Page 82 of Deadly Rival

I shouldn’t humor him.I shouldn’t go along with this. The ceremony is tomorrow, and I’ll be free. Free to go back to my life. I’ll never see Sebastian or Eve or Quinn again, and this place will be a distant, weird memory I’ll never dare to speak of, even with my therapist.

I should feel a rush of joy at the prospect, but I don’t. I run my finger around the collar. It fits perfectly, of course. Sebastian is such an odd mix of chaos and thoughtful consideration. I scan the collection of tags again and, for a guilty second, allow myself to imagine what life would be like if I stay.

Waking up every day with a shackle on my ankle. Knowing, every moment of every day, my body doesn’t belong to me, that whatever Sebastian wants to do to me, he will. A deep, needy shiver runs through me at the thought. He can be cruel, but he always seems to know what I need to hear. The right bit of praise to make me melt.

Dressing in the clothes he gives me. They felt shameful at first, but there’s something liberating about them, too. He’s showing me off because he wants to, and in this place, no one cares. No one judges. I imagine going back to the prissy suits I’m obliged to wear outside, and it’s more restrictive than the collar at my throat.

I’ll miss the girls, friends that don’t expect anything from me and who share the rawest details of their lives without shame. Back home, I have to put on the same act with all my acquaintances.Everything is wonderful. Business is great. It’s what I’ve always wanted.

“Pet?” Sebastian’s smooth voice. He puts so much into that one word. There’s a nervous edge to him now, though. He cares what I think of the collar, insane as it sounds.

“What do you mean, it doesn't come off?”

He reaches his hand to the back of my neck and touches the spot where a catch should be. “It’s coded to my DNA. Only I can remove it. And if you stay, I won’t. Ever.” He trails his finger around the smooth metal to my throat. “Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful” comes out far easier than it should. His body relaxes underneath me. He wanted me to love it.

When was the last time someone gave me a gift and cared what I thought about it? Every year for birthday and Christmas, Dad gets me something suitable chosen by one of his assistants. Diamond earrings or a designer bracelet. Nice, and I’m grateful for them all, but it’s never anything tailored just for me.

Sebastian ducks his head and lands a kiss on my forehead. My body warms at the touch of his lips, and it’s almost a disappointment when he says, “Come on. We’ll try out your new leash. I’ll walk you to the med center for your shift.”

My shift? I’d expected him to cancel it, given today is my last day. “You still want me to go?”

“Of course. It’s important to you, so it’s important to me. I hear you’ve been learning a lot. If you stay, maybe you can take your medical exams in a few years. I’ll get you a tutor.”

He’s planning ahead. Planning for a life together. He can’t really imagine I’ll stay, can he? But again, there’s that tug in my chest. I haven’t seen Wade since our first meeting, and instead, elderly doctor Richard has been teaching me a lot. Yesterday, a Ward came in with a broken arm, and I helped set the bone.

I’ve enjoyed it more than I’ve enjoyed anything for a while. Well, apart from some of the things Sebastian has made me do.

“Go on. Stop daydreaming.” Sebastian tweaks my nipple through the thin fabric of the dress and drags my mind back to the room. “Get ready. You may put on your work outfit.”

I’m allowed sensible clothes just for the med center. Because, Sebastian says, some of the Brothers are ancient, and seeing me in next to nothing would give them heart failure. I inject a sarcastic edge into my voice. “Oh. Thank you so much for the privilege.”

“And that attitude just lost you your underwear. I hope it’s not too cold in the med center.”

Shit. I hop off his knee and head to the bedroom before I can get in any more trouble. As soon as I enter, the mirror stops me in my tracks. I stare at myself, fascinated by the collar. The training collar, clunky and over-the-top as it was, always looked like a prop, something from someone’s kinky fantasy, not anything to do with real life.

This is different. It hugs my throat, the color a perfect complement to my hair. It shimmers as I move, such a perfect fit it looks painted on. When I told him it was beautiful, I only meant it in the abstract—a pretty object. But seeing it on myself, I really feel it. I love the way it looks against my skin. The way it feels

He’ll have to take it off before I leave.

Before I can spend too much time thinking about it, Sebastian appears. “It’s very pretty, but you’ve got work to do. And I wasn’t kidding about the underwear.”

Once I’m dressed, he clips the new leash to the collar. This, I’m still not used to and might never be. Not that I’ll have much chance to acclimatize in the time I’ve got left. It’s a thin, silvery chain which, he informs me, is strong enough to hold a two-hundred-pound weight suspended.

“Is this really necessary?” My skin heats as he wraps the chain around his hand and gives me a gentle tug. “I’m not going to run away.”

“I know. But having you at the end of my leash is the best part of my day.” He flashes me his wickedest grin.

“But Dr. Richard—”

“Is under no illusions about your status and doesn’t give a flying fuck about it. No one here does. Come.”

Another tug on the lead, and my stomach flips over in the strange mix of shame and need I’m starting to find addictive. What will Sebastian have planned for me when this shift is over? Maybe something special, as it’s our last night together.

My mind turns through the possibilities as he leads me to the med center and gives me a kiss, unclipping the chain. “I’ll be back in three hours. Be good.”

“Yes, sir.” I still stammer over the words, but they come easier every day.

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