Tasting Darkness

Chapter 11

Panic has me rushing over to my towel and snatching it off the sink basin. The door opens while I am

trying to wrap it around myself, only just managing to cover myself when Tobias walks in. He sneered at

me before his eyes ran the length of me while I stood clutching the towel awkwardly. My fingers are

clutching the towel tightly, and I watch as his face twists in disgust like he couldn’t bear to look at me.

Shame washes over me. How could I be so stupid as not to check the door is locked. I would have saved

myself this sort of humiliation. I didn’t think I was horrid to look at, nothing that warranted the look of

disgust he gave me.

If I repulsed him with just a towel on, I would hate to see the look on his face if he got a good look at the

burns on my back. That was something I consciously made sure was covered, my back permanently

mutilated because of Darius. Gym class was the worst at school; I hated it, the girls would stare in pity,

they never said anything but a look could tell a thousand words, express more sometimes than words

could. And to think my mate did that to me when he killed my parents, he branded me permanently.

“Hurry up, I haven’t got all night,” He snarls before slamming the door as he walks out and back into the

room they placed m e in.

The bang of the door makes me jump before I scramble to dry myself and put on the T-shirt Kalen gave

me to wear. It fell to my thighs, but I still had another issue. I had no panties, and I couldn’t put the ones I

was wearing back on. A little nasty to wear them again after having them on for days while in the

dungeon.

Tugging the shirt down as far as it would go, I suck in a breath, trying to calm myself as I open the door

to see Tobias sitting b y the fire.

He points at a bowl of something that smells delicious. “Eat,” his voice is cold as he turns his attention

back to the fireplace. Frankly, anything would smell delicious at this point. Seven days without eating

would make the grossest food smell and look appealing.

“Now, Aleera, or would you prefer I bring Darius in here to force you to eat?” he asks, turning around

from where he sat i n the chair by the small fireplace. Shaking my head, I force my feet to move, slowly

walking past him toward the tray on the bedside table. Nausea swirled in my stomach at the smell.

Maybe I should have eaten the bread. I thought as I watched m y hands tremble as they clutched the

bowl before placing it on my lap.

The spoon rattles against the porcelain as I grab it trying to scoop the soup on the spoon. Most of it spills

back into the bowl as I bring the spoon to my lips, seven days without eating, and the smell of hot food

shows how weak I had let myself become. I couldn’t even remember the last time I ate hot food, mostly

living off fruit and veggies I could scrounge up in the forests. The Lycan city had been the first time in

months that I stepped into a city.

And I wouldn’t have even left, but the cold and snow had frozen my water source, and most of the

vegetation was frozen or dead. At that point, I had no idea how much further the human communities

were, and I was too weak to continue walking, so I dared to go to the city in search of water and food,

only that was a mistake because look at where I ended u p in the clutches of men that didn’t want me.

Movement makes me flinch as Tobias moves toward me, his aura rushing out like a protective barrier,

except it wasn’t for protection, no he wanted me to know he could hurt me, inflict pain on me if he wanted

as he stopped in front. I swallow nervously before I strain my neck to look up at his angry face.

“I warned you, and you fucking still refuse” He spits at me before turning on his heel and walking toward

the bedroom door, and disappearing into the hall, the door clicks shut behind him, and I wondered what

he meant; I was doing what he asked. Turning back to my chicken soup, I place the spoon down before

glancing over my shoulder, slightly embarrassed before I drink the soup straight from the bowl, having

managed to get none in my mouth with the spoon from the

trembling of my hands.

They still shook as I brought the bowl to my lips and the warm liquid spilled into my mouth. A moan

escapes me at the first mouthful, and some run down my chín, and I nearly choke as I hungrily gulp it

down when I hear the door handle rattle. I pull the bowl away from my lips and hastily grab the spoon

from the bedside table, so they don’t think I am some pig with no table manners, but it would have gone

cold long before any made it to my mouth.

My belly felt warm from the chicken soup, and I tried to scoop some onto the spoon when a shriek left

me when Darius appeared next to me, his hand reaching toward me, and I scramble back, nearly spilling

the bowl onto my lap. Tobias grabs it before it ruins the bed and splashes over my legs just a s Darius

grips my hair. I clutch his hands, tears burning my eyes as I try to figure out what I did wrong. I did what

they asked.

“You were fucking warned,” Darius snarls before pulling a piece of flexible hose from his pocket and a

funnel. “Hold her down,” Darius says, shoving me back, and my eyes go wide as I see him connect the

funnel to the hose. What was he doing? What did I do?

Tobias grips Darius’s forearm. “Wait, she has eaten half of it” I blink at them, and Darius looks over at

Tobias, and I scramble back on the bed. My heartbeat pulses in my ears as fear wraps around me and

how I wish I never wasted my magic. Wishing I had tried to take on the Lycans instead of calling on

them.

Darius takes the bowl from him and holds it out to me.“ Fucking eat, or I will force-feed you.”

My hands trembled as I reached for the bowl, my eyes going to the hose and funnel as I took the bowl

and sat back against the headboard. Tobias throws the spoon in my lap when I realize the shirt had

ridden up, but neither pays attention as I quickly tug it back down, covering myself when Kalen appears.

His eyes are wide as he rushes into the room, and Lycus grips his arm as he goes to step toward the

bed.

“Now, Aleera,” Darius’s angry voice sends a jolt up my spine. I fought the urge to scratch myself, my

body becoming itchy. I t was a nervous thing. I hated it; whenever I felt fear, my skin itched, I couldn’t

explain it, but Darius and Tobias made my skin crawl just being near their intimidating auras.

My hands shake, and this time not just from hunger as I try to scoop the soup on the spoon. Their eyes

watching me make m e more nervous. Please just leave; I need them gone. Their presence made me

feel sick as I sensed Darius glaring down at me.

The soup spills from the spoon before I get it to my lips, and a whimper escapes me when I see Darius’s

hands clench into fists.

Darius leans toward me, and I cringe away from him, pulling m y legs to my chest and turning away from

him. Shrinking in on myself as my body tensed, wondering what he would do.“ Aleera!” His eyes

Demonic eyes bored into me, and I could see my reflection in his black, menacing eyes. The frightened

look on my face made me feel pathetic; I should not be subjected to this.

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“And still, you deliberately disobey me” I shake my head and glance at the funnel clutched in his hands

as he steps closer. His hand wraps around my ankle his fingers dig into my skin painfully. I knew being

Demonic-Fae, his temperature was hotter than mine, but his skin was searing hot against my cold skin,

making me wonder if it was intentional that he was trying to burn deliberately.

“You will learn to obey” He spits at me before nodding to Tobias, and I watch, horrified as Tobias moves

toward me, his hands reaching toward me.

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