Chapter 9: Punishment
Ezra led her into an elongated hallway at one of the levels in the castle. Before placing his hand on a large door, he turned to look at her. He could hear her heart pound through her sternum that made her body temperature and blood pressure rise. It was an exhilarating feeling for him and he could only imagine how she felt when he punishes her.
Opening the door, Katerina kept her head low. She was shaking with each step she took going into the large room.
It was filled with one large bed, posts on each corner that reached high up to hold a canopy sheet over the bed. Each open side had the ability to close for privacy. It was a dark room even with the opened patio towards the end of the room with a fireplace on the other side. The walls were filled with hanging crystals and paintings of the ocean, each one different than the last.
"Why are you doing this.." she summoned herself to ask. She was standing in the center of the room.
He turned around when she asked the question, "I don't remember allowing you to speak." He tilted his head, stepping towards her.
She immediately stepped back when she saw him coming, but his hand pulled her back by the rope. "Tsk tsk." He felt her heart pick up in pace and he smiled.
"I'm not property." She blurted out her words. Her fear turned into anger to begin getting answers. "You can't punish me." She continued speaking, making him lean back in shock and amusement.
For a moment she had thought she got through to him and felt confident about it. He reached over and removed the ropes from her wrists. She watched him do so, rubbing her wrists once free.
She raised her head to look at him, "Thank you.." she spoke softly. Ezra kept a blank expression as he nodded at her, making her feel a sense of safeness. He then reached up to brush her cheek slightly and push the frays of hair away from her face.
Katerina continued to stare at him as she saw his red eyes darken. She then felt herself gasping for air because he had gripped her throat.
"How dare you." He growled at her. He enjoyed allowing her to feel in control for the split second before causing her pain. He wasn't about to let this human speak to him in a way that put herself above him.
She placed her hands around his muscular forearm to try and pull his hand away but he was much stronger than she. "P-please!" She pleaded. True fear filled her eyes and for some reason he felt a pinch in his nerves as if trying to force himself to let her go. "Spare me.." she heaved.
Ezra placed her in a chair near the fireplace and let go of her throat. "You are causing me great annoyance." He placed his hands on both arms of the chair and hunched over her body, watching her catch her breath.
Her hazel, tear filled eyes opened to look at him. She held her throat as she regained energy and air in her lungs. The pain in her eyes pinched the same nerve in his body which made him wince. She didn't say a word after that but he pushed away from the chair to stand up.
"I have to go for now." Ezra rustled his hair with his fingers and sighed, thinking for a moment, "When I return, I will answer your questions." He left the room, locking the door behind him.