The sound of his hooves retreating into the armory, followed by the clatter of the iron chain he’d pulled out was the final signal of my new reality. I sucked in a sharp breath, ignoring the wetness that still slicked my thighs as he dragged the heavy chain behind him. The effect he had on me terrified me.
Watching him leave though, I was reminded that he wasn’t just a monster. He was a worker with an ancient duty. I waited until the faint, earthy scent of sulfur and pine disappeared completely. I was alone, naked in a fur-draped cavern with a roaring fire and enough torture devices to fill a museum. And for the first time since my grandmother’s death, I felt free.
I scrambled out of the furs, despite the ache in my muscles. It was a pleasurable, physical reminder of the beast who had
