Aria’s POV
His weight crushed into the carpet.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The drug burned through my veins like liquid fire while my mind scread in horror.
"Stop—" The word ca out broken. Desperate. "Finn, please—"
"Please?" He laughed. The sound made my skin crawl. "Now you’re begging? Where was this attitude when you were parading around with Blood Crown?"
His grip on my wrists tightened. I felt the bones grinding together. Pain shot up my arms.
I twisted. Bucked. Tried to throw him off.
Nothing worked.
He was too heavy. Too strong. And I was too weak. The drug had stolen everything—my strength, my coordination, my ability to fight back.
Artemis howled in my mind. Furious. Terrified. But she was just as helpless as I was.
*Fight!* she scread. *We have to fight!*
I was trying. God, I was trying.
"Get off !" I thrashed harder. My legs kicked against the floor. My body arched. "GET OFF!"
"Shh." Finn’s voice dropped. Sickly sweet. "Stop fighting it, Aria. Your body wants this. I can feel how hot you are. How desperate."
Tears blurred my vision. He was right. The drug made my body betray at every turn. Made it crave touch even as my soul recoiled in disgust.
But I would rather die than let him touch again.
"I will never—" I spat the words in his face. "—want you."
Sothing ugly flickered in his eyes.
His hand released one of my wrists. For a split second, I thought—maybe—
CRACK.
The slap snapped my head to the side. Pain exploded across my cheek. Stars danced in my vision.
"You think you’re better than now?" His voice was a snarl. "You think because so Alpha looked at you twice, you’re suddenly worth sothing?"
I tasted blood. My lip had split against my teeth.
"I was always worth sothing," I managed. My voice shook. But I forced the words out anyway. "You just never saw it."
His face twisted.
CRACK.
The second slap was harder. My ear rang. The room spun. For a mont, everything went dark around the edges.
"You’re nothing." Finn grabbed both my wrists again. Slamd them back above my head. "You were nothing before . You’ll be nothing without ."
I blinked. Tried to focus. Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth.
But I didn’t stop fighting.
I couldn’t stop fighting.
Because sowhere out there—sowhere in this city—was Kael. And even if he never ca for . Even if he didn’t know where I was. Even if I died in this room tonight—
I would not give Finn the satisfaction of breaking .
"The bed," Finn muttered. More to himself than to . "This would be easier on the bed."
No.
No, no, no.
He started dragging across the floor. My back scraped against the carpet. Burns. More burns. I kicked. Scread. Clawed at anything I could reach.
"Stop—STOP—"
"Keep screaming." His voice was cold. Amused. "No one can hear you. Celestia took Lilith to her parents’ house. The staff has been dismissed. It’s just us, Aria. Just like old tis."
Just like old tis.
The words made want to vomit.
All those nights. All those years. Lying beneath him while he used my body like it was nothing. Like I was nothing.
I’d told myself it was duty. Obligation. What mates did for each other.
But it was never that.
It was always this.
Control. Ownership. Violence dressed up as love.
We reached the bed. Finn hauled up. Threw onto the mattress.
I imdiately tried to roll off the other side.
He caught my ankle. Yanked back.
"Where do you think you’re going?"
I kicked at his face. My heel connected with his chin.
He grunted. His grip loosened.
I scrambled backward. Hit the headboard. Nowhere else to go.
Finn climbed onto the bed after . His eyes were dark. Predatory. The amber had been swallowed by sothing inhuman.
"I was going to be gentle." He cracked his neck. "I was going to make this good for you. Remind you why you married in the first place."
"I never wanted to marry you!"
The confession burst out of . Raw. True. Words I’d never dared say before.
Finn froze.
"Your grandfather forced it." My voice cracked. Tears stread down my face. "The mate bond—I was young—I didn’t know I could refuse—"
"Shut up."
"You never loved . You never even liked . I was just—"
"I said SHUT UP!"
He lunged.
His body slamd into mine. Pinned against the headboard. One hand grabbed my throat. Squeezed.
I couldn’t breathe.
"You don’t get to rewrite history." His face was inches from mine. Spit flew from his lips. "You were grateful. GRATEFUL. A Shadow Moon whore who sohow caught an Alpha’s attention. You should have spent every day on your knees thanking for the privilege."
Black spots danced in my vision. My lungs scread for air.
His other hand moved to my dress.
The sound of ripping fabric cut through the roar in my ears.
No.
Please.
No.
"This dress." He tore at the erald silk. "Where did you get this? Did he buy it for you? Did you wear it to seduce him?"
The strap gave way. Cold air hit my shoulder. My chest.
Sha burned through . Hotter than the drug. Hotter than anything.
"Answer !" His hand tightened on my throat. "DID YOU FUCK HIM?"
"N-no—" The word was barely a wheeze. "We never—"
"Liar!" He released my throat just enough for to gasp. "You’re all liars. Your whole family. Trash. Poison."
His hand found the other strap. Tore it too.
The dress fell to my waist.
I was exposed. Vulnerable. Pinned beneath a monster who’d once promised to protect .
"Please—" I hated how small my voice sounded. How broken. "Finn, please don’t do this—"
"Don’t do what?" He laughed. Cruel. Mocking. "Don’t touch what’s mine? Don’t take what I’m owed?"
His mouth descended on my neck. Teeth scraped against my skin.
Right where a mate mark would go.
Horror exploded through .
He was going to mark .
Going to force the bond back.
Going to trap in this nightmare forever.
"NO!"
Strength I didn’t know I had surged through my limbs. The drug still burned in my veins. My muscles still felt like jelly. But desperation was its own kind of power.
I slamd my forehead into his face.
Pain. Blinding pain. But worth it.
Finn reared back. Blood gushed from his nose—again.
I shoved. Rolled. Hit the floor hard.
Run. I needed to run.
I scrambled on hands and knees. Toward the door. The stupid, useless door that wouldn’t save because no one was coming.
No one knew I was here.
No one—
A hand grabbed my hair.
My scalp scread as Finn yanked backward. I crashed against his chest. His arm wrapped around my throat. Choking. Trapping.
"You keep fighting." His voice was almost conversational. "I admire that. I really do. But we both know how this ends."
He dragged back toward the bed.
"You’ll give what I want. You’ll give another child. And this ti—" his teeth grazed my ear "—I’ll make sure you never forget who you belong to."
I grabbed his arm. Clawed at it. Drew blood.
He didn’t even flinch.
"The more you fight—" he threw onto the mattress "—the more I enjoy it."
He was on again. Straddling my hips. His hands found my torn dress. Yanked it lower.
The fabric pooled at my waist. I was left in nothing but my underwear. Exposed. Humiliated.
"So beautiful." His voice was a mockery of tenderness. "You always were beautiful, Aria. I just forgot how much."
His hands skimd up my sides. I shuddered. Not from desire. From revulsion.
I scread.
Every ounce of air left in my lungs. Every drop of desperation. Every prayer to gods I didn’t believe in.
The sound tore from my throat. Raw. Primal. A banshee wail that seed to shake the walls.
"HELP! SOONE PLEASE—"
Finn’s hand clamped over my mouth.
"Shut UP—"
I bit down. Hard.
He yelped. Released .
I crashed to the floor. Gasping. Choking on air.
"HELP!" I scread again. "PLEASE—ANYONE—"
Finn kicked . His foot connected with my ribs.
Pain exploded through my side. I curled into a ball. Tried to protect my head.
"No one’s coming!" He kicked again. Again. "No one cares about you! No one has ever cared about you!"
I couldn’t scream anymore. Could barely breathe. Each inhale was agony. Each exhale was a sob.
This was it.
This was really it.
And then—
CRASH.
The door exploded inward.
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