Chapter 1
I was sitting behind the desk in my home office, my eyes stressed from the dim glow of the laptop when I first saw her. It was, funnily enough, exactly like how they described it in the movies and shows. Like a bolt of lightning had struck my heart, and my entire world had rearranged. She was gorgeous. She couldn’t be taller than 5 foot 3. With hair that was so blond, it almost looked white, that shade people paid thousands to dye their hair too. Piercing blue eyes, and a stunning body. Not too skinny, she had a little curve to her waist. A woman didn’t have boobs like hers without a little more to love around them.
I’m glad she wasn’t looking at me. It gave me more time to just watch her, unguarded. She was the new maid Marlene - the head of the cleaning service I hired - had sent to me. She probably didn’t realise I was at home, watching her clean the living room, wearing a uniform I didn’t realise looked so sinful, until I saw her in it. It didn’t hide those dark circles under her eyes, although her tiredness explained how she still hadn’t noticed me. Clearly, this was not a job that was treating her well. She looked young, early twenties. But carried herself with the exhaustion that came with people a decade or two over her age.
I’d given Marlene a set of keys to my apartment, so her maids could discreetly slip in whenever I wasn’t home. I wonder what mix-up happened for my pretty little mate to blindly wander into a lion’s den.
Romalos, our country, had stories of fated-mates recorded as far back as 30,000 years ago. Ever since we existed on this land, we’ve been talking about the joys of finding the one who triggered the bond. When the fated pair encountered each other, wherever they may be, the men immediately knew. It’s like a shock to our system. The women usually learn only when they’ve been mated. It’s led to a lot of interesting stories in our history, especially back when it was much more acceptable to just offer her father a sack of sugar and flour, and then carry her off to your home, to do whatever you want. But we like to pretend we’re much more civilized now. With courtships getting more intricate and longer every year.
The world isn’t all fairytales and roses. Most every government heavily encourages a soulmate bond. The power it gives the men, almost doubling it in rare cases - has always been a boon to them. So much easier to win wars, to earn riches, to be prosperous, when the work of one fated man equals the work of ten average men.
We still didn’t understand exactly why the bond amplified our magical abilities. And why men seemed to be the biggest beneficiaries of this boon. But I did know that most every unmarried man (and some of the married men) belonging to one of the Great Houses was desperate to find their fated mate.
And mine just happened to stroll in here. Completely unaware of how both our lives were now changed. Forever.
I stood up quietly, walking to the edge of my office, and opening the door I leaned against the frame. Watching her with a dark sense of possession. Before I cleared my throat loudly.
She turned around quickly, with a gasp.
“Mr. Karlsburg! I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were home.” She apologised.
And God. The more I stared at her face, the more I finally understood why men went to war over women. The lust taken a hold of me ever since the bond had struck me seemed to almost double now that her attention was on me. The picture of her wearing a uniform, while on her knees in front of me, taking on my dick like a good little mate, looking up at me with those innocent wide eyes...
“Clearly.” I responded in a cold tone, snapping out of my fantasy. I wanted her off balance and vulnerable in front of me. I needed her bound to me, in some way, until she finally completed the bond. I would not risk her escaping me, even in the most unlikely scenario. Lucky for me, she seemed to be in a position where that should not be difficult for me to arrange. The thought of her completely at my mercy sent a sadistic jolt of pleasure through me.
Nature or maybe the Gods if they existed, had decided to play a cruel trick on us men, perhaps in an effort to balance things. Most men went mad within a year, if their mates refused to accept and fuse the bond within that time. They took their lives before they ever made it to the second year.
And I had no intention of being one of those men.
My mate would never get enough freedom to escape me for a year. She would certainly not be allowed to deny me what was mine for that long.
“A little bold to make such an obvious mistake on the first day of your job, is it not?” I asked “Or is this your pathetic attempt to seduce me? And here I’d thought I could trust Marlene to send me maids with more... integrity.”
Her eyes widened at my accusation, before her cheeks flushed red with anger.
“It was an honest mistake Mr. Karls - ”
“Sir.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You will address me as Sir. I did not give you permission to use my name.”
My little spitfire definitely didn’t like that, if the glare she was poorly attempting to conceal was anything to go by. It made me smirk. She’d definitely be fun to break.
“It was an honest mistake, Sir.” She hissed.
“I was just hired today. It must have slipped Marlene’s mind to update the schedule during the paperwork and emergency classes to onboard me this week.”
“A convenient excuse.”
“It’s the truth, Sir.” She replied. “I have excellent referrals if you wish to ask Marlene about them. And I’m more than happy to come back at another time - ”
“No.” I interrupted. “You are already here. And my apartment is in need of a clean. Besides, I hope you are smart enough to know what happens to people who cross the boundaries of my house Miss... ?”
“Bella, Sir.” She whispered. Her face had gone pale.
Karlsburg may be one of the Great Houses, but we did our best to fade into the background, to keep our exploits away from the media, apart from the occasional scandal. It made people forget the power we held in this nation sometimes. What we did to those who betrayed us.
It seemed Bella had also made the unfortunate mistake of forgetting.
A mistake made all the more clear when she shifted slightly, revealing my great aunt’s massive ruby pendant hidden in her dress’ pocket.
Notes:
I post bonus scenes and early chapters over on Patreon for anyone who wants more of this story. Link in profile.
