Once I broke free from the wooded area, I continued towards the barn. When I didn't hear Ezra's footsteps follow, I peeked over my shoulder to see his back as he went back into the tees again.

The feeling of guilt got worse. He had to make the trip twice now to gather the picnic supplies because of my stubbornness.

I entered the barn with a personal rain cloud following over my head. I hadn't even thanked him for the beautiful picnic he took his time to prepare.

I had probably ruined things with Ezra. The good times of relaxing and joking around like friends were gone. Even if I hadn't reacted the way I had, he had tried to kiss me. There was no going back from that. It wasn't something you could take back.

I started cleaning the stalls, hoping the burn in my muscles would distract me from everything. I couldn't believe I'd ever feel this way, but I wanted the only thing on my mind to be shit and hay.

I don't know how long I made the mind-numbing repetitive motions, but soon my arms started to shake from exertion with each task I completed.

"Never knew I'd find the sight of someone shovelling shit attractive."

I almost dropped the shovel at the words that disrupted the soft sounds of the animals. Turning around, I found Axel stationed at the entrance of the stall, leaning against the door frame.

I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. "What do you want?" Although I knew my mind I was wrong to try to villainize Ezra, I had every reason to do so with the man smirking at me.

"I'd say you, but I have a feeling that would make you run."

"Just seeing your face makes me want to," I muttered under my breath low enough so he wouldn't head.

"Do you truly find my face that repulsive?" I snapped my eyes up towards him in surprise. He shouldn't have heard that. I barely heard it with my own ears, and I said it! "Because I have many different reviews that would argue with that. Most women run toward me when they catch a glimpse of my features, not away."

Wow. Vain much?

Not that I could blame him. As much as I disliked him, from an objective viewpoint I could agree with the masses.

His smirk widened. "But if my face isn't enough to win you over, I can try other methods," he said, suggestively trailing his eyes down my body as he rubbed his fingers across his lower lip.

I turned away from his heated gaze and stabbed my shovel into a steaming pile of shit the size of my head. "No thanks, I have work to finish." I really did. After I was done here, I still had to clean Ezra, Jaxon, and Zev's rooms. I had decided to do them as part of my evening chores. I wouldn't have to worry about walking in on any compromising situations if the owners of the rooms were eating dinner in another room. It wouldn't change much for me while providing an extra level of protection for my eyes. I never seemed to make it to lunch or dinner anyways so completing morning chores later in the day made no difference.

As I turned back from unloading the shovel into the wheelbarrow, I felt a warm presence at my back. My spine straightened.

"What if you didn't?" He asked, stepping closer until his chest pressed into my back. He trailed hands up my sides from my hips to my waist where he let them rest. "I'm your husband, but also your boss- a Master of the manor, mouse. I could give you the rest of the day off so we can have some fun," his low, rough voice softly spoke into my ear.

My hands tightened on the shovel's handle. "N-no," I cleared my constricting throat. "If I don't do it, someone else will have to. I don't want to make any more enemies," I answered as an excuse. It wasn't a lie and I really wasn't in a hurry to have more coworkers like Andreas and the other two.

I foolishly hoped that it would be enough to deter him, but I should have known better with my track record.

My body turned to stone as he pressed into me further. I could feel his hardened length press into my lower back as he pushed his hips forward while pulling me back.

He nipped at my ear. "Come on, mouse. I'll make it worth your while." His hands slowly inched higher as my body stayed locked in place. "Plus, I'm your husband." He placed a kiss at the base of my neck. "I have certain duties I'm expected to fulfill. Can't have people spreading rumours that I don't pleasure my wife adequately."

My hands ached from how tightly I gripped the handle of the shovel.

He bit my neck before trailing his tongue up it. I shuddered as cool air hit the wetness he left behind.

He pulled me back, grinding against me. And I just stood there, paralyzed in fear.

Flashes of last night played through my head. If I just let him do what he wanted I could avoid the violence.

So, I just stood there.

I started to retreat into my head- preparing, but a sharp voice jerked me back to the present.

"Axel!" Zev's voiced cracked through the sounds of shifting animals.

Axel jerked from surprise. He slowly and reluctantly stepped away from me.

"What?" He snapped; annoyance evident in his tone.

I turned around and backed up against the wall so I had a clear view of everyone. My hands shook. I quickly tightened my grip on the handle to hide the quakes as I sighed in relief at Zev's arrival.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zev's voice was like ice.

"What did it look like? I'm fucking starving. I was trying to feed," Axel said through clenched teeth, his fists balling at his sides.

"Damanea."

My eyes snapped from the veins protruding on the back of Axel's fists to Zev's face. He didn't look towards me, his eyes locked with Axels.

"I spilt wine on my carpet. Go clean it."

I quickly nodded, jumping on the chance to escape he had provided. I leaned the shovel in the corner of the stall and brushed past Axel to leave.

Or at least I tried to.

Axel stopped me, his hand clamping down on my upper arm. I jerked at the sudden hold.

"Axel," Zev said deathly calm. His tone held an underlying warning.

They stared at each other intensely. Axel's eyes heated while Zev's were cold and hard.

Axel's hand tightened slightly, making me wince, before he released me. I didn't wait around for him to change his mind as I rushed past him and Zev.

I had just made it outside of the barn when I heard footsteps behind me. Worried about being surprised by unwanted advances again, I spun around to see who followed.

"Are you okay?"

Zev stood a few meters away. His words showed concern, but his face and the tone of his voice didn't reflect it.

I cleared my throat. "I'm fine."

He skeptically observed me. His eyes drifted over me from head to toe, pausing on my hands. I looked down to find them trembling. I clenched my fist to make them stop.

"Are you sure?" he asked, one of his brows slightly raised.

I sighed and took a step back. I wasn't going to turn my back on him. Not now after what happened when my back was to Axel. I just hoped he would take the hint and go away so I could leave.

"I've been through worse. Trust me, I'm fine."

His brows furrowed. He opened his mouth to say something but a loud crash from the barn had us both looking towards it.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath before turning and going back inside.

I blew out a shaky breath of relief. I turned and rushed back to the manor before anyone else could stop me.

The sun was closer to the horizon- the sky a golden orange. It should have been around dinner time. Entering through the kitchen, a glance at the clock confirmed it. I quickly grabbed cleaning supplies for the broom closet- everything I would need to clean Ezra, Jaxon, and Zev's rooms- and headed for the stairs.

I headed to Zev's room first, intending to clean up the wine before it could set in the carpet.

My mind raced the whole way. I had become pliant after Ezra's promise that he and the others wouldn't rape me. I had thought after witnessing Zev- one of the men who had treated me the worst during my time here- save me and deal with Andreas and his friends that I would be safe. Axel had just proven that to be a lie.

I knocked on the door before entering even though I knew he wasn't in there. I walked in to find the room cleaner than I had witnessed before. The only things I could see that I needed to deal with were the carelessly removed shoes by the bed and cleaning the windows and mirrors in the room and bathroom. I scoured the room for the wine stain he had mentioned, but I found nothing. Either Zev was lying, or I would be hearing about it later.

I sighed and gave up looking further. I turned to leave the room but paused as I caught something in my peripheral vision.

Sitting on the side table was a letter opener.

I walked over to it and picked it up. It was heavy in my palm and made of gleaming silver. A few delicate jewels encrusted the butt of the handle.

I ran a finger up the dull edge of the blade to the sharp point at the tip. I had tried to sneak a small knife from the dining hall during my first week but was caught by one of the others who reported me to the man in charge- Lester. I noticed my room was tossed and it was gone the following day. I didn't get another chance to collect a weapon since then seeing as every time I entered a space with other servants, I always felt watched.

But no one was around right now.

The disappointment I felt at the dull edge faded as methods to sharpen it formed in my head. I could find a decent rock outside and use that or pick a spot on the cement floor under my bed so I could hide any marks that could be created. Even if they didn't work, the tip should be sharp enough to cause damage in an emergency. I could always aim for the eyes.

Looking around cautiously to settle my paranoid nerves, I slipped the letter opener into the waistband at the back of my pants. If Zev questioned me about it, I could always lie. There were too many people that milled around the manor for me to be the only one to have access to his room. Gathering my bucket and supplies, I calmly walked out of the room and moved on to the next.

Ezra's room didn't take long to take care of. Like always, it was already nearly spotless. After cleaning the mirror in the washroom of spots and smudges, I found myself in Jaxon's room, scrubbing wine out of the carpet. Maybe Zev meant to say he spilt wine in his room.

After spending more than triple the amount of time I did on both Ezra and Zev's room, Jaxon's was finally clean. I picked up the few empty cups he had on his side table and went to leave when I noticed something.

The drawer that he usually had locked was slightly open. I would know since I tried snooping the first few days that I had started working.

I glanced towards the closed bedroom door before opening the drawer further. There must be a reason he always had it locked.

I was disappointed as my eyes landed on papers. I moved them around slightly and found a few knick-knacks and a framed picture underneath. I picked up the picture. It was in a plain, dark, frame. The image was of an older man with light brown hair and golden eyes holding a young boy with blond hair and identical golden eyes- Jaxon. Father and son. The child version of Jaxon had his arms wrapped around the man's neck and sat in the crook of his arm. Both had beaming smiles. It was almost unbelievable that Jaxon had once looked so sweet and innocent.

"What the fuck at you doing?"

I startled at the roared question. The frame slipped from my fingers and landed on the floor. The glass shattered.

I looked wide-eyed at Jaxon as he stood in the open doorway. I hadn't heard him approach or open the door.

"S-sorry," I stuttered out through the fear invading my lungs.

I quickly crouched down and reached for the picture that was now free from the frame. I didn't expect him to reach me and grab for it, too. It shouldn't have been possible to cross the distance from the door to where I was in mere seconds.

The sound of tearing echoed in the silence that followed.

Half the image was tightly held in Jaxon's hand.

The other half, with Jaxon's beaming smile, was clenched in my trembling fingers.