“Hi,” a man says, approaching my side. “I’m Travis.”
I can’t get my mouth to move. My tongue is like cement.
“Alek lucked out in finding you. The elusive sister of Dimitri Ivanov. You’re going to be a hot commodity. Everyone is going to want you.”
“Want me?” I whisper, fighting back tears.
“Travis, are you scaring Katya?” Alek asks, finally giving me more of his attention.
“I’m just stating the truth. It’s a fact that this will get out. People everywhere are going to want to see her.”
“Then let them see. But she’s mine.” He pulls me in closer to him. I can feel the strength and heat from his body. The moment his body touches mine, I can’t hold my panic back anymore.
I rip away from him and stumble in my heels. I’ve never worn high heels before. In fact, I haven’t worn shoes in a very long time. I never needed them in my room or around the house.
“I am not yours,” I snap. “I can’t do this. Too many people. Too many people.” I fall to my knees and press my head to the ground, trying to breathe but it’s impossible. Maybe I can make myself small enough. Sink into the hardwood floor and disappear forever.
But then Alek touches my back and I know I’m exactly in the same place I was. There’s no escaping it. No escaping him. I’m stuck here.
“What’s wrong with her?” a woman asks.
“She’s never been out of her room before,” Alek explains. “A lot of this is new for her.”
“Freak,” a man mumbles.
“What did you say?” Alek asks in a cold voice.
“She’s a freak. I mean, who freaks out in a situation like this? No one was attacking her. We were all just talking. I don’t see what her problem is.”
“Please,” I sob into the floor, pressing my forehead harder into it. “Please just take me back to the cage.”
“What cage?” a woman asks.
“Never mind that,” Alek says. “Katya is not a freak and I don’t appreciate any one of you calling her that.”
“Then why is she panicking right now?” Travis asks. “She looks like she might die.”
“I am going to die,” I sob. “I am. I am. I am.” I push myself up and look around the room, staring at all the people staring back at me like I’m… a freak. Maybe I am a freak. I am surely notnormal. I know enough from the internet to know that how I’m acting is not ok.
But I can’t stop it.
I grab Alek’s hand. “Please. Please, I can’t do this. Please!”
Alek’s expression is filled with shock. He can’t believe I’m acting like this either. Did he really think I’d just accept him in my life? That this was my new life altogether?
“Get her to calm down,” Travis says, taking a drink of his wine. “Jesus. She’s giving me a fucking headache.”
Alek flashes an annoyed look at Travis before turning back to me. “Katya, you have to calm down. No one is hurting you right now. We’re just having a nice get together. It’s just people.”
“It’s too much. I don’t like people. I haven’t been around people.”
He studies my face before understanding fills his eyes. “You haven’t been around many people in years, have you?”
“Yes,” I sniffle.
“Well, your behavior will just not do. I have to get you under control I’m afraid. Come here.” He helps me back to my feet and walks me over to the back of the couch where he pushes me over it, so my stomach is laying on the top of it.
“What are you doing?” I ask right before he slams his hand against my backside. The sudden shock of it makes me stop crying.
