Chapter 8: Cain.

I watch as Gorm moves. He hits the door again, and again, blinded by the rage he's feeling and driven by pure lust.

You'd think this fool was sex-starved, and he might be but that's none of my business. What is though, is the girl he's probably going to rape once he gets in there.

I saw what she did when the mutt from her pack tried to mount her unwillingly. She cracked her skull against his head so hard that she passed out. 

Maybe that's why I'm going to spare her the additional trauma of being manhandled by a dumb fuck.

The door goes down with a crash and my ears twitch. Gorm's breath is coming out heavy and the smell of his anger is potent in inspiring disgust, mostly in me.

"You should have let me fuck you willingly." 

Despite my best efforts, memories rush into my head and flash past my eyes like a slideshow.  I feel my chest tighten up and when I move, it's with blind rage.

Screams and the sound of choking waft into my ears but they sound far away. I don't know where I am at the moment.

I'm lost..... but where? 

"Cain, I think that's enough."

Lyros's voice snaps me out of my trance almost immediately and I retract my hand. Gorm falls to the floor, his hand clutching his neck and his eyes blinking back tears.

The girl is cowering in the corner, looking like the equivalent of a homeless slave. 

Lyros is standing at the entrance to the room, the image of perfection and cruelty. His lips bend at the side and he laughs.

At her.

At me.

At all of us.

"This is just fucking hilarious."

I tuck my hands behind my back and step back to bring more distance between me and Gorm. I can see something like violence in his eyes, he has an easily bruised ego. If he tries anything stupid I'll just bruise that ego even more.

Lyros gives us all one more look before he turns around and slinks back down the hallway. I give Gorm a look that tells him to fuck off before I turn to the prisoner.

"What's your name?"

She doesn't stutter.

"Adelaide."

 I nod and scan the room with my eyes as I speak.

"Lord Lyros will be needing your services tonight" my throat tastes bitter as I get the words out "I have been assigned to prepare you."

Her face pales almost immediately and I shoot her an irritated glare.

"Relax, I'm not gonna fuck you."

 She gulps before she nods. The actions don't match the defiance I see in her eyes.

"Can I get some food first?"

I blink twice.

"Excuse me?"

The prisoner, Adelaide, moves away from the wall she's plastered herself to, her eyes on Gorm with every move she makes and her mouth moving to address me. 

"I haven't eaten for the past week now. I didn't even enjoy the food I was offered today before it was slapped out of my hands."

Liar, it wasn't slapped out of her hands.

"You need food" i sound bored "is that it?"

She rubs her dirty hands on the side of her dress and nods her head. 

"Yeah. I would like to start my new indenture with a half-full stomach at least."

I nod and direct another glare at Gorm. I'm ignored once again so I don't blame myself for what happens when he moves.

Adelaide seems to have expected this as much as I did, she's moved to the bathroom door and the moment she sees the huge man make a move, she does her best to open it and try to get in as fast as possible. 

It's useless but it shows initiative.

I move and act on base instinct. Something breaks with a sickening crack and when I release it, it's Gorm's neck.

The prisoner girl has her hand over her mouth and they're shaking. I wipe the speck of blood on my finger down my pants and I gesture to her.

"Let's go."

She doesn't start any of that "y..yy.....you just killed him" shit. I wouldn't hesitate to kill her too if she annoys me and the worst Lyros can do is kill me in turn. Almost like my mind wants me to know it's not the worst he can do, an image flashes past my eyes and a shiver crawls down my skin.

"Are you okay Mr. Cain?"

I nod and take a turn. 

"Call me Cain. I don't care for Mr."

I don't look but I know she nodded. She seems to be very obedient, which should work in her favor if she actually is. The Lycan king likes his puppets obedient, wholly submissive.

Obeying without question. 

The smell of food wafts into my nose from the kitchens but my stomach does not grumble. That of the werewolf behind me does.

We go in and I hear her take a deep breath.

"Pile whatever you have onto a plate, fast."

The maids move like clockwork, passing the huge plate from one person to the other. The cookers are still on and the huge kitchen looks clean down to the last tile. Lyros would have their heads if it was anything less.

"Hand it over to her."

The maid makes a detour and hands the platter over to the prisoner girl. She accepts it with a small bob and I start walking again.

Leah's wing isn't far off from the kitchens. There's a flight of stairs to climb though, and when I hear her grunting with the effort I don't look back.

We get to the door and I spare her a glance.

"When we go in there, do as she tells you to do. Whatever you do for Lyros is personal, no one else should hear of it. If you want to make friends do so wisely, always keep your cards hidden, show them what they want to see and you should be fine."

She regards me strangely for a moment before she nods.

"Thank you, Cain."

I scoff.

"Everyone has a motive in mind, Adelaide. Remember you're just a prisoner here, it's best you know your place."

She nods and I open the door. Leah is already waiting for us.