Page 13 of Mortal Shift
“That’s better. Obedient little human, aren’t you?”
I jerked my eyes to Zane, desperate for help before this spiraled totally out of control, but the spot where he’d stood was empty. Shit. I was on my own. With this asshole and a pack of idiots who were enjoying the show.
“Look at me,” he commanded, and I did. His eyes were speckled with flecks of yellow that reminded me of starlight, but the rest of his face was as cold as the night sky. Beautiful, timeless, but utterly unforgiving. “You’re so weak. No will of your own.”
Oh, I’d show him what weakness was. He was standing square to me, hips wide, giving me a clear shot between his legs, and I intended to take it.
But my leg felt like it belonged to someone else. I screwed my eyes up, straining against whatever unseen force held me in place, but I couldn’t budge it so much as an inch.
The asshole sneered again, and traced one hand down the side of my face. I tried to jerk away from him, but again my body stayed immobile. Panic fluttered in my chest, threatening to drown me. I was trapped here. Helpless. I couldn’t move and I couldn’t protect myself, andno onewas coming.
“My name is Davorin,” he said. “But you can call me ‘Master’.”
Someone laughed at that, and his mouth spread into a smile that was all teeth as he continued to pet my face like I was a dog.
“Call me Master, pet.”
“Bite me,” I snarled, and tried to snap my mouth shut, but I could feel the word swelling inside me. I clamped my lips closed but it burst out. “Master.”
They were all laughing now, all of the gathered students, and my face burned red with humiliation and shame. Davorin patted me on the head.
“Good pet. It’s not me who’s going to bite you, but I’m sure someone will, and soon. Especially since you submit so beautifully.”
He tightened his grip on my throat, his powerful fingers digging into my flesh and cutting off my air, and I couldn’t so much as thrash as he suffocated me in front of half the student body, none of whom seemed to care that this asshole was killing me.
Black spots danced in front of my eyes and my head swam, until all that was left was his voice in my head, and the yellow flecks in his eyes.
“I’ll see you around, pet.”
He flashed his teeth at me one more time, then released his grip on my neck. I doubled over, wheezing, clutching at my bruised throat as he strode away. The other students shared one last joke at my expense, and then went in different directions. My eyes prickled with heat as I dragged in another shaky breath and felt it shudder all the way through me. Why did everyone here seem to hate me? I didn’t ask to come here, and I didn’t want to be here. I just wanted to go home.
“Are you okay?” a voice asked and I straightened quickly, dragging a hand across my eyes.
“What’s it to you?” I demanded, twisting to glare at the petite girl and trying to find the energy for yet another battle that I was probably going to lose, because if I was going down in this hellhole, I was going down fighting.
The girl’s anxious eyes flitted over my face. “You didn’t deserve that.”
I snorted. “I’m glad someone thinks so.”
I bit back my retort about her standing around watching it happen, because she looked like even I could snap her like a twig, and I didn’t even want to think about what someone like Davorin could have done to her if he’d wanted.
She chewed her lip. “Guys like Davorin only respect strength. So do most of the other students.”
“And you?”
She shrugged and offered me a shy smile. “I know that strength isn’t always apparent at first.”
“O…kay.” Cryptic, much? But she was the first person I’d met here who actually seemed nice, so if she wanted to speak in riddles, that was just fine with me. “I’m Cali, by the way.”
I thrust my hand out, but she replied without taking it. “Ling. Do you… Have you eaten? I could show you to the canteen, if you want?”
I let my hand drop. Guess my new friend wasn’t much one for physical contact, either. I gave a mental shrug and let it go.
“I’d like that. I need to see the head, though. Astor?”
She blanched. “Domina Astor? Why do you need to see her?”
Domina.I stowed the title away so I didn’t make a complete idiot of myself later.
