Page 37 of Of Mercury and Mist

Next, I sat down and pulled the bag with specially requested items onto my lap. It was full of collars and chains, and it was of utmost importance to me I choose the right one to match her beauty.

The variety was as expected but it didn’t take me long to find a black leather collar studded with blood-red rubies. The ringlet dangling from the center was a perfect circle of the crimson stone. For the chain, I chose a silver linked rope with the matching gemstone pendants hanging from each connector.

Ashley emerged from her shower in a cloud of steam, the fragrance of her signature bath products wafting around her. Tentative steps brought her to the living room, wrapped in a fluffy robe and her soaked hair showered the floor with droplets. I couldn’t wait to see the finished product.

I’d found myself interfering with her shower with some last-minute instructions and I couldn’t hide my smirk now, remembering what happened to the container of body wash. Her aim wasn’t that bad, but the entirety of her beautiful body was now free of hair.

I sat back on a recliner, drink in hand, to watch the show. Surprisingly, she’d listened to me and not a stray hair lurked anywhere on her perfect skin. I couldn’t tear my gaze away. She tried to fuss when I wouldn’t allow her any panties, but really, she wasn’t going to need them. They were pointless.

Miranda set up a small folding table after arranging the light to shine on my pet like a haloed spotlight. Ashley glowed, her chestnut curls framing her perfect face, as she took in everything around her. It was obvious she’d never been treated in this manner—or more accurately, luxuriously prepared like the lamb she was for slaughter.

The arrogant smile my lips tilted into couldn’t be helped. This was my doing. I was pampering her and providing for her in a way I’d only dreamed of. Sensing my delight, she flicked a glance at me and then straightened her spine like a steel rod, as if one had been shoved up her ass.

“How would you prefer her makeup? Would you like a natural look, or something smokier?” Miranda asked, opening a tray of cosmetics. I’d had her leave Ashley’s hair down, other than a few pins arranged to keep her hair out of her eyes.

Just to screw with my pet, I said, “Give her black eyes.” Ashley’s gaze widened and she braced herself for blows, gripping the sides of the stool. It was all I could do not to laugh. I knew I could chip away at her a little bit with my words and now I had her on edge.

“A smoky look, perfect. It will complement the rest of her outfit,” Miranda replied, not missing a beat. She set to work with brushes and powders, beginning the transformation of my pet from gorgeous to ethereal, with Ashley’s death stare glaring at me every chance she got to look my way.

The hour was turning late, and I messaged Josiah and then Kiam. They both informed me everything was on track for what I had planned for the evening.

“We’re done,” Miranda announced.

I glanced up and had to grind my jaw to keep it from falling. Ashley stood there, her head slightly tilted down, running her fingers through the silky material of her skirt. Her shoulders were angled forward, and she wavered on her tall heels. Perfectly pliable.

I stepped in front of her and tilted her chin. “Look at me,” I said, my voice strained.

A stake through the heart would’ve been kinder than the sensation that trickled through me. Lester and Miranda stood there, waiting to be praised and subsequently dismissed but I couldn’t get over how defeated I felt.

Ashley should’ve only been this compliant in the bedroom, why wasn’t she fighting me? Really, all she’d have to do was beg me on her knees and I’d spare her. She had to know Josiah leaving Della alone signaled something serious was going on. Shaking my head, I chided myself. I couldn’t spare her. She honestly deserved everything she had coming to her.

So, why did I feel so badly and why had she given up so easily? A sense of panic began to rise within me at my unfamiliar angst. It felt like my chest was being crushed, and my breathing had shallowed. I’d even begun to sweat—something that never happened unless I spent multiple hours in a row in the gym.

We were about to do something I could never come back from and as much as my angel had done wrong, how could I do this to her? She would never forgive me for giving her away or for subjecting her to the planned scenes.

As I stood staring at her, watching her shy aura cling to her skin with trepidation, I knew I only wanted her to bloom. Remembering how brightly she’d shone while she relayed her car thieving story from her youth, her energy excited and teeming with life threw my thoughts into chaos. How could I extinguish that flame?

“Sir?” Lester asked, his nervousness clear. He likely took my silence as a death blow.

Nodding to him, I said, “Thank you. You both may leave.”

They began packing up their equipment as I fixed the collar I’d clenched in my hand around Ashley’s neck. “This is to remain on you at all times. It now bears my signature and will let others know you are my slave,” I told her quietly. I’d spelled the jewelry with my blood, and no one could touch her without the explicit permission I no longer had any intention of giving.

While the assistants were preparing the girl, I’d changed into an all-black suit and tie, pinning a ruby tie bar to complement the collar and leash. Lester had replaced the one I’d crushed under my heel after hoisting my errant pet after my shoulder.

We made a stunning couple, and we were ready to go.

* * *

Ashley wassilent the short car ride, choosing to stare out the window. I wasn’t in the mood to rile her up, my conscience harassing me over what I’d planned. It was too late to completely back out now, seeing as I’d included Kiam in the festivities, but I couldn’t see myself finishing the evening in the manner I’d proposed.

The woman had me utterly under her spell and to make her watch or to share her, the thought turned my stomach to acid and sent my pulse through the roof. I’d underestimated her spirit and fortitude before and to spite me, I feared she would eagerly greet Kiam with open arms. Sure, she was subdued right now but I couldn’t predict, much to my irritation, what she’d do next.

It was either she’d give in, or she wouldn’t fight at all, and both options were unbearable.

As it were, she was still controlling her aura, making it difficult to anticipate her mood but there was no mistaking the iron will she was once again exhibiting. The spark of defiance in her eyes, her sure steps. The lack of fear and skittishness. It was all accompanied by an air of resignation, turning her into a puzzle I desperately wanted to assemble and translate.

Most humans were embarrassingly easy to read, wearing their emotions on their sleeves and with their auras operating like a billboard, flashing whatever they thought or felt for predators such as myself to latch onto and take advantage of. While I could read Ashley to a degree, it remained a mystery as to what her deepest, innermost thoughts were at times.

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