Best In Show

four

"From now on, you will address me as Master since I am now your master, understand?" Nicholas demands, once he looks over the contract, re-reading over everything she wrote down and taking a long look at her signature.

He seemed very pleased with himself, and a little relieved.

"Yes... Master," Ella says.

It sounds completely strange coming out of her mouth, obviously because Ella never imagined when she went off to college that she would be calling someone Master. Actually, she didn't even think that someone would ask her to be in Best In Show and for her to agree. She thought she would have a quiet college life, and she's had one for mostly three years now.

Carly called it up to this far.

"Stand up, now," Nicholas orders.

Immediately Ella does.

"Now follow me." Nicholas stands up and begins to walk to the back part of his condo. "Hurry, don't keep me waiting."

Ella quickly jogs behind Nicholas, his long strides are hard to keep up with.

"Um, Nicholas," she begins.

In one second, Nicholas stops, quickly turns on his heels, and takes one step towards Ella, who's reaction is to abruptly stop so that their bodies don't collide into each other. Then Nicholas takes another step towards her, and Ella takes another step back. They do this until Ella bumps her back against the wall.

Nicholas takes this opportunity to trap Ella between his massive body and arms. She probably looks like a small, scared child. He glares down at her, those beautiful blue eyes turning the darkest shade of blue. He's mad, very mad.

"What did I just tell you to call me?" Nicholas growls.

"Master," she whispers as her heart pounds so hard that she can barely hear anything. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are," he says, slowly letting his arms fall to his side. "You need to remember to always call me Master, alright?"

Ella nods. "Yes, Master."

"Now what did you need?"

"I... I just wanted to know about the Master calling thing. When we're at competition, do I still call you Master?"

Nicholas's face, which is still intense with anger, softens.

"Oh no, you won't. At competitions, pets don't speak," he informs her. "But here in my condo, Master. In public, sir. Understand?"

She nods, again. "Yes, Master."

Again, Nicholas begins strides down the hallway with Ella following close behind.

"Master?" Ella begins.

"Yes, Ella?"

"Where are we going?" she asks.

"The training room," Nicholas tells her. "Your training room."

He stops at a door at the end of the hallway. On the top middle of the door, in large steel letters, it says: TRAINING ROOM, and just below it on a small steel plaque it says: 9. ELLA HALE. She frowns at the sight, he already has my name on it? And what's the number nine for?

Ella waits patiently as Nicholas momentarily digs in his pants pocket and soon pulls out a key and uses it to open the door.