“You said… once I was yours, you would answer my questions,” she said, trying to buy just a little more time. She had a good idea of what kind of “submission” he had in mind, and everything inside of her clenched with terror at the mere thought.
Yes, he’d given her pleasure last night, but also pain and unwilling surrender. He’d made her want it, and when it was over…
Selma would never forget the absolute helplessness he’d forced upon her.
“Hmm,” he hummed, putting her contract on the table so he could swipe a thumb over her lips without releasing his hold on her. “I suppose… If it’ll give you time to calm, I can indulge you. For a little while. What do you wish to know?”
“How many before me have you…?”
“How many Breeders have I personally procured? Ten, over the last decade or so. None who were Pure like you, my sweet.” He smiled at her, as if that was somehow a compliment.
“Did you… sleep with them, too?”
His smile widened, turning indulgent. “You have no need for jealousy, precious one. You’re the only one who has made me forsake my vows to claim a Breeder of my own. What worthless females I’ve sampled in the past can’t hold a candle to you.”
Jealousy. It was as far from what she was feeling as anything could be, but she lowered her gaze bashfully, playing along. It was better he think she had some fucked up sense of belonging to him than to let him suss out the horror she felt at having Marie’s words confirmed. Yeah, some of the previous patients at Ravenswood had clearly been abused too—but it hadn’t been by the wardens.
“What would have happened to me, if you hadn’t found me? Those demons that attacked me and the other girl—they tried to hurt me. That young woman who gave me the scar… Would someone like them eventually have… killed me?”
Marathin stilled, his lip curling up in primitive anger. “Males would never kill you.” His voice held carefully controlled disgust. “Once they realized what you were, they would either have handed you over to the local Lord, or... kept you as an illegitimate mate.”
“Illegitimate?”
“The lower-ranking demons rarely get the chance to bid on a Breeder—they’re not worthy of the honor. However, in the past there have been a few... incidents. The pull from your scent is strong, and small enclaves have captured and shared Breeders, keeping them hidden while attempting to form mating bonds. Of course, these groups always fall apart from within eventually; no demon can share a mate.”
He seemed to notice the shiver in her at the explanation and placed a calming kiss upon her hair. “Don’t worry; that scum will never touch you.”
The irony of his assurance against being exploited by other demons was not lost on Selma, but she found it wisest not to comment.
“Is that why that group attacked the other girl?” she asked, thinking back to the miserable event that had led to her current predicament. “They wanted to breed her?”
“No, she was just a regular human.” He glanced down at her, clearly not happy about discussing matters that could be upsetting, but humoring her curiosity nonetheless. “Given the lack of Breeders, we occasionally find release with human women; we can sway their minds so they don’t resist too much and forget any discomfort after.”
There was no hiding the horror that rushed through her at his explanation. “Why can’t you just be with your own females?” Surely they would be built to withstand the males’ ridged anatomy more easily than human women.
His handsome face turned grim. “We are at war. Any female demon we impregnate will always choose to carry a daughter to increase their numbers. That’s why we need human Breeders—you will only give us sons.
“The scar on your calf,” he continued. “The female responsible must have realized what you would become and decided to ensure we’d get one less chance at reproducing, once you matured.”
Selma frowned. “If she knew, didn’t the other demons I stared at know too? Why didn’t you... take me in before?” She barely managed to avoid the word “kidnap.”
“No civilized demon would touch a child. It’s in our best interest that our future mates have as natural an upbringing as possible. You make for much better mothers if we leave you with your parents to learn about family,” he said, smiling softly at her when she blinked at the odd concept of honor they seemed to uphold. “Of course, not all abide by this rule, which is why you’ve had unpleasant experiences when you were younger.”
“They always went away after a while,” she said, thinking back to the terrifying times a monster had stalked her during her childhood. “Why?”
“The Lord of your area was informed and the perpetrators executed. Young potential Breeders are not to be harassed in any way.”
The grim satisfaction of knowing that the worst of her childhood nightmares had been sentenced to death startled her. She’d never been a violent person, and wishing ill on anybody was far from her nature. But then these creatures had not exactly been kindhearted.
“I tracked down your old file—you were in the archives as a strong potential until you reportedly stopped seeing us at age 17.” He stroked her cheek, pinching it lightly. “Little trickster. We would have taken you in on your twenty-first birthday if you hadn’t convinced everyone that you simply grew out of a mental instability. You would have been mated, and likely a mother by now.”
A mother. A stab of longing sliced through her and she ruthlessly pushed it down. She would have been a mother of demons—nothing but repulsion should fill her at that thought.
“So... can I hear why you are at war with the female demons now?” she inquired, tilting her head so she could look into his eyes in a way she hoped portrayed vulnerability and submissiveness.
Marathin sighed, letting his wandering hand slide down to her hip. It was obvious his patience was wearing thin, but nevertheless, he obliged her.
“We have been at war for centuries; few remember the time before. We used to be a patriarchal society, the males dominating in large thanks to our Lords. We are generally physically stronger than the females, but they are quick and not without strengths of their own. However, the Lords are far, far superior in every way, leaving the females with little choice but to accept their dominion. Until the Queen betrayed us.
