Page 20 of Master A-0011
“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 astheO’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 onit. 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 somedthat 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 notready 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.”