins.

“I want you to tell everyone in this room who you are now.”

He fixes me with his harsh glare; those gorgeous silver eyes of his now empty and cold. I let him see the anger coursing through me as I sneer at him, before turning to face the audience again.

Taking a ragged breath to steady myself, I try to push down the waves of disgust, hoping the words that emerge are what he wants to hear. “I’m Lawson’s Prize—his whore. I’m no longer fit to be anyone’s wife. Being a whore is all I’m good for, and I can’t thank Lawson enough for agreeing to own me.”

The words taste like ash on my tongue, and I have to close my eyes when the audience laughs, taunting me, throwing my own words back at me.

I’ve never felt so low, and the urge to punch Lawson and make a run for it grows with every passing second. But I know I can’t. I’m too far in now; I can’t ever get free.

“I am going to enjoy claiming you as my whore, and I want everyone to know who you belong to.”

As soon as the last word leaves his lips, he pulls me to my feet before dragging me over to the table behind us. I’ve just watched countless women get used on or over this table, and my stomach drops as he pushes me towards it.

“Lie down on your back.”