by Meagan Hill
“And those were the ones that didn’t get medical care. I actually did end up in the hospital once for several days. The doctors weren’t ready for me to leave, but Cabela for,” Mandy choked on the word for a moment, before changing to a different one, “insisted that I’d be fine.” Mitch noticed what had happened and again filed it away for consideration later.
“How bad was it that you were taken to the hospital?”
“Severe concussion, broken jaw, cracked cheekbone, dislocated shoulders, broken ribs. I’m lucky I haven’t lost any teeth yet.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Mitch’s stomach heaved. He knew exactly what caused those types of injuries. She’d been nearly beaten to death. Her other injuries suggested the beating wasn’t a solitary event. Mitch took a closer look at her and noted the bruising under her eye and along her jawline. She was still being beaten. There was no way in hell he was letting her return to whatever situation she was in. Mitch noticed a shiver race through her and realized they were both still in wet clothes, and the sun was beginning to set. He lifted Mandy into his arms again, carrying her through the house before depositing her in the guest bathroom.
“Where’s your car? I’ll get your clothes for you to change into while you’re getting cleaned up in here. I’ll take a look at your ankle when you’re done.” Mandy handed him her keys, indicating that the car was next door to the shop. Mitch left Mandy in the bathroom with a couple of fresh towels before changing into a dry pair of jogging pants and a T-shirt. On his way back through the house, he noticed that the shower was running in the guest bath. Mandy was bathing. He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the erotic images of her wet and covered in soap, standing in his shower, waiting for him to join her. He couldn’t suppress the shudder that worked through him at the thought.
Reminding himself of his errand, he jogged over to his mother’s shop. His mother was sitting at the counter, clearly waiting for him. “Hello, dear. I assume Mandy passed along my message?”
“Yes, she did,” Mitch answered. He didn’t bother asking what she was doing there. His mother’s greatest power was precognition, but she was always very cryptic with her answers. The basic response was always something along the lines of, “Because it had to happen that way.” “Can you give me anymore information?”
“She’s hurting and very close to breaking.”
“She’s being beaten, repeatedly.”
“She’s being more than just beaten, son. Have you not looked at her aura yet?”
Mitch was startled to realize he hadn’t. He’d been so wrapped up in Mandy and what had happened, that he hadn’t taken the time to look. “No. I haven’t. I’ve been too distracted by her, I guess.”
Nina merely nodded at him. “Brace yourself when you do, son. There is very little of Mandy left. I believe you are her last chance for something good to happen in her life. Her life is not her own and hasn’t been for a very long time. I cannot see very clearly with her, but I can sense she has been given a task she abhors. If she follows through with the task, she will become as evil as the person controlling her, and her soul will cease to exist. If she fails, she will cease to live, though by what means I have no idea. The only chance she has is to eradicate the person controlling her.”
Mitch struggled with the sinking feeling within him, but he couldn’t argue with his mother’s words. They matched his own intuition. With a sigh, he resigned himself to the difficult task ahead. He wasn’t worried about the fight ahead. He’d been in plenty of battles and knew the rest of his coven would back him should he need them. He just didn’t look forward to seeing the evil he now knew was still to be discovered.
“Do you know who has control of her?”
“Yes, but I cannot tell you his name. She will tell you by the end of the evening, but it is important that you learn it from her. It is not so much the name as the process you must go through to discover it. There is something that binds her, and you must show her how to set herself free. When she is free, she can tell you everything. Just keep your patience, and remember what I’ve said.”
Mitch sighed again, rubbing his hands across his face. It was an old frustration, knowing his mother knew what was going on but was unable to tell him clearly what he needed to know. Every word was important when she was giving him this type of information, though usually, it didn’t make sense until after the related situation had been resolved. “Is there anything else I need to know?” It was usually best to ask open-ended questions with his mother.
“No. Just know we’ll be ready when you call for us.”
“So, this is going to end in a battle?”
“I can’t say. I do know she will have the ability to end the situation herself, though she currently does not know it. It will all depend upon whether she is willing to believe in herself enough to take the chance in trusting her power.”
With his mother’s words swirling in his head, he kissed her good-bye and left the shop. He stopped at Mandy’s car, noticing it was rather old and beat up. He wondered how well it ran. He pulled the small case from the trunk as instructed and returned to the house. Mandy was still in the shower, so he slipped her bag in through the door and closed it quickly. Seeking to distract himself, Mitch gathered his first aid supplies and slid the casserole he’d made earlier into the oven. Mitch had to laugh at himself. He’d felt the urge to make the casserole while making lunch for the boys. Even though he’d thought it strange, he’d relied on his urges for too long to ignore them, though why it was important to make a casserole he’d had no idea. Once again, he was glad he’d listened to what his gut was telling him.
Right now, though, his gut was telling him that the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen had just stepped out of his guest bathroom in a pair of ragged cutoff shorts and a formfitting T-shirt.
* * * *
Mandy felt much better after washing the river water off. She couldn’t dry her hair because she hadn’t packed a hair dryer, and she had decided to not wear makeup. She knew Mitch wanted to see the real her, and frankly, she had a feeling she would be crying by the end of the evening. She limped her way out of the bathroom, looking around in search of Mitch, finally finding him in the kitchen. The house was as gorgeous inside as it was outside. Polished hardwood covered the floor, giving the home a warm feeling. The furnishings were simple but comfortable, inviting you to sink in and relax a while. A large rock fireplace dominated the corner of the living room, making Mandy wish the weather was cool enough to allow them to light it. The kitchen was a delight, light and airy, with plenty of space and storage. She could smell whatever Mitch had just slid into the oven, and her stomach growled loudly in response.
Mitch wasn’t so caught up in staring that he missed the sound of Mandy’s stomach growling. “It just needs to bake thirty minutes, then we can eat. Do you want something to drink in the meantime?”
Mandy thought a minute, wondering when she’d agreed to stay for dinner. She wasn’t going to object, however. Whatever it was smelled wonderful, and she was starving, as usual. Mandy told him her choice and limped over to sit on the couch, close to where he had gathered his medical supplies. She lifted her foot to rest it against the coffee table, examining her ankle. It was swollen and had some light bruises but wasn’t that bad. If she had been at the compound, she wouldn’t have even allowed herself to limp. Showing weakness there wasn’t a good idea.
Mitch sat on the coffee table next to Mandy’s foot before taking it in his hands, gently examining it, flexing it gently to test her range of motion. Appearing to accept Mandy’s assurances that she wasn’t badly injured, he wrapped it in an elastic bandage to keep it from moving too much to allow it time to heal. Mandy simply sat back and watched him examine and treat her foot, seeming amused at his worry.
“You know, the only reason I’m letting you do that is so you won’t worry.”
“I know. But thank you for humoring me. I can tell you’re not used to having anyone take care of you.” Mandy si
mply snorted back at him, implying there was no one who would take care of her. Sitting on the sofa next to her, but far enough away to twist in his seat so he could face her completely, he began. “Tell me about your life, and why you’ve been injured so severely so often.”
“I can’t tell you everything I want to. I want to tell you it all, I really do. But I cannot.” Mandy whispered, looking down at her hands twisting in her lap. When she looked up into his eyes, hers were glassy with unshed tears. “I live with a group of people headed by a man named Devon Cabela. I was brought to the group when I was fourteen and have been with them for five-and-a-half years.”
“You joined a coven at fourteen? That’s a little early to begin your training, isn’t it?” Mitch appeared a little confused by her wording, but it was nothing compared to the confusion Mandy was experiencing.
“You know about covens?” she whispered. Had she stumbled across a Gifted One?
“Of course I know about covens. I’m a master GO,” he replied casually. He was astounded, however, by her reaction. Moving faster than anyone he’d ever seen, she was on her knees in front of him with her ankles flat to the floor. Considering her sprain, the position seemed most uncomfortable. She sat there with her butt touching her heels, her chest touching her knees, and her forehead touching the floor. Her arms were extended in front of her, with her hands splayed flat on the floor. The position was one of complete submission. From above her, he could now see the crookedness of the fingers that had been broken.
“I’m sorry, Master! I didn’t know! Please forgive me,” she pled, her volume at a whisper, but the pleading no less audible in her voice. When Mitch was able to shake off his shock, he shifted in his seat, meaning to reach down to pull her back onto the couch. He froze, however, when he saw her flinch in response to the sound of his movements. Recognizing the reaction, he kept his movements slow and gentle as he reached out his hand and gently rested it on the back of her head. He could feel her startle beneath his touch, the reaction squelched almost as soon as it happened. He could also feel the fear coming off of her in sickening waves. He had a feeling he’d stumbled upon the reason for her beatings.
Mandy tried not to quiver as she maintained her submissive position, ignoring the screaming coming from her ankle as she’d ignored many other, often worse, injuries. She thought back to how she’d spoken to Mitch and wanted to hurt herself for being so forward. He had every reason to punish her after how she had treated him. Granted, she’d had no idea he was a GO, and perhaps that would mitigate some of the punishment she knew she had coming. She was so afraid, though it made her heart sick to be afraid of the one man she’d ever felt any kind of positive reaction to since she’d been taken. Be that as it may, he was a Master, right now, her Master, and she had not treated him as such.
When Mandy felt his hand rest upon the back of her head, she couldn’t help the instinctive flinch. “I’m sorry, Master!” she whispered again, the tears freely falling from her eyes. She wasn’t crying because she was in pain or was afraid of being hurt. That she expected. She was crying because she was angry at herself. She had allowed herself to forget her place due to her attraction to Mitch.
“Mandy,” Mitch started, pausing again when she whimpered almost inaudibly, before continuing, “Mandy, please stop that. Sit back on the couch how you were so we can talk.”
Almost before Mitch had finished his sentence, Mandy had returned to her exact former position, though she had clearly withdrawn into herself, her eyes cast down in continued submission. He was again startled at how quickly she moved in her obedience. It made his heart sick to realize what had made her become that way. Mitch realized it was past time for him to look into her aura, her inner energies. “Please stay still for a few moments until I tell you to move.” She didn’t respond to him, simply becoming perfectly still. It was almost eerie how still she became. He could tell she was breathing, but only barely.
Mitch took a deep breath, clearing his mind to allow himself to focus on using other senses. Normally, he could do this without effort, but his awareness of her was interfering with his inner peace, despite the fact he felt oddly content while touching her. Once he was concentrating, however, her aura came into focus easily. It was a good thing his mother had warned him to brace himself. He’d never seen someone’s aura so destroyed. There was just a single spark of life at her very center, above her heart. She had started out good, he could tell. That goodness had been destroyed or overcome by some type of external evil. He’d seen auras like this, from victims of horrific crimes. The more severe and long-lasting the crime was, the more of the aura it destroyed. Mandy had been damaged almost beyond repair. Now he knew what his mother was alluding to and why Mandy was wearing the crystals she had on. If someone didn’t step in to save her soon, she would be lost forever.
Mitch’s repulsion and anger at her treatment couldn’t be contained, making his voice rough when he spoke again. “Mandy.” He stopped when she flinched slightly before regaining her former position. He fought for a moment and was finally certain he could speak without sounding threatening. “Mandy, tell me about your coven.”
Mandy took a deep breath and began speaking in a soft voice. Clearly, her speaking volume was a part of her submissive stature. “I belong to the Cabela coven. Our compound is just outside El Paso.” Mitch was surprised to hear that the coven was so close. There were only about thirty known covens throughout the US, and he knew the leaders of most of them and certainly the head of the covens closest to them. The Cabela coven’s compound was about ten hours away from his current location outside of a tiny town by the name of Rockland, Texas.
Mandy continued, though her tone of voice changed drastically. “We’re a big family. We love each other and take great care of each other. Cabela is a wonderful leader and has taught me so much. I love getting to live with my coven. If I had my way, I would never leave home.” Mitch had to fight off a shiver of horror. Her voice had become completely flat, devoid of all emotion, as if she was reciting a particularly boring piece of literature. She had clearly been trained to say that.
“Is it Cabela who beats you?” Mitch asked the question, watching her closely. He could actually see her struggle to pronounce the word she wished, nearly choking herself with the effort, before giving up and stating in her flat tone, “Of course not. Even when I don’t do something right, he just corrects me gently and with love.”
Had Mitch been listening just to the words, he might have been thrown off by her answer, but he’d seen her struggle with trying to say something entirely different. He was beginning to suspect the reason for her recitations, but he needed to see her eyes to be convinced when he asked his next question.
“Mandy, please look me in the eye while we’re talking about this.” Mandy immediately raised her eyes to his, and Mitch was taken aback by the amount of pain and sorrow in them. He didn’t need to hear what her mouth was saying. If he asked his questions right, she would give him her real answer with her eyes, despite what might be issuing from her mouth.
Just as he opened his mouth to continue his questioning, the timer on the oven buzzed. With a deep sigh, he pulled himself off the couch and went to remove the casserole from the oven. He would wait until after they’d eaten to continue the conversation. For now, however, how was he supposed to get her to loosen up? After a moment of thought, he thought that perhaps he had a solution.
“Mandy…” Mitch began before startling again at how fast she was next to him.
“Yes, Master?”
Mitch sighed again. The whole “Master and Servant” thing might be fun for role-playing in the bedroom, but this was getting old fast.
“For the remainder of the evening, I want you to stop acting like you know I am a Master. I want you to answer my questions honestly and how you want to answer them, not how you have been trained to answer. I want you to relax and allow us to just get to know each other. I feel we have a lot of things to discuss tonight.”
&nb
sp; Mitch could see Mandy struggling within herself before she relaxed her body a bit, seeming a bit more natural. “I will try to do so, Mas…Mitch. Please forgive me if I slip up, though. I have been taught my position well, and it is very difficult to reverse five years of intensive training.”
“I understand, and I promise to not get upset with you if you should slip up.” Mitch watched as relief clearly flowed through Mandy. Hopefully, the rest of the night wouldn’t be as difficult if he could continue to find ways around her training.
Chapter 2
Despite his promise, Mandy remained somewhat stiff and uncommunicative. Dinner was eaten quickly, neither really wanting to linger overly long. Mitch did notice, however, how Mandy nearly inhaled her dinner before going back for seconds. Considering her size, he concluded she didn’t often get to eat her fill.
“You were hungry, Mandy.”
“Yes, Mitch. I’m often hungry.”
“Do you not get enough to eat at the compound?” Again, Mandy seemed about to speak before literally choking on her words. Seeing her continued struggle to answer him and obey his current command, Mitch released her from the question. “It’s okay, Mandy. I understand.” The relief shining in her tear-filled eyes was profound as she took several deep breaths. Mitch wondered if the order was so strongly ingrained she would incapacitate herself in her effort to obey, though he didn’t really want to find out. He motioned for them to move back to the couch, where they sat at opposite ends but turned toward each other.
“Thank you, Mitch. I am trying to answer you as you wished, but I must also obey other orders given to me by Cabela.”
“I understand now. Can I ask you about those orders?” Mandy nodded. “Is the order specific to you speaking?” Mandy shook her head. “Is physical movement included?” Mandy nodded. “Writing included?” Mandy nodded once more. He was making progress, slow as it might be. “Is the order to not communicate anything negative about your leader or your coven?”