Chapter 10

My heart was pounding fast when I tried desperately to escape. The man grabbed me in a second and yanked my cloak away. I was shaking when he turned me around and licked his lips.

"So pretty… I could just eat you up."

"No please", I pleaded desperately when he touched my neck with his lips.

He raised his head and smiled.

"I believe I will keep you for a while. Some amusement is just what I need."

"Cato!" a woman's voice said. "What are you doing?"

The woman and two men had just stepped out from Ayanna's cottage.

"This little human tried to eavesdrop you, my dear sister", my capturer replied. "I believe she can offer me some amusement so she is coming with us."

I gasped and looked at the woman.

"Please…I…I did not eavesdrop you, I…I came to see Ayanna."

The woman crossed her arms.

"Stop being such a pig, Cato", she snorted. "Can you not see that you have scared the poor thing half to death?"

"She pleases me so I am keeping her", Cato snapped.

"Enough", the other man said. He seemed to be the oldest of them. "The girl would merely slow us down. You are not taking her with us."

Cato scowled the other man.

"Fine. I just have my fun with her now."

A scream escaped from my lips when he torn my gown off and lifted me over his shoulder.

"Cato!" the woman shouted when he started to carry me towards the woods. "Let her go!"

"No, I do not think so, Drusilla."

I had never been so afraid in my life. I kicked as hard as I could and pounded on his back but he just laughed.

"I just love little wildcats."

My eyes started to fill with tears when I suddenly heard growling.

"I said let her go", the woman growled. She was standing in front of us. Her voice sounded strange.

"Really, Drusilla? You want to play with me?"

"Enough already", the other man said. He sounded bored. "Cato, let the girl go."

I whimpered in pain when my capturer squished me tighter.

"Hiding behind Marius' back, are we?" he spitted out.

The other man moved in front of us.

"Are you challenging me, Cato?" he asked coldly.

There was a moment of silence before my capturer reluctantly placed me on the ground. I was shaking while trying to cover my naked body. I flinched when someone wrapped a cloth around me. It was my cloak.

"Alecto, get the horses", the other man said. He lifted my chin and made me to look at him.

"What is your name?" he asked calmly.

"Sonja", I managed to say with a shaky voice.

"Alright Sonja, I need you to listen to me now very carefully. I just saved your life but if you ever tell anyone about this, I will know and I will find you and everyone you care about. Then I will make you watch when I kill them all one by one. But I will not kill you, no, no. I will give you to Cato and he can do what ever he wants with you. Do you understand?"

I let out a quiet sob. This was just too much. He tightened his grip.

"Do you understand?"

Somehow I managed to nod.

"Good girl. Remember, not a word."

My legs were shaking so much that I could barely stand. I was able to keep myself together until the woman and the three men rode away. I fell on the ground and started to sob. I had no idea how long I was there before I heard someone calling my name.

"Sonja?"

I looked up and saw Ayanna.

"Are you alright?"

I suppose that I was. Things could have end much worse. Still I couldn't bring myself to form a word not to mention a sentence. I wrapped my cloak tighter around me.

"What is going on here?" a man's voice asked.

My heart started to pound faster and I was about to panic.

"What…"

"Niklaus, could you be so kind and help me to get Sonja inside", Ayanna's calm voice said.

I couldn't look up. No… Kol's brother… I really wanted to hide.

"Ayanna, what…"

"Please", she interrupted him determinedly. "Sonja, may Niklaus lift you up?"

I couldn't look at either of them but I managed to nod.

"Please", Ayanna repeated.

I flinched when I felt Niklaus kneeling next to me. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up. I tried to stand but my legs didn't hold me so he had to lift me into his arms. I felt completely humiliated.

"Bring her here", Aynanna said.

Niklaus carried me into the cottage and placed me onto a bed.

"Now someone better tell me what is going on", he demanded.

"Misunderstanding", Aynanna said. "But surely you understand that if you tell anyone about this, you will destroy this girl's life."

"What… She is my brother's bride, if someone has violated her…"

"No, that did not happen, I swear to you. I am pleading you to take pity on her. Do not tell anyone about this."

Niklaus was quiet for a while.

"You can not expect me to lie to my family…"

"No, not lie. I merely ask you to be merciful."

"In that case, tell me what happened", Niklaus said tensely.

Ayanna sighed.

"Few travelers came here to seek my guidance and one of them got carried away. But he was stopped before anything happened."

Niklaus crossed his arms.

"Travelers? Three men and a woman?"

"Yes. But something tells me that you already knew that. Perhaps that is the reason why you are here."

"I want to hear it from her", Niklaus said ignoring Ayanna's words.

I swallowed and forced myself to look at him.

"He…he torn my gown away but nothing else happened, I swear. Please…"

My eyes were filling with tears again. He seemed uncomfortable.

"Alright, I believe you, just please stop crying."

He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"Alright, alright… I need to think…"

"I will go and get her gown", Ayanna said. "It needs to be sewed."

I didn't feel comfortable being alone with Niklaus but I knew that she was right. My gown… That man had shred it in two. Could it even be sewed? This was a nightmare. If I would have done as I was told and go straight to Mikael's house, I wouldn't be in this mess. Now my whole life was in the hands of Kol's brother. If he would tell anyone…

"Are you hurt?" he suddenly asked.

I shook my head.

"No, just ashamed."

He bit his lip.

"What happened was not your fault. My brother would understand…"

"No, please", I interrupted him desperately. "Please do not tell him, I am begging you. I only wish to be a good wife to him. I…I understand that your brother has every right to break off our engagement because of this but…"

I didn't know how to continue. I just had to wait for his response.

"Alright, I will keep this as a secret", he finally said.

I was so relieved that I almost started to cry again.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

He nodded.

"Perhaps someday I will need your help with something. I hope you will remember this then."

I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I promise. I will never forget."