⚠️ This chapter contains depictions of physical abuse and may be distressing for some readers.
The room was suffocating with foul rotten stench. The floor was stained dark with dried blood.
In the corner, several children huddled together, their eyes pressed shut as they sobbed silently, trembling in a desperate attempt to become invisible. They were abducted from different corners of the empire to be sold in the foreign lands.
The reason behind their trembling was the man standing few steps away from them. He had a fist knotted brutally into a girl's hair, yanking her head back until her neck felt like it would snap. A wicked smile split his face as he forced her to look at him.
"How did you have the guts to even try to run? " He hissed.
Fourteen year old Lethia didn't flinch. Despite the dirt masking her face and the rags that were once a fine gown, a fire burned in her eyes.
She lunged forward and bit his ear with all her strength.
A scream tore through the chamber.
He staggered back, clutching the side of his head. Blood seeped between his fingers. A piece of his ear hung unevenly, nearly torn through.
The children gasped.
Lethia fell back to the floor, chest heaving, lips stained red, eyes filled with fury.
"MY EAR! YOU FILTHY BITCH!"
Blinded by agony he grabbed her by her hair with and swung her with terrifying force. Lethia's body was weightless for a second before her forehead was slammed directly into the edge of the wall.
Warm blood trickled down her temple, and her vision blurred for a moment. She hit the floor, before she could even gasp for air through the haze of her shattered vision, a heavy blow of a metalic rod struck her back.
"I'll break those legs," he panted, blood dripping from his ear. "I'll break them so you never even dream of standing again, let alone running."
The strikes on her leg came without pause. Each one heavier than the last. She could feel her strength leaving her piece by piece. Her fingers were clawing at the floor, nails scraping against stone until they split.
She was screaming helplessly, as the pain tore through her nerves and went straight to her soul.The pain was unlike anything she had ever known. She had been raised gently, sheltered in warmth and affection.
Lethia's eyelashes fluttered open, as she heard a low aching voice.
Lethia...please....
The cold floor disappeared from her sight, as she looked into Serik's warm ember eyes.
He was holding her close against his chest.
He said, "where does it hurt?" As stroked her hairs gently.
"He broke my leg and still won't stop." Lethia said with broken voice, tear rolling down her cheek.
Serik pulled her against his chest, stroking the back of her head.
"It was just a dream." His aching voice, soft and assuring, " and I am here with you."
He held tightly as Lethia's sobbing grew harder against his chest. His heart breaking with every sob.
As Lethia calmed, she looked up at Serik. She lifted her hand weakly and brushed her fingers against his cheek.
"Why do you look so tired?" she asked softly.
Serik gave her a faint smile.
"I'm fine," he said gently. "What about you? How are you feeling now?"
She gave a small nod. A fragile smile touched her lips.
Before he could rise, he said quietly, "You must be thirsty. I'll bring you some water."
But as he shifted, her hand caught his shoulder.
"Don't go," she whispered
The thought of his warmth leaving her, even for a second, was unbearable.
Serik froze, his gaze locking onto hers. The silence between them stretched. Lethia's hand moved from his shoulder to his face, her gaze fell on his lips as their breath grew heavier. She leaned forward and closed the distance between them, her lips brushing against his as she kissed him softly.
Then she pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"I am sorry for what I said on the hunting ground," she whispered, her hand lingering on his cheek. "I wasn't disappointed... I was happy that it was you."
The last of Serik's restraint snapped. His eyes softened with longing as he leaned forward, his mouth catching hers in a starved kiss.
As they lay back, the kiss grew deeper. Serik's hand slid to her waist, his large palm pulling her body against his until there was no space left.
The quiet room was filled with the sounds of their shared breaths... the wet slide of their lips and the small, broken moans that escaped Lethia's throat.
After a long, breathless moment, Serik broke away just enough to press his lips to her forehead, then her cheeks, before trailing down to her neck. He buried his face in the curve, his kisses soft and wet against her skin.
Lethia arched her back, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer as if they were still worlds apart.
"Ngh... hah... Ser...ik..."
The sound of his name on her lips seemed to drive him over the edge.
He came back to her mouth, this time harder, his tongue seeking hers with a desperate hunger.
One of Lethia's hands was pressed firmly against his solid chest, feeling his heartbeat, while her other hand gripped the back of his head.
Serik groaned and gripped her waist, pulling her so close their bones seemed to hum together.
Through the thin layers of their clothes, Lethia felt the heavy, insistent heat of him pressing against her, rubbing against her sensitive core. The friction sent sparks of lightning through her nerves, drowning out every memory of pain with a searing, undeniable pleasure.
Serik groaned deep in his throat as he ground his hips into her with a slow motion. The heavy, rigid heat of him through his trousers pressing firmly into the soft, yielding dampness of her through her thin clothing.
Lethia's breath hitched into a sharp, broken sob of pleasure as he shifted his weight, the thick seam of his clothing rubbed against her most sensitive nerves.
She arched her back, her hips instinctively rising to meet his, seeking more of that heavy pressure. Serik leaned into it, his movements growing raw and hard as he rocked against her, the hard length of him sliding firmly against her center, creating a searing heat that made the silk between them feel like it was about to catch fire.
"Serik... ngh... please," she whimpered, her voice a ragged mess of need as she felt her body tighten, the friction pushing her closer and closer to an edge.
He responded by pulling her waist even tighter, his hips moving in a grinding, circular motion crushing her beneath his weight, drowning her in the sensation of his desire.