Deceptive Lord (Lords of Bondage) (25 page)

“
It is not too different
from
keeping a prisoner, except that the slave must learn to please the master.
A prisoner has to merely cooperate, not please.”

He lifted Eden’s head and captured her eyes in an intense stare in order to break the entrancement.
He watched as signs of clarity returned, although she still appeared a bit dazed.
“Eden, you were entranced.
Do you remember anything?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Eden
didn’t remember a thing
.
She didn’t even know ho
w she had come to have Drest between her thighs, but she realized she was sitting upon
the hard male loins that were protruding against his trousers.
Her womanly flesh felt sensitive and achy, which made her wonder whether she had been grinding herself against him.
“No.
I don’t remember.
What did I do?”

“Nothing.
The entrancement didn’t work.”

She wondered what he wasn’t telling her.
“Why am I sitting on you?”

“I’m not sure, but you seem to display some random behavior when entranced.
You didn’t respond to commands at all.”

She
did
n’t regret that she had failed to follow their commands, as it wasn’t right to manipulate a person
in such a manner
.
“I told you that I didn’t want to be entranced.”

“We had to see how you would respond.
None of the druids were able to make it work.
Since they cannot utilize one who cannot be entranced, you will be unable to assist them.”

She felt relieved that she would not be given to the druids, as she had no interest in participating in their rituals.
“Good.”
She climbed off his lap and slid beside him on the sofa,
which left her sandwiched between Drest and Ciaran.
“Did anything else of note happen?”

Drest
gave her a hesitant look
.
“
We will talk later
.”

Ciaran looked at her speculatively.
“Your imprisonment
has ended
.”

Her eyes widened in surprise.
“How so?”

Ciaran smiled mysteriously.
“Drest will tell you.”

She looked at Drest with questioning eyes.
She was ready for her sentence to end, but she didn’t know w
hat to expect afterwards.
She was apprehensive, as he had told her many times that she would not be released, but she couldn’t stop herself
from hoping that she would be returned to Avenal.
“Tell me.”

He directed an exasperated glance toward Ciaran.
“You just had to mention it.”
He took a deep breath and faced Eden.
“You’re not going home.
You know that, right?
You understand what happens to a female captive.
We spoke of this before.”

She paled and started to tremble.
“Enslavement.”

“Yes.”
He took her hand and held it between his own hands in an attempt to calm her.
“You will become accustomed to it in time and it will not seem so awful.
You will be treated gently.”

“One does not become accustomed to slavery,” she snapped.
“Am I to assume the duties will include sexual favors?”

He looked at her with an uneasy expression.
“Yes.”

“And all of this was discussed while I was under the entrancement?”
She shook her hand free of Drest and leapt from the sofa.
She paced back and forth in an agitated manner.
She finally halted and glared murderously at Drest.
“I absolutely hate you now.
I’m going to that prison cell you call a room and I don’t want to see you or talk to you.
Just leave me the hell alone.”

Ciaran watched as
Eden
stormed out of the room.
“That went well.”

“Thank you fucking much, Ciaran.
I wanted to break the news to
her gently.”
Drest
had planned to wait until the last possible moment to tell her about it at all
, as he had known that she wouldn’t take too well to the idea of enslavement
.
“Now she’s in a rage.”

“Good luck with that.
It’s too bad that she cannot be entranced, since it looks like she will be uncooperative,” Taran said.

***

Eden
was too upset with him
.
It bothered
Drest
that she still refused to speak with him.
Last night, he had dreamt of
her.
The images of her wearing a drenched and completely transparent tunic on a boat near Avenal were entirely too vivid; it seemed almost like a memory.
In the
dream, he was with her in the boat and she allowed him brief touches of skin.
He also had a vague recollection of lengthy conversations with her, but it was only part of the dream.
He had tried to interest her in real conversation during the noon meal, but she was resistant and continued to ignore him.
He transported to a marketplace and picked out some gifts, hoping one of them would appease her.
He felt guilty for her predicament.
He had to keep reminding himself that she was the enemy, a Flourdan and an Avenal.
He shouldn’t even like her, much less feel bad for her just because she was unhappy.
He should be worrying about Brennus, who was the one who was really
in a predicament.

He took a seat on the sofa beside her.
“I know that you are angry.
You need to accept this.
I’ve told you from the beginning that things would end this way for you.
You are lucky to still have your life, especially considering that you are an Avenal.”

“I am to be enslaved for revenge?
Is that it?”

He coaxed her to look at him.
“No.
You would have been enslaved regardless due to the fact that you are a Flourdan.
Your friend Portia was made a slave.
Outsiders are not allowed into Asstrumnia for a reason.
They are not wanted.
If you wish to live, you have to prove your worth.”

“I don’t wish to prove anything to you.”

“The druids will place you with a master who will treat you kindly, but you must show
your respect and obedience.
They are more patient than most, but their patience has limits.
You must remember that you are not in Flourda.
You do not have a harem of males to do your bidding, no army of eunuchs to follow your commands.
You do not have the power here in Asstrumnia.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“Are you?
Sometimes, I wonder.
Ninian thinks I’ve been too easy on you.
You have two days to learn proper obedience and I’ve been tasked with teaching you.
This is a serious matter and I’ll not have you go into
this unprepared.
They have yet to assign a master.”

“
So you will train me and serve me up on a silver platter to some druid?”

He wasn’t alright with her being given to another male, but it was inevitable.
“It is my duty.
Why can you not understand this?”

“It is cold and callous of you, to take someone you’ve been intimate with and give her to another.
You do not care if some other male touches me?
No, I can see that it wouldn’t bother you at all.
How inhuman of you.”

The hurt in her voice confused him, as always.
She acted like she was his mate, when she most definitely
was not.
He wondered if she would continue to act mate-like in bed
.
“You wish me to keep you?”

“No, I do not wish to be kept at all.”

“Someone will keep you.
Slaves will know their master very intimately.
You will be expected to obey
and strive to please.
Respect and willingness
-
that is what is required.”

“And what will I get?”

“You’ll be protected from harm, given clothing and food.
You will be sheltered, although the quality of accommodations can vary.
You may be given gifts.
In time, you could earn your freedom.”
He picked a thin gold band out of his pocket that had strange engravings on it.
“I am sorry,
but you are required to wear this.”
He placed the slave collar around her neck and fastened it.
“Is it comfortable enough?”

“I suppose so.
You would not remove it if I said otherwise.
When is it to occur, my enslavement?”

“You could say that you are no longer a prisoner.”

She fingered the gold at her throat.
“
So I am already a slave.
Am I leaving tonight?”

“No.”

“When?”

He studied her carefully.
“
You’ll be in my possession for at least two days
.
I am to initiate you to the duties of servitude.
”
She made no comment; he wondered what she was thinking.
He would have to start her training that night.
He glanced at her while she wasn’t looking at him.
Ninian had ordered him to teach her the importance of obedience and respect, but he had also requested that he provide instruction regarding her duties.
He had kept his promise not to use her for pleasure while she was his prisoner.
She was no longer his prisoner, so he didn’t have to restrain himself with her any longer.
She would need to realize that a physical relationship would be a major part of her duties.
Surely, she could learn how to engage in such without involving her emotions.

CHAPTER TWENTY

That evening,
Drest
presented her with fine embroidered tunics of bright blues and violets, as well as an assortment of gold jewelry
.

Eden eyed the items with suspicion.
She wondered why he suddenly wanted her to dress
well
and she worried that she was about to be put up for sale.
“
What is this?”

“I thought you would need it.”

She picked up a gold bracelet and studied it in confusion.
“Why would I need this?”

“Our people wear a lot of jewelry.”

She put the bracelet down.
“I suppose I should feel grateful that I will not be paraded about naked.”

His eyes lit with interest.
“You could stay naked, if you would prefer it.”

“I’ll take the tunics.
I do not see why I would need jewelry.
Do slaves really wear jewels?”

“Not usually, but I would like you to have it.”

Her heart felt heavy.
“You think this will ease your guilt.
I see.
When will I leave this place?
”

“
In two days
.”

She didn’t know what that would mean for her.
It seemed strange that she would be enslaved and left at the lodge for days.
She had thought that
he had mentioned she would be given to a druid, but she wasn’t certain he had been that specific.
Perhaps she would be turned over to the
King
and they had to make room for her at the stronghold.
Maybe they were waiting to transfer her during a feast day or celebratory event.
“So I am a slave with no master?”

“I am your master.”
His
irises
darkened to a reddish hue as they filled with covetous lust.

She found she suddenly couldn’t breathe and her heart started to pound against her chest.
Somehow she had
managed to dismiss
the fact
that he was a
n alien
hybrid, a non-human predator
.
Right now he was looking at her as if she w
as
his intended
prey
,
and it was a reminder of the way he had once stalked and captured her while in Nefertiti’s chambers.
He had seemed so disinterested in her lately that she had never expected to encounter that
look again.
She was misperceiving the situation and it likely did not indicate true interest.
She took a step backwards and mentally told herself that nothing had changed between them.
“Will I be expected to serve you
?”