Page 26 of Kronos’ Consort

She wrapped her arms around her knees as she grappled with the concept. All those years of physics she’d studied, learning what was and wasn’t possible. She’d been so sure about so many things, and then he had come along and ripped right through her self-assurance.

Her attention flitted back to his handsome face instinctively, her face flushing when she discovered his gaze already fixed on her.

“You’re thinking again.” His voice was half-exasperated and half-perturbed.

Her lips curled at his expression. The idea that she could have affected someone as commanding as him was utterly ridiculous, yet apparently, it was true. More than a man, his powers were tangible, and seemingly, he did have feelings for her.

“You have given me a lot to think about, Master,” she explained.

Stretching out on the rug again, he folded his arms behind his head and smirked. “I see your point.”

“Should I stay and submit to you?” she wondered aloud. “Or do I return to my studies?”

His dark eyebrow arched. “What makes you think you have a choice, little one?”

“You’re right.” Her smile stretched wider, despite the latent threat in his question. “I have no choice, Master.”

She’d had no choice about any of it. Not since she’d taken that leaflet and reached out to him in the first place. She hadn’t agreed to be seized from the street, stripped, spanked, or compelled to memorize his preposterous rules, and she certainly hadn’t expected to relish anything about what should have been a horrendous ordeal.

Locking gazes with him, though, there was no denying what was patently obvious. She had reveled in his debauched devotion, and in the course of that attention, she had started to fall for him.

Idiot. Her eyes fluttered closed at the startling confession. I can’t be falling for him. He’s not even human!

It was clear why she was attracted to the hulking beast, but not even his displays of affection changed what was happening between them. He had captured her and he was still refusing to let her leave. She might have been the one sitting on the huge chair while he lounged on the floor, but in every way possible, he was in control.

Which is precisely how I want him to be.

She squeezed the muscles between her thighs at her verdict, knowing the unhelpful voice in her head was right. Being around Kronos was like living in the wake of constant madness. She both desired and despaired at the outcomes he provoked in equal measure.

Being controlled, and held, and protected by a being as mighty as him was sublime, yet at the same time, she was still struggling to understand who or what he was. His power was real, but how it was produced, and how on Earth he could have lived for such a long time, she didn’t know. It was vexing to stand on the edge of such consuming feelings and not even know who he truly was.

“Can I ask you a question, Master?” Her gaze took in his impressive form once more.

“There’s my little one.” He grinned. “Always with the questions. Always wanting to learn something new.”

“Guilty,” she replied.

“Go on.” He thrust himself upright, his muscular body illuminated by the fire’s glow.

“It’s a big one.” Her tone was almost apologetic. “But I need some answers.”

“Ask.” He gestured for her to continue. “I do not promise to answer, but you may speak freely.”

She was grateful for the chance. It wasn’t so long before that he’d sealed her lips with his impossible magic.

“Well…”

She shifted on the chair, unable to find a comfortable spot. When Kronos had been sitting on it, with her as his footrest, she’d always eyed the seat with envy. She’d been jealous that he had the right to sit there whilst she was forced to the floor. But being there alone was a different proposition. Without the comfort of his body, the thing seemed too large, as though she were a tiny rowboat lost on a huge ocean with no sign of shore.

“I was wondering about you, Master.” She forced herself to go on and take the opportunity he’d offered. “I know we talked about it before, but if you’re not human, then…” She hesitated, unsure how to reintroduce the query without offending him. “What are you?”

Silence lingered between them, and in that quiet, her anxiety skyrocketed, certain that, despite her efforts, she had insulted him. Knowing he was a formidable god did little to quell that rising apprehension, either. She sought transparency, but had learned to fear the possible consequences.

“You assume that humanity is the center of the entire universe, of course?” When he finally replied, his chuckle filled the air.

“I suppose so.” She clung to the edge of the chair, aware of how arrogant the assertion sounded in light of what she’d found out.

“There is an old, primordial power in the cosmos, little one.” He motioned with one hand, and the chair she was on shifted around her at his command. Her pulse accelerated as the seat rose from the ground; only a few inches, but enough to reinforce the point—he had the ability of telekinesis. She guessed she should have been used to his displays of power by that point, but as the chair traveled the short distance to where he was sitting and hovered over the rug by his feet, she wasn’t sure how she could ever get used to such things. “Gods who live beyond your world who control the forces of nature, and often by design, human destiny.”