OLAMIDE

He finally let me out the car. When he did, I took a second to really look at him. He didn’t grab me, didn’t bark no orders, and I didn’t see any guards patrolin’ the place either. It was like he already knew I wouldn’t run. Maybe he was right. Still, I kept my face blank while my eyes worked overtime, lookin’ for cameras, corners, anything I could use later if I ever got a chance to bounce.

When we stepped inside, I had to remind myself this wasn’t no celebrity tour. I wasn’t no guest. I was a hostage tryin’ not to act like one.

Jason said somethin’ low to this big, broad-chested dude by the door — head of security, no doubt. While they talked, I scanned the entryway. Everything was spotless and fancy, but strange too. Cobalt-blue flowers everywhere, tucked into every corner. And that damn crow symbol again, big as life right in the middle of the wall like a warning sign.

Some blues music played soft through hidden speakers. Real smooth, classy stuff — low enough not to distract but loud enough to remind me I was in somebody else’s house. Somebody dangerous.

“Come with me, kitten,” Jason said, takin’ my hand before I could flinch.

Kitten?

He led me through a marble-tiled foyer, up a wide staircase, and down a hall that looked like it belonged in a magazine spread. I was too busy tryna process the fact that this man really just called me kitten like we was in some twisted romance novel.

My heart jumped into my throat when he pushed open a door and guided me inside. The room was massive — big ornate bed, fire burnin’ in the fireplace, and some creepy symbol carved into the wall near the window. It felt… off.

Then a furry orange cat jumped down from the bed, struttin’ toward us with its tail up like it owned the damn place. Thing looked right at me, all judgmental, like, you don’t belong here. For a moment though, I smiled. It reminded me of Zeus.

“Hello, Luna,” Jason said, bendin’ down to pet it.

I froze. A man who kills and kidnaps but keeps a cat? That messed with my head. For a split second, I thought maybe — maybe — he had some humanity left.

The room itself was stunning. Fireplace, coffee table, two high-backed chairs that looked way too expensive to sit on, and a love seat near the fire. A door on the side led to a bathroom, and the closets? Probably bigger than my whole apartment. Three bay windows lined the back wall with thick drapes sweepin’ the floor. In front of them sat a fancy desk with paper and fountain pens laid out like a postcard from another century.

“You should sit and write down your address,” Jason said, voice smooth but firm. “Make a list of everything you need while you’re here. There’s a heated pool, so factor that in.”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. My legs moved on autopilot as I sat down, uncapped the pen, and stared at the blank paper.

What was this? Prison? Fairy tale? Both?

My thoughts twisted up in knots. One part of me was terrified. The other part, the stupid part, was already thinkin’ about how warm the room was, how good it felt not to be runnin’ anymore. How a man this powerful, this dangerous, was suddenly actin’ like he planned to take care of me. I didn’t even know if he could read my mind, but when I looked up, he was already watchin’ me.

“Jason…” I started before thinkin’.

He stood up, his expression changin’. “It’s Alpha. Not Jason. Ever.”

That snapped me right back to reality. Any stupid fantasy I was startin’ to build in my head shattered in a second.

“I’m sorry, Master,” I said, even though the word made me taste bile. “I just don’t get it. Why are you doin’ all this? Why me?”

It wasn’t about morals anymore. I knew he was wrong. I just couldn’t understand why he was makin’ it look so right. Like he was wrappin’ slavery up in silk and callin’ it affection.

He could have any woman he wanted — women who’d kill to be touched by him. So why me? Why this?

It was startin’ to feel like some twisted version of Beauty and the Beast. Only in this story, the beast was also the prince, offerin’ me safety and warmth — right after takin’ my freedom.

I thought about my life before all this. Growin’ up broken. Foster homes. Fake friends. Workin’ my ass off just to keep a roof over my head. Barely makin’ enough to eat and still tellin’ myself it was better than what came before. My life wasn’t perfect, but it was mine.

I’d only gone out that night ‘cause my friends begged me to. Told me I needed to “live a little.” If only they knew.

Jason walked closer, and my body tensed. I flinched before I could stop myself. He stopped across from me, leanin’ against the desk like he owned the air in the room — which, technically, he did.

“You might not understand what I am, or how our bond works,” he said calmly. “But I’ll make this easier for you. I have rules, Olamide. I didn’t plan to find a mate this soon. And I sure as hell didn’t expect her to be human. But shit happens.”

My stomach twisted. His words made my brain go to dark places. Whips. Chains. Collars. I’d seen enough to know not all cages had bars.

He kept talkin’ — about mates, bonds, things I didn’t understand — but then he said somethin’ that hit me deep.

“You must’ve noticed,” he said, voice quieter now. “Despite everything, you don’t hate me. Not entirely.”

My blood went cold. He wasn’t wrong, and that scared the hell outta me.

I was sittin’ in a luxury suite, but my thoughts were in a basement — the kind where monsters hide. Where women like me disappear. I wanted to ask him outright, to make him say it plain.

“A-are you gonna hurt me?” I whispered.

He watched me for a long second, eyes unreadable. “I don’t know yet,” he said finally. “But I can’t let you be my weakness. If you obey me, if you please me, you’ll stay safe. You might even be happy here. Now make your list.”

I swallowed hard, tryin’ to steady my hands. His word didn’t mean a damn thing, but hope’s a hard thing to kill. Maybe playin’ along was my only shot at stayin’ alive.

So I wrote. My address. Zeus’s food. Some clothes. The bare minimum. Then I handed him the paper.

Jason looked it over, nodded once, and slipped it into his jacket. “I’ll take care of it. Stay here.”

He walked out like nothin’ had happened, and the second the door clicked shut, my heart finally let go of the breath I’d been holdin’.