Rieka felt dizzy from his kiss. Her entire body grew hot as his hands slowly slid down her sides, pulling her closer to him. Kissing him was like kissing the sun; it filled her with a burning passion she'd never felt before. It reminded her of her time as a child soaking in the summer sun's heat in the meadow near her home. It had always been warm and comforting, more so because her sister Marjorie had been by her side.
Marjorie.
The memory of her long gone sister was like a punch to her gut. She pushed herself away from Marrok and scooted to the other side of the bed, wrapping the red cloak she still wore tightly around her. She had forgotten herself in the moment. What she was and what her very existence did to the people she cared about. Marrok was the Udolf. She dared not risk forcing her bad luck on a king. Destroying him could mean destroying his kingdom. She wouldn't allow her bad luck to hurt anyone else.
"You'd be wise to stay away from me," she muttered, biting at the knot of the red ribbon around her wrist.
Marrok's silver eyes gleamed with curiosity. "You didn't seem to want me to stay away just a moment ago," he said with a smile. Her heart beat irrationally at the sound of his voice. It sounded so different in this small and empty room. More private. Sensual.
She flushed. "I was wound up from everything that happened," she said trying to loosen the knot with her hand this time. "It was a mistake."
Marrok tugged at the red ribbon connecting them, forcing her to fall forward onto the bed. He quickly pulled the ribbon and her closer to him until she was inches away from his face. "None of this was a mistake. I chose you. Risked my position, my kingdom, and my very life to make you mine. Do you see this ribbon tying us together?"
Rieka glanced down at it and nodded. "This ribbon," he continued, "symbolizes our bond. You are bound to me until I say otherwise. Mine to protect and mine to do with as I please." He grabbed her head and forcefully kissed her again. "You are mine," he heaved, breaking the kiss.
Rieka pushed herself away again, this time the damn knot on her wrist finally loosening enough to slip her hand out. She was furious. All her life she had wanted to belong somewhere. To be treated as a person who was truly loved by another. She'd only ever felt that love from Marjorie, but she'd died because she'd been close her. Now that she had given up on any type of love and acceptance and come to this place under the guise of marrying Ostrythe, she found herself bound to some stranger who saw her as nothing more than his property. From what she gathered, her sole purpose was to give him a child.
She had accepted the scorn and fear from her fellow villagers. She'd accepted the hate and abuse from her mother. She'd even accepted the fact that she might have died today once she left the village. But now, now that her entire world had been changed yet again by something beyond her control, she refused to stand by and willingly accept it.
"I only belong to myself," she cried, rising to her feet on the other side of the bed. "I was brought here under false pretenses and refuse to accept this pairing."
A flash of anger raced across Marrok's eyes at her words. "And just what 'false pretenses' could you be referring to?"
"My village was told that we would marry Ostrythe in exchange for protection and prosperity." Rieka glared at him. "You are not Ostrythe."
Marrok chuckled. "I am more Ostrythe than any other in this city. Ostrythe means 'divine wolf' and that is what myself and my people are: divine. Able to move between human and wolf forms and given incredible vitality and longevity."
"If your people are so great, then why ask for women from our village?" Rieka asked, slowly backing away from him. If she could make it to the balcony, maybe she could jump and escape. She didn't recall them going up any stairs once they entered the palace. Surely she couldn't be that high.
"That is no concern of yours now," he said rising to his feet and stalking towards her. "You were sent to me in return for the continued protection and prosperity of your village. Refuse me and let them starve."
"You think I care about that place?" she said, still moving herself backwards away from him. "After all that they put me through?" She forced out a laugh as her back hit the railing of the balcony. "Using the village as leverage against me is useless. There is nothing and no one you could threaten against me that would make me lay with you."
Marrok growled and closed the gap between them in one quick swoop. His hand found her throat and he squeezed, slowly stopping the air from going into her lungs. "Then it doesn't matter if I kill you, does it?"
Rieka's heart raced in her chest, beating frantically as her lungs tried to bring in air. She felt her throat tighten beneath his grip, her body spasm as the air she desperately needed left her body. But instead of fighting and clawing at him in a desperate attempt to save her own life, she just calmly looked at him.
He wouldn't kill her.
She gambled on that notion, betting her life on it. He had risked his life and his kingdom for her. He wouldn't kill her so easily after risking so much. This was his power play; a way to try and make her submit. She'd faced such actions before in her day to day life. Only now, she truly had nothing to lose. She would bet on his need of her and get what she wanted out of it if she won. If not, and she was wrong, then she'd die. She didn't want to die, but at this point it was better than being someone's property again. She'd go out on her own terms.
Just as her vision started to blur and her mind started to go blank, Merrok let out a frustrated cry and let her go, dropping her to the floor. Rieka coughed fiercely and held her throat, her eyes tearing up as that precious air quickly filled her lungs again. When the coughing fit stopped, she looked up to see Marrok leaning on the doorway into the bedroom.
"I've never met a human as strong and stubborn as you before," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't know whether to be impressed or humiliated because you managed to outwit me. Clearly, you'd rather die than submit, so why don't we make bargain?"
"Not yet," she wheezed, still struggling to breathe in air. "I want to know everything thats going on before I bargin with you."
"Clever as well," he mused. "You really grew to be a lovely prize."
"What?" she asked. Had they met before?
"Nevermind. I'm too tired to explain anymore now." He turned away from her and crawled into the large bed, patting the empty space next to him. "Let us rest. Both of us have had a very trying day."
Rieka wandered closer to the bed but gave him a dubious look. He rolled his eyes. "I promise I won't touch you tonight and will answer any questions you wish to know tomorrow."
She looked at the bed warily, but her exhaustion hit her all at once. "Fine," she said, climbing into the bed. "But don't touch me or else I'll leave."
"As if you could run from me," he chuckled, turning himself to face away from her.
Rieka frowned but turned her back towards him. The second her head hit the pillow, she felt the weight of the day fall on her. She'd never felt so physically and emotionally exhausted before in her life.
Just before she lost herself to sleep, she heard a warm voice whisper into her ear, "Sleep well, Lovette." Then she drifted into darkness.
*****
Author's Note: Hello again everyone! I'm sorry for lack of updates once again, but COVID-19 really changed things in my life and I've had to readjust to online university. But I'm back now and as an apology for a lack of updates, I'll be posting one new chapter a day until May 1st! That's 5 chapters this week! After May 1st, I'll go back to weekly updates every Wednesday or Thursday. I hope you all enjoy what I have planned ahead!