Kraving Khiva by Zoey Draven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was later that night when everything unravelled even more.

Khiva was sitting in his sleeping quarters, in darkness, feeling his body begin to enter his Rut. The only light he could see were the glowing letters on the card Evelyn had given him.

2700.

2700.

Khiva growled, closing his eyes. Her words continued to haunt him, everything about her haunted him.

But those truths she spoke…he couldn’t forget them.

His back bowed, a sizzle of need racing down his spine, and he panted through it, feeling his cock surge.

Vauk, vauk, vauk.

It would be an intense Rut. He could already feel it.

Four days, he couldn’t help but think. Four days until Evelyn left Everton for good.

He heard movement in the common room of the Cluster, which was abnormal for that time of night. When a knock came to his door, he realized why.

Valerie.

“Khiva,” she said, her voice hushed, urgent. A moment later the door open. Valerie’s face appeared in the low light, her figure outlined from the light filtering in from the common room. “Khiva, it’s—damn, you’ve started your Rut.”

“Get the chains,” he murmured. Because without them, he would be tempted to seek out Evelyn. He would be tempted to convince her to give him another chance, to give them another chance.

“Khiva,” Valerie said and something about her low voice made his attention snap to her.

“What is it?” he asked, alarmed. Was it Evelyn? Was she alright?

“Madame Allegria returned from Genesis earlier tonight. She…she’d been alerted to the fact that you cancelled your client that night. And that you went to Evelyn’s townhome in the Garden District. She found the transaction from the driverless car you took that morning to return here.”

Khiva inhaled a deep breath. “Where is she?”

“She’s waiting for you,” Valerie replied softly. Khiva didn’t have to ask her where. He already knew. “She’s furious.”

He groaned as another jolt hit him.

“Oh, Khiva,” Valerie cried softly. “You’re in no condition to go down there.”

“I do not have a choice,” he rasped. It was true. But now, he felt a realization and a shame he’d never felt before, brought on by Evelyn’s words. He was resigned to this. Would he do this for the rest of his life? Could he?

His fists clenched at his sides.

No. He could not.

His eyes landed on the card Evelyn gave him and he handed it to Valerie. “Keep this hidden from her,” he requested.

Valerie’s eyes widened when she saw the glowing amount. “This…this is…”

“Do not let her find it.”

Valerie nodded quickly, slipping it deep inside her pockets. “I won’t. I promise.”

With her help, he stumbled to the elevator and went to the lowest level, but he wasn’t afraid. This was his punishment, for his feelings for Evelyn, for loving her, even if it was only for a brief amount of time.

He would take the punishment gladly, but it would never change what happened between them. It would never taint his memory of her, as he was sure Madame Allegria would attempt to do.

Valerie stayed in the elevator, but her eyes shone with sympathy. She knew the pain of the whip too, but he knew that when it was over, she would be there to help him, she would be there to clean up his blood, the mess of it all.

He nodded at her and then he entered the room.

Madame Allegria was standing there in a red dress that clung to her curves. A red dress, red hair, and red lips that pressed together at the sight of him. She didn’t speak a single word, but Khiva could sense her fury, could sense her need for violence. She was shaking with it, her eyes cold chips of ice.

After a moment, he stripped off his clothes and he hated more than anything that he was erect at that moment because of his Rut. Not even seeing her could dampen the power it had over his body, though he felt only disgust when he looked at her.

He knelt on the floor and she attached the chains without speaking, raising them high above his head. She went to her cabinet along the wall and he heard the door open and shut.

He waited.

And when the first lash came, he felt her anger, just as he felt his own. But he refused to make a sound, he refused to flinch, which seemed to enrage her even more.

The next lash was one of the hardest she’d ever given him, as was the one that came after, and the one that came after that.

Over and over, she whipped him with fury, determined to break him, determined to make him groan in pain, determined to make him show that she was the one with the power of him, it was she who controlled him, owned him.

But Khiva didn’t give her the satisfaction though every nerve ending burned in pain, though he could already feels rivers of blood dripping from his back, though the sound of the slick, wet whip sickened him and churned his belly.

Evelyn had told him he was stronger than who he’d been. That the male who was kneeling on a metal floor, whose back was being flayed open, was the male she cared for most, not who he’d been. Not the Prince of Firestones.

Khiva’s eyes squeezed shut and he channeled that strength to help him withstand that moment. He channeled her strength, her bravery, because right then, he needed it most.

And he realized with sudden clarity, as if the searing pain put everything into clear perspective…that he’d put his own pride over her happiness. That realization shamed him more than anything he’d done in his entire life.

Khiva could make her happy. He knew he could. So why didn’t he trust himself to do so? Why was he so frightened to try to give her a happy life with him, a happy future?

Perhaps because he was frightened. She frightened him to his core. No one or nothing else had that power over him, even the human female standing at his back, stripping his skin.

Only his leeldra had that power over him.

And she’d said that only the worthwhile things were the most frightening.

Forgive me, Evelyn, he thought, his vision going hazy. He tasted metallic blood on his tongue and his head lolled forward.

He didn’t know for certain if Madame Allegria continued to whip him, but at some point, he fell unconscious. Blissful blackness, which was most welcome.

When he woke, he was still chained. He heard hurried footsteps on the stairs.

Then Valerie whispered, “Oh my God.”

“Evelyn,” he rasped. His throat felt so dry it was painful to speak.

“Khiva, what did she do to you?” Valerie cried softly. Immediately, the chains dropped in height from the ceiling and his arms fell to the ground, like heavy weights.

He groaned, painful needle-like pricks stinging him from blood rushing under his skin. His back was numb. He couldn’t feel anything.

“Where is she?” he asked.

“I don’t know. She left about five minutes ago,” Valerie whispered. Madame Allegria must’ve decimated his back because Valerie looked pale and sick when she came to undo his wrists from the clasps.

He caught her wrist. Though his head still felt hazy from blood loss, he murmured, “I need to see Evelyn. I need to see her.”

“Khiva,” Valerie said, already shaking her head. “We need to laser your cuts before—”

“Veki. Take me to her.”

“Khiva—”

“Please,” he whispered. “Please. I need her.” Then he amended that with, “We need one another.”

“How will she react when she sees you like this?” Valerie asked, softly, reminding him that he’d never wanted Evelyn to see him whipped and abused.

It didn’t matter anymore.

“She will see me like this,” Khiva said, closing his eyes when dizziness made the room spin, “and she will not look at me differently. I will give my pride to her as an offering because I know she will not abuse it. It is likely she will love me even more for it. I have so much to tell her, to ask her.”

Valerie blew out a long breath, her eyebrows coming together as he spoke nonsense, words that didn’t make sense to her. But to Evelyn…Evelyn would understand.

“Please, Val,” he whispered, the room fading a bit.

“Okay,” she finally said and relief made him sag. “But you have to stay awake, Khiva. Promise me you’ll stay awake.”

“I will.”