Chapter 6

CHAPTER6

The trick was worth it. Aline half expected him to be angry that she’d made him endure the visit with Irina and her kids, but he didn’t seem to be. It had amused her to watch the kids crawling all over him. There’d been a look close to panic on his face more than once.

And Irina was really sweet. She’d just moved into the city from Kyzyl-Mazhalik, hoping for better work opportunities for her husband, but she had left friends and family behind. Now she spent most of her time stuck at home with only the kids for company. It was a shame they wouldn’t get the chance to be friends.

She’d long ago gotten in the habit of keeping to herself and avoiding the neighbors. It wasn’t the best part of the city to be friendly, but now she wished she’d made the time. Of course, she’d assumed that Master lived not far away.

It was jarring to realize she’d be leaving everything she’d ever known. She’d barely seen the rest of the country. A few school trips, and once a weekend bus ride to St. Petersburg with some friends, was the extent of her traveling. It was both exciting and scary to think about leaving it all behind.

“So, where are we going?” She looked up and down the street but didn’t see any sign of a fancy ride that might belong to him.

“I’m taking you to my home and… it would be better to wait until we get there to explain.” He took her arm and pulled her up against his side.

She opened her mouth, but before she got a word out the world twisted violently around her. It felt like she was being shredded into little pieces and put back together inside out. She couldn’t describe it any better than that and she was too busy dealing with the nausea to try.

A minute later she was doubled over, hands on her knees as she retched. If he hadn’t still been holding onto her, she might have been on the floor.

“Sorry about that, Aline. I forgot that crossing between worlds is hard on humans the first time. You’ll get used to it eventually and the effects should wear off in a minute or two.”

She heard the words, but it didn’t make any sense. Humans? Crossing between worlds?

But he was right, it did get better quickly, and she was able to straighten with only a little queasiness. “Wha—what did you say?”

“You heard what I said Aline. You just don’t understand it yet, but I’ll explain everything later. For now—"

“Wait, where the hell are we?” She looked around, feeling dazed. They’d been right outside her building a minute ago. Now they were inside a cathedral-sized room with a ceiling so distant she could barely make it out. “Did you drug me?”

“Why would I drug you when you came with me willingly?”

She didn’t have an answer for that but there was no other explanation for all the weirdness she was seeing. He had drugged her, and he was insane. That was a terrifying combination.

“After five weeks of waiting, do you really want to sit down and have a conversation? It can wait,” he said firmly.

Aline just stared at him, eyes wide and round as she tried not to panic. Only a crazy person would offer to marry a woman they’d just met. Only someone with major mental health issues would leave that same woman credit cards with sky high limits and trust her not to buy everything in the city.

How had she not realized that before?

She’d been worried he’d change his mind about her. It had never occurred to her that his mind was messed up, and that was why he’d picked her in the first place. “This is… nope. I’m not staying. Take me home.”

He narrowed his eyes and the grip on her arm tightened. “We had a deal. I think I more than met my part of the bargain.”

“That was before I found out you were crazy. I’m pretty sure deals with people who think they live on other planets aren’t legally binding.”

Master snorted. “I don’t think our deal would have been considered ‘legal’ anyway. But in the metaphysical world it’s different. You agreed to this.”

“I didn’t know what I was agreeing to!”

“Then you should have asked.” His eyes glittered and his mouth twitched, as if he were holding back a grin.

“Take me home right now,” she demanded.

“No.”

Without really any thought behind the action, she swung her leg back and kicked him hard in the shin. The surprise loosened his grip, so she could yank free and take off running through the immense room.

She ran until she was out of breath and then she ran some more, because she had no idea where she was. They’d left her apartment building only a few minutes ago. They had to still be in the city, but there was no building like this, not anywhere near her.

None of it made sense, and when she finally collapsed against a wall to catch her breath, her mind was whirling with questions.

“You must enjoy running. You certainly do a lot of it, zaychik.”

Her head thumped against the stone wall when he appeared in front of her. She winced, but barely paid the pain any attention. “Where did you come from? How did you do that?”

Master sighed. “If you insist on going through all this first, then let’s at least be comfortable.”

“Wait—”

He grabbed her as she fell over backwards. The wall she’d been leaning against was gone and they were now in a different room. All dark wood and leather, it was obviously built with masculine tastes in mind, and she was just thinking how much she liked the smell of it, when her brain caught up to the fact that the room had appeared out of nowhere.

How? What was happening to her? There was only one person who could answer those questions. “What the hell is going on?”

“I thought you might enjoy a less intimidating room. Don’t you like it?”

“What I’d like, is to know what’s happening right now.” But she did like the room. It was cozy, intimate and there was a lit fireplace. He let go of her as soon as she had her balance back, and she moved over to stand near the crackling fire.

She wondered if it was some kind of special effect, but the heat from it couldn’t be faked, and it helped with the coldness that had been creeping over her ever since she’d found herself here.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as he took the only seat, an elegant leather chair that probably cost more than everything she owned. He didn’t look insane. He didn’t look mad that she’d kicked him and run either.

“I imagine you have questions, but it will be easier if I explain everything first, I think.”

She turned back to face him and took a deep breath. “Okay.” She looked around for some place to sit.

“Here.” He pointed to a large pillow on the floor in front of his seat.

She was fairly sure it hadn’t been there before. Almost positive in fact. One eyebrow went up as her glance settled on it. “You want me to sit on the floor? You’re telling me you don’t have any other chairs in this giant place?”

“Yes. And there are other chairs… but not for you. Not until you earn them. You seem to have some misunderstandings about the nature of our relationship, and until we clear those up, your place will be on the floor, at my feet.”

She made a high-pitched incredulous sound. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not sitting on a pillow like a dog.”

“Then you can stand. Your choice, but this is going to be a long story.”

It was. Long and also unbelievable.

She started out standing, but after a while her feet got tired and all the running she’d done caught up to her. She sat, but on the floor, not on the cushion. Maybe it was stupid and rebellious, but she wasn’t a pampered pet.

He was obviously amused, but he didn’t comment on her choice. He simply launched into his story about being some mythical immortal creature. By the time he was done, she had a lot of questions. The odd thing was that none of them were “Are you insane?”

He told the long story with such complete sincerity that she found herself almost falling for it. It didn’t hurt, of course, that she’d seen so many bizarre things that she couldn’t explain.

Magic wasn’t something she normally believed in. Her life had been too stark to take comfort in those kinds of fantasies, but drugged hallucinations could only explain so much, and she didn’t feel like she’d been drugged.

“So, you’re trying to tell me you’re Krampus? I thought he uh kidnapped children.” She’d heard of Krampus of course. The artwork was all over the place in December and the old myth was always popping up here and there.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. “No, we don’t deal with children. That’s what parents are for. Not fond of parents who use boogeymen to scare their children because they are too lazy to teach them better behavior either, but until they grow up, it’s not our problem.”

Huh. “Oh. Okay, so your job is to punish bad people, but I’m not bad. I mean, not really. I admit I’ve done a few things, but in this world I’m pretty sure I’m not worth your time.” The news was filled with people who were so much worse.

“That’s true, but things are different right now. I wouldn’t have bothered making a deal with you if this was just about punishing you for being an evil person. I was completely upfront about my reason for bringing you here, zaychik.”

It was the second time he’d called her ‘bunny’ and she rolled her eyes. “You mean that stuff about being your wife?”

“My mate, yes. Wife is the closest human term, but not entirely accurate.” He paused and a few seconds of silence ticked by. “Our mates are more permanent, and more important to us. There’s no divorce here.”

She pursed her lips and drew a deep breath in through her nose. She really should have asked more questions, though how could she possibly have known what to ask? She hadn’t even believed he meant any of it.

“If…if any of this is real then why me? What would make a super old magical demon guy pick me of all people?”

He sat back in his seat, folding his hands in his lap as he looked at her. “Your needs mirror mine. All those fantasies you have? For some women they would be just that—fantasies. For you… they are unfulfilled desires. You’ve been waiting for someone to open this world to you and your hunger called me.”

She shifted, trying to get comfortable on the hard floor, and avoided looking at him. “So, you want me because I might be kinky? I feel like you probably had other choices.”

“I did, but once I met you, I realized you were exactly what I needed.”

It didn’t make any sense to her. “So my secret fantasies and a five-minute conversation was it? That’s all it took for you to decide you wanted to be with me permanently?” She snorted. “You should have just tried online dating.”

He chuckled and the low liquid sound seemed to trickle through her body. She squirmed, squeezing her legs together as her clit pulsed. Everything he did was so damn sexy.

“It’s not quite that simple, Aline. I can see into people, into their souls. I know their character and the deepest parts of them that they never show people.”

Finally she looked up at him. “Really? So, what did you see in me?” She still wasn’t sure she believed he was some super-powered demon creature, but she was curious.

“Fear balanced with determination. Emotional pain, hunger. The need to be loved. You’re a bad girl who could be a very good girl if you were given the chance. Stubbornness. Loneliness. There’s a lot going on in there.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “It’s a beautiful and very mortal mix, full of potential.”

She couldn’t really deny any of that and it was embarrassing because she did feel like he was looking deep inside of her. “I’m not afraid.”

It was a lie. She was afraid all the time, every day. Anyone would be with the world the way it was.

“It’s pointless to lie to me, zaychik. I always know and from now on lying will have consequences.”

“Consequences?” Her eyes narrowed. “Like what?”

“Things you won’t like. I think you have a punishment kink and the idea of it excites you. Your pussy is clenching right now, demanding to be filled, but I’ll warn you again… real punishment isn’t as fun as the fantasy.”

“I’m not excited.” The denial was automatic.

He moved so fast her eyes couldn’t even track the movement. Before she could react, his hand had fisted in the hair at the back of her neck. He pulled her up on her knees so abruptly that she had to brace herself on his thighs to keep from falling into his lap, and then was stuck in the awkward position.

“Don’t. Lie. To. Me.” He enunciated every word deliberately as he stared down into her face. His eyes glowed like hot coals.

Literally. They were impossibly red.

“S-sorry.” She swallowed hard.

“You will be. I like your fire and your stubbornness, but misbehavior will have consequences. I had planned a more pleasant welcome for you, but if you keep pushing, you’ll get a harsh introduction to punishment instead. I’ll enjoy it, but I don’t think you will.” He kept his grip on her for a moment longer, making sure she understood, and then released her with a shake.

She fell back, sprawling across the cushion. All she could think about was how her clit pulsed and the trickle of juices soaking her panties. How did he have so much power over her body? It was like he knew exactly what turned her on.

His threat, as much as it made her hot, also made her nervous. She believed him when he said she wouldn’t enjoy it. In the interest of easing away from that potentially unpleasant experience, she decided to try a different route: honesty.

“I didn’t mean to lie. I’m just… not used to talking about things like this. I’ve never told anyone my fantasies. It’s—embarrassing that you know so much about me, when I barely know you.”

“True, but that’s not going to save you. I’m not ‘anyone’; I’m Master, and you belong to me now, of your own free will. The sooner you learn that the happier you’ll be.” He paused and smiled tightly, showing no teeth.

“I will say I enjoy the taste of shame on you. It’s tangy with sour notes of citrus.” His tongue slid across his lips, as if savoring the flavor. He told her that Krampus fed off pain and fear, so maybe he was.

“You can actually taste that?”

He shifted in his seat, leaning forward. “I can taste everything you feel. Some, fear and pain, are necessary to sustain me. Others just provide flavoring.”

She shuddered a little as it occurred to her that he considered her food. “You’re… not going to eat me, are you?”

A laugh barked from him. “Only if you’re a good girl.”

There was a moment of panic before she realized it was innuendo and then she flushed. “I meant… I didn’t mean…”

He took pity on her. “I know what you meant. And no, I’m not that kind of monster. What you feel will be enough, but you’re lucky I gorged myself recently. You’re not ready to feed intense hunger and you definitely raise my appetite, zaychik.”

Zaychik. He kept calling her that. She was no bunny, but she kind of liked the pet name. “Gorged yourself? On another woman?” Somehow the idea of that made her jealous.

He snorted. “It was a man actually. You are my only romantic partner. He was… work. A mob boss who was responsible for wiping out entire families. I drained him dry before I returned him.”

She swallowed hard, frowning. “You killed him?”

“No, he’s alive. A husk of a man, but alive. He may even have learned his lesson. He has a year to prove himself. If not…” A cruel smile spread across his mouth and there was a flicker of embers in his eyes again.

A cold feeling grew in her middle. Suddenly she realized that she was in over her head. This wasn’t a rich man looking for a play toy. Paranormal creature or not, he was a monster of some kind.

And now she belonged to him.