Page 65 of Mistress A-0002

“I ask you,” I continued, calmer, “does the Main Master need to know this? Or does Elec Wexler?”

More silence.

“Fucking both. Son of a bitch.” Shane sat up, tightening his jaw repeatedly as the slave waitress appeared, handing him the two drinks. He finished the first in long gulps, and he instantly grabbed the second. “If the Council wanted you ‘as the Main Master’ to see, they would have sent it to you. My priorities as your friend and lead board member are clouding my reasoning. I want to kill her, myself, but I won’t take that away from you.” His gaze cut up to me. “You have to be the executioner to set an example. Melissa has undermined the leadership of the Gardens. Board members and the titled here have to see that there’s consequences for overstepping their position.”

A smile tugged at my lips. Anger fled.

“I do love your friendship and loyalty, Shane, but you know I can’t do that. Especially if I’m amongst the victim pool. Being Main Master doesn’t give me the right. Nineteen must set the example. He’s the High Leader. Heisthe law of the Gardens.”

Shane shook his head, drinking deeply, only to wince as he pulled back.

“That’s not how this ends. A trial? A fucking clean-cut death? No way. I refuse to accept that. I refuse to letyouaccept that. Not after what she’s done. You’ll never forgive me once you find out.”

“Jesus, Shane.” I slammed the side of my fist into the table, sending my water spilling over the surface. The rage magnified through a truth I couldn’t stomach to acknowledge out loud. “She made me kill Vivia. Is that what you want to tell me? Is that what you need to vent about?I already know this.”

His features drew in and I felt the rage sway through the pained expression on his face.

“It’s so much worse than that.You didn’t see yourself.You don’t remember anything but the deed already committed. You don’t know the significance.You told me that.There are things you still don’t know. Things that could change everything.”

“I doubt that. Even if?—”

“Elec….Stop. Let me ask you this. What do you know about your rights of passage?”

I blinked through the question. Memories should have come flooding back. After all, we all went through our rights. We all had to sacrifice something in order to get to where we were. There was a huge ceremony. The Council attended, albeit, not where you could really make out who was underneath the robe. It was a stressful ordeal. Planning. Prepping. A goddamn celebration by the end.

A good minute passed as I scanned the table, lost to the blankness I was tearing through. My pulse was hammering. My breaths were deepening.

“Son of a bitch,” Shane growled out. “I could be wrong. I mean…Fuck. Forgive me, but I can’t keep this to myself. You deserve to know.” His hand settled on my shoulder as his eyes flickered through emotions. “This goes beyond her having you kill Vivia. She recorded the murder, Elec. And she wasn’t alone when she did.”

Mistress A-0002

Ishould have been coming up with a plan. Ishouldhave been making calls to those in my control. After all: self-preservation. One would want to cover their ass and protect their future. But I wasn’t just anyone. They’d expect me to come crawling back to save myself. They’d be doing more of their secret trappings, and I’d be worse off. Fuck calling them. Fuck mercy. I made this place. Igavethem their Main Master. I introduced them to most of the scientists they needed to obtain. I was Dr. Melissa LaRoe. If they wanted me, they knew where I was. Let themtryto outmaneuver me in my own game. Let them try to attempt to destroy everything I’d worked so hard for. They had no idea who they were messing with, but soon they’d find out. One by one, I’d make them fall. We’d see who was left standing when it was all said and done.

“Mistress, please allow me to go out there on your behalf. What you said last night about these council members…it scared me. You should stay inside until this blows over. I don’t mind collecting your breakfast from The Six. We can even have them deliver it.”

I laughed, throwing Muriel a look.

“You’ll do no such thing.” My words got stuck in my throat as I scanned over my slave’s beautiful face. “Actually…yes, you can go. With me. We’ll go together and have breakfast in front of everyone. Let them see I’m not cowering in this apartment.Elec. He thinks he can ruin me. Just wait. Ihopehe’s there. I hope he tries to avoid my stare. He knows I won. He knows I’m stronger. You’ll go and you can see how he silently bows to me.”

Muriel’s grip stayed glued to her dress as she twisted it in her stiff grasp.

“…Of course. I would be honored to join you, Mistress. Allow me to change.”

My gaze lowered to the light lavender dress she wore. It was slightly formfitting, giving a glimpse to her nipples that pushed into the material.

“No.” I stepped forward, lifting my hand to cup the fullness while my thumb went back and forth over the hardening nub. Muriel’s lips parted and her breathing deepened at my growing nearness. “You’ll wear this. You have nothing to hide. You’re beautiful, and you’re mine. Let them look.Let them see what happens when they do.”

“Melissa. You can’t. What if?—”

Her words were a whispering plea on my lips. One I quickly snuffed out as I pulled her in and thrust my tongue into her mouth. The moan that left Muriel was immediate. It drove my body forward, sending her stumbling backward, right into the sofa. She fell back and I followed her down, leading her to the side so that she was laying down the length. The moment I added my weight on top of her and settled between her spread legs, she met my lips with the same desperation she always did.

Love.

The sentiment she held didn’t feed the affection I harbored for her.It fed my power.The control I so desperately needed. Outside of these walls my world was spinning into completeruination. Here, with Muriel, I was the Mistress and she was my slave. Her very breath belonged to me.

“Is this what you’ve been waiting for?” I kissed her harder, jerking up the dress as I settled my palm over her thigh. “You came to my bed last night. You slept with me, but you kept your distance. Did you pray I would touch you? Want you?”

“Yes.”

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