Their Broken Doll

Chapter 7

　　I had to pull myself together again. Once Lucas finished with me, it was far too hard to focus. My limbs shook at the memories of what I'd just endured. What I'd be expected to endure if I was going to survive. Was just surviving itself worth all this?

　　A knock on the door stole my thoughts and I glanced at Lucas as he strode to the doors and opened them. At least I'd be leaving this scream chamber. As soon as he opened the doors the next brother strolled through with a smile on his cherry lips. His aqua-colored eyes lit up as he spied me still on the table. "Erina," he called with a hand held my way. "It's time to go."

　　My name? It had been just a day since I'd heard it last, and yet everything was different now. A lump formed in my throat I tried to swallow as I slid off the table and to the ground. Lucas made no move to stop me, just watched me with those cat-like golden eyes of his as he licked his lips.

　　"Is it already lunch time, Warren?" Lucas stretched until the muscles in his shoulders popped. "I was enjoying my breakfast." His eyes roamed up my body until he was staring at me again. "You'll come back after you're finished. There's far too much we still have to do, Kitten."

　　"Erina will not be seeing you again for awhile, Lucas," Warren interrupted. "She's to be my companion for a time." He tossed his head and a bright blue braid weaved into his raven-black hair flopped behind his back as he offered me his elbow. "Come," he encouraged. "I have a full lunch spread waiting just for you."

　　"Aren't you forgetting something?" Lucas questioned as he held up my robe. "Or are you planning to let the others see her?"

　　Warren's smile was a soft one and whatever predator he was, I couldn't feel the same vibe from him as I did the others. On the contrary, compared to everyone else, I felt safe? Which made me more cautious than ever. Safety was not an emotion I could trust with these wolves. Not if I was to survive.

　　Lucas slipped the silk over my shoulders and grabbing my hair he held it to his mouth in a tight fist as he kissed it. "Kitty, you can go eat, but remember to come back soon, or else."

　　He didn't need to add the threat. I shivered at the soft touch. My skin crawled at the thought of enduring his special brand of torture again. The electricity and Jack with his wild eyes was preferable to that.

　　Warren nodded to him and pushed his brother away from me. "She's mine for the moment," he scolded before he led me through the heavy doors and out of the chamber.

　　I followed beside him holding my tongue as he led me in yet another new direction and series of room until we entered what could only be described as a grand dining room. There was a long table that could easily seat fifty and it was filled with food of all sorts. I narrowed my eyes at this man. There had to be a trick here. What was going on.

　　"This is all yours, Erina. Eat what you like. What you don't care for we'll send to another of the family." He nodded at the dishes. "I didn't know what you liked, so I fixed everything I knew. There's every type of cuisine here that I know, I hope that at least one of them pleases you."

　　My eyes flittered over the plates and bowls and dishes brimming with foods both known and unknown. My stomach growled at me reminding me that I hadn't ate anything but bodily fluids by this point. Still, there was a catch, there had to be. "What do you want for it?" I whispered.

　　He tilted his head as he watched me and that braid of his slid off his shoulder and hung in the air like a large exclamation point. "Want for it?" he frowned at me. "Erina, I don't want anything from you but for you to be happy. The others might care more for bodies in their bed, but for me seeing a smile on the face of the woman I plan to mark, that's enough."

　　Mark? I swallowed. "Mark?" I whispered out loud this time.

　　"If you survive Nicholas, we'll all take you," he replied. "You will belong to the pack, our pack and to no one else." He shook his head and a light pink blush stole across his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I tend to get possessive. I apologize, I shouldn't treat you like an object. I know you'll get more than enough of that from the others." He pulled out a seat for me. "Now sit, and eat. Just tell me what you would like and I'll craft your plate for you."

　　I still didn't trust him, but the way he looked at me made me blush and I looked away. I don't even remember what list I gave him but the man took a plate and leaving my side he worked his way down the table loading it up with everything I said. There was no way I could eat all that. "Why did you cook so much?" I asked. "Are you having a party?"

　　His nose wrinkled. "We are not tonight, that is for later this week Think of this as a dry run? Our new leader will be stopping by." He frowned. "He's not a wolf though, he's a dragon. Don't worry, we'll keep you safe." He shivered.

　　Whatever had a wolf shivering made me even more worried. He could tell me not to all he wanted, but it wasn't going to stop the panic that bloomed in my chest. "Am I your guinea pig then?" I questioned. I tried to make my tone light but it fell flat as I stared at the table to avoid his eyes.

　　"You are my Princess, Erina," he replied as his waited until I glanced up at him and he smiled at me.

　　The same warmth from before spread through me. What awful thing did he have in store? I couldn't trust him, right? Just like the others he'd want his pound of flesh and if he was this nice before, he must be a true monster beneath.

　　"You're worrying too much about me. I'm not going to sleep with you, I'm just feeding you, and when you're finished I'll take you to Norman. The roughest parts of your day are finished for now, besides Nicholas of course." He frowned again as he finished loading the plate and he glanced away from me.

　　"What is it?" I whispered the words thick.

　　He turned and those gorgeous eyes of his met mine as he studied me. "What I am about to do, the others might not appreciate it. I haven't wanted to claim anyone before, Erina. But you were strong enough to sentence your rotten family to death. You didn't hesitate, you took the opportunity to rid yourself of them. I envy that strength to uproot the bad."

　　Here it comes. His real motive. I squared my shoulders as he set the plate down. What would this delicate man have planned for my torture? Would I end up hanging from the rooftops? Would he throw me in a dungeon without sight and sound and drive me to insanity? "What is it?" I was proud my voice didn't quiver as I spoke. "What are you asking of me?"

　　"Let me claim you right here," he paused as his eyes widened. "I don't mean sexually, sorry. I just noticed what that probably sounded like. But no, Princess, I want to leave my mark on you before the others do, it's a bite to your neck and when it's done you'll have my symbol there, protecting you. With it the others won't kill you, at least for a time."

　　The starvation that rumbled in me faded away as if it hadn't existed at his words. Was this my way out? At least a way out of death if not out of servitude. The demon was making his deal. But the catch? He was still hiding that from me. "And what do you want from me in exchange?" I whispered.

　　Warren smiled at me as framed my face with his palm and brought his lips down to graze my forehead. "My dear princess. I am not asking you for anything but the honor of lying claim to you first. However, if you want to help our family in return, I wouldn't be against that type of payment."

　　Help their family? How was I supposed to do that? They were wolves and I was a human. A scared human out of her depths clinging desperately to whatever she could in order to survive another night. Still, I couldn't help but be curious. "What would you be wanting me to do?"

　　Warren smiled at me, a sight that dazzled my senses. His teeth were so perfect, his lips like a perfect cupid's bow, and his eyes made me swoon. "All you have to do for me to help you have torture-free nights is agree to help me poison that future guest of ours and help Nicholas ascend that position."