I tried to look for Maya for explanation, but she had already crossed the room to another door. I rushed to catch up. As I arrived at the door, Maya had opened it to reveal another room. This one was smaller. A narrow bed lay in the center. Along one of the walls were collars of all shapes and sizes. Thick metal collars. I closed my eyes when an image of the scarred male came to my mind. In my vision, he was wearing a collar. It was wrapped tightly around his neck. Then the vision deepened and in my mind’s eye I heard a hiss spring from the collar, and it tightened around the scarred male’s neck. His muscled neck corded and his blue eyes flared until the blue was eradicated by black.

Then the scarred male was no longer friendly. He was no longer safe. He was dangerous, becoming the most brutal of killers.

“Miss?” Maya’s soft voice brought me from my thoughts, and she pointed to the bed. “You must sit on here and wait for Master.”

I stared at the narrow bed, at its restraints hanging to the sides, and I feared the worst, but I did as instructed. I had just climbed onto the bed when the door opened again and a male in a white coat walked through. He saw me but didn’t even flinch at my state of undress. Instead he walked to the wall housing the collars and took the smallest one from its rack.

I never moved my eyes from him as he silently worked. My hands were linked on my lap so the male couldn’t see me shake.

I was so focused on the mental image of the male with the collar that I neither saw nor heard Master enter the room. I knew he had materialized only when I felt a finger drift over my arm and brush over the rope burn on my wrist. I sucked in a sharp breath at the raw tenderness, then my eyes collided with Master’s.

I quickly bowed my head and saw his feet step as close as they could to the bed. His hand lifted, and I braced for a strike. Unexpectedly, it ran softly down my face. I scrunched up my face in confusion. I had expected the wicked Master from last night. But before me was the gentle and loving male from days ago.

“Such a beautiful petal,” he whispered tenderly and placed his finger under my chin to raise my head. I did as instructed and lifted my face to look at his.

Master’s gaze roved down to study my body, his eyes twitching in annoyance when he took in the bruises on my arm. He shook his head and leaning forward, ran his lips over my forehead. “I had no choice. I had to take you that way.” He reared back and said, “You’re so beautiful, too beautiful. I can hardly bear what I’m about to do, what I have to do to make sure my empire stays strong.”

Pure terror took hold of my senses at his words, and the regretful, sad tone of his voice. Lifting his hand, he cupped my cheeks and stared into my eyes. As always, I could see the crazed possession staring back. He shook his head and licked his lips. “My very own Helen of Troy.” He paused after those words, but I didn’t understand what he meant, or who he was referring to.

“Your beauty is too coveted, but also extremely useful.” I inhaled a ragged breath, and he added, “And now I must whore you out to an animal.”

This time my heart kicked into a heady sprint. Whore me out to an animal? My mind raced, trying to piece together what was to happen. Suddenly, Master pushed me back onto the bed and shackled my wrists and feet. I didn’t fight back.

Every part of me trembled as Master stayed beside me, stroking his hand along my cheek, his blazing, crazed eyes almost undressing me.

The male in the white coat moved beside me and took hold of my hand in a shackle. He moved up the cuff until my wrist was bare. It took me a moment to see what was in his hand.

The collar.

I flinched, imagining it going around my neck. But when I looked closer, I saw that it was too small. It was a bracelet. Then my short-lived sense of relief faded fast when I spotted the inside of the bracelet. It contained small needles, clear pellets of liquid behind each one.

The male lifted my wrist. Suddenly, he attached the bracelet to my skin and clasped it shut. A scream escaped my throat when the needles pierced my skin, sending a searing pain up my arm.

“Shh, petal,” Master soothed, as I tried to breathe though the torment. His palm pressed against my forehead and he moved in to nibble my lips with his teeth, then cover them with his own. I whimpered at the unwanted affection, but Master didn’t seem to care.

When he reared back, he said, “I have to do this. This task you must undertake is bigger than us both.” He gestured around the room. “All of this. Our empire rests on the shoulders of one man.” I tried to understand what he was saying, but the pain was too much.

“He has no weaknesses. And as much as it incenses me, I need him. He will win my tournament for me. But first, I need to break him. I must have him fully under my instruction. I need him to fully bend to my will.” He talked to me like I knew what he meant. “My investors expect a show. They expect it to be a close match, not a cull. For that, I need him to obey.” Master’s finger drifted down my chest and stopped at my breast. His fingertip circled my nipple, and his nostrils flared.

“In all of the years under my command, he has given me no way to fully overpower him.” He let that sentence hang in the air, until he looked to me again and said, “Until you. Until I saw him stare at you. My champion, my cold, unfeeling killer, affected by this face.”

He nuzzled his cheek against mine and said, “He wants you.” He stilled. In a flash, the cruel soul from last night possessed his being. Snapping his head up, lips curling, he hissed, “My High Mona. My pretty delicate petal. I don’t want to let you go, but it will serve a higher purpose.” His cheeks flushed with excitement. “Then I can own you completely. When my empire is secure, I can have you all day and all night. I will possess you in every possible way.”

My blood turned cold at his words. Feeling a wetness on my wrist, I glanced over and saw blood trickling downward. Master saw it too and clicked his fingers at Maya, who was hovering like a shadow in the corner. “Clean it, chiri,” he snarled. Maya rushed to the water and wet a cloth, immediately cleaning my wrist. I tried to meet her eyes, but she kept her head down.

When my wrist was clean, I stared at the silver bracelet and immediately knew it was the drugs. Instead of a single injection, this would give me regular, automatic doses. The male in the white coat quickly moved around the table, unshackling me from the bed. Master helped me stand. When he did, he stepped back and ranged his gaze all over me.

“Perfection,” he whispered. I could see genuine pride in his expression. Reaching down to his crotch, Master palmed his hardening length. “So fucking perfect,” he murmured. No sooner had his words left his mouth and he withdrew his hand than the ruthless Master of the Blood Pit suddenly reappeared.

With a surreal blankness now on his face, he walked out the door and called for a guard. When a Wraith arrived, Master instructed, “Take her to him. Lock her in his cell.” He smiled that sadistic smile and added, “Don’t let him out until he fucks her.”

I heard Maya’s almost inaudible gasp beside me. But I raised my head and prayed that my fear wasn’t showing. Master pointed to the guard. “Follow him.”

I walked forward. Just before I reached the guard, Master gripped my arm and slammed my back against the wall. Before I could catch my breath, he smashed his lips to mine, ravishing my mouth with his.

Master abruptly pulled back, then stormed toward Maya. I didn’t understand what he was about to do, until he gripped her by the back of her neck and slammed her small body against the wall. I stood, motionless, as Master lifted his hand and sliced it across her face. He was taking everything out on her. She was too young to take such a cruel hand!

Desperate, my eyes drifted to Maya’s, and my heart cracked when I saw in her eyes that she was no longer in the room. Mercifully, she had taken herself elsewhere.

By her reaction, I realized this wasn’t something new. Master had done this to the young girl before. Beat her. Hurt her, as though she was nothing … not even a human at all.

I felt sick to my stomach.

“Move!” The guard beside me ordered, as I stared helplessly at Maya hurting on the floor.

The male who had attached the bracelet worked on something at the back of the room, offering Maya no help. A surge of anger burned within me.