Page 1 of Master of My Life

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“YOU’ RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, CHASE.”

Chase closed his eyes and sighed. “I know, Richard.”

“Have you asked her?”

“Every time I do, she gets upset.”

“You have to figure out how to talk to her about things.”

Chase snapped his eyes open and glared at the older man. “I’m trying to do so many things at once

right now, it feels like my commander told me to run a 5k while cleaning my rifle.”

Richard leaned back in his leather office chair and tapped his fingers on his desk. “Have you tried

being upfront with her?”

“She knows she needs to go to a Gathering before I can ask her to marry me.”

“Does she know why it needs to be sooner than later?”

Chase shook his head. “I don’t want to pressure her.”

Richard stared at him for a long moment. “Let me ask you this—how do you think she would feel

if you didn’t pressure her to go, and you lost your chance to get married?”

Chase opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again. He sighed. “She’d be crushed.”

The older man raised his eyebrows. “Then you know what you need to do.”

Damian Sinclair glanced up without raising his head. Lia, his sister, stood in the doorway of his study,

rubbing her fingers on the hem of her t-shirt. “What?”

“Fa—” She shook her head. “My father is here.”

“Why?”

“He says he brings a gift.” Lia paused. “He has a girl with him.”

Damian arched a brow.

“He said you were expecting her.”

He stood and Lia jumped to the side as he brushed past. In the entryway, a filthy young woman

waited, wrapped in a black winter coat. Her hair was matted against her head and her face was so

dirty, he wasn’t certain of the coloring. Her blue eyes were pretty but expressionless.

Albert Sinclair, Damian’s biological father, appeared from the sitting room that adjoined the

foyer. “Damian. I have good news.” He pushed the girl forward none too gently. “She’s ready at last.”

“I would assume so, otherwise you wouldn’t have brought her.” He studied the girl and wrinkled

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