“I know you are hungry, little Brother. We have not eaten well for days, but try to control yourself,” he


    said with a pointedly casual air.


    Kein rxed as soon as he realized how obvious he was being.


    “Of course,” he smiled, forcing a calm demeanor, “been too long since we ate well. My stomach is weak


    Like a shopkeeper’s.”


    Bane grunted a response and released the smaller man.


    It had them all bothered, though. The imnted ideas weren’t even subtle. Damien and his Brothers


    were furious they’d never noticed before. Now it was the most obvious thing in the world. Honestly, I


    should have told them before.


    Christof pointed to my chair and settled me in it as Damien and Evan went to get food.


    “You could have told me,” he said under his breath while sitting beside me.


    “You noticed when it happenedst time and yet kept it to yourself.”


    “Naughty, little Sister,” Bane whispered from my other side.


    He did like punishing me. There was so much they had not gotten to try yet, much of it he thought


    would excite me terribly. This was a good excuse to try some of Damien’s skill with the flogger.


    For a split second I felt intense fear. I remembered the intimate pain they had inflicted on me and my


    breathing amped up. I did not want that again. The pain and loss of control were awful. Wide eyes met


    Bane’s and I saw the displeasure in his.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    They had expected to teach and train with pain, not cause permanent fear. This was not the result they


    had wanted. I was just supposed to learn an important lesson and move on. It did not work that way


    with me, though.


    Jumbled memories showed them shbulbs of nightmares and many nights of lost sleep. Since they’d


    beaten me I’d feared them and buried my distrust for them. I had felt lost and very alone.


    ninjanovel


    They stopped, all of them, and looked at me. Even Damien and Evan stopped and looked in my


    direction. I was family and this way I felt was wrong. It was not what they wanted.


    “Ahh, you see what we did, Brothers,” Christof said.


    It was like the other men in theirpound had taught them. The men from the red mountains had it all


    wrong. Pain would bring fear. Humans could not be taught that way.


    Bane’s urges cooled down and he smiled at me trying tofort. My agreement and willingness had


    been cherished. Family was important and never distrusted. They would earn my trust back. It would


    be only pleasure between us.


    I did not like the conflicting feelings between us, so I tried to release my fear and anger. The bond did


    not work well if those types of things interfered. My little girl needed this family to grow wise and strong.


    I leaned over and touched my Lips to Bane’s in forgiveness. He moaned low in his throat at the simple


    gesture. My family wanted me and was grateful for the pardon. With the matter done and decided we


    waited for our meal.


    Damien set down tters of food and Christof poured us all a cup of drink. We were all about to dig in


    when Evan grunted.


    “Left Ciara’s drink,” he said rising and walking back toward the food service area. My eyebrows raised


    looking at the cup Christof had put in front of me.


    “This isn’t good enough for me?” I joked lightly.