Drago:
We're all a little subdued as we disembark. The car and Petre, our driver, are waiting for us.
I am once again carrying her. I dressed her in the clothes I had removed, and she is wrapped in a blanket. She hasn't really stirred much.
I can't keep my mind from going over everything. There are lists in my mind of what I must take care of from a phone call with Anthony Escarra, another with Senator Keeting. Then we need to check in with Natalia. The biggest, though, is the huge, life-altering conversation with Ria.
I can feel a slight stirring in her dragon, but she's not ready to shift yet. I am glad we got home before needing to worry about that. The first shift is hard, and we will help her through it. It will be easier here.
We climb into the car and head to the castle. The village below the castle is as old as the castle itself. It is bustling as we drive through. People recognize our car and wave. The back windows are reflective, so they can't see in. They don't see her, not yet, but they will soon.
When we arrive, Victor and Gregori are waiting. We had called them as soon as we landed.
Gragori steps up and leans down closer to us to whisper, "There is a visitor here to see you, sir."
By the look in his eyes, it's important. I don't say anything; I nod. Both he and Victor accompany us from the circle drive into the foyer.
As we entered through the huge doors, I saw Santoro, Anthony Escarra's head of security, waiting. He eyes Ria in my arms, and tilts his head. He walks towards me, and I feel my dragon start to get defensive. I calm him down; this is necessary.
"So, I see that you did find the female. We were told you were already mated. I am here to see the truth for Mr. Escarra."
"Fine, you can come closer, but don't push it, my dragon is on edge with you near her."
He nods and steps closer. I see the moment he catches her scent. He inhales, and his scowl deepens.
"You know what else I must see."
I nod and remove the blanket from around her shoulders. She was wearing pajama shorts and a tank top, so her shoulders were clearly visible, with 4 bite marks.
He doesn't say a single word, walks out. Well, at least that's one less phone call I need to make. If we hadn't mated her on the plane, this would have been disastrous.
The 4 of us head up the huge staircase to the 3rd floor. The outside of the castle more closely resembles the original structure. It has been beautifully preserved and is a monument to our Kingdom.
The inside has been modernized and updated many times. The last was only 5 years ago. We had made just a few adjustments before we left, with bringing her here in mind.
The Royal suite takes up the entirety of the 3rd floor. It is basically interconnected rooms. There are 5 well-appointed suites with their own bathrooms. In the middle is an octagonal room that serves as a shared, massive closet. Each wall is a custom-built section of closet, including space for shoes, watches, cufflinks, jewelry, evening wear, everyday clothes, and drawers for undergarments and casual pieces. Her section has a built-in vanity with a chair and a mirror.
Before we left, we worked with Natalia and a local designer to get some items for Ria. We had anticipated her coming with all of her personal belongings. However, that's not the case, so I am doubly glad we have things for her. We will send her shopping with Natalia for whatever she wants within the next couple of days.
Right now, we carry her to the room we prepared for her. Having now had a chance to get to know her more, there are probably a few things she'll want to change. She can redo to her heart's content.
I walk to the bed, and Cole goes in front of me to pull the blankets back. He turns and helps me remove the blanket we had her wrapped in from the plane. I lay her on the new sheets, close to the middle of the bed.
I stand and look at her there in the bed, and I can't make myself walk away from her. We all look sheepishly at each other.
Then Ash sighs, "Fuck it."
With that, he strips down to his underwear and climbs into the bed with her. The other 3 of us look at each other for a moment before following suit.
In the end, Ash and I have her on her side between us, and Cinder and Cole are behind each of us. It's a very good thing this bed is so large.
I think all of us are just honed in on her, waiting for her to wake up and realize absolutely everything has changed.
Ria:
I am so warm, and my whole body aches. I wonder for just a moment if I'm coming down with something. I realize the bed doesn't feel right, the room doesn't smell right, and it's too quiet.
I peel my eyes open, trying to figure out why I feel so heavy and lethargic. I'd say I had a hangover, with the way my head is pounding and stomach not happy, but I don't drink.
As soon as my eyes open, I register I'm not alone. I freeze and stop breathing. It's Ash, Natalia's brother.
The second I think of her, I get flooded with memories. The two of us are in our dorm, having a movie-and-junk-food night. I was eating popcorn, and Natalia had brought us drinks. Then I feel sleepy and not right. She pushed me down on the sofa, and I couldn't get up. That look on her face, the absolute guilt. I knew she'd drugged me.
Now, I am most definitely not in the dorms. Ash is in front of me, and we are in a bed. His chest is bare. I lean back ever so slightly, planning to put space between myself and Ash. I stop when I touch a body behind me. I can't stop the gasp that escapes. I throw my hand over my mouth.
I have to stay quiet. If I'm going to get out of this bed and out of here, I have to try to be quiet.
I slightly turn my head to look behind me, over my shoulder. Fuck, Drago is behind me, and his chest is bare, too.
Dammit, dammit, dammit, think, I have to think. My head hurts, and my brain still feels sluggish. I look in front of me again and realize there's someone else behind Ash. Since Drago is here, it makes sense that if 2 are here, the other 2 probably are as well.
I look down and am glad I still have my clothes on, but then my brain starts firing, and I notice things.
I am sore and raw between my legs, and there is a burning pain in my shoulders. The muscles in my legs feel shaky and stretched. I know what it means. I feel a tear escape before I can stop it.
Then I freak out. I start clawing at the blankets holding me down. I climb out and over the top of the bed. I feel someone grab my ankle, look over, and Ash is awake.
I scream and kick to get away, I scrabble so fast and hard, I fall off the end of the bed. I claw at the floor and get up. I turn around and see all 4 of them are up now.
I have my arms wrapped around myself as I back up away from them.
I scream at them, "What did you do! What the fuck did you do!?"
I am crying now, and I hate it. I am having a hard time breathing, and I am swiping furiously at my tears.
They all get out of bed, and I am horrified to see they are all in just underwear, further cementing what they have done to me.
Drago steps towards me with his hands out in front of him, hands raised like I'm holding a gun on him. God, I wish I had a gun.
"Ria, I know you're upset. Please give us a few minutes to explain everything."
Upset, he thinks I'm upset, no, I'm devastated. I swore I would never let someone do this to me again. I got free. Damnit, I can't take this again.
I keep backing up; finally, my back hits a wall. They get closer to me, and it gets even harder to breathe. I slide down the wall and curl into myself and wrap my arms around my legs. I start rocking back and forth. I can't think; my brain is overloaded, and too much is bombarding me at once.
Flashes run through my mind. I had thought I was dreaming. I tried to force myself to wake up, but I couldn't. It just kept going on and on. It wasn't a dream. The bits and pieces my mind recorded are flashing through my head over and over. Fuck, fuck, fuck, what can I do, how do I get out of this and away from them?
Suddenly, Drago is much closer, squatting down, so he is more level with me.
"Ria, baby, you need to calm down and just breathe. I promise everything is going to be okay. We will explain everything, but you need to slow your breathing down."
Is he fucking mental, it's not okay or fine or any of that shit!!
I need to think to get out of this. I can't think properly if I am panicking. I try to take a few deep breaths. It takes a bit, but my breathing slows.
I am worried I might throw up. Between whatever they drugged me with, cause lets face it, if Natalia drugged me, they're in on it, and my panic, my stomach is rolling.
I keep trying to breathe through it, but I'm not sure it'll work. I turn my head and see a trash can. I crawl to it and throw up.
I hear cursing behind me, but I can't look right now. I heave, but there's nothing in my stomach, so it's just acid, and my stomach muscles are trying to evacuate my body.
Then someone's next to me and holding my hair. A cold washcloth is placed on my neck. My stomach starts calming down, so I try to wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, but someone shoves tissues in my hand.
I back away from them and wipe my mouth, blow my nose, and angrily wipe tears, as I curl up again. They are all close to me now, blocking me in, trapping me. I look around, trying to find a way out.
"Guys, let's back up and give her some room." Cole kinda tugs on his brother's shoulders.
They all back up away from me. It helps me calm down some. I close my eyes for a moment and rest my head back against the wall.
"Where am I?" I hate that my voice shakes and sounds weak as I look at them.
Drago looks down and crosses his arms over his chest. Then he looks at me square in the eye and says, "Romania."
Everything stops. It just freezes as I can't actually process that. My brain tries to protect me by refusing to acknowledge that.
I have no idea how long I sit there, looking at them in disbelief.
"What did you say?" I whisper.
"We are in our home in Romania."
I scrabble back to the trashcan and throw up again.