Manipulation

• Anna

“Ethan?” Anna kept her tone casual, friendly even. “Do you think we should bring the food that Anderson took from our family? And his food too, while we’re at it? Y’know… Since food might be an issue for the group, now that things have gotten… Weird.”

She didn’t feel weird, truth be told. She felt amazing, a thrum of contentment coursing through her body that intensified whenever she looked at Ethan. She found her thoughts now constantly orbiting around him, what he thought, he needed or desired. And while the world was indeed a crazy and scary place now, having that clear purpose to anchor herself made it so much better.

She loved being claimed by Ethan. She couldn’t give it up now, even if she was suddenly taken to a safe and secure place, and why would she ever want to be free? Why would she ever want to lose that wonderful feeling of love and obedience? Why would she ever choose to be unhappy and lost again, after having experienced this bliss?

“Good idea,” said Ethan, after thinking on it. He frowned however, before adding, “but his body is there. Won’t it…?”

Carmen was the first to reassure him. “It’s quite alright. I don’t mind looking at that cochino again if it’s to help you, mi amor.” She looked at her fellow claimed for support, and they all nodded eagerly.

Anna herself felt like what had happened to her with Anderson now felt gross and distant, even if at the time she remembered enjoying herself immensely. The bliss of making her owner happy like that could not be put into words… But now all she felt towards Anderson was contempt. He was nowhere near what Ethan was. But the same obedience that molded her mind made any other problems feel small by comparison. Her only worry was about hurting Ethan with the memories of the incident.

“Why don’t we go and get the food, while you rest here?” She suggested. “It won’t bother us one bit, and you can relax here while we do that. After all, nobody can steal us now, thanks to you.” And she smiled, making sure he realized how she was grateful.

Unfortunately this did not make him smile back this time, his frown only deepening. “Still dangerous, especially without a guy,” he muttered, glancing at the outside between the blinds.

But his **** to go out was clear, and Anna fretted. She wanted a private moment to talk to Nadia, but not at the expense of Ethan’s well-being.

It was in fact Nadia herself that suggested the solution: “How about you come with us, but stay outside and keep watch while we get the food inside the house?” She smiled gently. “Then you don’t have to go in there again.”

“But… Carmen, Anna… You two went through WAY worse…” He protested weakly, looking down at the ground. A pang went through Anna’s mind as she noticed his guilt, his concern for them, and how it caused him pain.

“Don’t worry, my darling,” reassured Carmen again. “What that man did was… Awful, yes. But that is in the past now, and I belong to a new man. A much better man too,” and she admired him, her gaze traveling up and down before she gave him an approving smile. “After being claimed, I have no strong feelings on what happened between me and him anymore. Nothing matters, except you.”

“I also feel better after being claimed,” said Anna. “We can totally go and get the food. You don’t have to come. Or you can come in and keep watch, if you’d rather not go in. Whatever you decide.” She clutched gently at his sleeve, wondering how far she could push it. “We… We just want to be helpful to you.”

Ethan thought some more, but his expression mellowed. “I think… I’ll go. And keep watch.” He glanced at Zarina and asked, “want to come with us?”

It was like all three other women first noticed Zarina was also with them. The only unclaimed woman, she looked caught off guard and shook her head nervously. “I… I don’t want to go back there,” she said, unable to meet any of our eyes. “Can I stay here?”

“Will it be safe?” Asked Ethan.

Zarina shrugged. “I can keep the doors and windows locked. Worst case scenario, I can hide? It’s not like you guys will be out for long.. Right?”

“Fair,” said Ethan.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Nadia with a confident smile as she strode to the door. Anna and Carmen followed suit. It was so much better to have a purpose, something she could give all of herself to. There was no fear, no uncertainty. There was only following Ethan and making him happy.

Now if only she could find a way to make him really happy… But she hoped Nadia could help her with that.

Outside things were still quiet, although when they were interrupted halfway there by Emilio, the Rivieras’ elderly neighbour. He shuffled towards them, hushedly whispering. “Carmen! Carmen!”

They turned to him as he approached, a sad look on his face. “Carmen! Ay, pobrecita… ¿Estás bien? Tu marido... ¿Sabes lo que…?/<Carmen! Poor thing… Are you alright? Your husband… Do you know what…?>” He asked her, his voice trembling.

Anna’s mother smiled sweetly at him. “<I am well, Emilio, thanks for asking! And this is Ethan, my new owner.>” She replied in perfect Spanish. Ethan looked at them without comprehending, but he picked up on Emilio’s change in demeanor, especially as the old man scrutinized him.

“<My son, Eduardo, called… He told me about this new thing going on… Is it true then? Do men really control women now?>” He asked, his voice had a sad, defeated tone. An old man dealing with a change far beyond what he was ready to face.

<It’s true, men can claim women now, but I promise it’s not so bad.> Carmen smiled politely at him. <Now if you’ll excuse me? We have to go now.>

<Oh… Yes… And your husband…? Uh, well, goodbye…> Emilio waved weakly and watched as they walked away. Ethan glanced at Carmen curiously.

Anna, however, was the one to explain to him. “He’s our neighbor, and the one that wrapped dad’s body in a sheet last night, after he died.”

“Ah, so it was him?” Said Carmen, her tone breezy and calm. “I thought it was you.”

“No, I saw it on the home camera. He did it,” said Anna. “Also how I found out it was Anderson that had taken you.”

“My smart girl,” her mother smiled back at Anna, a hint of pride in her voice. Claimed or not, Carmen was still a mother through and through. Although her smile widened slightly, eyes gleaming, as she turned to Ethan. “Thanks to you and this handsome young man that I was saved from him.”

Ethan glanced back at Emilio. “Nice of him,” he muttered. “And nice of you to thank him.”

Carmen had the briefest of hesitations. “Of course,” she lied, still smiling.

In truth her mother had not thanked Emilio at all, Anna realized. Not that she blamed her. Anna realized that her father, who had occupied her mind so strongly only a few moments ago, had been entirely forgotten since she was claimed. Oh well, he was not relevant right now. Ensuring Ethan’s happiness was far more important .

They reached Anderson’s house and Ethan stood outside, the gun idly pointing at the floor as he nodded at them. They went inside, and made their way past the bloody body and into the kitchen, sparing Anderson only the briefest glance as they passed. Already he was fading into a distant and irrelevant memory as well.

“So…” Said Anna, looking at Nadia as all three women began the process of taking food from cupboards and piling them on the table. They worked as they talked. “You’ve been claimed by Ethan the longest. What is he like?”

Carmen’s interest was immediately piqued. Nadia smiled at them, before answering. “Well, he’s a little complicated. He feels very strongly against ‘abusing’ or hurting us, which gets a little frustrating.”

“A shame he’s a gentleman…” Sighed Carmen. “But Anna, didn’t you say…?”

“I saw you going into the bathroom naked while he was there,” interrupted Anna, a smile on her lips as she addressed Nadia. “Pretty sure you blew him too, while in there. I heard it.”

“Huh. Noticed it, did you?” Asked Nadia. She seemed more amused by it than anything else. “And did you tell anyone else?”

“I… Mentioned it vaguely to my mother before we were claimed. Said you and Ethan were probably having sex already. Did you…?”

“Hmm, no. Not that far.” Nadia’s smile faded slightly. “But he did indeed let me service him in the bathroom. I peeked through the keyhole and saw him masturbating, so it was a good time to push him.” Her smile grew again as she remembered. “He was very dominant. In the heat of the moment he fucked my throat real good.”

The two other women shuddered at the thought. “Did he come?” Asked Carmen, a needy edge to her question.

“Down my throat,” Nadia replied, proudly. “So he DOES like women, and I’m pretty sure he enjoys being dominant too. He tries not to show it, but I’ve been paying attention to him. Sometimes? When he orders me or when he sees another man ordering a woman? I notice he gets excited.” She paused, then grinned as she asked Anna. “Wait, so you knew Ethan used me sexually… And yet you still agreed to be claimed by him? You’re bolder than I thought!”

Mother and daughter exchanged glances, conflicted feelings in their eyes. “We discussed it,” said Anna. “And we were not thrilled at the time, but thought there were no better options. We thought we were taking a risk. Although now, that thought feels so foolish, doesn’t it?”

“Hah, claiming really changes your perspective!” Carmen laughed softly. “But, even now, I’m happy we stay together as a family. I was always a little sad that you left our house to go live in the dorm when you started university.”

“Well, we’re back together now,” said Anna. “And both of us serve the same guy. Hmm… I wonder if Ethan would be turned on if we approached him at the same time? A little mother-daughter tag teaming?” She gave her mom a naughty smile.

“You think so?” Asked Carmen, her eyes lighting up eagerly once more. “I hope he doesn’t mind older women. Although if he does I can still help him fuck you and enjoy your body. So long as he’s happy… And I get to see him as he comes.” She sighed wistfully.

Nadia stopped working briefly to turn towards the other two, a worried expression on her face. “I know you two are eager to please Ethan. Especially in that way. When he used my throat and I witnessed his orgasm, felt it, tasted it… It was the best moment of my entire life… My proudest accomplishment!”

Her eyes glazed with lust as she remembered, and the two other women leaned in, as if savoring it by proxy, a hungry look in their eyes. But Nadia shook her head and continued. “But! Right now, I think we should be careful. He has been traumatized by what happened, and is quick to fall into guilt and self-loathing. If we’re not careful, coming onto him could cause even more pain.”

That observation made the other two wince, smiles fading into worry. “Poor boy,I don’t want that for him,” said Carmen.

“Isn’t there a way we can convince him to be more… Honest, with his desires?” Insisted Anna. “If we tempt him enough…”

“Being too quick risks pushing him in the opposite direction,” replied Nadia firmly. “I do like the idea of tempting and pushing him towards being more honest… But we have to be careful. But don’t worry, I have an idea of what we can do to… Ease him into being more comfortable around us. Carefully, and without spooking him.”

“And you’re the expert in this?” Asked Anna.

Nadia smiled confidently. “I mean, psychology was one of my majors before all this happened… And I did gently push you two into being claimed by Ethan?”

Carmen and Anna paused, going back to the things Nadia had told them before being claimed. Carmen actually laughed at this realization, while Anna wavered.

“I mean, I was probably going to ask him to claim us anyways?” She pouted before shrugging. “But, I guess… I’m grateful for helping me make the right choice.”

Carmen nodded, still smiling. “Oh yes. Being claimed by him was the best thing that has happened to us! We’re so lucky to have a smart woman like you with him, Nadia!”

Anna shrugged again. “Alright… Lead the way then, manipulation expert. Although I’m expecting results!”

Carmen laughed softly at her daughter. “It’s important to be patient, peque.” Anna only pouted more while Carmen turned to Nadia, still smiling. “So, tell us your idea!”

The three women struggled out the door of Anderson’s house with all the bags they were carrying, two households’ worth. Ethan insisted on helping them carry it, even as they insisted they were fine.

“Also, we can pass by your neighbor's house and maybe offer him some food?” Suggested Ethan. “You can translate it, say it’s a gift.”

“Aww, you’re such a kind soul!” Said Carmen, and the other two women immediately agreed. Anna didn’t care at all for Emilio, but she saw the praise made Ethan happy, and so she followed suit. The old man seemed slightly suspicious when they called him, but he accepted a few cans of food with a grateful smile when Carmen translated. And Anna saw her mother’s cheek flush as she obeyed Ethan and made herself useful to him. This only made Anna more eager and impatient, which she hid behind a friendly smile. When would it be her chance to please him? Her thoughts wandered back to Nadia’s plan and she **** herself to take a deep breath. Her chance would come soon, she just had to be smart about it.

• Ethan

They were back now at the Riviera household, and Zarina was happy to see them. “Oh wow, that’s a good amount of food,” she remarked with a smile, although it faded slightly as she added, “although we have a lot of people to feed too. But I’m sure Kaitlyn will appreciate all this food when we show up.”

Ethan nodded as they brought in all the bags. But after putting them down Anna took a deep breath. “About that…” She began, turning to her owner. “Sorry, but, can we stay here a little longer, before we return to Kaitlyn’s home?”

Ethan blinked. “Why?”

“Well, it’s our family home and we would like a chance to say goodbye to it before we leave,” interjected Carmen. “And maybe bring a few things we could use as well. But the main reason we suggest this? Honestly? We think you need a quick rest, sweetheart.”

“Ethan?” Nadia put her hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been through a lot, yesterday and today, and it’s clearly taking a toll on you. We’re worried.”

He frowned and shrugged. “I’m fine,” he said, even as his body language betrayed otherwise. Zarina also looked concerned.

“Kaitlyn and the others will be worried about us,” she said. “Couldn’t we go back and then rest?”

“In that cramped house?” Anna scoffed. “Anyways, it doesn’t even have to be long. You can rest in mom’s bed for an hour or so and then we’re on our way. Please?”

“We worry about you,” added Carmen. “So please? Let us help you?”

“We just want to be helpful,” said Anna.

Ethan seemed uncomfortable under this pressure, and after a moment of hesitation he relented. “Alright. Just an hour.” Assertiveness had never been his strong suite, and neither was dealing with women, if he had to admit it. And if he REALLY had to admit it, all this attention was something he was enjoying despite the circumstances. Then he remembered why he was getting all this attention, and his enjoyment soured, stained by ugly memories.

“Wonderful!” Carmen smiled. “I’ll bring you to my bed, you can rest there while me and my daughter fetch the few things we want to bring. And you can rest in the guest room, Zarina!”

The unclaimed woman still looked uncertain. But she had ****, but to accept.

Ethan was led up the stairs and into a bedroom with an old queen-sized bed, a wardrobe and a nightstand, all decorated in warm brown colors. There was a photo on the nightstand showing William and Carmen smiling, looking younger as they hugged and hovered over a very young Anna, still a preteen as she smiled at the photographer, a moment frozen in time. Ethan winced when he saw the photo, and Carmen noticed it, and quickly put the photo away without a second thought.

“No, you don’t have to…” He muttered, but she quickly put the photo inside a drawer and shut it.

“Don’t worry about a thing, just get comfortable here, sweetheart,” she said, smiling before leaving him. And Nadia gently pushed him onto the bed before she lay beside him, the bed creaking as she settled on her side, facing him as he lay back and closed his eyes. He did not look relaxed.

For a moment they were silent, hearing the distant sounds of Carmen and Anna rummaging through the house.

“You know I would do anything for you,” said Nadia, looking at Ethan as he lay back. His lips twitched. “They would as well.”

“Yeah,” he replied.

“And now you have three women who feel a need to please you. To make you happy. And to be used by you,” added Nadia. “And it’s important to all of our happiness, to make you happy. To be used by you.”

Another silence as Ethan made a sour face. “Only so much massage you three can do,” he replied dryly.

“I have a different idea. Of a way we can help you,” said Nadia.

Ethan’s body immediately tensed. “No, Nadia. I don’t want -”

“Cuddling,” she interjected. “Nothing too much, I know you’re worried about us so… Just cuddling.” She saw him waver, his initial resistance confused by this new angle, and pressed on. “I think you could use a good cuddle. A hug? Some comforting words?” She reached and took his hand in hers. “You did so much for us, for all the girls. And suffered for it. Now you need some time to just... Relax. And that’s something we can all give you. Hm?”

Her thumb brushed gently against the back of his hand. His first instinct was to reject any and all contact with the women, keep them at an arm’s length. He has a responsibility… But he felt his resistance melt under the prospect of that warmth. He wavered.

“Just cuddling?” He said. “No sexual things. Period.”

“Sure! Great,” said Nadia with a smile. “I’ll go get the others too! They will be so happy to join!”

Nadia got up quickly and left the bedroom, but soon she was back. Ethan heard the door open and looked as they entered, freezing slightly when he saw Carmen and Anna. They were each in a state of undress. Anna had her shirt on, but no shorts, wearing only a thong that barely covered her crotch. Carmen was the opposite, wearing sensible pants but completely topless, with her ample breasts bouncing softly as her and her daughter rushed to Ethan’s side and joined him on the bed.

“Thank you for letting us help! Thank you so much,” said Carmen, beaming as she lay on one side, pressing her soft and plump bare breasts against Ethan as she hugged his arm.

“We came as quick as we could,” added Anna as she lay on the other side. She rested one leg over him while resting her head on his chest. From this angle he could see her ass, pert and bubbly, covered only by the g-string in between her cheeks.

Nadia came behind them and closed the door, before smiling and joining the two on the bed.

“W-wait… This is…” Ethan stuttered, finally recovering from his surprise. But Anna hugged him tighter.

“Please don’t send us away?” She pleaded, her voice soft. He felt her warm breath against his chest. “We just want to make you feel good.”

“We want you to feel happy,” agreed Carmen. “That’s all. We’re not hurting you, are we? Please, allow us this? Please?”

“We’re going to cuddle and only cuddle,” reassured Nadia, as she lay behind Anna and reached over to gently brush Ethan’s hair, an affectionate smile on her lips. “C’mon… Doesn’t it feel nice?”

And Ethan was now surrounded by the warm bodies of the three women as they pressed themselves against him, hugged him and gently caressed him. But after a moment of fear he realized that, despite their state of undress, they were in fact only cuddling him. Anna nuzzled at his chest, he felt Carmen’s breathing as she held him close to her chest, the warmth surrounding his body, Nadia’s hands on his hair, soothing…

It felt too good. He couldn’t bear to tell them to stop. And he hated himself for it. “Do not go any further, ok?” He mumbled. He felt like a fraud. He was weak.

“Don’t worry,” said Anna, looking up at him and smiling as she rested against his chest. “You can trust us.”

“You deserve this,” whispered Carmen. “Pobrecito… You deserve a good time. You deserve a break…”

“You’ve done so much for us,” said Nadia.

“Protected us,” whispered Anna.

“Rescued us,” added Carmen.

“You did great, Ethan. You did great.”

He let these words sink in, and his eyes grew blurry. Ethan closed his eyes, struggling to keep it together, but it was not enough. He needed this. He needed this so much it hurt. For someone to show him affection, a small moment of kindness, and to say that he was worthy of attention, of love.

It was like giving a starving man a warm bowl of soup. He could not refuse it when he so desperately needed it. This affection, these words of affirmation, a warm balm for his self-esteem, so ragged with guilt and self-loathing.

He sighed with relief and the faintest of smiles crept on his lips. His body slowly relaxed, letting himself sink on the bed while surrounded by tender, soft bodies. He could feel their breath, their soft skin against his, their tender warmth.

He heard Anna sigh happily.

“It’s good to see you smile,” she whispered. He looked down and caught her admiring him, eyes starstruck in adoration. She moaned softly, not taking her eyes off him. “It feels so good to see you happy…”

“It is,” agreed Carmen, with a moan of her own. Hers was lower, louder, ending in a small laugh, and he felt the laugh in her bosom, her soft breasts jiggling slightly. “It feels amazing… Thank you so much for letting us stay, sweetheart.”

He smiled at their reaction, despite himself, and the moans around him doubled in intensity. But despite how visibly excited they were, the women did nothing but hold him. They still did nothing more, as he commanded.

It was alright, wasn’t it? At the end of the day they were just hugging and comforting him. That’s all. Nothing wrong. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. And neither were they.

He told himself this as he closed his eyes, while the women around him moaned softly as they held and caressed him, all whispering gentle words of affirmation and encouragement, or voicing their pleasure at seeing his smile. He smiled wider and a wave of moans swept through the women, Anna actually squirming slightly. His cheeks flushed as he felt a pang of arousal...

But smiling couldn’t be wrong, could it? He was smiling, that’s all.

• Zarina

She pressed her ear against the door and heard her soft moans coming from inside. She didn’t hear Ethan’s voice at all, but there could be many explanations for that. Maybe he was just quiet when having sex, or maybe his mouth was occupied, licking and slobbering over one of his harem’s cunt while the other two serviced his cock.

Zarina shuddered at this mental image, and she felt herself getting damp, even as her stomach twisted itself into knots. It was expected of him to use the girls, of course… Zarina didn’t have much faith in a man being able to resist three women throwing themselves at him. Still, this was her former roommate, and someone she considered a friend. And she was being taken, along with her mother, by a man that would later have to protect her from getting claimed by other men outside, she would be at his mercy.

This was wrong on so many levels… But her cunt only got damper as she thought of these dangers, no matter how wrong they were. Al’ama! She had to take this seriously! Zarina was in danger right now, this was no time to be thinking with her lower body.

But the need was there, wasn’t it? It was always there, even before. And she always knew how to deal with that need, to purge those thoughts from her mind, at least temporarily. This was familiar to her, in a way.

So she snuck back to the guest room she had been offered and made sure to close and lock the door before lying down on the bed and hiking her dress up until her hips and legs were free. He underwear was damp, and pulling it down made her shiver with cold, although it was no match for the burning need she felt deep inside her. Why was she cursed like this, she did not know. And at this point, she supposed, it didn’t make a difference why she was the way she was.

She began masturbating, eagerly rubbing her clit and making her cunt fully aroused before she plunged a finger in. She was experienced with this and quickly went to her familiar motions, alternating between rubbing herself and fingering deeper, biting on a pillow to stop her mouth from making any shameful noises. The bedroom was completely silent, aside from the wet noises from her cunt.

And she felt a deep shame at her actions. But even that shame was familiar to her, from so long ago. The shame that gripped her when she was finished fucking herself with her fingers, shame so strong she had vowed many times before to try and be better. To masturbate less, to not watch or read any porn, to not watch or read **** porn at least, at the very least to stop masturbating once a day… But none of her promises held. One by one she broke them, bringing only more shame. The same shame that made her completely hide this side of herself, she couldn’t let anyone see, or anyone know about it…

She felt her climax approaching, her fingers pistoning in and out, and bit hard into the pillow as she gushed her juices all over the bed while stifling her moans. Fuck, this was a strong one. She had come so hard it took a moment for reality to assert itself, and for her to remember the danger she was in. She gasped, releasing the pillow and slowly calming back down to normal with each breath.

Then she looked down at the mess she had made, and on a bed that was not even hers, and bitterly noticed it was one more thing to be ashamed of. Not that anyone else would notice, probably. They were leaving this house soon anyways.

But she would know. And the shame would burn her all the same, that secret flame inside her, always burning, again and again.

• Carmen

  After resting for a while and gathering all their things, thankfully the trip back to Kaitlyn’s was fairly uneventful. It appeared that the danger had simmered down since the frenzy of yesterday, although the tense atmosphere remained and there was still conflict in places. It was early afternoon as they walked back, each carrying bags full of supplies.

The only incident had been an older man dressed in a business shirt with torn buttons and a black eye, as he pitifully begged the group for food. Apparently the supermarket had been claimed by a group of people and they had kicked everyone else out, while another was in the midst of some serious looting. The man had been injured there, and looked small and scared as he said there was no food left at his place. Ethan gave him some food, but refused when the man asked for more, saying he had his own people to worry about. The hurt man only shot an angry look at the women surrounding him, before running away with his gift. Carmen fawned over Ethan and his kindness, even as Nadia warned that he also had to think of himself and the others if he wanted to survive. But the tall blonde winced as she offered this mild critique, and admitted that in the end it was Ethan’s choice. And Carmen couldn’t help but agree.

Other than that, most people gave their group a wide berth, and Ethan breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Kaitlyn’s home in the distance. There was a van parked outside it marked as belonging to the city’s electrical provider and they all glanced at it as they approached. But Ethan’s relief was short-lived.

Kaitlyn, a pretty-looking young girl with a haircut that Carmen couldn’t help but feel was too masculine for such an attractive girl, carefully opened the door, and at first she smiled when she saw Anna and Carmen among the group. “We were all worried about you! So happy to see you back, and… Is that your mom? So you did manage to free her then?”

There was an awkward silence from the group, and Ethan fidgeted with his bag of food.

Carmen spoke up. “Yes, he freed me. I was claimed by an awful man, and… Things were very difficult. But he bravely rescued me and my daughter, and freed us both.”

“Freed you both?” Kaitly’s eyes widened. “Do you mean - ?”

“Anderson, the one who claimed my mother, also claimed me in the scuffle,” clarified Anna.

“Oh fuck…” Muttered Kaitlyn, looking at Carmen with concern. The question was, how did Ethan feel about disclosing that she was claimed by him? If he wanted to keep it a secret, Carmen did not want to be the one to spill it…

From behind Kaitlyn emerged an older man with the same black hair, obviously the girl’s father. He was rubbing his eyes as he walked up to them. “Did I hear it right? Were you… Claimed? And then unclaimed?” He looked at the faces of the group with concern. “Damn. Seems like you all went through a lot! Hey, I’m Geroge, Kaitlyn’s father… But come on in, come in!” He gestured at them.

But Ethan hesitated, taking a deep breath. And Carmen knew then that he would tell them the truth. Oh, Ethan, always so honest! Truly the best young man they could have possibly wanted as a master!

“And after they were freed… They asked me to claim them,” admitted Ethan. “To… To protect them.” He sighed, then finally looked up and his eyes met Kaitlyn’s. “I claimed Anna and her mom.”

Kaitlyn and George looked stunned at this revelation, and their smiled vanished instantly as they looked at the group with new eyes. Ethan looking guilty, but staring back at them. Nadia, Anna and Carmen all standing behind him protectively, looking to Ethan for cues on what to do. Zarina hanging apart from the rest of the group, looking down at the ground.

“No… Please tell me that’s a joke, that you’re lying…” Kaitlyn’s voice trembled slightly, before her face twisted, disbelief turning into anger. “Are you kidding me? You fucking claimed two more women? After all we went through, all that we saw?”

“Hey, lay off him!” Anna stepped forward, her own temper flaring up. “Didn’t you hear? Me and my mother asked him to claim us! He just did as we asked!”

“Even then…” George shook his head. “That is wrong. Ethan… Did my words yesterday mean nothing - ?”

Carmen took a step forward herself, her mind focusing on the best way to swing this argument to their side. She was older, a mother, and knew how to command respect when she wanted it. And so she did, straightening her back and looking George firmly in the eye. He grew silent.

“My daughter is right!” said Carmen, her voice firm and commanding. “And you know why we asked him that? Because the man who claimed me made me kill my husband. And I obeyed him, because I was his woman then. I killed my husband with my own hands, at his orders. He also ordered me to help him claim my own daughter. And so I did.”

Everyone grew deadly quiet, George’s eyes wide in mute horror. Carmen took advantage of their shock, pressing her point. “And when the bastard claimed my daughter, he **** her. In front of Ethan and in front of me. Hell, I protected him as he did it. Because I was still claimed by him. I did horrible things, under that man’s control… And if it wasn’t for Ethan, he would have claimed the other girl too.” She pointed at Zarina. “It’s thanks to him shooting and killing Anderson that she remains free.”

All eyes turned to Zarina, and she squirmed under the spotlight before admitting, “they’re saying the truth… I was there with them and… It was horrible. That’s why… I understand why they wanted Ethan to claim them. I didn’t want to be claimed, I refused…. But I understand…”

“Considering what me and my daughter went through, will you still judge Ethan for what he did? For what we asked him to do?” Pressed Carmen, staring them down. Kaitlyn covered her mouth with her hands, staring at Ethan who looked down sadly at the pistol he still held in his hand. Both George and Kaitlyn looked away.

“Well… Come inside then, all of you,” he said, eventually, his expression a mix of concern and fear. “Even if the world’s gone crazy… We’re not going to refuse those in need.”

The group entered, one by one, in the awkward silence that preceded a complicated conversation, its looming threat quashing any possibility of small talk. But Carmen managed to glance at Nadia and flash a quick, triumphant smile. Proof that Nadia was not the only one who could manipulate others when she wanted to.