July 7, 1302
Brunya City
Vivyka sat at the bar, smoking a cigarette and sipping her glass of whiskey. She looked around the room, searching for someone to play with for the night. But it was a couple that caught her attention—a big, edgy-looking guy with a young, pretty blond.
What got her attention was how innocent the girl looked, and how the man talking to her had marked her as his prey. Why did men like him always have to go for the sweet girls—the ones who were barely adults, only sixteen or seventeen, and still so naive? Vivyka knew his type; he was the rough, abusive sort. She had a knack for attracting them, actually—even now that she was far from the shy, clueless girl she had once been.
But that poor girl had no idea what she was getting into. By the look in her eyes, it was obvious that she didn’t know what a man like him was capable of. Vivyka had been just like her; when she had met Mathias she had been the girl who blushed and looked away, the one who was so flattered by the attention of a handsome man, the one who thought that they were all just nice guys.
She downed the rest of her drink and put out her cigarette before walking over to the couple. The man might have a taste for innocence, but men liked the look of Vivyka. She knew that and used it to her advantage now. She just stood there and smiled at him, giving him a seductive look that held the promise of pleasure.
His gaze traveled the length of her. She was wearing a short red leather skirt and a matching top that offered a nice view of her ample breasts.
“Wanna dance, handsome?” she purred.
He looked back at the girl.
Vivyka did too, shooting her a disdainful glance. “Do you want some actual fun tonight, or do you just wanna waste your time with a little tease?” she asked, and then noted casually, almost piteously, “She’s not even pretty.”
The girl saved her any further effort by walking off, her eyes filling with tears. She really was a sweet one. Go ahead and hate me, honey, Vivyka thought. I’m doing you a favor.
“I don’t dance,” the man told her gruffly.
“Oh, no,” Vivyka gasped dramatically. She looked him over and licked her burgundy lips. “Then however can we have any fun?” She grinned and walked out out of the tavern.
He followed.
She didn’t stop outside; she kept walking until she got to an old barn that wasn’t used anymore. The man caught her arm just before she reached the door. He jerked her to him. One of his hands moved up into her hair and grabbed a fistful so that he could pull her head back and kiss her fiercely.
She gave back for a moment, then got out of his hold and slipped inside the barn. Once he was inside with her, she stood there and waited for him to grab her again. He took hold of her arms with strong hands, and she smirked before biting his bottom lip and undoing his pants.
Her roughness spurred him on, and he became more aggressive. He wanted to act like he was in control, most of the guys she picked up did, but she was only there because she wanted to be. She was the one using him, and when she was through, she would leave. She never stayed afterwards. Not since Mathias. Now she was smart. She got what she wanted and got out.
__________
June 24, 1298
Seaport
When Vivyka woke up, she was alone in the large bed. She was lying with her face half-buried in a soft pillow that smelled like him. It smelled nice. She opened her eyes to see a dark gray wall and a long window draped with heavy red curtains.
Then everything came back to her, and a knot formed in her stomach. She winced as she rolled over; her whole body ached. She saw Mathias leaning against the bedpost near her feet, still naked. He looked very calm and casual as he smoked a cigarette and gazed down at her.
Her emotions were too mixed to make sense of them. She had the urge to run, but she also wanted to stay. He had been increasingly rough throughout the night. He had her hurt her, but he had also given her unbelievable pleasure. She felt fear, but also desire. Everything was at odds inside her. She sat up and he smiled at her, causing a flutter in her belly. She automatically smiled back and blushed.
“Sleep well?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” she answered, not meaning it to come out in a whisper.
He nodded and went to sit beside her. He pulled the blanket down past her waist, letting the back of his hand caress her skin along the way, making her shiver. “You don’t bruise easily, do you?”
She shook her head.
“Beautiful and tough,” he said approvingly. “I think I’ll keep you.”
He put out his cigarette in the ashtray on the bedside table, then leaned close and kissed her. Her lips felt swollen from his previous kisses, but his mouth still felt good, and desire swirled inside her. But a moment later there was a knock at the front door. Mathias sighed as he got up and went into the next room. She heard the voices of the men from the previous night.
“So, where is she?” one asked.
“See, Jake? I told you he wasn’t that slick,” the other said smugly. “Which is good, ‘cause I could really use the money.”
“She’s in the bedroom, idiot,” Mathias said. “And I don’t lose bets, Bo; you should know that by now.”
To Vivyka’s mortification, all three of them walked into the room. She hurriedly pulled the crimson blanket up over her breasts and crossed her arms to keep it there.
Jake shook his head. “Not a single mark, I’m impressed.”
“There might be elsewhere,” Bo pointed out.
Mathias grabbed the blanket from her and yanked it away, revealing her naked body. She gasped and blushed deeply as the men looked her over, grinning appreciatively. Mathias tossed it back after they got an eyeful, then sat down beside her, against the headboard, and lit a cigarette.
“Damn,” Jake said with a lusty grin, while Bo looked disappointed. “It just means that she doesn’t bruise easily,” Jake told his friend. “He usually bruises them even when they’re willing.”
Bo nodded and smiled at the reminder. “So?” he asked Vivyka.
She frowned, not knowing what the question was.
“Tell them you weren’t forced,” Mathias ordered lightly.
“I was a bet?” she whispered.
“Yeah, but I wanted you before they bet me,” Mathias said, as if that made it better.
Her frown deepened, and she moved to get up.
He caught her arm. “Stay,” he told her in a commanding voice. “And tell them you weren’t forced.”
She shook her head at the guys, but didn’t look at them.
“There you go,” Mathias told them. “Now leave,” he said, not taking his smoldering gaze off Vivyka.
Jake chuckled and left, but Bo looked at her morosely. “You sure you screwed him willingly?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized her.
The memory of her saying no and pushing him away passed through her mind. But she had really just got what she wanted, hadn’t she? She remembered his words: You know you want me, that’s why you’re here. So stop fighting. He had been right; part of her had wanted him since the first moment she saw him. She didn’t know why, but she had been instantly swept away.
She supposed she had invited him with the way she had looked at him and the way she had kissed him back. She had come here to his apartment, even stayed when she found out where she was. By the time she had said no, it must have seemed like she was trying to take back what she had already offered. He had seen the desire in her eyes. Now she realized how stupid her struggling was—she had been saying yes and no at the same time. He had just taken one answer and gone with it; he had only heard yes.
Regardless, she nodded to Bo. “I was willing.”
He sighed. “Did you do him within an hour after you left the tavern?”
She looked down, blushing more, but told the truth. “Yes.”
Bo sighed heavily. “Can I get you the money later?” he asked Mathias. “I’m a bit low on funds right now.”
Mathias laughed shortly. “I don’t need your money.”
Bo grumbled under his breath and left.
“Come here,” Mathias told Vivyka when they heard the front door close and the two men heading down the stairs. When she didn’t move right away, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her to him. “I’ve decided to keep you. So you’re mine now, and you’ll do as I tell you without hesitation.”
Fear instantly knotted her stomach. “You won your bet, I just wanna go.”
He released her hair and moved his large hand to her throat. He put out his cigarette and then shoved her back on the bed, pushing her down until she couldn’t breathe. She grabbed his wrist, desperately trying to move his hand, but just like all of her struggles, it was useless—he was too strong.
“You’re mine,” he repeated calmly, but very firmly. “Right?” His grip loosened and she gulped in air as her eyes filled with tears. “Answer me.”
“Y-yes.”
“And you want that, right?” His voice turned smooth now.
“Yes.”
He moved his hand and leaned closer to kiss her throat. “Say you want me,” he demanded. When she was silent, he repeated, “Say you want me.”
“I want you,” she whispered.
He leaned back and looked into her eyes. “Are you telling me the truth?”
She swallowed and nodded. “Yes.”
He kissed her for a moment, then let her go and leaned back against the headboard again. “Prove it.”
She took a deep breath and obediently sat up. “Um… how?”
He grabbed her hair, though not very roughly this time, and shocked her when he guided her mouth to where he wanted it.
