The Life of Anna, Part 3: Embraced

by Marissa Honeycutt

  Throughout the night she was raped and beaten and she didn’t make a sound. Shortly before dawn, the last man left her and she passed out where she lay in the grass, thankful for the darkness that consumed her.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  A gentle hand brushed Anna’s cheek and she felt a cool cloth on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open to see Tommy and Travis looking down at her with concern in their eyes. She had been moved from where she’d passed out earlier. The bed was soft and the blanket warm. The white silk of the pavilion fluttered in the breeze.

  “Travis?” she rasped. “What are you doing here?”

  “Alex asked me to come and keep an eye on you,” he said and then grimaced. “I can’t believe what Devin did to you.”

  Anna blinked slowly and looked at Tommy and gave him a weak smile.

  “You didn’t tell me you got married,” he said softly, petting her hair.

  “I didn’t know if Devin wanted me to tell people.”

  “Travis says he’s a good guy.”

  Anna nodded. “The best.”

  Tommy smiled sadly. “Then I guess I can’t complain too much.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it, then intertwined his fingers with hers.

  Anna moved her hand to her stomach without thinking about it. It was flat again and her waist was small. Tears seeped out of the corner of her eyes as she remembered the baby was gone.

  “It wasn’t Ben’s,” she whispered, looking at Travis. “Devin said he had Kaveh get me pregnant so he could....” Her voice trailed off into silence. She couldn’t say the words. All the daydreams of her and Alex raising the baby together were crushed.

  “I’m so sorry, Anna. I know how happy it made you.” Travis leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

  “I’m going to get her something to eat,” Tommy said, standing. “Ian said she didn’t eat yesterday.”

  Travis nodded and Tommy walked out between the curtains. Travis lay down next to Anna and held her while she cried.

  “Alex will take care of him,” Travis said softly. “You know he will.”

  Anna nodded. Alex. Her one glimmer of hope.

  Tommy returned a while later with a plate of chicken and vegetables. Devin was with him.

  “Travis?” Devin exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m allowed to come to these things,” Travis answered, sitting up and glaring at Devin.

  Devin raised his brow. “Did your father not teach you respect?” he said in a threatening tone.

  Travis clenched his jaw, but didn’t say anything.

  Devin’s gaze turned to Anna. “I’m glad you’re awake,” he said curtly. “Eat and then come back to the pavilion. I need you.”

  “Yes, Master,” she whispered.

  He turned on his heel and left the pavilion. Tommy handed her the plate and exchanged looks with Travis.

  Anna stared at the plate. She had no appetite.

  “Anna, you need to eat,” Tommy said gently. “You don't want to waste away before your husband comes home, do you?”

  She gave him a grateful smile and began to eat. She would eat for Alex. She could do anything for Alex.

  *****

  When Anna had finished eating, she thanked Travis and Tommy and walked back to the pavilion. Her dress was filthy, but at least she was clothed.

  Devin sat with Oscar, Tom and Connor on the chaises. Each had a girl between his legs sucking on their cocks.

  “Go get cleaned up and return,” Devin instructed. “Maggie is waiting for you in the dorm.”

  “Yes, Master,” she said quietly, and left to find the path to the girl’s dorm.

  On the way there, she saw a small field where women were lying. As she got closer, she realized that they weren’t just lying there. They were dead. Their bodies were bruised and bloody. About twenty of them. Anna hurried to the dorm, trying to forget the image of the dead bodies.

  Maggie greeted her somberly when she arrived, took her into a room and drew a hot bath. The water soothed her aching body, but did nothing for her heart and mind. A numbness began to take hold, pushing away the pain of Devin taking her baby. The knowledge that it wasn’t the baby she’d thought it was did little to soothe the ache in her heart.

  She missed Alex terribly. Only a few more days. She could make it a few more days. Then Alex would sweep her up in his arms and hold her and kiss her and tell her that everything would be all right. She rubbed her fingers where her rings had been. If only she could rub away the pain in her heart.

  When she was cleaned and dressed, she returned to Devin. She did her best to walk tall and gracefully, as Alex had told her to do. She was an Elder-Mistress. She was worthy of respect.

  *****

  It was difficult to feel respected when she was being raped. Devin had taken her to the lodge. The president wanted her. He wanted to hurt her and Devin approved. She spent the afternoon in his room and he brutalized her. He used a stun gun, though not as thoroughly as he had before. He fisted her pussy and made her scream. He pinched her nipples with clamps so hard they bled. He dropped hot wax onto her clit and burned it.

  She couldn't walk by the time he was done with her and Kaveh had to heal her so that she could participate in the hunt. The advice that Ian had given her last August came back to mind as the hunt began. Find a place to hide and stay there until the sun comes up. The girls were being herded out into the woods as the evening speeches ended. Anna looked around desperately for a hiding place. After about twenty minutes, she found a clump of bushes and hid just as she heard the men approaching.

  She began to hear screams a short time later. Girls and men ran past her spot. One man had brought a whip and caught one of the girls around the ankle as she ran and she fell hard on the ground. Some of the men were nice, but most weren’t.

  She saw horrible things as she hid. A few feet away from her a man pinned a girl down while another man shoved big rocks into her pussy. Another man chained a girl to a tree and raped her in the ass as her body scraped against the bark.

  The girl with rocks in her didn’t move after they had finished with her. They walked away laughing. Anna watched her to see if she was still alive. The girl moaned and reached for herself to try and pull the rocks out, but fell back, unable to reach.

  Anna watched with tears in her eyes as the girl struggled against the pain. Anna couldn’t just sit and watch. She had to do something. It was quiet around her and she snuck out from the bushes and crept over to the girl.

  “Hey,” she whispered. “Let me help.”

  The girl looked at her with wide eyes. “You’re the Mistress,” she whispered.

  Anna nodded. “Can I help you?”

  The girl grimaced. “It won't do any good,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I’m all torn up inside. I’m not gonna make it.” She sounded so defeated it broke Anna’s heart.

  “No,” Anna said suddenly. She could help. She was an Immortal. She could heal. She didn’t know how she knew this, but she was sure of it. “No. I’ll help you.”

  She gently reached into the girl’s body and pulled the blood-covered rocks out. When Anna had removed all of them, she put her hand on the girl’s belly and closed her eyes and concentrated. Warmth flowed from her body and into the girl.

  The girl gasped and her eyes widened. “I feel better,” she exclaimed softly. “Why...?”

  Anna smiled. “Because I could. Who do you belong to?”

  “My Master is Brandon.”

  Anna was relieved that at least she had a nice Master. “See those bushes over there?” she pointed to her hiding place.

  The girl nodded.

  “Go hide in there. No one will find you.” Anna heard the men behind her. “Go. Hurry.” She helped the girl to her feet and she scrambled away and disappeared into the bushes.

  Anna looked around. She saw the flashlights of the men. She had lost her hiding spot. She ran in the opposite direction.

  The moon was full but the trees wer
e thick. More than once she tripped on something and fell to the ground. A beam of light found her and she froze, but when the shouts reached her she ran again. But she couldn’t run fast enough in the dark without shoes. She fell and was caught.

  The light shined in her face. “Isn’t that the Mistress?” one man asked.

  “I think it is,” said another man.

  “Nice,” said the first man and she was grabbed and thrown to the ground. She fought back, but the men were too powerful for her. Her legs were spread and her pussy filled shortly after.

  That was only the beginning. As soon as they finished with her, another man caught her. This night turned out to be as miserable as the previous night. By dawn, she could hardly move and fell asleep under a tree.

  *****

  The room was long and narrow. The walls were paneled in wood and the floor was carpeted in green.

  She stood in the entryway. A narrow door stood closed to her left. In front of her, with its side along the short wall was a twin bed. A credenza sat along the long wall across from her with a tall, but narrow, window at the far end. At the opposite end of the room was a fireplace with a wing chair next to it. Opposite the window was a bookcase filled with books.

  The room was empty.

  Waiting for someone.

  *****

  Anna sat up before she opened her eyes. The room. Something about the room haunted her. She shook her head and opened her eyes. Her head hurt. So did the rest of her body.

  She stood on shaky legs and looked around. In the distance, she saw naked women walking towards her. There were also several women laying in strange positions on the ground. She looked away, not wanting to think about what might have happened to them. The tree in front of her had a sign with an arrow pointing to her right. Was that the way back to the field? Since other women were coming towards her, she guessed it to be so and began walking in that direction.

  The sun was high and warm on her chilled skin, but it did nothing for her emotions. She was grateful for the numbness in her heart; she didn’t want to feel the pain of the loss of her baby.

  Within half an hour she walked out of the trees and onto the grassy field. Ian approached her as she walked across the field.

  “Devin wants you to clean up and see him in the pavilion.”

  Anna nodded. “Yes, my lord,” she said quietly. He walked with her to the pathway to the dorm and then left her.

  She cleaned up in the dorm and then made her way to the pavilion to greet Devin. He had meetings all day and Anna spent the day giving blowjobs and being fucked.

  Anna spent the night with Devin in the pavilion—more brutal sex—and the next morning they drove back to San Francisco.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  As Devin drove her home, the numbness in her heart started to disappear. Anna blinked back tears as she stared out the window. How would she tell Alex the baby was gone? Was there something she could have done to prevent it? Should she have fought harder? Could she have fought harder? Maybe if she had run farther away....

  Anna dug her fingernails into her hands to keep from losing it in Devin’s car. He pulled up in front of her house, and she took her suitcase and ran from the car without saying anything to Devin.

  She opened the door to the house, walked inside, closed the door, and collapsed onto the marble floor with a scream and a sob.

  *****

  Aaron heard the door close and a scream a second later. He ran from the great room to see Anna curled up in a ball next to the door, sobbing hysterically. He ran over and skidded on his knees to gather her into his arms. What had that fucker Devin done to her?

  He wasn’t even sure she knew he was there, but he held her and rocked her, hoping she would calm down enough to tell him what happened. But she didn’t calm down. She kicked her feet and slammed her fists into the floor. Every once in a while she would scream an unearthly scream that gave him chills. God, what had happened to her?

  Frau Gersten came in looking concerned. He looked at her helplessly. She pointed upstairs and he nodded.

  “Anna, I’m taking you up to your room,” he said in a quiet voice.

  He carefully picked her up and carried her up to her bedroom. Frau Gersten pulled the covers back and Aaron lay her down gently on the bed, then lay behind her, holding her as she continued to sob.

  Suddenly she stopped crying. She took a deep breath and then was still. Aaron leaned over to make sure she was still breathing. Her eyes were closed and her body relaxed. She’d fallen asleep.

  Aaron sighed in relief. He held her for a minute longer and then untangled himself from her. He needed his phone. Travis had been there. He might know what had happened.

  Fifteen minutes later, after talking to Travis, Aaron dropped into a chair near Anna’s bed.

  No wonder she’d been hysterical when she got home. He glanced over at her sleeping form, thankful she’d managed to fall asleep and get relief from her pain.

  Aaron wanted to find Devin and strangle him with his bare hands. How dare he hurt Anna like that! Alex had said that he and Devin had come to an understanding as to how Anna was to be treated. Did Devin think that just because Alex was out of town he could get away with something like that? What kind of sick son of a bitch tore a baby from a woman’s womb?

  God, he needed to call Wilhelm. Alex said if something happened to call his dad. Well, this was definitely something. He searched his contacts for Wilhelm’s number and dialed. He hoped it wasn’t too late in Germany, but didn’t think Wilhelm would care once he found out what happened.

  *****

  Wilhelm jumped slightly as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He’d been absorbed in a political document and had lost track of time. He pulled the phone out and looked at the screen. Why would Aaron be calling him?

  “Hello, Aaron,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Is everything all right?”

  Wilhelm listened in escalating horror as Aaron told him what had happened over the weekend.

  He walked quickly out into the sitting room where Ilsa sat, rocking Otto to sleep. The baby had colic and Ilsa was very good at calming him down. Wilhelm paused for a moment, taken back twenty-eight years to when Ilsa had held Alex in the same way.

  Ilsa looked up at him and saw the concern in his eyes.

  “Thank you for calling me and letting me know, Aaron.”

  “Sir, I hate to ask. But...I think Anna might need you here. With Alex out of town....”

  “Yes. I think you’re right.” Wilhelm thought for a moment. “I will be there as soon as I can. Keep her calm if you can. If she’s willing to dance tomorrow, take her. You know how dancing helps her.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ll call you when I land.” They said goodbye and Wilhelm looked sadly at his wife.

  “What’s wrong, Wilhelm?” Ilsa asked with concerned eyes.

  “It’s Anna. She’s....” He sighed, not even wanting to say the words. “Devin took the baby. It wasn’t Ben’s. Devin did it all for some disgusting purpose.” Wilhelm ran his hand through his hair. “I think I need to go to her. At least until Alex gets home.”

  Ilsa nodded. “Yes. She needs you.”

  “Will you be all right if I go?”

  Ilsa smiled. “Of course. I have Kurt and Liesl and Greta. Anna doesn’t have anyone.”

  Such a wonderful, understanding wife he had. “She has friends now.”

  “But she needs you, Wilhelm. I’m sure of it. You’re the closest thing to Alex she’ll have. You can be strong for her, especially if Alex is delayed. I’m sure she’s clinging to the hope that Alex will be home tomorrow....” Ilsa trailed off.

  They hadn’t heard from Alex, and Wilhelm could safely assume that his son wouldn’t be home tomorrow. This wasn’t unusual and didn’t warrant concern, but Anna wouldn’t take it well. Not now.

  “You go pack. I’ll go put Otto down and be in shortly.”

  Wilhelm kissed his wife and hurried to his bedroom, calling the pilo
t on the way. He wanted to leave as soon as the jet could be readied.

  *****

  Aaron kept watch over Anna all afternoon. She finally woke in the early evening. Her eyes were red and puffy and so sad that he wanted to cry for her.

  He sat next to her on the bed. He could see faint bruises on her cheeks and arms, which made him sick.

  “Hey, Anna,” he said softly, stroking her cheek.

  She looked up at him with such sad eyes. “The baby...,” she rasped.

  Aaron nodded his head. “I know, hon. I talked to Travis.”

  Tears welled up in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. “I’m such a fool,” she whispered.

  “No, Anna. You’re not.” He leaned down and hugged her. “Devin is evil. But Alex will take care of him.”

  Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. “Alex,” she whispered.

  “He’s supposed to be home tomorrow, right?” he said, trying to cheer her. If anything would cheer her, the thought of Alex coming home would do it.

  He was glad to see a small smile on her face and a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes as she nodded.

  “He’ll make everything right,” she said in a determined voice.

  “Yes. He will.” He brushed her hair out of her face. “Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll tell Frau Gersten that you’ll have some dinner?” He hoped she would agree. He had a feeling she hadn’t eaten much.

  She nodded and sat up. There was a bit of color in her face now. Thank God for Alex. Without him...Aaron hated to think what Anna would do without him.

  *****

  An hour later, Aaron and Anna sat in the kitchen eating dinner.

  “Wilhelm will be here sometime tonight,” Aaron told her.

  “Wilhelm? Why is he coming?”

  “To be here for you.”

  Anna nodded, appearing to think about it. Another small smile appeared on her face.

  Aaron knew she and Wilhelm were close and was thankful he was coming. He tried to deny the twinge of jealousy that ran through him. But Anna’s needs came first. She needed someone who could stand up for her, and there was little Aaron could do other than hold her and tell her everything would be okay.