Sacrifice (Ritual Sins #2)

4. Sebastian

4

Sebastian

I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and began the final leg of the journey up to Alderwood.

“Don’t worry, baby girl,” I muttered, as if the frigid air could somehow telegraph my words right to Rose’s ears. “I’m coming for you.”

Hiking up a steep mountain five days after a catastrophic injury was never a good idea, and it was also something my surgeon had vehemently warned against during yesterday’s post-op consultation, but it had to be done. I had to get Rose the fuck out of that place before it was too late.

As usual, the bottom compartment of my bag was loaded up with weapons. I didn’t necessarily want to use them on the Covenant, because there were so many innocents among them, but if it came down to it, I was willing to get violent. To save Rose, I would maim or even kill.

I would do anything.

Right now, I had no idea what to expect upon my arrival, but I was preparing for the worst. I could only assume that Rose must’ve told the rest of the Covenant she was with me over these last few weeks, which meant I wouldn’t get past the front gate without a fight. But I wouldn’t know for sure until I arrived and got a sense of the general attitude toward my presence.

When I finally reached the top of the mountain, I clenched my jaw and strode up to the gate. The closest watchman peered down at me like he’d seen a ghost. “Sebastian? Is that you?”

“Yup. How are you, Albert?”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he hurried down from his post atop the fence and opened the slot in the gate. “I thought you were in the outsider hospital,” he said, wide eyes peering at me. “You were so badly hurt.”

So far, so good. He didn’t seem to hate my guts. However, I knew I couldn’t put my guard down just yet. It was possible that the lower-level employees in the village didn’t know anything about my involvement in Rose’s disappearance while the elders knew everything. After all, my luck in Alderwood had to run out sooner or later.

“The doctors released me a couple of hours ago and cleared me for all activity,” I said smoothly, flashing Albert an easygoing smile. “I’m fine.”

“That’s wonderful news! Praise be.”

I gestured to the pack hanging from my right shoulder. “Can you let me in?”

Albert briefly glanced behind him before looking back through the slot. “I’m not sure. The governor wasn’t expecting you back anytime soon, because he thought you’d be hospitalized for weeks. Also, things have been quite…” He paused and coughed to clear his throat. “Things have been strange in the village recently, so to be frank, I’m not sure I like your chances of getting in this morning.”

“Strange how?”

He lifted a hand. “Just wait here. I’ll go and check for you.”

I waited a full twenty minutes outside the gate. Just when I was thinking about blowing the fucking lock off with one of the pistols, Albert returned. “You’re in luck!” he said. “Governor Trudeau was glad to hear of your rapid recovery. He’s asked me to escort you to his house immediately.”

Shit. That could be good or bad, depending on how it was interpreted.

He unlocked the gate and swung it open to let me in.

“You wouldn’t know about this because you’ve been away for so long, but Rosamund Trudeau has returned to us,” he said as he led me down the main street. “Big news, eh?”

I feigned shock. “Really? She’s back?”

“Yes. I was up on the watch the night she returned, so I witnessed it myself. She just appeared right out of the darkness dressed in white, like an angel.” A broad grin stretched over Albert’s rugged face, and he slapped me on the back. “It’s exactly what the seer predicted in her dream. The Entity took Rosamund and returned her.”

“That’s incredible.”

“Yes. The whole thing was a test. Not just for her, but for all of us, really. A test of our faith.”

My mind whirled. Clearly, Rose hadn’t said one word about my involvement in her lengthy disappearance from Alderwood. That meant I was safe here. For now, anyway.

“Everyone must be thrilled,” I said, keeping my expression and tone pleasant.

Albert nodded. “It was truly magical, hearing her tell the story of what happened when she was taken. She actually saw the Devil himself,” he said. “I know most of you outsiders don’t believe in things like that. But I know she spoke the truth.”

My lips curved into a faint smile. I was almost certainly the Devil in Rose’s story.

“I believe it,” I said. “Rose isn’t a liar.”

“No, she’s not.” Albert smiled again. “I wish I could relive last night. That’s when she told us the story. It was incredible. Her return is the biggest miracle we’ve witnessed in years.”

Despite Albert’s happiness at Rose’s return, I couldn’t help but notice a strange undercurrent of tension in the town as we headed down the street. There was an obvious air of excitement amongst the people we passed, a buzz of anticipation, but it seemed to be mingled with a sense of foreboding. Conversations seemed hushed and faces that usually greeted me with warmth now carried a shadow of worry.

It was like everyone was bracing themselves for something significant yet dreadful. At first, I thought it might be the upcoming Tetrad, but I wasn’t sure that was entirely accurate, because I figured they’d all be overjoyed to have their celestial virgin back for that. Not scared.

“Is it just me, or are some people around here acting strangely?” I asked, glancing at Albert.

He pursed his lips and shook his head. “It’s not just you,” he said. “Everyone was elated when Rosamund returned, and they’re still absolutely thrilled about it. But as I said, she claimed she met the Devil and spent several weeks down in Hell, as part of a test from the Entity. Many people are now afraid that they will be tested by the Entity in a similar fashion one day. It frightens them.”

“Ah. I see.”

Jesus. It never ceased to amaze me how fucking brainwashed these people were.

Albert stepped aside at the Trudeau’s front door. “You can let yourself in,” he said. “I must get back to my post.”

I bade him goodbye and opened the door, and the strange tension I felt outside immediately intensified. Augustus and several of the other elders were standing by the kitchen table, ostensibly awaiting my arrival. Each of them was stony-faced, and the air seemed thick with the weight of unspoken words.

Perhaps my luck had run out after all.

Augustus stepped closer to greet me. “Sebastian, I was so pleased to hear of your rapid recovery,” he said. He gestured toward the table. “Please, have some tea.”

Ah, the famous truth tea again. Augustus and the other elders definitely knew something. But what? And how much?

“Thank you,” I said, pretending to be blissfully unaware of the tension in the room. “I’m due to take an antibiotic soon, so I could do with a drink to wash it down.”

I had more of the scopolamine antidotes on me, so I wouldn’t be compelled to spill my guts to this group even if I drank an entire pot of the bitter tea. I just had to find one, and fast.

I set my bag down and stooped to rummage in one of the smaller front pockets. I finally located one of the tablets and showed it to Augustus, as if I had absolutely nothing to hide.

He smiled thinly and motioned for me to sit. “How often must you take this medicine?” he asked, eyeing the tablet.

“Four times a day for the next two weeks. It’s to prevent infection.” I gestured to my affected side. “The stick didn’t hit anything major, luckily. But without your help, I could have died from blood loss. I’m very grateful you took me to the hospital. I owe you my life.”

“It was the least we could do,” Augustus said, pouring a steaming cup of the tea as he spoke. “We were very concerned for you.”

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have wandered off alone.”

“Yes, well… it’s like you told us. You thought you saw Rosamund, so you followed her.”

I took a sip of the tea, swallowed the tablet with it, and nodded. “Speaking of Rosamund, I heard that she’s returned. You must be overjoyed.”

“Yes, of course we are.”

Despite his positive words, he didn’t seem happy. None of the elders did. They all remained tight-lipped and stern-faced; hands laced in front of them and bodies rigid as boards.

“Albert said your dream-seer was correct,” I said. “She was taken by the Entity.”

Augustus smiled thinly. “Yes, that’s what she told us. But truthfully, the circumstances of her disappearance and subsequent return remain... murky.”

Fuck. They were onto me. Rose, too.

“How so?” I asked before tipping my head back to drain the tea.

“Her story seemed fantastical, given what we know, but we put her through a Confession and found that she was indeed telling the truth.”

A mix of shock and horror scattered like buckshot into my chest, followed by a rising inferno of fury as I recalled Rose’s description of the Covenant’s confession process. These sick, twisted assholes had fucking tortured her. Publicly, too, to add a layer of humiliation to her suffering. Yet somehow, she’d made it through unscathed.

That’s my girl.

“What’s the issue, then?” I asked, cocking my head.

“Well, the thing is, despite what she told us, we know she wasn’t taken by the Entity.”

Ah, fuck.

I blinked. “You think she lied.”

“No, of course not. If she lied, she would’ve failed the Confession, but she passed. She genuinely believes that the story she told us is the truth, and we cannot fault her for that.”

I furrowed my brows. “What do you think happened to her?”

“Outsiders, Sebastian.” Augustus gave me a hard look. “They took her and kept her in torment for weeks.”

I felt as if I were sitting on a powder-keg. One strike of a match and it would all be blown to high hell.

“How do you know that?” I asked, still feigning ignorance.

Augustus snapped his fingers. “Jean-Pierre, do you have the phone?”

The big man nodded and produced a large black satellite phone from his pocket. Augustus pressed some buttons on it and turned the screen to me, leaving me face to face with the messages I’d sent from my burner.

“What is this?” I asked, frowning.

“This group of outsiders claimed responsibility for Rose’s disappearance. As you can see, they also accused us of all sorts of ridiculous untruths.”

“When did you get this message?”

“Thirty-six hours ago. Just a few hours before Rose’s return.”

I slowly shook my head. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would anyone demand this weird ransom for her and then immediately let her go?”

“Believe me, we’re confused too.” Augustus frowned and set the phone down. “But we’ve come up with a theory. Before we share it, we want to know something from you. Have you ever shared our phone number with another outsider? Or any information about us at all?”

I rose to my feet, eyes narrowing. “I see what you’re getting at, but you can’t possibly accuse me of this,” I said. “I’ve been in the hospital for days, and I—”

“Calm down, Sebastian. Take a seat. We aren’t accusing you of anything. We know you aren’t behind this.”

Well, that was a fucking relief.

I slowly sank back into the chair. “So what are you trying to say?”

“We know it wasn’t you, but we are fairly sure we know the identity of the mastermind behind this group… and it’s someone very close to you.”

My eyes narrowed again. “Who?”

“Your father. He hates us, and he’s wanted to destroy us for years. So it makes sense that he’d try something like this,” he said. “He knows all those things he accused us of in the ransom message aren’t true, but he wanted to frighten us with it anyway. I’m sure he hoped we’d confess to all the lies just to get Rose back.”

My stomach began to churn. Oh, fuck. This shit was getting way out of hand.

“Why do you think it’s him?” I asked, pasting on a suitably shocked expression. “Plenty of outsiders despise you. You’ve said so yourself, multiple times.”

Augustus clasped his hands in front of him. “Here’s our theory. We believe your father recruited a group of like-minded individuals from Pinecrest Falls to help with his plan, which must’ve been formulated over a long time. Months, or even years,” he said. “We’ve heard of a new sort of outsider technology involving flying cameras. I forget the name.”

“Drones?” I said, forehead wrinkling.

“Yes, that’s it. We believe this group, headed by your father, used those things to spy on us for a very long time. They eventually decided to target Rose, because she often ventures close to the boundary fence when she goes berry-picking, which they would’ve realized after all their months of surveillance.”

“And then what?”

“We think they sent someone to lure her even closer to the fence. Then they were able to drug her with a hallucinogenic agent, and while she was under the influence of that, they convinced her to leave Alderwood,” he said. “After that, they kept her drugged to the gills for weeks. Due to the influence of these substances, she built up a fantastical story of being in Hell, and that’s what she now believes. But in reality, she was with these outsiders as their hostage.”

I shook my head. “That’s not possible. There’s no way Rose could’ve left Alderwood without being seen.”

“Actually, there was a way. We recently discovered that there was a secret tunnel running beneath the fence. One the outsiders could have found, either on their own… or via your notes.” Augustus tilted his head slightly to one side. “Do you see what I’m saying now?”

I gritted my teeth and straightened my shoulders. “I’ve never shared my notes with my father. Or anyone, for that matter.”

He lifted a placating palm. “We don’t think you did it on purpose. We think Adam may have accessed the notes without your knowledge to gain extra insight into the goings-on in Alderwood. Insight that ultimately aided his group in their abduction of Rosamund.” He paused and gave me a hard look. “In fact, we think your father may have even encouraged you to come up here to ensure that you’d obtain all this necessary information for him.”

“Hold on.” I slowly shook my head and raised a hand. “Firstly, I didn’t even know about any tunnels here, so my notes didn’t include information on that. Secondly, most of my notes are kept on my laptop in an encrypted file, and the handwritten ones are locked away in a safe. No one can view them except me. And thirdly, it was entirely my decision to come here. My father had nothing to do with it. In fact, as you know, he’s actively discouraged me from coming here.”

“That’s not true, though, is it? About it being entirely your decision to come here.” Augustus raised a brow. “You told me that you and your father have been in conflict for years over the issue of our alleged guilt in regard to your mother’s case. You also told me he recently disinherited you over it. Perhaps he did so as a sort of reverse psychology trick, anticipating that you would likely react by coming here to complete your mother’s research, as an act of defiance against him. Then, unbeknownst to you, he would be able to use your research to shape his abduction plan.”

My mind was spinning like crazy. Every single lie I’d told to get into this place had come back to haunt me. Now, the Covenant could be planning to go after my father as revenge for kidnapping Rose, even though he had absolutely fuck all to do with it. However, if I admitted that it was me behind the kidnapping, I wouldn’t be able to stay here and figure out a way to spirit Rose out of here to safety. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Shit, shit, shit.

I exhaled deeply and leaned forward. “I can assure you, my father has no access to my notes. Also, until I was admitted to the hospital recently, he was in Canada. He couldn’t possibly have taken Rose.”

“Like I said, we believe he is the leader of a large group of outsiders who were behind Rose’s disappearance. He didn’t personally come up here and take her. He simply masterminded the scheme.”

“Augustus, I know my dad hates you, but he’s not the sort of man who would agree to abduct and hurt a young woman. Whoever took Rose… it wasn’t him. I’m willing to swear to that on my life.”

He pursed his lips and leaned back. “I suppose we will have to agree to disagree on the matter of his culpability.”

“I have a counter-theory, if you’re willing to consider it.”

His eyes widened slightly. “Of course. Go ahead.”

“Those messages you received—it could’ve been a cruel trick played on you by some nasty locals.”

“A trick?”

“Yes. After I arranged the aerial search for Rose, word would’ve gotten around town about her being missing, and you do business with quite a few people in the area, so any one of them could’ve shared your phone number with this group of pranksters. They may have sent the messages purely to mess with your head, knowing how frightened you were because she was missing,” I said. “Also, this would explain why the sender claimed to have Rose as a hostage, even though she was clearly free the entire time. I mean, how else did she get back here? She couldn’t have done that if she was tied up in someone’s basement, could she?”

“We believe she found a way to escape their clutches. She’s always been a smart girl.” Augustus tapped his chin. “But your theory… I suppose it could make sense. People can be cruel and twisted. Even total strangers.”

“No.” Jean-Pierre finally spoke up, his eyes narrowed. “It was Adam Thorne. I feel it in my bones. He’s wanted us gone for decades. All of us.”

“That’s true.” Anger flared in Augustus’s eyes again. “It would be very convenient to him if we all disappeared, wouldn’t it?”

I sighed. “Listen, I really don’t think my father would ever do such a thing. Not even to someone he hates. But I can look into it for you, and if I find out he actually abducted and imprisoned Rose, I’ll call the police right away. I won’t let something like that slide just because we’re family.”

“How exactly would you look into it?”

“Well, firstly, I can try to figure out who sent those ransom messages to you. Any half-decent private investigator could find out.”

Jean-Pierre’s forehead wrinkled. “That’s actually possible?” he asked. “I know that outsiders can trace phone calls, but I had no idea you could trace numbers themselves, even when the phone isn’t in use.”

I nodded. “You definitely can. Whoever sent these messages to you probably used a burner phone. That’s a phone that isn’t attached to a named account. But the numbers for burners can usually still be traced.”

“How?”

I twisted my lips in faux contemplation. “Well, the SIM card that the number is attached to can usually be traced back to the exact location where it was sold. Then it’s a matter of looking at security footage from the store in question,” I explained, knowing full well that the bodega I’d bought the burner from didn’t have any cameras in it. “So I can look into that for you, if you like.”

Augustus nodded slowly. “That would be very helpful.”

“You might think it’s a moot point because Rose has escaped her captors and is once again safe with us,” Jean-Pierre added stiffly. “But we won’t stop until we find out who took her.”

“I understand. Completely,” I said, meeting his hard gaze. “And like I said earlier… I owe the Covenant my life. So even if it turns out my father is behind this, I’ll be on your side.”

“Thank you, Sebastian,” Augustus murmured, eyeing my empty teacup. “It means a lot.”

“It’s no problem. I’m just glad Rose is okay.”

His brows shot up, and he looked over my shoulder. “Ah. Speaking of Rose…”

“Oh, sorry, Papa. I didn’t realize you were having a meeting! I would’ve stayed downstairs if I knew.”

Rose’s sweet voice filled my ears, and I turned around to see her standing there, hands smeared with colorful paint. She froze when she saw me, eyes widening in shock. It was a strange echo of our first meeting, right here in this very spot.

As we stared at each other, the air between us turned thick with a cocktail of emotions. Tension, lust, anger, and a chaotic blend of familiarity and intensity, all simmering beneath the surface. I could still feel the phantom touch of her soft fingers on my skin, the taste of her lips, and the heat of her body wrapped around mine.

I rose to my feet and strode toward her. Augustus followed.

“Rose, I was so glad to hear of your safe return,” I said, looking right into her gorgeous eyes.

“Thank you.” She boldly met my gaze head-on. “I heard about your terrible accident. I’m so pleased you survived.”

“It’s two miracles in a row, isn’t it?” Augustus said, patting me on my good shoulder. “Honestly, Sebastian, I’m still shocked that you’re walking around instead of lying in bed. They must’ve taken wonderful care of you at that hospital.”

I nodded. “They did. But I was lucky to have the support of a beautiful woman. She took really good care of me, and I think that was the most important thing for my recovery.”

Rose’s eyes widened, as if she were worried that I was about to give her away.

“You have a lady friend?” Augustus asked. “I had no idea.”

“I haven’t mentioned her before now because it wasn’t all that serious,” I said, glancing at him. “We were just seeing each other every so often. But after I was injured, she rushed to my side and did everything she could to comfort me, and I finally realized how amazing she is. So things between us are official now.”

“That’s wonderful news!” Augustus looked thrilled. “Do you think you’ll marry this woman?”

I looked back at Rose, who was somehow managing to look utterly furious while maintaining a straight face.

“Yeah, I’d love to marry her,” I said. “I’d love to give her about a million babies, too.”

Augustus patted my shoulder again. “Well, she’s a very lucky woman.”

“Nah.” I kept staring at Rose, lips curving into a faint smile. “I’m the lucky one.”

Rose’s cheeks had turned bright pink now. She must’ve felt the hot flush rising in her face, because she suddenly looked down at her paint-smeared hands and cleared her throat. “I feel like I’m overheating. It must be because I was painting for so long,” she said hurriedly. “My hands are aching too.”

I raised a brow. “You should take a break.”

“Yes. I should.” She smiled thinly. “Anyway, what are your plans for today, Sebastian?”

“Yes, I was going to ask you that myself,” Augustus added, eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly. “I see you brought your usual bag.”

“I’m almost finished with my mother’s notes,” I said. “Just a few more days should do it, I think, so I was hoping to stay a couple more nights.”

“Hmm.” He rubbed his jaw, brows dipping in a small frown. “We have a very big ritual coming up in three days, and it is the culmination of centuries of devotion, so the celebrations will last for weeks. We can’t have any outsiders present for that, unfortunately. But I think two days should be fine for you to stay.”

“Great. After I leave, I can take care of that thing for you in town.” I raised my brows, eyes darting toward the table surrounded by village elders. “The thing we discussed earlier.”

Augustus coughed and nodded. “Of course. Much appreciated.”

I looked back at Rose. “Rosamund, you said you need a break. Maybe you could show me the library again? If that’s okay.”

“That’s a nice idea,” Augustus answered for her. “But remember, sweetheart, you said you’d help Ana?s with the food preparation for the festivities later, so you can’t take too long.”

“What festivities are happening later?” I asked, brows furrowing.

“Tonight is our fertility ritual, for couples hoping to conceive. It happens once a month,” Augustus said. “You are welcome to observe that for your notes, if you like.”

“Thanks. That sounds great.” I turned back to Rose. “After we visit the library, I’m happy to help you and the others with the food preparation. It’s a good chance for me to talk to more locals and add to my notes.”

“That’s a very good idea. I’m sure they’d appreciate the help,” Augustus said.

Rose averted her eyes. “I’ll go and wash my hands,” she muttered.

Five minutes later, we were walking down the main street together, heading for the library. Countless people stopped to say hello to Rose, stars in their eyes as they stared at her, and she smiled and gave polite responses to every single one of them. She didn’t say a word to me, though. Just acted like I wasn’t there.

When we reached the library, she pushed the door open and peered around, presumably checking if anyone else was inside. Alderwood didn’t have a librarian, as the book-borrowing worked on an honor system, and the front half seemed to be empty. The back half was impossible to see from the door, though, because of all the rows of high shelves.

“Let’s go to the back,” Rose said loudly enough for anyone in the library to hear. “There’s lots of very old books there. I think you’ll find them very interesting.”

We walked down the middle aisle, checking between each row of shelves for people. All of them were empty. When we finally reached the last row and found it empty too, Rose’s stiff demeanor instantly changed.

“You… you bastard ,” she spluttered, shoving me in the abdomen. I didn’t budge an inch.

“Careful,” I said, lips twitching with amusement. “You wouldn’t want to damage any of these old books.”

“How could you?” she snapped, eyes alight with fury. “This whole time, you had an outsider woman, and you didn’t tell me?”

“Ah. I rubbed my jaw. “That’s why you’re mad.”

“Does your lady friend know about me?” she spat. “Is she all right with you keeping another woman trapped in a dungeon? Is she all right with you having sex with me?”

“She doesn’t exist,” I said, unable to help myself from grinning at her jealousy. “I made her up.”

“What?” Rose drew back, eyes flashing with confusion. “Why?”

My smile faded. “Because I have a feeling I’m treading on thin ice here in Alderwood. Especially when it comes to you . So I figured I’d tell your father that I’m spoken for,” I said. “People tend to trust men around their daughters much more if they think they’re already taken by another woman. And you saw the look on his face when I told him. He was practically giddy with joy.”

“Oh.” The anger melted out of Rose’s face, and her shoulders sagged with obvious relief. “That… that actually makes sense.”

“Yeah. You know what doesn’t make sense?” I took a step closer to her. “You didn’t turn me in. Even when they drugged you and burned you, you didn’t breathe a word about me. This entire town still thinks I’m a nice guy. Why?”

She swallowed audibly and looked down. “I knew they would want revenge. I worried they would hurt you.”

“You left me. Why would you care if I was hurt?”

“You know why,” she murmured.

“I want to hear you say it.” I put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look up at me. “Why didn’t you turn me in, Rose?”

“Because—” She faltered and began again. “Because I care about you, Sebastian.”

“Is that all?”

“No.” Her voice hitched. “I… I can’t…”

I moved even closer, barely a breath away. “I love you, Rose,” I said in a low voice. “I’ve fallen in love with you, head over fucking heels, and you feel the same. I know it.”

Tears were pooling in her eyes. “Y-yes,” she whispered. “I do.”

“Say it,” I commanded.

“I… I love you. I think I loved you even when I hated you,” she said breathlessly. “I didn’t leave you because those feelings went away. I left because I felt like I had to, for the sake of my people. But it was a mistake. A huge mistake. I know that now.”

“It’s okay. I’m here now, and I’m going to get you out of here.”

She shook her head. “You can’t do that. They need me for the sacrifice, so they won’t let me go.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll come up with a way to get you out of here without anyone getting hurt,” I said. “That’s what you want, right? Freedom for yourself without any of your people being hurt?”

She nodded, tears brimming over to splash down her cheeks. “Yes.”

“Then I’ll make it happen. I’ll find a way.” I brushed a thumb across her cheek, wiping the tears away. ‘There doesn’t need to be a bloodbath.”

“I… I’ve been so scared.” Her chest was heaving now. “I can’t believe you really came for me. I wished for it, but I didn’t think you’d—”

I pressed a finger to her lips. “Of course I came. I’ll always come for you,” I said. “You don’t need to be scared anymore. I’m gonna get you out of here.”

She nodded, eyes still shimmering.

“You trust me, right?” I said, pulling my finger away from her lips.

“Yes.” Her eyes skated over my chest and left arm. Then she sucked in a shaky breath and looked back up at my face. “I never said this before, but… I’m sorry I tried to kill you.”

“I deserved it,” I said gruffly. “We both know that.”

Before she could respond, I grabbed her jaw, pulled her face close to mine, and kissed her with a ferocity that made my need for her clearer than words ever could. She moaned into my mouth, collapsing into my arms and kissing me back with a desperation that made me wonder if she’d die without it. That was how I felt, anyway. That I’d fucking die without her touch.

A groan of frustration rumbled up my throat when I dragged my lips from hers and nipped along her jaw until I was at her ear. “I want to fuck you,” I muttered. “Right now.”

She pulled back, head shaking. “Someone could walk in and see us,” she said breathlessly. “We… we can’t.”

Her desperate tone and trembling body told me otherwise.

I captured her chin with two fingers and brought my mouth down to hers, pulling her body close to mine so I could tug on the fastenings of her dress. She didn’t stop me, letting it drop to the floor in a puddle of fabric.

“Good girl,” I muttered, slowly unbuckling my belt. “Now show me that beautiful pussy.”

She stepped out of her underwear, letting it fall to the floor on top of her crumpled dress. My free hand trailed between her legs, finding her slick and ready.

I gently smacked the tail of my belt against her clit, making her gasp. “You like that?”

“Yes,” she moaned, reaching out to cling to my shoulders.

I smacked her pussy again, slightly harder this time, and she let out a desperate mewl, eyes turning dark with desperation. “Please…”

I pushed her toward the wooden ladder that rested against the bookshelf behind us and twisted her around, forcing her to hold the middle rungs for support. She instinctively arched her back, granting me a perfect view of her ass and pussy.

“You’re so fucking wet,” I muttered, running one finger up and down her slick folds. “So fucking ready for me.”

My cock was throbbing so much it fucking hurt. I needed to be inside her. Take every last inch of her with every single inch of me.

“Yes,” she whispered, chest heaving. “I’m ready.”

I steeled my jaw, freed my cock, and slammed inside her with rough, merciless thrusts, groaning as her tight, wet pussy gripped me to perfection. She whimpered and moaned as I fucked her, head turned over her shoulder to look at me.

“Imagine if someone walked in here right now,” I growled against her ear, hands tightly gripping her hips as I drove into her again. “Imagine if they saw their famous little virgin getting fucked by an outsider.”

“Oh!” she whimpered. “Yes!”

She was getting a little too loud now. If someone walked in, they’d know exactly what we were up to. I clamped one hand over her mouth to stifle her cries while my other hand gripped her left hip so tightly that my knuckles started turning white.

I pulled out of her and slid back inside with zero resistance, grunting with satisfaction as her pussy made loud slurping sounds on my cock. She’d never been this wet before. It was unbelievably fucking hot.

“Mmm,” she whimpered through my hand. “More.”

“More?” I pulled my hand away. “Is that what you said?”

She nodded fervently.

I slowed my movements, moving my hand between our bodies so I could rub her asshole. “You’ve taken me in your mouth and pussy,” I muttered. “You want me in here too?”

She nodded again, letting out a mewl of desperation. “Please!”

“Say it properly,” I growled, spreading her cheeks to get an even better view of her pink asshole.

“Please fuck my ass,” she whispered. “I… I want it. I want you everywhere!”

My cock was already slick with her juices, but I spat on my hand for good measure and massaged it into her asshole before pressing my cock up to the tight entrance. I took my time entering her, free hand holding her face in a grip that was half tender and half possessive.

Slowly, I fucked into her, deeper and deeper until I was completely filling her.

“Fuck, baby,” I gritted out as I pushed inside her. “You’re all mine now. Every bit of you. All mine .”

“Yes,” she whispered, head turned over her shoulder again. Her lips were parted and her eyes were saucer-wide, like she was stunned that she could actually take me in her ass. “I’m yours.”

My pace grew rougher, each thrust harder than the last. Her muscles had loosened enough to take it now.

“Come for me, baby,” I commanded, reaching around to rub her clit. “Come on my cock.”

Rose’s body instantly jolted in a leg-shaking climax, making her spasm around my cock as frenzied gasps and moans escaped her mouth. The ultra-tight clenching was almost enough to push me over the edge too.

“That’s it, baby,” I growled, sliding inside her again. “I’m going to fill this tight little hole with my cum now. You want that?”

“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, please .”

With a guttural groan, I came inside her ass, nails digging into her skin. Rose’s body jolted again as I pulled out of her, and this time, the ladder in her grip slid sideways, producing a loud creaking sound.

“Rose? Is that you?”

A familiar voice echoed down the aisle, and Rose’s eyes bulged. “Oh, no,” she said, hastily dropping to the floor to grab her clothes. “It’s Ana?s!”

“What the fuck is she doing here?” I asked, shoving myself back in my pants.

“She’s been clinging to me ever since the Confession last night,” she replied in an urgent whisper. “There was a huge celebration afterwards, and she didn’t leave me alone for a second. I think she likes being seen with me.”

“Because you’re more famous in this village than ever before, I bet,” I said, brows rising. “Seeing as you were taken by the Entity.”

She nodded her agreement as Ana?s’s voice drifted through the library again. “Rose? Hello?”

Rose cleared her throat and called out. “Oh, hi, Ana?s! I’m down here! I’m showing Sebastian our oldest books.”

“What was that noise?” Ana?s replied. Her footsteps were drawing closer, and her voice was getting louder. Twenty more seconds, and she’d be upon us.

“Sorry, that was me. I knocked the ladder,” I called out, helping with Rose’s dress fastenings. “Ever since my injury, my balance is shot.”

Ana?s appeared at the end of the aisle a few seconds later. I was stooping at a lower level of the bookshelf, pretending to care deeply about a series on woodland herbs, while Rose stood at the other end of the shelf, pretending my cum wasn’t dripping down her thighs.

“Ah, there you are.” Ana?s smiled at Rose. “Your father said I’d find you here. I came to let you know that it’s time for us to make the food for tonight.”

“Oh, of course. Sebastian is going to help us.”

Ana?s looked over at me. “Will that be all right with your injury?” she asked. Before I could answer, she blurted out more, a smug gleam appearing in her eyes. “Did you know that I was the one who found you and summoned the healers?”

I rose to my feet and gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I had no idea. Thank you so much,” I said, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “And yes, I’m fine to help.”

“Wonderful! Did Rose tell you what’s happening tonight?”

“A fertility ritual, right?”

She nodded. “It happens once a month. The last one didn’t work for me, unfortunately, but my husband and I are trying again tonight.”

“To conceive, I presume.”

“Yes.” She looked at Rose again, eyes glimmering with smug pride. “It really is such a shame you can’t ever be a mother, Rosamund. I think you’d be so good at it.”

“Rose can do whatever the fuck she wants with her body,” I growled, unable to stop myself from defending her.

Ana?s turned back to me with wide eyes. “What did you say?”

Rose let out a nervous laugh. “Sorry, Ana?s. Ever since you rescued Sebastian from that terrible injury, he’s been taking medicine that the outsider doctors gave him. Papa said the medicine can make people say all sorts of strange, untoward things, and that we should just accept it and forgive him.”

It was the perfect response, playing right into Ana?s’s arrogance and desire to be recognized.

“Oh. I see.” She nodded curtly. “Well… of course I forgive you, Sebastian. I can’t imagine how awful your suffering must have been.”

“Yes. But I’m so thankful you were there to save me.”

Ana?s beamed, swelling with pride all over again. Behind her back, Rose rolled her eyes, and I grinned.

As expected, Ana?s took my smile to be aimed at her, and she threaded her right arm through the crook of my elbow. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll help you walk.”

I turned to look at Rose, wondering if she’d be jealous, but her expression suggested that she was fit to burst into laughter at any second.

I knew we still needed to talk and figure out a plan to get her the fuck out of here, but we couldn’t be alone for now, thanks to Ana?s’s simpering presence. And yet somehow… that was okay. We had two days to figure this shit out. A few hours of food prep couldn’t hurt, especially if it was going to make Rose smile and laugh; something she hadn’t done in weeks.

Nothing made me happier than seeing her happy.

“All right, girls,” I said, lips curving into another smile. “Let’s go make some fucking pies.”