Under His Rule (His 1)

“What are you doing?” the girl asks.

“Door,” I mutter.

I won’t say it out loud. What if they’re listening? It’ll only give them more reasons to stop me and more incentive to come and punish me. And I’m not about to let that happen.

No, I’d rather be silent the entire time than give anything of value away to the likes of them.

The Family …

More like a family of monsters to me.

Noah

“Patriarch …” My eyes rise from the book I was reading as an elder walks into my room. “I apologize for disturbing, but there is a problem in the security room.”

I raise my brow. “Well, can’t one of the elders deal with it?”

“They can, but … this is about your ‘person of special interest.’” He makes quotation marks with his fingers.

My eyes narrow. “Natalie?” I put my book down. “Show me.”

“Of course,” he says, turning around. “Come with me, please.”

I follow his lead through the corridors and all the way to the basement where the security room is. I rarely ever come here, as it’s usually monitored by elders, but when it comes to Natalie, I’ll make an exception. Especially since it’s the first time I’ll be able to look at the girl I’ve captured to become mine …

“Screen number twenty-eight,” the elder says, pointing at all the screens on the wall. There’s another elder sitting on the chair in front of them, but he gets up and clears his throat before offering me his seat.

“Patriarch … I didn’t think you’d … I apologize. Have my seat, please.”

I hold up my hand. “It’s fine.”

“I insist. Please. It would honor me greatly,” he adds with a genuine smile.

How can I say no when a devoted elder is so kind to me?

This is exactly what the Family is about, and I cannot say no to such a gesture. So I take him up on his offer and sit down in his seat, which is far less superior than the reading chair in the library, but it’ll do for now.

My only interest is finding out what she’s done that’s captured their attention. It must be worthwhile, considering they actually wanted to bring me here.

I gaze at the screen right next to one that’s snowing. Another view of the same room, perhaps. The room she’s in … naked. I can’t help but look at all her round curves right there on display. She’s beautiful, even when locked away in the darkness, and I hate that I have to share her mere image with other men. But right now, keeping her safe and locked away is more important than having her for myself.

When the time comes, I will have my way with her.

For now, she’ll have to stay in that hut.

She probably hates it.

That much anyone could tell because she’s clearly meddling with the door, judging from the way she’s on her knees in front of it and poking at the lock. Poor Natalie, trying to work her way out. It’s foolish of her to think she’ll get anywhere.

Even if she managed to escape, there will always be someone right there, ready to capture her and bring her right back where she came from.

She won’t ever get out.

But she doesn’t know that.

She’s still blissfully unaware of her situation, still in the mindset that she’ll manage to get out of my grasp. Not a single chance in hell.

“So what happened?” I ask the elders. “How did she get that thing? Whatever it is that she’s using to pry open the door.”

“Ahh …” One of them stammers. “My brother here was getting some food, and I really needed to go to the bathroom, so …”

“You weren’t paying attention?” My eyes never leave the screen, but I know they’re watching me. They’re scared, and they should be. A patriarch is not someone you call on without knowing there are consequences attached. A patriarch is the pillar of the Family, the chosen ones to lead everyone into the light. Patriarchs do not listen to rules; we create them. And that means we also decide who betrayed our rules.

Leaving these screens alone is against the rules … and they know that.

“My sincere apologies, I couldn’t hold it,” the elder who went to the bathroom says. “I didn’t think anything would happen while I was gone. I’m sorry. If I’d known she’d break the cameras I would’ve never left, I would’ve contacted an elder.”

“No,” I say, spinning in my chair so I can look them in the eyes. “You do not contact an elder. You don’t contact a patriarch. You don’t contact anyone but me. Understood?”

They both nod swiftly.

“She is my responsibility. Mine. You do not speak about her to anyone else, got it?”

“Of course, Patriarch,” the one who fucked up nods.

“She’s a special one, that girl …” I mutter, looking back at the screen to watch her continuously pry at the door.