If he did, he showed no recognition on his face. “What a mouthful. Nikolai…I shall call you Niki. ”
Nikolai smiled at him. “You can call me anything you like, sweetheart. ”
The young man’s back stiffened at the use of the endearment, and he pulled his eyebrows down into a deep frown. “My name is Prince Jagger, but you will address me as ‘Master. ’ You will give me proper respect from this time forward or I’ll beat you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand. You want me to call you master. ”
The young man watched his face carefully for any sign of mockery, but Nikolai kept his features blank.
“Well?”
“Well what?”
Prince Jagger blew out an impatient breath. “Address me as Master. ”
“Yes, little Master. ”
“Are you obtuse or arrogant?” He waited for a long moment for Nikolai to answer, and when he didn’t he put his hands on his hips impatiently. “Answer me!”
“Um…I’m not sure…”
“Oh, for the gods’ sake! Are you hungry? Can you at least tell me that?” his mate asked sharply. Nikolai nodded, allowing him the next move.
“Please answer me when I speak to you. ”
“Yes, I’m hungry. Little Master. ” Nikolai couldn’t keep the corners of his mouth from turning up. He could see both the use of the word little and the hesitation before the words was noticed by the young man, but he merely chose not to comment and slanted his eyes over to the table.
“I will feed you, if you can behave. From now on, you will do as I command. If you disobey or cause me any problems, you’ll be punished. If you’re good, and obey my commands, you’ll be well treated. Do you understand?”
Again, Nikolai nodded, dropping his eyes, so his mate wouldn’t see the desire raging in them. He had a powerful urge to break the chain and pull his mate down beside him in the bed, and it was taking everything in him not to act on those urges.
“Do you understand?”
Nikolai raised his eyes and caught his gaze. “Yes…Master. ”
The man nodded and then walked over to the wall and bent over, giving Nikolai a view of his delectable ass, clearly outlined in the dark blue cloth. Using a key hung around his neck, Jagger unlocked the chain from the wall. He walked back to the bed and held out a hand, palm up. Nikolai took his hand, wincing only slightly at the warm touch of the hand sending pleasurable little shock waves throughout his body. He swung his legs over the side and stood up beside his mate. The young man looked him up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on Nikolai’s huge erection. He cast a surprised glance up at Nikolai, but Nikolai kept his gaze down on the floor. Nikolai managed to banish the smile from his face and tried his best to look chastened and depressed. There wasn’t much he could do about his rigid cock, however. It was bouncing eagerly around in front of him with his every move. He tried to stand perfectly still so as not to bring any more attention to it.
His mate took a small device from his pocket and held it where Nikolai could see it. “If you give me any problems, I have only to touch a button and the collar on your neck will deliver a powerful and painful shock. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Nikolai replied.
“What did you say?”
Nikolai tried very hard to stop the grin that threatened to blossom on his face. By biting his lower lip really hard, he just managed to do it. “Yes, Master,” he managed to choke out.
“Good,” his mate replied, with a somewhat suspicious expression. Nikolai suspected he thought he would meet with more resistance from a Lycan who stood at least six inches taller. “Do you have any questions for me?”
“My…uh…my family? Have they been notified?”
“They have. I have informed them that you now belong to me, and will serve me as my personal concubine. If they wish to ensure your continuing good health they will pay a monthly fee. In other words, you are now my hostage. In exchange for your family’s money, I’ll keep you alive and treat you well. Your only duties will be to me, personally. ”
“Your concubine?” This time Nikolai couldn’t keep the shock off his face. “As in—your love slave?” He could hardly believe his good fortune. His eyebrows rose almost to his hairline, and his voice trembled with the effort not to laugh out loud. He kept imagining his brother Kyle’s face when he heard the news.
“The term indicates a body slave. You will attend me in bathing, dressing and so forth. Possibly, if things work out well, as my bodyguard. ” He hesitated and narrowed his eyes, keeping them trained on Nikolai’s face. “And yes, you will also see to my sexual needs. ”
The little prince took what was probably an involuntary step back as Nikolai shivered and shuffled his feet. His sexual needs. Gods! If he wasn’t careful, he’d come from the words alone.
His mate stepped forward again, his tone louder and more aggressive now, apparently thinking Nikolai was upset and humiliated over his new role. “It will do you no good to resist, Niki. This may not be a role you’re used to, but you will not resist me, do you understand?”