Master A-0011

“ Y ou want to die?”

“Why not?”

“I should flip you over and tear into your ass. I won’t. I gotta say, I think I like you like this. No apologies. No begging me to allow you to stay. I wasn’t sure if you had it in you.” I caught her wrist as she went to hit me again. I rotated her arm, running my tongue over the scar marring her skin. Pearl was breathing out of her mouth, deep and uneven breaths that exposed more pain than she’d ever admit out loud. “I’m going to kiss you again. I’d suggest not biting me this time.”

“I’ll do it.”

I lowered, getting closer to her mouth.

“You really don’t want to keep hurting me, Pearl.”

“Why not? You hurt me. You’re a liar. A cheat. Some beautiful woman out there thinks she’s found her perfect match, and look what you’re doing. Do you have any remorse? Do you even care that you’re breaking vows? Promises? Is it so easy for you to—” She stopped. “You’re an actor. Of course lying is easy. That’s beside the point,” she snapped. “When you say something, you’re supposed to mean it. Your word is supposed to be everything. No one gives a fuck about their word anymore. No one knows the true definition of loyalty or,” she sobbed, “truth. No one cares about anyone but themselves. I hate this life. I h-hate people.”

Words died off as I stroked back her hair, and she cried harder. She tried moving her head away from me, but I followed.

“Are you done?”

“ Are y-you done? Can you get off me now so I can pack? I don’t have much, but I’m taking my dresses with me. I don’t care that you bought them.”

I laughed, and the pout had me lowering to brush my lips to hers.

“I do think you’re beautiful.”

“What?”

The annoyance in the question had me laughing harder. She was adorable. Stunningly gorgeous as she cried. And the way she said my full name. Fuck. I could have come from her saying it alone. I was so hot for her. So desperate to really make her mine.

“You said some beautiful woman out there thinks she found the perfect match. I think you’re stunning, Pearl Mallory . More than some generic term of beautiful. Perfect match? I guess that remains to be seen. I’m not a liar, and I’m damn sure not a cheat. We have so much to learn about each other. What do we have if not time?”

Her eyebrows drew in, and she blinked heavily. An array of emotions flashed, and I felt her body soften against me.

“What are you talking about?”

Again, I kissed her, waiting…seeing. No teeth. No fight. As I lifted, the confusion was still there.

“Would you like to have dinner with me?”

She cringed.

“Not here. Not the roast. We can store it away for later. I want to take you to a restaurant. You can eat whatever you want.”

“Around people?”

Real fear. It won, and her body once again hardened.

“I want to have dinner with you. I won’t hide you in this apartment. Let’s go on a date. We’ll dress up. It’ll be fun.”

Still, she was confused, but the fear was winning. It left her turning her head, and me bringing her back to face me.

“You wanted to know about the Main Master. I’ll tell you why I was meeting with him. I signed a contract. On you . You’re one of us. Of elite blood. It’s time you took your place as the head of your line. You’re not a slave; you’re a Mallory. You’re mine now. For good.”

Gray eyes turned lavender as she scanned my face.

“Say something.”

Her head shook.

“Pearl, I’m keeping you forever. As mine.”

“Out there?”

Her pitch had turned higher at the end, and she mindlessly reached for the scar on her face. My hand gripped hers, and I didn’t break eye contact.

“Out there, for everyone to see. Not as my cook or housekeeper. I’ve made a deal with the Main Master. We’ll marry in the next couple of months before we leave the country.”

“No. Absolutely not.”

I wasn’t prepared for the strength that pushed against me. The top of my body swayed to the side, but I easily righted myself.

“Pearl, this is a new chance at a life stolen from you . You shouldn’t even be here .”

“I like it here. I want to stay.”

“Stay at the Gardens? And do what, butcher my meals? Cook for me?”

“Yes!”

“More than be with me?”

“Up there with everyone watching, yes . Do you know what they’re going to say about you? Do you have any idea what they’ll do? Your career will be ruined. No one will ever look at you the same. They’ll call you names. They’ll say you’ve lost your mind. Have you? God, you must have if you’re jumping straight to marriage. Especially to me.”

My jaw tightened through the protectiveness her words caused.

“It’s soon. Unbelievable, really. I know that, but I don’t give a shit. All elites are on the clock. You’d know this if your father wouldn’t have hidden you from the world. We do what we must for our line. Even marriage. Time is money. Time is power. It’s what keeps us all moving forward. And you speak of names. Of opinions and thoughts. I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks of me. But if you think I’d let anyone hurt you with words or anything else?—”

“Stop it, Ethan. Look at me . Really, look at who you want. It’s not their fault how they react. They can’t help but cringe or show their disgust. God, do your eyes even work?”

Time stopped as her hands firmly flattened to my cheeks. I saw nothing but desperation deep in her light-colored orbs. Desperation and survival for what sanity she had left. My life had been hard getting nearly beaten to death and constantly degraded by the males in my line, but I hadn’t lived a single moment of what she must have gone through. The surgeries. The physical pain. Yes, I had been isolated and rejected by my family just like her, but not in a cell all alone for years on end. Those feelings or the looks I was given didn’t exceed those close to me. Pearl got it every which way she turned. And that was when she was privileged enough to see people. She was a target, and I wasn’t na?ve about that either. My monster loved the challenge it would cause. The humanity left in me hated it. Hated them .

“I think you’re beautiful. My eyes work just fine. Have dinner with me. Let go of all sanity and just fucking marry me. You speak of loyalty. What better display of devotion is there? Maybe I can make you happy. Maybe you’ll want to kill me before it’s over with. Our bond, our vows, are unbreakable. No divorce. No separation. Don’t you at least want to see what happens? Let Pearl Mallory go. Leave your past back with your name. Become Pearl O’Brien. Be mine.”

The vulnerability was back, but so was something deeper. She wanted to believe this. She wanted to believe me. As crazy as the entire situation seemed, I could see how hard it was for her to trust anything I said. I could also see how she changed when I said her full name like Elec told me to, and I was going to use it every way I could to make her want me.

“This can’t be real. It…No. This isn’t a very nice joke.”

“I killed two b’s for the way they treated you. I just cut off the fingers of a chef who hit you. This is no joke.” I grabbed the ringlet closest to her face, wrapping it around my finger as I continued to gaze down. “Dinner. You and me. Marriage. Babies. Not some apartment underground, hidden from the world. A real home. A yard. A dog or two. Pearl.” My lids closed as I processed words I couldn’t believe I was saying. When I opened them, she was hanging on my every expression. She was… mine . “I’ve never wanted those things. I hated the thought of family. Mine was a nightmare. It’s taken me years to get this far. The Main Master has helped but picturing myself with you, watching you the last two weeks…there’s no one better suited to have this with. God, we could grow to despise each other. I won’t lie, it happened with my own parents. I just can’t believe that would be me and you.”

“I need to think. I’m just not sure I can do it. Not like this.”

The last of her words were breathless as her attention turned away from me.

“Like this. You mean with the scars.” My mouth twisted with aggravation. “The Main Master won’t let you leave with the one that matters most.” She jerked her gaze back to me. “He said you have another surgery soon. In a day or two, actually. He wants the one on your face lightened to the point of almost being gone. He wanted it gone completely but I wouldn’t let him.

“Wouldn’t let him? Ethan .” I watched excitement and horror battle on her face. “He can fix me? He can make it go away?”

“The scar stays, Pearl. He’s lucky I’m allowing him to lighten it at all. I like it. It’s you. I don’t want it gone.”

“But…But what about what I want?”

“Pearl—”

“ No! I want it gone, Ethan. If he can make it go away, I can be normal. At least a little. Not pretty, but not hideous, either. Ethan, please. Please ,” she begged, pulling at my shirt in alarm. “Let him fix me. I’ll never ask you for anything ever again. I promise . Please .”

I couldn’t talk as she held to me with such exposed trauma. It was in the way she clung to me like the ultimate savior. It was her full, quivering lips ready to continue fighting for a cause she would have easily died for. One she did technically die from in the outside world. Maybe it wasn’t by her doing, but it condemned her just the same.

“You said just the face. You like the scars. You wanted to make more. Do it. Make as many as you want, but don’t force me to face the world as a monster. Don’t do that to me. That would be worse than any fate down here. At least I fit in in this hell. Out there…o-out-ou-t t-there.”

“Shh.” I lowered my forehead to rest against hers, closing my eyes and breathing her in. I could take a lot. I could commit the most unspeakable acts. Not this. Seeing Pearl break shifted parts of me on the inside that I hadn’t even known were there. I hurt for her. I was angry for her, and it was growing by the second as her name repeated in my mind. “You want the scar gone?”

Her arms wrapped around my neck, holding to me with all of her strength.

“I want it gone. Please make it go away. My body is yours. Give me my face back. It’s all I want. With a face, I have a life. No more laughing or pointing. No more disgust. If I don’t have a choice in going out there, I need this . There’s too many of them. Too many.”

My head lifted, my heart racing through another part of me I couldn’t hide. “Acknowledge right now that you’re aware of what you’re giving me. Your body…for your face. Is that what you’re saying?”

She pulled back, loosening her hold around me.

Seconds.

A minute.

Longer.

Pearl was smart enough to weigh her thoughts. I may have appeared her savior, but her deal was with the devil in me. She knew that as tears once again appeared in her eyes.

“Yes, within reason. I will never be your meal. You can’t take any of my limbs. No fingers or toes. You can cut me but not enough to kill me. And if you want me to be your wife…you have to be nice to me. You have to keep your vows. Every single one or there’s no deal. You can’t lock or send me away, ever. You can’t put me in another cell. I can’t t-take it. I c-can’t?—”

“Pearl, I’d never lock you away.” My head shook as I grabbed her wrist, leveling her hand at my mouth. “After what you’ve seen, I know how I must appear to you, but this world only holds part of me. The darkest part. You know my demons. You’ve met them. That stays at the Gardens. Yes, you’ll return here with me, and you know first-hand what happens, but you’ll come to the outside world as my wife. As my best friend and support system. I need that for us. I need you to help me in both worlds. I know you don’t love me. I don’t love you either as one should, but I think given enough time, we could be something great. You’re the only woman I’ve been able to breathe around. The only one I know I’d never kill. God, I’d never be able to. And you’re more than beautiful to me. We can make this work. I’m not all horrible.”

More studying. More silence.

“That sounds nice. You said the surgery is in a day or two?”

I lowered, kissing against her lips.

“Yes. The Main Master assures me he has the best surgeon coming in. What they’re going to do is cutting-edge technology. He says it’ll be like nothing ever happened. From the face down,” I rushed out, kissing her again. “Face only, Pearl Mallory . Fuck, I love saying your name. I love that you’re mine.”

Soft. So soft and welcoming this time.

“I’m going to be fixed. I’ll be normal . Maybe not pretty but not a freak either.”

“Don’t ever call yourself that again. Ever .”

Arms tightened around my neck, and heat enflamed my body as she lifted, hesitating as she met my lips. Her…initiating…not me. The realization had me deepening the kiss she so freely gave. My tongue slid against hers, dueling as I sucked against her tip.

“Ethan, wait.” A long pause. “Say it again. Say my name. I feel…I like the way it sounds when you say it.”

“ Pearl Mallory .”

Her mouth ravaged mine, and I shifted, pushing the dress up in my rush. Pearl’s legs drew up to my hips as I rocked against her pussy.

“We’re going to be so good together. Look at us.” I moved to her exposed chest, raking my teeth over her shoulder before sucking against her skin. Pearl moaned, letting me pull the dress off. Her breasts weren’t big or even full, but it didn’t matter to me. I took my time, exploring her nipples. Going back and forth to suck. The soft sounds and whimpers fed me, making the rest of the world disappear as I lowered even further. Pearl knew what was coming, and she didn’t fight it as I gripped to her panties, pulling them off. She even widened for me, spreading her legs as I lowered to circle my tongue around her clit.

“If this is part of marriage, I think I’ll like it. This is…” her mouth shot open, and her head lifted as I sucked against the sensitive nerves. “I think this is my favorite thing. This is…God.” Her head fell back to the bed, and she arched, moving her hips so that my tongue could push into her entrance. Pearl was moaning louder, moving faster as I tried to take my time. Thing was, her wanting me so much was torture. I wanted her too. I wanted to be inside her. Claiming her. Taking what no one else had ever gotten. It was all I’d been thinking about for two weeks, and it was killing me.

“I want this pussy.” I lifted my head, watching as I slid my finger inside her. The rocking downward to take me deeper had me sliding another finger in to stretch her through the thrusts. “ Pearl Mallory .”

“Take off your shirt, Ethan. Take it all off.”

My teeth clenched. “That may be a request, but to me that’s a finality. If I take my clothes off, there’s no going back. It’ll mean you agree to this. To all of it. I’m not taking your virginity and letting you go. I plan on coming all inside of what’s mine and if that’s the case…we begin our life together, consequences be damned.”

“Didn’t you already sign the contract with the Main Master anyway? There’s already no going back. I may be someone in the outside world, but that doesn’t change the slave status that left me no choice in the matter. Do I care?” She smiled, shaking her head, so different than before. “Maybe I’ve lost my mind too. He’s fixing me. He’s giving me a life with you and letting me out of here. I don’t want to go back. I’m ready to begin.”