Master A-0011

“ I don’t think you understand, Main Master. I appreciate you going out of your way to find her for me, but this is not going to work. She’s not cut out for this. Look at her, for fuck’s sake.” I gestured to the heap I had carefully placed on my bed. Carefully. On. My. Bed. Not the floor, which is where I should have left her after those tears of revulsion she’d shed. Fuck, what the hell was wrong with me? I should have given her a real reason to cry. I should have woken her up and forced her to continue to quarter that b . Did I do that? No. I finished both women by myself in record time. I paced. I went to her. I paced some more. Then…I’d called him to take her back, refund or not.

“Did you do that to her face?”

“Does it matter?”

My eyes moved to the laceration under her high cheekbones. My lips twisted, and the lust ramped up at seeing the shallow cut. She was lucky I’d stopped at a few inches in length and hadn’t pushed deeper. I wanted to.

Elec glanced over, his brow drawing in as he stepped closer to the bed to gaze down at her.

“Did she tell you what happened?”

“Boating accident at twelve. She doesn’t remember it though.”

He let out a sarcastic sound under his breath.

“That was no accident.”

“What do you mean?”

Silence.

“Elec.” I stopped, shifting on my feet. “How do you know it wasn’t an accident? What do you mean by that? Are you saying someone did that to her on purpose?”

More, he moved to the bed, tilting his head as he gazed down. For it being close to dawn, he showed no signs of fatigue. He was still alert, and I noticed he wasn’t in his auction suit anymore. But he was almost on edge or restless as his face drew in through his thoughts.

“Quincy Mallory was a good friend of my father’s. My father even tried to spark a deal with him when I was barely in high school. Pearl was a baby back then. I threw the biggest fit at overhearing the proposition, but it was for nothing. Pearl?—”

“Wait.” I closed the distance, looking between the Main Master and the slave on my bed. Her name did something to me. Just hearing Elec speak it was like a temptation I couldn’t run from. “Are you saying Pearl was almost your betrothed? She’s… one of us? ”

“Not anymore.” Elec turned to face me. “Any promising future she could have secured back then through marriage is gone. Had she had the schooling or connection.” He stopped, shrugging. “They never put in the effort to train her while she went through the surgeries. And they came far with those, but the road was longer than they were willing to travel. They hid her inside, away from everyone. They wouldn’t even see her, themselves.”

My eyes went to Pearl as he continued. “She was a stain on the Mallory name. A burden. Quincy begged the uppers to take her. She sat alone in a room no bigger than her cell here until she eventually came to me. Pearl Mallory died in the outside world almost four years ago. An infection from a surgery gone wrong.”

“But…Four? She would have barely been sixteen. A kid .” My voice nearly cracked. “She was one of us. She…” I ran my hand down my face through emotions I couldn’t begin to process. Emotions…that shouldn’t exist. Emotions that hit too close to home. “Alone.” I could barely talk. “You said her scars weren’t an accident?”

“No. I have no proof, but from what I’ve heard, it was the stepsister who pushed her off the boat. They call her Sissy, but her real name is Susan. She’s a piece of work. Even today. Worse than most of the women of our status.”

I tore my eyes from Pearl. “Worse? Can I have her ?”

“The sister?” Elec’s head cocked to the side as he studied me, but all I could do was nod. “You know that’s not possible. I don’t even see why you’d care. You just wanted me to take Pearl, even though you know I can’t. You bought her. You’re responsible for killing the slave if you’re finished with her.”

“Do you hear yourself right now? She’s not a slave. She’s one of us who was abandoned because of something that wasn’t her fault. I want the sister.”

“You’re walking a very thin line turning on one of your own.”

“ Me? ” I exploded, pointing to Pearl. “What about her? She’s one of us, Elec! Did they not sentence her to death because of what that bitch did? You said stepsister. Is this Sissy even born of our blood? Pearl is elite. Is she? ”

More silence. Elec’s gaze returned to Pearl, and I followed his line of sight, stiffening as her eyes fluttered and she scrambled to sit. The fear that quickly took over her expression at seeing Elec had me nearly cursing.

“Main Master? Master, I…” Her head immediately lowered at Elec’s gaze. She couldn’t hide the panic as her hands clasped in her lap and she let her wild curls cover her scars. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pass out again. I swear I’m strong. I really am. The visions. The… I’m sorry . Don’t kill me or send me back to the cells.” Her voice gave out with the sob. “I can do better. You can show me what to do, and I’ll do it. I can do this.”

“I know you can.” I breathed out, tightening my lips through the anger.

“But?” Her eyes were so round and vulnerable as she looked between us. “Is this because I was crying? You’re mad at me because of that, but it wasn’t you .” Her head shook. “It’s not you, it’s me. It’s…always me. My mind. I-I can do better. Don’t return me to my cell. Don’t send me away.”

Away. Alone. Abandon her just like her own father? Her fucking traitor, piece of shit father?

My rage grew, shifting and changing to something new. Something…different and bigger than my own demons. I could fight mine. I killed those bastards. Who would fight hers? Pearl had no one. She was a crow . She wasn’t even entitled to revenge.

My voice lowered as I turned to Elec.

“I want the sister. I know better than to ask for that son of a bitch, Quincy, but Sissy…I need her.”

“How bad?”

“Name the price. I don’t care what it is. I’ll pay it.”

But the Main Master wasn’t looking at me anymore. His stare was on Pearl. He sat on the edge of the bed, not talking but studying her in an expression I’d never seen on him before. A good minute passed before he withdrew his phone and began flipping through screens. When he finally stopped, I lowered, narrowing my eyes to take in the lines holding multiple names. Some spaces were full. Some were empty. Most of the names I recognized.

Elec glanced up, the blue of his eyes so light that it sent my pulse racing. It was cold. Dead. More… it was determined . He stood, walking us to the far end of the room and turning the screen to face me.

“I won’t lie. I had doubts about you. I’m still having doubts. You want to know my price? This is my price. We’ve talked about your future before. A long time ago. Where does this line go, Ethan? Who’s does it join? You’re getting older. You’re running out of time.”

My lips parted, and my gaze slowly went to Pearl.

“There we go. You see now. Mull it over. Let it simmer.” Elec’s mouth tugged back on the side as if he’d solved all of our problems. “If you can think of someone you’d like to marry, I may be able to deliver more than the sister. We can make it a family affair. Daddy will love that.”

“But you said she wasn’t elite anymore.”

“I lied. I had to see how far your feelings concerning her went.”

“You’ve been playing these mind games with me a lot lately.”

“They’re not games. You know I wouldn’t do that to you, Ethan. It only shows me what I need to know, and that’s important.”

“Are you sure you haven’t done more?”

“Define more.”

“Messed with my mind, Elec. Bent it to your will. Made me do things I can’t remember.”

“I don’t need to. I could, if you wanted.”

I saw his power. His truth and temptation. My jaw flexed. “Get back to Pearl. Are you saying she still has rank? She really is one of us.”

“Yes.”

“And you’d destroy what’s left of her line?”

“Do you object?”

“Hell no,” I half growled.

Elec smiled. “Both of your lines will be gone. Let’s begin fresh… Her and you . A new line worth more than either of yours alone.”

“As tempting as it is…you know I can’t.”

“You can. You don’t have a choice .”

He was right. I’d have to marry someone eventually. It was inevitable.

My fists clenched as I took in her terrified face. She was trying not to be afraid, but she was so worried I was sending her away. Even after what she saw and knew. And I did want Quincy. I wanted to hear him scream and beg his apologies to Pearl. I wanted him to pay so fucking much I couldn’t stop from licking my lips through the thought of his taste.

“I know you fear a repeat of your own past, but I can assure you that will not happen. I can make her into whatever you want, Ethan. I can promise you the perfect future. I can even make you want it more than anything.”

The conversation with the couple from the auction came flooding back. Elec was a master at manipulating people’s minds. He could make them believe whatever he wanted. Did I want that for Pearl? For myself? Would we turn into them? The Riveras?

“Picturesque,” I whispered. “A movie marriage?”

“Whatever one would make you happiest. You wouldn’t believe the requests I’ve come across. Nothing is out of reach or too much. I’d do that for you, Ethan. I’d give you a life you’d be proud of.

“What about Rhett and June Rivera? What life did they ask for? Or perhaps they didn’t ask at all.”

A hardness swept over Elec’s stare.

“I heard you. You have them under your power, don’t you?”

“And here I was trying to be nice. I’m going to pretend you weren’t eavesdropping on my conversation with the Riveras. As a matter of fact, once I leave this apartment, you won’t remember anything about them at all .”

I blinked, shaking away the heaviness in my head. “My concern is Pearl, no one else.”

Elec’s lips pursed the smallest amount as he took me in.

“Good. She’s my concern too. Marry her, Ethan.”

“How? She’s a crow. How would it benefit either one of our bloodlines? For one, she can’t return to the outside world. I need a wife. I need that . I’m too high profile. A surrogate won’t work. Two, she can’t give me heirs—I mean. Isn’t she fixed or something?”

At his look, my head shook.

“ She’s a crow. All slaves are sterilized. That’s our safety net. That’s promised to us. She’s.” I stopped at one of the Main Master’s eyebrows raising. A long breath left me, and my blood turned to ice, only to burst into an inferno of lust. Even slightly foggy, I was breathing heavier and shaking through a fate I almost didn’t get to choose.

“Elec…you kept her as a breeder. She’s not a crow because of being disfigured. You…You did this on purpose. Does she know what she is?”

“You were always quick at figuring things out.” A smile came to his face. “She knows nothing because I was unsure of her fate…until you. You were an option, but not one I settled on. But I think I chose right. Look at how perfect this is. She needs a husband, and she’s a woman you can’t kill. Her father’s line is everything. Her mother’s line…is special to me. Pearl would be a good match for you. Better than you could hope for. I always said I’d look out for you. I think this is your one, Ethan.”

“ I could have killed her. You could have trapped me. ”

“But here we are.”

“I could have killed her,” I repeated, more angrily.

“I knew you wouldn’t. You have a soft spot for the broken. It takes one to know one. Your family broke you. They tortured you . Who better for you than Pearl? She’s in an arena of suiters that would love nothing more than to fill her womb, lock her up and throw away the key, looks be damned. You know how this works. It’s her line they’ll want. Her father has the largest diamond mines there are. He has his hands in all natural resources, good and bad. I want you to step in with Pearl to control that. And it wouldn’t be much. More overseeing. I’ve already moved in the right people for an easy takeover for when the time comes. You deserve this .”

“You’d let her leave here? Marriage?”

The word got trapped in my throat.

“You’re special to me. I wouldn’t do this for anyone. You’re like a brother. You deserve to be happy after what you went through. Settle. Move into your real power as the O’Brien. Choose someone who sets your blood on fire. Does she not trigger something different in you?”

I took in Pearl’s face, not able to speak.

“It’s time, Ethan. Any worries you have are easily fixable. I know it makes you uneasy to hear, but her mind already belongs to me. It has to. We have no choice. It makes her safe, and that’s a must. It also makes it possible for me to make her into what you want. You’re going to need that for your happiness. As for the outside world, perhaps poor Pearl has been locked away and alive this entire time. Hidden away against her will because of her looks. The possibilities are limitless. Stories are easy to create. What do you want the masses that worship you to see? A savior? A knight in shining armor?”

“A knight,” I mumbled as memories returned, seeing myself peel off the costume that was covered in piss.

“Imagine what a hero of men you’d become. They’d love you even more.” He paused as he took me in. “Like I said, think on it. I have to go. Give it a few weeks. See if she’s the one. If so, we’ll go over the contract. If not…I have a few potential buyers. That means you can’t fuck her in the meantime. If you take her virginity, I’ll leave you no choice on the match. Pearl is worth a fortune untouched. Let’s keep it that way.”

Untouched? Easier said than done. I could still taste her on my tongue. Every breath belonged to Pearl. The craving to have her again was already calling me back in. Begging me to continue. She said the reason I got mad at her wasn’t because of me, that it was her. So…she wasn’t repulsed at my true self. That changed everything. Even now I found myself stepping closer to her, but at this point it wouldn’t matter if she was sickened by who and what I was. Pearl could hate me, and I’d still kill her worthless family for what they did. It was principle, and I couldn’t let their cruelty to her go. I didn’t know this woman, but that didn’t matter. It was the circumstance, and our survival was our link. It’s what would keep her alive in my worst times, and that was a relief. Pearl was safe from my monster. At least from death. And now that I knew I could have her exactly as I wanted, a huge part of me suddenly wanted to keep her. If Elec owned her mind and she carried my secrets, she was still worth a lot more than some d that was stuck within these walls. I could make our union work in my favor. In both of our favors if I understood her correctly.

“Main Master.”

Elec stopped at the threshold of my bedroom door, turning to face me.

“Send over the contract. Restraint isn’t my friend. Neither is time. Especially not with her. Can you…” My lips tightened and I hated even saying the words out loud. “Is there anything that can be done to make her want me?”

Elec’s eyes flickered back to the bed, and he smiled. “I’m afraid there’s not much. She’s under my control, and I’m not ready to sway her in your favor. I want you to think about this to be sure. But if you were sure …you could trigger promising reactions by saying her full name.”

“Her full name. Got it.”

“Give it time, Ethan. There’s no rush.”

“Of course.”

“Great. I’ll email over the contract when I feel it’s the right time. There’s one thing I won’t bend on. If you cut her, keep it below the neck. No more on her face. That’s already going to be quite the job. Let’s not keep adding to it.”

“Job? You just said—You’re going to fix it?” My head shook, angrily. “I don’t want her fixed.”

“I said they’d know about her, as in they’d hear about how she was scarred and hidden away, not that they’d get to see her like that. I get it, Master, but I’m not talking to you right now. I’m talking to Ethan O’Brien, heir of O’Brien Industries, and I’m saying Pearl needs work done if she’s going to take her rightful place next to you in society.”

“She can take her place just as she is.”

“This isn’t up for debate. As-is isn’t going to work. Her appointment is already set.”

“I don’t want her face fixed. I want it as it is right now.”

“Does she want that? Or do you think maybe she finally deserves some chance at a normal existence? One without whispers? One without stares? A marriage consists of two people, Ethan. We as men put our chosen first. We cater. We care and cherish. It’s not Master and slave with them; it’s husband and wife. You, of all people, should know that. I taught you better. Maybe I chose the wrong person for Pearl Mallory .”

At her name and his step towards her, my hand shot up. My heart raced. He’d take her without a second thought, and all I could see was how Pearl’s wide eyes were so fixed on us. How her beauty was twisted with pain. It only had the fury building for what her family had put her through. I knew she couldn’t hear everything we were saying in our hushed tones, but she wasn’t deaf either. She knew our conversation was about her.

“Wait.” My teeth ground against each other repeatedly as I took in the deep line that went from her temple to just below her eye. Then I took in the cut I made just below her cheekbone. One of us. One of us. Mine? A rumble left me. “Fuck,” I growled. “Will the large one be gone completely?”

“It doesn’t have to be if you choose to go through the contract. It just needs to be more concealable. There, but not taking away from her natural beauty. We can do that here and make it work, Ethan, but you have to bend just like I will.”

“And if I agree and sign the contract, you’ll let her keep it?”

He let time stretch as he scanned my face. “I will, just as I said. Existing, but not enough to dominate her features. There has to be some form of balance.”

“And you won’t touch any other part of her body? You’ll leave those alone?”

“If that’s what you want. Like I said, her face is the only part of her off-limits. Mark her up as much as she consents to. Cut her. Take pieces of her flesh and make your own special soup with it. I don’t care as long as the public can’t see your damage.

Thump-thump.

Thump-thump.

Thump-thump.

I heard nothing else as my shoulder was gripped, but I knew the Main Master was departing. And her. All I saw was Pearl as she sat there more confused than ever. She could be more than a d . More than a crow . She could be Pearl O-Brien. She could be mine.