CHAPTER FIVE

OLAMIDE

He finally let me out of the car. When he did, I took a moment to observe him. He did not hold me, neither did I see guards parading the property. It was almost like he knew I would not run. I tried my best not to look suspicious as I surveyed for cameras and blindspots that could be of help to me in the near future. When we finally made our way inside, I tried my best not to be a star struck tourist sightseeing a celebrity home because that was not what was happening.

I saw Jason exchange hushed words with a broad chested man that looked like head of security while I continued to mentally take notes of everything I could lay my eyes on around the entryway. The place had strange cobalt flowers put in every nook and cranny adorned by a giant insignia of a crow.

There was a high-quality sound system playing beautiful blues just loud enough to notice if one paid attention, but still unobtrusive enough to go about the day without undue annoyance.

"Come with me kitten." Jason said, taking my hand and leading me on through a marble-tiled foyer, up a grand staircase, and down a hallway before I could comprehend that the bastard had just called me kitten.

My heart was in my throat as he practically forced me inside a room with a large and ornate bed. A fire roared in the fireplace, and a demonic looking symbol was imprinted on a wall near the windows.

A furry orange cat proudly hopped off the furniture to greet us, tail held high and eyes practically disapproving of me. The little creature reminded me of Zeus. Even in my bleak situation, It managed to bring a smile to my face.

"Hello Luna." Jason said, bending to pet the cat.

How monstrous could the man be with a cat? Though I knew this wasn't a real marker of a man's overall goodness or evil, it gave me a spark of hope.

The sitting area in front of the fireplace had a small coffee table, a couple of high-backed chairs that looked comfortable despite their opulence, and a love seat. A bathroom led off to the side, and I had no doubt the closets alone were probably the size of my apartment. At the back of the room was a large set of three bay windows with thick drapes that reached the floor. In front of the windows was a writing desk with fancy stationary and pens.

"You should sit and write down your address and make a list of everything you need while you are here. There's a heated pool here, so you might factor that in."

I didn't speak. I couldn't say anything. I just sat, uncapped a fountain pen, and stared dumbly at the paper. Was I a prisoner or Cinderella? Was I in for the worst luck of my life or the best? What he was doing wasn't okay, but here I was, surrounded by people in a nice place with a man who, despite realities I could barely bring myself to adjust to yet, was prepared to... what? Take care of me like I was his girlfriend or wife? I briefly looked up to meet his gaze. Could he...read me now or was it just a fluke like I had suspected?

"Jason..." I spoke, forgetting my place for a minute.

He patted the cat one last time and straightened, his face stern. "It's Alpha. Not Jason to you. Ever."

With that pronouncement, my silly little-girl fantasy came to an abrupt and screeching halt. I was again reminded that I wasn't in a fairytale.

"I'm sorry, Master." I apologized, never get used to the title. "But why are you doing all this? I don't understand why ..." It wasn't a question of why he was doing something so immoral. The real question was why was he wrapping it so nicely, making it a seduction that part of me couldn't help wanting to fall for? He was a wealthy man who would make half the women he met drool for his dick. Why me? Why this?

Aside from the slavery aspect, my story was beginning to seem more like Belle and the beast but in this take, the beast also took the role of Prince Charming, swooping in and taking care of all my needs, showering me with safety and security even if he was the person bringing danger to my door.

Despite escaping my foster family, things hadn't gotten much easier. The brief party of college and dorm life had been fleeting, only to give way to a cold world that demanded I produce or live in a gutter. I was barely even making a living, squirreling away every spare penny I could, hoping it would be enough to keep surviving. Because what if I lost my job? I had to have a safety net.

It had taken a lot of nagging from friends to get me to go out drinking, but I needn't have worried. There had been plenty of men to buy me drinks so I didn't have to dip into my own funds. Strange as it may be, perhaps it was even a coping mechanism for my fragile mind but I saw my condition as fate. This, this was my happily ever after. No matter how shaky it was.

Jason strode over to me and I couldn't help cringing, afraid of what he might do. So maybe it wasn't such a dream-fantasy after all. I was still bone-chillingly terrified of him. He stopped at the other side of the desk, regarding ne calmly. "You might be oblivious to otherworlders and how the bond we now share works but I will make this easier for you. I have specific requirements in our relationship. I never imagined I would get a mate so early. And I certainly did not expect her to be human. But shit happens..."

My mind immediately drifted to images of whips and chains. But with the title he'd demanded, hadn't that idea flashed through my mind already, no matter how much I had tried to push it away? I might not be into what he wanted, but I wasn't that oblivious. He continued to blabber about mates and our unbreakable bond. One thing he said however struck me hard.

"You must have noticed despite all you have been through in my hands, you do not hate me. Not entirely."

Given my current circumstances, it would seem most appropriate that such things would happen in a dirty, dank basement where I would be fed crumbs and kept in a cramped cage, but I imagined whips and chains with this man would be dressed in refinement.

"A-are you going to hurt me?" Plenty of women lived in abusive relationships that looked like luxury on the outside. I didn't want to be one of those women. I would take my simple apartment with an uncertain financial future any day over riches that obscured a nightmare of ongoing torment behind closed doors.

"I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but one thing I am sure of is I cannot let you be my weakness. If you obey me and honestly seek to please me, you'll remain safe and may even come to be happy here. Now make your list."

I tried to quiet the whirring questions and relentless fears. His word meant nothing. He could promise anything he wanted, but trusting in such a promise would be too na?ve-no matter how much I wanted to. My only desire was to find safety while I was held captive here. All thoughts of rebellion and escape left me in light of the hope I had of garnering his favor.

I scribbled down my list, hoping it wasn't asking too much, and handed the sheet to Jason. He looked it over briefly and nodded. "I'll take care of it. Stay here."