Master B-0361

“ I don’t understand why you’re smiling. It’s not very funny, Elec. Did you or did you not get inside my brother’s head?”

“You really need to lighten up, Sebastian. It’s not a big deal.”

My eyes widened. “Not a big deal? So, you’re admitting it, then?”

“I merely tested him. It’s not my fault it worked.”

“Tested?” My fist clenched as I leaned more forward on the table. Elec didn’t seem to care as he continued his breakfast. “Why would you even do that? You know everyone in our circle is off limits. Especially, Hale . He has responsibilities to the wives. The wives. He has duties and vows to the uppers just like you. He’s not some random Master you can mess with, Elec.”

The Main Master’s lips twisted as he put his fork down on the plate. It had taken me nearly an hour to find him. When I did, he ate at the pace of a snail. Or maybe he was doing it on purpose.

“What do you want me to say? I’m sorry? I’m not. He had an attitude; I adjusted it. It’s as simple as that. And you know me. I would never put the wives at risk. Never. Relax. I’ve already reported it. If it makes you happy, I have to face the Council. I’m not sure what else you want me to do. I offered him a position here. I’m trying to make up for my mistake.”

“Hale will not be a Master at the Gardens. I forbid it.”

Elec sat straighter in his chair, a hard seriousness slipping over his face as he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Forbid it. Why?”

“Why? We’re talking about Hale . He’s not like us. He’s not on our side. I want to keep it that way. Let him take care of the wives. He’s good at that.”

“You think him incapable of murder? Of depravity?” A smile slowly emerged on his lips. “How well do you know your brother, Sebastian? Maybe he’d make a damn fine addition to this place. Maybe even enough to make Alpha immediately.”

“What are you talking about?”

Elec slid back in the chair, standing. I followed suit, joining him as he started a slow stroll through The Six.

“I’ve known you since we could barely walk. We all have secrets, Seb. Let’s just say…your brother hides them very well. He may be able to hide them from you, but he can’t hide them from me.”

“Main Master.”

At Master One approaching, I quickly turned to Elec.

“We’ll finish this conversation at another time. As representative of my family, I’ll be at your meeting with the Council. That’s not a request. Hale isn’t joining the Gardens. That’ll be a direct order. One, he’ll obey. Don’t get in his head again, Elec. I’d hate to lose trust in you. You know how I feel about people I can’t trust.”

His hand gripped tightly to my bicep.

“You can trust me. I crossed the line. It was wrong. He and I were fired up, and I did something I shouldn’t have. I know that. It’s why I reported it. As the heir and head of your line, I apologize to you. I won’t apologize to him. I give you my word it won’t happen again.”

But I wasn’t sure I believed his word anymore. I thought I was untouchable when it came to Elec. Knowing that he was able to get to my brother suddenly made me uncertain whether he would try to get to me too. It was no secret in college he played around and tried with us friends. He never liked how me and my brother seemed to be immune to his tricks. If Hale wasn’t resistant anymore, what about me?

“I have to go. I’ll see you later.”

I nodded to Master One and his wife, Vera, as I headed for the exit. I couldn’t think past the shitstorm this was going to cause. More, I had no idea what Council Elec was talking about. We had Uppers, but an actual Council? Why didn’t I know that? I’d have to talk to my father. Not that I expected to get much out of him. Some days he was the man who raised me. Other days…he didn’t know me at all.

Approaching the elevator, I hit the button, waiting. The hall was relatively empty. The Six restaurant was by invite only. I was lucky to have one, but with the way things ended between me and the Main Master, I wasn’t sure how long my special treatment would last. Getting on Elec’s bad side was not a good idea, but I had to protect my brother too, and he would always come first.

The doors slid open, and I got on, closing my lids as one thing after another bombarded me. The Gardens was supposed to be my escape. The damn place was more like a curse. All I wanted to do was disappear into my fantasies with Maggie. I wanted to forget everything else. I couldn’t do that until I sorted this shit out with Hale. I couldn’t even start to sort it out until he called me, so that did leave me a little time.

The ding brought my eyes back open. Laughter and voices were plentiful around the food carts and shops in the lobby, but I paid them no attention as I took the keycard from my wallet and headed down the hall to my apartment. I was barely inside when I realized the room was empty. The door shut behind me, and I walked for the bedroom, listening for any sound that might indicate where my slave was.

“Eight-forty-two?”

No water running.

No small bangs or footsteps.

I slowed at the opened bathroom door. The light was off. That had me heading to Mae’s small room.

“Slave?”

I took in the full-size bed and collection of simple dresses hung up along the back wall.

Nothing.

I spun for the front door, trying to get control of the colliding emotions that blinded me with a mix of rage and…fear?

“ Margaret .”

Had that been a damn yell? It was close, and there was nothing I could do about it as I jogged and jerked open the door. Was the slave stupid? Ignorant? Did she have any idea the monsters that were looking for na?ve slaves like her? Out there, they’d eat her alive. They could hurt her. Kill her.

My jog turned into a run as I headed for the lobby. Surely, she wouldn’t have been stupid enough to go out of the building. I mentioned coffee. Maybe she’d come to find the cart?

“Eight-forty-two. Margaret .”

Her name echoed from the walls, swallowed up by the hum of voices surrounding me. I broke into the small crowd, scanning the Masters and Mistresses who were out with their slaves.

“Margaret?”

A couple turned my way but ignored me as I swept past more of the crowd, moving deeper into the room as I scanned the small stores all around. Where the hell was she?

As I spun in a circle, still jogging toward the store, I could feel the sweat already beginning to soak into my shirt. I didn’t know this woman. I didn’t want to…yet…I couldn’t dismiss my brother’s words either. He saw Maggie in her as clear as day. I didn’t, but was it because she didn’t look like Maggie, or did I just not want to see the truth that so obviously sucked me in to begin with.

“Margaret!”

The room got quiet as stares turned in my direction. None. None of them were her. I forced myself into the closest store, eating up the aisles. Minutes passed. Longer as I went in every door and store that I came across. It was close to lunch now.

Nothing.

No Margaret.

“I’m going to kill her. I’m going to beat her alive.”

“Sir?”

I ignored the slave cashier, more stomping from the last store I could check than walking. I had tunnel vision, and I saw nothing but the elevator as I kept a fast pace. I felt sick. I felt…something aside from sadness. Aside from mourning and pining after a dead woman. It was enough to slow my steps, but not by much.

“Three-sixty-one.”

I didn’t even slow as I glanced over spotting Mistress Two. She was jogging from my hall, trying to catch up with me.

“I’m sorry, Mistress. I’m looking for my slave. She wasn’t in my apartment. Did you see my brother?”

“I did. I had a very nice talk with him and helped him out. I must apologize for the Main Master’s actions. He overstepped his bounds, but I’m trying to help him out with that too.”

“About that.” My finger punched at the elevator’s button as I waited. “He said he reported it. What do you know of this Council? I want to attend his meeting with them.”

“With the Council?” Her head shook. “I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

That was enough to have my attention. “What do you mean? I run my family line. I have every right to be there. What was done to my brother can’t be overlooked. I want to make sure of it.”

“I sympathize with your concern and wishes, but I’m afraid it can’t be done. The Council meets with no one. The Main Master will face them, and whatever happens…happens.”

“No.” My head shook. “I have every right to be present. It’s in the rules. This concerns my family. I have every right to stand as a witness.”

She got quiet. “I will make some calls. I just wanted you to know that I’ve helped your brother, and he’s going to be okay. I will contact you soon with what I hear.”

“Thank you.”

The door opened, and I jerked to a stop at the multiple people inside. But only momentarily. At the shocked expression, I couldn’t stop the deep rumble that left me as I fisted my slave’s dress and jerked her through the doors. I briefly noticed Jett on the other end of the elevator. His mouth twisted in aggravation, but it only lasted long enough for him to see Melissa and nod to his mother. I didn’t give it attention. I only had eyes for Margaret.

“Where have you been?”

“M-Master. I just…I?—”

It took everything I had to stop myself from continuing. I glanced at Melissa, not letting go from fisting my slave’s dress. “I have to go. I look forward to your call.”

A yelp left my slave as I pulled her closer, practically dragging her to the apartment. I had my hand locked in her hair and her facing me before the door even closed.

“Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? Where did you go? Did you leave the building? Did anyone touch you? Hurt you? Speak!”

But I wasn’t giving her time. I was turning her face back and forth. Using my free hand to pat down her arms and chest.

“Master, I’m sorry. I only wanted to look around. I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

“And you’re lucky! God, I could?—”

Somehow I forced myself to let go as I stepped back, but I found myself spinning for her again just as fast.

My heart was racing.

My stomach was flipping.

My cock was hard.

“You went out of the building?”

Tears were welling in her eyes as my slave tried to take steps back from me, but I couldn’t stop from closing the distance. The further she got in the room, the more the darkness inside me grew.

“I didn’t know there was a town out there. A city. I saw the shops and people?—”

“And you decided to go.”

“I didn’t get hurt.”

“But you got touched. That place is so packed, you have to squeeze down the streets. You can’t fucking tell me no one touched you out there. A slave, alone. You sure as hell don’t look the part of a Mistress. You’re food. You have no idea what you’ve done.”

Margaret crashed into the wall, not able to edge down as I leveled my hands to each side of her shoulders, trapping her in place.

“I’m sorry. I swear, I didn’t know.”

“You could have been hurt. Killed!”

Tears flooded free as a sob left her.

“It was a mistake.” She inched left. Then, right. “I said I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Damn right it won’t. It’s going to be hard to leave me when you can’t even move.”

“W-What?”

My eyes searched hers, and I could feel my identities battling themselves. The old me. The new me. They were fighting to the death as I took in scared, brown eyes.

“You fucked up, slave, and now I’m going to have to show you the consequences for breaking the rules.”

“But I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know it was a rule. Master.” Her head shook. “It’s not fair to punish me for something I didn’t know.”

“Nothing about the Gardens is fair. It’s life, and yours belongs to me …Maggie-Lynn .”