Unwilling (Book One of the Compelled Trilogy 1) Read Online Free

She had an armoire full of fancy dresses she hardly ever wore from father’s previous trips, and she would live without chocolate for the rest of her life if father would just stay home. However, her father was a doctor instead of a butcher, and he was far too kind to say no to someone in need, so he would leave, and then he would return. Always with a present.
    “Oh, but you do love chocolate! Remember when you were a girl and you ate so much you made yourself sick?” Her father asked, his tone laughing and Rowan couldn’t help but smile along with him.
    “What’s so funny?” A hoarse voice asked behind her father and Rowan recoiled against the wall, hanging her head and trying to make herself as small as unnoticeable as invisible as possible.
    “Talia, honey.” Rowan’s father said surprised, all the laughter slithering out of him as he turned, startled, his wife coming into the hall. She was slightly taller than he was and her blond hair hung tangled down her back. She was bone thin, her green dress hanging baggy on her frame. Rowan thought she might have been the kind of beautiful that men go to war for, once, but now she only looked tired, and angry. Always angry.
    “Well?” She demanded, her voice intimidating as she looked back and forth between Rowan and her husband. “Is this some private joke? Would you like me to excuse myself so you can continue on?” She said, her voice deadly low. Rowan’s heart raced in her chest and she tried to stifle her breathing, not wanting to draw her mother’s eye to her. “Rowan? Anything you’d like to share?” Her mother asked, taking a step closer to her.
    “N-no.” Rowan stammered, shaking her head.
    “Not good enough for your joke am I?” Her mother asked, her eyes wide in rage. She raised her hand, ready to strike her daughter and Rowan cringed, squeezing her eyes shut.
    “Talia.” Her father said, stepping between his wife and daughter. “There’s something I’ve meant to show you in private.” He said softly, as always only ever gentle and never raising his voice. Rowan raised her head to see her father lead her mother away, his hand pressed to the small of her back, urging her forward. He looked back at Rowan, and she thought she had never seen her father look as sad as he did right then, all the light leaving his normally jolly eyes making him look broken and dejected.
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    Rowan woke groggily, rubbing at her eyes to clear the grit. The first morning light peeped through the window sending soft tendrils of light dancing about the floor. Elias was already dressed and sitting at the edge of his bed, lost in thought. Rowan sat up, and kicked the blankets from her, letting them slide to the floor where they lay in a heap. Rowan knew she should pick them up, but she did not have the energy, her body weighed down heavily by the dispirited mood she was in.
    Rowan and Elias made their way down the stairs to the kitchen, where Elias made them some oatmeal.  He left his plain but poured a heap of brown sugar into Rowan’s, knowing she hated the taste of plain oats. Rowan ate silently, spooning the thick mush into her mouth, swallowing her food without tasting it and the food sat like a rock in the pit of her stomach. Rowan jumped as her father banged his way into the room, placing his large travelling bag on the floor.
    “Good morning!” He said brightly, but upon seeing his children’s somber expressions his smile faded, replaced by a grim line. Rowan noticed that his eye was blackened, and one of his lips was split, though he mentioned neither as he sat down at the small table, pulling a chair out to sit between Rowan and Elias. “I’m sorry, I must go.” He said quietly. Elias pushed back from his chair, the legs squeaking loudly across the tiled floor as he stalked from the room. “Elias!” Her father called, but made no move to go after him. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.” He