Mia

I sat in the lobby of Cain's building and tapped my leg nervously. Queen let me know he was okay but I needed to see him for myself. I knew he didn't want to see me but I was hoping that we could talk and I'd somehow be able to get him to forgive me.

After leaving the hospital, I was left with my thoughts and I came to the realization that I was in love with Cain. That wasn't fair to Jackson so I called off our engagement and told him the truth. He's yet to respond to my voicemails but that would have to be a battle for another day.

I needed to get my shit together and decide what I wanted...as a single woman.

A security guard in the lobby spoke on his walkie as he eyed me and I gave him a small smile. He made his way towards me moments later and stood in front of me like some statue.

"Ma'am, I'm going to need your name."

Earlier in the hospital my name was the only one not allowed in so I assumed it'd be the same for wherever he lived. "Cleo Deveaux," I lied. Hopefully, they wouldn't know who she was.

He nodded and muttered an apology before returning to his spot by the elevator. I thought about my options and looked around. If I had a key like one of the residents here, I could wait on the elevator. But if Cain saw me out here and rejected me, the guards would definitely "escort" me out.

I didn't like the only option I had left but I was desperate. With my decision made, I stood up from the chair and approached the front desk with a sweet smile. "Hi, I'm here to see Master Cain."

The receptionist's eyes widened and she nodded quickly as she stood up. "Do you have your proper attire?"

"No, I wasn't aware there was any," I said slowly. I'd been here a few times to pick up Cain but I've never actually been to his place.

"Follow me, Master is very strict when it comes to these things," she walked past the receptionist area to a back room and I followed her. "Also, it's just Master, not Master Cain. I made that mistake when I first got here and trust me when I say, it never happened again."

"You're a sub?" I asked in shock.

"Well, I'm in training for now. The club I interviewed for has this as a mandatory...course."

"That must suck," I said with a small laugh.

"I thought it would, but I like it."

"Oh."

"Here we are," she said as she unlocked a room. I walked into the luxurious dressing room and she walked in behind me. "What size are you?"

"Umm, size six."

She nodded before disappearing into another room and I sighed as I looked around. What am I getting myself into?

The door closed and I looked back in her direction. She held a small stack of clothes in her hand and set it on the table beside me. "There is a shower over there to your left, once you've put this on, leave your items in an empty locker and put on a robe. When you finish, come out and I'll escort you to the master's penthouse."

"Okay," I said.

"I'll leave him a note that there is a new sub. Any contracts or paperwork will be discussed with him after your interview."

"Interview?" I asked. "What type of questions does he ask?"

She laughed softly and shook her head. "There's not a lot of talking. You haven't seen the website, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"You should look at it before you make a decision," she said.

"Do I even have time for that?"

"Not really," she answered as she ran a hand through her hair. "The interview is based on how well you do from the moment you enter the door. You need to be able to follow. He's not good with subs that break rules."

"What rules?"

"Well," she started as she picked up a clipboard from a nearby wall. She looked down at it and began reading. "You only refer to him as Master, no eye contact, no talking back, no speaking unless he speaks to you, no sexual relationships between subs-"

"People agree to this shit?" I asked in shock. "I feel like just listening to this I've been set back one hundred years in women's rights."

"Well, it's very empowering," the girl said. "From the outside, it looks like the Master has all the power, but when we're in here, we learn to be in control of our sexuality, minds, and bodies. Subs carry a lot more power than you'd think."

"Hmm."

"Anyways, you'll see for yourself if you make it. There are a bunch of us so it's like a little sisterhood up there. I've never been in a room full of that many women with no drama but Master has a zero-tolerance policy for it. Anything that I forgot to tell you, will be explained by a girl in the penthouse."

"Understood."

The girl flipped a couple of pages in the clipboard and held it out to me. "This is a non-disclosure agreement and a contract to ensure that the Master is not liable for any physical, emotional, or mental distress during your stay in the penthouse."

"How long is my stay?" I asked unsurely.

"The interview process lasts seventy-two hours."

My eyes widened and I realized how many things I had to do. I shook my head to stop thinking about them and looked back down at the contracts. I was doing this for Cain. Besides, if I wanted to be with him one day, I should know about this side of him.

"Umm, is there sex involved?" I asked.

"That's a part of the contract that will be discussed with him. A few subs are married so intercourse is not a part of their curriculum. Some are here to specifically learn more about sex, so for them, it's on the table."

"And when would I be talking to him about that?"

"Possibly as soon as he arrives. It's one of the first things he does. He'll be back home in about an hour last time I checked."

"Okay," I whispered. She passed me the pen and I took a deep breath as I reluctantly signed the areas she directed me towards. "Here goes nothing."

"I'll leave you to get ready, miss."

"Thank you."

She left the dressing room and I took the items she left and walked into the large restroom. I looked around at the multiple scented soaps and shampoos and nodded in satisfaction. Cain was definitely thorough.

I took a long shower and washed my hair. After about thirty minutes, I finished cleaning myself, putting on the leather lingerie, and blow-drying my hair. I put on minimal makeup from my purse and when I was done, I put on the silk robe and flats she had left behind.

I put all my previous items in a locker she had told me to and with a deep breath, I opened the door and walked back to the receptionist area. The woman smiled at me as she stood up and slid a gift box across the table.

"This is for me?" I asked.

"Yes, everyone needs to wear one," she said. I opened the box and looked at the black lace mask and gently picked it up. "Follow me."

I held the mask in my hand and followed her to the elevator in the large area. When it opened, she ushered me in and I faced her. "You're not going up?"

"No," she said as she pressed a button on the elevator. "I need to inform him that there's a new sub when he arrives so this is as far as I go until later tonight. Good luck."

"Thank you," I whispered as the doors closed.

I waited impatiently as the elevator slowly moved up one by one. The long ride should've calmed me down but instead, every level seemed to heighten my anxiety. My breathing became shallow as I waited and I had no idea what to expect.

When I passed the 47th floor, I put the mask on and closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. You got this, Mia. You want him to forgive you, that's all. As soon as he does, you leave.

I opened my eyes when the elevator dinged open and I walked in hesitantly. The area was filled with a trail of masked women kneeling on the floor with their heads bowed. "Welcome," they all said in sync.

"Hi," I whispered in shock.

One of the women stood up from her spot and took her hand into mine. "My name is Dez."

"Mia," I introduced myself.

"I can sense your nervousness," she said in a soft-spoken voice. "Let it go, everything will be fine."

"Okay," I whispered.

"Master will be here in about three minutes, you need to get in position to greet him," she said as she untied my robe. I let her take it off and she passed it to another sub that put it away. "Shoes off."

I stepped out of my shoes and someone else took them. She led me to an empty small red pillow on the floor and I looked at her for guidance.

"On your knees, Mia." I did as she said and mimicked the position of the other seated subs and she smiled at me. "You'll do fine."

My stomach began doing somersaults the longer I waited and my body was heated with anticipation. The room was almost silent. No sound was made except the guards that occasionally walked around the room.

"Relax," a girl beside me whispered.

I smiled at her and nodded weakly before looking back down at the floor. My breath caught when the elevator door opened and I held my breath as I kept my eyes down.

"Hi, Master," everyone except me said in sync.

"Hello, ladies," he repeated as he walked around slowly.

I peeked my head up to see a green woman scurry to a room and Cain walk around eyeing everyone. His eyes still hadn't landed on me thankfully and I looked back down before I could get caught.

I heard his steps behind a few subs beside me but they stopped when he was directly behind me. My eyes widened as no other sound was made except his breathing from behind me.

His finger gently trailed up my back and sent shivers running up my spine. He twirled a lock of my hair between his fingers before roughly tugging it and making me look up at the ceiling.

"Do you think you're exempt from greeting me because you're new?" He asked.

"N-no," I stuttered. I was generally incredibly confident and independent around Cain but in here I felt like dirt under his shoe. The energy he radiated in here was terrifying.

"Then say hello," he whispered against my neck.

"Hello," I said.

"Hello, what?" He questioned aggressively.

Cain...

"Master."

꧁꧂

Author's Note
Cain just needs to— lemme stop...y'all know 😔

Oof Mia what the hell did you get yourself involved in?😭 Do y'all think he'll recognize her?
Lmk your thoughts ✨