Page 83 (1/2)

PROLOGUE

IF SHE’D KNOWN the vital act of breathing could be so excruciating, Delilah ht twice about her actions

No

That wasn’t true

Despite the chilly teer, days of isolation, and the fists that had punant by that man

Nothing in the world could ly

Her husband

The man she’d never wanted to marry, but who cared what she had in mind for her own life?

No one

Delilah huffed out a self-deprecating laugh, which turned into a wince when a shock of fire streaked across her chest

“Ohhh,” she groaned, as she attempted to settle into a more bearable position on the hard floor of an abandoned shed at the very back of her community’s property

The fact she’d been successful in deceiving her husband for such a long time was a miracle in itself For two years, her ruse had flown under the radar For the seven hundred and fifty-two days she’d been ed to sneak a birth control pill down her throat

She’d never missed a dose

Never

Members of their sheltered, brainwashed coer When he walked by, whispers trailed hilances and head shakes As the irl considered by many in the co like the prize rooster She was the first of their founder’s daughters, slated to produce near-royal children for years to co blood ould one day lead the community with the same iron fist and deluded ideals her father currently did

Unfortunately for old Roger, her tendency to be defiant, obstinate, and vocal in her opinions often overshadowed her reputation as a young fertile prize