Thrill of Surrender: A Secret Society Dark Romance (The Harpies Book 2) by Dina Hawthorn

Author:Dina Hawthorn [Hawthorn, Dina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

KATE

Despite my objections, Andrei got me to brush my teeth and climb into the bath. The water was still warm and smelt faintly of roses, but when he sank to his knees next to me and soaked my hair, I wondered if this was a dream. What was going on with him?

‘What trouble you have caused, detka,’ Andrei murmured as he massaged shampoo into my hair, fussing over how much dirt had accumulated in it. ‘Marquis Peter usually takes better care of his slaves.’

‘What does detka mean?’ I asked, not wanting to hear anything about what Peter did to his slaves.

‘Pet.’ He chuckled as he rinsed off the shampoo. ‘And that’s what you are. A nice little pet everyone’s fighting over.’

I glared at a crack in the white bathroom tiles. A pet? If that’s what Jack saw me as, the collar made sense, but it was not happening. Someone needed to tell me how I got from speed dating to ending up in a cage in a castle.

‘What does ignurska mean?’

‘Igrushka. It’s what we call illegitimates given to a Marquis in training. A toy. Something they can do whatever they want with.’

‘Oh.’ Someone they could cull? Why would Jack say it meant playmate?

‘Has the Head Marquess been telling you tales about Marquis Jack’s former igrushka?’ He tutted. ‘That boy was always soft on her. You’ve met the slave. She’s still with us, and she remembers Marquis Jack fondly.’

I couldn’t imagine any of the slaves thought fondly of the Marquises, although I had seen small, tender moments between Noah and one slave. He was the only Marquis who treated them kindly, but not even he offered any true intimacy. No affection or aftercare, no matter how intense the scene was.

Maybe Jack had been different when he trained. I couldn’t picture him like Vladimir or Mikhail. Jack was so intense, so full of passion. Every time he kissed me, he left me breathless.

‘She said they were lovers.’ I curled my fists as Juliet’s vile words tore at my feelings with sharp claws.

Andrei huffed. ‘I wouldn’t use that word to describe the relationship between a Marquis and his igrushka, but Marquis Jack always had an irritating need to bond with the slaves. Asking for their name and spending more time with them than necessary.’

‘No, I meant Marquess Juliet said she and Marquis Jack were lovers.’

He grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed at my arm as if he wanted to erase every inch of me. ‘As I said, it’s not the word I’d use.’

‘He called me an igrushka once,’ I confessed, feeling around his willingness to share the answers I had sought since Peter took me from my home.

‘Marquis Jack?’ Andrei’s hand stilled. ‘Ah, perhaps it was when he discovered what you were. That boy has stayed away from women like you for so long,’ he added with a strained laugh.

‘Women like me?’

‘Illegitimates. It’s dishonourable to couple with such women. Our rules require a Marquis to sacrifice a prey to The Hunt if he does.

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