by Diana Ames
“Maybe she’s waiting for us,” the other guard said, licking his lips lasciviously. “She looks wanton and willing, lying there all naked—”
The first guard slapped him on the back of his head, effectively cutting off the raunchy statements coming out of his mouth.
“We’re here to take her home to her father, not to fuck her,” he snapped. Turning to Mellissandra, he said, “You have five minutes to get dressed and be ready. We’ll wait outside. If you aren’t out the doors in five, I’m sending him back in.” He grabbed the other guard by the arm and shoved him out the doors.
The slam of the heavy wood spurred Mellissandra into action. Jumping up, she felt liquid running between her legs. Looking down, she saw Damian’s seed mixed with her blood. She scooped up her clothes and darted into the bathing chamber. She washed and dried as quickly as possible, not wanting to find out if sending in the foul man was a bluff or a real threat.
As she stepped back into the bedroom, the doors flew open again. Both guards were standing there, one looking very disappointed because she was already dressed.
“I guess I’m ready,” she said with a heavy sigh. Her heart hurt even more than her tender and aching pussy.
“I was told to give you this,” the first guard said, passing an envelope to her.
Quizzically looking at it, she shrugged and tore it open. She gasped as she saw all the money inside with a single sheet of paper wrapped around it. She pulled out the paper and read the neat handwriting. She jerked and blinked rapidly as she fought tears. Who knew three words could be so devastating?
You’ve earned it.
Mellissandra wanted to fling the offending note and money away from her. She had freely given herself to Damian, and her pride wanted it to remain that way. If she kept the money, then she would really be a whore. But pride was no comfort when this money could help save her brother’s life while keeping her father from working himself into the ground.
She stuffed the envelope into the back pocket of her jeans and marched to the doors with her head held high. She didn’t say a word as the guards led her out of the training room and through the castle. She wouldn’t let this break her.
***
Standing in his shower stall, Damian watched Mellissandra’s blood run off his body. He didn’t realize just how savagely he’d taken her until he’d undressed to bathe, but the blood that covered his cock and had dried in his pubic hair told the tale well enough.
He’d had virgins before; it hadn’t been a new experience for him. In fact, many women who had decided their only option was in sex trade came to him to deflower them. He had a reputation for knowing how to please a woman. It was almost as well-known as his reputation for being a dominant master.
He knew Mellissandra had to be hurting right now. There was too much blood on him. He must have ripped her apart. He was ashamed at his lack of control and finesse. Damian wondered if that was how Anton felt when his beast took over.
He only hoped that when Mellissandra received his envelope, she would be hurt and angry enough to stay away. Damian didn’t see her as a whore, but in an attempt to push her away, he’d written the words that would make her feel like one. He wanted to help her and her family as well. A girl willing to sell herself to save her brother shouldn’t have her virginity stolen from her only to get nothing in return.
Damian bowed his head and finished washing. As the last remnants of their lovemaking ran down the drain, he felt pressure building in his chest. Gasping for breath, he clutched at the pain and sank to his knees under the running water. Despondent, he began to weep, and as the tears leaked from his eyes, Damian knew he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.
***
On foot, the guards escorted Mellissandra to the edge of her small village. Her home was less than a mile from the castle walls. Because she’d never had a chance to explore, she wasn’t certain, but she was almost sure that her entire village could have fit inside the castle.
With every step, Mellissandra’s heart grew heavier, but her anger lifted her up. By the time the guards were ready to set her loose, she’d worked herself into a rage. Knowing it wouldn’t take much to set her off, Mellissandra left the guards on the path, cut down between two houses, and made her way onto her block.
Five minutes later, Mellissandra found herself on her front porch. The anger that had fueled her furious march home deserted her. Afraid to go inside, she sat down on the step and rested her head against the beam holding up the porch roof. How am I going to face my family? Her father had obviously found out what she had done. Damian had said he’d spoken with her father. Did he tell my mother? Does my brother know? Do the people in the village know?
Feeling tears threatening to fall again, Mellissandra tried to shore up her resolve. She had done everything with the best of intentions. Surely, there couldn’t be shame in that. However, if anyone found out she’d allowed Damian to take her virginity, she might as well go apply at the whorehouse on the border.
She convinced herself that no one would find out. Mellissandra certainly wouldn’t blurt it out to anyone, and she doubted Damian would have any reason to tell anyone either. It was probably commonplace for him. His life was all about sex. All the more, he’d shown her what she meant to him with the envelope of cash he had delivered to her. She refused to think about the note she had crumpled and shoved into her pocket.
“Mellie,” a voice called from behind her.
Mellissandra jerked up her head to see her father coming out the front door. He pulled her up and into his arms. Burying his face in her hair, he said, “Oh, Mellie, you’re safe. Thank God you’re home. Don’t you ever do something like that ever, ever again.”
Mellissandra released the tears that had been threatening to overtake her since the guards had knocked on the door an hour ago. She clutched her father and sobbed into his chest, feeling safe in his strong embrace.
“Did they hurt you, Mellie?” he asked, pulling away to look her over.
“No, Father,” Mellissandra quickly replied, knowing she would never tell her father about what had really hurt her. Thoughts of her punishment flitted through her mind. She was more hurt by Damian’s rejection than she was by the spanking that had set her ass on fire.
“What were you thinking, Mellie?” he asked, pulling her into his embrace again.
This time, Mellissandra pushed away. Reaching into her back pocket, she took out the envelope full of money and handed it to her father.
“I got it, Father. I got money to pay for Brady’s medical treatment,” she whispered.
She watched her father’s strong face crumple before her eyes. With disgust, he looked at the envelope she’d shoved into his hand.
“I don’t know where you got this or what you did to get it, Mellissandra. I don’t want to know,” he told her coldly. “But you should have been here instead of chasing dreams filled with miracle cures.”
“But…Father—” Mellissandra stuttered.
“It’s too late, girl,” he said coldly. “Brady is gone.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Four weeks. It had been four long and miserable weeks since she’d been sent home from the castle. Her brother had died the night her father went to the castle to get her. She didn’t know he’d been there until he’d screamed at her, telling her it was her fault that he hadn’t been with his son when he took his last breath.
Seventeen days ago had been the last time her father had spoken to her. She felt like she was dying on the inside every time he had stopped talking when she walked into the room. They had always been close, closer than he was with any of his other children. It seemed that he had taken her actions as a betrayal of their relationship, like she didn’t think he could provide for his family.
The envelope of money was still untouched, lying on top of one of the kitchen cabinets. It was out of sight but never out of mind. She’d wanted her father to use the money for Brady’s funeral. She’d also hoped that it would allow
Damian. Mellissandra had thought of him every day and every night since she’d been home. At times, she had cried, and other times, she had been angry. But every time, her body had remembered his possession, and yearned to be possessed again. She wondered what he was doing. Is he training another submissive for the prince? Maybe he’s making love to other women? Or is he thinking about me?
She wondered about Prince Anton as well. Is he angry that Damian dismissed me? Does the prince even know? Did Damian tell Prince Anton that I lied on my application? The constant questions running through her mind were slowly driving her mad.
At least, her father had stopped fighting her about getting a job. Mellissandra was thankful for that. A week after Brady’s funeral, she had begun working in the diner located two streets down from her house. She had started out working the day shift, but as tension grew between her and her father, she had switched over to the evening shift, not getting home until well after midnight some nights. Her tips were well worth it. She figured after another month, she would have enough money to leave her parents’ home. She just hoped she could keep her secret for that long.
Mellissandra had been throwing up every morning for the past week, and the smell of coffee had seemed to turn her stomach. No matter what time of day and no matter how hard, Mellissandra had tried to hide her reactions, but she knew her mother had to notice.
Around the time her father had stopped speaking to her, Mellissandra realized she hadn’t had her period since before she went to the castle. She had begun paying attention to her body, and she’d noticed her breasts were so sensitive that it was almost painful, especially if they had brushed against something. She was also weepier than she’d ever been in her life. She had thought all the crying and the roller coaster of emotions she felt were related to the grief from losing her brother, but as more and more symptoms began appearing, she knew she couldn’t deny it any longer. The morning sickness was the final nail in the proverbial coffin.
Damian had put a baby in her belly.
***
Prince Anton dragged Damian into the bathing chamber and shoved him in the shower. This was becoming a normal occurrence between the two men as Damian had spent the last month completely drunk. Not bothering to help him out of his clothes, Anton turned on the cold water and stood back. Damian sputtered and opened his bloodshot eyes to glare at Anton, but after a few moments under the cold water, Damian sobered enough to stand up on his own.
“Why do you keep doing this?” Damian questioned Anton angrily as he began stripping off his sopping clothes.
“Why won’t you go get her? Or, at the very least, let me go get her?” Anton fired back.
“I told you,” Damian said through gritted teeth. “She’s too damn good for either one of us. And even if I did let you get her, she’s not a virgin anymore. You wouldn’t want her. Besides, you’re not ready for a woman yet.”
“Clean yourself up, Damian,” Anton said with a sigh. “You stink.” Now that he was sure Damian was sober enough to bathe on his own, Anton turned to leave the bathing chamber. “I’ll be in your living room, and I’ll call for food.”
Coming into the room, Damian was not happy to find Anton there with food, but he knew that Anton would not leave him alone with his bottle of whiskey until he ate something. Fifteen minutes later, the brothers sat side by side on the sofa, eating sandwiches and drinking sodas.
“How’s the situation with Gilly?” Damian asked just to get under Anton’s skin.
It was something of a game for the men to see who could irritate the other enough to throw a punch first or leave.
“She’s stayed away pretty much,” Anton said, not rising to the bait. He’d fallen into the trap a few times, but he was learning to control his temper. One thing he was having the hardest time learning to stop was calling his anger and rage his beast. He was working with a group of therapists who had told him his extreme emotions were just his way of avoiding responsibility for his actions.
“Do you think she’s knocked up?” Damian asked, throwing another jab at Anton.
Anton shrugged. That thought haunted him, and he still wasn’t sure what he would do if Gilly told him she was pregnant. They were brother and sister, so he wondered if a child between them would have genetic problems because of their shared parentage. Would I be strong enough to demand she have an abortion? He knew that in centuries past, brothers and sisters often married to keep the royal bloodline pure, but he also knew inbreeding caused so many birth defects that certain royal lines died out. Anton was thankful his family line had never done that, and he sure didn’t want to be the one to start it.
“She still won’t let me apologize to the blonde woman,” Anton said. “From what I heard the last time I was in medical, Gilly won’t let anyone else near Jenalynn either. Something about infection risks.”
Not being able to apologize to the woman he’d almost killed agitated Anton more than he was willing to let on. He wanted to be able to take that responsibility. Perhaps then, he could let the theory of his beast die.
“Damian,” Anton said suddenly, “we need to plan a trip and get the hell out of this castle.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? You can’t leave. Who would run the place?”
“The 2,000 or so employees I have would run the damn place. I need to get out of here for a while.” Anton stood up. “And I want my brother to come with me.”
***
Mellissandra was dead on her feet when she got home. It was just before 1 a.m., and it had been a busy night at the diner. She took off her shoes as she stepped inside the door so as to make the least amount of noise possible. She didn’t want to disturb her parents, especially her father, while they were sleeping. She knew he had to work in the morning, and she wasn’t up for a silent confrontation if she awoke him.
Silently slipping into the kitchen, Mellissandra made a peanut butter sandwich and got a glass of milk. She could have eaten at the diner, but her stomach just couldn’t hold down the greasy food they cooked there. Standing by the sink, she ate slowly and hoped the food would stay down.
“Are you ever going to tell us?” a voice said from the doorway.
Frightened, Mellissandra dropped her sandwich in the sink. “Mother?” She held a hand to her chest as if trying to keep her rapidly beating heart from flying away.
“I’ve been there enough times myself to recognize the signs, Mellie,” her mother said, moving to sit down at the table. “Were you ever going to tell us about the baby in your belly? Or were you going to murder the poor innocent thing and hope no one ever found out?”
“Mother, I…” Mellissandra stuttered. “I could never murder my baby. You raised me better than that.”
“Obviously, it was not well enough to not get a baby in you in the first place,” her mother muttered. “So, who’s the father? Is it the prince?”
“No, Mother, the prince never touched me,” Mellissandra said with a sigh. “The father…the father isn’t important. It’s my baby, and—”
“You’re pregnant!” her father roared from the kitchen doorway. “You whore! You have shamed this family for the last time.” Stalking into the kitchen, he grabbed the envelope of money from the cabinet and threw it at Mellissandra, hitting her in the chest.
She made no attempt to catch the envelope or the falling money. Her face was pale, and she was stunned. While her father called her names, she was silent as tears fell down her cheeks.
Her mother put her head down on the table and cried with soft sobs as her husband verbally abused their eldest child. She’d buried one child already, and from the way this was going, it looked like she was going to lose another one before the sun would rise.
“Get your things together, slut,” her father yelled. “I want you out of my house immediately before you can poison any of my other children with your wickedness.” Angrily, he stalked around the small kitchen. “In fact, I want you out of this village before anyone can find out about this. Your mother can drive you as far as the border. Take your whore money and have your bastard baby somewhere else. You are no longer a daughter of mine.” He strode out of the kitchen and out of the house, knowing he never wanted to see Mellissandra again.
“Mother,” Mellissandra said in a small voice. She knew she’d have to leave the house eventually due to her condition, but she’d never expected her father to disown her or demand for her to leave their village.
“Listen to me, Mellie,” her mother said, rising. She held Mellissandra by the shoulders. “For your own safety, you need to get out of the village. I have never seen your father this angry, and…well, I just don’t know what he’s capable of right now.” Her mother looked directly into Mellissandra’s eyes. “You are my child, and I will love you no matter what you do or what happens to you. Take this money and make a life for yourself and your child.”
Mellissandra bowed her head and sobbed noisily. After a few minutes, it seemed her tears had run dry as anger began to replace them. She grabbed the envelope of money. After all, it was Damian who’d impregnated her, so she would just think of the money as child support. She ran up the stairs to pack her clothes. She only took necessities because she couldn’t stand to spend any minute longer here than necessary.
Her mother was waiting by the front door with keys in hand. As the two walked silently to the old truck, Mellissandra wondered if her father was watching them from some hidden place. With no sounds or movement indicating he was anywhere nearby, some small part of Mellissandra died as she thought that her father hated her so much he’d just thrown her out and forgotten about her like yesterday’s garbage.
After two hours of driving, the truck neared the far border of the village. Her mother stopped the truck and turned to hug Mellissandra.
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