Ella’s POV
The beauty of the angel shocked me. Despite the scars on her body-which I was curious to know how she had gotten-she still looked ravishing.
I felt pity for her and moved forward. “Good evening.” I smiled as I greeted her.
She hissed and turned away from me. I wasn’t surprised and didn’t blame her. If I was locked up in a land that wasn’t home, I would also hate everyone.
I wasn’t going to give up on her though. I had a task and this tray with me had to go back with the contents eaten. Even it wasn’t because of an assignment, I wasn’t going to leave the angel until I was sure that she had eaten.
I smiled, shifting closer to the gate barring her. “My name is Ella. I’m just like you so you don’t have to be harsh. You don’t have to hate me. We both miss home.”
“I’m a werewolf, captured and brought here like you are. I also don’t belong here. Think we can form a bond?”
I glanced at her but she didn’t budge. She was determined to pretend like I didn’t exist.
I didn’t mind. It would be stupid to assume that I could make friends with her that easily.
I tried again. “You don’t have to talk to me but you have to eat. If you really want to go back home, you need strength so you can escape when the opportunity shows up.”
She didn’t answer. I sighed, already getting frustrated.
“You have to eat. I won’t leave until you do so if you want me gone, take a bite.” I said, pushing the tray to her.
I stood there, looking at her and wondering if she would eat just to humor me. I would never know if she eventually ate the food as the butler came back that time.
He narrowed his eyes at me and from the look on his face, I was sure he had heard me persuading the hostile beautiful angel to eat.
“What nonsense are you doing?” He barked at me.
I saw how the angel winced at the loudness in his voice and hid a smile. Finally, we could both agree on something. It seemed she hated the butler as much as I hated him. He was one of those who got high and went on power trips from riding on the wings of a powerful person. I didn’t doubt he would be maltreating the staff and doing what the count didn’t ask him to.
“You told me to feed them.” I said, straightening from where I was squatting and dusted my palms.
He snorted. “I told you to bring food for them. I didn’t ask you to make sure they eat it. That is their problem if they don’t want to eat.” He hissed, mumbling under his breath. “I don’t know why people love to do unnecessary things. Do you know how long I waited outside, waiting for you to be done? You were meant to drop the food and come outside. Don’t you dare make me. Wait again. I won’t take it lightly with you next time.”
“Yes, sir.”
He smirked. “Don’t you dare think you can give me an attitude because the count likes you?”
I rolled my eyes. They should all stop saying that as if I begged to have the count’s unwanted attention.
For all I care, the other ladies desperate for him can have him for as long as their enslavement would last.
The butler scoffed at me and turned to the entrance. “Let’s get out of here.” He said and escorted me out of the basement.
I took a peek at the angel to see if she was eating but she hadn’t touched the tray. She seemed more depressed than she had been when I got in. I sighed as I walked out, hoping that she eat eventually.
The only time I loved here finally came. I sighed as I jumped into my bed, staring outside the window at the twinkling bright stars and grateful I was done with the stress of the day.
It must have been hard for those ladies here for them to accept their fates as slaves.
I smiled. Lucy finally decided to show up. She had been silent for the past few days I wondered if she was sulking that we were captured or still dealing with the effects of the tranquilizer.
“Are you supporting them?” I hissed at the memory of how they have treated me.
Of course not. I’m only wondering why they acted that way.
“What else? They are weak.”
Don’t say that. There must be something here we need to figure out.
“I don’t care, Lucy. I want to be here as fast as I can. You are not the one doing laundry, dishes, cooking and doing hard tasks I never thought I would do in my life. I miss the feel of herbs running through my fingers.”
I know you do. Let’s find a way to be out of here. I don’t want be a sex slave.
“We won’t.” I reassured Lucy. I could feel her shuddering in distaste and I felt the same way.
I would never be a sex slave. I would never sleep with the count. I couldn’t. I was a mated wolf and sleeping with another male was a taboo.
“I will find a way to get us out of here even if I die trying.” I spoke with more confidence than I felt. I couldn’t help it though. I had to be strong.
Don’t die trying. Kevin will be devastated if he loses you.
I blinked back tears at the mention of Kevin. I wondered how he was doing and if he knew that I was no longer with the wolves of the Blue River pack.
I snorted. He wouldn’t know that I left the Blue River pack to be with him, not after the way I had embarrassed and rejected him to stay behind in the presence of everyone.
Find a way that will keep us alive, Ella. Don’t get caught. That might be why that angel is locked up.
I nodded. I wouldn’t get caught. I admitted that Lucy could be right. The angel might be locked up because she was trying to escape. That could be why she didn’t respond when I told her to eat so she could have the strength to escape.
She had had that hope and probably now regretted it. She didn’t want to go down that path again. She must have hated me when I mentioned home to her and dared to give her hope.
“I had no idea you were also curious about the angel.”
Lucy snorted. Why wouldn’t I be? A beautiful creature like that is locked up. It would be inhumane to not care.
I laughed. “Lucy, are you trying to make jokes? You are not human but a wolf.”
She went quiet and I could feel her sulking. I was amused and grateful that I had her. I would have been in a lot of despair if she wasn’t there for me to talk to.
“Lucy, are you mad at me?”
Go to bed, Ella.
“Good night, Lucy.” I replied, tucking myself in bed and smiling as I felt the warmth in her voice.
The next day, the butler summoned me to the count’s room and dressed me in revealing clothes. I felt naked and self-conscious that another man was seeing how I looked underneath a dress. I might as well be invisible to the butler. He didn’t act like I was a woman and was only concerned with how I looked in the lacy gown he had me wear.
He really lived his life for the count.
“Should I let you wear red instead of black?” He pursed his lips, stroking his chin as he looked at me like one would stare at a difficult puzzle.
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Does it matter what color I wear? I’m almost naked. It’s not like the other gown will cover my flesh if it is another color.”
“Hush, slave.” He snapped at me.
“I think this is good. You have to wear this in the next one hour when the count calls for you.”
One hour? I smiled to myself. I had more than enough time to avoid being a sex slave. Ever since I had overheard them talking about me being used as a sex slave, I had been working on a plan that would allow me escape that path.
I rushed to the garden, found what I was looking for and ran back to my room before anyone found me there.
The butler came back to my room to my room and I was ready for him. I had put on the disgustingly seductive dress he told me to wear and covered myself with a bathrobe so I wouldn’t have to walk naked through the hallway.
We got to the count’s room. The butler knocked once, opened the door and shoved me in.
I stood in there, staring at the count as he looked at me, lust shining in his eyes.
“You are beautiful.” He smiled, running his tongue over his lips.
I didn’t respond. I didn’t think he needed me to answer and I didn’t feel like talking to him.
“I can’t wait to have my way with you.” He leered, rubbing his palms together. “Come here.”
I moved forward but stayed an inch away from his reach.
He smiled. “You are being a tease, right? That makes the view better.” He chuckled. “I knew we were going to have a lot of fun together when I saw you.”
In your dreams, I snorted.
“I must say I spent my money well.” He ran his eyes over the full length of my body. “Undress.”
I slipped the bathrobe off my shoulders and let it slide to the floor. I glanced down at my body, praying to see what I expected.
I had never been so happy to see rashes as I saw my skin covered up with red rashes.
The count was disgusted. “What is this?”
“Rashes.” I said calmly.
He gave me a chilling look and hissed at me. “I know what they are. I’m not stupid. Why are they on your body? Why today?”
“I don’t know.” I lied, fighting hard to keep the victorious smile from my face.
He ran his hand through his hair and blew out an annoyed breath. “You know what? Get out.” He barked, pointing at the door. “Get out of here right this minute. I don’t want to see you nor the disgusting thing on your body.”
“Yes, sir.” I replied, bending down to pick the bathrobe on the floor. I slipped it back on my body and walked out of the room, smiling to myself.
He was never going to find out that I had discreetly used pollen to smear my skin and cause the rash. I would rather be known as someone with skin rashes than sleep with someone other than my mate.
I groaned as I rubbed the antidote on my skin to reduce the rashes, admitting how much I missed Kevin.