The next time later that day when Thane returned I lay on my side and pretended to sleep. I just couldn’t endure having to face him again. The way he looked at me, it was too much to deal with.

Even when his fingers trailed my face, I kept my breathing even and my eyes tightly closed.

But I couldn’t pretend to sleep forever and eventually I would have to face him and what he had in store for me. No one was going to come to my rescue, I was on my own, in a dire situation.

I had already made the choice that I would rather die than be subjected to Thane’s advances.

I didn’t want him to touch me, there was no way I wanted to bear him children.

After what I had gone through with Silas, I didn’t believe I had a chance over surviving that again. Even if it wasn’t with twins.

The moment he left I slipped from the bed onto my shaky legs and began to scan the room for a weapon or way out. For something.

I couldn’t just give up. I had to put up some sort of fight even if I didn’t have a real chance of getting away.

Unfortunately slow and painful search of the room did not reveal any real weapons. Even the bathroom didn’t have anything sharp I could use.

Discouraged and disappointed I returned to the bed, feeling weak and out of breath. I believe they were limiting my blood supply to keep me in this state. And I wasn’t sure how that would impact on my chances for surviving anything Thane had planned.

I had no way of even making it past the two guards outside my door, the only other means of escape was the window. There was no way I could get out that way, with no way to climb down.

I was stuck, in a prison without any means of escape.

Feeling dishearten I got back into the bed. I found myself thinking about the sons I had never met and would probably never get to hold.

And all I could see was the picture of Silas with the woman he was going to marry.

It hurt like a kick to the gut. He had told me I could remain with him and the boys. Why had he let me go? And why hadn’t mentioned he was going to marry somebody else? The pain radiated from one point to every fibre of my being.

My body was battered, my heart was broken but my spirit was still in tact.

I would figure a way out of this mess, even if I was alone.

I was brought some blood and a change of clothes.

The dress was golden and beautiful. But I didn’t want to change into it. I didn’t want to play any part of what Thane had planned. There was no way I was going to willingly do what he wanted. Even if I knew there was no way out I would still fight him, like I had when he had attacked me.

I refused to get out of the bed when one of the guards came to fetch me. He left and I slipped from the bed and anxiously fidgeted trying to figure out how I was going to get out of the mess I was in.

Silas wasn’t come. No one was going to show up at the last minute to save me. There would be no knight in shining armor to get me out of this.

I only had myself. I paced as I waited for the guard or someone else to come up to the room to force me to change.

The determined footsteps was the first sign before the door was flung open. Thane filled the doorway.

“You will do as you are told Avery,” he warned, taking a threatening step into the room. He stopped only to close the door behind him.

Flashbacks of the last time he had cornered me took my breath away and I trembled.

He had shown me no mercy before so I didn’t expect any from him now.

I clenched my jaw as he approached me.

He stopped just in front of me to pick up the dress off the bed and throw it at me. “Put it on.”

His tone was soft yet deadly.

I allowed the garment to drop to the floor. I refused to pick it up.

“Put it on,” he said, his voice raised. His eyes darkened.

The anger vibrated from him.

I was going to fight and I knew whatever he dished out to me was going to hurt but I never wavered.

I would not allow him win.

Silas had saved me before. It was time to save myself.

I lifted my chin definitely, holding myself steady.

“If you don’t do as I tell you, you will be punished Avery.”

I knew that already. I didn’t need the warning from him.

Feeling shaky, I steeled myself for the first swing of his fist that caught my cheek. I felt something crack before the pain exploded. With a thud I landed on the floor on my side. The impact winded me.

Thane bent down to pick me up and hold me up against the wall. “Put on the dress.”

I couldn’t talk. Instead I slowly shook my head. I would not do as he told me.

This time his fist made contact with the other side of my face sending me careering into a table knock the vase filled with flowers to the floor. I landed on top of the broken vase, a couple of sharp pieces cut into me and I cried out in pain.

“You only have yourself to blame Avery.” His voice was closer and I felt him lift me up by my upper arm. I couldn’t even stand on my own but I still wouldn’t give in.

I would fight him until I physically couldn’t, until I couldn’t anymore. It didn’t matter how bad the pain was.

It was one thing the Sire training had conditioned in me. The will to push through the pain when it was too much to continue.

“You think you can stop me but you can’t.” His face neared mine and I moved my face away from his. “I will have you. You will submit.”

His pressed a kiss to my aching jaw and I hissed in pain.

“You will never be able to withstand the pain I can inflict,” he whispered softly. I held myself still. “You will bear me the most beautiful and fierce children.”

I squeezed my eyes closed wanting to be anywhere but here with him. But no amount of wishing did anything.

I was still being held against my will by a vicious vampire who believed he owned me.

“You will submit Avery. Why fight the inevitable?” He breathed me in and I trembled.

There was no option for me to give in. The vampires had taken so much from me, I refused to allow Thane to take this away from me.

No more. I was done.

It did t matter how many times he hit me. It did t matter what pain he inflicted, I would not allow him to take what I didn’t want to give.

All my choices had been taken, no more.

“I don’t want this Thane. Not with you.” I allowed the words to lip from my mouth knowing they would only anger him more.

His had went to my throat and he gripped it.

“You know what’s really sad?” I felt his breath against my face. “Is that you believed you shared something with Silas.”

I wavered at the truth. His eyes gleamed.

“He used you. That’s all it was. Now that you have given him children where is he?” He asked the hard questions I had been asking myself.

If Silas had cared, why was I here? Why was he getting engaged with someone else? Thane’a words inflicted more pain than his fists.

“He doesn’t need you anymore Avery.”

He allowed his words to sink in.

“I need you Avery. I want the children you will give me.” The determination in his voice made me more determined to fight him.

“I will never submit Thane. Never,” I swore in a whisper.

“Then you leave me now choice.”

That’s when the beating started. One hit after the other until I was on the ground and Thane was trying to shove my skirt up. Blood dropped from my face as I fight to push him off me but I wasn’t strong enough.

Then I saw a piece of the glass vase. My bloodied fingers curled around it and I stabbed Thane in the cheek. He yelled and rolled off me to put his hands to his face.

He stood. Blood dripped from the wound on his face.