you.”
“Good, girl. Very good girl.”
The second I felt his fingers in my mouth, I swallowed the bread without taking a bite first. It hurt all the way down my throat and chest, but at least…
I was fed.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Juliet
One Week Later
“Wake up!” Master yelled, jolting me out of a restless sleep.
I was still naked, angry, and tired. It must have been the middle of the night. He was shirtless, his golden skin exposed for me to bask in. Gorgeous muscles framed his shoulders; his abs were a thing of beauty. However, the vision of him had me realizing that not all pretty things were meant to be touched, to be admired. Maybe some of the prettiest of all should come with warning signs.
“Yes, Master,” I mumbled.
“On your knees.”
Cautiously, I moved from the bed to my knees and waited. He pressed his hand against my back and shoved me closer to the floor until my legs hurt until my face was pressed sideways against the floor.
“Let’s try this again.”
I couldn’t speak. My jaw hurt as I waited for the pain to end. For the nightmare to be over.
For my bedroom.
My family.
My friends.
My safety.
No matter how attractive he was—he would always be the monster.
He jerked his hand away, and I heard him shuffling around.
“Lift your head.”
Slowly, I did.
“Now, crawl to me and come lay next to me.”
“Lay next to you?”
“Did I ask for questions, pet?”
I wanted to scream but screaming meant I’d be punished, and I was just too fucking exhausted. Over the last week, he only came into my room to feed me from his hand. Three times a day, making me look forward to his company and the comfort of the food he always brought with him. Each time, we played this same game.
Master.
Pet.
He talked about random things, praising and complimenting me on my manners. Telling me how much of a good girl I was for him. It was sick and fucking demented; he made me need him. To think about only him. When he would be back, when he would be with me again, when he would feed me, touch me, tell me how beautiful I was.
Surrendering.
Complacent.
Broken.
“I’m sorry, Master.”
“Good girl.”
Those two words, those two fucking words, I looked forward to them too. Getting on my hands and knees, I did as I was told. The instant I sat beside him, he didn’t hesitate in the least. Laying my head on his chest. I think I froze for a few seconds.
“Relax, pet, and go back to sleep.”
There was something about the way those words just effortlessly flowed from his mouth that was calming, peaceful, so I shut my eyes. When I woke up later, I was alone. He was gone, and I instantly missed his warmth against my skin, his heartbeat against my ear, his body against mine.
Further reminding me, I truly was his.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Juliet
Two Weeks Later
I was used to it now. The loneliness, the way it wrapped itself around me like the blanket that was on my bed. I was used to him now, the smug wicked looks from my master. The way he stared at my body like he wanted to eat me alive, only to kill me later. He was the only human contact I had, the only voice I heard, the only…
The only…
The only…
The list was endless, and I felt so weak, needing him, depending on him, missing him as if he were my lover and not my villain in this reality of what my life had become. I craved every last single thing about him—from his company, to his hands, to his body, to his masculine scent and his words. There wasn’t a part of me that didn’t yearn for him. I knew it was sick; it was the only way I could survive this imprisonment. In this golden cage, he captured me in. It was all part of his sinister plan, succeeding in what he threatened, what he promised, what he knew would happen in the end.
I was ashamed, humiliated, broken.
And yet, I still longed for him in ways I never thought possible. Wiping the tears away from my cheeks, I waited for the inevitable. He walked in.
Two steps.
Four.
Ten.
He was sitting on the chair by my bed, and like a perfect pet, I crawled to him. Except this time, I laid my head on his lap, wanting something more. He didn’t punish me for not submitting; understanding my silent plea, he rubbed my head so gently.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity,