I knew I was pushing my luck, testing dangerous waters, not considering how I could be pulled in and drowned. Trying to defy Xaden was stupid, and I knew it. Yet, I couldn't stop running my mouth off around him.

Every fiber in my body hated him. I hated my father for giving me to him, I hated my mother for not staying alive, and most of all, I hated everyone else around me.

How could I be of so little value to my own family? If I didn't mean so much to them, there is no way I was going to amount to anything here either. And Xaden does everything to make that known. Starting from the humiliation of watching him do unspeakable things while making me feel off in ways I've never felt before, to making me fear for my life. But I have to play the fool he thinks I am.

The door creaked open after a long moment. I quickly faced the fireplace, pretending not to have noticed his entry.

Footsteps approached, making my heart race in anticipation.

"You see, Nyx," he started to say, his presence all over the room, exuding an expensive air of authority. "I just wish you knew what you're getting into. I didn't trade for you just so you could play dress-up or disrespect me."

Xaden stood closely behind me. So close I could hear the thumping of his heart, and feel his body heat radiate above my head down to my toes. He was tall and large, but it wasn't unusual for his kind. My height just made it annoyingly obvious that he could break me into two if he wanted.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," I muttered at the realization.

"Now you call me Alpha? Turn around."

I didn't want to. I was too afraid of what would happen next. I would be tempted to say whatever comes to my mouth and might get in trouble because of it.

Getting in trouble with Xaden wouldn't entail scrubbing floors only, but other things.

"I said, turn to me!" He barked, and I swirled around, eyes fixed on the ground. "Look at me, Nyx."

I looked up into his eyes, the same ones that looked like they could shoot spears through my heart if I moved wrongly. My hands fidgeted with my dress, my eyes itching to look away.

"The day I bought you from your father was the day I stripped you of who you once were. Here," he held my chin between his thumb and index finger, looking down at me like he was examining me. "I'm going to carve you into whatever I wish."

My eyes drifted across the room and out the window, wondering if my life was now darker than the night sky. I was being treated like an object.

"And what I wish for right now is for you to stay alive. And to stay alive, you would have to learn to keep your fucking mouth shut." He gently pushed his thumb between my lips, the sensation a contrast to his merciless words. "Your mouth will only be for one thing."

My breath hitched at the thought of what he meant.

He wouldn't do…

"Take off your dress," he commanded, and I hesitated for a second.

But when images of my skin being torn apart by the whip as Xaden thrashed my naked body came flashing before my very eyes, I hurriedly unzipped my gown. Tears threatened to fall, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Slowly but shakily, I let the dress peel off my body, my face reddening not only out of anger but out of shame. And I could swear I saw the bastard smirk.

"I'm waiting, Nyx. I don't have all day."

Soon, my dress was on the floor, leaving me bare and naked before him, again. I wasn't given any underwear to wear when I was given the gown, so it only made it easy for him.

He grabbed my arm and began to turn me around as if he were examining a pet. Something he had bought with money and was now "testing" out. It made my insides coil with disgust and fury at how my father could have sold me to a man who ate his enemies for breakfast.

Sharp outbursts of cries kept coming out of my lips with each pull and push. I didn't like that I was vulnerable in front of this man. I was naked. Laid bare before him like an artifact.

Except that an artifact had more value than I did.

"You won't have any problems with me if you do what I tell you." He muttered, his voice indicating he had his attention on my body.

The thought of that did something disturbingly shocking to my body as I clenched my thighs together to stop my throbbing clit from exposing my reaction.

It may have been too late because Xaden was now towering over me, hands all over my body. He was running the back of his hand over my neck, making me flinch in disgust. His fingers grazed the lines around my neck, my skin rising in reaction as my body quivered.

He took that as a cue and lowered himself, his lips grazing my neck. He took a deep sniff before letting out a groan so deep it made my insides shiver. Do I really have that effect on him?

"You smell so good, Nyx. You should smell like this every time I ask to see you. Understood?"

Every time? I might as well go kill myself rather than have to go through this every time.

"Nyx!" He barked, and I jumped.

"Yes. Yes, Alpha."

He wrapped a hand around my throat, forcing my face to look up at him. "Don't make me repeat myself ever again. Or next time, it will come with a punishment. Understood?"

I looked deep into his eyes, looking for something beneath. Something humane. But it was dead as night. He had the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, ready to dump my ass in the woods the moment I defy him.

He pushed me backward with a force that made me fall to the ground. He paced the room for a while before turning around to face me.

"You're doing this after I have helped your father, and it only means one thing. You're not as stupid as I thought."

Now, that pissed me off, and I couldn't let him go off.

"I was never stupid."

He scoffed and nodded before going to sit on the edge of the bed. "Come here, Nyx." He patted his leg,p nd I reluctantly walked over to him.

He pulled me forcefully and made me lie face down on his lap, my ass up and open to him. "I'm going to show you what I mean when I say you are a slave and your mouth will only have one use."

I have never been touched or seen naked by any man, and the one man who's doing all these is a devil incarnate in human clothing. The thought of that made my insides boil more than I could ever think of. I shut my eyes, waiting for what he was going to do.

He began to caress my ass with one hand, the other pinning my waist against his body. I stiffened against what I knew was coming, but I was surprised by what he did next.

I felt something warm and thick slide through my folds, making me jerk. However, his hold was so strong that I felt like I was moving against a wall. He was going to fuck me with his fingers?

The first thing that went through my pussy was his fingers. That made my senses spiral. What if he wasn't gentle? I surely would not enjoy this, as Xaden seemed to revel in the pain of other people.

"Relax." He whispered, surprisingly soft with his touch as he slid up and down. ”I know you are a virgin, little Nyx; I’ll be gentle.”

The sensation was indescribable. Strange and foreign, but it was so good, and it made me feel electric and alive. Fuck! How could I think that? I’m supposed to hate him.

"Ugh." I gasped and buckled, but he held me in place.

I was like a cat fighting to be free from an elephant's hold. It was futile. Yet, he took his time like there wasn't anything else he had to do.

"I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to do for me. Your duty to me, Nyx…," he continued to say, although his finger going through my clit and pussy folds was making it hard for me to pay any attention. “…Is to be my toy. Your duty is to show up every time I need someone to relieve me of my hard-on. To submit yourself to me so I can do whatever I want with your body. You’re mine now, Nyx. Touch anyone else after this, and I will kill him in front of you and frame his heart as a reminder of your defiance."

Why are these words even making me give in to his touch? I found myself slowly relaxing as he added another finger, increasing his speed as he drew circles around my bean before attempting to push it past my pussy hole.

I jumped, but felt something strong and hard on my ass. Did he just spank me?

"Ouch!" I screamed.

"Hey." He shushed. "Like I said, if you do what I want, you won't be punished."

I bit my lips to stop myself from saying those curse words in my mind. Here I was, being treated like an inanimate object because my father thought it was wise to exchange me for immunity. My hatred for my father had never been stronger.

My thoughts soon dissipated when he resumed his work of toying with my clit, taking his time to study it and examine my reaction. I shut my eyes tightly against the feeling that maybe I was enjoying this. I shouldn't. I didn't want to. But he was damn too good at showing me that I wanted this as much as he did.

I was now fully relaxed, lips parted slightly as I felt myself get wetter until he'd had enough lubricant to get through. I was scared, and I guess he could see it. So he planted a palm against my lips as he whispered.

"I will be gentle only once. The next time I go through your pussy, I'll fuck it till you can't walk. Is that clear?"

I quivered; a part of me actually loved how he spoke to me. The dirty words he used made it seem like I didn't matter. And that made me feel like a slut.

Like Calista and Freya.

"So relax and trust me." And I did relax, my senses heightened and at a peak that when he slid a finger in, I barely noticed.

But I was tight. So tight, he had to wait a while for me to adjust to his finger being in there. My body could feel it. Something strange was now a part of it. I should feel used, disgusted, or dirty, but somehow, I loved that Xaden's finger was in my pussy, teaching me things about my body I didn't know before, and fuck, it felt so nice. No one has ever paid this much attention to me before.

It took a while for me to adjust, but when I did, I found myself panting and grinding against his fingers, while he chuckled.

"Look at you, greedy Nyx. But today is not the day. Like I said, I'll be gentle this once. Next time, prepare to get your pussy fucked inside out." The muscles around my pussy clenched at his last words, and I could tell I was getting close to something.

Close to bursting in fact. His fingers curled up, touching a certain spot that made me spread my legs further apart. His thumb found a way to touch my clit, running a circle on it. The feeling was so overwhelming for me that I knew an orgasm was about to hit me, but that's when he decided to stop. I winced in protest.

"Remember, Nyx, you belong to me. Not the other way around. I'll let you know when I need you again. Back to your room."

Without another word, I stood from his legs and began to dress up in silence. I didn't even spare him a glance, my eyes fixed everywhere else but him. I was too embarrassed. He had left me halfway done, and I was pouting about it when I should have felt violated. I thought about finishing up by myself, but I knew it was useless. I wanted Xaden to be the one to complete what he had started..

But like he said, I was his toy and only he could decide what to do with me.