Page 20 of The Labyrinth

“Completely. I meant it when I said I demanded respect. The title is an important aspect. You will refer to me as Master at all times. If you forget, you’ll be punished and reminded. But I’m sure you’re going to be a good girl for me and use my title correctly, aren’t you?”

I was silent, unsure of what to say. He wanted me to bend to his will in a way I had never done for a man before, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. For a brief moment, I wondered if Clara did this for the other men in the camps, or if this was Ten’s thing alone. Maybe this is what Clara knew would happen all along and she just didn’t want to bring it up.

His hand stroking my jaw dropped to my neck, squeezing lightly. I gasped, but could still suck in some breath. He knew what he was doing, limiting my airflow—not cutting it off completely. “Say it, Rissa. Say it, or I’ll drag your sorry ass back to that disgusting cell and make you suck my cock until you choke.”

I sucked in another shallow breath. I really didn’t want to go back to that cell. “Yes, Master.”

Ten dropped my throat, his hand stroking the skin he had squeezed only moments before. “Good girl,” he cooed. “I knew you could do it. Now let’s go. I want to get the hell out of here.”

He grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him. I wasn’t sure why he was so insistent on us leaving quickly and quietly, but for whatever reason he seemed almost…nervous. Like someone might catch us. Was he not supposed to be taking me from the camp? I had assumed the girls here were fair game, and the monsters could do whatever they wanted to them, including taking them home. But maybe I had thought wrong, and Ten would wind up in big trouble if anyone knew he was taking me out of there. I struggled to feel sorry for the hulking beast lugging me through the empty halls. He seemed to get and take what he wanted.

Ten pulled me along, his grip on my wrist tight, until we burst through the doors to the outside world of the Labyrinth. I hadn’t realized just how dark it was inside the camps until the sunlight burned my eyes. I blinked, trying to adjust from the blinding brightness. I clung a bit harder to Ten’s hand, trusting him not to let me fall.

I trusted him?I didn’t know what was up with me. I didn’t know how I could trust the creature who had done everything he had done to me, but there we were. I trusted him. But not for too long, because my sight returned and I sighed in relief.

We were walking down those strange grass-covered streets again. As much as I wanted to stop and feel the soft blades under my feet, sweep my palms over them, Ten was on a mission, and I didn’t want him to decide I was too much work and haul me back to the camps.

The city was perfect. More beautiful than I had ever expected. The buildings were draped in so much green it blew my mind. How did they manage to keep everything soalive? The grass that grew on the streets between the buildings was vibrant and fluffy, so much different than the few, dry blades I would find here and there in the village. The shops were tidy, well-maintained with colorful signs hanging over their wooden doors. As a whole, it seemed cheerful and idyllic. Comfortable. It didn’t seem like a city of monsters lived here. Something was missing though. Something was off, not sitting right in my brain. I blinked, realizing exactly what it was.

“Where are all the people?” I asked. “It’s morning. Shouldn’t there be people out? Other…ones like you?”

Ten tossed me a glance over his shoulder. “It’s not safe right now.”

I rolled my eyes with a quiet groan, not quite loud enough for him to hear and claim disrespect. But I hated the vague half-answers. I wanted the truth, and to understand exactly what kind of life I had been tossed into. “It’s not safe right now,” didn’t exactly make me feel super comfortable.

“What do you mean?” I pushed.

Ten didn’t stop walking, but he didn’t look over his shoulder at me again, either. I took it as a good sign that maybe he didn’t think I was being impertinent. “It’s not safe to be out on the streets right now. There are some things happening and we’ve asked people to stay home as much as possible. Hopefully it will go back to normal soon. UseMasterwhen you address me.”

Another half-answer, and a half-reprimand. He was so fucking annoying. I couldn’t believe he was serious about theMastershit. I’dMasterhis ass alright, and he’d be sorry he ever asked. I pouted as we walked, turning corners on the silent streets as the shops grew further and further apart, and the buildings grew into larger homes, with steps leading up to double doors. Just one of these houses would fit the entirety of my village.

“I can feel your eyes glaring into my back, deliciae,” Ten murmured. “It would be more effective for you to speak your mind instead of trying to kill me with your gaze.”

For me to get another damn half-answer.“What does deliciae mean?”

Ten paused, looking back at me again. He was about to say something, when someone appeared from around the corner and called his name. “Ten! I heard you were back home.”

“Fuck,” Ten muttered. “Play along, Rissa, or I swear...”

Play along with what?The monster was smiling as he approached us, slick blue skin covered with what looked to be scales. He was bigger than Ten, but not by much. His smile dropped when he looked to me, and then back at Ten. “Is she…is she now your pet?”

“Yes, Blaze,” Ten answered smoothly. “I took her into my service this morning. Would’ve been a waste at the camps.”

I’m not a fucking pet, I thought. Ten’s grip on my wrist tightened, as if he could hear my rebellious thoughts, and I realized that despite everything Ten was, he had saved my ass more than once. Maybe it was best to keep quiet…for now.

The blue creature looked baffled, and I couldn’t figure out why. “But you haven’t had a pet since—”

“I know.” Ten’s voice was tight, strained.Another pet? What happened to her?As if I’d get any answers if I inquired.

Then blue man’s mouth spread in a wide smile. “Well, good for you, man. Happy to see you get back on the horse. I expect we’ll see her in the Cage after you’ve had your fill of her, then.” He looked down at me. “I can’t wait to see what they do to you in the Cage.”

Ten nodded his head, gave the other man a tight smile. We continued on our way, a little bit quicker than before. When we turned the corner, he hissed, cursing to himself under his breath.

“What’s the Cage?” I asked. I had a thousand questions, but that was the first one that came to mind.

“Somewhere you’ll never go, if you’re lucky,” he snapped. “I knew it was a stupid idea to take you out of there. Now Blaze knows, and if he knows, everyone in this whole fucking city will know.”

“I’m sorry?” I offered. I wasn’t sure what the appropriate response was for this situation, when your monster captor seemed upset that someone else knew he had kidnapped you from the place he had originally kidnapped you to.

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