He raised his hands and kissed my lips softly, sweetly—in stark contrast to the threatening words issuing from his mouth. Fisting my hair and abruptly ripping my head back, he demanded, “Do you understand, mona? Tell me you understand my every word.”

White-hot pain spread along my scalp under his grip, the unbearable feeling stood in contrast to the need between my legs. “Yes, Master,” I gulped, as tears left the corner of my eyes.

Master released my hair and a devastatingly handsome smile spread on his full lips. “Good,” he announced proudly, his fingers now massaging the scalp he’d just bruised. His smile dropped as his hard length twitched and pulsed within me. I waited for what would happen next, unsure if it would be pleasure or pain. Then, still inside me, he abruptly spun me around until I straddled his hips.

His hands ran over my thighs, finally gripping my hips as my palms landed flat on his broad muscled chest. “Fuck me,” he ordered, his dark eyes blazing in excitement. His hands tightened on my hips until I was sure they would leave a bruise. “Take me until I fill you.”

And I did. Needing his release, I let his harsh grip guide me until my eyes closed and my head snapped back, embracing the rapture. Body stiffening, I cried out a long loud moan, digging my nails into the flesh on Master’s chest as he stilled beneath me, roaring out his own pleasure. As his seed filled me, it soothed the heat within my channel. My skin tingled as I remained poised over his hips, slowly rocking back and forth as Master’s length jerked inside me.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but as my breathing slowed to calm, I lowered my head and fluttered open my eyes. I was met with a dark, satisfied gaze. A gaze that watched my every move, a predator, a true Master of the pit.

A cold sensation began creeping up my spine and continued spreading all over my body, as I remained transfixed by his stare. As the insatiable need to be taken ebbed, the reality of this moment hit me hard. This was Master. The male who controlled all fates in the pit. The person who decided whether we lived or died.

And I had been selected to please him.

Real, true fear settled in my heart.

“My delicate pretty petal,” Master purred, voice low. His fingertips drifted off my hips and brushed along my stomach until they dropped to my core. He ran his fingers through my wetness, and as they did, his hips raised, tearing another moan from my mouth.

“You like that, petal?” he asked. I drew in a deep breath, but before I could speak, he bit out, “Answer me!”

My eyes opened as I flinched at the aggression in his voice. “Yes, Master,” I replied quickly. “I like that, Master.”

My words were a balm to Master, and he relaxed back on the bed. Glancing down at my hands on his chest, I paled when I saw nail marks on his skin, blood gathering underneath. I snatched my hands back and watched, in trepidation, as Master glanced down at the blood. My heart pounded in terror at what he might do next. But to my surprise, a wide, happy smile spread on his lips, and his eyes grew leaden with desire.

I swallowed down my trepidation when Master’s hand rubbed over the small speckles of blood. Then to my surprise, he raised his finger to his lips and sucked the blood off the tip. When he lowered his finger, he looked at me and said, “I knew you were born to be mine.” His hands landed on my waist and dragged along my skin until they cupped my breasts, palming the soft flesh. My nostrils flared as his touch reignited my desire, and my hips began to rock back and forth. “I knew when I watched you on those cameras, when you were with my bitch of a sister, that you were who I’d been waiting for. That the other High Monas couldn’t hold a candle to you.”

Master’s length began to harden within me again, and he softly thrust his hips, increasing my pleasure. I moaned, and Master groaned in reply.

I worked my hips faster still, until I started to search for release. Master’s hands tightened on my breasts, and I cried out as his grip bordered on pain. “That’s it, petal,” he murmured, “take me hard as you feel this pain.” Pleasure overriding the pain he gave, pressure built at my core and tingles spread over my skin as I chased the pleasure coming over the horizon.

Master groaned and began to slam into me with vigor. As he did so, it wasn’t long before I fell over the precipice and burst apart with light. I fell forward, slumping onto Master’s chest as he thrust into me three more times and spilled his seed within me, extinguishing the embers of desire that the shot of the new drug had ignited. Master’s arms wrapped around me, but I could tell it wasn’t in affection but possession. His grip was unyielding, his arms a cage of flesh and bone. He held me close, my eyes squeezing shut at the hum of fear that still buzzed under the surface of my skin. Now that the effects of the drug had faded, with its false desire muted and still, I had no idea what to do next.

My memories were silent, but I was sure I’d never been with a male drug-free before. I simply had no idea how to act.

Master’s fingertips traced lazy circles on my back. I breathed slowly, trying to stifle a cry. “Do you know why I call you petal, 152?” he asked softly, a gentler, more affectionate side appearing at the forefront of his personality.

“No, Master,” I replied timidly.

Master’s hand ran up to my hair and combed through the dark tresses. His hand stilled. He turned his head toward my face to answer, “Because just like a petal, you can be easily destroyed. But while intact you are so very beautiful to admire.”

Although spoken tenderly, the weight of his words hung like a dagger over my head. Master continued stroking my hair like he hadn’t issued a threat, a threat I knew was just as every bit a promise.

“Yes, Master,” I answered weakly. Master sighed happily in response.

He turned his face to mine and began peppering kisses up and down my cheek. “You smell and taste so good, petal,” he murmured.

I closed my eyes and let him do as he pleased. But I realized, as I lay in his arms, that I did not like his touch. Although this male was handsome, there lurked a cruel monster beneath. If I was the petal of a flower, then he was most certainly the thorn.

“Come,” said Master finally, after minutes of running his hands over my body. As his now flaccid length was withdrawn from my body, I rolled to the side and allowed him to rise. As he stood up from the bed, he pointed to something in the dark side of the room. A door then opened and the chiri from before entered the room. A guard had let her in. A guard who, I quickly realized, had watched Master take me.

The Night Wraiths, a faint echo in my head stated. The thought fled as someone took hold of my elbow and guided me to a sectioned-off room. When I looked down, I saw the person’s nape; the identity tattoo read 000. The chiri.

“Come, miss,” she urged, and pulled me into what appeared to be a bathroom, a gold gilded opulent bathroom. A toilet, basin, and extra tub filled the vast space on one side. On the other was a plush seating area.

The chiri pulled me toward the tub. Wetting a cloth, she began to wipe away Master’s seed from my thighs and core. I stared at the stone wall before me, dazed, fighting the fuzziness that still occupied my mind.

After the chiri dried my thighs with a soft towel, she led me to the seating area and guided me down to a seat. She made quick work of opening a large set of double doors. I looked up to see rows and rows of dresses, beautiful vibrantly colored dresses.

The chiri pulled another out and I stood as she clothed me. As I looked down at this dress, I saw it was a deep green. I idly thought how beautiful this color was. I frowned, wondering if I had ever noticed the color of anything before. Currently, the images in my head were revealed only in gray scale. As I scanned this room, I realized that life here was lived in color, yet it did not hold within it any form of beauty the vibrant colors should bring.

The chiri backed away two steps and nodded her head. “You look beautiful, miss. Master will be pleased.”

On hearing the chiri’s words, I stared at her. Her head was downcast. I could see a blush on her neck, creeping to her face. Stepping forward, I placed my hand on her shoulder. She tensed. “You don’t need to bow your head to me, chiri.”

But the chiri didn’t raise her head. Instead she replied, “I’m a chiri, miss. We are below everyone. Master commands it to be so.” She paused, then added, “And you are High Mona, miss. You are elevated in status. From whatever that was. This is who you are now. There’s no going back once Master commands it.”