Their Wife

Seven

I will admit that I've been in denial ever since I escaped. I had been coming up with excuses for the inexplicable ever since I woke up surrounded by five crazy men.

The magically appearing butler? He was already present, I just didn't notice him because I was blinded by the beauty of the crazies. The odd mixture of new and old buildings? Must be because I'm in a new unfamiliar place that has been undergoing gentrification. The odd clothing? Must be a festival. The vicious sadistic behaviour and collars? Maybe there was also some sort of BDSM parade going on. Mentions of mythical creatures? Nope, just a concussion causing hallucinations. The multiple comments on my inability to heal? Nope, my overwhelmed brain can't deal with that at the moment.

I was able to come up with an excuse and explanation for almost everything so far, no matter how outlandish and unlikely it sounded, but this? I couldn't explain this.

The 'horse' snorted and gestured towards the apple in my hand with its head. All I could do, as it grew visibly more frustrated at being denied its snack, was stare wide-eyed at the impossible.

Wings.

Giant, fluffy, feathered wings.

This wasn't a horse, it was a goddamn Pegasus.

It huffed in annoyance, stretching and lifting its wings, proving that they were real and not fake props.

Well, I guess he took it too far again and I was in a damn coma again. I sighed. Couldn't he ever just put in that extra effort that would just end everything?

I looked around the large barn. Most of the stalls were currently empty, but the sound of shuffling and breathing let me know that there were more... creatures housed in it. Huh. Usually, when I awoke from one of my non-optional rest periods I forgot my dreams, if I even had dreams, in the fog of confusion. But one thing I knew for sure was- I touched the stained wood that made the stalls- they were never so vivid.

I pinched the back of my hand while keeping my eyes on the white, fictional creature in front of me. I grimaced at the pinch of pain that once again told me that I was in fact awake. Sighing, I wished that I was in a coma. At least then I would know that I wasn't losing my sanity.

The clattering of metal followed by a screech made me jump. My eyes swung to the other end of the barn and met intelligent ones that were staring back at me sheepishly.

Bird lion.

I was looking at a massive bird lion.

The apple fell from my fingertips. The Pegasus threw its head and snorted in annoyance. It lowered its head, trying to reach over its stall gate to eat the apple rolling towards it. Failing to reach it, the Pegasus swung its anger gaze towards me again and neighed while I stood wide-eyed. My hand that was holding the apple moments ago remained frozen in the air.

I jumped again at the sound of a throat clearing. Turning around, my eyes clashed with narrowed green ones. I moved to take a step back but reconsidered when a snort reached my ears. Heart racing, I swallowed while looking at an irritated Ezra.

I had thought he was the nice- well, nicer one of the five, but judging by the thinly veiled animosity I was getting from him ever since Jaxon had hinted that I was a whore, I guessed wrong. None of them were nice.

I mentally noted that his footsteps were silent for future reference.

He eyed my face with an odd expression before scanning me from head to toe. The sound of heavy footsteps and the crunch of dried leaves alerted me to the entrance of another. Henry stepped into the barn behind him, nodding in my direction before standing off to the side.