Reginald's eyes snapped open, the soft morning light casting a haunting glow across the room. His gaze landed on Savannah, curled up on the cold floor, dried tear tracks on her bruised cheeks. A feeling of guilt mixed with frustration welled up within him.The previous night had been a blur, an ugly culmination of anger and resentment that had led him to force his way with her . Regret gnawed at him as he watched her sleep, but his inner turmoil only fueled his disdain. He wasn't filled with regret that he'd raped her, but for the fact that he'd cheated on Rachel. But who could blame him. Rachel refused to come see him because she was angry that he was engaged to that worthless Savannah."You're a constant reminder of everything I didn't want," he whispered bitterly, his voice barely louder than a breath. He had never wanted this marriage, and his heart belonged to someone else.Savannah stirred, a faint moan escaping her lips, but she remained asleep, her pain hidden beneath the surf
"Are you a fucking animal?" He glowered at the man standing across the room, planting himself in front of the bloodied Savannah. "Why would you hit her like this?""She attacked me first, Ryker." Amelia spat through her teeth, as her eyes glazed over with unshed tears.She was such a great actress that even Ryker almost believed her."She wouldn't attack you without any reason, she's not a wild untamed savage like some people." He cut a heated look at Reginald who stood by the side, fingers balled into fist."Amelia, leave us."Reginald snapped, eyes directly planted on Ryker. "Get that treated before it gets infected. Leave."He added one more time for effect and the princess elaborated a flinch before turning her back on them and walking out of the room.Savannah wanted to get up to and leave the room too but every inch of her body ached. Through the tears that burned her eyes, she could barely see the brothers but could feel the animosity dripping off both of them. And it was all he
“Here’s the key to my room,” Ryker barked, lips pressed into a straight line. “Clean her up and prepare her to be presented to her family.”As Bernice took the key he dangled between them and turned to leave, he suddenly stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.The ghost of a smile briefly traveled over his lips. “You know what? On second thought, do not treat Savannah’s injury. Get her changed into cleaner clothes but leave her bruises as they are.”A look of fear darted across Bernice’s eyes but she still nodded before skittering away. Usually, Ryker was everyone’s favorite prince with his easygoing playboy nature but at the same time, you didn’t want to be on his wrong side. He could be as ruthless as the other men in the family if warranted.Watching Bernice disappear down the hall, a nerve ticked in his jaw as he ground his teeth furiously. “Let’s see how they react to their daughter’s apparent suffering.” He muttered under his breath before storming away to the general hall wher
“B…Brother, why are you yelling at me?” Her lower lip trembled as her eyes began swimming with liquid. “Just now, Savannah tried to hurt me and you chose her side. Why are you always picking her side over everyone else? Why do you like her so much?”Amelia’s words were like an elephant in the room that no one dared to address, not even Reginald for he might rat himself out if he supported his sister. He could only grit his teeth silently and make eyes at his sister to shut the hell up. Savannah had somehow found a way to bypass the mention of what they had both done to her this morning. If Amelia kept this up, then their secret would be out.“What do you mean Savannah tried to hurt you?” The king bellowed and Reginald almost choked on his saliva. This was what he wanted to avoid. Darn it! Amelia overdid everything!Amelia’s façade almost slipped away and her tears faltered. “I…I mean…”“She meant that she’s just trying to bond with her sister-in-law who is always hostile to her since
Savannah whirled on her heels but before she could take any step further, fingers clamped around her arm and yanked her backwards.A lump formed in her lungs and her tears stuttered as she looked up at Ryker. His face was a mask of anger and it terrified the living daylights out of her because she’d never seen him this angry.“Why the fuck are you so stupid?” He yelled into face, eyes flashing with something hotter than rage. The look in his eyes could incinerate her and melt her into a puddle. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”Her breath caught and she held his blazing gaze for a long moment, his face swimming in her watery eyes and the words next words tumbled of out her mouth before she could control them.“I am not you! I wasn’t privileged to be raised in a family that loves me!” She screamed, her face crumpling from the ache sitting on her chest. “Everyone hates me. I am a worthless slave. Not to be wanted by anyone! So fucking hang me if I want death. I have no choice in the li
A hot stench of alcohol hit her nostrils as a dead weight settled over her and pinned her to the bed.Savannah cried out as fear shot down her spine. “What…what are you doing, Prince Reginald?”Goosebumps lifted off her skin as firm, long fingers wrapped around her neck, squeezing tight enough to almost cut off her airflow.“You left me at the dining hall.” He muttered in a sultry whisper, blowing a hot, stinging breath over her cheeks. His voice was oddly calm, the softest look in his eyes was nothing like she’d ever seen. “Why?”Stomach twisting with nausea, Savannah tried to speak. “I’m sorry. You saw when Celia called me to…I uh.. please.” Her tongue was clumsy and her heart beat in a funny rhythm. Being this close to him was terrifying. And she was horrifyingly aware of his hard length pressing against her belly. The feel of him sent flashes of memories of that night behind her lids and tears burned her eyes.He suddenly lifted off her and jumped to his feet. His head thunked bac
Blood mixed with a sticky white substance leaked out from her center as she laid wrecked at the bottom of the bed. The trauma of the abuse she’d just gone through was so intensive that she couldn’t even cry.Her breathing hitched as she caught a glimpse of the small wooden stick that was abandoned in the center of the room. She couldn’t believe that minutes ago, that stick had been shoved up into her private part by Reginald as he tied her down to the bed and raped her with it. It hurt so much.As the door clicked open, a fearful gasp tore through her lips and she forced herself to sit upright, slumping back against the wood of the bed as it turned out to be Bernice.“What did he do to you, oh goddess?!” She exclaimed as she walked into the room. Her eyes widened as large as saucers when she noticed the stick coated with blood on the floor. “Don’t tell me… Don’t tell me he…did that to you…with…that!” Bernice’s short hair flung every which way as she shook her head in disbelief, instea
Darkness. Not the stark inky scary blackness but a soft willowy shadow fell behind her closed lids. It felt safe and thought the pain still radiated in her body, somehow it felt distant, a little out of reach. It felt like the pain that had become part of her had somehow drifted outwards, still present but not with her.“Savannah!” that peaceful lull of darkness and quiet was shattered by a chirpy exclamation of her name and she jerked upright, heart beating furiously against her ribcage like a trapped bird furiously flapping its wings in a bid to escape confinement.The sleep was instantly cleared from her eyes and with a deftness gotten from months of practice, she shot to her feet, rolling up the bedcovers that were on the floor and shoving them under the bed before the door flew open. Reginald hadn’t been subtle in his warning that no one must find out that she didn’t sleep in the same bed as he.“Little sister,” Celia murmured sardonically, lips twisting in a cynical smile. “We d