Whips and Tails

Chapter 3 Compromise is key

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Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait, Easter was rough :)) anyways, any feedback is appreciated, this chapter is longer, enjoy!

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After Asher left me by myself in the hallway, I ran off to my room and headed straight into the bathroom. Under the hot water, I could cry in peace and let go of the anger and frustration. I couldn't stop replaying the day in my head, cringing when I remembered Nathan's lycanthrope features as he noticed me. It was the first time I saw so mush disdain and distrust concentrated in a single facial expression. I didn't even feel my tears racing on my cheeks, as I recollected the sound the bullwhip made on Nathan's skin and Asher's disapproval of me. Without thinking, I trailed with my fingers where Nathan's hand had been on my skin, letting out a soft moan as I felt an aching tug in my chest.

I tried my hardest to sleep but it was pointless. I tossed and turned, flashbacks flooding my brain. When the sunlight hit my window, I got up quickly and rushed towards the kitchens, packing my basket with sweets, pastries and coffee.

As I reached the basement door, my hand froze on the handle, trying hard to swallow.

"Breathe," I said to myself and opened the door.

Nathan was sleeping on the mattress, his back towards me, naked.

"Oy, breakfast," I shouted, stopping in the same spot I did last night. I placed a hand to my chest as I could feel my heart pounding.

"Go away," he mumbled, turning around. My eyes went wide as I saw his exposed body in all his glory. My gaze shifted from his serene face, to his toned body, and to his...erect member, making me swallow hard as I appreciated its impressive size. The morning sunlight hit his pale body, giving it a warm glow, with his dirty blonde locks framing his angelic face. I coughed and stiffened my body, pretending I wasn't taking in his attractive features.

"Like what you see?" he grinned, opening his eyes slowly.

I immediately blushed and looked away. "Why are you naked since I gave you clothes?" I fumbled my words a bit. 'How the fuck do I look so tomboyish compared to his serene graceful movements?!' I thought to myself.

He sighed and prompted himself on his elbows.

"Because it got really hot last night and I was sweating like a pig," he replied in an annoyed tone.

"Oh," I looked around, noticing there weren't any open windows. I left the basket down and proceeded to open the closest window to me, "I'll remember that."

"Why are you here again?" he grumbled getting up and putting on a pair of blue jeans.

I looked back at him. "I wanted to bring breakfast."

"Have someone else do it," he quipped.

"You're my responsibility, not someone else's," I said plainly while pulling out the items from the basket.

Nathan rolled his eyes and got closer to me, sitting down. Involuntarily, I started trembling and pushed hard against my instincts to run. I let out a huge sigh and extended the coffee cup towards him.

"I brought ointment too, for the wounds."

"I don't care," Nathan growled.

"Do you care dying of infection?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

Nathan stared at me intently and scoffed. "Fine," he puffed and turned around.

I leaned forward and saw the blisters on his back, from the first strike. I felt my stomach churn and bile coming back in my throat as I softly traced the wound with my fingers.

"Does it sting?" I asked softly as I spread a generous amount of cream.

Nathan shook his head and I continued to trail my fingers over his scars. There were so many I got lost in them, all of different sizes and colors.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I felt overwhelmed by sadness.

"Don't," Nathan snarled as he grabbed my hand and pushed it down, making me gasp and fall to my knees behind him. He used my oily sticky fingers to rub the blisters on his chest and on his cheek. "I don't need your pity."

I gulped hard before speaking. "It's not pity, it's remorse."

He chuckled mockingly. "You didn't make them, did you?"

"No, but you still blame me for your situation, like I ever had anything to do with the war or how you ended up here," I said sternly, my body leaning against his back as he still held my hand firmly.

He just growled for a second and let go of my hand. I wanted to rise back up, but something caught my eye as I looked at his metal collar. Softly tugging with my finger, I observed the marks on his neck underneath the collar, comprised of bruises, scars and bloody fresh cuts. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me as I traced my fingers over all the scars he had on his back and shoulders.

"If you wanted to give me a massage, you should have brought lavender oil, it's my favorite," he grinned, arching his back. "I could use a good rub in some places," he chuckled, making me get up instantly and back up.

"Watch how you speak," I tried to sound as demanding as I could, rising up.

"You're the one with the dirty thoughts," he laughed turning his body, "dreaming me having my way with you," he whispered seductively, his eyes staring at me through his long black eyelashes.

I puffed my face, exasperated by his teasing. I proceeded to eat my breakfast in quiet and so did Nathan, giving me quick fleeting glances every few minutes. When we were done, I just packed everything back and lifted the basket.

"See you at lunch," I said plainly, making my way back to the stairs.

Nathan didn't reply back, he just went back to his mattress. I guess he was hoping a bigger reaction from me to his teasing and my indifference pissed him off.

As I headed towards the kitchens, I was greeted by my father, inviting me in his study.

"Close the door, Lina," he said quickly, as he took a seat behind his desk and gestured me to sit as well. "How are you fairing?" he asked me worried, clasping his hands together as he leaned his elbows on his massive mahogany desk.

The air was heavy from his one too many cigars and I felt the need to cough to clear my throat.

"It's going to take a lot of time to see results," I answered looking around his study, taking in his prized possessions, scattered around the tall bookcases on both sides of the room. I knew of a secret box, hidden in the back, of vampire and werewolf fangs but if any vampire overlord ever found out about the box, my father would surely be hanged. Most of the other items I knew from childhood, like his first edition novels, the ivory tusks kept in glass boxes, ancient maps tightly bound in leather straps and a painting of mom, holding me as a baby, with Asher and James at our sides. My gaze lingered on the intricate frame and I felt a knot in my throat.

"I see," father replied plainly, pondering my reply. "I suppose it was to be expected."

"Is that all you wanted to know?" I turned my gaze back to him.

"No," he shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "I assume you're going tonight to the Hamilton's' party."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by father's question. "Yeah, I was planning to. Why?"

"I need you to keep your ears open and try to find out what the Justice for injustice pricks are planning.

I frowned. "And you think I can find out what your spies couldn't?"

The Justice for injustice group was a political party, focused on revolutionary reforms, especially freeing the werewolves and removing humans from the vampire control. They were seen as insane radicals, meant on disturbing the industrial progress and destabilize our economy.

"All men succumb easily to pretty faces and expensive booze," father lit up one of his cigars. "And your nosy personality does come in handy sometimes," he smiled at me.

I pouted my lips and leaned back. "I'll see what I can do."

It was mostly an empty promise anyway, for it was almost impossible to find out information about them. Their meetings and agenda were well kept secrets and nobody went out in public to declare they were a part of it. It was mostly a shadow group, working behind the scenes and claiming their involvement through anonymous channels, after the fact.

"Take the wolf with you."

"What?!" I looked at my father with wide eyes.

William Hinter chuckled as he let out a big puff of smoke. "My little daughter bringing along a big nasty looking wolf, that's surely going to send a message."

"That's insane. Nathan's going to flee at the first opportunity, no matter who he has to get through.

"Nathan?" father raised his eyebrow.

"That's his name, father," I frowned at his callousness.

"Careful, Lina. Remember that foremost your loyalty comes to this family, no matter your personal beliefs," he scoffed loudly.

"Personal beliefs or just plain off truth, father? You know very well the vampires are bleeding us dry with their taxes and for the lower classes is getting harder and harder to get by. They're being hunted too...no matter how many volunteers go to be sucked on by them and our weekly blood drives, people still disappear from the streets all the time," I raised my voice, getting emotional.

My father just dismissively waved his hand, making me even more enraged.

"How is it fair for us to work for them, bleed for them and yet be considered liberated?" I continued.

"Because it could have easily been us instead of the werewolves," William Hinter clasped his hands together in front of his face. "We were lucky we proved more useful given our industrial and technological inclinations, plus we can keep the wolves at bay with wolfsbane and mountain's ash."

"The tide can change anytime..." I darkened my gaze. "Are you not tired of always being under pressure, terrified they might have a change of plans and enslave us too, on a whim? Face it, father, we're still prisoners just with invisible chains..." I got up from my seat, gripping the edge of the desk 'till my fingers went white.

"Damn it, Carolina," father slammed his fist on the study, echoing in my ears and making me freeze. "Enough! I will do whatever it takes to keep my family above others, no matter what you think and as long as I am still breathing, you will listen to me. Now, sit your ass back down!"

I looked at him defiantly but choose to drop back in my seat.

"Oh," he grunted. "And you can give Nathan this," father pushed towards me a small glass vial with a clear liquid inside.

"What's this?" I picked it up and gazed at the contents.

"Poison."

I looked up, surprised, my body stiffening, praying I misheard.

"It's odorless, tasteless and it kills you in a few hours," father took a long puff. "Very obvious for the coroner what caused it, but your intention is just to keep Nathan submissive for a little while. It works much faster on werewolves."

My father leaned forward, staring intently at me. "The antidote will be waiting for you here, on my desk. Slip it into his dinner and tell him he just has to play nice for a few hours, and nothing bad will come of it."

I swallowed hard. "You can't possibly ask this of me," I muttered under my breath, staring in disbelief at William.

Father leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. "I am and you will obey, if not...I'll make you both drink it and then prove your worth to me," he finished his words growling and I felt a dark chill climb up my spine. I held my hands together in my lap, turning mother's ring on my finger, as I took in the cruelty my father was asking of me. He took another long puff from his cigar, then turned his chair away from me.

Looking down, I got up and left the study swiftly, slamming the door and running back to my room, leaning on the door and falling slowly to the ground, shaking.

I have no clue how long I stood there, pondering my existence, wondering if it was worth it, to be used on all sides, by my father, brother, boyfriend...Nathan's face flashed before my eyes and I hugged my body tighter. Eventually I got up and changed into my evening wear in silence.

I had missed lunch completely as the hours flew by unnoticed, making my way down into the basement at around 5 o'clock. Nathan perked up, hearing me and paced closer to me.

"Already breaking promises?" he crossed his arms, a sly smile dancing on his lips.

"I apologize, I was needed elsewhere and managed my time poorly," I answered, looking down, placing our bowls on the floor, as usual, then taking a seat, legs crossed.

Nathan hungrily picked up his bowl and started munching.

"We're going out, tonight," I said plainly.

"Oh?" he raised his gaze at me, looking almost comical with both corners of his mouth dirty with sauce.

"Yeah, a party, we're going to have to dress elegantly and I'm changing your collar with a leather one, with a zapper in it. It's set to 15 feet and it grows gradually if you don't return within the expected radius. And I'll always have my remote with me so I can zap you even if you're still in the radius," I held my hands together, rubbing my fingers as I tried to explain as calmly as possible, even though I was boiling on the inside.

Nathan put his bowl down and let out a low growl.

"And what makes you think I'll comply so easily?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I poisoned your food. You have 4 hours until you start showing symptoms. The antidote will be waiting for us when we return," I took out the small glass vial, half full, from my pocket, raising it at eye level and gazing at the clear liquid.

Nathan let out a deafening roar and he jumped towards me, wincing loudly when the chain ended abruptly, my body just inches away from his hands.

I looked at him endearingly, his desperate shocked face tearing me from the inside, and... in one swift motion, I blew the cap off and drank the rest of the poison.