I messaged Andrei about Ava's whereabouts. She and Sofiya were at the beach, sunbathing. The image of Ava in that skimpy bikini flashed through my mind and I groaned. Fucking hell. I quickly walked to the beach. Andrei was sitting on a hammock, reading a book while Ava and Sofiya were sleeping on beach chairs. Ava was on her front, the back of her bikini top undone, and the bottom had become a damn thong. I gulped. I took a seat beside her and draped a towel over her ass. "Ava," I gently called, trying to wake her up. She jerked awake and looked around. She relaxed when she realized it was me. I chuckled at her reaction. "What are you doing, Nikolai?" she grumbled, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her skin had turned darker because of the sun. It was not the same creamy, rosy-white complexion I had come to love - the pale colour that easily showed when she blushed. Her skin was sunburnt and I was sure it would hurt later. I tied the top strings on her bikini and she turned around and

Nikolai "Hello, Love." I smiled at her as I entered the kitchen. "Hello, Nikolai, here is your breakfast." Ava smiled at me and placed a plate of omelettes on the counter for me. "I want you to do something, Ava," I told her while she made more omelettes. "What do you want me to do?" she asked as she turned off the stove and turned around to give me her full attention. "I want you to start handling the kitchen," I told her seriously. I had thought about it and it seemed perfect. She liked cooking and this way, she would learn what it meant to be in charge of something and to be responsible for it. "I don't think I can do it," she replied, looking at me with scared eyes. "You love cooking; you know everything about it. You don't have to cook for everyone every day. The maids will do that for you. You just have to manage everything." It was the perfect start. "I'm not the right person. Sofiya handles everything and she is good at it," she whispered pleadingly. "You can do it bet

Avalyn"Avalyn, wake up." I heard Master's command and my eyes shot open. I saw my real Master looking at me with worry in his grey eyes. I took a deep breath. My saviour had saved me. He was gone. I was safe. Maste- Nikolai wiped my ears and gave me a wobbly, trembling smile. That made me cry more. "Come with me," Nikolai said, pulling my hand and making me stand up. Then he took some blankets with him and started walking, holding my hand. I didn't ask questions. I followed him. I trusted him. We were walking towards the end of the beach and I frowned. It was cold there and I had worn hardly any clothing. He placed a huge bedsheet on the sand and sat on it, tapping the space next to him, motioning for me to sit. He wrapped the blanket around us once I settled next to him. "Whenever I feel sad, like when I miss my mom, I come here. The vastness of the ocean and the sky reminds me of how small I am, how small my problems are compared to other people, compared to you," he whispered

I used to sit by idly like a useless pet. I had witnessed a lot of my loved ones die, but not anymore. I saw two jeeps cruise down the road and, after a few more shots, it went dead silent. I still didn't move; I was not sure what happened. My heart was beating so fast that I could hear it. I tried to calm myself, but it was of no use. I just wanted Master to be safe. I wanted him alive. Tears formed in my eyes at the thought of something happening to him, at the thought of never seeing him again. I brushed them away, not wanting them to blur my vision. This is not the time to cry! I couldn't see anything from my position when I heard the two cars start. I prepared myself to shoot again if anyone came near me, but then I saw Master walking down the road, towards me, not bothering to hide from the jeeps, and I knew they were his own men. Everything was done. He was safe. I quickly stood up from behind the car, ran towards Master, and jumped on him, hugging him to me. He had caught me

Avalyn I was coughing too much. The burning sensation in my lungs was dimming. Then suddenly, I felt air fill my lungs and I woke up with a gasp. I saw Master's concerned face looming right above mine. He was drenched. He was the one who had pulled me out of the water then. Why did he save me? Did he really care? "Are you okay?" he asked me in that soft voice of his. No. He didn't care. He never cared to give me what I needed, but he wanted to make Natalia his slave and punish her. He was not my Master. Was I not enough for him? Did he get bored with me? Was it because I had that flashback when we tried to have sex? Did that ruin his attraction for me? Had he been with other women all along while he showered me with sweet words? All this time when he made me believe he liked me and wanted me as his Luna? Especially when I was falling in love with him. My heart could not bear more wounds. I was tired. I really, really want to give up, to die. Free will. That should include the choi