Feyre’s POVMy luck remained for almost two weeks. I was assigned only four times and each case had been to clients who wanted relatively tame, non-degrading things.I was astounded by my good fortune, never quite believing them until I left their rooms unscathed. I had Mordric’s assurances still in my head even after I remembered how he’d almost broken every single one of them. I didn’t take their word for it until I was home free.Mishka in opposite seemed to be having nothing but bad runs. Her last three encounters had left her visibly shaken and even last night she’d come back from her session with several bruises around her neck and body, courtesy of her latest patron. It was terrible to witness, the only reason why I wasn’t ecstatic at the moment. She’d been a lot quieter this week but yesterday after returning, she’d barely even looked at much less spoken to me. Somehow, I couldn’t help but feel like she blamed me for our circumstances and it ate me up with both anger and guilt
Feyre’s POVTwo days later, another disturbance came to the Harem but this time, I thankfully had nothing to do with it.I had constrained myself to my room even more so than usual, unwilling to face any of the still-angry girls again. Mishka had brought me all my meals after she had hers at the mess hall and thankfully, I had not been called to serve another patron.I was in my room doing a bit of light reading of some new books that had been delivered to me when she burst into our room door.“Feyre! Something’s happening!”She exclaimed, her voice rising but not with excitement per say. She rushed to my bed, practically hopping on me in her eagerness to tell me what was up.I sat up straighter, dropping my book, my brows raised waiting for her news with equal parts anticipation and dread.Anticipation because her anxiousness to tell me this new bit of gossip was infectious and now I was anxious to know.Dread because knowing this place, it could be something that would depress me en
Feyre’s POVThe chosen girls were taken out of the harem shortly after while the rest of us were left to our own devices. I got some weird ‘knowing looks’ from some of the girls that stayed behind, but seeing as they were spared as well, they couldn’t exactly complain about the unfairness of it all so they let me be.Lina and the four other girls who were to join us had been shortlisted for service tonight as well so I was yet to see her. I pitied her a little. Knowing how she had coveted her position by Xaden’s feet, it would be hard to be thrown unceremoniously into some more public service with different, possibly multiple men.Mishka told me how popular the new girls from the King always were. Coveted not just for their usually unique beauty, but also the fact that they were new and apparently ‘less contaminated than the rest of us who got passed around’.All in all, it was as barbaric as everything else in this palace had been so far and I wanted no part of it.I was lying in my
Feyre’s POVOnce I left Garrick, I went to Lottie’s office and asked her point blank if I could meet with the stylist to have some new jean shorts. She gave me one disdainful look before picking up the phone at her desk and dialing the man for me to speak with.I was informed that the shorts would be delivered to my room in an hour and after thanking her, turned and left.I lounged around in my room until it came and then I went to knock on the door across from me, recalling that I hadn’t seen her name on the roster either.The door opened and the girl who’d given me the jeans─ Sylvia, I’d learned she was called─ appeared in the doorway. She raised a brow at my presence there and I raised the jeans up to her. “It’s not your old pair, but it’s the best I could find to replace it. I’m sorry about the other one.”She gave me a long stare before reaching out to get the jeans. She held it up in her hand, looking at it first from the back and then from the front before throwing it over her
Feyre’s POVAn unnatural stillness lay over the harem thereafter, Sabrina’s forceful eviction causing a gloom to linger in the air. With the madame’s departure, we all trooped slowly back to our rooms, our faces clear with wide-eyed shock and the progression of events.Mishka, Sylvia, and I went to our wing and there was a moment where we simply stared at each other, our collective despair reflected in each other’s eyes.Sylvia sighed “Well, we might as well get some sleep.” With that, she nodded to us both and disappeared alone into her room.I followed Mishka to ours and closed the door quietly. We didn’t speak for the rest of the night, both lost in our own thoughts as she showered and got ready for bed.I couldn’t get Sabrina’s screams from my head, which was especially sad since I couldn’t remember her laughter from earlier. Just before everything had gone to hell. I did not sleep for most of the night tossing and turning.Mishka herself lay awake for a time, somewhere deep withi
Feyre’s POVThe week ran quickly, the feast only two days away now. I did as ordered, my body moving robotically even as my mind remained apathetic to all the preparations that were being done.It was similar to the rituals I’d undergone when I first came to the harem; lots of waxing, steaming, dieting, hair layering and so much more─ all so that we could look beautiful for the men who were coming to abuse us.I couldn’t stand any of it; not the manicures or facials, not the milk and honey baths or different combinations of salads, fruit, and yogurt we were put on for the entirety of that week. I certainly couldn’t stand the humiliating sex classes with Mrs. Arella who demanded more of me than she ever had, making me do such scandalous things in front of the others that I sported a furious blush the entire time. I’d been unable to look anyone else in the face for more than an hour after she’d singled me out at our last class. Even when I’d burst into tears, she hadn’t let up until she
Feyre’s POVThe next day fared a bit better for me, thanks in part to the conversation I’d had with Mishka before bed. We were ushered individually to the stylist for our last fittings, every other preparation now all but complete. We had one more dance practice that evening where we were supposed to dance in our costumes before we would prepare again on the day of the feast.I had my fitting quite early in the morning, something I was grateful for because it left me with the afternoon to myself. The outfit was as appalling as I had suspected it would be. A loose, purple wrap-around sarong held to my waist by several gold chains was the extent of it. There was a slit that came up several inches above my mid-thigh and no underwear at all allowed. I desperately hoped we were not going to go topless but when I asked about it, the stylist only gave me a baleful stare.In the end, I was sent off with bags containing my flimsy but incredibly silky sarong and matching jewelry that I was inst
Feyre’s POVThe morning of the feast was filled with activity and as soon as I stepped out of my room, I couldn’t find a moment of peace. I’d slept fitfully the night before, tossing and turning into the early hours of the morning, unable to get my mind to stop imagining what the coming day would bring.Would it hold the same sort of blatant debauchery as that hunting party contained? Or were these specially selected guests far too dignified to do their dirty deeds in public?Other than the fact that we were to dance, I knew nothing else about how the rest of the night would go.We were given schedules to dictate how each of us would move the entire day. Part of the instructions dropped the night before involved having showered and brushed before six thirty and I made sure to get up early enough to fulfil that. I didn’t see the need for such an early start but there was little I could do aside from comply. The feast wasn’t till seven in the evening and I couldn’t imagine what else we
Feyre’s POVMy eyes closed, pain and shock emanating from my heart. Something was digging into my chest and closing around my already constricted heart. It was going to kill me—“Dymon stop! He’s tied himself with her! She’ll die if you kill him!” I heard someone— Possibly Garrick— scream.There was a moment of hesitation before the pain regressed as suddenly as it came and I started to heal, a dull ache left in its place.I heard a gleeful, maniacal laugh that could only be Xaden’s but it was far away. Dymon was near instead, cradling me into his arms with all the gentleness in the world, a look of worry on his face.“Are you okay?” He said anxiously. Xaden’s growled, cutting off any answer I might have had.“Keep your hands off my mate you filthy blood-sucker!”Dymon gaze flicked to him for a moment, dismissive as ever. One moment we were on the floor of Xaden’s odd shrine, the next he rose with me in his arms, moving with insane speed to another part of the castle.I didn't recogni
Feyre’s POVRetribution came hard and fast, a slap cracking across my cheek. I stumbled backward, clutching one side of my face, saved from tumbling to the floor by the wall that backed me. Xaden looked enraged as he glared down at me.“What right have you to refuse me whore?” He growled, his entire demeanor changing within the twinkle of an eye.“I don't—” A loud, rapid knock interrupted whatever it was I’d been going to say. A good thing too because I certainly would have gotten myself killed if I leaned into this anger. All the spite I felt kept bubbling up to my lips and spilling forth from them. A dangerous thing considering who I was talking to. For the first time since I’d felt it, I tried to control some of that boldness and anger that surged through me. It immediately quietened.Xaden noticed my sudden quiescence enough that his golden eye flicked over to me, a curious glint in them, before turning back to the person who had burst in on us without his permission.It was Garri
Feyre’s POVMy father barely had me for a full hour before I was bundled into a black bulletproof van and whipped away from my childhood home. I hadn’t seen any of my step-siblings and I hadn’t wanted to. Hell, I hadn’t even wanted to see my father. I’d spent the entire time in his custody with my eyes firmly shut, praying to wake up from the horrible dream I was in. He hadn’t said much to me, my father. He’d gruffly asked me if I’d had my first shift now that the curse was lifted. I’d given him a look but hadn’t deigned to respond and after several uneventful tries, he’d left it, and me, well alone.I hadn’t been told but I knew where I was being taken and I dreaded it. I didn’t need to overhear my captors or try to map the direction we were going in. I knew who had made my father kidnap me and give me away immediately without even trying to exploit my newfound powers himself first. I knew whose power and wealth extended through all wolven territories, enough that even the remote isl
Dymon's POVI should never have listened to Golran. In the weeks that followed my return to Drusden, that one regret was at the forefront of my mind.I had previously thought myself above such petty inclinations, but as day after without Feyre’s presence passed, I couldn't help but think how much I missed her. I fell into a petulant gloom, spending most of my days brooding in my office, thinking about her all the time in between a few productive hours when I got things done.Centuries of a life lived made it easy to put things out of mind especially once they were out of sight. Yet, I found myself indulging in memories, not to mention fantasies, all revolving around this one person.She was a slip of a girl. Barely twenty-one and yet had a wariness to her that belied pain lasting a century. Of course, she hadn’t been so wary the last night we’d spent together. No— then she had been confident and bold, brimming with passion and oozing a desire she’d eventually drowned me with.By the g
Feyre’s POVIt had been two weeks since Dymon left the island and it wasn't any easier to accept. I tried, for the most part, to act as normally as possible. I went to meals with my family and got to know them. I went for walks through the garden with my grandfather and heard more tales— not just of my mother— but of the island and dire wolves even.I spoke to Dymon, but only sometimes, on the phone he got me. He sent text messages and I would stare at them for hours, days even, before I replied.I was angry, I think, although I did not dare say it. I didn’t think it my place or right to ask why, to tell him not to go. So I remained silent and occasionally told him I was fine whenever he checked in.That he would run so suddenly, without any explanation after the night we shared threw me off entirely. For a moment, I’d thought there was something between us.Something past the desire that was keeping us going.He hadn't even let us entertain the thought, or really talk about it all be
Dymon’s POVI wasn’t surprised when barely an hour after breakfast, a maid came to request my presence at Golran’s office. The exchange between Feyre and I couldn’t have lasted more than seconds, but it was enough for his sharp eyes to notice and now I suspected I was going to be cross-examined on my intentions or any actions I’d taken on his granddaughter so far. I wasn’t at all ready for it, I had yet to examine my feelings on the drastic way my relationship with Feyre had suddenly… evolved. Still, while I was here, I preferred to sow seeds of goodwill and keep the peace by doing as requested. It would make things easier, not just for me, but for Feyre.With that in mind, I swallowed my longsuffering sigh and followed the maid, allowing her to lead me once again to Golran’s office.He was waiting for me to arrive, his eyes snapping to the door the moment I knocked and opened it. The maid didn’t enter with me and I closed the door behind me before taking one of the seats he silently
Feyre POVI was in a much clearer head space when I woke up the next morning. I sat up feeling better than I could remember feeling in years and blinked at the half-naked vampire standing a few meters beside the bed, murmuring into a phone. A rush of memories from the night before came tumbling into my mind, resulting a rose tinge on my cheeks. There was a dull ache in my limbs, a pleased tingle between my thighs which hinted that a repeat performance would not be out of place.He turned then, crimson eyes catching my gaze and he paused for a moment as we stared at each other.It took a few more moments, but he rounded up his call, staring at me the entire time until he finally hung up. Even then he didn’t look away. He stalked towards me, an appreciative glint in his eyes that made me shiver. It wasn’t until that heated gaze swept down my body and back, the desire in them thickening, that I realized I was naked. Arousal quickened my pulse and puckered my nipples and I shivered again
Feyre’s POVThere was a need in me that I couldn’t put my finger on. I didn’t understand it at first, but it had consumed my every thought since I set my eyes on Dymon again, after returning to consciousness. I didn’t know if it was a side-effect of the spell or if it was something else entirely, but I had been inordinately pleased by him and now, I itched with a desire to make him mine.His lips moved over my own, gentle yet firm and I drank greedily, the flames of need fanning ever so higher. Such exquisite pleasure was foreign to me, yet I embraced it with eagerness and glee that I could hardly believe. Dymon himself was very careful, but then, he always was. His hands rested lightly on my shoulders as if he was doing his best to keep me at bay even as we kissed. Discontent licked at my insides, along with that fiercely burning need again and I did the first thing I was sure would assuage it. I pressed closer against him and the action seemed to please him as much as it did me beca
Dymon’s POVOnce Feyre clung to me, she didn’t want to let go. I couldn’t claim to dislike it, so being the hedonistic creature I was, I eagerly indulged her, slipping my arm around her waist so I could draw her even closer— as close as I could get away with in polite company like this.I ignored the dirty looks the half-breed Elvin witch sent my way, glancing down at Feyre instead. Her purple eyes, brighter and richer somehow, neigh pulsed back at me.“It worked?” She asked, disbelief clear in her voice and a smile tugged at my lips, relief washing through me as the realization hit.She pulled away from me to stare down at her own body and left me mourning the loss of her closeness. Her warmth. Her face held a mixture of wonder and disbelief, even as the realization slowly dawned.“Something feels a little different, but not too much to be honest. I feel… normal.” She said inclining her head as she regarded me. My breath caught in my throat seeing the way her eyes glittered, the unde