ANONYMOUS The dark haired lady knelt before the queen, tears streaming down her reddened cheeks.The queen stared down at her, her lips curled in a sneer.“You good for nothing, worthless human being! You can never do anything right. You almost ratted out all our asses because of your incompetence!”“I’m sorry, my queen. Please temper justice with mercy.” The lady sobbed.The queen looked away from her, focusing her attention on the able bodied men who stood guard at the building’s entrance.“Bring him to me.”Her sister watched in horror as the curtains were lifted and the man was unveiled. His face was caked in dirt and clumps of dried semen and he appeared pale. “Please… please, let him go. He’s done nothing to deserve this. Focus on me. Punish me instead!”The queen laughed…a long, loud cackle.“But I’m punishing you, you see.” Her face morphed into a mask of rage. “I’m punishing you by hurting him. Maybe this way, you’ll understand that your incompetence has consequences.”The
MIRA My heart thuds and flutters wildly as Mason presses the upper half of my body into the bed and positions a few pillows underneath my already throbbing arse, leaving it high and vulnerable to his ministrations.His fingers trace a heated path across the back of my thighs… and lower. I clench my eyes shut, knowing he’s about to touch me and hating that I want him to.Mason’s fingers finally graze the slightly swollen nub of my sex and I bite my lower lips hard in a bid to keep myself from moaning my pleasure all over the place.The heat of his bare chest presses against my side, leaving me all hot and bothered as he continues to circle his thumb around my clit.Needles and jolts of hot, electrocuting pleasure shoot up my spine and end in a heated pool deep in my belly.“Stop holding back, baby girl.” Mason growls. “Let go. Fucking let go.”He tortures my clit harder, heightening my pleasure and stealing my breath. I clutch the duvet in a death grip as sobs of pleasure threaten to
MIRA Mason’s expression transforms into harsh, cold granite as he turns away, bending down to pick his shirt. My heart lurches at the realisation that he’s trying to avoid my interrogations… this is Mason trying to run away.“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I ask as I position myself before the door, blocking his only way out of the room. He begins stalking in my direction after putting on his shirt and my chest jolts at the realisation that if Mason decides to physically remove me from the door, there’s nothing I’ll be able to do about it… and that might end us. Forever.When he just keeps coming, his dark gaze firmly fixed on me, I lift my chin and stare him down as I finally lay myself bare to him.“Do you fucking think this past few weeks have been easy for me? Do you bloody think I’ve enjoyed staying away?You know, Mason, before I used to think you refused to see your best friend for the psycho she truly is because you just really cared about her, but lately, I’ve had
MIRA The world is spinning. Yes, that should be it because that is the only suitable explanation for the dizzying feeling that rocks my world.I almost sink to the ground, barely conscious of my surroundings, but steel arms wrap around my middle and I’m aware of being held against a hard, heated chest before I’m lowered to the bed.“Mira? Baby, are you okay? How do you feel?”That soft, silky baritone snaps me from my mini swooning phase and I flinch away, registering the hurt look in his eyes as I stumble backwards.“Don’t. Don’t touch me. Please, stay away.” I can hear the note of fear in my voice and internally curse myself for it.To my relief, Mason stays on the other side of the bed and no longer makes attempts to touch me in any way.My heart thunders as I take in his now cold, closed off expression. A part of me silently begs him to debunk the bomb he just dropped, to tell me that this is all some weird ass joke.He doesn’t. Instead, he watches me closely as he backs toward
MIRAMy temples begin to ache from the barrage of information I’ve just been dealt with and I massage them with trembling fingers.I barely register as Mason moves from his perch on the edge of the bed and crouches before.I feel the gentle pressure of his hands against mine and my eyes fly open, surprised at our close proximity.His beautiful eyes are narrowed with concern as he stares intently at me.“Baby? Are you okay?” He inquires softly.Without thinking, I flinch away from him, not looking long enough to see the hurt in his eyes at my obvious rejection.I’m too busy try to get a grip on my scattered emotions.“Don’t do that, Mira. Please.” He groans, his words tugging at the strings of my heart.I desperately want to fall into his arms and reassure him that everything will be okay between us. I desperately want to climb into bed with him, hold him close and forget everything he’s just said, but my troubled soul is not onboard with that plan. At all.“So all this time, Halloway
MASON – TEN YEARS AGO“Sir, Miss Hayley is here to see you.” I look up from the mass of papers on my desk to find my secretary leaning against the door.“Excuse me?”“Miss Hayley. She just arrived. Should I send her in?”I lean back in my seat, waiting for the stroke of excitement that usually fills me whenever I hear her name… but I feel nothing this time. My heart is cold and empty and the thought of Hayley coming here just fills me with unease.Apparently noticing my sour expression, my secretary hurriedly backtracks.“Sir, I could inform her that you’re in a meeting. That is if…”I give her an odd look. I appreciate her concern but I do not like my secretary harbouring thoughts that she can help my situation in any way.“No, Rachel. I wouldn’t want you to lie to my best friend. Send her in.”Rachel lowers her head, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment and I instantly feel like the greatest of all jerks. The poor woman was only trying to help me and I threw it back in her face.M
MIRAI’m pretty sure Mason has gone psycho ever since my “little admission” a few hours ago. I’m currently huddled under a blanket in his living room with Vanessa, while Mason and Damon are both staring at us like we’re atomic bombs waiting to explode.“Hayley is dead… I just know it.” Damon mutters, frustration evident in his tone.“Well, where’s her goddamn body then?” Vanessa asks. “I’m telling you that Mira is definitely right in her suspicions. That bitch, Halloway is hiding something, and I can vouch for the weird queen we saw sitting beside her in that torture room. I saw her with my own eyes! And she had a scar on one half of her face. She also had an uncanny resemblance to Halloway. Can someone please explain that?”Mason stops his pacing and leans across the bar, those intense blue orbs fixed intensely on me, making my insides melt.He hasn’t touched me nor even looked at me since Vanessa and Damon got here. And weirdly, I want him to.I did not envision him being halfway a
MIRA Rage. Yes, that’s the only way I can deal with this pain. That’s the only way I want to deal with it.Tears cascade down my cheeks as I run to the master bedroom. My heart is full and heavy. I feel broken, completely shattered.Just when I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel for us, Mason has done it again. I laid myself bare. I cut myself open for him and all he did was continue to take that bitch’s side. My heart twists and burns with hatred…and something darker. Something so potent, so venomous, I nearly choke from it.I slam the room door closed, brushing impatiently at the tears that blur my vision. The combination of pain, rage and sorrow within me makes it almost difficult to breathe.I do not even realise when I fall on my knees. I lift my head to the heavens and open my mouth in a silent scream, hoping the anguish within me can escape as well.It doesn’t work. Nothing works. Instead, my bruised heart only tightens further.I look around the room, not s