Chapter 198


    Emery


    I’m on edge by the time he leaves. He even had the audac- ity toe over and lift my


    chin so he could kiss me on the mouth, “I’ll be sending in some females to take you into


    the bathroom and bathe. You will be able to roam free on a longer chain once they are


    done but don’t get any ideas, your door is well guarded and there are wards up all


    around.”


    I scoff, “It’s not like I can do much with this h*nking thing on anyway,” I point to the cor,


    “How long will I have to wear this thing?”


    “For as long as it takes you to realize that you are mine now.” He caresses my cheek,


    and it takes all that I have not to show a negative response. His eyes sweep my


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    nakedness, and he licks his lips before turning around and heading towards the door,


    “Be a good girl for the women and I will reward youter, Emery.”


    Four women walk through the door when he opens it and then he takes his leave. None


    of the females make eye contact with me, and I don’t understand what I have done to


    deserve such rudeness. It isn’t until I’ve sunk down in the deep tub and they begin to


    scrub me with a hard bristled brush that I finally lose my s*it.


    “GET THE F8CK AWAY FROM ME NOW!” I’m panting so hard from the built-up rage


    over first my uncle, and now their treatment of me, “I don’t know what my uncle has told


    you


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    about me but I’m NOT the enemy here!”


    All four women gasp and back away just a little and only then does one of them speak,


    “Uncle?”


    “Yes. Colin is my uncle; he and my father are half-broth- ers.” I exin annoyed.


    “Who is your father?” Another female asks hesitantly.


    “My father is Ledger Hastings.”


    Another loud gasp.


    “Y-Your father is the true leader of the Shikari!” a quiet voice chimes in, “Only, the council


    has listed him as a traitor, so the title passed down to Colin, the b*stard! He wants to


    mate with his niece?” Her face scrunches up in disgust.


    “My thoughts exactly.” I sigh, “I don’t know why he thinks it’s okay, besides, I already


    have three fated mates.”


    They all gasp again, and the first woman to talk, speaks up once more, “Colin dares to


    go against the Fates?”


    “Pfft, Colin has always done whatever he wanted with no questions asked. He’s a


    spoiled ar*ehole just like his spiteful mum!” Another woman sneers.


    It’s apparent that both Colin and his mother aren’t fa- vored here, but they are feared


    because of their power. I’m not sure I would be able to get any help from these women,


    so I don’t mention that I n to escape. Who knows, this could all just be an borate


    n for Colin to find out what I’m nning. Instead of talking about escaping, I once


    again be-e an actress and make them think that I’m resigning my18.10%


    self to being Colin’s mate.


    Sighing heavily, I give them a downcast look, “There is no way that my mates will ever


    be able to rescue me. My only hope is that my mates are able to move on without me,


    you know, find someone new to take my ce. I don’t want my uncle hurting them, so


    the best thing I can do is give Colin what he wants.”


    They begin washing me again, but this time it’s with a loofah and not the hard brush,


    “We are so sorry, miss. I wish there was something we could do to help, but we are mere


    women here.”


    I give the woman a sad smile, “It’s okay, but may I ask, why do you say it that way, ‘mere


    women’?”


    Another one scoffs, “You really don’t know too much about the Shikari men, do you?”


    I shake my head, “My father wanted to forget this part of his life. I mean, he hasn’t


    They want peace amongst all species, unlike the hunters here.”


    The women all agree, “I wish I could get out. I’m tired of being treated like cattle all


    because I wasn’t born with a k*ob between my legs!”


    I chuckle at her expression, “Why do they treat you like that, and why don’t you just walk


    away? You’re all over eigh- teen, are you not?”


    “Yes, but you see, we are the sisters of Colin’s guards. Our brothers have given us to


    Colin in hopes of climbing up the ranks.”


    My gut turns, “How long have you been with Colin?”


    “We are given to him at the age of seventeen. That’s when we are considered adults


    here among the Shikari.”


    “You all were still just kids!” I think back to some of the things my father has told me,


    “Wait a minute, you all have magic as well; why don’t you use it against them?”


    Again, they scoff, “We are for breeding. Our powers are also for breeding. The more


    powerful we are, the more power- ful our offspring are. If we were to use our powers at


    all, then they will be syphoned. It’s bad enough Colin syphons a por- tion of it each


    month, so we don’t have a build-up of un- leashed magic that will cause us pain. He says


    that we will be tempted to use it if that’s the case.”


    “That’s how he is so powerful, by syphoning the powers of his h*rem.” The quiet one


    informs me.


    “Exactly, how many females does my uncle have in his h*rem?” I ask, afraid to hear the


    answer.


    “Last I counted, there are fifty-two of us.” The woman that seems to be in charge here,


    answers my question.


    “Oh Goddess! Why does he want me then?” I mean, fifty- two women is way more than


    one person can handle.


    “You’re part of the Power of Four, so your magic is the most powerful.” One of them


    states and I throw my head back andugh.


    “Did Colin’s mom drop him on his head when he was a child? He does know that I’m


    only as powerful as my fated mates allow me to be. It’s with them where my power lies,


    not


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    on my own. I am nothing but half shifter and half Shikari on my own. If he takes me from


    my mates, I won’t even have the Dire wolf side to me any longer.”


    “Oh dear,” the quiet one states, “Don’t let him hear you say this. If he finds out that you


    won’t be powerful without your mates, he will either kill you on the spot or he will take


    your mates and keep them in the cells here, so you will always be close to them.”


    “He wouldn’t?” I gasp, “I mean about my mates.”


    All four of them nod their heads, and now I’m regretting telling them this little bit of


    information. Will they go and tell him? Are they jealous that he has brought in yet another


    woman to join his h*rem and now I just gave them the power to get rid of me? I’m not


    sure what expression I’m given off, but they chuckle at me.


    “We will not utter a word of this to Colin; you have our word. We are not gaga over him


    like most of the other fe- males, and the fact that he is doing this to his own niece, it’s


    unforgivable! Please, don’t think badly of all of us; we really have no choice in this way of


    life.”


    They finish up with my bath and then they attach my col-r to another chain just like my


    uncle said they would. They apologize continuously for having to do so, and even though


    I see the sincerity behind their words, I still don’t allow myself to trust them.


    “What time is it?” I ask before they leave.


    The lead female nces at her watch, “It’s quarter past eight in the evening. Colin said


    that he would be here around


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    eleven thirty, so maybe get a little nap in before he gets here.” She gives me a small


    sympathetic smile before closing the door behind her.


    “Eight-fifteen…” I mumble, I still have a few more hours before the peak, but will I be able


    to hold my uncle off until it’s time for my escape?