#Chapter 36 A Play of Humiliation

Eloise’s POV

It was odd not having Xavier hover over me today but at least it gave me an opportunity to go into the garden without feeling like I was being watched. I needed some time to practice my magic now that the Luna Festival was done and over with.

I went out around lunchtime and came back in time for dinner. Xavier hadn’t returned so I thought about going back to the garden for a little while longer. I figured that I was at least going to come back in time for bed.

When I entered the room, I found that it was extremely dark and hard to see. I switched on the light and saw Xavier sitting on the bed.

I jumped. “Xavier! You scared me! You could’ve at least turned on the lights,” I giggled.

When I got a look at his face, I saw that this expression was down. “Did something happen? What’s wrong?” I asked in a gentle tone.

Xavier avoided my eyes and continued to stare at the floor. After a few moments of tense silence, he got up from the bed and approached me.

His eyes were void of warmth or love. He took his fingers and pinched my cheeks together.

It reminded me of that day I proposed to him and when his guards held their swords up to my neck. A sense of fear and dread stirred in the pits of my stomach.

Still, I gave him a small smile as I placed my hand on his. “Xavier, if something happened, you know you can always tell me–”

Xavier threw my hand away as his eyebrows furrowed together. He muttered something under his breath but I couldn’t hear what.

“What? What did you say?”

He muttered again.

“Xavier!” I was starting to get frustrated. “What are you–”

Xavier picked me up and threw me on the bed with such force. Then he jumped onto the bed and started tearing apart my clothes.

What is going on with him? Why is he acting like this?

“Did someone try to drug you again? What happened, Xavier?! Tell me!”

He ignored my words and started to bite down on my neck. This time, however, it hurt badly.

“Hey! You’re hurting me!” I tried to shove and push him away but it didn’t work.

Xavier took both of my wrists in his hand and held them down. He slammed his lips against mine and tried to pry open my mouth.

When I wouldn’t accept whatever kind of kiss he was trying to give me, he bit my lips. Hard.

“Ow! You–” In my rage, I bit him back.

The smell of blood drew Xavier to stop and look at me but it still wasn’t enough.

Fear rose from my stomach and into my chest. My heart wouldn’t stop beating so frantically. What the hell was wrong with Xavier and why was he taking out his frustrations on me?

“Don’t play stupid,” Xavier’s voice was cold and harsh.

“What are you talking about?!”
He ignored my words again and began to bite at my neck again. Then he went down to my collarbones and to my chest. His teeth felt so sharp and he was biting down with such force, it was almost like I was being stabbed.

Tears started to flow down my face from the pain. “Please, Xavier! It hurts so much! Why are you doing this to me?”

It was like my words were falling on deaf ears. It didn’t matter that I was crying and in pain. But why was he doing this? Why was he treating me like a piece of meat?

Xavier took his hand and tried to force them apart. Since I chose to struggle against his brutality, he sunk his nails into my thighs.

The pain alone was enough for me to give in.

He forced himself in between my thighs as he hastily unbuckled his belt. When I tried to squirm out from under him, he used his body weight to hold me down.

“What are you doing?! What have I done to deserve this?!”

Like a predator going in for the hunt, Xavier snarled at my words and shoved his pants away. Then he forced himself inside of me.

I began to cry more as I broke my wrists free from his restraints and began hitting him. “Get off of me! Xavier!”

He ignored my words.

Anger and hurt swelled in my heart. “Why are you doing this to me?! Answer me now!”

Xavier suddenly stopped and pulled on my hair. “You think you can seduce any man you want to do your bidding? I don’t know how you managed it but my once semi-competent cousin is now under your witch spell!”

My eyes widened. “You actually believe I’m having an affair with Liam?!”

Xavier didn’t answer me and continued to violate my entrance. He lowered his head and crushed his lips against mine.

“Let go of me!” I pushed on his face as hard as I could.

Xavier’s strength was too much and I thought he was going to swallow me whole.

All of the pain, anger, sadness, and betrayal became too much for me to bear. I couldn’t believe him! After what I did to prove my innocence against his mother, I thought he would’ve learned to trust me by now.

I slapped Xavier across the face. The echo of the contact rang throughout the room.

Xavier stopped, his eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

I shoved him off of me and wrapped the blanket around my body. As much as I wanted to see the expression on his face, I couldn’t stop the tears from blinding me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” I screamed at him. “I’ve told you about every single encounter I’ve had with Liam. There’s NOTHING going on between us!”

The lack of Xavier’s response sent me into an even deeper rage. My heart raced and I could hardly hear my own thoughts. “I can’t believe you, Xavier! After everything we’ve gone through, I thought you would’ve learned to trust me. I’ve done NOTHING to deserve this!”

I tried to wipe the tears that never stopped. “I can tolerate people being mean and saying hurtful things but I can’t and won’t tolerate you smearing my character by violating me! I can’t believe you’d do this to me!”

Xavier hesitated but leaned in to caress my face.

I immediately withdrew from him. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

When the tears finally did stop, I was able to actually see Xavier’s face. His expression was soft and blank. His golden eyes finally found their way up to mine but I was too blinded by anger and hurt to see what he was feeling.

After a while, Xavier got up and left.

I laid in bed and cried myself to sleep.