The Lycan King

He was her saviour and she was his redemption. Avalyn has been a slave of her father's murderer for eight years before he sold her off in an auction. Nikolai didn't plan on finding his mate, but now that he did, he was going to keep her, even if he had to be her mate, her master or her lover. He'll take her as she will have him. Follow Nikolai and Avalyn on their journey from being the Alpha and Luna of The Rogue Pack to becoming the Lycan King and Queen.

The Lycan King

He was her saviour and she was his redemption. Avalyn has been a slave of her father's murderer for eight years before he sold her off in an auction. Nikolai didn't plan on finding his mate, but now that he did, he was going to keep her, even if he had to be her mate, her master or her lover. He'll take her as she will have him. Follow Nikolai and Avalyn on their journey from being the Alpha and Luna of The Rogue Pack to becoming the Lycan King and Queen.

Chapter 1 1. Rescue

Nikolai 'Are you sure she is here?' Alexander asked me through the mind-link as we walked down the dimly lit hallway. 'Yes. My men have found her,' I replied. I wouldn't be wasting my time like this if I wasn't sure. Alex was an old friend of mine. He was a part of my pack before he met his mate and joined the Wintercrown Pack. And now he needed to rescue his mate before she got auctioned off. Apparently, there was an attack on his pack. The attackers were unknown but they stole a lot of money and kidnapped quite a few females. Their Alpha was killed and his twenty-year-old son had to take over as the new Alpha. Too many lives were lost and the pack was too unstable without an experienced Alpha to save their females. The new Alpha, Zain, made the right decision to cut his losses and focus on stabilizing the pack instead of potentially risking getting into a war. So, Alex approached me. And there we were, in New York, halfway across the world from the supernatural island Jiv, the land I called home. 'I want to kill them all.' ' You will not cause a fight,' I replied sharply. He wasn’t thinking straight. Having a mate does that to you. 'We will get her and then get out. You pay for her right now; I'll have it wired back to you in a week or so. Remember—one mistake and she is gone forever.' He grunted. "Please, Alpha Volkov, enter," the man leading us through the establishment said and opened the door in front of us. And I did. Alex and my brothers followed me. The door led us into a large, open-plan warehouse-like section with high ceilings and no windows. The difference was that instead of goods, this warehouse housed slaves. And at that moment, they were in barred cages of approximately four by eight feet. The establishment was strategically lit so that the light from the chandeliers shined on the slaves brightly enough to make them a hundred percent visible and keep the visitors walking around in the shadows. ' Go find her ,' I mind-linked Alex. With a nod, he left. Mikhail and Vladimir followed him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. A particularly unique smell hit my nose and I began walking in its direction. I kept my senses on high alert. As an Alpha, I was invited, but as the Alpha of Rogues, I was not welcome there. The humans in the cages were between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four, of varying sizes, colours, and levels of training. A tabled stand was placed next to each cage and on it was their description, the key to their cage, and a leash. We could pick and choose the slave that we wanted according to our preferences. Once we picked one, we had to use the key to unlock the cage and then leash them, claiming them as ours. Next is the payment stage and then, there is an 'after-party'. The scent led me towards the end of the warehouse where there were barely any visitors. She was short. Even on a slightly elevated level, she didn't reach my chin. Her long, dark hair grazed the top of her ass. Her back was facing me and I already liked what I saw. "Turn around," I ordered, wanting to see more. She froze, her heartbeat sped up before she slowly turned around. My breath caught in my throat. Only one word came to my mind that had the potential to capture even a slice of the wholesomeness of her beauty. Heavenly . She looked like the Moon Goddess had spent some extra time to carve her out. Her eyes were downcast, her back straight and body still with her hands behind her back. She was very well trained, no doubt. I had the sudden urge to have her look at me. She was undeniably beautiful, pure, and innocent— she was someone who didn't belong here. And for some reason, I wanted to take her away from that place and shield her from the ugliness. "Look at me," I ordered and her lips parted. Her eyes snapped up and I inhaled sharply. I stopped breathing for a second. They were the most beautiful chocolate brown-coloured eyes. Those dark, alluring eyes called out to me. I never wanted to look away from them. I wanted her attention, her eyes on me and only me. The combination of her doe-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, small nose, plump lips, and pointy chin made an unforgettable face. I never participated in these kinds of events and nor did I buy slaves. But the moment her eyes locked with mine, I could not imagine walking out of that place without her. I knew I would regret it. Her hair covered most of her front but it was easy to tell that she had a nice set of breasts and a flat stomach and a curvaceous ass. But upon a closer look, she looked malnourished. I took a step closer to her, stepping out of the shadows so that she would be able to see me too. She instinctively shuffled backward, until her back hit the bars behind her. She looked terrified. No shit she did. But she didn't need to be afraid of me. Hell, as long as I was there, she didn't need to be afraid of anybody . "What is your name?" I tried asking softly, yet it felt grating to my ears. "I have no name. Master called me ‘pet’," she said softly. She had the softest, most melodic voice I had ever heard. What the fuck? Pet? Seriously? "What was your name before you were brought here?" I said, barely controlling my anger. I didn't want to scare her. When she didn't reply, a growl tore from my mouth. She trembled at that. Fuck! I needed to control my temper. "Avalyn," she whispered so softly that I would have lost it if it hadn't been for my heightened senses. My hands gripped the bars of her cage and she looked at me like I was going to reach in and eat her whole. I wanted to, but not the way she was thinking. "Avalyn," I repeated, her name rolling off my tongue so effortlessly that it felt like I had been saying it all my life. She bit down on her bottom lip. "Don't," I whispered, easily reaching in and taking it out from between her teeth, and then confessed, "it makes me want to bite your lip too." Instinctively, she jumped a bit in shock, and then for some reason, her eyes squeezed shut in pain. I immediately retracted my hand and scanned her for any source of pain or discomfort. The only thing she was wearing was an awful leather collar. It looked a bit tight and it must have dug in her neck when she jumped. "Come ‘ere," I murmured. "Let me get rid of that for you." Her eyes, which seemed like the windows to her soul, reflected surprise and then hope. Slowly and unsurely, she moved closer to me. I reached in. My hands brushed the side of her neck and her soft hair to reach the back of her neck and undo the clasp. "Nikolai," Andrei murmured. It was quiet and barely audible. But it was enough to snap me out of it and realize where we were. "I can't remove it here, but I will loosen it so that it doesn't hurt you," I said and loosened it so that instead of choking her throat, it rested loosely on the base of her neck. "Thank you, Master," she whispered, gently rubbing her throat, which had reddened a bit. "I want you to be mine, Ava," I told her honestly. "I want you to come home with me." I heard some footsteps that were heading towards us but I ignored them. I focused on Ava. "Do you want to be mine?" I wanted her, but not against her will. Her lips parted in shock. Of course, she was. Masters didn't ask slaves for anything, certainly not for permission to own them. Her eyes slid past me and fear built in them. "...key isn't there. I looked everywhere, even checked her entire body, but she didn't take it.""Are you certain, Alpha Alphonso? All the keys are in their place. It isn't possible." The footsteps were growing closer and closer. I quickly glanced towards her stand. The key was right beside it. They thankfully weren't talking about her. "Avalyn," I called her name and her tear-filled eyes fell on me. "I'm talking about her." They were a couple of feet away. "Her key is right there, Alpha Alphonso.""Impossible," he muttered under his breath before he headed towards us. Dammit . I kept my eyes on Ava. She looked into my eyes like I had all the answers in the world. And then she gave me a nod. "Yes, Master." Her voice was soft yet firm. I saw a hand try to reach for the key out of the corner of my eye. For my Ava's key. I darted my hand out and grabbed it right before he could. The employee swore under his breath, knowing there was going to be a pissing match. "She's mine," Alphonso declared. I turned around and pinned him with a glare, my wolf restless at his declaration. "The fuck she is.""I saw her first. I chose her first.""Alpha Vo-" The employee turned apologetic. Of course, he would side with him. He was the Alpha of 'real' wolves whereas I was the Alpha of rogues. I looked at the employee and cut off his poor attempt at making peace. "The rules clearly state that the one who takes the key first, unlocks the cage, and leashes the slave, will be the owner of that slave. Provided they pay for them. If a dim-witted individual with bad vision cannot locate a fucking key, then it is not my concern.""Are you calling me dim-wi–""That is your assumption, I did not say your name." I cut him off. His face flushed with anger while I remained impassive. "If you want, we can settle it right here." I flicked my claw out with a smirk. Both of us knew that I would win. You don't become the Alpha of Rogues just like that. Unlike the rest of the packs, bloodline did not determine who would be our Alpha. I had fought and won against several wolves to become the Alpha of The Rogue Pack. And that required raw power and real skill. "New York is common ground for all packs. Fighting here is prohibited by the High Council," the employee reminded us, looking worried. "I am letting this one go only because I am a law-abiding wolf, unlike you,” Alphonso said, like that was supposed to be an insult, and then left. I would shoot myself in the ass before following the High Council's rules. "Apologies for that." The employee lowered his head before leaving. I unlocked Ava's cage and noticed that she was crying. "Why are you crying?" I was so confused. "I… I am sorry that you had to face him," she whimpered. "I am so-sorry for attracting him." I quickly unlocked the cage and extended my hand to help her out and tried really hard to reign in my temper at the same time. I needed to make a list of all her previous Masters and kill them very, very slowly. "We barely exchanged two sentences to each other, Ava. It wasn't a big deal." I assured her, but she didn't seem convinced. "His name is literally Mango. You don't face them, you chop them up and then eat them. Or if they are rotten like he is, you throw them out." She bit her lip, looking slightly amused. "And you are an extremely beautiful woman. It isn't your fault that men are attracted to you." "It isn't?" She looked shocked by that revelation. "It isn't," I confirmed, still holding out my hand for her. Timidly, she placed her hand in mine and, slowly, she walked out until she was standing right in front of me. I suddenly questioned her motives. Did she say yes just so that she didn't have to go with Mango or did she really want to come home with me and be mine? "Did you say yes because you wanted to or because you had to?" I hated guessing games. "Be honest." She looked me in my eyes and with complete earnestness, she replied, "Because I want you to be my Master." I believed her. "Good," I said and tucked the thick, dark hair that was shielding her face behind her ear. My breath hitched in my throat. She was utterly beautiful, more so up close. Purity and innocence radiated off her. How she stayed that way in such a place, I had no clue. Everything about her called out to me. She was like an angel. I wanted to free her yet bind her to me. I wanted to let her have her innocence yet fuck her until she went limp in my arms. I wanted her to love me. I wanted the angel to love the beast. So I was going to play this angel to the beast's tunes. Her fate was sealed the second I saw her. There was no freedom from me now. My wolf was happy too. But what confused me was that she wasn't my mate, yet I felt that with her. "I will take you away from here. You will be free, Ava," I said, my thumb caressing her cheek. She sighed and leaned into my palm like a kitten. She was fucking perfect. I was going to be her savior and she was going to be mine. You will be free from this kind of life, but never from me. You are mine! I cupped her chin and made her look up at me again. I lowered my head until our lips were inches away. Her eyes lowered to my lips before her tongue snaked out to wet her own. Fuck . She wanted it too. But I needed verbal consent. "Do you want me to kiss you?" I whispered and she nodded, her eyes on my lips. "Speak," I murmured my order. "Yes, Master," she breathed. I closed the gap and captured her full lips. She froze before kissing back. I kept the kiss soft and gentle, not forcing her, yet showing her who was in power, who owned her, not only her body but her heart, mind, and soul. "Do you feel it too?" I asked, tearing my mouth from hers. She had to feel the spark, the connection I felt with her. She gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod. It might not have been mate pull but I didn't give a shit. It was something I was not willing to let go of. This angel in front of me was perfect and she was mine. "Alpha." Andrei's quiet voice brought me out of my daze and I shook my head to clear it. The kiss was really something. "I want her back, Volkov." I heard someone snap. So this was what Andrei was warning me about. I turned around, shifting so that I covered Ava entirely. Of course, it had to be Emilio González, the Alpha of the Montaña Pack. I fucking hated this prick. "She is mine," I growled out, making my blood hum louder. "You haven't paid for her yet and she was mine before she even got here," he growled, but I heard the slight tremble in his voice. His blood wasn't as strong as mine. I was a full-blooded Alpha and he was a Beta by blood. I also decided to make a hitlist of all of her previous Masters and Emilio Gonzales was right on top. "You shouldn't have sent her here if you didn't want to sell her," I growled out. I couldn't stand this fucking asshole. I knew he wanted her back just because I had bought her. It was always a competition with him. "You haven't leashed her yet, nor have you paid for her. She is free in a public area, wearing a nameless collar, and is around two people who want her. She is fair game, Rogue." Dammit. He was not wrong about that part. I was too busy taking in her beauty and forgot the most important part. He moved so that he could see her and then extended his hand as if he was going to grab her. "You touch her and you’re dead," I threatened in a low, menacing voice. He glared at me but retracted his hand. "Come here, pet!" he dared to order my Ava. She was trembling again, confused about what to do. "She is mine now, Gonzalez. Tread carefully," I said, standing in front of her, covering her naked form again and making sure she didn't follow the piece of shit's order over mine. The employee came rushing towards us. Having bloodshed there would be terrible for the business and they would probably ban me forever, but I didn't care. Ava was coming home with me, one way or another. "You sold her to us, Alpha Gonzalez," the employee reminded him. "And I want her back!" Emilio snapped at him. "I want her!" he said furiously as his eyes shifted from the employee to me. "You are not even an Alpha, Nikolai Volkov! You lead a pack of fucking rogues and claim yourself to be The Alpha of Rogues. You are nothing but the Alpha of sheep!" "I am more of an Alpha than you can ever be, Gonzalez. Watch your words, Beta. You might just start a war you can’t finish," I hissed. I would not tolerate disrespect, nor did I suffer fools. He gulped but didn't say anything. When he saw an audience forming, he smiled widely. "Let's make her choose." I knew it was one of his mind games, but he did not know how I had felt more for Ava than just lust. It was a connection that bound us and, from what I understood, she felt the same. It was time to teach that fucker a long-overdue lesson. "Come to me, pet. We will go back home to our pack. I'll forget everything and start fresh. No punishment for attracting him. You know all my rules, likes and dislikes. It is easy for you to do the right thing. He is the Alpha of Rogues. The same pack that caused us so much grief." I had been confident up until then. But when he said that, Ava's face shifted and she lowered her eyes. "They are cruel. You know this. And you want to go with their Alpha, the cruelest of them all? Don't be stupid. Come on, let's go home, pet." My reputation did precede me. And for the first time, I did not like it. He extended his hand to grab her but I caught it before it could touch her. I looked at her. "What is your choice, Avalyn?" Yes, they may have had a history that would work in his favor. It could influence her decision. It was natural to choose the familiar. But it had to be her choice. Her breath hitched before she looked up at him and then me. "You. I choose you." I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. "You fucking slut," he growled, about to lunge at her. "Enough," Andrei was in front of us in a flash. "Leave before you make a bigger fool of yourself." I glared at Gonzalez. He  was still looking at Ava in anger. I let out a little growl. The moment he looked at me, his eyes flashed with fear and I knew he was done fighting. I took out my checkbook, glanced at the information stand, and wrote a check for a million dollars, which was more than twice the price they had asked. "Here. We will be leaving right away." I tossed it at the employee before grabbing Ava's hand and leading her out of there. As soon as we were out of the establishment, I shrugged off my jacket and made her wear it. We walked to my car. Vladimir, Mikhail, Alex, and Belle were already in their seats, with her sleeping in Alex's lap. "Is she okay?" I asked him. He nodded without a word. We were staying at a hotel that night and then finally leaving the following morning to go back home to Jiv. The drive to the hotel wasn't long. Good. Ava needed proper clothes. She seemed uncomfortable during our short trip from the hotel lobby to my suite, but I made sure to hold her hand until we were inside my suite, silently letting her know that I was there for her. The first thing I did when we reached our room was to rip apart her collar. "You are done wearing these things, got it?" I asked and she nodded. "Words," I demanded. I liked hearing her voice. "Yes, Master," she replied, looking pleased with my order. "Let's take a shower now, go to the bathroom, and wait for me," I told Ava. She ran to the washroom, rushing to please me. I had to do something. I wanted her to be normal, to have a normal life. Yet I also wanted her to live with me, a werewolf, and let me claim her. I wanted to free her yet still wanted her to stay in my cage. I wanted to command her yet give her freedom of choice. She belonged in heaven yet I wanted her to stay in hell with me. She was innocent and my wolf wanted to taint her forever so she wouldn't leave me. She was doomed to stay with me now; there was no escaping me.

Chapter 2 2. Mission Accomplished

Nikolai ' Arrange for a dress by tomorrow morning and have the room service send in some foo d,' I mind-linked Vladimir. ' Yes, Alpha,' he replied. I took out my laptop and got to work. Ten minutes in, Ava stepped out. She had a towel wrapped around herself. Her hair was still wet and for some reason, that turned me on. "Come here," I said and she bit her lip before walking over to me. She stood in front of me nervously and I took a whiff. My nose crinkled as I smelled the faint stench of that place and of Gonzalez. "Again," I told her. She looked a bit confused. "Go shower again," I clarified. "Yes, Master," she whispered and went back into the bathroom. I continued my work. This time, she took twenty minutes to bathe herself before she stepped out. "Come here," I told her. She shuffled closer to me and I took a deep whiff. The smell of that place was almost gone but I could still smell Gonzalez. Both my wolf and I hated the smell of another man on her. It simply wouldn’t do. "Again." Her lips parted in shock but she nodded. "As you wish, Master," she said and went back to the bathroom. I sent her to shower again two more times before tears rose in her eyes. "What is it, Ava?" I was alarmed. Why the fuck was she crying? "Do you not like my smell, Master?" she asked in a small voice. Oh, fucking hell. Of course, she didn't know why I was making her do that. She was a human. Her sense of smell was not as strong as a supernatural's. "Of course I do. It's Gonzalez's smell on you that I don't like. My wolf and I  cannot stand the smell of him on you." Understanding dawned on her face. "I will do my best to get rid of it, Master," she said and went back into the bathroom. The next time she stepped out, I could see that she had scrubbed her skin raw. She had red marks all over her body. She came close to me and I took a whiff. The faint smell of Gonzalez was still present. "It's still there," I let her know. She looked disappointed as she turned around to walk back to the bathroom. I felt kind of bad. "Ava," I grabbed her hand. She looked back at me questioningly. "If you do not mind it, I could bathe you. It will spread my scent all over you and his smell would be masked. Only if you don't mind." She chewed on her lip and her face turned red. "I... I would like it, Master.""Go on in. I'll join you in a minute." I needed a moment to calm the fuck down. I didn't know what the fuck I was thinking when I made the offer. I was soon going to have my hands all over her. I prayed to the Moon Goddess to give me some self-control. I took off my shoes, entered the bathroom, and saw Ava standing straight, her hands at her sides and her head bowed down. She stiffened when she heard me come in. I took her hand in mine and led her to the shower area. I turned on the shower towards the warmer side — enough to warm her up quickly but not to the point that it’d burn her fragile skin. She was naked and I was fully clothed. I could feel that she was getting self-conscious about her nakedness and I wanted to change that. It wasn't fair. So I stripped out of my clothes. She kept staring at my body with an appreciative gaze. Her eyes fell on my dick, which was quickly getting hard. "The most beautiful woman I have ever seen is naked in front of me. I'm going to bathe her and she is looking at me with appreciation. I cannot not react, Ava. But that doesn't mean that anything is going to happen," I told her and she relaxed a bit. She looked down at herself and her lips tugged down. I suspected that she had body image issues. We would work on it soon enough. Her hands slowly shifted to cover herself but I could see that she was fighting the urge to do so. Masters didn't usually like it when their slaves hid their bodies from them. I didn't buy her to be my slave, though. I bought her to free her. Equality was a part of that package. She had clearly gotten used to the life of a slave over a very long time. And knowing Gonzalez, he would've had a shit ton of rules for Ava and would’ve punished her for the smallest of mistakes. Unlearning was often more difficult than learning, so I decided to take it slow. No rules and no structure could make her doubt every single thing she did and give her anxiety. The best course of action was to give her a new set of rules and then slowly take them away until she became a free-thinking, independent individual. And for that, I needed her to trust me and be comfortable around me. Which shouldn't be hard. My wolf was confused but deep down, I knew she was my mate. How? I don't know. I just knew. "I'm going to bathe you. I want to remove the touch of every person who has touched you. You are only allowed to know and remember my touch," I told her so she knew what to expect, and because I was a possessive bastard who didn't like that she had the scent of another male on her. I also wanted her to know that I could touch her without attacking her or without it leading to sex. Intimate touch could be non-sexual. I wanted her to know that. She nodded. "Yes, Master," she whispered. First I took some shampoo and washed her hair thoroughly, massaged her scalp, and then rinsed it off. I could feel the tension releasing from her body as time went on. The more I touched her without inflicting any sort of pain, without it being sexual, the more she relaxed. Next, I took the soap in my hands and rubbed it until my hands were all soapy. I wanted to touch her, feel her, so I didn't use a washcloth. I started with her shoulders, then her hands, and then her chest. I didn't let my hands linger anywhere. I washed her flat stomach, her back, her voluptuous ass, her legs, and then between her legs, drawing a beautiful gasp from her mouth. I rinsed off the soap from my hands before I rubbed her body underwater again, rinsing off the soap. Again, I didn't linger anywhere. I wanted her to know I wasn't taking advantage of her, only taking care of my mate. Well, plausible mate. "Close your eyes," I said and took the face wash, applying it with a gentleness I didn't know I was capable of. I applied it on her neck too, before rinsing it off. I was satisfied with the way I had cleaned her. I made sure to cover every square inch of her beautiful body. I washed away every single touch and every other scent. She only smelled of me, soap, and herself. When she opened her eyes and looked at me, I saw a sparkle of respect and admiration. She knew she was in good hands. Mission accomplished. "Why don't you step out and dry yourself? I'll be right out," I told her. "Yes, Master," she replied. "Rule number one. You will call me by my name. Nikolai," I told her. I wanted to hear her say my name. Her breath hitched and her lips parted in surprise. "Yes, Nikolai," she said so softly that I hardly heard it, even with my enhanced hearing. Fuck . I wanted to hear her moan my name. Patience, asshole. But she didn't step out. It seemed like she wanted to say something but was hesitating. "What is it, Ava?" I asked. "Could… may I… bathe you too?" she asked hesitantly. "I would like to return your very gracious favour." Fuck my life. My original plan was to jerk off, get rid of this painful boner, and then have dinner with her. But there was no way I was going to pass up on an opportunity like that. "Yes," I replied. With more confidence than I had seen in her yet, she took the shampoo and stood on her toes to reach the top of my head. It was going to be impossible. She barely reached my shoulders. I bent down to her level and she quickly scrubbed my hair before rinsing it off. I stayed hunched until she washed my face as well. I finally stood upright after she was done. She took the soap and rubbed it on her hands. She placed them on my chest, cleaning it first. I stood still as she rubbed her hands all over my body, circling around me to rub my back as well. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. She got down to her knees and then washed my legs thoroughly. My dick was throbbing by that point. After she was done, she stood up and circled me, standing in front of me. Her eyes fell on my fully erect dick and she bit her lip. She looked nervous. That much seemed enough for her. "It's fine. I'll finish up. Go dry yourself off and wear one of my shirts from my bag, alright?" She looked at me in disbelief. She looked like she wanted to see if it was all a game. "We will have dinner once I'm done," I said and, unable to help myself, I bent down to place a soft, small kiss on her lips. She gasped and nodded before she left the shower stall. I saw her use the towel to dry off before she stepped out. I jerked myself off as I stood under cold water. I placed my hand against the tiled wall and tried to calm myself. Why was I so damn attracted to her? Why was I so fucking horny when it came to her? Why was she turning me on unlike any other woman has ever been able to? I hated not knowing. Who the fuck didn’t know if a person was their mate or not? Shaking my head, I turned off the water and stepped out, rubbing myself dry with a towel and wrapping it around my waist. Ava was kneeling on the floor, zipping up my bag. She was wearing a white shirt of mine that made her look tiny and cute. She quickly stood up and turned around to face me. "I owe you an apology, Master," she said quietly and bowed down. "You gave me a task. I failed you.""How?" What the hell was she talking about? "I failed to remove another man's smell and you had to bathe me yourself. I am sorry for the inconvenience, Master." I saw her lips tug up a bit. It was barely there but it was an improvement. But then there she went, calling me Master again. I could accept the fact that I liked it. But I also wanted to hear her say my name. "What was the rule?" I  arched my brow. "To call you by your name. Nikolai." She bit her lip. I nodded. "Good. Use it. And you did not fail me. You did your best and that is always going to be enough for me. And trust me, this was not an inconvenience. On the contrary, it was a pleasure.""Thank you. But you like it when I call you Master," she said, her eyes on mine, a slight blush rising on her cheeks. So my little Ava had caught that. "Do you?" I cocked my head. She needed to start making her own choices. She nodded. "Words, Ava," I reminded her. "Yes, I really like calling you Master." I could hear the desperation in her voice for me to let her call me Master. I liked it. "You will only do so when we are alone, never when anyone else is around," I told her seriously, making sure she understood. The last thing I wanted was for her her to feel like a normal human slave. She wasn't a slave. And from what I could feel, she wasn't a human either. She almost felt like one, but that was because her wolf was too weak. "Yes, Master." She smiled slightly. I wanted to see her smile. I wanted to hear her laugh. And I wanted to be the reason for both of them. That shocked me. Was she my mate or not? Towards the end of dinner, her eyes started drooping and her shoulders slumped. I looked down at her plate. It was almost empty and she was playing with the rest of her food. She probably wasn't used to eating that much. "Let's sleep, Ava."  We could talk later too. I took off the towel and wore a clean set of boxer briefs for her sake instead of sleeping naked like I usually do. I slid inside the blanket, turned off the main light and switched on a dim, yellow light, in case Ava was scared of the dark. I turned around and saw that the bed was still empty. Ava was looking around. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Get in bed.""The bed?" she squeaked, her eyes still wide. "Yes. Next to me, where you should be," I told her, meaning every word. Fuck her not being my mate. I wanted her to be mine and that was good enough. Taking small steps, she walked closer to the bed, looking at it like a kid would look at a toy that she really wanted but never got before. My heart squeezed tight when she slowly sat down on the mattress and it sank in slightly beneath her weight. A small smile spread across her lips as her hands felt the soft bed. It made me realize that I took a lot of things in my life for granted. It felt good to know that one day, Ava would use things like these without giving them a single thought. I pulled open the blanket for her, silently waiting for her to get in. She chewed on her bottom lip and looked at me with a shy gaze. I smiled. She looked fucking adorable all shy like that. She slid inside the blanket and I heard her heartbeat quicken at our proximity. "Can I hold you?" I whispered quietly. She answered my question by wiggling closer to me. Her left arm touched my right arm and like a fucking teenager, I got excited that she willingly touched me and wanted me to touch her. Hold her. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me. That's when I realized that the t-shirt she had worn had ridden up, probably when she wiggled closer to me. She turned on her side and her small hand rested on mine before she gently grabbed it. I wanted to pump my fist in the air and celebrate that. She moved again and her ass was pressed up to my front and an involuntary groan escaped the back of my throat. That was how I wanted to sleep every night. She was so innocent. She didn't even know the allure she had. I was going to free her from her cage and then tie her down to me, in hell. She was becoming my obsession and I would be her salvation.

Chapter 3 3. Bad Dream

Nikolai I got up early and made good use of the hotel's fitness center. I was in there for two good hours before I made my way back to the suite. I wondered if Ava was awake. How would she react to finding me gone? I had Andrei stand guard at the door so that no one except me could enter. And so that she wouldn't run away. I was sure she wouldn't do that, especially after last night, but I didn't want to take any chances when we were on foreign soil. "Any movement?" Maybe she had tried to leave but found Andrei and changed her plans. Or maybe his presence made her anxious. Hopefully he assured her that I was coming back. I should have left a note. "Nope. She's probably still sleeping. It must have been a long night for her," he replied. As always, his face was impassive when he was on duty but his eyes reflected a mix of concern and agitation. Concern for Ava and anger at the situation we found her in. She didn't deserve it. I nodded. "Thanks, you can take a break. We leave in an hour." I entered the suite and went straight to the bedroom. Ava was still sleeping, the blanket cocooning her. Cute . Quietly, I turned around and walked into the bathroom. I stripped out of my sweaty clothes before stepping into the shower area. I was taking a shower when I heard her enter. I looked over only to catch her looking at me shyly from the corner of her eye. I grinned and she quickly looked away, blushing. She started brushing her teeth and I finished my shower, both of us stealing glances at one another. By the time I stepped out, she was waiting for me with a towel in her hand. I took it and wrapped it around my waist, mainly to cover my boner. I felt the scorching heat of her gaze on my skin. She was staring at my chest and abs. And the drops of water rolling down my skin. Her cheeks pinked and I smelled a hint of arousal on her. I noticed that her hands were clenched into fists. I decided to have a bit of fun with her. “You’re staring,” I stated. Her blush deepened and her eyes snapped up to look into mine. She was about to say something but she fell silent instead. Her lips parted and her pupils dilated. I was quite enjoying the effect I was having on her. I wanted more. I bent down and her face tilted up as if she was expecting me to kiss her. But I didn’t. I moved past her lips and whispered in her ear, “You can look and touch.” I heard a slight hitch in her breath. With slow, unsteady moves, she raised her hands to rest them on my shoulder. I froze. I felt like she would stop touching me if I moved. Our eyes made contact and I noticed that she had small gold flecks in her irises. Beautiful. She lowered them, then her hands. They slid down my collar bone and rested on my pecs. I felt the slight twitch of the muscles in her palms. She was trying to feel more without having to be any more obvious. Or bolder. I wondered if she realized that my heart was beating faster. Her hands moved again before they came to rest on my abs. My muscles tensed. This time, instead of trying to feel me by keeping her hands in one spot, she slowly and gently moved her hands up and down, feeling the ridges and indentations. Goosebumps rose on my skin and I saw the corners of her lips curve up. She looked up and her eyes widened slightly. I couldn’t control myself. I snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against me. A small squeak escaped her and her hands dug into my skin. I bent down and captured her delicious full lips. I felt no need to hurry. I took my time. We had all the time in the world after all. The kiss was slow and gentle and passionate. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since my eyes rested on this beautiful woman and she had already monopolized my thoughts. She made me feel things I thought I was incapable of feeling and do things I believed I was too much of a monster to do. I suddenly tasted the salty taste of tears. I pulled back and realized that she had tears running down her cheeks. "What is it, Ava?" I asked softly. My heart clenched tight. I couldn't stand her tears, whatever the cause. She quickly wiped them away and shook her head. "What is it, Ava?" I demanded quietly in my Master-tone, knowing she would have to  answer me that time. I needed to know the source of her pain so I could do something about it. "I’m just so grateful for you. I’m so happy," she whispered. Fucking hell. That was the last thing I was expecting. "Get used to it, my Ava. You’re going to be just as happy for the rest of your life.” I smiled, and then kissed her forehead. I would sort out the mate deal later. Ava might or might not have been my mate but I knew that she was a perfect fit for me. She was my exact opposite - sweet, caring, and submissive. Had I been paired with someone like me, we would have driven each other crazy. Her deep brown eyes looked into mine as if she didn't know what to make of me. I winked at her and then smirked. I was never letting this angel go; she was bound to me forever. She may have escaped the hell she was in but there was no escaping me. "We're late. We should leave," I told her. Vladimir had delivered a dress, as per my instructions. We got ready and walked downstairs, my hand wrapped around her perfect, little waist. Alexander and Isabella were already in the car with the rest of my men. "You're late," he grumbled. "Bella, meet Alpha Nikolai Volkov. He helped me find you," he introduced me, his eyes softening at her sight. "Thank you, Alpha Volkov." She gave me a smile. "You're welcome. And call me Nikolai. This is Avalyn," I nodded at her. I wanted to see how Ava would react to other people. "Hello, nice to meet you." Isabella smiled at her, extending her hand towards her. Ava looked at me and I nodded, encouraging her. "Nice to meet you too," she said shyly and shook her hand. At least she wasn't afraid of meeting other people. I wanted her to be a confident person and have friends. The ride to the airport was short. We got out of the car and walked towards my private plane. "You can take the room on the left," I told Alexander after an hour had passed. It was going to be a long flight; they might as well get comfortable. He picked up a sleeping Isabella and left. Ava was gripping the armrest, looking afraid. “Are you scared of flying?” I asked. “Yes, Master,” she whispered through clenched teeth. “If you want, I could give you some sleeping pills. You could sleep through the flight.” We had eight hours to kill. I didn’t want her to be uneasy throughout the flight. “I would like that very much, Master. Thank you,” she replied. I told the airhostess to get us some breakfast and a sleeping pill before I led Ava to the bedroom.  Ava looked around and took a seat on the bed. Ava was sitting on the bed, looking around, but her eyes peeked at me every now and then. And whenever I would catch her looking at me, the pink in her cheeks would deepen. "What is it?" I asked. It seemed like she had something on her mind. I usually found the useless chit-chat annoying, but I wanted Ava to talk. I wanted to hear her endlessly. The only time she spoke was to reply to something I said. She hadn't uttered a word otherwise. She turned shy and then asked softly, "Where are we going?" "Silverwitch Bay, Jiv Island. We are going home, Ava." I smiled at her, staring into her chocolate brown eyes. I realized that I was smiling a lot in her presence. I liked it. "Come in," I called out when I heard a knock. The air hostess came in with a cart and put the plates on the convertible desk beside the bed. "Is there anything else you need?" she asked us. Shaking my head at her dismissively, I turned back to Ava. I took her plate and began feeding her. There was a look of utmost devotion in her eyes at that moment. Life was ironic. I had bought her as my slave and now I was becoming hers. "You have not eaten anything, Master," she whispered and took the other plate in her hand, bringing a piece up to my mouth. I opened my mouth a bit wider and instead of having just the cranberry from her fingers, I bit her fingers softly too, sucking on them, my eyes trained on hers all the while. "So tasty," I moaned, smirked, and winked at her. She giggled at that. She giggled! Fuck yes! I made her laugh! I wanted to pump my hand in the air and celebrate my victory. But I held back and stared at her, taking in her pure beauty while she giggled. Her eyes sparkled and the corners crinkled. Cute dimples dug into the middle of her cheeks, making her look like an angel. Her lips turned a shade darker and her nose turned up slightly. Goddess, she looked beautiful! I made it my life's mission to make her laugh as often as I could. Her laugh was my new favourite sound. "You have a beautiful laugh," I said, brushing  a lock of hair behind her ear. She stopped laughing and froze. "Thank you," she finally breathed and relaxed. I kissed her cheek and then handed her the sleeping pill and a glass of water. “Here.” “Thank you,” she said before she placed the pill in her mouth and then chased it down with water. I kissed her lips. “Sleep well, Ava. I’ll be right outside, okay?” She nodded and then slipped inside the covers. I left her there and joined my brothers outside again. "You finally met your mate!" Mikhail clapped my back, smiling. "She is not my mate," I muttered quietly, but they heard me and fell silent. "What?" Mikhail asked. I shot him a glare. "Exactly what I said." "Then how the hell are you already so whipped?" Mikhail asked annoyingly. "Shut the fuck up," I grumbled, my hand itching to punch him. "But you wouldn't do all of this just for any girl. She has to mean something to you," Vladimir said. I nodded. "I feel a connection with her. It's like this thread that burns brightly whenever we are together." I frowned, not understanding it myself. "Maybe she is my mate. I'm not sure." "I have this theory," he started, "since she has a very faint werewolf scent." I nodded. It was the first thing I noticed about her. "It is possible that either her wolf isn't present anymore or one of her ancestors were werewolves and she was blessed with a mate." It made sense. "And because of that, you aren't sure if she is your mate or not." "I am an Alpha. The Moon Goddess wouldn't put me with an omega or a weak wolf," I said. It was the law of nature. The strongest wolf leads the pack. It's kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. Pairing me with a human who had a werewolf ancestor didn’t make sense. "Which is why I think that either her wolf is missing for some reason or the connection you feel with her is something else and you still have a mate out there." My wolf growled out loud at that. He didn't like the thought of Ava not being my mate. "We will have to do something to bring her wolf out..." he trailed. I could see the clogs of his brain working. "We need to come up with a plan. And fast. I need to know if she is my mate," I said. I didn't want to lead her on if she wasn't. At least not more than I already had. Mate or not, I cared for her and I was going to take care of her. "Consider it done," he replied. Knowing Vladimir, I didn't have to question it again. I got up and went back to my room. Ava was fast asleep, looking like a damn angel. I’d have to start believing in heaven if she really was my mate. My phone burped a text and it was an important email from Dimitri. I zipped open my laptop bag, pulled my laptop out, and turned it on. I got to work, replying to Dimitri and a few others. Several hours passed by. I had finished a major portion of my work when the airhostess made the announcement that we were about to land and that we needed to get back to our seats. “Ava, wake up.” I tried waking her up but I had no luck. “Ava,” I repeated. I tried to shake her awake but she was still deep in sleep. She actually looked cute and I didn’t really want to wake her up. So, I picked her up, carried her outside and placed her on her seat. I put her safety belt on before I took a seat beside her. Once the plane landed smoothly, I carried her outside and placed her in our car. "Thank you, Alpha Nikolai, I owe you one. Call me when you need help. I mean it." Alexander gave me a look and I got the meaning. If I ever needed intel on Wintercrown, he had me covered. As rogues, information about other packs often came in handy. "Yes, thank you so much, Alpha Nikolai," Isabella said, her voice thick with emotion. "Pleasure was all mine. Stay safe." I nodded at both of them and bid them farewell. My pleasure indeed . Had I not helped them, I couldn’t have found Ava. "Have you told Sofiya yet?" Mikhail smirked at me. "She will know once we get home." I glared at him but secretly, I was dreading the prospect. He rolled his eyes at me. That woman was going to annoy the shit out of me for not telling her before bringing Ava home.

Chapter 4 4. Home

Nikolai Ava woke up halfway through our drive home. She was disoriented for a few minutes, until she looked out of the window and got fascinated by the view. I was glad she liked it. She could go explore the land whenever she wanted to. Silverwitch Bay was beautiful and the best part about it was that most of it was under my rule, which meant no one would dare to cross me within its borders. And Ava would be safe. Soon, we reached the estate. The gates were opened and after a minute's ride, we reached the driveway. The mansion overlooked the Silverwitch Bay and I could see Ava trying to look past the palm trees towards the beach, eager to see her new home. "We can go to the beach in the evening if you want," I told her, guiding her up the entrance steps to the door. "It's beautiful there, especially at sunset.""Thank you, I would like that very much," Ava replied shyly. As soon as we reached the main doors, the guards and the slaves who were dressed appropriately as maids, as per my instructions, bowed their heads. A sign of respect. I nodded at them. "Call Dimitri," I told one of the slaves and walked to the living room. "Can't live without me for a second, can you?" Dimitri smirked, already seated on the sofa. "Report," I demanded, ignoring his previous statement. "No problems. But we may have to visit Club Lupus again though," he said, frowning. "But first things first, who is the lovely lady on your arm?" He grinned as he noticed Ava, who was almost hidden behind me. "Avalyn," I replied with a look that spoke volumes. The flirty smile was swept off his face in an instant. "Ava, meet Dimitri, my Beta," I told her softly, bringing her forward. She didn't need to hide or be intimidated by the men there. They were family. "Hello." She smiled at him. It was a stiff smile. I was rubbing circles on her waist with my thumb to calm her. "Nikolai! Why didn't you tell me? I heard you brought a girl home!" I heard an excited yell. Sofiya came rushing into the living room. "Finally a girlfriend in this boring house." She grinned and hugged Ava, who froze before looking at me. I nodded, giving her a smile. She smiled back shyly and hugged Sofiya. "Hi, I'm Sofiya, your new best friend slash sister." Sof grinned, letting go of her and extending her arm towards Ava. "I'm Avalyn," Ava smiled softly and shook his hand shyly. "Do you want to rest or do you want a tour of the Estate?" I asked Ava. "A tour, please, Nikolai," she said immediately. Her eyes shined as she looked around, fascinated by everything. "Very well. Sofiya will show you around the estate." I gave them a dismissive nod. "My office," I told my men. "Wait," Sofiya yelled again and I immediately turned around to check on Ava, looking for any sort of problem. Sofiya walked over to Vladimir and pulled him down by his tie to kiss him. I rolled my eyes. He was whipped. "Geez, no need to yell Sofiya." Dimitri rolled his eyes at his little sister and followed me to the office. I looked at my most trusted men - my Beta, Dimitri, my Head Tracker, Mikhail, my Head of Arms, Andrei, and my Advisor, Vladimir. I trusted them with my life. I was sworn to protect them and they were sworn to protect me. They were my brothers, my family by choice. Who says blood is thicker than water when your own father kills your mother? They were my real family - the Volkovs. "We have to bring the Montana Pack down." One by one, I was going to kill the bastards who had owned Ava and tried to break her. The light in her shone so brightly. It was needed in this world. Without it, something would be missing. I was just thankful to the Moon Goddess that she wasn’t completely broken. Because I'd made it my life's mission to save her. Avalyn Sofiya was my friend. The first one I made after so many years. She was smart, happy, and complete - something I was not. I was broken and used. A whore. A slut. A slave. A pet. Master had said that I was beautiful but I doubted it. I believed him whole-heartedly and trusted him with my life but this one particular thing was hard to accept when I'd been told the opposite for a really long time. Master had saved me. I would have done anything for him. His wish was my command. It had not even been a day since he had saved me from him , from my own version of hell, and had given me hope. Master gave me a place to call home. I still thought that it was all a dream, that Master would give me away once he was bored of me. I made it my life goal to be the perfect slave for him. He didn't like it when I called myself that, but I didn't know what else to call myself. That was what I had always been - a slave, a means for others’ pleasure. I wanted to serve Master with my whole heart, and be the perfect slave. But most Masters didn't want a perfect slave. They wanted someone to punish, someone to hurt. But my Master hadn't hurt me even when I made several mistakes. Maybe he was different. I knew that everyone in the world was different in their own way. My Master definitely was very different from anyone I had ever known. He was a lot better than him . I just wanted to make Master happy. His happiness gave me happiness. "Hey, Avalyn? Are you okay?" Sofiya asked me, looking concerned. "Yes, I was just thinking." I smiled at her. I really liked her. She was sweet and kind and talked to me throughout the tour even when I hardly answered. The house was so pretty. It was so much better than my previous house where I was supposed to stay in my assigned room, only to be brought out if and when he wanted me. I had hardly stepped out of that house in eight years. This house had several bedrooms, a beautiful, well-equipped kitchen that I would love to use, a dining room that had a really long table, a sunroom,  a living room and a couple of sitting rooms on the other two floors, a gymnasium, and a game room. The back of the mansion had a large swimming pool with a beautiful view of the beach and a very pretty garden. A lot of people stayed there - a team of maids and security guards who had their own quarters and also Master's entire family. And if what Sofiya said was true, I could go wherever I wanted in the entire house and do whatever I wanted. Every day, for the whole day. She said no one would say no. In fact, they would be extremely happy to help me, if I needed it. She said my happiness was important to everyone in the pack. I couldn't believe it. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had cared about me or my happiness. This new life was a dream come true. "Let's go. Nikolai must be waiting for you." She smiled and guided me to where Master would be. I was scared. What if he didn't like that I had kept him waiting? Would he punish me? "Go to your man and I'll go find mine." Sofiya winked at me, and then she left me in a hallway. Master was facing away from me, talking to Andrei. Sofiya had told me about everyone. Dimitri was the only one who was actually her brother by blood. I could totally see the resemblance. The rest - Mikhail, Andrei, Sofiya herself, Dimitri, and Vladimir - were just people Master had helped along his way and had somehow ended up joining the family. The most trusted men took the Volkov surname and became family. It was the greatest honour. Sofiya's last name was Volkov too. Was I supposed to go stand next to him? Or maybe call him? I didn't want him to think I was trying to eavesdrop by walking up next to him so I decided to call him. I remembered he told me to call him by his name if we were not alone. "Nikolai," I called out softly but he heard and turned around swiftly, a small smile covering his face. His smiles were reserved just for me. I hadn't seen him smile in front of anyone else and that made me feel special. "We will talk later," he told Andrei, not taking his eyes off me. He came towards me, and kissed my lips, making me feel all giddy. "Let's go to the beach, Ava," he whispered against my mouth and stood straight, his arm twisting around me, holding my waist. I loved it when he did that. It meant that he was protective of me, showing everyone else that I was his - his and his only . I nodded. We walked towards the back of the house and went down a narrow boardwalk that led us to the beach. It was slightly rocky at first and then it slowly transitioned to soft sand. The beach was a long strip of white sand. I could see a wall of rocks a little further on, on either side of the beach, separating us from the outside world. It was a private beach. Tears sprung to my eyes at its beauty. The sun was setting and the water was reflecting the different colors of the sky. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen! "Why are you crying, Ava?" Master asked, his lips brushing my ear. It made me shiver. I had never felt so... cherished before. "It's my first time seeing a beach, Master, thank you so much. It's so beautiful," I told him. I was truly thankful that he had come into my life and saved me. "It's also been so long since I have been outside," I said softly, thinking about the only time he let me go out. It was only in the backyard if he wanted to fuck me there or to his other clubs, where he would fuck me in front of other people or let them fuck me. More tears sprung to my eyes at that memory. "You are free now, Ava. You can go wherever you want. I just want you to inform me and take Andrei, who is now your personal bodyguard, or some other guard I assign you, at all times," Master said quietly, his fingers digging into my waist. He was angry, not at me but at the ones who had done things to me. I felt like I knew him. More importantly, I understood him. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master." I tried to calm myself. I didn't want to taint all that beauty with my past. "Take off your shoes Ava," he said and knelt to remove his own. I toed mine off quickly. It was a good idea. Both of us were wearing shoes that would definitely get dirty if we walked on the sand. "Feel the sand beneath your toes." I did as he said. It was a weird, squishy feeling. I loved it. "Let's go dip our feet in the water," Master said, taking a hold of my hand and walking beside me into the water. I jumped a bit when a wave washed over my feet. It was so cold! "It's just water, Love," he chuckled at my reaction. My heart skipped a beat when he called me 'Love'. "Give it some time. You'll feel better." I smiled and nodded at him. I wiggled my toes. My feet were kind of getting stuck in the wet sand. It was a weirdly fun feeling. "I'd take you further in right now. Swimming in the ocean is fun, but then we might need another shower and frankly, three showers in twenty-four hours would be too fucking many." There was an amused smile on his face as he watched me giggle and nod. It was too much. "It feels better now." I looked down at the water around my legs. "Told you," he said, "time makes everything better." I had a feeling that he wasn't necessarily talking about water. His words gave me hope for a better tomorrow. "Do you like your new home?" he asked. "I do, Master. It is absolutely beautiful," I replied honestly. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. But there was a tinge of sadness. "My mother built it and picked out the interior with Dimitri, Sofiya, Max, and my help." I wanted to ask where his mother was, and Max - whoever he was. But he looked a little sad and I didn't want to make him sadder so I stopped myself. "Living by the beach must be fun." The sun had almost set. "We're too busy to make good use of it. But yes, whenever we do, it is a lot of fun. We all usually go sailing during the summer weekends and scuba diving in the open water. We also go jet skiing or surfing whenever we're in the mood. I'll make a plan before the winter begins so we can go together. You will love it." The happy twinkle in his eye returned as he told me about all the fun they had. "I think I will love it too." A grin covered my face. He said 'we'. Which included me. He wanted me to do fun things with him! It was getting pretty dark and chilly, so Master decided that it would be best to head back. When we reached the big sliding glass doors that opened up onto the backyard, a half-naked, gangly, young man jogged out of the thicket of trees at the far corner of the property. He called out, "Alpha!" Master turned to me. "It's been a long day. Go freshen up, I'll see you at dinner.""Yes, Master," I murmured. He walked towards the guy, away from me. Giving him one last look, I turned around and rubbed my feet thoroughly on the mat outside the door so I wouldn’t dirty the marble floor with my sandy feet. Once I was satisfied, I stepped inside. Sofiya had told me to stay in Master's bedroom, but I requested the room closest to his bedroom. I didn't want to assume that Master would want to share his bedroom with me. Masters and slaves don't stay together or sleep on the same bed. Yesterday night was different, probably because there was only one bed in the hotel room and he was kind enough to allow me to sleep in it. I spotted a couple of bags on the bed. I opened them up to find a couple of undergarments with their tags on and some tops, shorts, and dresses. They looked a little big for me and I realized that they must have been Sofiya's. Making a mental note to thank her later, I laid out a set of undergarments, a pair of shorts, and a top, and walked into the bathroom. I stripped out of my dress and rinsed my feet of all the sand that was still stuck to them. Suddenly, the bathroom door was ripped open. I jumped in surprise and turned around. It was Master. His grey eyes had darkened with a wild look that sent a shiver down my spine. He released a relieved breath but looked slightly mad. "What are you doing here?""I… freshening up?" He had told me to do it, right? Had I heard him wrong? "I meant here , Avalyn. In this bedroom," he clarified. "You were supposed to go to my bedroom. Our bedroom.""I didn't want to assume that you would want to share a room with me," I said and looked down. "I'm sorry.""You don't have to assume things with me. If you have any doubts, just ask me. I got worried when I didn't see you in my bedroom," he said quietly. "For a split second, I thought maybe something happened to you or you ran away." Pain reflected in his eyes when he said that and my heart lurched. "I'm sorry for barging in like this." His eyes trailed down on my naked form and my arms immediately came up to cover myself. He quickly looked up into my eyes again. I dropped my arms. There's no need to cover myself from him. I'm his. He should be able to see me if wants to see me .  "Please don't apologize. You were worried about me, Master. I would never run away. I want to stay with you. And it might take you some time to trust me, but please believe that I'm not going to run away.""I find it difficult to trust people, Ava. And I do want to trust you, but it might take a bit of time. Be patient with me, please." I nodded. He was the Alpha of the Rogue pack. He must have been through a lot to get where he was. Of course, trusting people was hard for him. "I'll prove to you that I'm here to stay, as long as you would like to have me. I'll earn your trust.""If the Moon Goddess allows it, I would like to have you for the rest of eternity." His words, his intense gaze made my stomach feel weird. Butterflies . That's what it was. Oh, Goddess. My stomach was a mess. "Come," he said and grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the bathroom. He looked at all the stuff lying around, then looked at me. "Why don't you finish freshening up in my bathroom? I'll bring everything there.""Yes, Master," I replied and walked out of the bedroom. I came face to face with Sofiya. She looked a bit surprised when she saw me. Of course, she was. I was naked! "You're his slave." Her voice was almost flat when she said that. Gone was the bubbly girl who had shown me around. Biting my lip, I nodded. Did she not like that? She simply turned around and walked away. I was rooted to my spot for a moment. Did I lose the first friend that I had made? I decided to do as Master ordered before I lost him too. I would talk to Sofia later. I  entered Master's bedroom and then went into his bathroom. I washed my face twice to get rid of the dirt and stickiness properly and then patted myself dry with a hand towel. I walked out and saw Master enter the bedroom. He had the bags full of Sofiya's clothes in his hand. He placed the bags by his feet and took out a random pair of bra and panties, tore off their tags, and silently handed them to me. I put the panties on first. It was a little tight because I had a fat ass. I looked at the bra. A blush rose to my cheeks. I'd never worn a bra before. I was a late bloomer and started growing boobs only after my freedom was taken from me. And he didn't like me wearing bras. Or clothes, for that matter. I took it from Master's hand and slid the straps up my arms and tried to clasp it at the back but my long hair was in the way and it was just really difficult. "Turn around," Master said and I did. I lifted my hair so he could see properly. He tried clasping it but it was just digging into my skin and pressing against my breasts uncomfortably. "This isn't going to fit you." I had a fat chest too. I hated my breasts. I couldn't even wear my first bra. I hated my body. "Ava," Master called and I turned around to look at him. He wiped away an angry tear and took hold of my clenched fists. I didn't even realize I was clenching them. "When shoes don't fit you, do you hate your feet for being too big?" he asked. "No, Master.""You buy shoes that fit you, right?" I nodded at his question. My eyes lowered in shame. It wasn't right to hate my own body. "Just like that, we simply need to buy clothes that fit you. Your body has done a very good job of keeping you alive and healthy, even when your surroundings made it difficult. You should love it for that. How others view it tells you more about their perception of themselves and the world than of your actual self. It has nothing to do with you. And if it still matters to you, I think you should know that I find you exquisite." I stopped breathing. I looked deep into his intense, grey eyes that darkened with appreciation when they took me in. No one had ever called me that. I had always been viewed as a sexual object. Master was the first one who saw me as a woman. And he liked what he saw. I bit my lip. I wanted him. He was the first man I ever wanted. "I'm sorry. I'll try to appreciate it more. And thank you, Master. You're exquisite too." My eyes widened when I said that. Do men even like to be called exquisite? Was that the right adjective for the male gender? Master chuckled. "You're fucking cute." Oh, my Goddess. There go the butterflies again. This big, beautiful man will be the death of me. He took a top out of the bag and handed it to me. I put it on. He looked at me - more specifically, my boobs - in a way that was more analytical than sexual. "Hmm. This won't do." I looked down and realized that it was quite tight and my nipples were quite visible. "Wear this on top of it." He handed me a loose dress. That should cover me perfectly. Master didn't want me to put myself on display or be 'easy to access'. "You look beautiful, Ava." He gave me an appreciative once over and I blushed. He didn't care that I didn't look the most attractive in such a loose dress. After being told for years that the only pleasant thing about me was my body, which was why it always needed to be on display, it felt good to know that it wasn't true. Helping me cover up decently was his way of giving me back my self-respect and I loved that. He was giving me the things I never had, the things I never thought I deserved - love, respect, and dignity. We went to the dining room for dinner after that. Master sat at the head of the table and made me sit on his right side. Dimitri sat facing me. Vladimir sat next to me and Andrei was in front of him, then Sofiya and Mikhail next to Vladimir. Sofiya just smiled at me slightly when I took a seat, not talking to me or looking at me otherwise, which felt odd. Everyone made small talk during dinner, but Sofiya remained painfully silent. She kept giving me looks which I thought everyone noticed, but they didn't say anything. She hadn’t known my truth and now that she did, she was looking at me differently. It made sense. Supernaturals didn't like slaves. They thought that we were beneath them. Our friendship was doomed from the beginning. Maybe she was pissed that I had lied to her about my identity. And now she hated me. I felt the need to cover myself up and hide somewhere. Master and I left immediately after dinner. "What happened with Sofiya?" Master asked as soon as we stepped into his bedroom. "She knows I'm a slave," I replied softly. "Talk to her. Tell her about yourself if you want. It would change her perspective.""She hates me," I said, looking down. "No one can hate you, Love. She just doesn't understand you," he whispered and then slowly lowered his head. "I'm going to kiss you now." It wasn't a question. It certainly didn't sound like one. But he didn't kiss me either. "Okay," I whispered, my eyes focusing on his lips. His tongue snaked out and swiped against his lips. My core tingled. And then he finally, really kissed me. The way he wanted to do all along, without holding back. He kissed me softly and gently at first, his tongue skimming over my lips. His fingers were tangled in my hair and the other hand was on my waist, pulling me closer against him. He sucked on my bottom lip and then bit it, pushing his tongue into my mouth when I gasped. I tried keeping up with his pace but it was of no use. His tongue owned my mouth, just like he did my heart, body, and soul. His fingers were digging into my scalp as he took control of the kiss, of my heart, of my entire being. And I surrendered to him. No one had ever kissed me like that. It had always been against my will, leaving me disgusted. But Master's kisses healed me, piece by piece, mending me. I love you.