are. Do you think any boy will desire you after the entire camp knows you fuck people for money?”
“You make me!” Besh cried, her chest burning with rage and humiliation. She tried not to look at her brother. She didn’t want to see how scared he was.
The back of mother’s hand smacked Besh’s face, sending her sprawling and her cheek bursting with a shot of pain.
Vesh’s small growl filled the room as he lunged at mother, but she grabbed him by the neck, forcing him to the ground. “Maybe he’d rather have you,” mother snarled. “Shall we see?”
“No,” Besh argued. “I’ll go. I’ll do it.” Vesh was still so young. She’d do anything to spare him this hell.
An evil grin spread mother’s face until she looked like a demon clown. “Too late, darling. Your brother will take your place. I’m sure our customer won’t mind. He might even prefer it. It’s time for Vesh to earn his way.”
Vesh shook his head. “No. No, mother, please.”
She faltered, seeming to reconsider. “Your sister then? It’s your choice. Time for you to be a man and make a decision.”
Vesh swallowed, glancing at Besh. She shook her head and mouthed, “I’ve got this.”
His face grew hard before he looked away to stare at the soil covered ground. “Me. I’ll go.”
“No, Vesh!”
Mother laughed. “Oh, this is fucking priceless. The little shit, trying to save the whore. Fine, then. Come.” She dragged him by the arm out of the room.
“No! No, no, no. Mother, noooooo!”
Besh woke on a mute gasp, her throat sore from screaming. She struggled against the hands that gripped her face until her eyes landed on Cael’s.
“Shh. It’s okay, you’re okay. Nothing can hurt you now.”
She drew in a breath, trying to stem her panic. It was a dream. A nightmare. But it was also a memory. She squeezed her eyes closed, breathing deep, but her heart still raced like the grim reaper was after it.
“Open your eyes, my Isa, and look at me,” he rasped.
She obeyed, taking in his strong, sure features.
“You’re safe.”
She nodded, trying hard to believe it.
“You’re safe,” he said again.
She flung herself at him and he caught her with arms that were both strong and tender. He was exactly what she needed. His hand stroked along her back and she let out a shaky breath, waiting for the anxiety to fade.
Besh stayed locked in Cael’s protective embrace. And he didn’t try to rush her either. The sun peeked through the living room window to tell her morning had come.
“I should take you to bed,” Cael murmured. Besh’s heart thumped faster at the implications. “You need as much sleep as possible.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to go back to sleep right now.”
Cael nodded, carefully brushing the hair from her eyes. “I have another idea then. Go get your boots on.”
Besh frowned. “Uh, okay.”
“Jacket too.”
In the bedroom, she found the boots and laced them up, and grabbed the parka on her way out. When she got back to the living room, Cael sat on the couch carefully organizing a small arsenal of guns. There were small ones that would fit in Besh’s hand, and large ones she’d have to heft over her shoulder.
“What is this?”
He glanced up at her before spinning the barrel of a handgun and checking the sites. “I’m going to make you feel safer.” He set the gun on the table and walked over to her. In a gesture that left her shivering, he tenderly cradled her cheek. “I can’t do anything about your nightmares, but I can give you the power to feel safe when you’re awake. I’m going to teach you how to shoot.”
Besh frowned. “But I have my animal. I can always turn and let her fight if I’m in trouble.”
Cael shook his head. “It’s not enough. If it was, you wouldn’t feel the way you do. You’re wolf is a natural submissive, and that’s fine, but you won’t always have the power to stand up to what you fear.” His eyes dropped. “Last night, I
“You make me!” Besh cried, her chest burning with rage and humiliation. She tried not to look at her brother. She didn’t want to see how scared he was.
The back of mother’s hand smacked Besh’s face, sending her sprawling and her cheek bursting with a shot of pain.
Vesh’s small growl filled the room as he lunged at mother, but she grabbed him by the neck, forcing him to the ground. “Maybe he’d rather have you,” mother snarled. “Shall we see?”
“No,” Besh argued. “I’ll go. I’ll do it.” Vesh was still so young. She’d do anything to spare him this hell.
An evil grin spread mother’s face until she looked like a demon clown. “Too late, darling. Your brother will take your place. I’m sure our customer won’t mind. He might even prefer it. It’s time for Vesh to earn his way.”
Vesh shook his head. “No. No, mother, please.”
She faltered, seeming to reconsider. “Your sister then? It’s your choice. Time for you to be a man and make a decision.”
Vesh swallowed, glancing at Besh. She shook her head and mouthed, “I’ve got this.”
His face grew hard before he looked away to stare at the soil covered ground. “Me. I’ll go.”
“No, Vesh!”
Mother laughed. “Oh, this is fucking priceless. The little shit, trying to save the whore. Fine, then. Come.” She dragged him by the arm out of the room.
“No! No, no, no. Mother, noooooo!”
Besh woke on a mute gasp, her throat sore from screaming. She struggled against the hands that gripped her face until her eyes landed on Cael’s.
“Shh. It’s okay, you’re okay. Nothing can hurt you now.”
She drew in a breath, trying to stem her panic. It was a dream. A nightmare. But it was also a memory. She squeezed her eyes closed, breathing deep, but her heart still raced like the grim reaper was after it.
“Open your eyes, my Isa, and look at me,” he rasped.
She obeyed, taking in his strong, sure features.
“You’re safe.”
She nodded, trying hard to believe it.
“You’re safe,” he said again.
She flung herself at him and he caught her with arms that were both strong and tender. He was exactly what she needed. His hand stroked along her back and she let out a shaky breath, waiting for the anxiety to fade.
Besh stayed locked in Cael’s protective embrace. And he didn’t try to rush her either. The sun peeked through the living room window to tell her morning had come.
“I should take you to bed,” Cael murmured. Besh’s heart thumped faster at the implications. “You need as much sleep as possible.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to go back to sleep right now.”
Cael nodded, carefully brushing the hair from her eyes. “I have another idea then. Go get your boots on.”
Besh frowned. “Uh, okay.”
“Jacket too.”
In the bedroom, she found the boots and laced them up, and grabbed the parka on her way out. When she got back to the living room, Cael sat on the couch carefully organizing a small arsenal of guns. There were small ones that would fit in Besh’s hand, and large ones she’d have to heft over her shoulder.
“What is this?”
He glanced up at her before spinning the barrel of a handgun and checking the sites. “I’m going to make you feel safer.” He set the gun on the table and walked over to her. In a gesture that left her shivering, he tenderly cradled her cheek. “I can’t do anything about your nightmares, but I can give you the power to feel safe when you’re awake. I’m going to teach you how to shoot.”
Besh frowned. “But I have my animal. I can always turn and let her fight if I’m in trouble.”
Cael shook his head. “It’s not enough. If it was, you wouldn’t feel the way you do. You’re wolf is a natural submissive, and that’s fine, but you won’t always have the power to stand up to what you fear.” His eyes dropped. “Last night, I
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