Page 1 of Mistress A-0002

Prologue

MISTRESS A-0002

Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs underground facility

To understand the basis of evil, you had to be evil. You had to live it. To surround and immerse yourself in the veryessenceof darkness. Had I not done that? Had I not been balanced between both sides?

My life was the epitome of right and wrong. My youth was textbook perfection. I was a star pupil. Early graduate. I was a prodigy and genius to my psychiatrist father, and the perfect little lady in my mother’s eyes. Even then, my light was tainted by shadows. I missed nothing amid the calculating elites that constantly visited our home. I hid in my earliest years, watching my father’s sessions. Playing secretly with my father’s friends. I became fascinated with his power and experiments. By the time I finished my residency, I had what felt like a lifetime of knowledge. I tested my friends’ loyalty. Their limits. Then came the lovers.Patients.Before the age of thirty, I had perfected my unique craft. In the eyes of society, I was a sensation. Elites paid big money for me to unlock their true potential. Businessesdropped fortunes to have me evaluate the leaders of their companies. I was unstoppable…and bored out of my mind. Until the Uppers delivered on their promise and brought me in.

I was meant for more. I had always been assured superiority, but they had no idea what I was capable of. Not really. What they viewed up to that point as prodigious, I saw as weak. But I gave them a glimpse. I took Elec under my wing.I showed them…some. My father always said not to expose all your secrets. Secrets were saviors. They were insurance to assure ultimate domination. I took notes. There was more they didn’t know I could do.So much more.

“There’s the Main Master. Jett, sit straight.”

“As if he cares to look our way.”

A groan came from my son as he rolled his eyes and pushed himself up in the lavish crème colored chair in our balcony booth. I didn’t bother to look back over at him. I knew he was glaring at Elec. Although Jett loved the human auctions, he didn’t care for the one man he envied.The one he should have idolized.He hated our Main Master, and he had good reason to.

“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,” Elec said, pointing to the seats below.

“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 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.”

“I’m sick of this,” Jett forced out, glaring my way. “Have I notprovenmyself, Mother? I’ve embraced this life. I’ve killed. Maimed. I’ve left slaves so scrambled and fileted, they were unrecognizable. I see noAattached to my name.”

“Nor will you. You’re too young.”

“Age shouldn’t matter. It’s such bullshit. All of it.”

I sat straighter, fisting my hands as I looked over.

“Watch your mouth. You may speak that way around your college friends, but I am not one of them.”

“Why should the Main Master decide my title? Why can’t you? You’re higher rank than him. You have more power.”

“Enough. We all have our place. Listen."

But I wasn’t. I was memorizing everywhere Elec looked. I was taking in the seriousness of his eyes and the impatience he had as he looked a few balconies over from ours. I didn’t have to guess who had his attention. I’d seen her not an hour before when she arrived. I couldn’t stand it. My lids lowered the smallest amount at the thought as the Main Master continued.

“Aside from the A and B attached to your name, there is a number.Youare 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, your wildest, darkest dreams can come true. If not...” He looked around the room, shrugging. “You’re dead.”

“For those joining us for the first time tonight.” Elec 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 the level of balconies above us. To the balcony housing Gavin and Layla Draper. “I don’t think I need togo much into how this place is not Whitlock?i. The rules are different. The location is different.” Again, he glanced up. “I amnotBram Whitlock?ii. You cannot buy yourself out of trouble. You cannotbuy 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. I followed his movements. Again, he looked at the balcony. My blood boiled at the thought of June and Rhett Rivera. They were newlyweds, but not necessarily by choice. Not that they knew that. It was all persuasion, mind bending, and all Elec’s doing,thanks to me. That didn’t stop him from lusting after June. He wanted her so badly that it drove me crazy. But he’d never fall into complete temptation and fuck her like he craved. I knew that for a fact from our therapy sessions where I took control of his mind and made him relive the scenes he hid away. He was tooloyalto betray the love of his life, Vivia. Too devoted to a ghost.

Or so he thought.

“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 turned, making his way to the middle of the stage. “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’ ?viimales 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.Everyorder.”

Elec scanned the front of the crowd, looking back and forth before continuing. Jett was sinking further into his chair but rose without even knowing it as I clicked my tongue and flattened my palm to face upwards, bringing my hand higher until I was satisfied with his position.

“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.”

“Regret it,” Jett mocked. “He’s going to regret ever petitioning my admission. Do you know how insulting that is? I was made for this place.I’m a LaRoe.I have every right to be here. I’m notunstable. He just knows who’s going to take his place someday. That’s all.”

“Watch it,” I snapped. “You’re walking a very thin line. That sort of attitude will do nothing but get you into trouble if someone overhears. You won’t find me coming to your rescue again. It’s been one thing after the next and I’m sick of it. You’re nineteen. If you can’t behave and act like an adult, you’ll face the consequences like everyone else. I may be your mother, but down here, you follow the Main Master’s rules.Whether you like it or not.Do you understand?”

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