
She frantically pulled herself together before she stumbled to her feet, trying to run. I admit I stared for a second-because I was a man.īut I forced myself out of it and kicked him in the side. He kept going until her breasts emerged, her nipples hard against the cold air. “But a forced woman is much better than a paid woman.” He yanked her shirt up her body, revealing her soft belly and fair skin. He looked up at me, his face flushed with arousal. “Karl.” I left the tree I was leaning up against and walked over. He ignored me, getting her bottoms to her ankles. Her family would never know what happened to her-just the way I would never know what happened to Ivory. Too pretty to be traveling alone in these woods.

I watched her start to cry, all the while trying to buck him off her. The sound was too abrasive to ignore, so I stared. Her screams continued to pierce the night. And then the rest of the men will have their turn.” Her hands were pinned above her head, and then her bottoms were yanked off. Karl dropped his body on top of hers and pinned her to the ground. She scrambled away and tried to break free. The blood appeared instantly, and Karl screamed. “Piece of shit, let me go!” She fought against him then bit down on his forearm. She dug her boots into the ground and fought back, her hair whipping around.

Karl dragged a woman behind him, a blonde in black breeches with boots, her white tunic ripped at the shoulder from where she’d been tugged. It was just my mind playing tricks on me. My head snapped to the left at the sound, hearing a woman’s cries. I didn’t want to let the fear come into my mind, but it was already there. I was told not to return until I found her.

My father had given the order, and I led the search party. We made camp at sunset, a fire in the center of the circle, all the men sweaty from a hard day of riding. And the entire time, there was a boulder inside my chest, a guilt that was always present. I searched the Kingdoms high and low, looking for Ivory, questioning everyone I met, bribing strangers for information that never amounted to a damn thing. I need to raise an army to get her back, and if I can't, I'll march in there and do it myself. The Teeth have my wife, and I can't allow myself to think about what they're doing to her.
