The Beast Enslaved

Aram

"Hello mother." Her voice was confident, unwavering, unapologetic that she'd just interrupted her mother fluttering about her soon-to-be daughter in law.

Catherina's mother looked up, shock evident on her face. She met Cat's gaze head-on, as if expecting Cat to cower away or to give in to the staring contest.

"I've been well, thank you for asking." She added sarcastically.

Over her shoulder, I could see El wink at her, trying to suppress his grin. It took Cat's mother a few moments before she snapped out of her daze, slipping into the role of the welcoming housewife and mother perfectly.

"Catherina, my dear! I am so glad to see you! You never call your dear old mother anymore!"

The fact that she couldn't even greet her daughter without chastising her nearly made me step in.

"My dear old mother could have, of course, checked on me in the past 2 years, too." Catherina commented. "Since we all know you are in possession of the newest IPhone and know how to use it."

Once again, it seemed her mother was taken aback by her brashness. I secretly applauded her for it. Catherina decided to ignore it.

"This is my partner, Aram." She gestured towards me.

Instantly, her mother's eyes made their way up and down my body once, before finally halting at my face.

"Hello, Aram. It's nice to meet you!" She said, her voice sounding mechanic, as if she was running off of some program unconsciously without thinking for herself.

"It's nice to meet you too..." I let my voice trail off, considering in all the time I'd spent with Cat and El, I was never told their mother's name.

"Marion." She offered, finally extending a hand to me.

"Marion." I repeated, taking her hand in mine a little more roughly than necessary and giving it a good shake.

Something about her deer-in-the-headlights expression amused me. Maybe it was just me being a sadistic bastard, enjoying her obvious fear of me in retaliation for what she'd done to Catherina.

As soon as social norms allowed for her to turn her attention elsewhere, she did, ushering her children into the living room and offering drinks all around. It seems that both Elliott and Joanna got a far more hearty welcome than Cat and I did. Then again, both Cat and I weren't on the best terms with the woman.

We managed to get through most of lunch without any major incidents. Marion spent most her time talking to El and Joanna, completely ignoring Catherina and I. When she did address the both of us, it was to ask what Cat had done work wise since she'd essentially handed over the family business to Elliott. Her answers were snippy but - for the most part - polite.

When the conversation came to the topic of how Catherina bought a slave two years ago, shortly before her move to L.A., I had to try really hard to stay impassive.

"It was really reckless." Marion commented, her voice cold and hard.

"It was the right thing to do." Cat argued back.

"It was really stupid, and you know it. You can't handle a slave, Catherina! I still can't understand what possessed you to do it!"

I had to fight very hard against any instinct or emotion, so I forced down the last of my entrée while agitatedly tapping my foot under the table.

"I can't believe that the only thing you find wrong with me buying a slave it the part where you think I can't handle it!" Catherina's voice was raising continuously. "I fucking bought a human being! Right here in 21st century New York! And you knew where I was going that night long before I did, you knew about the human trafficking going on, but you decided to keep your mouth shut!"

"It was not, and is not my place to interfere, and neither was it yours!" Marion fought back. "You endangered the standing of our entire family with your one hint of pity!"

"So you'd rather have a good standing with your sadistic and criminal socialite friends than be a decent human being?!"

"You should have just left well enough alone!" Marion was full on yelling by now, having stood up and pushed her chair back with a loud screech. "You had NO BUSINESS making a spectacle of yourself! You left Joseph there all by himself, for Christ's sake, just to run off with your clinically insane new slave, who you then couldn't even contain! Do you know of the shame this family faced when you couldn't hold him? The Beast?!"

A surge of white hot fury shot through me and I was out of my seat and on my feet in seconds. How dare she use that name! That godforsaken name! How dare she bring all that up again! I was just about ready to lunge across the table and strangle the insufferable woman where she stood, when Elliott caught my eye. He quietly shook his head.

Before I knew it, Catherina was standing in front of me, holding my cheeks in her small hands. I felt like I was on the verge of falling off a cliff, only barely holding on to sanity. All the fear, all the memories I'd suppressed came back to me, threatening to tear me with them.

"Aram."

Her voice centered me, her soft touch blocking any of the emotions swimming so close to the surface.

"Go with Elliott, sweetheart." She coaxed.

For a split moment I thought about how this was all backwards, but then there were strong hands on me, tugging me away. I could hear Catherina yelling at her mother, swearing to leave and never come back, before a door slammed and it was quiet.

"Aram." Elliott called me, hands on my shoulders.

I felt like I was coming to, finally becoming aware of my surroundings. We were outside the building, tucked away in a niche at the side of the house. For the first time in a long time, I felt like crying, just crying. I was so overwhelmed, so frustrated, and deep inside still so scared. And then Elliott said the words I'd never thought I'd here, the words that broke the dam.

"It's okay, baby boy. Let it all out, I've got you."

I fell apart, right there in his arms, my back pressed against the brick wall of the building, my front covered completely by Elliott's large frame. I felt like I was a child again, crying after a bad nightmare. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his shoulder, letting it all out, just like he'd said.

Sometime later, after I had cried all my tears out, I felt Elliott shift me, moving behind me, his embrace never leaving me. A small body cuddled up to my chest, her familiar scent flooding my senses.

"Cat." I mumbled, before closing my arms around her and digging my nose into her fragrant hair.

"Hey there, big guy." She murmured.

I could feel her grin against my chest.

"I'm sorry." I told her.

"Me too."

For a moment it didn't matter that I was supposed to be the strong one, the one who took care of her. For a moment, I just held her - and let her hold me - because she was the love of my life and I needed her strength as much as she needed mine.