witnessing what Jamie had been through, he could only imagine how vehement she would be about coupling with the aggressive monster that stayed below their house.
An irritated sigh escaped his thin lips as he opened the door of the house. Auro was waiting beside the door, arms crossed over his chest, eyes looking over him and his men as they entered. Lyne took his coat off and hung it on the rack, gesturing behind him.
“I’ve brought her to you, brother,” he said, facing his brother. Auro knew, though. He always knew. His heeled shoes clicked on the linoleum as he came forward, twining his arm around Lyne’s. He cast no judgment, simply looked disparagingly over his shoulder at the now limp woman and nodded, eyes cool and unreadable.
“Take her to the left wing chamber so she may prepare herself. Lyne, remove the enchantment so she may think enough to cleanse herself without the assistance of our men. The goods may not be spoiled,” he said, the chuckle that came from him forced.
Lyne nodded, retracting the small haze that was filling her mind even now. The man holding her set her down, and they watched with disinterest as she swayed on her feet. Lyne turned from her carelessly, waving a hand. “Take her, before she comes out of the haze and makes a scene in front of my brother.”
Ivan, a name that Lyne found most repulsive, nodded and turned abruptly. Lyne smiled at Auro and led him down the hall, inquiring, “Do you believe that the coupling will go sooner if Talon is groomed?”
Auro considered his brother’s question, grimacing over his thoughts. “Do you plan to keep a trance on the woman?”
“I believe that the moment Talon touches her, it will be dropped. I would not be worried, for it is only a minor fear. It would be only a precaution to make him as becoming as possible,” he said, lip curling with distaste as Ivan’s thumping footsteps faded. The hall was quiet, except for the soft sound of a breeze rustling the curtains next to them. Lyne stopped near the open window, pushing the thick velvet material aside.
“It would be too much of a reward for him,” Auro hissed, eyes following Lyne’s movement. Lyne nodded slowly, giving a sharp smile to his brother.
“Agreed.”
“What is with that smile, brother?” Auro asked, a knowing look entering his crimson eyes. “Have you got some plans for our pets?”
Lyne nodded slowly, letting the curtain fall back into place as the chill of the air settled on his pale skin. “It would bring us much pleasure,” he murmured, mind racing with thoughts of what he could do to Talon.
His smile turned malicious.
Jamie fell limply to the bed, arms too shaky to hold herself up. The door slammed behind the tall bald man as he left, the jarring sound making her tremble even more.
A cloud seemed to have lifted from her mind. Disoriented and confused, she struggled to push away the thick presence within her mind. The bed was soft, puffy, under her hands. She grasped the edge, dragging herself fully into it with shuddering arms.
Jamie curled into a ball. Sniffled. Hiccupped. Then burst into tears as helplessness overwhelmed her. What had they done? She was as weak as a kitten, the smallest exertion of strength making her tremble from the effort. The fog was lifting more rapidly, her mind comprehending more, but it didn’t help that everything was blurry.
She sobbed, hands curling into fists over the thick duvet as she looked over the room they were keeping her in. It was pleasant in itself, but with the windows barred it seemed like a prison more than anything. A chilling breeze wafted into the room, sliding down her spine. Jamie attempted to reach for a pillow, something, anything to give her warmth.
It was too heavy.
She cried out in helpless frustration, eyes closing against another round of tears.
The room around her was immaculate, elegant, completely the opposite of what she could remember of the outside of the house. A royal blue carpet met with creamy walls, the duvet an intricate design of the same colors. A large vanity was on the other side of the bed, a plush chair placed regally in front of it. Staring at the large pieces of furniture around her, she felt like she had been brought back in time, Victorian era or something close to it.
She suffered a chill as another gust of wind blew over her. Shivering, Jamie rose to her