It’s been days since I’ve really seen anyone else. I feel protected with Kade. When he takes me to the training room I know other people are here. I can see them in my periphery as Kade leads me through the house. But I keep my eyes down. Sometimes I hear them talking. Occasionally Kade stops to talk to them.

I’ve seen Master A more than a few times. He seems to be very close to Kade. Almost as close as Gabriel. I've talked to them a few times. As in, I've said hello and thank you.

Whenever I see anyone other than Kade,

it’s only in passing, and nothing like this.

The dining room is large, with an oval mahogany table in the center of the room. There are over a dozen seats at the table. Next to each seat is a plush pillow with a dark red damask pattern on it. The dark red and gold accents give the room a warm and rich feeling.

Although the room is large with many chairs, there are only three people in the room. Gabriel, with Talia by his side, and another man I don't know at the chairs.

“You’ve finally decided to join us?” Gabriel asks Kade as we walk through the stained-glass double doors. Gabriel’s at the head of the table and farthest away from us. Talia’s seated on the pillow beside him. I can only see a bit of her hair until we walk farther into the room and Kade takes a seat next to Gabriel. I kneel onto the pillow beside him. My heart hammers in my chest.

“I think she’s ready for a bit of socializing.”

Kade’s hand settles on my shoulder, his thumb rubbing soothing circles. I finally look over at Talia, and she seems perfectly content. Her hand rests on Gabriel’s thigh, and his hand is on top of hers.

Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a soft smile. She closes her eyes and when she opens them, she’s no longer looking at me.

“It’s about time,” I hear Gabriel say. “More guests are coming tomorrow. It should be fun.”

“Stone?” Kade asks.

Gabriel shakes his head. “He called again though.” Irritation laces Gabriel’s voice. “He’s an impatient asshole, isn’t he?”

I watch a woman walk into the room and hear her set something down on the table. Because I’m seated on the floor, I can only see her lower half. “Who’s an asshole now?” says a voice I recognize, and turn to my left. Master A walks across the room and sits to the left of Kade, directly next to me.

“No company tonight, Master A?” Gabriel asks.

“There’s plenty of company in here,” Master A says. I quickly turn to face the ground as he looks at me with a smile.

“Isn’t that right, Olivia?” Master A asks me.

I look up as my heart races. I swallow thickly and try to respond. My body heats with anxiety.

“It’s alright, angel.” Kade’s calming voice puts me a bit at ease.

“She’s scared, Master,” Talia says, looking up at Gabriel.

I look between the men as I try to breathe normally. They’re all looking at me, and I don’t know what to do. I weakly respond with a “Yes, sir.”

“Come up here, esclave.” Gabriel puts a hand down for Talia and she easily slides into his lap, molding her body to his and letting her legs dangle over his.

Kade reaches his hand down. “You, too.”

I do the same as Talia, mimicking her pose and look to her for clues on what I’m supposed to be doing. Her eyes are fixed on the large bowls and platters in the center of the table. The smell of butter and salmon fills my lungs. My mouth waters as I see the crusted fish on a silver tray with bowls of asparagus and potatoes next to it. Salmon is one of my favorite meals and the fillets look perfect, as though they came straight from a picture in a recipe book. The man across the table uses the tongs to dish some greens onto his plate.

Gabriel puts a fillet on his own plate and passes the utensil to Kade.

I lick my lips at the sight of the fillet. I want to reach out and dig in, but I don’t. I resist. I watch as Talia picks up a fork and starts eating. Gabriel pets her hair and continues a conversation with the man across the table. I keep my hands in my lap, knowing I shouldn’t do anything until Kade allows me.

Every meal I've had here so far he’s fed me. I peek at Talia as she picks up a piece of asparagus with her fingers and nibbles delicately on the tip. She leans back against Gabriel and watches him and the other man as they talk.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” I hear Master A’s voice and I turn to him and try to respond. I don’t know what to say though. I’m at a complete loss. I know how to do what I’m told, but I don’t know how to talk to anyone or what I can do if I'm not given direction.

Other than to call them sir, since I sure as fuck remember that. I need to know the rules for socializing, but I don’t. I feel lost.

“Well I know she’s keeping you busy, Master K, but do you even talk to the poor woman?” Gabriel asks with humor. Kade lets out a humorless laugh. My breath stills in my lungs, and tears prick my eyes. I’m supposed to be perfect for him. I’m failing.

Talia reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers. She wipes her other hand on the napkin. Her eyes are full of remorse. “It can be hard at first, but you’re doing so well, I mean it.” She gives me a smile, and part of me wants to hate her for condoning the way I’m being treated; the other half wants to hug her for her kindness.

I swallow thickly and give her a tight smile. “Thank you.”

“She’ll learn,” Kade responds simply. He leans forward and my body is pushed against the table as he grabs a bottle of wine. “This will help.” As he leans back, he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him. He pours a large glass of wine and moves it closer to me. He kisses my hair, and when I look up at him he seems happy.

He's not upset with me, which is a relief.

He jostles my body as he leans back, and I have to put my hands out and brace myself against his chest to steady myself.

“Honestly, I’m sure she’s ready,” Master A says. Ready for what?

“I’m not.” Kade answers quickly before Gabriel can respond. “I want her to be perfect.”

My body chills at his words. I don’t know what they’re referring to, but I’ve done everything he’s asked.

“I’m trying,” I barely manage to say. Kade looks down at me, and his face softens. “You’re doing perfectly, angel.” His praise makes my tense body relax. “You just need a little time.”

“I have to say I’m impressed, Master K,” the man I don’t know says from across the table. “My pet took much longer to come around.”

“Where is she now, Master W?” Gabriel asks him with his eyebrows raised.

“In bed,” Master W replies with a smirk. “She had a long day.”

The men all chuckle, and Talia lets a smile play at her lips, as if she’s in on some joke.

“We do enjoy the training lessons, but they exhaust her.”

Master A takes a napkin off the table and smooths it over his lap before reaching for the bottle of wine. “Master W and his wife started coming here a few years ago.” He lowers his voice and leans in closer to me as he says, “Their situation is a little different from yours.”

My body tenses, and I look back at Master W with adrenaline racing through me. Kade stiffens and holds me a bit tighter.

Master W and his wife. My heart pounds with the need to escape. Wife, not slave. My eyes dart from the table to the man, and my hands grips onto my thighs as though they’ll fly away if I let go.

Maybe he doesn't know. Maybe he could help me.

I want to scream and tell Master W I need his help. I want to plead with him to call the cops. I remember the party and how I wondered if the women were there willingly or not. Am I the only one here by force? How stupid have I been not to try to run?

My chest tightens with pain as I think about the days I’ve spent wanting to be free, but too scared to run. Maybe I could’ve escaped already. My body turns to ice as I open my mouth.

My throat dries as I look back at Master W. His eyes are fixed on his plate as he picks up his fork. Kade lowers his lips to my ear and grips on to me tighter as he says, “Think very hard about what you’re going to say, angel.” My body freezes with fear.

I feel a pang of guilt and I’m nearly overwhelmed with anxiety. I feel like I’m betraying Kade, I know that..

I swallow thickly and prepare to scream for help. I have to try. I have to. My heart clenches in my chest. I have to at least try. I’m acutely aware in this moment that I feel something for Kade, but I’m not his property. I need to get the fuck out of here.

“Help me!” I barely get the words out as they rip from my throat. Kade’s hand closes over my mouth tightly, and he forces my head back so I’m staring at the ceiling.

The legs of Kade’s chair squeak against the wooden floor as he pushes us away from the table. His legs wrap around mine as I kick out and hit the hard table. It hurts, but I barely register the pain. Kade’s arm wraps around mine and effectively holds me completely still. My heart races, and my body is a mix of hot and cold, a sickness threatening to lose itself.

“Whoa!” Master A yells out, and stands up from the table. I see his wine spill across the dark wood and onto the floor. “No worries,” he says, putting his napkin on the table.

My heart stills, no one's reacted at all to my cry for help. My chest feels hollow as I see the man across the table looking at me with pity as he picks up his glass of water.

Useless. It was for nothing.

Tears leak down my cheeks. Help me. My heart lurches in my chest.

“You were right,” I hear Gabriel say. “She’s not quite ready, but still, she’s doing wonderfully considering how new she is.” He’s speaking casually, as though I didn’t just scream for help. As though Kade’s not holding me still because I was flailing my body and screaming.

My body goes limp in Kade's arms. There’s no use fighting.

“Are you done?” Kade asks with a low, threatening voice. My eyes squeeze shut. No, no. I wish I could take it back.

I try to nod my head, but his hand over my mouth is so forceful that I can’t move my head. He slowly drops it to my throat and I’m quick to answer, “Yes, Master.”

I feel defeated, betrayed, alone, and ashamed. My breath is unsteady as I try to calm myself. The three other men continue to eat as though nothing’s happened, and everything is alright.

Talia looks at me with sympathy in her blue eyes. She sets her fork down and leans against Gabriel, refusing to meet my gaze. Her plump lips are turned down and it makes me feel so alone.

No one here is going to help me. Even worse, I feel guilty.

“Well that was bound to happen,” Gabriel says in a casual voice as though he's trying to lighten the mood.

Kade’s tight hold on me loosens, and I see the man across the table nodding while chewing whatever he just put in his mouth.

My body’s stiff as Kade sets me back down in his lap. Everyone else has resumed to normal, although Talia’s not eating. I watch as Gabriel picks up a piece of asparagus and puts it to her lips, but she shakes her head and leans against him, burying her head under his chin.

I stare at her and will her to look at me, but she does nothing. I feel sick to my stomach.

“What are you thinking, Master K?” Gabriel asks. He takes a bite of the asparagus and chews it as he waits for Kade to answer. I lower my eyes to the floor. Fuck. I try to breathe in and out slowly, but even doing that is hard.

“It’s her first offense since we’ve been here.” Kade’s voice sends a chill up my back.

“But it was a grave offense.” I watch as Talia shifts in Gabriel’s lap, uneasy with the topic of conversation.

I can feel Kade nodding behind me. “I’ll finish my dinner first.”

“And then what?” Master A asks.

Kade picks up the tongs and dishes out a few spears of asparagus onto the plate. His movements jostle my body, but I try to stay upright. They’re talking about me as if I’m not in the room. Talking about my punishment. I close my eyes and wish I’d never done it.

I had to though.

My body freezes at Kade’s response. “When I’m done eating, we’ll go to the basement.”