“Your mark is always on me, Master Damien,” I said soothingly touching my stomach. “I know that you


    care for me everyday. It never urred to me that without your cor, you would not think of me as


    yours.”


    They were silent and I chanced a nce up. Their eyes were softer as Master Kein ced the jewelry


    in my nipples. My argument had worked.


    “We are not Master in this room, Ciara. Did you forget that?” Damien asked instead.


    “Hello, Damien,” I smiled looking up at him.


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    I touched the lines of strain around his eyes and they softened slightly. I pulled on his shoulders until


    his lips came down to mine.


    “I love you, Damien,” I whispered before I kissed him, “I have missed you.”


    Walking in the room I greeted each of them with a kiss and spoken affection. They rxed and took off


    their weapons. Still dressed they settled on the bed and pulled me down with them.


    We talked on the bed for a Long time. Well, they talked, I listened. I only spoke to get more detail or to


    agree. Otherwise, I stayed silent and gave them someone to talk to.


    They hated the women and their new Life. Damien did not want to be a General. A General led the


    men, Damien didn’t mind that. He hated knowing every order he gave came from the women. They


    were ves to the demands of the women and they despised it.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    “Do they harm you?” I asked concerned.


    The level of dislike they had had to stem from something. Perhaps pain and humiliation was at the root.


    ves could be treated in any way at all. I had to help them, so I had to know what I was dealing with.


    “No,” Evan grunted sprawling across my Lap, “we are not hurt.”


    “Do they feed you?” I asked stroking Evan’s hair. “Are you kept in afortable ce?”


    “It’s not that,” Keinined and I ran a hand up his arm infort.


    “We don’t wish to be stationed in the mountains with them. We don’t want to be sold to their cousins in


    the afternoons,” he said. “We were not meant to be ves.”


    “We were free,” Christof saidying back and throwing a hand over his eyes.


    “We could fight them,” Bane said, “perhaps we could be free again.”


    I was in an impossibly strange situation. very, at it’s root, was wrong. Fighting it would be honorable,


    but it would probably get my men killed. The women would overpower them, I was sure of it.


    The sight of that massive woman in the street overpowering ten men still haunted me. She had not


    even been deterred by the men’s show of force that day. I imagined the mountains were loaded with


    women. My five men would never win.


    “Sometimes,” I started, “fighting is not a good answer. There may be other ways. Perhaps you could


    barter with them.”


    The men looked at me strangely for a moment. Evidently what I had said made no sense to them.


    Damien Lay back and stared at the ceiling.


    “You think the women would kill us,” he said morosely. “You think it is not a battle we can win.”


    I didn’t answer him, but the truth was probably written all over my face.