Taken by the Enemy by Jennifer Bene

knot, and Lucian took a breath to speak but she started before he could.
    “Then, one evening I received a letter, unsigned, urging me to break the marriage agreement at all costs. It said that Bastien had bragged to a group of men that he’d soon have one of the Daniau daughters in his household and that they were welcome to help… break me in. All of them.”
    “Shit,” Lucian muttered and stood up, beginning to pace back and forth in front of her. “That’s why you ran.”
    “Yes. I spent weeks researching the forest, watching the guards for the perfect place to go over the wall, and the whole time I played the excited bride-to-be. I lied to Gabrielle, to her face, that everything would be fine .” Emmie hid behind her hair, sick with the weight of her betrayal. “And then I fled like a coward, two days before the marriage was supposed to be presented, and I left Gabrielle alone with my damned father – and Bastien.”
    Pain radiated outward from her chest, and all of her pent up guilt and grief and rage flooded her. She hated herself, despised herself. Emmie had done her best to hate every person in the village, but she was probably among the worst of them. Lucian’s own silence was condemning.
    “So!” She wiped her eyes again, staring at the floor. “Now you know how despicable I am, how traitorous, and you’re at least justified in hating me. Go on, go and tell all of them. Spread the word, and let them do what they want with me.”
    Lucian stopped moving in front of her, but she refused to lift her eyes to his. Whatever he had planned for her, she deserved it. She deserved all of it and more. His calm voice shocked her more than if he had shouted. “You are not despicable. You ran from an impossible situation, and you were damn brave going over the wall alone.”
    “You don’t know —”
    “I know that I do not hate you. Where on earth did you get that idea?”
    Emmie raised her eyes, the spark of her anger returning as she glared at him. “Are you fucking joking?”
    “You’re talking about this?” He gestured between the two of them and she rolled her eyes.
    “Obviously.”
    “Listen, aristocrat, you may be the daughter of Jules Daniau inside the city, but out here you’re just like everyone else, and everyone starts at the bottom here. Everyone earns their position in this village and you don’t —”
    “ Earns their position? You mean that I have to earn the right to be treated respectfully by spending time on my fucking back? Under you?” she shouted, standing up to face off with him.
    “Respect? You want to talk about respect?” He laughed. “All I’ve been telling you since I fucking rescued you from being gored to death by a boar is that you just need to be respectful!”
    “You mean keep my mouth shut and my legs open,” Emmie growled.
    “When has anyone ever told you not to participate in a conversation where you were treating the other person with respect? Everyone here has a voice, no matter their position. From what I’ve heard, you have always been the rude one! A spoiled brat!” Lucian’s voice was rising, color meeting his cheeks.
    “I was a spoiled, virgin , brat when I met you!” she screamed, and he went still. Emmie kept pushing. “You try to act so noble, and these people treat you like some hero, but you’re not . You’re an animal. You’re exactly how the raiders have always been described, and I’m glad my father exiled you.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lucian whispered, his face turning to stone.
    “I know what you’ve done to me, and that’s enough.” Emmie turned away from him, ready to walk out of his house, completely naked, but he grabbed her arm hard.
    “ This is your role in the village right now! There are rules, Emmie, and —”
    “Don’t use my name like you’ve earned the right to,” she hissed and tried to jerk her arm from his grip. “All of you and your ridiculous rules. I never agreed to follow