That’s the part that sickens me.
But Gavriil doesn’t want women to fall at his feet without a fight.
Hell, I don’t even think he wants them to like him. That’s too much. Too far.
He just enjoys the challenge. A reason to control them until he bends them to his will.
Mydikaya koshkais his dream prisoner. A force to be reckoned with. Alina’s stood toe to toe with him since day one. That’s why he took her from me.
Shoulders slumping, I retreat to my thin mattress. I can still feel the hardness of the floor against my back as I lie down and stare up at the ceiling light stuttering overhead. My body is heavy. My head is too fucking loud.
I’d give anything just to see Alina for even a second, to know that she’s okay, that she’s still staying strong.
If Gavriil won’t even show his face, then there’s no way he’ll let me see her.
Not knowing how long he’ll keep me and Alina apart has hope bleeding out of me faster than I grasp on to it.
But hope is all I’ve got left until this nightmare finally ends.
5
Gavriil
Another day goesby in complete silence.
Not only is there no update on the patrols in our territory, but Alina still refuses to speak a word to me or take a single bite of food.
I didn’t plan to escalate things this quickly, but the girl has proven that patience won’t work on her.
She remains determined to punish herself for her worthless brother’s death.
His blood is on Dominik’s hands, not hers. She should put all the blame on him rather than continue to make herself suffer.
Maybe I should’ve kept Archer alive until my month with her was over.
Too late now.
My prison guards, Daniil and Roman, follow me into the bedroom, the sound of their heavy footsteps filling the too quiet space.
Alina remains seated at the head of her cot, her knees against her chest and her eyes cast downward. I hardly ever see her in any other position. She hasn’t laid down since she was put in here. I’d bet on it.
“Stay here,” I tell the men by the door in Russian before walking up to the cage and unlocking the door.
Alina’s tired green eyes watch me closely as I step into her cage and shut the door behind me.
Not that she would get past my guards if she tried to run, but I don’t think she has the strength or the energy to outmaneuver me anyway.
Dark crescents hang under her half-lidded eyes. Her lips are so dry that they’re cracked. Her brown hair doesn’t have its usual shine.
She looks like a shell of herself, and it’s her own doing. If she’d just eat, hydrate, shower, and sleep with all the things that I’ve provided her with, she’d be perfectly fine. Perfectly healthy.
“It’s time to get up, Alina,” I tell her as I step past the glass of water and plate of food that hasn’t been touched in hours. “You’re not going to waste away in here for the next month.”
Alina grips her knees tighter, her gaze trailing me as I walk over to the showerhead.
I switch on the cold water before turning toward her. “Come. Now.”
She doesn’t move a centimeter. All she does is stare me down, the most defiance she ever shows me. It’s not nearly enough.
