Lena was curled up on a small mat in her cell. Food had been deposited about an hour or two before, but it remained untouched. She'd been refusing to eat anything. And because of that, her body was very weak.
She'd only been there for four days, but Lena had quickly learned the business of the other Wolfenbarger. He was in the business of selling flesh, and she was his newest whore.
Lena hadn't seen any of the other women, for they were all kept cloistered in tiny cells identical to hers, each prostitute locked in her own solitude. The individual cells were all lined up next to each other in a larger, equally desolate room. The cell Lena occupied had no furniture, with the exception of a thin mat for sleeping and a small woolen blanket. The walls were stone, and there were no windows. Lena assumed that meant that she was being kept underground. Thick wooden doors covered each cell, with only a small opening for the nightly delivery of food.
Lena only knew that there were other women based on the noises she heard. Mostly she heard the lustful sounds of grunting and moaning men. Sometimes she heard men yelling harshly. Oftentimes, she heard sounds of screaming women, and those sounds chilled her the most.
The room felt especially drafty, and Lena curled up even tighter as her body began to shiver. Her clothes had been removed immediately after her first meeting with Aleksandr Rikhard, and replaced with a crude shift that was heavily frayed and torn. It left her arms, chest, back, and legs bare, and offered her very little protection.
Her wrists, ankles, and neck still remained bound by iron cuffs, controlled by long iron chains that were released only when she was given her daily dousing of cold, hard water. Her movement was severely restricted by the bounds, which barely even allowed her to crawl. While waiting in the cell, where she spent the majority of her day, the chains were locked on iron hooks attached to the furthest wall, preventing her from moving very far.
Lena had fallen into a level of despair so deep that she no longer felt any sadness. It was nearly that same, safe place she'd kept herself in after her banishment from Sterling Manor. But this time, she was far more aware of everything that was going on around her. Lena knew, however, that it would take only one more act of cruelty or extreme pain for her mind to descend into that comfortable abyss. And in some ways, she was desperate for that to happen.
Her weak body was beginning to crave sleep when the door to her cell suddenly opened.
"Get up, whore," she heard Felix say.
Lena turned her back towards Felix, attempting to ignore him.
She heard the door close, and could feel Felix approaching her. She wheezed sharply when he suddenly yanked the chain attached to the iron collar around her neck, and dragged her forward on her knees.
His black eyes bore into hers menacingly, and Lena felt a familiar panic begin to boil in her chest. Before it could fully develop, Lena swallowed hard, and suppressed the feeling, converting it into only mild alarm.
"Your first job is coming," Felix said.
Lena lowered her eyes. She'd prepared herself for this. She knew it was imminent. She fought hard to keep the panic at bay, determined to force her mind to enter that cloudy, dream-like state that protected her from harm.
She was vaguely aware of Felix as he continued to speak.
"He is going to fuck you in any way he pleases. Here is the only sheath you'll ever be given. It is your responsibility to care for it. If you damage it, there will be no others," he said.
Lena looked down at the thick, sallow sleeve that resembled a deflated serpent. Her stomach turned uncomfortably at the idea of numerous men wearing that same sheath inside of her.
"If you please him, Alek may consider providing you with more...comfortable accommodations. But if you fail...you will suffer grave consequences. Do you understand?" Felix explained.
Lena nodded slowly. She already knew what she needed to do.
"Good girl," Felix said. He grinned at her wickedly, and Lena turned her head away in growing anguish.
He left her alone then, and Lena closed her eyes and took several deep, calming breaths as she prepared herself for what would come.
The door opened again several minutes later, and Lena heard slow, almost strained footsteps approaching her. She slightly shifted, knees scraping uncomfortably against the cold ground.
"You have an hour with her. Nothing that leaves permanent marks. No blood. And nothing that cannot be...easily cleaned off. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want with her. Enjoy," she heard Felix say.
The door closed, and Lena opened her eyes, taking in her first look of her first job.
He was a well-dressed man, and appeared to be in his late fifties or early sixties. He had thinning white hair, and he supported his movements with a shiny black cane with what looked like a silver owl with ruby eyes on the handle. He had a large golden knuckle ring that had a similar design. The man gazed at her lecherously, and Lena fought hard to keep from becoming sick.
"You are...very fair. What is your name?" he asked.
"Lena, sir," she replied softly. Lena felt her heartrate increase as he slowly came closer. His entire body was slightly trembling, and his breathing was heavy. Lena grimaced when he dabbed his sweating forehead with a handkerchief several times.
"How old are you, whore?" he asked. Lena frowned and lowered her head, refusing to allow that epithet to hurt her. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground, and when she spoke, her voice was quiet, but strong.
"Eighteen, sir," she answered. The man released a lustful groan.
"Very nice...very young. I like that. I am going to enjoy having you very much," he said.
Lena clenched her fists tightly as the man kneeled down next to her where she sat on the floor. He brought his hands to her legs first, and Lena bit her lip to keep her emotions under control. His wrinkled hands stroked her cold, goose-pimpled skin lewdly, and Lena became increasingly nauseous.
But she fought the feeling. She knew what was coming. She knew what she had to do to survive. She'd spent four days mentally preparing herself for it.
"Open your mouth," she heard him say.
Lena closed her eyes and swallowed to quell the urge to heave, and parted her lips. She felt his mouth on hers, and Lena frowned, completely disgusted. She felt his slippery tongue enter her mouth, and with a deep breath, Lena bit down on his tongue as hard as she possibly could.
