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“Stop fighting this.” he snarled.
I felt his weight then, pinning me down as he whispered in my ear. The tears that had I had been able to hold back finally fell down over my face as he spoke, “I want you, and no one else will have you. You’re mine. The more you fight me, the more you’ll have to endure.” The bite to my ear had me yelping in pain. I felt him then. Having lined himself up at my entrance.
“Kaston, please don’t. Please.”
The tears streamed down my face in a hot trail as I pleaded with him, my voice trembling with each word. But he didn't seem to care, not about my fear, my tears, or me. I couldn't see his face, but I could hear the snort of contempt as he spoke.
“Oh Serra,” he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Relax and enjoy it. You liked it once, remember? I know I did.”
His words made me sick to my stomach. How could he be so callous, so cruel? He didn't care, all that mattered to him was his own pleasure and his own twisted desires. I struggled to breathe as his weight pressed down on me again, his hot breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine. I tried to push him away again, to push him off of me, but his grip was too strong. My mind raced as I searched for a way out of this nightmare, but I was helpless against him.
My heart raced in my chest, and my breathing quickened as I waited for what was about to happen. His hand moved between my legs, and I felt a surge of panic. I closed my eyes, unable to bear the thought of him violating me in this manner. My body went numb, my senses disconnecting from the world around me as I waited for him to take me- to claim me as his own once more.
But it never came.
A thud in the back of my mind and a growl of displeasure ripped through the room. I heard the knocks then, pulling me from my stupor. The pressure of his grip subsided slightly as Kaston bellowed, “What?!”
Caine’s voice flitted through the door- firm but calm. “Kaston, mother and father are looking for you.”
“I’ll be just a moment, Caine!”
“NowKaston.” I could hear the dark tone in Caine’s own voice.
The groan of frustration that rippled through Kaston as he pushed off me, stuffing himself back in his trousers. He gripped my hair in his fingers, the force causing my back to arch against him, “Not at word, Serra. Or the next time it’ll be far worse for you.”
His grip loosen as he took a step back, giving me space to stand upright. I watched as he strode towards the door and wrenched it open with a forceful tug. Caine was standing there on the other side, his eyes shining. His gaze followed his brother as he barged past him before finally settling on me. My mask had been lost somewhere during the struggle and my hair was tangled and unkempt. My dress was now in disarray and a bruise had started to form on my arm.
I saw the sadness in Caine's eyes, and it triggered a fresh wave of tears. Caine beckoned for me to follow him as he picked up my mask off the floor. “It’s going to be alright. Do not let them see you cry, Serra. Do not show them weakness. Kaston is a monster.”
He placed the mask back on my face after wiping away my tears, straightened out my dress and fixed my hair. A small act of kindness after the terror I had just gone through. His fingers found mine as he squeezed a small smile spreading across his face. He placed my hand in the crook of his arm, before escorting me back to the ballroom.
He was quiet as he spoke, “Strength is our guild. Without it, we’re weak, we are fragile. To show strength, means you are not without fear. But we do not let it rule us. Do not let the fear win out.”
I learned something in that moment as his words settled in around me, something I should have learned before. Something that caused my blood to go cold. I did not have the strength or skill set to defend myself from anymore of Kaston’s advances. I was at his mercy, I was his victim. His pursuit would continue until he got what he wanted and he was not the type to be told no.
I stared up into Caine’s eyes, the golden brown color that he shared with his brother. I did not feel scared and I did not want to flee. This man, this man who shared Kaston’s blood, was nothing like his brother. In his presence, I felt safe. His eyes sparkled as he smiled down at me again, leaving me wondering how far the apple had fallen from the tree with Kaston.
ChapterTen
SERRA
Acrowd had formed in front of a small group of people. Lord and Lady Conwell stood at the center with Kaston flanked between them. Lady Conwell wore a beaming smile of pride, while Lord Conwell looked as though he was already bored and yearned to disappear into a glass of brandy. However, it was the young woman standing next to Kaston that caught my attention.
She was the same one I had seen with him the other day, and I could only guess who she was, Cressida. Despite her petite frame, she stood confidently beside him, her blonde hair and blue eyes shining. What struck me was that none of them were wearing masks, and it appeared that a new theme was starting to emerge. Those who wore masks lingered in groups, whispering behind their ornate disguises.
While those who did not- stayed close to their respective partners or hovered near the edges of the ballroom, scanning the room with interest. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and expectation, and it was clear that something more than just a simple social gathering was taking place.
Lady Conwell was cunning, she clearly had crafted a matchmaking ball with every intention of bringing together couples who would be advantageous to each other's social and financial status. The idea made me ill, was this her plan the whole time? I still wasn’t sure why she had picked me to begin with. Why choose me at all in the first place? The feeling of being watched returned as I stood there and pondered what she was up to. I could feel the eyes on me as I scanned the room looking for whoever it was. But it wasn’t until my eyes snagged on Kaston again that I felt small.
His own eyes had scanned the crowd a couple of times before finding me and locked onto mine. I could feel the way they simmered with rage, could feel the lethal air that came off of him having found me standing next to Caine. His eyes burned brighter seeing my hand in Caine’s arm.
I caught the smug look on his brother’s face at Kaston’s displeasure. Only realizing now this was a competition for them. And I was the object they fought over. The fury and violence that radiated off Kaston had me pulling my hand free. Caine picked my hand up and tucked it back into the crook of his arm. Rubbing his thumb along the top to steady my shaking.
“Stand up to him, Serra.” He whispered.
“I did. And look where it found me.”
“He does not own you.” He looked down at me then, his eyes soft behind his mask. “Kaston is selfish and jealous. Always has been. Mother dotes upon him because he’s the baby. He’s spoiled; she created the monster that lives inside him.”
