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.

"Henry informed me that you are not healed yet," Ezra stated, his hard eyes focusing on my face.

I blinked at him, still trying to process the Pegasus and bird lion. "That- they-"

Ezra narrowed his eyes further, the ends of his plump lips turned down. Stepping forward, he reached out and grabbed my head in between his hands. "Did you receive a head injury that I missed?" He muttered to himself. He maneuvered my head around as his fingers gently massaged through my hair and over my scalp. I flinched when he reached a sore spot. "Hmm, hopefully Solomon can heal any serious damage I possibly missed," he continued to mutter, his frown deepening.

Snapping out of my shock, I slapped his hands off me and backed away, stopping once again when I heard the sound of hoofs on the ground behind me. Grimacing, I stood there stiffly when I realized what I had just done. I waited to either be struck for slapping Ezra's hands off of me or to be trampled by a pissed-off Pegasus who didn't get its apple. Neither occurred.

Henry's sigh drew our attention. Shaking his head, he walked towards me. "Show him, lass," he said, gently grabbing my hand and pulling my arm towards him with a calloused hand. He carefully rolled up the sleeve and unravelled one of the bandages covering one of the worse off wounds. It's was scabbed over, but the edges were inflamed and it had split in some areas from moving.

Concern flashed across Ezra's face. Pushing Henry aside, he grabbed my arm so he could see the wound better. I held my breath as he prodded the edges of the wound. He paused and assessed my reaction when I winced at the action.

His fingers grazed over my skin, drifting towards the other bandages on my arm. "Are the rest of your injuries in a similar condition?" He asked, his voice softer than earlier.

I nodded.

His lips flattened into a line. "Why are they not healing properly?"

I frowned. "They are," I answered, a slight hint of irritation laced my words.

I looked away from him to avoid seeing his reaction to my tone, focusing on the dirt ground. An ant crawled among the stray pieces of hay, carrying a seed at least five times its size. Sometimes I wished I was like an ant, stronger than what I seemed. Sadly, I was weaker than one would expect. Well, technically it wasn't so unexpected. It's what happens after years of being fed just enough to be kept alive and functioning. The baggy clothes that I draped over my body, when I wasn't forced to wear what he wanted me to, hid the bones that stretched my skin thin. They hid how weak I truly was.

I clenched the soft fabric of my clean shirt in my hand. Looking at my current condition, it was hard to believe that I once was overweight.

I stiffened at the warmth of Ezra's palm when he gently grabbed my clenched fist. He stood so close to me that I could smell traces of mint and sage from him despite standing in a barn filled with the strong scents that accompanied housed wildlife. With a tug, he led me over to a hay bale that sat along a wall that held various pieces of equipment.

I eyed one of the hammers that hung on a hook. It wasn't as big as some of the others, but it would be perfect for me to hit someone over the head with to buy time to escape. I mulled over possible ways that I could sneak it out with me without alerting anyone. What if I pretended to trip and slipped it into my sleeve? Maybe create a distraction to draw attention to the other end of the barn?

I mentally slapped myself.

No. I need to be patient. Being anxious and acting without thinking had cost me in the past. I didn't know these people or how they would react if I failed. Based on Henry and Kai's words earlier, this wouldn't be the last time I would be here. I had to come up with a well-thought-out plan before taking any actions. He had enjoyed destroying my hope for freedom and punishing me when he caught me attempting to escape. I looked down at the mark that Jaxon claimed meant that we were married and felt a chill go down my back. I didn't know how my new husbands would react.

Better the devil you know than the one you don't.

A hand on my shoulder drew me from my thoughts. He pressed down on my shoulder to get me to sit but quickly removed it when I hissed in pain. Stepping away, he crossed his arms and look at me. His eyes were softer than before, but not as much as when I first saw them.

"Sit."

I tensed at the authority and command that laced his tone. I glared down at a piece of straw, too afraid to glare at the target of my anger and annoyance.

I wasn't a damn dog.

But I wouldn't mind biting him like one.

"Please."

I looked up into Ezra's green eyes in surprise. The last thing I expected from one of the men who forcibly abducted and married me was manners.

Not wanting to risk angering him, I slowly lowered myself onto the bale.

The moment my butt touched the rough hay, Ezra stepped forward and crouched before me. His hair was hit by a beam of sunlight. The curly, brown locks reflected a kaleidoscope of colours. Mesmerized by the blues, greens, purples, and reds, I didn't notice him reaching for the hem of my shirt and lifting it.

Stunned, I sat frozen as he lifted my shirt. Goosebumps erupted over my flesh when the cool breeze caressed it. With a shiver, I snapped out of my shock.

"Hey!" I exclaimed while grabbing my shirt and pulling it down. Just because I've been forced to strip a multitude of times before, doesn't mean I'll let it happen peacefully. Sometimes the fight is enough to deter the assailant.

He looked at me with annoyance. "If this is considered normal healing for you, then I need to check your ribs before you damage them further," he scowled. "You shouldn't be moving around with broken ribs."

"I'm fine," I said, my hands continued to hold my shirt down where it hid my body from his eyes.

He released a heavy sigh. "Listen, Damanea. I'm a healer-"

"In training," Henry piped in.

Ezra rolled his eyes. The puerile action reduced the fear he invoked by a fraction. "I'm a healer- in my final months of training," he pointedly looked at Henry, "and I just want to help you get better. Henry came to me because he was concerned after seeing your wounds. The rate you're healing at is incredibly slow, but judging by you're reaction, it is clear that this is a normal rate for you. I just need to ensure that you didn't cause further damage to yourself by getting up and moving around."

And who's fault would that be, Mr. Report To Me If She Doesn't Do Her Work?

A short cough pulled my eyes from where they drifted to find the ant crawling near my foot. Ezra ran his hand through his curls while looking away from me. A red blush was rising up his neck, flooding his cheeks.

As blood rushed to his face, it drained from mine.

I had said that out loud.

My pulse quickened as my breaths grew shallow. Fear coiled around every fiber of my being, embracing me like a lover, unrestrained and familiar.

I've learned over the years that men are vain creatures. They do not like to be insulted or ridiculed. They may overlook you swatting away their wayward hands, returning with twice the vigour to conquer, but not sly comments such as the one that I just made. Unrestrained words were met with unrestrained fury.

Through the rush of blood roaring through my ears and the pounding beat of my heart, I could barely hear the words leaving Ezra's lips. The coiling fear was turning into the familiar deadly calm that braced for the backlash that would follow.

"I'm sorry, I was unaware of your slower healing rate. After stabilizing you and treating the worst of your injuries, I had left Kai to treat and dress the rest. He had been tending to you and changing your bandages in my place. I am training him as my assistant so he knows the basics of treating wounds and ailments. I had told him to inform me if your condition worsened. I guess I should have instructed him to inform me of any oddities he observed as well. I didn't think it would have been necessary to vocally informed him in regards to that."

My breath hitched. I froze, doubting the words that filtered through my panic. My ears said he apologized, but my brain couldn't understand how someone like him would respond with an apology. His words contradicted who he is. Why couldn't he be like Jaxon and Zev, clear about his hatred of me? I preferred that to these mind games. At least I knew where I stand with them. With Ezra... his actions and words, combined with his initial protest about forcing me into a marriage, made me doubt if he was like the other four. Made me doubt if he's like him.

And that doubt was far more dangerous than any vain male with a fragile ego.

"Damanea? Hey, you need to breathe."

Ezra's words made me aware of the growing, burning sensation in my chest. I gasped in a breath.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his words were laced with concern.

Henry stepped towards us. "Are you havin' another panic attack, lass?"

"Panic attack?" Ezra questioned as I shook my head in response.

Henry nodded, addressing Ezra's question. "She had one earlier. Lord Jaxon found us when I was helpin' her breathe but mistook it as..."

"As her trying to seduce you into her harem," Ezra finished with a frown. He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm surrounded by fools," he muttered to himself under his breath.

I pressed a hand against my lips to hide my amusement while I suppressed a laugh. The fear uncoiled and ebbed away as I tried to keep myself from laughing at his words. I must not have been very good at hiding it.

"Something funny?" He asked with a cocked brow.

I shook my head. His words would normally cause me fear, but the smile that played on his lips made it clear he knew exactly what I found funny.

He kneeled in front of me, his expression sobering. "Listen, Damanea, I still need to check your ribs. I know you're uncomfortable, but it's important for your wellbeing," he said placing a hand on my knee.

I flinch away out of reflex. Ezra didn't comment on it, but I could see his brows furrow slightly as his hand hovered over my knee. He curled his fingers closed and withdrew his hand.

I looked at him closely, looking for any hint that he was lying or had an anterior motive. Finding nothing but concern and sincerity in his eyes, I looked towards Henry. He nodded his head, confirming Ezra's words. I didn't trust Ezra, but I would give Henry a benefit of a doubt for now.

I hesitantly let go of my hold on my shirt

"Thank you," Ezra said, surprising me once again.

He slowly reached his hands towards me, probably expecting me to flinch again, and slowly raised my shirt. His eyes kept flickering between my face and the bandaged skin that he was exposing, looking for any signs of distress. He even paused and asked if it was okay to continue once he reached my breasts. My heart warmed slightly at the consideration. Maybe I was wrong about him and he was one of the good men, like Henry. A bad man wouldn't be so considerate and concerned about me. They would do what they wanted regardless of how I felt.

I nodded for him to continue. I really should get my ribs checked by a healer- which I'm assuming was another way of saying doctor. They had been twinging in pain despite having taken the disgusting tonic that had dulled the rest of my pain.

When Ezra started to unravel the bandage from around my chest, I looked away as my faced flushed red. I should have been used to men seeing my bare chest by now, but I couldn't help the flood of shame that filled me. Noticing my discomfort, Ezra lowered my shirt to cover my breast once the bandages were removed. The small warmth in my chest grew.

He poked and probed my ribs in silence, a frown decorating his face. Every time I winced he would remove his hands and look at me for a signal to continue before placing his hands back on my skin. Once he was satisfied, he bound my ribs again before lowering my shirt.

"You shouldn't be out here in this condition," he repeated while rising to his feet. He ran his hand through his hair, moving his curly brown locks out of his eyes. "There isn't much I can do to help heal your bones, but I should have a salve to help speed up the healing process of your wounds in my workshop. I will contact Healer Solomon to see if he has anything that can help with your ribs. How long will it take for you to fully heal from this condition?" He asked.

I shrugged my shoulder, wincing when it tugged my wounds. "I don't know. It could take weeks to fully heal."

He looked at me, wide-eyed with shock. "What did you say you were?"

I glowered at him before catching myself and looking at the hay-covered dirt ground. His kindness was making me too relaxed around him, especially if I had gained enough courage to glower at him.

"Heuwmin."

I snickered at Henry's attempt. "Human," I corrected him.

"Human," Ezra mused to himself as he stared off to the side in thought. "I don't think I've heard of humans before," he said focusing back on me. "I didn't look into it when you answered last time because we thought you were lying, but I'll do some digging and see what I find. For now, let's work on getting you better. Don't worry about any chores until your healed."

I nodded before rising to my feet.

"Woah," Ezra exclaimed. He was by my side in seconds, holding me like I would crumble into a heap on the ground any moment. "I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be up and walking right now."

I gently shrugged his hands off of me. "I'm fine, I've done more with worse," I vaguely explained.

That caused him to frown, but he didn't push for more. Maybe he and I will get along just fine as husband and wife. I cringed at the thought.

I can admit that Ezra was a stunningly handsome man. He towered over my 5'3" height at around 6 feet tall with a lean body, like that of a swimmer. His jawline and cheekbones seemed to be chiselled from stone and his nose was strong and straight. His lips were plump and rosy pink. Locks of shiny brown hair fell over his forehead and into his eyes, the loose curls giving it volume. The green of his eyes reminded me of enchanted forests from fairy tales and the lighter shades and hints of yellow made me think of sunlight filtering through leaves. He was more handsome and beautiful than the photoshopped models that grace magazine covers.

But when I used to fantasize about escaping and maybe finding a man to love, marry, and call my husband, a bit more consent was present. A lot more, actually.

Ezra looked like he wanted to argue with me, but stopped himself and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "If you say so." His tone made me believe he didn't believe me. "Follow me, I can treat you in my workshop."

I nodded and started in the direction he gestured towards, but hesitated when Henry didn't move.

"I'm goin' to tend to the animals while you go get treated," he said. Noticing my hesitation he continued, "Lord Ezra is kind, far kinder than Lords Jaxon and Zev. You have nothing to worry about, lass. I'll come fetch you later." He gave me a small smile before walking over to the wall with hooks and shelves, grabbing a horse brush.

Taking a breath, and a chance, I walked out of the barn with Ezra. He said to follow him, but he stayed in step beside me, looking ready to catch me if I fall at a moment's notice.