Chapter 14

Shemika was making her way back to the main building, hoping to avoid any encounters. She was feeling…off. She felt unclean, as if the dirt was on the inside. All she wanted was a hot bubble bath and a cheesy rom-com, preferably at the same time.

Lost in her thoughts, Shemika moved swiftly and silently through the building. She thought she could make it to her room without running into anyone. She didn’t really interact with many people. Lyosha was always occupied after dinner, she had just left Nikandr, and Caturix usually went back to the holding cells after dinner. Usually being the operative word.

Just as she was about to open her door, someone grabbed her wrist. She was so close to the knob—when she was pulled back. She stumbled into a hard chest and froze, waiting for the other person to speak.

“You smell like Nikandr.” A deep, gruff voice whispered in her ear.

~Caturix~. His voice sent a shiver down her spine. Her legs shook, her blood warmed, a heat spread between her legs, and her nipples hardened.

“Yeah?” she responded softly.

He spun her around and held her jaw tightly. “I came looking for you when you stopped following me.” His gaze dropped to her lips and for a moment, his expression seemed to soften. But it quickly returned to his usual scowl. He pulled her face up to his. “I’m guessing you got your fill and decided you were done with me.” His voice was harsh and unforgiving.

She glared back at him. “No, I didn’t,” she retorted, trying to free her jaw from his grip.

“Then why did you go to Nikandr?” he demanded, his voice loud and his words spraying her with saliva. She wasn’t entirely opposed to it, if she was being honest with herself. But she wasn’t, so she found it repulsive.

She opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it. She didn’t want to admit anything to Caturix. She didn’t want anyone to have any power over her. But even without her saying anything, Caturix’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“You enjoyed it,” he stated, sounding incredulous. “You slept with Nikandr because you didn’t want to enjoy it.” He filled in the blanks for her.

She mirrored his scowl and pulled her face from his grip. “That’s not true, kitty cat.” She took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. “I slept with Nikandr because I was moving on to the next man. I slept with you and now I’m done. ~The end~. It’s not that deep, Kitty.” She tried to sound as dismissive as possible, but she could tell he wasn’t buying it.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Don’t call me that, I’ve already told you.”

~Whatever~. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her wrist again.

“I fucked you and you just turned around and slept with Nikandr,” he spat out.

Was he slut shaming her? “Your point?” she shot back.

“You smell like him,” he growled, changing the subject. “You don’t smell like yourself anymore.” He seemed annoyed by that.

~Ha~. She almost laughed. After weeks of following him, he seemed to care. A little. “Boohoo, cry about it, kitty.”

He froze, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “You followed me for almost six weeks, pretending to be so sweet, but you’re really just a selfish brat,” he said coldly.

She’d been called a brat before, but never by a man. “When did I act sweet? That’s my question,” she retorted.

His jaw clenched with irritation. “Are you going to wash his stench off of you?” he demanded.

Shemika made a face. “Why do you even care? Do I really smell that bad?”

He nodded silently.

“I didn’t think he smelled bad,” she replied dryly.

He tensed. “I don’t care, go bathe yourself.”

She rolled her eyes. “I was literally just about to before ~you~ stopped me, but now you make me not want to.”

“I don’t care if you want to. You will,” he ordered.

He was really pushing it. “What if I don’t? What are you going to do?” She laughed coldly. “Keep demanding?”

His expression darkened. “You really are a brat.” Then he lifted her with ease and threw her over his shoulder.

She squealed and struggled the entire way to Caturix’s room. She saw several people who looked scared. No one offered to help the woman being manhandled by the punisher. Cowards.

Caturix unlocked his room and carried her into a pitch-black space. He set her down and she heard the sound of him locking her in.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, blinking rapidly as the lights suddenly turned on. He moved around her and she watched him. Her eyes widened as she took in his place.

It was bigger than hers, significantly. Unlike hers, his room led straight into the bedroom area. Even as Caturix moved further into the space, she stood where he’d left her, looking around in awe.

It was exactly what she’d imagined, but more. Dark and mysterious. His large bed was black iron, with red curtains hanging from the rails and strange leather items hung from the end of the bed. They looked like torture devices.

Shemika stayed where she was as Caturix disappeared into a room in the back. She heard water running and a shiver ran up her spine. What did he think he was going to do? Force her into his bathtub? She was ready to fight him.

If he thought he could have any kind of relationship with her, he had a lot to learn. Shemika was neither submissive nor docile. She would be the one in control in any relationship she might ~ever~ be in. There was no way she could be with someone who was overbearing and controlling.

Caturix came out of his bathroom with a dark and threatening look. He jerked his head toward the bathroom, a silent command.

Shemika’s eyes narrowed defiantly.