“I haven’t seen a waterfall like this ever. I saw them in pictures at home, but never this close up.”


    We were standing in front of a delicate waterfall that fell gracefully into a small pool. The water


    glistened in the sun and fell in sparkling drops tond in the rocky pond below. It Looked like a magical


    ce.


    Bane grinned and sat my kneeling ce on top of arge t rock. He lifted me to sit on the pad and


    settled beside me. He looked quite happy with himself as we sat and enjoyed the scenery.


    “Did you win some bet this morning?” I asked as he offered me the bowl he had brought.


    A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y


    Bane looked surprised and asked me how I knew.


    “You always get that look when you’ve won a bet,” I told him, picking what I liked out of the bowl. “It’s a


    very distinctive face.”


    “Kein did not think the falling water would interest you,” he said picking up a piece out of the bowl and


    feeding it to me.


    “I thought you would like it.”


    I didn’t particrly care for the food Bane had brought for lunch. I liked the Little red sprouts that were


    mixed in and tried to just eat those. The majority of what was in the bowl tasted Like wet bread. It was


    quite unappealing.


    Bane fussed at me and took the bowl back. Since I wasn’t making healthy decisions, he would have to


    help me. Much to my displeasure I was fed the red sprouts mixed with the nd, moist basis of the


    meal.


    “You must eat this,” Bane said. “It is very high in nutrients and can be absorbed by your system. I do


    not like seeing all your bones in your chest and back.”


    I reached a hand around and realized he was right. My spine was disyed quite prominently. Passing


    a hand over my t belly, I sighed.


    “I Like not having a big stomach. I don’t want to be fat again,” Iined.


    Bane did not understand fat. I was a better size before, he informed me. They liked the soft curves


    covered in silky skin.


    To take my mind off the gross meal I asked Bane to tell me about his day. He frowned and fed me


    another piece from the bowl.


    “You do not have to do that,” he informed me.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “Hannah told us you acted interested in us and our pleasure so we would not rid ourselves of you. She


    said she ‘remembered’ you being worried about being sold. We will not sell you and you do not have to


    feign interest in us.”


    In the past I’d heard mothers say they sometimes wanted to strangle their children for repeating things


    they’d heard. Now I knew what they meant.


    “At first,” I admitted, “it was Like that. As time has gone on I have realized I love you all. I want to know


    what you do all day. It pleases me to give you pleasure. You are very important to me and I enjoy


    hearing about you.”


    It was the truth and Bane watched my face closely. He seemed satisfied with what he saw. A big,


    happy grin lit his face before he told me about their morning.


    Damien’s family had been trained in many different styles of fighting when it looked Like they would be


    a General. This morning they’d been sent to patrol the road. While they were out there they had


    secretly taught some of the new moves to their favorite cousins. The men had a great time wrestling


    with one another in a field all morning.


    “Who watched the road? What if something happened and you missed it?” I asked worried they were


    shirking their duties.