The Life of Anna, Part 3: Embraced (25 page)

“You!” he said, pointing to her. “Come.”

She quickly stood and ran over to him. Devin
searched the room for two more, then turned out the light and left
the room. “Come with me,” he growled and walked to the larger
dungeon where the girls were trained.

Sebastian took Anna up to the room she’d
awakened in the previous night.

“Anna, I wanted to talk to you before you go
down to the Elder’s Chambers. About being an Elder-Mistress.”

Anna looked at him confused. “What do you
mean?” She knew what it meant to be an Elder-Mistress. She did what
Devin told her to do. She helped manipulate people and change their
thinking so that they wanted to do what Devin wanted them to
do.

“Anna, the way Devin has treated you is
revolting. Elder-Mistresses are to be respected. They are not
slaves. Yes, they have Masters, but that is because they are given
to the Elders for a purpose. Elders are married and cannot take
second wives. There are occasions when a Son is given a
half-Immortal for a wife. Then her husband is her Master. This
would have been your case if Devin hadn’t taken you. This is what
Alex is working to undo.”

“I’m not a slave?” Had Devin lied to her?
Hope rose in her chest.

“Unfortunately, yes, Anna. You are a slave.
Devin made you that way.” He sighed. “I don’t know if you could
function properly if you weren’t. He fucked with your head too much
when you were growing up.”

“Oh.” She stared at her hands, hopes
dashed.

“You are not to be raped. You are not to be
harmed. Yes, your sexuality is helpful and can be used to gain an
edge for the Elder. But Devin should not send you into harm’s way.”
Sebastian paused and Anna looked up. The anger had turned his blue
eyes slightly golden around the edges. “He should warn those men to
treat you respectfully. And if they don’t, they should be
punished.”

Anna didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t
imagine Devin cooperating with Alex.

Sebastian took a slow breath and looked at
her, his eyes returning to their normal crystalline blue, though
they were still intense. “From now on Alex will make sure that
Devin treats you with respect. When you go in to greet the Elders
this morning, you will walk in with your head held high. Not
arrogantly, but gracefully. You need to respect the Elders and
defer to them. Bowing to them when you greet them is proper. But
you don’t need to grovel in front of them.”

Anna gaped at Sebastian. What he said sounded
so foreign.

“Do you understand what I’ve told you,
Anna?”

“I don't think Devin will like it.”

“It doesn’t matter whether he likes it or
not.” The fire in his eyes blazed briefly once more. “Alex is your
husband and Devin must respect that.”

Anna looked at him doubtfully, but said
nothing.

“Trust me, Anna,” Sebastian said, taking her
hand. “And trust Alex. He’ll keep you safe. Life will be very
different from now on.”

Anna knew that Sebastian spoke the truth, but
she still had a hard time believing him. She gave him a timid
smile. “I’ll try.”

“Good. Now, I will go get Jutta and she will
help you get ready. I’ll be back to get you in a little while.”

He left the room, and a few minutes later a
young woman with dark hair and eyes came in. “
Guten Morgen,
Mätresse
,” she said with a smile and a curtsey.

“Good morning,” Anna replied in English. She
hoped Jutta spoke English.

“I am Jutta.” She pronounced it
‘
yootah
.’ “
Der Herzog
asked me to attend to your
needs while you are here. It is my honor to do so.” She curtsied
again.

Her manners and smile were different than the
girls at Devin’s Manor. Maggie was very sweet and Anna adored her,
but she always had an aura of fear about her. All the girls at
Devin’s Manor did. Anna didn’t sense that in Jutta. She seemed
genuinely happy.

“Thank you, Jutta,” Anna said, hoping she had
pronounced her name correctly.

“I will prepare you for the ceremony and then
put you back together to go home with
Herzog
Alex.”

Jutta had Anna sit at a dressing table and
pulled Anna’s hair out of the up-do, brushing it until it shone and
fell in soft waves around her face.

When she was satisfied with Anna’s hair, she
went to a wardrobe and pulled out a white dress. Anna looked in the
mirror as Jutta laced up the back. It was very silky and light. The
cap sleeves were lacy and the bodice was a low cut “V.” The back
was open down to the small of her back, with open laces below her
shoulder blades. It was long and brushed the floor. Jutta gave her
white slippers to wear.

Jutta said something with a smile in German
and then told Anna that Sebastian would be back shortly to get
her.

*****

Alex paced around the Elder’s Chamber in his
white robe. He was disturbed by Kaveh’s appearance. How could Devin
have known about the wedding so quickly? Had he missed something?
But he was a good planner. He knew how to make a mission go
smoothly and was certain he hadn’t missed anything. So what had
happened to tip Devin off?

None of his men would have said anything.
They would never have betrayed him. The only others that knew about
the wedding were Soeren and his family. But even his family hadn’t
known the wedding was going to occur so quickly until this morning.
Except his parents, of course. But they wouldn’t have said anything
either. How had Devin known?

“Alex, we will figure it out,” Vati said,
walking up to him and putting his hand on his shoulder. “The
important thing is that you are here and Anna is here. Devin cannot
stop the ceremony. She is safe.”

Alex sighed. “I know, Vati. But I don’t like
loose ends.”

“Seth and the others are working on it now.
Right now you have other things to think about. Like your beautiful
bride.” Vati’s eyes betrayed his affection for his new
daughter-in-law.

Alex’s mouth turned up into a smile at the
thought of Anna as his bride. Sweet Anna. His bride and wife. This
was truly the best day of his life. Vati was right. He shouldn’t be
worrying about Devin right now. He needed to think about Anna and
help her have a wonderful wedding day.

After they finished at the Manor, they would
go into town and pick out left hand wedding rings and then go back
to the
Gutshaus
. His extended family would be there by
then. He hadn’t seen them in quite some time and was looking
forward to visiting with them.

There was a loud knock on the door and Alex
looked up. The moment had finally arrived: Anna was here.

The Elders took their places, standing in a
semi-circle. They all wore their white ceremonial robes. Alex stood
in the middle next to his father.

At the side of the room, a fireplace housed a
snapping fire. A bed in front of it was made up of fur rugs and
soft blankets. That was where he and Anna would consummate their
marriage. He had managed to keep his mind off sex for most of the
morning, but it was finally catching up with him and his cock was
beginning to throb at the thought of being with Anna again.

The door opened and Anna and Sebastian
entered. She looked nervous and started to look at the ground, but
Sebastian said something to her and she looked up and smiled at
Alex. Sebastian must have spoken with her about how an
Elder-Mistress was expected to behave. Seeing her walk confidently
into the room warmed his heart. He hated seeing her act like a
slave. Even though she was one, she didn’t need to act like it. Not
anymore.

Her hair fell around her face in soft waves.
She wore a long white gown that showed off her newly ample cleavage
very nicely. His cock twitched at the thought of taking her dress
off and kissing those beautiful, full breasts.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him and he
couldn’t help but grin at her. She was so graceful and poised when
she wasn’t afraid. He would do everything he could to make sure she
wasn’t afraid ever again. It would be difficult, he knew, but well
worth it.

She stopped a few feet in front of him and
went to her knees to bow. Alex saw the diamond of her engagement
ring sparkling in the light and smiled. He loved that the jewelry
she wore was from him and only him. Except for Devin’s piercings,
but Alex didn’t want to think about those right now. She would have
his piercings again soon as well.

*****

Anna stared at the red carpet below her nose.
How long would she stay in this position? Devin would keep her like
that for as long as he could.

She heard speaking above her, but it was in
German and she didn’t know what they were saying. Sebastian touched
her back and she sat up and then stood. He took her hand and put it
into Alex’s outstretched hand. She looked up at Alex as they
touched and was overwhelmed by the love she saw in his eyes.

Wilhelm said something in German, and Alex
took both of Anna’s hands as he turned to face her. He pulled her
hands slightly and Anna turned to face him as well. Another Elder
spoke for a few minutes and Alex nodded. Yet another one did the
same thing and Alex nodded again. Alex then spoke to Anna in
German. It sounded like it might be a vow, but Anna had no way of
knowing. She really needed to learn German.

“Anna.” Wilhelm spoke in English. “Alex has
vowed to love and cherish you, to protect you from harm and to
utilize your gifts in a manner that is both respectful and
acceptable to you. Do you accept him wholeheartedly as your husband
and Master?”

Anna looked up into Alex’s eyes and nodded.
“I do.”

Alex grinned.

“Anna, please kneel at your husband’s feet,”
Wilhelm said and Anna did so.

The other Elders who hadn’t spoken yet all
spoke, one after the other, with Alex responding in between, and
then Wilhelm spoke again.

“Stand, Anna, and receive the gift your
husband offers you.”

Anna stood and Alex showed her a necklace
like the one that Devin had given her as her mark, but the outside
ring was made of black diamonds instead of white. She smiled at
him, not knowing if she was allowed to speak.

“This will tell those in
die
Bruderschaft
that you are my wife. And if they hurt you, I
will kill them.” Alex’s eyes were full of determination at the last
words. He fastened the necklace around her neck.

“Anna, receive the mark of our family,
binding you to us as long as you live,” Wilhelm said solemnly. He
held a gold bracelet and fastened it around Anna’s wrist. It was a
signet bracelet. The signet was Alex’s, but larger.

Wilhelm gave her an affectionate smile, then
backed up to stand in line with the other Elders.

“We, as
Ältestenrat
of Deutschland,
do confirm the marriage between
Älteste-Sohn
Alexander
Johannes Kunze Herzog von Hesse and
Älteremätresse
Anna
Lee Perkins. You are now bound by the laws of Deutschland and the
laws of
die Bruderschaft
. You are bound for life, and
nothing except death can destroy your union. Alex, you may take
possession of your wife.”

Anna expected Alex to kiss her, but instead
he led her over to the pile of furs and blankets in front of a lit
fireplace. She looked up at him. They were going to have sex
here?

Alex knelt down and pulled some of the
blankets back, then pulled Anna down to kneel beside him. He looked
at her with such love in his eyes, her own filled with tears.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I love
you, Anna. My bride and my wife. Bound together by love and
commitment.”

He slowly brought his lips to hers, slanting
his mouth against hers. His lips were gentle, but she could feel
the hunger in his kiss.

She hesitantly slid her hands up his chest
over the soft linen of his robe. Was she allowed to touch him? He
didn’t stop her. She could feel his chest and shoulder muscles
rippling under her touch.

She pressed her lips harder against his and
he groaned.

“
O, mein Schatzi
,” he murmured
against her lips.

His hands slid down her back to loosen the
ties of her dress and then pulled it up over her head and tossed it
aside.

Anna looked up into his eyes nervously. Would
he think her fat? He looked down at her breasts and she saw a smile
tugging at his lips. He looked back up at her eyes and kissed her
again, placing his hand on her back and laying her down gently on
the soft furs.

“Alex?” she whispered, looking around the
room.

“
Schatzi,
we must consummate our
marriage before we leave,” he said gently as he lay above her,
resting his weight on his elbows and nuzzling her nose with his.
“To make you mine.”

“Oh,” she said shyly. Where did this shyness
come from?

He kissed her again, his lips caressing hers,
then gently probed until she parted her lips for his tongue. His
tongue stroked hers until she moaned. She felt her body awaken as
it only did for Alex. Her breasts ached for his touch, her pussy
swelled and dampened in preparation of accepting him into her body.
He teased her mouth, thrusting his tongue in and out. She writhed
beneath him, wanting his cock inside of her. She pressed her hips
against his, feeling his erection and making him groan, almost as
if he were in pain, rather than out of passion.

She looked up at him in surprise. “Are you in
pain?”

Alex looked at her sheepishly. “A little.
They...last night was rather uncomfortable. I was teased and
tormented, but not allowed any release. I’m afraid I might hurt
you, Anna, and that is the last thing I want to do. I want to take
this slowly.”

Anna shook her head. “Alex, if you’re
uncomfortable, then let’s go faster. I want you. More than anyone
else I’ve ever desired. I don’t want you to be in pain.” She
smiled. “Besides, we’ll have lots of time to take things slowly
later, right?”