Yes, but then he finally has the chance to catch up with one of his gorgeous new recruits on the way

Michael's POV

The stairwell swallowed sound, its narrow walls pressing in like the ribs of some decaying beast. Your footsteps on the worn carpet were muffled thuds as you made your way to the fifth-floor landing, the promised aroma of roasting meat from the social area below just beginning to tease your nostrils, when a shadow detached itself from the gloom below.

Sophia emerged onto the landing, pausing as she saw him. Her dark eyes widened slightly, then dropped, a flush creeping up her neck, stark against her olive skin. She wore clean, practical clothes now, jeans and a red t-shirt that she must have found in her family's new apartment. They looked a world away from the tattered remnants she’d arrived in, but the wariness in her posture remained, like a ghost clinging to her frame. Her black hair was damp, curling slightly at the ends, and smelling faintly of cheap soap.

"Master Michael," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She shifted her weight, fingers twisting together. "I...I was just heading down too. To help set up."

A deeper blush then stained her cheeks. "Laurel and Kira...they're still cleaning up. After...after you were with them."

You leaned against the wall, feeling cool and rough under your palm. The sounds from earlier...Laurel’s gasps, Kira’s muffled whimpers against aroused pussy lips...they echoed loudly in your memory.

You weren't surprised Sophia had heard; sound carried strangely across the concrete walls of the apartment building, especially through thin bathroom walls. Still, you couldn't help but study her, the way her gaze darted everywhere but his face, the tension humming beneath her stillness. "I figured," you said, your tone neutral. "Thin walls." You paused, letting the silence stretch, thick with unspoken things, before your curiosity fueled your next questions. "So...what do you think? About me fucking your sister? Now that you know...I own you both?"

Sophia flinched, just a tiny jerk of her shoulders, as if the word 'own' was a physical blow. Her breath hitched. She finally looked up, meeting your green eyes with an intensity that surprised you. A mix of fear, gratitude, and something else, raw and ****. "It's...complicated," she breathed. "Carlos...he..." Her voice cracked, the name itself seeming to conjure the phantom of the crushing weight of helplessness.

She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "He used me. Like a disposable thing. Especially after...after everything fell apart. It was...degrading. Terrifying." A shudder ran through her. "But you...you saved us. You brought us here. To sanctuary." Her gaze locked onto his, pleading. "I have hope. Hope that you'll be...different. Kind. A truly benevolent Master."

You immediately felt that the title they all seemed to call you instinctively, unless you asked otherwise that is, 'Master', landed differently coming from her. Less clinical than Emma Cruz’s detached fascination, less eager than Mia's devotion. It carried the weight of her terror and of her ****, fragile trust.

She looked down again, the blush deepening impossibly further. "And...I saw." She whispered, the admission cascading in a rush, tumbling out. "Just a peek. Through the door crack, after I was done showering. I was worried...about Laurel. But..." She lifted her chin, a flicker of defiance or maybe just raw honesty in her dark eyes. "What I saw...it was clear. You weren't hurting her. You weren't...him. You were...intense. Commanding. But she wasn't afraid. Neither was Kira, not like that." Her voice dropped to a near whisper again. "It made me trust you. Truly trust you, Lord and Master. Especially after...." She trailed off as she swallowed again. "After... I heard you talking to Kira. About respecting her wishes. About not...not taking her fully until she's ready. For children."

The word 'children' hung heavy in the dusty air. "That...that sealed it for me. My hopes aren't misplaced. They can't be. Not now, not after everything."

She straightened her shoulders, a sudden resolve hardening her features, pushing back the lingering shadows of fear. "So I vow it. Right here. Right now. As your property, it is an obvious given that I will serve you regardless. But if you remain our protector and keep your side of the social contract, as you put it, to look after us as best as you can...I will not just obey you out of need. I will obey you out of earned loyalty. Eagerly and completely."

Her gaze then flickered down your body, settling on your covered cock with a spark of lust before backing up, unflinching. "In any way you require. If you ask...I will service your needs." The flush remained as she said that, but her voice grew steadier, fueled by conviction. "Even if those needs turn out to be a desire to help you repopulate civilization by letting you breed me before Kira is ready, especially once we are in a more established, self-sufficient position.

"Just...please." The plea in her voice returned, softer now, threaded with a tremor you hadn't heard before. "I ask for patience. If I...if I get uneasy. During...anything. The memories...what Carlos did...they're still so fresh. Sometimes they just...crash in. Please, Master...just...patience."

Silence descended, thicker and heavier than the dust motes swirling in the dim light. Sophia stood before you, breathing shallowly, her confession hanging between them like a tangled knot of trauma, gratitude, burgeoning attraction, and absolute surrender.

You watched her. The damp hair clinging to her temples. The pulse fluttering visibly in her throat. The way her hands, though clasped tightly, trembled slightly. He saw the ghost of that gang leader's brutality etched in the tension around her eyes, warring with the fierce, newfound loyalty your claim had forged. And you saw the flicker of desire she’d practically admitted to, tangled with the dread of potential PTSD triggers.

Your own thoughts churned. Pragmatism warred with a flicker of uncomfortable guilt. She was your property now. Utterly. You could, in theory, command anything you wanted even if her vow wasn't absolute since it wasn't truly required for her obedience. Yet, the raw vulnerability in her request, the echo of her suffering...you felt yourself respond with sympathy and respect for this young, gorgeous woman, as the emotions grew deep in your chest.

So, banishing sudden thoughts of dominating her bed that had flashed through your mind just briefly during her heated speech, you shook your head and did the first thing you could think of that felt right.

You gave her a big hug.

The fabric of your t-shirt scratched against Sophia’s cheek as you pulled her close, your arms wrapping around her tense frame. She flinched sharply at the sudden movement, a full-body jolt that felt like electricity grounding out through her bones. That instinctive recoil, the ghost of Carlos’s cruelty flaring bright, only tightened your resolve to anchor her here, now, in safety.

"I’m sorry," you murmured into her damp, soap-scented hair, your voice thick against the shell of her ear. "Truly, deeply sorry for everything that bastard did to you." You squeezed gently, feeling her ribs expand in a shaky inhale. "And if you are brave enough to make that vow...then I will make you vow here and now as well: to do my best to look after you, Laurel, Kira...all of you. As well as I possibly can given the circumstances."

Silence settled again in the building's stairway, thick and heavy, punctuated only by the rasp of your breathing and the distant, muffled clatter of pans from the social area below. Sophia remained rigid for a heartbeat, then two, and then she sagged against you with a broken sound, like a dam bursting. Sobs wracked her body, hot tears soaking your collar as she clutched fistfuls of your shirt, trembling violently. You held her steady, wordless, your chin resting on the crown of her head, letting the storm rage until it spent itself. Minutes stretched, thin and taut as old wire, filled only with her raw, cathartic release.

Finally, she pushed back, just enough to look up. Her face was flushed and tear-streaked, and her eyes were puffy but fiercely clear as they locked with yours from mere inches away. Then, before you could speak, before you could react, she surged forward. Her lips brushed yours...a fleeting, deliberate press, warm and soft and tasting of salt. She pulled back instantly, cheeks blazing crimson.

You blinked, slightly stunned, the ghost of her kiss lingering like static. "What was that for?" The question tumbled out of your mouth, hushed in tone.

Sophia offered a wobbly smile, gratitude shining wetly in her dark eyes. "For helping me find the courage to hope again," she whispered. "Even with everything that’s happened."

You took a deep, long breath at that as you stared at her for a moment longer. And then you shook your head. "Well, thank you. I am honored to hear that. Now, let's get to the feast on the social area floor. I am famished, and that smell is not helping with that."

"As you wish...Master," Sophie said, this time with a smile that actually reached her eyes as she said the emotionally charged word.

Given the circumstances and her past history with that term, you decided not to bring up the more public title you had chosen, Lord Commander, at that very moment. Besides, you supposed that can work as a shorter, more informal title when not in the presence of more wary outsiders.

And so you shook your head and headed down with her steps close behind, determined to up your game enough for the sake of your growing group that Sophie remains happy to call you Master whenever she wants instead of suffering from PTSD when the word came up.

It was the very least you could do.

A/N: Loose ends from the important one-on-one meetings with the new recruits of the arc are officially finished as of this chapter, so it's time for the group to enjoy the rewards of their hard work all day with that feast. For tomorrow will be another day for them to try to capitalize on the opportunities that will present themselves.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always, please remember to review if you can. See you in the next one.