Lu Ren's courtyard was an island of tranquility in the heart of the bustling clan estate. Manicured rock gardens, a gently flowing stream stocked with vibrant koi, and the faint, sweet scent of spirit blossoms filled the air. It was a place of refined power, a silken glove hiding an iron fist. Chixi led me to a pavilion in the center of the garden and gestured for me to enter, her face an unreadable mask of professional disdain. She remained outside, a silent, deadly statue.
'Ah, the classic summons to the inner sanctum,' a familiar, sarcastic voice echoed in the back of my mind. It was the Author, the god of my new reality, making his presence known. 'Time to see if our boy can talk his way out of being flayed for his insubordination, or if he'll just end up as a new leather cushion for the throne he so desperately wants to lick.'
I ignored the commentary and stepped inside. Lu Ren was there, having changed from her formal robes into a simple, elegant silk dress that did little to hide the dangerous curves of her body. She was seated at a low table, calmly brewing tea. The air was thick with a tension that had nothing to do with the earlier battle. This was a different kind of warzone.
She didn't look at me. She poured two cups with steady hands, the fragrant steam rising in the cool air.
"You caused quite a scene, Barry Drake," she said, her voice soft, yet carrying the weight of a mountain. The use of my Earth name was a deliberate reminder of her absolute knowledge, of the power she held over my very soul. "You manipulated my husband, risked a war between sects, and publicly broke an alliance that has benefited this clan for fifty years. All within hours of becoming my slave. Explain to me why I shouldn't just command you to rip your own heart out right now."
I walked forward and knelt smoothly before the table, my eyes level with her knees. I didn't make excuses. I didn't beg.
"Because a dull slave is useless, Master," I replied, my voice calm and even. "A dog that only knows how to obey is a pet. A wolf that knows how to hunt is an asset. I have proven that I am a wolf."
She finally looked at me, her sharp, intelligent eyes searching mine for any hint of deception. "You call your reckless gambit 'hunting'? You were lucky. If Lord Wang had not honored his agreement, you, my husband, and this entire clan would be a bloody memory."
"It wasn't luck. It was calculation," I stated. "I knew Lord Wang valued his honor and his daughter's future more than a failing alliance with a clan led by a man like Lu Tao. I knew Yang Kai, like all arrogant young heroes, would have a powerful backer. And I knew that in a clash between titans, the ant that started the fight would be the first to be crushed. My only risk was getting close enough to slit the ant's throat myself."
Lu Ren took a slow sip of her tea, her gaze never leaving my face. The silence stretched, thick and heavy. I could feel the slave seal in my soul, a cold, dormant thing that could erupt into agony at her slightest whim.
"You speak of my husband with contempt," she said finally. "And yet you are a member of his clan."
"I am not a member of his clan," I corrected her gently. "I am a member of your household. My loyalty is not to the Lu Clan. It is to you, Lu Ren. My ambition is not to lead this clan. It is to see you on its throne."
Her hand, the one holding the teacup, trembled almost imperceptibly. Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "You speak treason. You know the fate of women who rule in this world."
"I know the fate of women who rule alone," I countered, leaning forward slightly, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "They are seen as a threat to the established order, a prize to be conquered. But a woman who controls the throne from the shadows, with a powerful, loyal, and utterly ruthless man as her public face and her hidden weapon? That is not a ruler. That is a dynasty."
I laid it all bare. My ambition was her ambition. I would be the puppet, the monster, the villain who did the dirty work. Her son could be the clan head in name, a respectable figurehead, while she held the real power. All she had to do was unleash me.
'Well, I'll be damned,' the Author's voice chimed in, a note of genuine surprise in its tone. 'He's not just a pervert; he's a politically savvy pervert. This might actually work.'
Lu Ren placed her cup down with a soft click. She rose from her seat and walked around the table until she stood directly in front of me. She placed the toe of her silk slipper under my chin, forcing my head up.
"You offer me a crown of shadows," she murmured, her eyes glittering with a cold, calculating fire I hadn't seen before. "And what is your price, wolf? Every weapon has its cost."
"My price is your pleasure, Master," I said, my voice thick with sincerity. "My reward is your dominance. Leash me, command me, use me. Let me worship the ground you walk on, and in return, I will tear down anyone who stands in your way. Your enemies will become my prey."
A slow, dangerous smile spread across her perfect lips. It was the smile of a predator that had just been offered the sharpest set of teeth in the forest.
"A tempting offer," she purred. She lifted her foot from my chin and placed it squarely on my chest, pushing me flat onto my back on the pavilion floor. "But a wolf must be tested. It must be broken before it can be trusted."
She hiked up her silk dress, straddling my chest. She was wearing nothing underneath. Her perfect, clean-shaven mound was directly above my face, a declaration of absolute ownership.
"Before you hunt for me, you will prove your singular devotion," she commanded, her voice a low, husky growl. "You will worship your master until I am satisfied. Show me how useful that tongue of yours can be for something other than treasonous words."
I looked up at the woman who held my life in her hands, who was offering me a chance to fulfill my darkest desires in exchange for my loyalty. My dick strained against my pants, a salute to the perfect, beautiful tyrant above me.
"As you command, Master," I breathed, my heart pounding with a fervent, ecstatic beat.
I was no hero. I was a villain. And I had just found my queen. The hunt was about to begin.