Cedarwood hits me first. Then the icy coldness of his gray eyes. I shudder.
He shoves me forward. I yelp and land hard on my hands, on the step in front of me.
I grit my teeth and turn. Curse words burn on my tongue again, but don’t escape.
He gives me a long look—steady, filled with disgust and hatred—then walks down the stairs. I sit back on the step,rubbing my hands—they took the brunt of the fall—watching the asshole speak to the maid who gave me this job.
After he disappears, the maid throws me one last ugly look and leaves. I’m almost flabbergasted by the affection I’m receiving in this place. I can’t believe these people hate me so sincerely for doing absolutely nothing.
A few minutes later, a man approaches. He looks like a guard, and the smile on his face makes the word creepy feel inadequate.
“Hey, princess,” he says as he reaches me.
His eyes travel down my face, linger on my chest, then slide back up.
He hoists the mattress like it’s nothing, flashing me a grin as if I should be impressed.
“Lead the way, princess.”
The way he says princess turns my stomach.
I stand and climb, and he follows. I lead him into Bruno’s room, where King Bruno lies on the floor, having abandoned his wet bed.
The man places the mattress on the floor but doesn’t leave.
I turn to face him.
“You can leave now.” I keep my voice as polite as I can.
He smirks. “Don’t you want some company?”
“No, thanks. I have work. So please leave.”
“I’ll help you with your work.”
I narrow my eyes. “Are you leaving or not?”
His smirk twists into something ugly. He steps toward me. I move back, closer to Bruno, hoping he’ll protect me.
“You may not know it yet, so let me tell you.” His smirk widens. “Every man who works for the boss will have their turn on you.”
He steps closer. I stumble back. Bruno rises and moves to my side, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
The man looks me over with open disgust.
“You’re a below-average whore. I’ll give you one chance. If I fuck you, I’ll keep the others away. Otherwise, you take every dick in your cunt, ass and mouth.”
The blood drains from my face. My body trembles, but I force my voice steady.
“Leave.”
He snarls. Bruno barks and steps forward. That finally makes the bastard turn and walk away.
The moment he leaves, my legs weaken, and I drop to the floor. His words echo in my skull, and the fear of them becoming real engulfs me. Bruno nudges my chin with his snout.
I wrap my arms around him.
“Please protect me,” I whisper into his fur. “My dad will find me soon. Just keep me safe until then.”
