Chapter 28: Say the words
MARGAUX
I crawled on the floor, my body trembling as I reached for my purse, which had been knocked loose when Étienne had manhandled me. I fished it out, my fingers trembling as I finally grasped the phone, which, thank the goddess, was still charged and could still connect me to a world that now felt impossibly distant, despite being just a call away.
My fingers itched to dial mother’s number and demand answers about the vile thing Theo had said.
No. Not Theo.
That name did not belong to a man wearing a mask or the man who’d stripped me down and left me broken on his bedroom floor. That was Étienne. There was no Theo. Only the boy I’d rejected years ago. The boy I’d begged Uncle Lucian to save.
The boy my uncle had apparently sold into sexual slavery instead.
My stomach turned. The nausea rose sharp and sudden, making me press my hand against my mouth until the wave passed. I couldn’t call mother. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
Because calling her meant revealing everything. That Étienne was alive. That he’d somehow cemented himself as the heir apparent of the Valcourt pack. That he’d married me for revenge and already started making good on whatever twisted plan he had for destroying me piece by piece.
Goddess, it would destroy her.
The thoughts circled each other like sharks. Each one brought a new horror I hadn’t considered yet.
I could call Uncle Lucian instead.
The idea made me laugh. The sound came out broken and slightly hysterical. I pressed my palms against my eyes until spots danced behind my eyelids.
What would I even say? Uncle Lucian, I need you to be honest with me. Did you sell Étienne into sex slavery? Did you take a traumatized teenage boy and pass him around like property?
The questions felt absurd. Impossible. Uncle Lucian had always been kind to me. He’d taught me chess when I was seven. He’d taken me to get ice cream after my first shift had left me exhausted and confused. He was family.
But Étienne had no reason to lie about something like that.
The bond hummed beneath my skin, carrying emotions that weren’t mine. Rage that tasted like copper. Pain that ran so deep I couldn’t find the bottom of it. Satisfaction at having hurt me mixed with something else I couldn’t identify.
I grabbed the torn red dress and pulled it around myself like armor. The fabric was ruined, but it was better than sitting here naked and exposed. My hands shook as I tried to arrange it to cover the important parts.
This was happening. Étienne was back to torment me, and I had no way to stop it.
Suddenly, a knock at the door made me jump. My heart slammed against my ribs hard enough to hurt.
Fuck... Was he back? Was that monster back to torment me even more?
The thought and the fear had barely registered when a girl who I could only predict was an Omega stepped inside. She was young, maybe early twenties, with dark hair pulled back in a practical braid. Her eyes found me on the floor and widened fractionally before she dropped into a bow.
"Apologies, mistress." Her voice stayed soft and respectful. "I knocked and got no reply, so I was of the opinion that you were asleep."
I struggled to my feet, clutching the dress against my chest. The movement made my head spin. When had I last eaten? The dinner I had the night before the wedding felt like it happened in another lifetime.
"Who are you?"
"The name is Prim, Luna Margaux." She straightened from her bow but kept her gaze lowered. "I’ve been assigned to you."
My eyes dropped to her hands. She held three items of clothing draped carefully over one arm.
"Are those for me?"
"Yes, Luna." She stepped further into the room and laid the clothes across the bed with practice that had been made perfect. "The Alpha said you did not have appropriate clothes, as you were not sleeping in your quarters. So I brought you some while you spend the night here."
Her words hit me in individual blows. Not sleeping in my quarters... Spend the night here... So... I had a room, and this was temporary? Come to think of it... I had been the one to walk in here myself. It was not like he had dragged me here and planned to only send me away to some other room once he was done with whatever he intended to do to me tonight.
Was that also why he left, too? After stripping me down, telling me about his torture, and leaving me alone with my shame.
Prim lifted the first item. "This is your nightgown."
Pink silk caught the light. The garment looked delicate and feminine, with thin straps and lace trim that would barely cover my thighs. A babydoll dress that was designed to make the wearer look innocent and desirable at the same time.
If this was his pick, he planned to humiliate me further.
At that thought, my stomach turned again.
"You might not like that." Prim’s voice stayed neutral as she set it aside and picked up the second option. "So I brought this too."
The second was purple silk. A modest pajama set with long sleeves and pants that would actually cover me. The kind of thing someone might wear if they wanted to feel safe and protected instead of on display.
"And the last is for breakfast tomorrow." She held up a beautiful gown. Cream colored with delicate embroidery along the neckline. The kind of thing a Luna might wear to a formal morning meal with pack members watching.
The pieces came together slowly. He expected me to stay here tonight. To sleep in his bed wearing clothes he’d chosen for me. Then, to get dressed in the morning and perform the role of his mate over breakfast while I waited for another round of humiliation.
"I believe that would be enough for the time being." Prim arranged the clothes more carefully on the bed. "Before Alpha Theo deems it fit for you to be in your own quarters as originally intended."
Alpha Theo. The name grated against my ears. Everyone here seemed to regard him as Theo. A select few also knew him as who he actually was, and it did not seem to change a thing about their relationship. I was curious to know why.
But even at that, they could not have known him. Only I knew the truth, and only I knew him. That beneath the mask and the new seemingly cruel manufactured identity was a boy whom I knew like the back of my hand.
"Thank you."
The words came out mechanical. Prim didn’t seem to notice or remotely care. She was clearly just doing her job.
"He also said I should act as your personal Omega for the time being." She finally met my eyes. "So if you need me, just call or ask around for Prim."
"Thank you," I said again.
She bowed and left without another word. The door clicked shut behind her with a finality that echoed through the room.
I walked to the bed and stared down at the three outfits laid out like offerings. My thoughts started to stray but my wolf’s voice cut through them before they could fully form.
He brought you clothes because he cares.
The statement was so absurd I almost laughed. My wolf had been quiet since the whole ordeal started. She usually preferred to let me process things on my own. Alone. But apparently this warranted breaking her silence.
"He tricked me." I kept my voice low even though no one was here to listen. "Humiliated me and my family. There is nothing kind about this."
I grabbed the modest pajama set. The purple silk felt cool against my palms.
"This is still just some game for him." I held the fabric tighter. "He intends to hurt me."
The wolf stirred beneath my skin. Restless in a way she hadn’t been in years.
Then reject him. Sever the bond and be done with it.