“Ah, well,” he cleared his throat. “We can, if we are so inclined, but it’s not without its challenges.” He ran a finger under the collar of his dress shirt, as if the material had grown too tight.
I would have laughed at his discomfort, but I needed an ally, and he would do. “Hmm. I bet. Well, lead the way, Bixby. I’m quite famished after my night.”
“Don’t you think you should wear something?” He gestured toward my nude body.
“I would if your master hadn’t ripped my dress to pieces. And he didn’t leave me a thing to wear.”
Bixby opened his mouth to argue.
But I cut him off, shrugging as if it didn’t matter to me one way or the other. “Either I go like this, or I don’t go at all. Unless you can procure some clothes for me.”
He blanched at my response. “Um, right. Follow me, miss.”
“My name is Ember Meadows. But you can call me Ember,” I murmured as he held the enchanted door open. I sailed on through.
“Right, Miss Ember, follow me.” He held his head high, not staring at my nakedness.
I smoothed out my forehead and adopted a serene appearance, when I wanted to laugh. If I thought for one second that this was how my night would turn out, I would have asked myself if I was punch drunk off spellcasting. It’d been known to happen before.
On our trek, I studied the various doors and hallways. The place was massive, with thick rugs and high ceilings. The walls were gray stone. One would think he would at least paint the walls a more appealing color. But then, he was a big brute who didn’t flinch over screwing his prisoner with barely a yes from the receiver.
I’d known he was going to fuck me and hadn’t been averse to it, figuring if I was going to die, I might as well get one last fuck. And I’d never bedded a wolf. So I’d allowed it to happen.
And that wolf was packing some heat. I almost, almost came close to dropping the dampener.
As we walked, we passed a maid, but that was it. The moment the maid spotted me, she averted her gaze and sped off. My hair hid most of my naughty bits. I couldn’t help it if their master left me without any clothes.
We entered a formal dining room with a long black table and chairs. The scintillating aromas wafting across my nose drew me to the table. It was laden with sumptuous offerings.
Drool pooled in my mouth. I was about to reach for a crusty biscuit that still had steam rising off it from the oven.
“Poison. Is it poisoned?” I asked Bixby. Not that he would tell me if it was. I didn’t even know why I asked him that.
Bixby sputtered. “Mistress Lara would never poison anything that came out of her kitchen.”
“And I can just help myself?”
“Have a seat, and I will serve you, miss.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I sat with the biscuit I snagged on the way, too famished to care that I wasn’t displaying proper manners for such a grand table and spread. But then, I was also naked, so I figured proper manners be damned.
“Don’t be stingy with the portions, Bixby.” I handed him my plate, then broke open the biscuit and added some butter.
The first bite was sheer heaven. The second had me moaning. Whoever this Mistress Lara was, was a divine chef. The biscuit melted in my mouth.
Bixby returned with my plate laden with offerings. Fried eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, another biscuit, but this one with gravy atop the fluffy, yummy goodness. There was oatmeal with fruit and cream. Delicate pastries with raspberries and powdered sugar. But the chocolate chip croissant drew my gaze.
I didn’t care if I gained a few pounds from all this food. And I didn’t wait for my host. If he didn’t want me to start eating without him, he should be here. I ignored everything but the plate of food before me. I tasted everything. The flavors had me moaning.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Rowan’s snarl slid along my spine and pooled in my belly. I was truly demented, because that snarl turned me on.
I swallowed the amazing bite of pastry before lifting my gaze. “Breakfast.”
He stomped my way with a thunderous expression. Then gestured at my body on the chair. “I mean this. You. Here. Like that. Don’t be daft with me, witch.”
“For the last time, my name is Ember, not witch. Witch is what I am, not who I am. And I’m sitting in a chair eating a fabulous breakfast.” With my hands still bound in the cuffs, but they didn’t stop me from eating, so I didn’t care. In fact, I was getting used to my hands being bound.
“Without any clothes on,” he shouted, like I was committing an act of treason. I would have smiled if my life weren’t in his hands.
“What was I supposed to wear? You ruined the only clothing I had. Then sent Bixby to summon me for breakfast. And frankly, I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning and was quite famished.”
“Did you think to ask for some clothing?”
“I did. But Bixby thought you wanted me here right away, and I didn’t want to disappoint my new overlord.” I smiled, enjoying his consternation.
“Bixby, find her some appropriate attire at once.”
“Right away, sir.” Bixby raced from the dining hall like he had a reaper after him.
I kept munching on the food. It was too good to pass up. And who knew if he would be this generous with food in the future?
Rowan sauntered over and took my plate away. He stared with a determined glint in his gaze. “I assume you think that was terribly clever, pushing my manservant that way.”
“It’s not my fault you ripped my clothing. If you’re intending to starve me, then don’t send him to my room. If you want me to eat in here, supply me with some clothing. It’s a simple solution.”
He hefted me into his arms like I weighed nothing. Rowan took a seat at the head of the table and laid me face down over his thighs. It positioned my butt at the right angle. His big palm connected with my rear with a loud crack. Pain sizzled along my backside, but I gritted my teeth. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt.
“I won’t accept insolence from a witch.” He peppered my behind with brutal swats. My butt burned.
“A witch you had no problem fucking. One you can’t seem to keep your hands off, I might add.”
He brutally gripped my hair and tilted my head back. “Let’s get one thing straight, you exist on my good grace. The moment you step out of line, I will punish you.”
“And? What else?” Anger welled up inside me. I slapped my shackled hands against his leg. My fury knew no bounds. I wanted to hurt him. It took everything inside me not to use my magic on him.
With a swiftness that stole my breath, he yanked and repositioned my body until I straddled his lap and we were face to face. “I’ll do whatever I want to you, whenever I want, and you have no say so in the matter.”
“Why? What did I ever do to you?” I shoved my palms against his chest. But he was solid, immovable.
“Witches killed my mother,” he snapped, his face an inch from mine.
“I did nothing of the sort. You’re making me pay for someone else’s crimes. Does that mean I should make you pay for killing my parents? It was your kind who killed them.”
His eyes flashed with anger and narrowed. “Then they deserved killing.”