The Bride Games

The Red Dress

Lucas’s sturdy chest rises and falls beneath me; his hands trace the curves of my back, and I feel both incredible and uncertain. I feel Lucas’s warmth and love for me, but as I come down from the high of him, I am still left with the unknown. I am still left with the dull ache in my side from being attacked, and there are so many questions still unanswered. All the possibilities of what could happen to me and the others are still too many to feel completely safe.

I want to trust this feeling of safety and belonging as I lay next to Lucas, but I can still hear the echoes of the chains that brought us here clanking together in my head. My fears fade in the space of this room, where only we exist, where we are free to explore each other’s minds and bodies. Lucas asks all about my life before I was captured, how I felt about teaching, the farm I was raised on, and my family.

It made me happy to see how interested he was in my life and about the things that I wanted in the future. It reassured me of his care and desire to share that future, whatever it may look like. His strong arms held me through the harder parts of our conversation and kissed away my tears when I spoke about my older brother and the fear that still hovers over me.

“Do you wish you could go back?” I buried my head in his chest and thought about it for a few minutes before meeting his desperate eyes full of worry. “I had a whole life back home. Some parts of it were amazing; I love my family and our memories together, mostly from when I was a child. There wasn’t the bleak expectation that shadowed me then, but most of my life as I grew older was tiresome and planned out for me. I didn’t really have my own voice at home; I was just told what I should do and who I should be.

I have to say it’s exciting to be here, even if the future is uncertain. With you, I feel safe and cared for. I have this little voice inside me telling me this is my chance to be anything I want, to do something worthwhile. If you would have asked me yesterday, I would have said yes, but now I don’t know. If I knew going back could have saved my brother, then I would, but we can’t change the past.” “What happened to him?” Tears filled my eyes.

Thinking about Jonas was still so painful. “The morning I was taken, my brother was going out to check the traps we had set the day before, and I wanted to go with him. He told me to stay home because there had been reports of women going missing from around our village. I followed him anyway, being stubborn. The men were camped in the woods near our home, and before we knew it, we had walked right into their path. Jonas took my hand and tried to run, but I was too slow. When they caught me, I was asked who Jonas was to me. Maybe they would have let us go if I had said husband instead of my brother.” “I’m so sorry that happened, Ember. It was our goal to bring women here, but killing people wasn’t part of the plan. Especially someone trying to save their little sister. I wish that wouldn’t have happened.”

Tears flowed freely from my eyes now. “If I would have just listened and stayed home, he would still be alive. He refused to leave me behind and fought them to save me; when he injured one of the men, he was killed.” Lucas pulled me back into his chest, letting me cry out the pain until I fell asleep in his arms. When I woke up, I was back in my bed in the women’s dorms.

The soreness in my body let me know that the day before hadn’t been a dream. I saw medicine and a glass of water next to my bed with a note. The note said, “Tomorrow, you will wake up in my arms, and we will start our new life. I can’t take away the pain of your loss, but I can cherish you every day and make sure your brother’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain. Knowing I get to be back inside of you tonight will get me through today. I love you, Ember.” Reading his crude and beautiful words gave me butterflies and filled me with anticipation.

Ava was lying next to me and woke up when I stood up and took the pills he left for me. “Ember, I thought something horrible happened to you yesterday after the men...I was so worried about you. I almost screamed when the man with the scar brought you back in late last night. What happened!?” I hugged Ava, knowing that yesterday must have traumatized her. “I’m ok. One of the men hurt me yesterday, but Lucas saved me; he’s the one with the scar. He took care of me, and I must have fallen asleep.”

I didn’t want to divulge my personal relationship even with Ava. Everything was so new and still a bit confusing. I had a few clues and guesses about what would happen next, but I couldn’t say for sure. “He told me the Alpha would tell us today what’s going on and why we’re here.” I looked around the room to see the other women still sleeping. It must not be morning yet.

After yesterday’s events, I could definitely do with a bit more rest. “We should go back to sleep, Ava. It will be morning soon, and we don’t know what tomorrow holds.” Ava nodded with tears in her eyes. “I’m just glad you’re back and okay.” We snuggled back up and fell asleep again. The truth is I was excited to see what is going to happen and anxious for Lucas to claim me.

The women moving around the room woke me up. The soreness of my side was a reminder of both how dangerous and how wonderful these men could be. I sat up in bed, taking in the room around me. “Why do you think they have given us these?” Amber, one of the other women, asked the group, holding up a lacey floor-length, long-sleeved off-the-shoulder dress. I saw that each bed, including my own, had the same red dress and black shawl hanging beside them. I get up and touch the lacey gown when a knock sounds, followed by the door opening.

“Good morning, ladies; the Alpha expects you all downstairs, dressed in your gowns and ready for breakfast. You have fifteen minutes.” Titus nodded at us women and then left, closing the door behind him. “I don’t want to go.” Ava almost whispered. “I think they want us to be their whores. After yesterday...” Ava shuddered. “They asked me questions and then looked at my body. It made me feel so...powerless.” Ava breathed out. I understand why she feels this way; I will never forget the men in that room’s eyes on me.

“Ava, I’m so sorry that happened. I don’t think they want us as whores. If they did, they probably would have used us that way by now. I think it’s something more. At least we will know for sure soon, and then we can make a plan.”

After spending time with Lucas, I didn’t think that was why they brought us all the way here. I rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. “I don’t want any of them to touch me.” “I will do everything I can to protect you. For now, we need to do what they say.” We both dressed, and Ava helped me lace up the back of my dress, horrified by the bandages and bruises that covered my side. The red marks that were on my neck yesterday were now an angry black and purple.

We both wore our hair in long, loose braids. Ava’s hair was a lovely raven black, while mine was a vibrant red. That’s why my mother named me for fire; she would often say as I grew, she named me right due to my quick temper. My eyes were a light blue, almost gray color, and my stature was smaller but strong from the years growing up on a farm. I have ivory skin that makes the freckles that sit on my nose and cheeks stand out. I looked stunning in the red gown, which I know is vain, but this dress looks like it was made for me. I have never worn something so lovely or revealing in my life.

The other women were lovely as well though none had my wild red hair and eyes that made me stand out. Right now, I’m not sure standing out is a good thing. Today, I thought being beautiful might be dangerous. I felt safe wrapped up in Lucas’s arms, but in this dress, along with the other women, I echoed Ava’s feeling of powerlessness. After being ushered downstairs, we women quietly sat down to breakfast, looking around the lodge full of powerful men with fear in our eyes. Shortly after the meal was served, Alpha James stood at the front of the room. “You must all be curious why we have brought you here.”

He began locking his eyes on me, making me squirm, remembering his hands on me during the interview. “We brought you here to join our community as wives for the men. We have brought you here to rebuild.” My eyes went to Lucas, who was smiling and looking right at me. Noticing her discomfort, I grabbed Ava’s hand, which was trembling. “As you may have noticed, we don’t have any females or children in our village. It was not always that way.” I saw the men’s faces drop and the mood shift in the room.

Alpha James closed his eyes briefly as if he were recollecting himself. “Many of us had families before the hunters came. They laid a trap for us, luring most of the men away from our homes. While we were gone, they slaughtered our females and children.” My eyes began to water, hearing the brutality that they had endured. I also was curious as to why hunters would kill people from their village. “By the time we had made it back, our homes were burnt down, and our families murdered. After we saw what they had done, we tore them to pieces but not without great loss to our numbers of warriors as well. They tried to wipe us out, but they underestimated us. That was eight years ago; we have rebuilt and made ourselves strong again.”

He looks around at his men with pride, and his chest puffs out. “We have everything we need to start again now that you are here. You will all be safe here and well provided for. All of the men that will compete for a wife have proven themselves.” Alpha James looked around the room, and his eyes locked on mine again. “Each of you will be given a husband. Depending on how the men place in the game will determine his choice of bride. The victor gets the first pick of the women. The games begin today.” Alpha James took one last look around the room before exiting the front door, followed by most men.

Some of the women began to weep, some were in silent shock, and others sat in contemplation. Titus stepped into the middle of the room. “After your meal, you will be led to the fighting arena to watch the bride games.” One of the women, Rachel, stood up; she was tall and sturdy, probably in her early twenties. She had lovely golden hair and bright blue eyes. Her voice was strong, and I remember her comforting the other women on the ship.

“Are we able to decline to join the games? Can we go home?” Titus closed his eyes for a second and replied strongly. “No. You belong to this pack now. This is your home. We take care of our women; it is a privilege to bear the mark of a warrior from the black moon pack.” Rachel sat back down, staring at Titus, a few tears escaping her before she wiped them away angrily. I held Ava, stroking her hair as she sobbed. I hoped then for a gentle man to choose her and wished I could save her from this whole thing.