Yes, but reluctantly

Ashley

“I can’t claim Ashley,” Liam said, his voice serious. “It isn’t right.”

“Honey…” Mom started before he shot her a stern, exhausted look that made her stop.

Liam’s reaction to my mother’s depraved proposal made me calm down for a moment. If he truly wanted this, to claim his family and make us his slaves, he would have surely done it to me by now.

“I don’t want any of this,” he continued, tousling his dark auburn hair back anxiously. “I just wanted to protect you. And now…”

I could see that my brother was holding back tears, ashamed of what he had done in his haste to save Mom.

His reaction made me stop and think. Perhaps the stress of the situation had led me to overreact. In my mind, I knew I had to think logically if I wanted our family to be safe, to survive.

“I’m sorry, Liam…” I said, patting his thigh gently as I tried to console him. “You’re right… You did what you had to.”

It dawned on me that by claiming our mother in that moment, he had taken the only logical course of action. I began to imagine what we would do if someone tried to claim me, too. It was inevitable with the way the world was headed now.

“Honey, you don’t have to claim anyone if you don’t want to,” Mom said softly as we exited the highway. “It was only an idea… To keep your sisters safe, that’s all.”

Liam sat frozen, his head buried in his hands, clearly unconvinced that he had done the right thing.

“Liam… I want you to claim me,” I muttered, finally breaking the silence that had filled the car.

“What?!” Liam responded in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“With conditions,” I continued. “Promise me that you won’t make me, or Mom, do something that we wouldn’t normally do.”

“Of course,” he quickly answered. “But why should I claim you?”

“Mom is right… We can’t risk someone else trying to claim me,” I explained, my heart hammering from what I was proposing. “And I need to be there to protect you and Penelope.”

I was their older sister, and their safety was my responsibility. The thought of some man changing me, making me abandon and betray my family, made my blood run cold.

“You’re the only one that I can trust with that power over me.” I continued. “… Besides Matt, maybe.”

“Okay…” he whispered, his voice shaking. “Are you sure you want this, Ashley?”

“Yes,” I answered firmly. “But promise me that you won’t claim Penelope. We need to keep our sister safe.”

“I promise you that I won’t,” he responded quickly, a somber expression on his face. “… Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I said, reaching out my hand to him, a cold sweat trickling down my back. “This won’t hurt, will it, Mom?”

“No, sweetie,” Mom answered in a dreamy tone, a satisfied smile on her face. “It feels… amazing.”

Liam gently grabbed my hand, muttering the words as our eyes met, and my heart fluttered. “I claim you, Ashley. You belong to me.”

In an instant, the entire world around me seemed to shift around his face. I could feel all my reservations, qualms, and fears leave my body as I looked at my brother. It felt like a hole in my soul, a deep emptiness that I never knew I had inside of me, was being filled by him.

He was no longer just my little brother; he was much more than that. Instinctively, I knew he was my owner. My savior.

“Oh,” was all I could muster to say as the fireworks went off in my mind. “You weren’t lying, Mom. This feels so perfect.”

It felt better than perfect. It felt natural. I knew without a doubt that I had made the right choice. Hell, I was stupid for not convincing Liam to claim me earlier.

My brother looked at me nervously, clearly unnerved by my instant change, unsure if he had made another mistake.

I felt pure joy as I looked into his sweet blue eyes with devotion.

“Oh, Liam. I am so proud of you,” I whispered, hugging him tightly. He had taken the first brave step towards protecting his family in this strange new world, and I was so, so proud of him.