Page 40 of Thorns Laced In Blood

Sean:pick up!!!

I shoved my phone in my pocket, but my amusement vanished when I thought of Maeve’s mother. The ultimate vile bitch who didn't deserve to breathe in the same oxygen as Maeve. She was second on my list. Dylan could pick up Morrison. He had no qualms about getting rid scumbags.

Maeve. What a beautiful name.

I checked to ensure my phone was in the silent setting and went upstairs, sneaking into the bed to hold her. I stared at the bear with the faint stains of blood that Dr Arin couldn't remove. He was with her for all those lonely years, trapped in a basement. The bastard was here to stay.

My arm tightened around Maeve, pulling them closer to me until her head rested on my chest. The need to cocoon her away from the harsh world was overpowering. Her torment would forever remain with me. If I could, I would carry all her burdens for her. She sighed and nuzzled into me. Something in my chest unfurled. The tension that I didn't know I had left my body from her simple action.

If I didn't know any better, I’d think our damaged souls were intertwined.

???

Again, I woke up to clear blue eyes peering into mine. The puffiness around her eyes was almost gone. I reached out and pushed my fingers through her golden, silky strands of hair. She closed her eyes at my touch. I waited until she opened them again. I smiled at my personal ray of sunshine.

“I love you, Maeve Thorne,” I said, releasing the words I’d held onto. The words tasted like a sweet victory. Like she'd always been mine, she just hadn't known it yet.

“Thorne?” she asked with a confused smile.

“Yes, your new name,” I said, in a matter-of-fact tone, as I pushed the tangles out of her long hair.

“Your surname is Thorne?” she asked.

“Saul Massen Thorne, aka your Master,” I said, running my hand down to her ass. It was filling out nicely.

She repeated my name. Her voice was soft but with an edge. It was just like her: feminine with a hint of underlying feral. I squeezed the handful of soft flesh.

“Say my name again,” I demanded, watching her eyes flare.

“Saul,” she recited with her voice like a knife wrapped in silk.

I didn't need to check her pulse this time to know what she needed.

Chapter 25

Maeve

He casually joined his name to mine and allowed me to use his name. I licked the lip I’d bitten, pressing my tongue on it to feel it throb. His eyes followed my movement. He was as obsessed with me as I was with him.

“Master.”

The word left my lips like a whispered sin, soft but deliberate. I dragged my tongue over the cut, savouring the metallic tang. His gaze locked onto the movement, darkening. I let him see it. Let him hear it. I wanted him to lose control.

Master.

A word that once chained me was one I now claimed freely. I never realised how powerful words could be. With clarity of mind, I claimed Saul as my Master.

“Again,” he growled, but his voice cracked. I smiled against his bruising grip.

“Master,” I purred for him, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath my palm begin to race.

I ran my hand downward, but he caught it with a groan.

“You need to eat first,” he said.

He chuckled at my glare and pulled my hand away from his stomach. I was frustrated until I looked into his eyes. They shone like jewels of happiness and made my stomach flutter, but not in hunger. I pushed my hand away from his to hug the man who gave me the strength to confront my fear and use my voice again.

“Maeve,” he breathed my name like a prayer.

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