Chapter 9

There is no knock at the door, no warning to the intrusion. But the moment the door slams open Eris is on her feet, ready to meet the intruders. But she doesn’t expect to see who she sees.

“Mother!” she cries out. “What is the meaning of this?”

Anger flashes across her face. She is so menacing in this moment that it makes Eris take a step back. “The meaning is simple, Daughter,” Cyra snaps. “So far the evidence against you is stacking.”

Eris looks past her mother to her brother. He has a smile that says it all. With him is Rob. “The evidence is a crock of shit,” she says, looking back at her mother. “Clearly you can see that.”

“I cannot tell anymore,” the older woman croaks. “I thought you didn’t have a backbone, but now I’m not so sure of it.” She sighs. “And don’t pretend you do not know.”

“I do not know anything,” Eris admits. “I have pulled every favor I have to find out anything about who is behind this and I have not found one single lead.”

“Of course you won’t,” her mother sneers. “When you’re guilty there isn’t anyone to pin the blame on.” She changes her mocking tone for a more disappointing one. “Two of our new recruits have turned, Gwen and Opal.”

Eris frowns as she looks at her mother. “I’m sorry that your profits are going to be lacking, but this is not on me.” She shifts her gaze at her brother. “And I refuse to go down without a fight.”

“We’re not here for a fight,” Cyra says bitterly. “Those two recruits have become ferals and we’re here to ensure yours does not either.”

“Lynn?” she asks fearfully. “Lynn admitted to such an act taking place the night of the celebration, but how did anyone else know? Of course, the one who did it! “No one has done anything to her!” She looks over to the girl. Lynn is sitting up, wrapped in the blanket and visibly shaking. Eris steps over to place herself between the girl and the intruders. “You’ll go through me to get to her.”

“Fortunately we don’t have to do that,” Cyra grumbles. “And against my better judgment I am going to let her stay under your control.”

“What do you mean?” Eris questions. ‘What is the meaning of this?”

“It’s simple, sis,” Brady jumps in. “Your pet has been tainted and must be locked up. Caged!”

Cyra turns and back hands him. He looks to her and then his sister with a look of disgust. “I told you to keep your mouth shut,” Cyra says to him. “Speak out of turn again and I will have your tongue.”

Anger wells up in Eris to the point of boiling over. “I am not going to cage Lynn!”

An equally powerful slap comes from Cyra across her daughter’s face. “You will or I will take her myself.”

“She is not a threat,” Eris counter, wiping a streak of blood from her lips. “And she has not been tainted!”

“Then you have nothing to fear, girl!” Cyra roars. “The choice is simple and up to you. You cage her or I will. Your guilt will come when she if she changes.”

“But I am not guilty,” Eris pleads.

“I want to believe you, I do,” Cyra says, this time in a much softer tone, almost caring. “I do not wish to murder my own daughter, my heir. But I have been put into a position that I cannot cover up or walk away from. I am being sympathetic, letting you have what could be potentially the last days with your pet.”

“What are you going to do to them?” Eris asks, feeling her mother has something malicious planned.

“They are going to be put down,” her mother answers matter-of-factly. “I cannot risk you or whoever else is involved to have allies with our enemies.”

“And if Lynn is truly tainted and doesn’t turn feral, then what?” Eris questions.

“Then she will become a mistress,” her mother says with a devious grin. “And if you cannot convince me that you are not guilty, then she will take your place.”

“And she stays under my care until such time?” Eris presses.

“Yes,” Cyra says with a nod.

“Then I except,” Eris says, stepping to the side.

“Good. She is to remain in the cage and under no circumstance is she to be let out.” Cyra turns to leave, stopping at the door. “And your brother and Rob will stay, standing guard outside your door until such time. You are not to leave this room.”

“But how am I to prove myself innocent?” she asks cynically.

“Not my concern,” Cyra says, not turning around to face her daughter. “If you adhere to anything I have taught you then you will find a solution.” And with this she leaves the room.

Rob and Brady watch as Eris places Lynn in the metal cage that every mistress and trainer has in their room. Eris assures her pet that things will still turn out for the better and how sorry she is that she has to be placed there. Both men smile, though Brady is more boisterous with his. But when Eris turns to them, Rob is quick to drop his. Unlike her brother, Rob hasn’t counted all his eggs just yet.

“Can you please get Hera,” Eris asks nicely. She could command the man, but she does remember what her mother has taught her, even if indirectly.

The man nods and quickly leaves the room. And as soon as the door closes, Brady steps up to his sister, sneering and snickering. “Everything is falling in place for me, sis,” Brady brags. “The first step is your fall. Once you’re out of the way then I can begin taking over.”

“Mother is never going to let you take her place,” Eris spats. “You are foolish to even think so. And once she has a new heir...”

“I will have several years if need be to either eliminate that heir or manipulate her to be my bitch. And when the time comes, I’ll have what I want.”

“Seems like an awful amount of work,” she says smiling and shaking her head. “But this isn’t all you, brother.”

“And what makes you think otherwise?” he asks, ensuring to not betray anything to her.

“You were right about being kind to me. In fact that kindness is perhaps the only thing that helped me not become like Mother,” she says instead of giving an answer. “When all this is behind me...”

“What are you going to do?” he asks, his anger boiling to the surface—his sister’s smugness instantly triggering it.

But before she can answer, the door opens with Hera stepping in. “Outside, Brady,” she demands. “Do not come back in unless you wish to serve at my feet.”

“I have orders,” he counters. “Do you dare go against Cyra?”

“Her orders are only for you to guard that door,” she says pointing toward the hall, “from the outside. Beyond that, you are nothing more than a squabbling male with no station above me.”

Hera hugs Eris and as she does, she casts a glance at Lynn. The girl looks truly frightened, but because of her predicament or because she is suddenly in a cage that she has never had to spend even five minutes in, Hera cannot tell. “I sorry this is happening,” she says soothingly. “We will have to just find a way out of this.”

Eris pulls back enough to look at her friend. “But how? I cannot leave and no one seems to have any idea or leads about this. Whoever is behind it has either covered their tracks well or are using other means to keep any who know quiet.”

“If we cannot find evidence, then we must fabricate it,” Hera explains.

Eris looks at her quizzically. “How? Why?”

Hera places a finger on Eris’ lips. “Shhh. Let’s get some of tension off of you first. Makes it better to digest what I propose.”

Hera goes to stand next to the tub and unties her satin robe. She lets it fall to the floor, unceremoniously at her feet. She stands, naked and without looking at her friend, she steps over the side and down into the tub. “Oh this is nice,” she coos. “I don’t know what I’d do without our tubs.”

Eris looks at her and without thinking says, “I know exactly what you mean.”

Hera looks at her and smiles, motioning for Eris to join her. “See, already your mind is chilling out. Let that shit clear and you’ll be able to think.”

Eris steps over the side and down into the tub. Almost immediately Hera is at her side, wrapping her arms around Eris as she drops into the water. As Eris looks at her, Hera looks right back.

“You know, it’s strange how I’ve had you in my arms, I have never had you like this or while being naked,” Hera says smiling.