A woman is brought into the room by Lenny, gaining the attention of the remaining few spectators. She’s bound, her hands tied behind her back, and her dress is short, way shorter than the attire usually seen around the village. I frown, glancing around and realising there are now only six men remaining, including the forefathers.
They each take a seat, and the woman is placed before them, making me feel uneasy. Lenny unties the rope holding her wrists, and she rubs them. “That will be all,” my father tells Lenny, who nods before leaving.
“What’s happening now?” I whisper. The other two look just as confused as me as we watch my father take out a mobile telephone. He fiddles with it and then music sounds. I gasp, clamping my hand over my mouth. We don’t often hear music in the village, only occasionally if the forefathers agree to it.
The woman begins to sway, entrancing all the men who watch intently. She begins to remove the dress, and I watch open-mouthed as she slips it from her body, leaving her naked. She sways towards my father, placing a hand on his shoulder and wiggling her breasts in his face. “Oh my god,” I whisper.
“I don’t think we should watch,” adds Jaycee, staring wide-eyed as the woman sits in my father’s lap. She rubs against him, taking his hands and placing them on her breasts. Adrian stands, moving in front of her while unzipping his trousers. I cover my eyes.
“We can’t watch,” I say, turning my back.
“We can’t tell anyone,” adds Jaycee. “Not even Alex.”
“We don’t want to be like the two who got hanged,” says Anna.
My father’s plan to terrify the villagers has clearly worked. “Let’s wait in the passage,” I suggest, slipping out the alcove and into the dark passage just as Alex arrives.
He grins. “Sorry I took so long. Wrath was unsettled.”
“How come?” I ask, following him back through the tunnels.
“Who knows,” he says with a shrug. “Doesn’t take much with that one. He soon settled when he saw his entertainment.” I shudder with revulsion. It seems all the men here are controlled by one thing only—sex.
When we arrive back, Martha is pacing. She looks up and relief passes over her expression. “Thank goodness,” she says. “I don’t even want to know where you’ve been,” she adds before we can think of an excuse. “Wynter, how confident are you that you can calm Wrath?”
I arch a brow. “Not very.”
“He’s hurt two guards, and the cattle prods have done nothing to calm him. I can’t get the guards out.”
“They’re still in there with him?” Alex asks, pulling out his keys in a hurry.
“The door is unlocked,” snaps Martha. “I’ve tried everything, but nothing is working.”
“We can’t send Wynter in there,” he barks angrily.
“You said yourself, she has something that instantly calms him,” she cries.
“I’ll try,” I say, and they both turn to me.
“No,” says Alex firmly. “It’s not a woman’s job to control the warriors.”
I square my shoulders, annoyed he doubts my abilities, even though I’m not confident myself.
“I’m in charge,” says Martha, “and I will take the blame if anything goes wrong.”
Alex shrugs helplessly, pulling the first door open. I step closer, wincing at the sound of pure rage coming from Wrath’s room as the second door is pulled open. Lenny and Jax are cowering in the corner, their cattle prods carelessly strewn from their reach. Wrath grabs his table and throws it in their direction, roaring like a wild animal, and I flinch as it crashes against the wall.
I take a deep breath and step into the room. My heart beats out of my chest, possibly loud enough for him to hear because he pauses all of a sudden. His back is to me, and I watch how his shoulders rise and fall with each heavy breath. He slowly turns, and I immediately hold up a hand. “I’m just here to check you’re okay,” I say gently. “You sound so angry.” I look around the room, noting the damage before looking at the two guards who watch me with surprised eyes. “Look at this mess,” I add, shaking my head. “What’s wrong?”
“He won’t answer,” snaps Jax. “Fucking mute,” he spits angrily.
Wrath spins back in their direction, growling. “Relax,” I call out, stepping closer. “Hurting those idiots won’t help you.” Wrath turns back to me. “Let them leave.” He shakes his head.“I don’t think this is you, Wrath,” I say, offering a sympathetic smile. “I don’t think you like being angry.”
Alex watches from the doorway. “What made him kick off?” he asks his colleagues.
“We took the women away,” mutters Lenny.
“Why?” I ask.
