9: Pleasure Lords And Chokeholds

Wild child had gray fur so Penelope was recognized as she ran towards the Pleasure house in fast gallops. Whispers were going around every direction her wolf took. Some were even loud with their gossip so she could hear them as they talked about her.

"Run faster," Penelope urged her wolf who seemed to be slacking because she was perceiving fresh meat from a corner. "You'll eat when we return to the Odwolf's castle, now hurry."

They arrived at the Pleasure house within five minutes, Wild who had been promised meat couldn't wait to be served. Penelope shifted into her human form and passed through the entrance of the gate.

As usual, half-naked women were displaying their bodies to customers. Some men had even taken up a space to drink and arm wrestle.

"Isn't that the whore, Penelope Ravenscourt?"

"That dress is so unlike her."

"She secretly got married to such a fine man like Quinlan and couldn't even invite us."

"Why would she? She aims to abandon this place and go swim in the wealth of the Alpha's Beta."

"Penelope, how did you do it? I'd like to have a Nobel man fall in love with me as well. So I can kiss whoredom goodbye."

"His parents wouldn't take this likely. Penelope is known all over Easton for being a slut, if not the biggest prostitute in the whole of this town."

Penelope tried as much as she could to avoid the talks of people. In each direction she turned, people were asking her questions or mocking her. Dear lord, she couldn't keep up with it. She needed to get her stuff and leave as fast as possible.

"I doubt she keeps count of the men she's bedded. They'll pass for an army troop." There was laughter after this statement was made by a man.

"You oaf," Penelope cursed at him and then turned away to head into the building.

She side-stepped many rooms that seemed to have sexual activities going on. There was never an hour someone wasn't fucking.

On reaching her room, she immediately unlocked the door and walked in.

It was tidy as usual, but the sheet covers were stained with dried sperm from the man she had sex with the previous day. That was before Quinlan's arrival. She could remember the look on Quinlan's face when a very shirtless Lord Ayres commended her riding skills, placed his sweaty hand on Quinlan's shoulder, and told him she had the sweetest thing between her legs. Quinlan had forced a smile and then gave him a firm nod, pretending to agree with him when he only came for a deal.

The first time they met was at the tavern, she was trying to seduce a man and they locked eyes. Quinlan knew she was a prostitute and there might have been some wordless conversation between the duo because he came looking for her the next day.

It was entirely amusing because she told him to lock the door when he made his request known to her.

They climbed on the bed, bouncing on it whilst Penelope moaned and whispered he needed to fake a groan because some people were trying to eavesdrop. They were to pretend they were having sex.

Quinlan was embarrassed, but he obliged.

This went on for some time until the eavesdroppers finally left and they went to business.

Penelope chuckled upon remembering this. Her clothes were neatly packed up in a box. She was grabbing her personal belongings when someone pushed the door open and she paused on her tracks.

"Arthur," she acknowledged the presence of her boss and landlord.

The man had his hands clasped at his back as he walked into the room. Looking homicidal.

It was he Penelope meant when she told Quinlan she had some scores to settle. The whores had told him she was back and so he came. In fact, she was expecting him but didn't hope to see his face like that.

"Is there something wrong?"

"You married the Arrowhead's Beta and you didn't even discuss it with me?" Arthur stopped in front of her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Penelope apologized.

"Have you forgotten I took you in when you were helpless and had nowhere else to go? You were fifteen, in rags, and looked starved." Arthur lashed out a pain flashed through Penelope's face because he was trying to remind her how she was.

She held her breath to calm herself.

"I am aware, Arthur. But I've been warming your bed for the past fifteen years that I've worked for you. You always had your rent and your own share of my earnings. I don't see any reason why you're upset that I'm married, I could give you five hundred pounds."

A whimper escaped her lips when Arthur smacked her face with the back of his palm.

"The nerve of you to speak to me in such manner," the man fumed.

Penelope was panting aggressively, with her hand supporting her cheek. Arthur just smacked her and it was making her blood boil.

"I am not fifteen anymore, Arthur. I am a woman of thirty, I very much have rights to what I do with my life and I find this as none of your concern," she glared at him.

"Dammit! You swore an oath to work for me until you were useless." Arthur yelled and his spittle flew into her face.

Penelope wrinkled her nose and wiped it off her face, "I took that rubbish oath fifteen years ago. Along with other frail girls like myself. And today the majority of those girls do not work for you anymore. Some are married with family while a few are running their own pleasure house. You don't expect me to work for you forever."

It all happened in a swift motion when Arthur wrapped his hands around her throat and began giving her a chokehold.

"I own you, you whore!" The man yelled into her face.

"Let me go, you dingle-dick!" Penelope wheezed out, trying as much as she could to release her neck from Arthur's grip. But the man was more powerful. Her eyes were creasing in their sockets and she couldn't breathe anymore.

She kneed his balls and a deadbeat groan left his mouth when he pulled away and cupped his balls.

"Bastard," she cursed at him and was at the point of leaving, but she remembered she hadn't taken her belongings along with her.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath and approached him. "Move out of the way, Arthur. Let me take my things and leave. We don't have to settle this violently." Penelope barely finished her statement when Arthur landed a punch in her face, making her lose her balance.

She fell and her head collided with the floor.

Arthur immediately climbed on her and started choking her once more.

"Let me go, you bloody cockwomble!" She coughed out, trying to remove his hands and he stopped to claw her face with the claws of his wolf.

"I own you, Penelope Ravenscourt. You won't leave here until I permit you to."

Penelope, who had sustained a claw bruise, bellowed on top of her lungs, and someone immediately burst into the room.

Under her bloodied gaze, she saw someone pulled Arthur away from her and slammed him into a nearby wall.

He beat Arthur black and blue, and as Penelope managed to stand up, with her mind wondering who was this savior of hers, her eyes dilated in their sockets because it was an under-butler from Quinlan's castle.

"Hunter?" She called his name and the under-butler punched Arthur's swollen face once more, before turning in her direction.

"My lady," he bowed his head.

"Why are you here?"

"Lord Quinlan asked to trail after you because he was certain you wouldn't be safe out here since you're now his wife." Hunter provided, before headbutting Arthur who immediately passed out on the floor.

Penelope's mouth flew open. After she persisted Quinlan still asked his servant to follow her. What a caring fellow he was.

"We have to hurry, my lady. The carriage is outside," the under butler wiped his bloodied hands clean on a hankie.

"A carriage?" Penelope asked.

"Yes." The boy was already packing her boxes. Penelope looked over at an unconscious Arthur on the floor. He sure would've dealt with her if Hunter hadn't come to her rescue.

"Not to worry, my lady. He just passed out."

Penelope nodded and picked up a few more of her things before they headed out.

Outside, a large number of people were staring at the Royal carriage. There was murmuring of course because such a carriage never neared the pleasure house.

Two guards were securing the carriage and Penelope looked at the under butler who was putting her boxes at the back of the carriage.

"Why do we have guards here?" She asked the butler.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that Lord Quinlan is in there waiting for you."

It was too late for Penelope to be shocked because Quinlan was already hopping out of the carriage.

High-pitched squeals from women were irritating to Quinlan's ears, they were begging him to take them with him. Asking for just a fling and talking about how it would be a pleasure to bed him.

Quinlan's eyes grew large in their sockets as he approached Penelope because she had a claw mark on her face. And her neck was red as if a knife was pressed against it, or someone had tried to strangle her.