chapter thirty-three

As soon as the front door slammed and a car roared to life, I desperately attempted to pull my hand out of the restraints, but my efforts were in vain. I followed the chain and groaned when I realized he attached it to the bar in my headboard, so the only way to get out of the cuffs was by breaking my thumb, breaking the headboard, sawing through the chain, or with the damn key.

What a clever fucker!

Throwing my head back as hard as I could in frustration, I had to blow a piece of hair that settled over my face in retaliation. My chest heaved as panic set in. I was not ready to be a mother. I was not ready at all for that kind of life.

Think, Vanessa… Think!

My eyes darted back and forth to take in everything I could in an effort for anything to jump out at me to get me out of there. The vibration of my phone, which was plugged in on the side table, distracted me from my thoughts. I could call for help, but who would I call? The police were out of the question.

Saul was an option, but I didn’t want him to see me like this. He would’ve been a perfect solution otherwise. He wouldn’t have asked questions, and anything he might’ve found likely wouldn’t be worse than what he had seen in his life. Outside of him, I didn’t have any other friends or family.

Could I call Orpheus? There was something seriously wrong with that boy, so calling him might be the safest option.

Sucking my teeth, I realized that was my only option. “Hey Siri… call Orpheus on speaker.”

Please work. Please fucking work.

The loud ringing that answered me gave me such elation. It took two rings before Orpheus picked up, almost as if he was waiting for me.

“Hello, beautiful.” His deep voice filled the silence of my room.

“Hi,” I answered sheepishly, already dreading the conversation that was going to happen next. I blew the piece of hair that fell back into my face away from it, angry that it came back right into the space it had just occupied.

“Well, I’m not complaining, being able to hear your sweet voice, but you haven’t been answering my texts. Everything okay?”

I licked my lips and stared at my ceiling to think of something quick to get him here. I almost laughed at the absurdity of the entire situation, but I caught myself before I did.

“Not exactly. I need your help.”

“Anything for you.”

This was not how I wanted Orpheus to see me naked. Unfortunately, I had no choice, not if I wanted to be baby-free for the next few years. At least he was being a gentleman about it. He didn’t have a lot of questions, at least not verbally. His eyes told a different story as they danced between anger and sadness like I was a victim.

Was I a victim? I wanted Hadrian. I wanted every single crazy piece of him. In fact, craziness attracted me the most. But, I mean, it didn’t start consensual. I didn’t ask to be tied down, have my IUD forcefully ripped out of me, or be bred nonstop. I also didn’t consent to have kids at this point in my life. But regardless, I couldn’t help but still like Hadrian. In fact, I wanted more of his crazy.

However, he also needed to know that I was not some pushover. I may want his brand of crazy, but he didn’t get to take everything he wanted whenever he wanted it without considering me and my wants.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Orpheus’s low tenor interrupted my thoughts as he untied the restraints around my ankles. He hovered over me as he reached for the handcuffs around my wrists, and I got a lung full of his spicy scent. The strand of hair that escaped the bun at the top of his head caressed the apples of my cheeks, tickling the skin. He tried to be respectful and not touch any of my exposed skin but to reach for my wrists that were right above my head, his chest pressed against my exposed one. His warmth seeped into my chilled skin, which said something because he was usually much colder than I was.

“Yeah. I am good. He’s just a jackass,” I said, still unable to look at Orpheus, so I just closed my eyes instead and tilted my head away from him. His breath hitched, which only intensified my own arousal, making my pussy clench around the toy still inside of me. Gods, this was so embarrassing and so fucking hot. I’m totally filled with another man’s cum, bound and exposed, while he took care of me.

“Want me to handle him for you?” I heard a barely audible growl escape him before he tugged sharply, breaking the lock altogether, which confirmed his inhuman status.

I didn’t know if I was in shock, going through a mental breakdown, or if I’d just finally reached a point where I was apathetic, but this didn’t freak me out one bit. Sure, I joked in my head that this man wasn’t human, but to witness the evidence of that? I wasn’t expecting this.

This wasn’t some young adult fantasy novel where the heroine got swept up in worlds she never expected to be real. To be cared for by a man ten thousand times her age, and if anyone were reading with a sound mind, they would realize a sixteen-year-old girl falling in love with a thousand-year-old immortal might be a little weird. I’m not sixteen years old, so that shouldn’t be as weird, and since this world is so big, It wouldn’t surprise me if there were actually unicorns still roaming around. Then again, if there were unicorns, their horns would probably be as valuable as ivory and would be harvested by corporate America. Then, the now poor, traumatized creature was told by some unsuspecting family that it was just an abused horse to help explain any behavior issues.

Okay, maybe I am going through a mental breakdown.

“No. He’s mine.”

Like Orpheus now was, Hadrian was mine. Though I’m not sure if I said it as he was, mine to kill or mine to keep, and no one else gets to hurt him. I should just keep him until I figure it out.