Page 6 of Claiming Their Slave
“You must promise not to try running away, little human. I don’t want to keep you in restraints, but I will if I must.”
“I promise, Master.”
The lie tasted bitter, and she chided herself for the guilt that coursed through her over her preemptive betrayal. Good people didn’t own slaves, she reminded herself. Even though he’d shown her some flashes of kindness, that didn’t mean she should trust him, and it certainly didn’t mean she should stay with him. Jaxon didn’t know it yet, but as soon as the first opportunity presented itself, she would take off for the trees and hide until he tired of searching for her.
Her days of being a slave were about to end, even if she had to risk her life by sneaking off in the middle of the night with only the silvery white light of the moon cutting through the trees to guide her.
Jaxon set her down in a soft patch of grass, but his arms lingered around her, holding her steady. She clutched the bouquet of daisies between them like a barrier, and peered into his darkening gaze with increasing unease.
Why was he looking at her as if he longed to claim her?
She’d observed many a man in the village chasing after a woman, and she was certain it was lust causing his stare to become so intense. His eyes glinted with need, yet he held himself back from touching her further.
Her heartbeat quickened. She was completely at his mercy. He could do whatever he wished, and she wouldn’t be able to stop him. No matter how fiercely she fought, he would overpower her. Even if she screamed at the top of her lungs, no one would come to her aid.
A powerful sense of vulnerability swept down upon her, making her insides quiver with fear-tinged desire, because even though she ought to despise him and fear him, she couldn’t vanquish the shameful urges that were quickly stealing her breath.
Gulping in air, she tried to step back, but he didn’t release her at first.
Finally, after a tense lingering moment, he withdrew and held her out by her shoulders, his gaze sweeping up and down her body. She flushed from head to toe and fixed her eyes on his chest.
“Are you injured at all, Ava? If you have any injuries, I would like to tend to them.”
“I’m fine, Master. No injuries,” she replied, taken off-guard by his concern, which seemed genuine given the seriousness of his tone. She wished he were cruel, then she wouldn’t be harboring any guilt or hesitation to escape her new master.
His nostrils suddenly flared and a murderous look crossed his face. He nudged the sleeves of her tattered dress up and gently trailed his fingertips over the bruises left from Monrock’s rough handling of her.
“Who did this to you?” he demanded in a voice so harsh, she flinched.
“My former master’s son,” she admitted, seeing no reason to lie, except to conceal her plans to run away from the village. He could learn everything but that small detail.
“Tell me exactly what happened to you today, Ava.”
She cleared her throat. “My former master became angry when he discovered I was stealing food from the kitchen, and he mistakenly believed I was gathering supplies in order to run away. The truth is, I stole from him because he barely kept me fed. It was either steal or starve. I thought he planned to beat me, so I tried to run from him, but his son caught me and grabbed me very hard, as you can see. They took me to the auction block, and I believe you know how the rest of my day played out, Master.” Fear clenched inside her.Goddess, please don’t let him realize I’m not being completely truthful.
“Selling you for stealing or even attempting to run away, as he believed you were planning, seems like an overreaction,” he said with a suspicious gleam in his eyes.
“Well, I left out the part where two of Monrock’s slaves disappeared in the middle of the night, and my former master was angry and suspicious that I might know something about their running off. However, I honestly don’t know anything about their escape. Monrock treated them poorly, so their running off is no great surprise to me, but I swear I have no knowledge of it.”
“I hope for your sake you are speaking the truth, little human.” He reached for her neck and lifted the chain off, being careful not to pull her hair.
Again, his gentleness awoke parts of her she’d thought long hardened and closed off from her awareness. Warmth spread through her chest, and her neck and hair prickled in the wake of his touch.
“Thank you, Master,” she said, rubbing her neck.
“You are welcome.” He lifted one eyebrow at her. “Don’t give me cause to chastise you.”
* * *
Was it his imagination, or did Ava flush whenever he gave her a stern look or mentioned punishment? He still hadn’t explained to her that he meant to keep her as a servant and pay her a fair wage, rather than treat her as slave. But his good intentions crumbled more and more each time she called himMaster.
That one word escaping her pretty lips made his cock ache and awakened needs within him that had been long buried. If he truly made her a servant once they reached his homestead, that would also make her free to leave if she wished, but only if she had a safe place to go. Maybe, to stall a hasty departure on her part, he would decree she must stay with him until she worked off the price he’d paid for her. As he took in her delicate features and admired her beauty, he raged at the thought of letting her go.
He wanted to keep her.
To own her.
To make her writhe and moan beneath him in the throes of passion.
