The Life of Anna, Part 4: Ensnared

by Marissa Honeycutt

  She cursed and yelled and screamed at him, using all her strength to escape. She had almost slipped away when two other men ran in and grabbed her. Each held her by an arm and Ian held her legs, panting. There was a bruise on Ian’s face where she had gotten in a swing.

  She continued to struggle, once again almost freeing herself when more men came in and put cuffs on her wrists and ankles and chained her, spread eagle, to her bed. She continued to curse and scream, yanking at the chains, making them dig into the wood of the bed.

  Ian stood over her with a bewildered look on his face as she pulled and cursed at him. He looked in alarm as a crack was developing at the bottom bedpost and shouted something at one of the men who ran out of the room.

  Anna heard the crack and looked down at her feet. She grinned maniacally and gave a great yank with her leg, and the bedpost cracked and fell over. Ian leapt forward and kept it from falling on her. She continued to kick and scream. The other post was cracking and he lay down on her legs, but her rage consumed her, making her stronger than she’d ever been before and she kicked him off.

  Her arms weren’t nearly as strong as her legs and all she could do was pull at them. A searing pain shot through her arm from her right elbow at one yank and she screamed in pain and frustration when her right arm wouldn’t work anymore.

  The man Ian had yelled at rushed back in with a syringe. Anna saw it and screamed in primal frustration. Three men held her down as Ian pushed it into her neck. A moment later she felt dizzy and her eyelids drooped.

  Thirty seconds later, she was still.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Devin looked around the destroyed room. Glass lay everywhere. One bedpost lay diagonally on the bed, another one had a thick crack running halfway up the post. The wood was worn away at the top where her arms had been cuffed.

  He turned to Ian and looked at the bruises on his face and arms. “She did all this?” he asked, bemused.

  Ian nodded. “She was like a wild animal. I’d never seen anything like it.”

  It had taken multiple men as strong as Ian to subdue her. A twinge of fear ran through Devin’s body and he quickly pushed it aside. He would fear no woman. He needed to subdue Anna and subdue her quickly, before she realized what she had done.

  “Have the room cleaned up and put back together as best as can be,” Devin said, looking at the shattered mirror and window. He shuddered. This hadn’t been expected. He needed to stop it before it got out of hand. “Where is she?”

  “Shackled in the dungeon. She was still passed out when you arrived, but it won’t last for much longer.”

  Devin nodded. “Make sure the gossip isn’t spread. I don’t need the other girls getting unhealthy ideas in their head.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “She’s healed?”

  “Her arm? No, sir. I didn’t want to do that without your permission.”

  “Her arm? What happened to her arm?”

  “I believe she dislocated it when she was pulling against the chains.”

  Devin frowned. “No. Leave it be for now. But the rest of her? From the abortion?”

  “Yes, sir. She’s fine as far as that goes. Physically.”

  Devin nodded. “Good. Give orders for the room and then meet me in the dungeon with the juice. I will not allow her to think that what she did is okay.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room, heading down to the dungeon.

  *****

  Devin took a deep breath before opening the heavy wooden door to the dungeon. It was dimly lit, with stone walls and sconces that gave a dull yellow light. It was good for setting the mood for torture.

  Anna lay on the floor across the room. She was naked, lying on her side with one arm stretched upward to cushion her head. One leg curled up towards her chest and the other stretched out below. Her wrists and ankles were shackled and attached to thick chains coming out of the wall. Her arms and upper body were covered in bruises and cuts.

  She was sleeping, or at least he thought she was. Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths and her eyes were closed. But as he walked forward, he saw her body tense slightly. Maybe she wasn’t asleep. He paused and watched, but she didn’t relax again.

  He eyed the chains and shackles again. They were made from thick metal, not often used anymore, but Devin was glad to have them. He’d used them on Alex. Devin smiled at the irony.

  “Anna?” he said softly.

  Her eyes snapped opened and he could see the wildness in them. They glowed green in the dim room as she stared at him with such hate it almost gave him chills. Almost. Devin lifted his chin in defiance. He would not be intimidated by a little girl. He moved to the side of the room and pulled a bullwhip from the wall. She watched his movements and gave a small shudder when he turned around, whip in hand.

  Devin smiled. Her sweet, human nature was still there; she still feared the bite of the whip. For a moment, he saw the fear in her eyes and then she shook her head and it disappeared, replaced with the glowing, green rage. She sat up slowly, her chest heaving beneath her perfect breasts. Her nipples were tight and dark and the thought of subduing her made Devin’s cock twitch. Yes, he would subdue her and then rape her. How satisfying would that be? Make her cry out in passion as he took her body back as his own against her will. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly at the thought.

  He took a few steps forward and he heard her growl. His brow arched. He had never imagined seeing her like this. Perhaps he should invite Kaveh. He would certainly enjoy watching. Maybe helping. It would be interesting to see Immortal battle Immortal.

  He loosened the whip in his hand, preparing to use it, and stepped forward. She bared her teeth at him and growled again. Suddenly she lunged at him and only the heavy chains stopped her from grabbing him. He didn’t leap back. He wouldn’t give her that satisfaction. She looked behind her in bewilderment and pulled at the chains while glaring at him and growling.

  “Down girl,” he said, snapping the whip and catching her across her stomach.

  She didn’t flinch and her eyes flashed with more anger.

  Fuck.

  He snapped the whip several more times, hitting her breasts and belly and thighs. The only flinch he was rewarded with was when he hit her across the cheek. He was very good at using his whip and knew exactly how to hit what he aimed at. He could snap her head off if he wanted to, but that would be counterproductive.

  Her cheek split open and she fell to her knees and held it. He looked her over with satisfaction. She looked up at him, the glow softer and seductive. Such beautiful eyes. So sad. So alluring....

  “No!” he shouted, startled to realize he was being sucked into her seduction. He stepped back and whipped her several times, cutting into her skin. She howled and pushed back against the wall, huddling there like a cornered tigress. She didn’t seem to notice her dislocated shoulder.

  He leaned against a heavy wooden table, arms crossed, and watched her. She was fascinating like this. Wild beauty. Wild rage. God, he wanted to fuck her right now. But he had to subdue her first, or he might lose his cock when he tried. He wasn’t stupid.

  She growled, eyes glowing with rage again. He lifted the whip but before he could strike, the door opened and Ian walked in. He stopped short when he saw Anna, and stared with his mouth open.

  “Holy shit,” Ian mumbled, and looked at Devin with wide eyes. “Did you know this could happen?”

  Devin smiled, amused. “No, but it’s quite intriguing, isn't it? Go find Kaveh and invite him to watch. He might like it.”

  Ian handed him a leather case and bowed his head slightly. He glanced once more at Anna’s wild form and then backed out of the room.

  Devin opened the case to find four syringes. Three were his ‘nerve juice’ and one was something to knock her out in case things got out of hand.

  He held the case up so Anna could see. “Do you see these, Anna? You recognize these syringes, don’t you?”

  Anna’s head jerked as she st
ared, wide-eyed at him. Her pupils were non-existent and her irises were like two emeralds. Her dark, tangled hair stood out at odd angles, making her look inhuman, which she was at the moment. She glanced at the leather case and bared her teeth again, chest heaving.

  He would give her the shot, but first he had to figure out how to get close enough to do it. He watched her as he walked to the wall and hung up the whip. She didn’t blink, but stared at him with her disturbing eyes. He picked up a cat-o-nine-tails and walked back to Anna. This would make him get closer to her, but would also cause more pain.

  She lunged at him again and he whipped the cat at her, catching her breasts with the knots at the end. She howled and pulled against the restraints, but didn’t back down. He whipped her again and again until her body was a mass of welts and cuts. She let out a last scream and then fell to her knees, panting and whimpering.

  Devin quickly pulled out a syringe and jabbed it into her neck. She screamed and reared up, but fell backwards and lay still on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, afraid to move.

  “I’m impressed, Devin.” Kaveh came to stand next to him and looked down. “Not many humans can subdue them when they’re like that.”

  “It happens often?” Devin asked, staring at the shivering form beneath him.

  “No. Not anymore. It used to. She will respect you for subduing her.”

  “I’m not done with her yet.” He chuckled. “Oh, no. we’ve only just begun.” He glanced at Kaveh with a wicked smile. “Would you care to join me?”

  Kaveh grinned. “Of course.”

  *****

  When they left her, hours later, Anna lay on the ground of the dungeon in a puddle of her own blood. She was still alive, but barely. She had been raped repeatedly and beaten mercilessly. There were few places on her body that weren’t red or bloodied. Her jaw was dislocated and her pussy and ass were torn and bleeding. She had cuts across her belly and legs. They had whipped the bottoms of her feet and dislocated a hip as well. Her nipples were bleeding from being pulled and squeezed and stuck with needles. She had three puncture wounds at her neck from Devin’s syringes. He had used all three injections on her at once and even breathing hurt. The blood trickling down her body hurt. Not to mention the pain of the wounds he’d inflicted.

  She stared up at the black ceiling, unmoving. She couldn’t move even if she wanted to. Her limbs wouldn’t work. She didn’t remember what had caused Devin’s anger, but knew it was severe. She’d come to her senses with severe pain coursing through her body to find herself fighting against Devin. She’d stopped fighting instantly, but he continued to punish her. Kaveh and the other Immortals had raped her over and over again until she bled. And oh, the pain! Incredible pain that had been far worse than anything before.

  But they had left, finally. Left her here to die. At least she hoped so. She wanted to cry, but it would do no good.

  She had a vague memory of anger and rage. Fighting against Devin and Ian. And she had won! And then she had lost. Devin had won in the end. He would always win. There was no hope.

  Once again, she resolved, if she lived, that she would be a good slave and try not to anger him.

  She hoped she would die though.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Anna lay on the cold floor in pain. The blood had dried and stuck to her skin. When the nerve juice had worn off, she was able to sleep fitfully, but the pain of her joints made it difficult. She couldn’t turn onto her side; she couldn’t call for help. Would she die? Would she get her wish? Maybe she would be reunited with Alex in death. The thought warmed her and she let the darkness consume her.

  He looked up as she appeared in the room, a book in his hands.

  He smiled, his white teeth peeking out from beneath his thick golden beard. Did she remember what he looked like without his beard?

  “Anna...” he said softly, closing the book and putting it on the table next to him. He walked to her and sat on the bed near her.

  She didn’t speak, but just looked at him. She didn’t know if she could speak, her body felt so mangled.

  “What’s wrong, Schatzi?” he asked softly.

  “I got angry,” she said, not knowing why or where the words were coming from. “I got angry and frightened Devin. And he punished me.”

  His eyes widened in surprise. “You frightened Devin?”

  She spoke as if she were in a trance, staring into his eyes. She didn’t know if what she was saying was true, but she spoke the words anyways. “I was carrying your father’s child and Devin took it. He told me he had killed my parents.” She closed her eyes. “I got angry. I became inhuman. I attacked Ian. He couldn’t hold me and I almost got away.” She opened her eyes and gave him a faint smile. “I was so strong I broke the bedposts on my bed. Three men had to hold me down.” She shuddered. “They chained me to the wall and Devin punished me. I fought him, but he punished me. And won.” She fell to the floor on her knees. “There is no hope. I cannot fight him again. He won. My body lies in the dungeon, broken and bleeding.” She looked up. “Am I dead with you?” she asked with hope in her eyes.

  Alex looked into her eyes with such sadness it brought tears to her eyes. He slid off the bed and went to his knees in front of her.

  He reached out hesitantly. “You are with me,” he whispered.

  He brushed her cheek with his hand and his eyes widened when she didn’t disappear.

  He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with abandon. His hands tangled in her hair and he held her close to him. His heart pounded in his chest and she could feel it. She could feel his arms around her and she wept with joy.

  “Alex,” she sobbed. “Oh, Alex....”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Anna screamed as her body was lifted from the floor. The sound of the dried blood being torn from her back was sickening. Her eyes opened and she saw Ian’s face, his handsome face marred by a bruise on his cheek. She lost strength and her head lolled back. He lifted his elbow to bring her head to rest against his chest.

  He carried her like a limp ragdoll up several flights of stairs to her room. It had been cleaned and the bed and window replaced. The mirror was still gone and the shelves were bare. He carried her into the bathroom and put her in the bathtub that filled with warm water. Maggie was there and she held Anna upright as Ian removed his jacket and shirt and then took her from Maggie.

  The maid gently washed Anna as Ian held her head above the water. Maggie scrubbed the blood off Anna’s body and soon the water was littered with brown dots. Maggie emptied the tub and refilled it with clean water before Anna was completely clean. When Anna’s hair had been washed, Maggie held a towel open and Ian lifted her from the water and carried her to the bed in the other room.

  Anna tried to speak, but her jaw wouldn’t move.

  “Don’t try to speak, Anna. Your jaw is dislocated. Can you swallow?”

  Anna’s eyes widened, frightened of what he wanted from her.

  “I was going to have Maggie get you some soup, but if you can’t swallow, I won’t.”

  Anna closed her eyes in relief. She swallowed several times and gave a shallow nod. Ian looked behind him and nodded.

  “I gave you a shot of painkiller before I picked you up. Are you in pain?”

  She shook her head slightly. Her mouth lagged open.

  Ian smiled sadly. “I had no idea you were so strong.”

  Anna frowned with her eyebrows, the only part of her face she seemed to have control over.

  “Do you remember fighting me?”

  Anna shook her head. She didn’t remember anything after Devin...tears filled her eyes when she remembered the lost baby. Wilhelm!

  Something stirred inside her. A red-hot heat. But she quickly doused it. She didn’t know what it was, but knew it was dangerous.

  Ian watched her carefully. “Devin said if you had...reformed...he would have Kaveh heal you this afternoon. He’ll be here in a little while.”

  Anna close
d her eyes, thankful not to be in pain anymore. She didn’t remember what exactly had happened, but she remembered the pain. Severe pain and chaos.

  Maggie returned a few minutes later and Ian fed Anna soup, one spoonful at a time. He made sure it was cool, put the spoon into her mouth and held her jaw so she could swallow. It was slow going, and Anna looked at him repeatedly with gratefulness in her eyes.

  She had eaten half of the soup when Devin walked in. Maggie quickly grabbed the tray and left the room. Ian stood and walked to the other side of the room while Devin looked down at her and frowned. He gazed deeply into her eyes, reading her thoughts. Anna trembled and tried not to look away. Finally he nodded. “Are you in pain?”

  She shook her head.

  He looked back at Ian. “How long will the pain medicine last?”

  “Another hour or two.”

  “When she’s hurting again, call for Kaveh.” Devin turned back to Anna. “I want her to remember what it feels like to have a broken body. Then he can heal her.” He turned to leave. “Bring her back to my house this evening.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Devin left the room and Ian came back to sit next to her. “Do you want to rest?”

  Anna nodded. It felt so nice being in a bed.

  He carefully lifted her and put her under the covers. “Sleep. I’ll be back in a little bit.”

  *****

  The pain returned fiercely, waking Anna in an instant and making her cry out in a pathetic mewling whimper. Everything hurt. Her feet were on fire, her jaw, arm and hip throbbed. Her ribs felt like they were disjointed and even her insides hurt as if they had been jostled around. She strained against the pain and shifted her position, trying to find one that didn’t hurt, but there was none.

  Ian was by her side a moment later. “I will get Kaveh.”