“She’s already mine. We were married in town less than an hour ago.”
The Immortal scoffed. “That doesn’t matter. She is mine.”
Sebastian stepped next to Alex. “Her father gave her to me and I gave her to the German Elders. Your claims are invalid, Kaveh.”
“Her father?” Kaveh narrowed his eyes. “How is that possible?”
“I took her to see him,” Sebastian said matter-of-factly. “My claim to her is more legitimate. You cannot deny that.”
Kaveh turned to Alex. “You dare try to marry an Elder-Mistress?”
“We are married. We will be confirmed shortly. There is nothing your Master can do to stop it now.”
“He is not my Master,” Kaveh growled. “I am no one’s servant.”
Alex smirked. “That’s not what I heard.”
Kaveh reached for Alex, but Sebastian snaked out his hand and grabbed Kaveh’s arm. “Don’t touch him. He is under my protection.”
Kaveh growled again. “You would dare cross Devin?
Alex raised his chin. “I would and I have. You tell him that by the end of the morning, he will have lost his hold on Anna. She is mine now and there’s nothing he can do about it. He will treat her with the respect that she deserves.” He cocked his brow. “Or else,” he growled.
Kaveh looked between Alex and Sebastian. “This isn’t over, human. Devin will not stand for it.”
“He doesn’t have a choice,” Sebastian retorted.
Kaveh clenched his jaw and turned to the Immortals behind him. A moment later they were gone.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “I suppose this saves the phone call later,” he said, switching to German and shaking his head. “How did he find out?”
Sebastian frowned. “I don’t know. There’s nothing we did that would have tipped him off.”
“But there’s nothing he can do about it now, right?” Alex glanced at his friend.
“No. Not right now. He can at the final ritual, but that’s years away. By then it will be harder because your bond with Anna will be incredibly strong and very difficult to break.”
“I’ve never been so thankful for the rule about foreign Immortals coming into the Schloss.”
“And that’s why the protection is put in place. Otherwise, there would be no safe place.”
“I’m sure Anna is worried.”
Alex turned and walked through the door. A white blur rushed towards him and held him tightly. His precious Anna.
“Alex,” she sobbed into his coat. “I was so scared.”
He petted her hair and held her tightly. “It’s all right now, Anna,” he said softly in English. “They were just trying to intimidate us. But there’s nothing Devin can do now.”
*****
“What do you mean it’s too late?” Devin shouted at Kaveh. “How is that possible?”
He picked up a paperweight on his desk and threw it across the room, hitting a potted plant. The pot shattered, spilling dirt all over the floor.
“Watch your tone, human.” Kaveh said with narrow eyes. “We arrived when she was almost to the door. Alex shoved her inside. I think your source was too slow in her information.”
“Fuck!” Devin shouted. Alex had outsmarted him. Oh, he would pay for this. Devin would make sure of it. “How do I get rid of him?”
“You can’t, Devin. If you kill him, you will kill her.”
“There has to be a way,” he growled. “I will find a way and get rid of him. She is mine! I made her who she is!”
Devin sat back in his chair. There had to be a way to get rid of Alex. There just had to be. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Devin had never been so enraged. Everything he had worked for was crumbling around his ears. It had to be fixed. He would not accept failure. Failure was not an option.
His heart pounded in his ears and his blood boiled. He looked around for something to ease his rage. Something to throw, something to break.
He stood and stalked out of his study at the Manor and down to where the girls were. It was after midnight, but there would still be some up. He needed someone sweet. Someone who would scream loudly and beg him to stop. He stopped at the doorway of the main room where the girls stayed. No. Not an experienced one. He needed one of the younger ones.
He turned and went to another part of the house where the younger girls were. He walked into the large room where they slept and turned on the light. The girls in here ranged in age from six to twelve. There was groaning when he turned the light on, but when they saw who it was, they quickly slipped to their knees.
“Look at me. All of you.”
They all nervously looked at him. He searched the room with his eyes and settled on a tiny girl in the middle with green eyes. Like Anna.
“You!” he said, pointing to her. “Come.”
She quickly stood and ran over to him. Devin searched the room for two more, then turned out the light and left the room. “Come with me,” he growled and walked to the larger dungeon where the girls were trained.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sebastian took Anna up to the room she’d awakened in the previous night.
“Anna, I wanted to talk to you before you go down to the Elder’s Chambers. About being an Elder-Mistress.”
Anna looked at him confused. “What do you mean?” She knew what it meant to be an Elder-Mistress. She did what Devin told her to do. She helped manipulate people and change their thinking so that they wanted to do what Devin wanted them to do.
“Anna, the way Devin has treated you is revolting. Elder-Mistresses are to be respected. They are not slaves. Yes, they have Masters, but that is because they are given to the Elders for a purpose. Elders are married and cannot take second wives. There are occasions when a Son is given a half-Immortal for a wife. Then her husband is her Master. This would have been your case if Devin hadn’t taken you. This is what Alex is working to undo.”
“I’m not a slave?” Had Devin lied to her? Hope rose in her chest.
“Unfortunately, yes, Anna. You are a slave. Devin made you that way.” He sighed. “I don’t know if you could function properly if you weren’t. He fucked with your head too much when you were growing up.”
“Oh.” She stared at her hands, hopes dashed.
“You are not to be raped. You are not to be harmed. Yes, your sexuality is helpful and can be used to gain an edge for the Elder. But Devin should not send you into harm’s way.” Sebastian paused and Anna looked up. The anger had turned his blue eyes slightly golden around the edges. “He should warn those men to treat you respectfully. And if they don’t, they should be punished.”
Anna didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t imagine Devin cooperating with Alex.
Sebastian took a slow breath and looked at her, his eyes returning to their normal crystalline blue, though they were still intense. “From now on Alex will make sure that Devin treats you with respect. When you go in to greet the Elders this morning, you will walk in with your head held high. Not arrogantly, but gracefully. You need to respect the Elders and defer to them. Bowing to them when you greet them is proper. But you don’t need to grovel in front of them.”
Anna gaped at Sebastian. What he said sounded so foreign.
“Do you understand what I’ve told you, Anna?”
“I don't think Devin will like it.”
“It doesn’t matter whether he likes it or not.” The fire in his eyes blazed briefly once more. “Alex is your husband and Devin must respect that.”
Anna looked at him doubtfully, but said nothing.
“Trust me, Anna,” Sebastian said, taking her hand. “And trust Alex. He’ll keep you safe. Life will be very different from now on.”
Anna knew that Sebastian spoke the truth, but she still had a hard time believing him. She gave him a timid smile. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Now, I will go get Jutta and she will help you get ready. I’ll be back to get you in a little while.”
He left the room, and a few minutes
later a young woman with dark hair and eyes came in. “Guten Morgen, Mätresse,” she said with a smile and a curtsey.
“Good morning,” Anna replied in English. She hoped Jutta spoke English.
“I am Jutta.” She pronounced it ‘yootah.’ “Der Herzog asked me to attend to your needs while you are here. It is my honor to do so.” She curtsied again.
Her manners and smile were different than the girls at Devin’s Manor. Maggie was very sweet and Anna adored her, but she always had an aura of fear about her. All the girls at Devin’s Manor did. Anna didn’t sense that in Jutta. She seemed genuinely happy.
“Thank you, Jutta,” Anna said, hoping she had pronounced her name correctly.
“I will prepare you for the ceremony and then put you back together to go home with Herzog Alex.”
Jutta had Anna sit at a dressing table and pulled Anna’s hair out of the up-do, brushing it until it shone and fell in soft waves around her face.
When she was satisfied with Anna’s hair, she went to a wardrobe and pulled out a white dress. Anna looked in the mirror as Jutta laced up the back. It was very silky and light. The cap sleeves were lacy and the bodice was a low cut “V.” The back was open down to the small of her back, with open laces below her shoulder blades. It was long and brushed the floor. Jutta gave her white slippers to wear.
Jutta said something with a smile in German and then told Anna that Sebastian would be back shortly to get her.
*****
Alex paced around the Elder’s Chamber in his white robe. He was disturbed by Kaveh’s appearance. How could Devin have known about the wedding so quickly? Had he missed something? But he was a good planner. He knew how to make a mission go smoothly and was certain he hadn’t missed anything. So what had happened to tip Devin off?
None of his men would have said anything. They would never have betrayed him. The only others that knew about the wedding were Soeren and his family. But even his family hadn’t known the wedding was going to occur so quickly until this morning. Except his parents, of course. But they wouldn’t have said anything either. How had Devin known?
“Alex, we will figure it out,” Vati said, walking up to him and putting his hand on his shoulder. “The important thing is that you are here and Anna is here. Devin cannot stop the ceremony. She is safe.”
Alex sighed. “I know, Vati. But I don’t like loose ends.”
“Seth and the others are working on it now. Right now you have other things to think about. Like your beautiful bride.” Vati’s eyes betrayed his affection for his new daughter-in-law.
Alex’s mouth turned up into a smile at the thought of Anna as his bride. Sweet Anna. His bride and wife. This was truly the best day of his life. Vati was right. He shouldn’t be worrying about Devin right now. He needed to think about Anna and help her have a wonderful wedding day.
After they finished at the Manor, they would go into town and pick out left hand wedding rings and then go back to the Gutshaus. His extended family would be there by then. He hadn’t seen them in quite some time and was looking forward to visiting with them.
There was a loud knock on the door and Alex looked up. The moment had finally arrived: Anna was here.
The Elders took their places, standing in a semi-circle. They all wore their white ceremonial robes. Alex stood in the middle next to his father.
At the side of the room, a fireplace housed a snapping fire. A bed in front of it was made up of fur rugs and soft blankets. That was where he and Anna would consummate their marriage. He had managed to keep his mind off sex for most of the morning, but it was finally catching up with him and his cock was beginning to throb at the thought of being with Anna again.
The door opened and Anna and Sebastian entered. She looked nervous and started to look at the ground, but Sebastian said something to her and she looked up and smiled at Alex. Sebastian must have spoken with her about how an Elder-Mistress was expected to behave. Seeing her walk confidently into the room warmed his heart. He hated seeing her act like a slave. Even though she was one, she didn’t need to act like it. Not anymore.
Her hair fell around her face in soft waves. She wore a long white gown that showed off her newly ample cleavage very nicely. His cock twitched at the thought of taking her dress off and kissing those beautiful, full breasts.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and he couldn’t help but grin at her. She was so graceful and poised when she wasn’t afraid. He would do everything he could to make sure she wasn’t afraid ever again. It would be difficult, he knew, but well worth it.
She stopped a few feet in front of him and went to her knees to bow. Alex saw the diamond of her engagement ring sparkling in the light and smiled. He loved that the jewelry she wore was from him and only him. Except for Devin’s piercings, but Alex didn’t want to think about those right now. She would have his piercings again soon as well.
*****
Anna stared at the red carpet below her nose. How long would she stay in this position? Devin would keep her like that for as long as he could.
She heard speaking above her, but it was in German and she didn’t know what they were saying. Sebastian touched her back and she sat up and then stood. He took her hand and put it into Alex’s outstretched hand. She looked up at Alex as they touched and was overwhelmed by the love she saw in his eyes.
Wilhelm said something in German, and Alex took both of Anna’s hands as he turned to face her. He pulled her hands slightly and Anna turned to face him as well. Another Elder spoke for a few minutes and Alex nodded. Yet another one did the same thing and Alex nodded again. Alex then spoke to Anna in German. It sounded like it might be a vow, but Anna had no way of knowing. She really needed to learn German.
“Anna.” Wilhelm spoke in English. “Alex has vowed to love and cherish you, to protect you from harm and to utilize your gifts in a manner that is both respectful and acceptable to you. Do you accept him wholeheartedly as your husband and Master?”
Anna looked up into Alex’s eyes and nodded. “I do.”
Alex grinned.
“Anna, please kneel at your husband’s feet,” Wilhelm said and Anna did so.
The other Elders who hadn’t spoken yet all spoke, one after the other, with Alex responding in between, and then Wilhelm spoke again.
“Stand, Anna, and receive the gift your husband offers you.”
Anna stood and Alex showed her a necklace like the one that Devin had given her as her mark, but the outside ring was made of black diamonds instead of white. She smiled at him, not knowing if she was allowed to speak.
“This will tell those in die Bruderschaft that you are my wife. And if they hurt you, I will kill them.” Alex’s eyes were full of determination at the last words. He fastened the necklace around her neck.
“Anna, receive the mark of our family, binding you to us as long as you live,” Wilhelm said solemnly. He held a gold bracelet and fastened it around Anna’s wrist. It was a signet bracelet. The signet was Alex’s, but larger.
Wilhelm gave her an affectionate smile, then backed up to stand in line with the other Elders.
“We, as Ältestenrat of Deutschland, do confirm the marriage between Älteste-Sohn Alexander Johannes Kunze Herzog von Hesse and Älteremätresse Anna Lee Perkins. You are now bound by the laws of Deutschland and the laws of die Bruderschaft. You are bound for life, and nothing except death can destroy your union. Alex, you may take possession of your wife.”
Anna expected Alex to kiss her, but instead he led her over to the pile of furs and blankets in front of a lit fireplace. She looked up at him. They were going to have sex here?
Alex knelt down and pulled some of the blankets back, then pulled Anna down to kneel beside him. He looked at her with such love in his eyes, her own filled with tears.
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I love you, Anna. My bride and my wife. Bound together by love and commitment.”
He slowly brought his lips to hers, slanting his mouth against hers.
His lips were gentle, but she could feel the hunger in his kiss.
She hesitantly slid her hands up his chest over the soft linen of his robe. Was she allowed to touch him? He didn’t stop her. She could feel his chest and shoulder muscles rippling under her touch.
She pressed her lips harder against his and he groaned.
“O, mein Schatzi,” he murmured against her lips.
His hands slid down her back to loosen the ties of her dress and then pulled it up over her head and tossed it aside.
Anna looked up into his eyes nervously. Would he think her fat? He looked down at her breasts and she saw a smile tugging at his lips. He looked back up at her eyes and kissed her again, placing his hand on her back and laying her down gently on the soft furs.
“Alex?” she whispered, looking around the room.
“Schatzi, we must consummate our marriage before we leave,” he said gently as he lay above her, resting his weight on his elbows and nuzzling her nose with his. “To make you mine.”
“Oh,” she said shyly. Where did this shyness come from?
He kissed her again, his lips caressing hers, then gently probed until she parted her lips for his tongue. His tongue stroked hers until she moaned. She felt her body awaken as it only did for Alex. Her breasts ached for his touch, her pussy swelled and dampened in preparation of accepting him into her body. He teased her mouth, thrusting his tongue in and out. She writhed beneath him, wanting his cock inside of her. She pressed her hips against his, feeling his erection and making him groan, almost as if he were in pain, rather than out of passion.
She looked up at him in surprise. “Are you in pain?”
Alex looked at her sheepishly. “A little. They...last night was rather uncomfortable. I was teased and tormented, but not allowed any release. I’m afraid I might hurt you, Anna, and that is the last thing I want to do. I want to take this slowly.”
Anna shook her head. “Alex, if you’re uncomfortable, then let’s go faster. I want you. More than anyone else I’ve ever desired. I don’t want you to be in pain.” She smiled. “Besides, we’ll have lots of time to take things slowly later, right?”
The Life of Anna, Part 3: Embraced Page 19
