Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
NORTH CAROLINA
L ater that day, Adria stared out of the window of Loretta’s study. She was happy to be out of the house and away from everything. The entire process had turned her once well-manicured life upside down.
“More tea, Adria ?”
She looked at Loretta’s new submissive. He had short dark curls and bright blue eyes. Adria raised an eyebrow at her friend.
Loretta smoothed her skirt. “Regan is one of my newest members. He hasn’t quite learned manners yet.”
The young man looked confused. He must be a very new submissive if he didn’t know that addressing a person by name without permission was frowned upon.
“When in doubt, go with ma’am or miss,” Adria said to him conspiratorially.
He gave her a relieved smile, but jumped to Loretta’s side when she snapped her fingers.
Kneeling at her right, Regan was completely naked. Loretta, who was in her early sixties, sat in stark contrast to him, who couldn’t be older than twenty-five.
Adria eyed him. “A real pup for you this time.”
“Barely a foal,” Loretta laughed. “Too young for me, but when he showed up on my doorstep, I couldn’t resist that face.”
Loretta ran her fingers along Regan’s shoulders and down the back of his neck. Adria felt something stir in her when she noticed his posture, his mannerisms. Was he familiar? A memory, a previous submissive of hers, perhaps?
“Quite the specimen to just wash up on your doorstep,” Adria said.
Regan kept his head bowed, eyes downcast in deference, but Adria didn’t miss the flush creeping up his neck.
Loretta pressed her lips together, amusement flickering in her gaze. “A pleasant surprise,” she mused, her fingers encircling the back of his neck in a firm squeeze. “But only if he proves trainable.”
“If anyone can break him, it’s you.”
“Speaking of breaking…” Loretta released Regan, and he pressed his chest to the floor. “How is your little conquest coming along?”
Adria shook her head, unwilling to speak of it in front of him.
Loretta didn’t push. Instead, she rang a delicate silver bell, summoning her understudy. When Francis appeared in the doorway, Loretta barely spared her a glance. “He’s displeased me. Take him to the kitchens. Keep him entertained until I arrive.”
Regan looked up. He looked like he wanted to argue, but one glance from Loretta and he left the room gracefully.
“I don’t think I can do it,” Adria said quietly.
Loretta settled into the chair beside her, studying her with calm patience. “What’s troubling you?”
“I’m manipulating them, deceiving them. But the trust…” Adria shook her head. “It’s not there. It never will be.”
Loretta arched a brow. “And? ”
Adria exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead. “I’ve never trained without it.”
“That’s the guilt talking,” Loretta said. “You know as well as I do that subs are trained every day without any real bond with their owners.”
“And I despise those people—the ones who break others without a thought for their safety or well-being.”
Loretta’s expression softened. “You are not your father.”
Adria looked at her then, at the gray hair framing kind, steady eyes.
“You don’t know that,” she whispered. “Every day, I feel more and more out of control. Jonathan’s texts come like clockwork, reminding me what’s at stake. It’s like a guillotine hanging over my head, waiting to fall.”
Loretta’s voice was gentle but firm. “From what you’ve told me, if you don’t train them, you’re putting them in greater danger. The Triune is forcing them to be sold, not you. They need to be ready.”
Adria swallowed hard, nodding. “I know.”
If they didn’t break under her hand, the Triune might send Jonathan to finish the job—and then come for her. The danger was no longer distant; it loomed closer every day. But somehow, the young prince still refused to see it.
His arrogance was infuriating. Bryson seemed hell-bent on playing this entire situation like a schoolboy game.
Framing Adria’s face, Loretta said, “I know you are a fighter. And I know that you would never let a spoiled, self-entitled brat get the better of you.”
“After you were born, your mother came over to tell me all about your green eyes. A miracle, she said. Esarnsa .”
“ EsperanCa ,” Adria corrected. “It means hope.”
“She told me it meant guiding light.”
“I don’t feel very light,” Adria joked .
Loretta looked at her, her gray eyes serious. “Light shines better when you face the darkness.”
Adria dabbed the space under her eyes. “My darkness is locked away tight.”
“Let it out and feed it, or it will feed on you.”
Adria laughed. “My darkness could consume half of North America if I let it.”
Loretta put down her tea, her lips pressed into a line. “I’m worried about Jonathan being back in your life. The photo isn’t enough to keep him away anymore?”
Adria shook her head, dropping her voice to a whisper. “The Triune ordered him to keep tabs on me. Neither him nor I can defy a direct order. But every day that goes by…” Adria trailed off.
Loretta nodded solemnly. “I agree. We may start to lose the upper hand. Perhaps a reminder is in order? Let him know what he stands to lose, should he overstep?”
“The agreement was he would stay away, except for family business. This is family business, so technically, he isn’t breaking any rules,” Adria said. “Anyway, I don’t want to rock the boat any more than I already have. I just want this year to be over so I can start working on picking up the pieces.”
Loretta didn’t seem convinced, but she let the matter go.
As they lingered over the last of their tea, Adria felt some of the weight on her chest ease. Loretta’s estate had become a refuge, a welcome reprieve from the tangled mess of her life. Between Jonathan, X, her mother, and the Triune, she barely had room to breathe.
Part of her never wanted to leave. She could stay, watching her friend work that feisty, dark-haired young foal, letting time slip away in the safety of this place. But eventually, Loretta—ever practical—gently urged her home.
At the car, Loretta kissed her on both cheeks before cupping her face, her pale eyes sharp and knowing. “When you’re ready, bring them to Club Shale. We love fresh meat.”
Adria flushed. “They’re a long way from that.”
“A little community might help.”
Adria wasn’t convinced.
Loretta smirked. “At the very least, you should come. It’s been ages.”
That, at least, made Adria smile. Loretta had a way of making everything feel like it was right on track, even when it wasn’t. “That would be nice.”
Loretta waved as she stepped back. “And bring Eric with you. Selena’s been asking after him.”