“Shhhh,” Hunter chuckles from beside Nate. “Don’t spoil it.”
My eyes go straight to the girl, the flames from the fire now licking its heat over my skin. I don’t recognize her. Should I?
Nate still hasn’t said anything, he’s just watching me carefully. My eyes fly around the area. Behind the cage is a large pickup truck, Ford Raptor, I think, with its tailgate down. There are giant logs lined around the fire to offer as seating.
“What is going on?” I ask, clearing my throat.
“Tillie,” a soft whisper comes from the cage. “She’s here, isn’t she?” the girl yells. “Let me out! Please let me out!”
I crank my head toward the girl, anxiety splitting me open. “How do you know who I am?”
Nate stands in the way, forcing me to stop my analysis of the young girl.
“I know you, I know you! I know you. Fuuuccckkkk!” The girl’s screams are raucously desperate.
Nate’s hand comes to my face, just when I think it’s going to be a gentle gesture, he squeezes my cheeks. His shoulders straighten, and I watch as his lip curls and his teeth are bared. I know this pose, I’ve seen it many times. It’s like a whole other side of Nate comes to the surface. It terrifies me in all the ways it should terrify me. This is the side of him that makes him second in command as a King. This is why he’s Bishop’s right-hand man.
“Sit. Down,” he orders through a growl that’s soft enough to squeeze. “Your final warning, Tillie.”
I take a step back and drop onto a log. My eyes keep going back to the caged girl, but before I can ask anything else, laughing starts to emerge through the forest. There’s another group of young people. All in the same face paint. Their laughs stop when they see me. Their eyes go to The Kings. My kings.
“Wow,” one chuckles, shaking his head. “You actually brought a Stuprum to a meet?” His eyes go to who I’m guessing is Bishop. “Your pops know about this?” I feel outnumbered. There are two girls, and one is locked in a cage. The rest are guys, some I don’t even know. Not that it matters, because the ones I do know are scarier than any man I’ve ever met. I want to ask Bishop where Madison is, but I find my mouth glued shut, sealed by fear. Possibly.
“You can’t do this to me,” the girl shouts through her weeping. “I’m—you can’t!”
“What is going on?” I glare at Nate.
One of the new guys laughs, taking a seat beside me. “She’s a swan. Obviously.”
“So?” I snap, my annoyance growing balls. “Madison broke all of that bullshit.”
“Except…” The guy leans in, his lips coming to my ear.
Nate growls. “Watch your proximity, young pup, or I’ll tear your lips from your face.”
The boy backs away slightly, but still close enough to be able to whisper. “Some parents are fucked up, Tillie, and hers, are the worst.”
“How?” My eyes search his. Since I’m getting answers from him, I’m going to milk it. “How are hers the worst?”
He pulls back slightly, his eyes dropping to my lips. It’s then that I realize who this boy is. It’s the guy from earlier. Lenny? Lennox? I’ve already forgotten. “She’s a Vitiosis.”
“And?” I wait for the ball to drop, but instead, Nate steps in and intercepts it.
Yanking me up by my hand, he turns me around to face the girl, his hand traveling around my stomach. He uses his other to wrap my hair in his fist and tilts my head to the side. “Look at her, baby,” he whispers softly against the side of my neck. “Look at her. She’s all hopeless and at our disposal. She’s the next known swan but only two years younger than Madison, so do you know what that means? Hmmm?”
I don’t answer. I’m borderline ready to knee him in the balls and save that poor girl.
“Answer me, Tillie.” His grip tightens in my hair.
“No!” I gasp. “I don’t know what that means.”
He chuckles, and then I feel his teeth sink into the flesh of my neck. He swats my ass forward, dismissing me. “It means that her parents have decided they don’t want her, so unless someone else of her line accepts her.” Nate’s eyes flick up to Brantley and then come back down to mine. “Then she’s gotta bounce.”
“Bounce?” I snort. “But why did you bring me here? Why, Nate?”
He chuckles, and the sound grips on my fear and squeezes tightly. “Because I want you to see why it’s important for you to listen to me. Take in this scene, Tillie. Remember it.”
Turning around to face Brantley. His eyes are already on the girl, his finger running lines over his upper lip.
“Brantley!”
He doesn’t look at me.
“Brantley!” I repeat, my voice a little higher.
He finally turns to face me, his eyes narrowing. “What?”
“You’re a Vitiosis. Take her.”
There’s a pause, and at first, I think nothing of it. I don’t even question why everyone has suddenly silenced. The new guys who came in have stopped their chatting. Like never mind the fact that this girl is caged here, ready to—whatever was about to happen to her.
Brantley continues to glare at me, his face expressionless. “I don’t want to.”
Nate rips off his robe and stretches his neck, his eyes going up and down my body. It’s the first time I’ve noticed the blood on his chest. He swipes his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes still on mine. “Stop trying to interfere, Tillie.”
“You brought me here, Nate,” I snap, going back to Brantley who is still watching me.
“You want me to save her?” Brantley asks the question with discernable hesitancy as if he’s wondering why I would
