Chapter 45

Valerie

I was no longer interested in Lucas’s story. In tales of the prince, and love between beasts and humans. Vanilla was eager to keep blabbering on about the fairytale she’d painted in her mind, but I paid little attention to it.

I was too frightened by the prospect of one day being trapped as a beast’s concubine. Of being slaughtered by his jealous wife.

“It’s the best future we could hope for as slaves,” said Vanilla, as if she’s read my mind. “Truly, if your Master loves you enough to make you a concubine, you’re among the luckiest of us. You should do your best to earn a good merit with him.”

I felt a sharp sliver of frustration stick into me. I did my best to bite my tongue so that I did not cause any waves, but Vanilla’s upbeat attitude toward this horrid life of ours was beginning to chafe me. We were not lucky and we would not live out romantic lives with the men who held us captive.

I wanted to slap the smile right off of her face, but she didn’t deserve that.

She was cl