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The ones called Silas and Finnric usher everyone out, including us, much to Arkana’s disdain. She whimpers as I drag her out of her parents’ bedchambers.

Four Nocturnus initiates, that’s what they call them, escort us to our carriage. I help hoist her skirts up as she climbs in and then follow behind closely so as not to rip our bindings. Once seated side by side, I release a heavy sigh.

“Have you nothing to say to me, Lord Erebus?” she snaps.

“Well, it’s unfortunate timing. I pray it doesn’t affect your enthusiasm this evening.” I have to bite my lip to keep from smirking too hard.

She gasps. “I cannot believe you… Have you no empathy?”

I grit my teeth. “I do not.”

“My housemaids will cut these off as soon as we arrive, and then I am going straight to sleep,” she huffs out.

I squeeze her hand hard. “I will take these bindings off, along with everything else you’re wearing, and we will complete the wedding ritual.”

She digs her nails into my hand, and I wince. “How can you be so heartless? I have just lost my father, the most important man in my life, and all you can think about is your own pleasure?”

I grab her shoulder with my free hand and force her to look at me. “I’m the most important man in your life now. The one you just swore an oath to serve not mere hours ago. I didn’t come all this way and bleed for you just to have you disrespect our vows.”

Her chest heaves as she takes shallow breaths. There’s a fire blazing in her piercing blue eyes. They are the deepest and richest shade of blue I’ve ever seen. “I was told you were kind and generous. Are you not?”

I gaze at her lips for a beat too long, and it stirs a twitch in my cock. “One can be both of those things and still expect a wife to fulfill her duties. You are my woman now. Ensure that you act like it,” I rasp.

Her mouth gapes open as she sits with the fact that her beauty is not going to work on me. I almost laugh as I imagine how she would have steamrolled all over the real Bellamy Erebus. That jovial little man would have licked the heel of her shoe if she asked him to. Instead, she got me. The dark orphan with a taste for death and blood. How unfortunate for Arkana Graves.

The Nocturnus initiates follow too close for my liking. We enter the sweeping manor with two of them on our heels. “Leave us now,” I order.

“We don’t take commands from you, Lord Erebus,” the taller of the two states.

Arkana chuckles. “Good. Then you two can assist me in removing this binding.”

The shorter initiate glares down at her. “Your uncle, Atreus, has instructed us to see to the wedding ritual. Once it is complete, the property titles and dowry shall be transferred into Lord Erebus’s name.”

Her face turns bright red. “This is ridiculous. Can I not grieve the death of my father first?”

I sigh. The last time I had an audience was when I fucked two whores in a Hemlock Valley brothel. “You can grieve after. Let’s go and get this over with. Your voice is starting to grate on my nerves.”

She gasps again. “You’re indecent men. All of you.”

They don’t budge or react. So I nudge her upstairs. As we round the corner of our stately manor, two women leap out. They curtsy in front of me. “We must prepare her first.”

“No. I’m tired, and my patience is almost gone.” I start forward, but they block me.

“She must be bathed first, my lord,” the younger one cries out.

“Let me go,” Arkana barks.

I glare at the two housemaids. “All she needs to be is slick for my cock. Now get out of my way before I have you removed,” I growl.

They both gasp in horror but scurry back as we continue charging toward the bedchambers. To my dismay, the initiates follow us in. “Are you really going to watch?”

They both nod. The taller one offers me the raven’s blade. “For the bindings. We will take them back to Lord Atreus.”

I sigh and begin cutting through the sash. The raven’s feathers are tougher than they look. I break into a sweat by the time I reach our shoulders. Arkana stares daggers at me the entire time. “You should be happy you’re finally getting free of this.”

“There is no freedom for me anymore. You’ve taken it,” she grits out.

I hand the sash to the men and attempt to walk them out. But again, they don’t budge. The shorter one eyes her up and down. “We must bear witness. For proof.”