Chapter 70


    The next few days went the same, the King forcing me to go with him wherever he went, forcing me to


    follow around like a lost puppy. I stared longingly out toward the forest through his office window at


    rice and Peter. Peter had a bucket and a scrubbing brush in his hand. rice was talking to him, and


    she looked like she was about to hang out the washing. I pressed my forehead against the cool ss.


    Fresh air would be good, anything to get away from the King or guards, even if only for a few moments.


    “I will take you outsideter,” the King said, and I peered over at him. He stared down at hisptop


    screen, not paying any attention to me whatsoever. For the most part, we ignored each other. However, I


    could see he was bing bothered by it. It was almost as if he was picking fights with me when we did


    talk, just to give him a reason to grab me or touch me.


    He never hurt me, but I don’t believe that was his intention, anyway. The bond drew him closer to me and


    Damian had admitted that is why the King drinks the way he does; to fight off the urges for him to give in


    to the bond, something I have refused to do myself. I had also been refusing to sleep in the bed with him


    even though I could hear him pacing because of it. It gave me a sick satisfaction that it disturbed him.


    Like I was winning at something. Though it pained me refusing him, I was bing desensitized to the


    pain.


    He couldn’tin about it because he said I couldn’t leave the room, and technically I hadn’t or tried


    to, so he had no reason to force me into bed with him or use the calling on me though, I could see the


    temptation too clearly on his face.


    “Can I ring Abbie?” I asked, and he peered over theptop screen at where I was sitting.


    “You tried her earlier, and she never picked up. You may try tonight, and if she doesn’t answer, I will ring


    her mate, so you can speak with her, that is if you behave and eat tonight,” he adds. I turn my gaze away


    and re out the window. I have had no appetite since being back. Just the smell of food makes me


    want to throw up.


    “Can you go help, rice?” I asked.


    “No, I am busy,” he growled and chewed my lip. It was boring sitting here and that’s all I ever seemed to


    do, sit around and wait for him to drag me somewhere else.


    “Damian can take me,” I told him, and he sighed, sitting back in his chair and staring over at me.


    “Damian and Gannon are working; I can’t pull them away from their duties just because you’re bored,


    Ivy,” he said. A growl slipped from me, and he folded his arms across his chest and arched an eyebrow


    at me before pressing his full lips in a line. My eyes stared at them and I had to pull my gaze away from


    them, making me lick mine. Something I noticed he did when he was debating with himself and not liking


    his own trail of thoughts.


    Standing up, he watched me as I made my way over to him before stopping next to his desk; he swiveled


    in his chair to face me straight on like he thought I was about to make a run for the door when I noticed


    hisputer screen. Noticing my gaze, he nced back at the beautiful woman on the screen and hurt


    rushed through me. There were lots of them, all tiny pictures of women disyed in different states of


    undress and posing for the camera.


    “It’s not what you think,” he murmured, and I looked at him. He reached for me, but I jerked my hand


    away. Had been sitting here this entire time looking at other women while I sat across from him.


    “Ivy,e here,” he snarled, leaning forward and wrapping his fingers around my wrist. He pulled me on


    hisp before locking his arm around my waist when I tried to get up, and he nipped my shoulder with his


    teeth.


    “I’ll show you, stop,” he growled.


    “I don’t want to see your side pieces,” I snapped at him, and his arm around my waist tightened, and his


    growl turned menacing as he pressed his teeth against the back of my neck.


    “I don’t have side pieces, only you. Now stop it,” he snapped before moving the mouse around and


    clicking on one. I growled. I couldn’t help it until it clicked open, and then the screen opened up to her


    mutted body. My stomach lurched, and I looked away, my heart thumping in my ears loudly and my


    eyes wide in h****r.


    “Are you still jealous of a d**d woman?” Kyson asked as I turned away, unable to handle looking at the


    screen.


    “Get rid of it,” I whispered as tears burned and stung my eyes at the thought of what she endured to look


    like that.


    “I clicked out of another file. I didn’t think about the picture on it, or I would have shut the screen


    completely down.”


    “Why are they all half-naked? Did they not have better pictures?” I said, wiping a stray tear. I couldn’t get


    the image out of my head. The way she was torn apart and the look of anguish in her d**d eyes.


    “Unfortunately, no, their owners didn’t take normal pictures they wouldn’t sell; The King said.


    “Wouldn’t sell?” I asked.


    “Yes, these women are rogue s*x ves, Ivy. We have been trying to find out where they are kept, and


    we also believe the children’s bodies that have been washing up belong to some of these women, we


    know the hunters are behind it, yet we don’t know why so many are suddenly popping up,” “The children


    you buried the other week?” he nods before dropping his chin on my shoulder.


    “Who would do such a thing?” I murmured, staring back at the women.


    “Some very sick individuals, unfortunately, the hunters have help, we have found a few of the rebels’


    insignia patches too along with the bodies,” he reached over to the drawer beside him and pulled out a


    sandwich bag full of fabric patches. He dropped it on the desk and I picked it up. The moment I turned it


    over, I gasped and clutched my ears.


    I found myself submerged in the noise of the new surroundings that became deafening as I struggled to


    take it in. The fear that coursed through me. At the forefront of my mind, I suddenly perceived a memory


    arising from a time I wished to stay forgotten. Suddenly, the sounds of gunfire could be heard resounding


    in the air around me.


    “It’s ok,e on out,e to Mummy,” my mother whispered. My mother’s blood-encrusted hands


    reached toward me. In my attempt to d***n out the sound of gunshots, I tried to hide in what appeared to


    be a cupboard, my hands covering my ears. In what appeared to be a cleaner’s uniform, my mother had


    a patch across her heart that was sewn into the uniform. Blood soiled the front, and her skin was tainted


    in it.


    ‘Come on, Ivy, I would like you toe to me,” my mother said, and I didn’t want to go with her, for some


    reason, she scared me but reluctantly I ced my hand in hers, and she pulled me out into the carnage.


    The memory fizzled and warped before I found myself breathing heavily as I tried to get my bearings.


    She was one of them. She really did do the horrible things she was used of.


    “Ivy, what is it?” Kyson asked, clutching me tighter against him while I tugged on my hair, needing the


    pain to make it stop, to ground me back to the present.


    “Ivy, you’re scaring me. Speak to me,” the King said as I began to have a panic a****k. My lungs refused


    to work as I tried to s**k in a breath when I felt the calling sweep over me. His deep purr emanated from


    him, forcing me to rx against him, and I let out a shaky breath, pressing closer and seeking it out.


    “What happened?” he murmured, but I shook my head, not wanting to remember instead wanting to


    forget.


    “She really did it, didn’t she?” I whispered as tears blurred my vision.


    “Who?”


    “My mother,” I choked, and he growled, his arms growing tighter, and I could feel the tremble of his arms


    as he gripped me. Trying to reign in his anger toward her and for me being hers.


    “The patch triggered something?” he asked, unable to keep his anger from his voice, though his purring


    never stopped, and I nodded against his chest. He nodded his head but said nothing instead, letting me


    calm down.


    “Come on, I will take you back to the room.” I shook my head and pressed the sharp points of his teeth


    against my shoulder. I shuddered, but he seemed to merely do it as if to tell me he was still there like l


    had somehow forgotten he was holding me.


    “I will see if Gannon or Damian will take you for a walk then I have work to do. So I can’t right now,” he


    whispered into my hair. The King only took a few minutes before he sighed, and I sat up.


    “They’re busy; I will get someone to grab a pillow and nket. You can rest on the couch until I’m done,”


    I chewed my lip, suddenly embarrassed over my breakdown. I was meant to be avoiding the bond, not


    seeking it.


    I looked longingly out the window, wanting to go outside. This room all of a sudden felt stuffy and closed


    in. “I won’t run,” I whispered before looking back at the King.


    He was watching me, his chin rested on his hand thoughtfully. “Ivy, I can’t-“


    “How are you going to trust me if you don’t let me earn it?” I asked, and he worried his lip between his


    teeth before pinching the bridge of his nose.


    “I will check in with rice every hour, I promise.” I pleaded.


    “Half an hour, if you are so much as a minutete. I will send the entire castle out to hunt you down,” he


    warned, gripping my chin and forcing me to meet his gaze.


    “I let you go by yourself. You sleep in the bed with me?” he asked, tilting my chin to the side and


    watching me. My guess was that he was trying to see if I was trying to deceive him.


    “Promise me, I need sleep, and I can’t with you sleeping on the goddamn couch,” he said, and I pulled


    away from him.


    “I need an answer, Ivy, or you don’t go,” he said. I sighed, but I really needed out of this room. Without


    him breathing down my neck, I needed to breathe for a few minutes. But most of all, I wanted to feel free,


    even if it was only momentarily, so I nodded and agreed to his request.


    “Then you can go; I wille to find you when I am done,” he says, and I get up off hisp. Moving


    toward the door, he speaks, “And Ivy.” I stop looking back at him.


    “Check in with rice,”


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    “Yes, every half an hour,” I finished for him, and he nodded before allowing me to go. I quickly escape


    downstairs. Stepping out, I sighed a breath of relief. Today it was pretty warm, and the sun felt nice on .


    my cold skin. rice was hanging thest sheet on the clothesline, however, Peter was nowhere to be


    found.


    “Where did Peter go?” I asked her and she jumped from not hearing mee up behind her. “Gosh, my


    Queen, you gave me a fright,” she said, clutching her hand that held two pegs to her chest.


    “Sorry, is Peter around?” I asked.


    “Down at the cemetery. Where is the King?” She asked, ncing around nervously. The entire castle


    was aware I was in lockdown and under strict guard, so it must have worried her seeing me without


    someone.


    “He let me out, but I have to check up with you every half an hour,” I growled.


    “Right, well, Peter is busy. Although, I am sure he would love thepany. Little s**t tried to rope me into


    helping him.” she chuckled. I nodded before making my way down to the graveyard.