“Stay still,” Andrei whispers. His voice is so calm and soft, as if he is scared to startle me. He reaches for the bedside table and I glance to the side. Grabbing a hairbrush, he opens his legs, and raises an eyebrow, expecting me to do something.
I let out a breath and carefully sit on the mattress, between his legs.
“I used to have long hair like yours. My father hated it, so I cut it off a few years ago, when it was about this length,” he muses, slowly brushing my hair.
I try to picture him with really long hair. His hair is to his shoulders, and he always keeps it pulled back, and neatly styled. To try to picture him with hair the length of mine is a bit hard.
Mine sits past my butt and is a pain in the ass, literally, especially when I accidentally sit on it. I shiver as he runs the brush through my hair.
Though Andrei’s actions might be considered innocent and done out of goodwill, the process brings back the memories I tried to bury. I used to love it when my mother played with my hair when she was alive.
“I need to cut it. It is getting too long,” I comment. The weight is getting ridiculous and caring for long hair isn’t easy either.
“I can cut it for you tomorrow, if you want,” he offers, and I nod.
Andrei places the brush down, and I’m more than ready to end this show of fake affection, when his fingers glide over my scalp and I freeze.
It takes him ages, but he never complains. I almost fall asleep while he is busy playing with my hair.
“Can I go outside tomorrow?” I ask and yawn loudly.
Andrei pauses, grabs the hair tie from the bedside table, and ties my new braid in place. He lets out a loud sigh. “Will you run again?” He asks, and I shake my head. He leans forward and presses his chin on my shoulder. I shudder at the sensation of his breath on my neck. “Let me mark you,” he whispers, turning my face towards his. My eyes widen, I can’t utter a word, but it seems that Andrei sees no problem with my silence as he speaks again. “Let me mark you, and you can come and go as you please. I know I can always find you then.”
If my eyes weren’t wide enough earlier, now they are twice the size as I stare at him, unable to believe what he just said. “But I will go into heat,” I whimper, and he nods.
“Is that a bad thing, Sage? We are mates after all. Eventually, all mates mark each other, experience heat, and have sex. Sooner or later we would, too.” he states.
Of course, he could think like that, sex is all Andrei wants from me. However, if I have my way, I am never having sex again. After all, the whole process is nothing but a painful and humiliating experience.
“What is it?” Andrei asks once I stiffen.
“I’m not having sex with you.” I blurt out, shaking my head to emphasize how serious I am.
“To complete the mating process, we have to have sex, Sage. I get that they did horrid things to you, but I am not them, and I will not hurt you.” Andrei argues.
But now, even Sierra starts doubting Andrei’s words. He is going too far, too fast. And to make matters worse, I can hear Donnie pestering Sierra and wanting answers from her.
I shift my weight to move off the mattress and create some much-needed distance between Andrei and I, but he growls and pulls me closer, his arms tightening around me. As soon as he does that, I growl at Sierra when I hear her answering his wolf.
“Sex isn’t supposed to hurt, and you shouldn’t be uncomfortable, Sage. I am not them, so you don’t have to worry about that. I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do, not when it comes to your body. I will take you for a run tomorrow, but you stay around Donnie. I just need to head into town in the morning. We will go when I get back,” Andrei adds, finally letting me go.
Andrei pulls the blanket back and climbs under the covers. I lay down on my side, away from him. I am used to his presence now. Sleep no longer scares me, and I know most of the time he hardly sleeps. I can hear him moving around the place during the night. Sometimes he heads down to the basement or locks himself into the room down the hall, with all the TV screens.
As I wake up in the morning, I realize he is already gone. Andrei’s side of the bed is cold, and the house is eerily quiet. It’s unsettling, a little creepy even.
I get up and quickly use the bathroom. Then I brush my teeth and consider brushing my hair too, but decide the braid can stray.
When I am done with everything, I slink downstairs to the kitchen. My stomach rumbles as I think about toast for breakfast, but as I reach for the bread, my attention is caught by a groan coming from the basement.
Taking a step toward the kitchen, I freeze on the spot when I hear the noise again. My subconscious is eating at me. If I chose to ignore the poor victim, trapped down there, what would that make me? I would hate it if someone ignored my cries for help.
I stop, forgetting the hunger, and peer at the kitchen door. “Don’t!” Sierra warns when I hear it again.
I rush to the basement door and press my ear against it while holding my breath, listening. Whoever it is, they are in pain but still alive.
“They’re alive, Sierra.” I whisper.
I twist the handle, and unsurprisingly, it is locked.