Prologue

MASTER B-0361

Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs underground facility

C onfessions didn’t come easy. The truth was always harder to tell than a lie. My entire life had been one excuse after the next. Dishonesty. Shame. Even at the Gardens, I couldn’t embrace my sins. I should have felt at home here. Some of my best friends ran this underground world of nightmares. That didn’t make it any easier. I felt judged. Sick from the truth. Acceptance should have been easy. Most flaunted their evil. Not me. There wasn’t a soul who learned my secret that would live to tell about it.

Laughter was loud around me as Masters and Mistresses showed off their God and Goddess costumes in the theater seating. I joined in, pointing and smiling towards Master Four-Ninety-One who was in a row ahead, but I felt none of the joy any of them displayed. Some were drunk. Some were high. Others were just running from the adrenaline of a kill long overdue. I didn’t feel their impatience. I didn’t have reason to. My slave was in our apartment…waiting. She was probably doing what she did best…waiting.

“Here we go! Fuck yes.”

The male voice was deep behind me, but my eyes locked on the Main Master, Elec Wexler, as he walked onto the stage. Cheers went up and I laughed along with the elite and celebrities I was surrounded by. The spotlight followed him to the center of the stage, highlighting his black hair and blue eyes. Even that high up, he loomed over us, standing a few inches over six feet. Although the majority of us surrounding the stage were wearing costumes, he was dressed in his famous black suit. It was fitting. He was the true God here, and we all knew it.

“Masters and Mistresses, welcome to the third auction for the Garden of the Gods. This is our first themed event together, and I’m happy to see you all had fun with it. Very creative,” he said, smiling and pointing to me.

“Suck up.”

“Fuck off, Pete.”

The actor laughed from the seat next to me, elbowing me playfully as the Main Master continued.

“For those who didn’t make it to the first two auctions, I’m going to recap this as quickly as possible. Before you were permitted inside, you took classes to learn the rules. You underwent tests, and you’ve proven yourself worthy. Some of you are still in the Beta stage while others have moved up to become an Alpha. A lot of you have inquired why. I’ll sum it up right here. There can be many different reasons why I’ve advanced a select few. Perhaps the auctions aren’t new to them. Maybe they’re more experienced and accepting of who they really are than others. What it boils down to is: they’ve put in the time, and I trust them to be our foundation. It is not an easy rank to obtain. For some, it may take years. Only when I’m satisfied by your progress will I move you to Alpha.”

Pete leaned in again. “I’m going to be Alpha soon. I belong here. Did you know Ethan O’Brien is already an Alpha?”

“I did know that. I saw him the other day.”

Pete sneered as I went back to putting my attention on Elec.

“Aside from the A and B attached to your name, there is a number. You are a number. Your outside status got you here, but that means nothing inside the Gardens. Your identity exists no more. Here, you have no power, nor will there be favoritism. This world is mine. If you follow the rules, you’re wildest, darkest dreams can come true. If not...” He looked around the room, shrugging. “You’re dead.”

“No favoritism. Bullshit. I can’t believe Master Eleven is already an Alpha. Can you believe Ethan even beat me out over the number? I’m Master Thirteen, he got Eleven. How is that fair?”

My smile melted as I glanced back to Pete. “And I’m Master Three-sixty-one. Do you think I give a shit?”

“You’re only that high because you rejected the invitation the first time it was offered.”

My eyes narrowed. “Who told you that?”

“I hear things. It doesn’t matter. I still didn’t beat Ethan.”

“Of course you didn’t. He’s an O’Brien. The O’Brien . He’s an actor like you, but that’s more passion than position. He enjoys it. He still runs O’Brien Industries. He’s a Billionaire. Are you?”

“My parents are still more famous than his ever were. What did they ever do to get such prestige? Make money? So what.”

A long breath left me. Pete would never understand the workings of our world. He was too greedy. Too privileged and ego driven. He was a child actor who was bitter on never making it big. His father was a producer. His mother had been an actress and icon. Ethan O’Brien…he was it in Hollywood, and one of the most famous actors in the world. Pete would never compare, and he knew it.

“For those joining us for the first time tonight.” The Main Master stopped. “And there are quite a new number of us: new members, old members I’m giving a chance. Previous Main Masters .” He glanced up to one of the higher, private balconies. “I don’t think I need to go much into how this place is not Whitlock? i . The rules are different. The location is different.” Again, he glanced up. “I am not Bram Whitlock? ii . You cannot buy yourself out of trouble. You cannot buy me . I will die in this place, and I will never let the Garden of the Gods be taken over or fall. If you can accept that, welcome home . Just know, there is no special treatment nor any favors. I am no one’s friend. We have rules, and every single one of you will follow them.”

He turned, walking towards the other end of the stage.

“Now that we’re all clear, let’s recap bidding. First, we have the white, or w? iii ’s. These are the virgins. We also have the b’s: or blue? iv . Not virgins. There are the d? v ’s. These slaves are docile, trained, and good for those who are looking for a long-term slave. Lastly, come the black, or as we call them, the crows? vi . These are the convicts. The disfigured. The old. Repulsive .” He looped back around, making his way to the middle. “In this category, you’ll also find the breeders. These are through contract only and cannot be bid on unless you’ve already met with me. If you bid and you haven’t followed the rules, your bid will be revoked, and I will fine you ten thousand dollars. Breeders are special and are for only those I approve of.”

“For those looking for our programmable, ‘blank slate’ ? vii males and females, your auction is just through that door off to the right. These slaves are for those who want someone they can control. A bodyguard. A companion. A sex slave you can use or defile by any means possible that will not fight back. They have had a portion of their memories erased. They’re aware. They know who they are, but they only remember what we want them to. The best part is they obey every order. And I mean that. Every order.”

Elec glanced towards us, and I wasn’t sure if he was just looking down or looking towards someone in my vicinity.

“For those who are new, pay attention. I’ve said this before, and I’ll continue to repeat it. What you buy is yours. You can do whatever you want with it. Fuck it. Kill it. Share it. Marry it. Love it. Eat it. Destroy it.” Hesitation. “I don’t care so long as you follow the rules. Your business is your own. Keep it that way or you may come to regret it. I can’t stress that enough.”

“If you look down the arm of the chair, you will see a button. That is how you will bid. Do not press that button unless you are sure you have the money. There is no lay-a-way plan or loans. If the slave is too much for you to afford, don’t bid. At the Gardens, there are no such thing as accidents. If you bid, you will buy. If you don’t have the money, I will take my payment from you from the outside world, and you can stay here with me and the slave you so desperately wanted. This life can be simple if you just follow the rules. They’re easy. Complete acceptance into the Garden of the Gods is not. Honor your contract, abide by it, and Alpha status will be yours.”

We all turned our heads as lights ran the length of the room, traveling over the entrances where the slaves were lined up. My heart was racing. My hand was shaking. I knew I should wait on buying another slave, but I had prolonged this enough. It was almost time to move on and as hard as it was for me to let go, I couldn’t deny what was inside of me.

It was always wishing for the impossible…

Waiting…for her...