The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Warda

I had Edward pinned against the wall, one hand wrapped around his wrists above his head, the other pressed firm against his mouth. His eyes were wild with that look I loved: part defiance, part surrender. The conference room table behind us was cleared of maps and radios, ready for whatever came next.

“You might own me on paper,” I growled, pressing my body against his, feeling the hardness growing behind his tactical pants, “but right now, I own you. And I’m gonna make damn sure you please me proper.”

Edward’s eyes crinkled at the corners. He was smiling under my palm. When I eased the pressure, he said, “One command from me and you’d drop to your knees so fast you’d bruise them.”

I slammed my hand back over his mouth, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath hot against my palm. “Then I better make sure you can’t speak, huh?”

Truth is, I was just giving him exactly what he wanted. Before the claiming, before all this shit went down, we’d already been together a few times. He liked it when I took control, liked pretending he didn’t. If he showed even the smallest sign this wasn’t what he wanted, I’d flip like a damn switch. But I knew my man. Knew what made him tick. And right now, what made him happy was me acting like I was in charge, even though we both knew who really was.

The door banged open, and Gabriel Ritter stormed in like a man on fire. I immediately stepped back from Edward, breaking character without a second thought. Edward straightened up, adjusting his shirt with a scowl.

“Jesus Christ, Ritter. Ever heard of knocking?” Edward growled, but his eyes were already scanning Gabriel’s face, reading the situation.

Gabriel didn’t even seem to register what he’d walked in on. His face was flushed, eyes wild, breathing hard like he’d sprinted across the compound.

“I’ve got him,” Gabriel said, his voice tight. “I’ve got the name of the guy who claimed Olivia. And his address.”

Edward’s annoyance vanished. “That’s good news. We should call Cedric. He’s still in town. Doesn’t know about your deal with the Sheriff.” Edward’s voice had an edge to it. He hadn’t been happy about Gabriel keeping that shit secret.

“No time,” Gabriel said, pacing now. “I’m going now. Tonight. I need you to come with me, Edward. I can’t do this alone.”

Edward stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Now? Without any recon? Without a plan? You want to just roll up to some stranger’s house and… what? Kidnap a claimed girl?”

“We don’t know what this guy is doing to her!” Gabriel’s voice rose. “We can’t just sit around planning while he could be hurting her. And anyway, Ramona would never approve a rescue mission. As soon as she hears about it, she’ll shut us down. So will Duncan and Smith.”

What a load of bullshit. His arguments were flimsy as wet cardboard. I could see Edward thinking the same thing, but he was at least considering it.

“Cedric is already out there,” Edward said carefully. “He’d definitely want to join us IF we decide to do this tonight.” He crossed his arms. “And honestly, I’d trust Cedric more as a partner in this than you. No offense, but he’s a tough guy. You’re… a nerd.”

Gabriel’s face twisted with frustration. “Cedric has my wife,” he spat. “Now I’m going to get his daughter and deliver her to him. I’ll save her myself, and Cedric will owe me. Maybe then he’ll think twice about messing with Wendy again.”

I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows at that. Damn, Ritter had some issues to work through.

Edward’s expression hardened. “That’s fucked up, Ritter. The girl is claimed. She won’t come willingly. Doesn’t make a difference if you’re the one who saves her or if Cedric does. She won’t be happy either way.” He stepped closer to Gabriel. “And Cedric won’t see you as some hero. He’ll be pissed you went after her yourself instead of telling him.”

Gabriel seemed to deflate a little, rubbing his face with both hands. When he looked up again, some of the wild energy had drained away.

“Fine,” he muttered. “Call him.”

Edward pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then frowned. He tried again, then shook his head. “No signal.”

“I haven’t had reception for hours,” I said, pulling my own phone from my pocket to show the ‘No Service’ message. “Miles and Reeves said the same when I saw them earlier. That amateur radio guy in town—the one we’ve been monitoring—he said networks are down all around Chantwell.”

“Fuck,” Edward swore, staring at his useless phone. Gabriel was watching him, that desperate energy building again behind his eyes.

Finally, Edward sighed. “Alright. We’ll go. But we do recon first, understand? No rushing in.”

He walked to the weapons locker in the corner, unlocked it, and pulled out a Glock, checking it before handing it to Gabriel.

“You do what I tell you, when I tell you,” Edward said, his voice hard. “Or I’ll drag your ass back here myself.”

I followed them as they headed for the door, grabbing my jacket from the back of a chair. Edward turned, noticing me for the first time.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

I smirked at him. “Unless you got the balls to command me not to, I’m coming with you.” I stepped closer, keeping my voice low but firm. “I’m a better shot than you are, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting my owner walk into a dangerous situation without me watching his back.”

Edward stared at me for a long moment, then his mouth quirked up at one corner. “Grab the shotgun,” was all he said.

The three of us made our way through the darkened corridors toward the parking lot. Edward jingled his keys.

“We’ll take my van,” he said. “No big Echelon logo to announce who we are.”

I checked the shotgun, making sure it was loaded, feeling the familiar weight of it in my hands. Whatever shit we were walking into, at least I’d be there to make sure Edward walked back out.

We piled into Edward’s van, sitting next to him while Gabriel squeezed in on the far side. The three of us crammed in the front like sardines, my shoulder pressed against Edward’s. I could smell his aftershave—that same cheap shit he always wore that somehow still got me going. The engine growled to life, headlights cutting through the darkness as we pulled away from Echelon.

“Keep your eyes open,” Edward muttered, his hands gripping the wheel tight enough to make his knuckles white. “We don’t know what we’re driving into.”

Night had fallen completely by the time we hit the main road toward Chantwell. The town sprawled out below us as we descended the winding road from Echelon’s hillside perch. From up here, you could see patches of darkness scattered throughout: whole blocks gone completely black while others still glowed with electricity.

“Jesus,” Gabriel whispered, leaning forward to get a better look. “The grid’s failing already. It’s happening faster than Ramona predicted.”

Edward snorted. “That ain’t no grid failure. That’s people. Idiots fucking with the electrical infrastructure, cutting power to rivals, securing their own little kingdoms.” He gestured toward one particularly dark section. “The substation is still working. That’s localized, deliberate. Factions getting at each other already.”

“Factions?” Gabriel’s voice had that nerdy, analytical tone that made me want to roll my eyes. “It’s only been a week since the claiming.”

“Seven days is plenty of time for assholes to organize,” I said, checking the shotgun on my lap for the third time. Old habits. “Men with claimed women, men without… men who want more. Doesn’t take a genius to see where this is headed.”

Gabriel pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times. “This is Olivia,” he said, holding it up. The girl in the photo was pretty in that artsy way: big eyes, chestnut hair with teal-colored ends, smiling at whoever was taking the picture. She looked young. Innocent. The kind of girl who’d never had to worry about much before all this shit went down.

“She’s nineteen. Art student,” Gabriel said, as if anyone cared, staring at the image a moment longer before putting his phone away.

“And now she belongs to some asshole named Cameron,” I muttered, watching Gabriel flinch at my words. Fuck, sometimes I forget how sensitive these guys are about the whole claiming thing. Not like it changes anything, being delicate about it.

Edward punched an address into the GPS mounted on his dashboard. “We’re going to circle around the center,” he said. “Avoid the main streets. Less chance of running into trouble.”

The streets were mostly empty as we drove. No pedestrians, no cars moving. Just darkness and the occasional glow of light from behind curtained windows. We passed one guy walking alone, a skinny dude who practically jumped into the bushes when our headlights hit him. Can’t blame him. These days, anyone out after dark was either dangerous or stupid.

“People are scared,” Gabriel observed, watching the man scurry away.

“People should be scared,” Edward replied flatly.

The GPS led us around the outskirts of town, past neighborhoods that looked abandoned, though I knew they weren’t. People were just hunkering down, hiding behind locked doors with whatever weapons they could find. The farther we drove, the more isolated it got, until we were heading up a winding road toward the mountains that surrounded Chantwell.

“This is it?” I asked as Edward slowed the van, pulling off to the side of the road near what looked like a dirt path disappearing into dense trees.

“According to the GPS,” Edward said, killing the engine but leaving the keys in the ignition. Smart man. Always ready for a quick exit. “Blaine’s place should be up that path.”

We sat in silence for a moment, just watching. The path was barely visible in the moonlight, winding through thick forest. Perfect place to hide if you’d just claimed half a dozen college girls.

Edward scanned the area, eyes narrowed. “Don’t see any cameras,” he said finally, sounding relieved. “No obvious security setup.”

“Doesn’t mean there isn’t one,” I pointed out. “If this guy’s smart, he’d hide that shit. Motion sensors in the trees, trip wires, all kinds of ways to know someone’s coming.”

“You think this art student collector is some kind of tactical genius?” Gabriel asked.

I shrugged. “Better to assume he is than get our asses shot off because we thought he was dumb.”

Edward nodded, checking his gun one last time before tucking it into his holster. “If anything goes sideways, anything at all, we get back to the truck. Fast. No heroics.” He stared hard at Gabriel. “You understand me, Ritter? First sign of trouble, we’re out.”

Gabriel nodded, but I could tell by the set of his jaw he wasn’t planning on leaving without the girl.

We moved silently through the trees, staying well off the path. Edward led, with me behind him and Gabriel bringing up the rear. The forest floor was soft with pine needles, making it easy to move quietly. After about ten minutes of careful progress, the trees thinned, and we reached the edge of a clearing.

A small, one-story house sat in the middle, surrounded by what could only be described as a junkyard. Old cars in various states of disrepair. Piles of garbage. Rusted metal shit I couldn’t even identify. A beat-up Subaru station wagon was parked near the front door.

And from inside the house came unmistakable sounds: rhythmic grunting, high-pitched female moans, the slap of skin on skin.

“Well,” I whispered, a smirk tugging at my lips, “sounds like somebody’s home alright. And having a real good time.”

Edward shot me a look that could’ve frozen hell, and Gabriel’s face went tight, his jaw clenched so hard I thought he might crack a tooth. That’s when it hit me again, what I’d just joked about. To them, those sounds could mean Olivia, Cedric’s little girl, was in there getting fucked by the guy who’d claimed her. To me, as a claimed woman myself, it didn’t seem like a big deal. That’s just how things worked now. But the way they were looking at me…

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Bad joke.”

Edward just shook his head and gestured for us to move forward, circling the clearing while staying within the tree line. We made a complete circuit, watching for any sign of security systems or other people, but there was nothing. Just the continuing sounds of enthusiastic sex from inside the brightly lit house.

“No security at all,” Edward whispered, sounding suspicious. “No dogs, no cameras I can see, not even a decent lock on that back door from the looks of it.”

“Maybe he’s just an idiot,” I suggested.

“Or he doesn’t think he has anything to fear,” Gabriel added grimly.

We studied the house from our hidden position. Two doors. One at the front, one at the back that looked like it led to the kitchen. Light glowed behind all the windows, curtains drawn but not completely closed.

“Small place,” I said, eyeing the layout. “Probably just kitchen, living room, bathroom, maybe two bedrooms if that. Not much space for a harem.”

The sounds were getting louder as we approached the back of the house. Edward gestured for us to move closer to the kitchen window. I crept forward, keeping low, and peered inside. Empty. Just a small, dirty kitchen with dishes piled in the sink and pizza boxes stacked on the counter.

Edward signaled to me, pointing at the kitchen door, then at himself, then toward the front of the house. I nodded. Classic pincer move.

Edward disappeared around the side of the house, moving like a shadow despite his size. I waited until he was out of sight, then turned to Gabriel.

“Stay behind me,” I whispered. “And for fuck’s sake, don’t do anything stupid.”

I checked the kitchen window again, confirming it was still empty, then tried the door handle. It turned easily in my hand.

“Fucking idiot,” I muttered, easing the door open. “Who doesn’t lock their doors these days?”

We slipped inside, the kitchen smelling of stale pizza and unwashed dishes. The sounds of sex were much clearer now, coming from beyond a door that presumably led to the living room. I moved toward it silently, Gabriel right behind me, both of us careful not to make a sound.

The door was partially open. I positioned myself to see through the crack without being seen, and what I saw made even me, not exactly a prude, raise my eyebrows.

Cameron Blaine—had to be him, matched the security footage—was sprawled on a ratty couch, completely naked. He was average height, stocky build, receding hairline, maybe mid-thirties. Nothing special to look at. But he had two women on him, one riding his cock, her back to his chest, while another knelt between his legs, licking where his shaft disappeared into the first girl. Two more women were on the floor nearby, going at each other with what looked like practiced enthusiasm, putting on a show for him.

All four were young, college-age, with the slightly disheveled look of women who’d been claimed for days without proper care. One was blonde, one redhead, two brunettes. All pretty in that fresh-faced way that made me feel ancient in comparison.

I pulled back, turning to Gabriel. “Is Olivia there?” I whispered.

He looked through the crack and shook his head, face pale. “No. None of those girls are her. But the guy on the security footage had at least six women with him when he left campus. There should be more.”

I nodded, processing this. “Bedrooms?” I mouthed, pointing down a hallway visible on the other side of the living room.

I was still trying to figure out our next move when a woman’s scream tore through the house, followed by several loud thumps that made the cheap walls shake. Through the crack in the door, I saw Cameron jolt upright, nearly throwing the girl off his lap. The four women scrambled to their feet, naked bodies glistening with sweat as they all turned toward the hallway, the direction Edward had gone.

More screaming followed, but different this time: raw and furious, the sound of someone fighting back with everything they had. I’d heard that kind of scream before, back when I worked private security. It wasn’t fear. It was rage.

“Fuck it,” I muttered to Gabriel. No time for subtlety now. I kicked the door open hard enough to make it slam against the wall and leveled my shotgun at Cameron, who was scrambling to his feet, dick still hanging out.

“Don’t fucking move!” I barked.

What happened next shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. All four naked women positioned themselves in front of Cameron, human shields with their arms spread wide. Three moved instantly, with the practiced coordination of people who’d done drills. But the fourth, a tall brunette with a tattoo running down her side and muscles that spoke of serious gym time, hesitated for just a fraction of a second, her eyes meeting mine with something that looked almost like recognition before she stepped in front of her claimer.

In that moment, I understood with perfect clarity: they would die for him. Just like I would die for Edward without a second thought. Just like I might have to do tonight.

“Move,” I ordered anyway, knowing it was useless. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”

“You’ll have to kill us first,” one of them said, voice steady despite her nakedness and the shotgun pointed at her chest.

I tried to circle around, get a better angle on Cameron, but the women moved with me, repositioning themselves, faces twisted with protective fury. Behind me, Gabriel was aiming his gun with both hands, looking about as comfortable as a priest in a whorehouse.

How far was I supposed to go here? Before the claiming, I’d have had lines I wouldn’t cross. Now? If Edward ordered me to kill everyone in this room, I’d do it without blinking. But he hadn’t given that order, and I was pretty sure he wouldn’t want me gunning down a bunch of claimed college girls. So I stood there, shotgun ready, in a standoff I couldn’t win.

That’s when another woman burst in from the hallway, not Olivia, but another young thing, maybe twenty, with a pixie cut and wide, terrified eyes. She was fully clothed but disheveled, like she’d been in a fight. I swung my shotgun toward her on instinct, my brain still trying to process if she was armed.

That split-second was all they needed.

The blonde from the couch launched herself at me like a fucking missile, followed immediately by the redhead. I got an elbow to the face that made stars explode behind my eyes. My shotgun went flying, skittering across the floor out of reach. I managed to land a solid punch to the blonde’s stomach, but the redhead caught me from behind, arms around my neck.

Gabriel shouted something, but he was having his own problems. The hesitant brunette and another girl had tackled him to the ground, and the new arrival joined them, pinning his arms while he thrashed uselessly.

Edward appeared in the doorway from the hallway, gun raised, face tight with controlled fury. For one beautiful second, I thought we might salvage this clusterfuck. Then I saw Cameron reach behind the couch and come up with a pistol of his own.

Edward’s gun was pointed at Cameron, but Cameron didn’t aim at Edward. He didn’t aim at me either. Instead, he pressed the barrel against Gabriel’s temple while the women held him down.

“Drop the gun or I paint the floor with his brains,” Cameron said, voice surprisingly calm for a naked man in the middle of a home invasion.

For a split second, I wondered why he hadn’t aimed at me instead. Then it hit me. I was just property to him. A claimed woman. Expendable. He figured Edward would care more about losing a male colleague than a piece of ass he could replace.

The fucked-up thing was, he might be right. Not about Edward—Edward would burn the world down if someone hurt me—but about men in general these days. Women were commodities now. Replaceable.

Edward’s face gave nothing away as he assessed the situation, his gun still trained on Cameron. I could see him calculating odds, weighing options, all in the fraction of a second before Cameron pressed the gun harder against Gabriel’s head.

“I won’t ask again,” Cameron said.

Edward slowly lowered his weapon, placing it on the floor. “Let’s all calm down,” he said, raising his hands. “We can talk about this.”

Cameron laughed, an ugly sound. “Talk? You break into my house, attack my women, and you want to talk?” He gestured with his free hand at the pixie-cut girl who’d run in from the hallway. “Megan, get his gun.”

The girl, Megan, moved away from Gabriel and scurried forward, snatching Edward’s weapon from the floor, handling it like she knew what she was doing. She brought it back to Cameron, who took it with his free hand, keeping his own gun pressed to Gabriel’s head.

“Now,” Cameron said, “who the fuck are you people, and why are you in my house?”

I struggled against the two women holding me down, but these bitches were stronger than they looked. Maybe it was the claiming that did it, gave them some kind of adrenaline boost when their master was threatened. Or maybe they just worked out. Either way, I couldn’t break free, and it was driving me fucking crazy.

Edward stood with his hands raised, face calm despite having a gun pointed at his friend’s head. Always the professional.

“We’re just here for one of your girls,” Edward said, voice steady. “Olivia Appleton. Daughter of a friend. That’s all we want.”

Cameron let out a laugh that made my skin crawl. “Are you fucking serious?” He adjusted his grip on the gun, pressing it harder against Gabriel’s temple. “You broke into my house, threatened me… for what? A girl who’s already claimed?” He shook his head, smirking. “She’s mine now, dipshit. What the fuck did you think was gonna happen? That she’d want to go with you? That’s not how this works.”

“Her father just wants to know she’s safe,” Edward said.

“Her father,” Cameron repeated, drawing out the word like it tasted funny. “Her father doesn’t matter anymore. I’m all that matters to her now.” He glanced toward the hallway with a frown. “Speaking of which, where is she? Why didn’t she come running when she heard the commotion?”

Edward’s expression didn’t change. “She’s in the front bedroom. I tied her up.”

Cameron’s face split into a grin. “Tied her up, huh? She likes that, you know. Pretty slutty, even for a claimed girl. Even for an art student.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Gotta say, though, this is the end of the road for you idiots. Can’t have people breaking into my home and getting away with it. Sets a bad precedent.”

While he was talking, I noticed the tough-looking brunette, the one who’d hesitated earlier, watching Cameron with something strange in her eyes. Not devotion. Something else. But I didn’t have time to figure it out. All I could think about was how to save Edward. Nothing else mattered. Not Gabriel, not Olivia, not myself. Just Edward.

It was strange, feeling this intensity of purpose. Even when I’d been in combat zones, I’d never felt this single-minded. The claiming had rewired something in my brain, focused everything on him. I knew if I could just break free, I’d tear Cameron apart with my bare hands before he could hurt Edward. But the women holding me were strong, and I knew if I made a move, Cameron would shoot Gabriel, then Edward. I couldn’t risk it.

“Listen,” Edward said, his voice taking on a pleading tone I’d never heard before. “We’re part of a large faction. People are expecting us back. If we don’t return, they’ll come looking.”

Cameron sighed dramatically, looking at his women. “Well, girls, this is actually good timing. We were planning to move anyway, right?” He turned his attention back to Gabriel, pressing the gun barrel against his forehead. “Any last words, asshole?”

What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion.

The tough brunette suddenly lunged for Gabriel’s gun, which had fallen to the floor during the struggle. In one fluid motion, she snatched it up, aimed at Cameron, and pulled the trigger.

The shot was deafening in the small room. Cameron’s head snapped back, a red mist spraying from the exit wound as his body crumpled to the floor.

For a heartbeat, nobody moved. Nobody breathed. The women holding me went rigid, their grips loosening as they stared at their dead owner.

What the fuck just happened?

The brunette stood there, gun still raised, a look of shock on her own face, like she couldn’t believe what she’d just done. The other women were frozen, expressions blank, like their brains had just blue-screened.

I understood their shock. Their entire reason for existing had just been erased. The center of their universe, gone. I tried to imagine how I’d feel if someone killed Edward, and my stomach twisted into knots. I’d rather die than live without him. So how the fuck had this woman just killed her own owner?

It shouldn’t have been possible. The programming was too strong. I knew that better than anyone—I could feel it in my bones, this absolute devotion to Edward. I’d die for him in a heartbeat. I’d kill for him without question. But kill him? The very thought made me physically ill.

Yet this woman had just put a bullet through her claimer’s head without hesitation.

“What the fuck?” I finally managed, breaking the silence as I shoved the now-limp women off me and scrambled to my feet.

For a long moment, the room was dead silent except for the ringing in my ears from the gunshot. The other women stood frozen like mannequins, eyes wide, mouths hanging open. It was fucking eerie, like someone had hit a pause button on them while the rest of us kept moving.

The tough brunette recovered first, her hand shaking as she swung the gun toward me, then Edward, then back to me. Panic flashed across her face, like she’d just realized what she’d done and had no fucking clue what came next.

Gabriel, still on the floor, suddenly lunged for her wrist, grabbing it as he blurted out, “You’re mine!”

Holy shit. That was it. She wasn’t claimed. That’s how she could kill Cameron. But instead of transforming into a devoted servant, she yanked her arm away and kicked Gabriel hard in the chest, sending him sprawling backward.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” she snarled, aiming the gun at his face. “I’m a free woman, and you can fuck yourself. All of you can fuck yourselves!”

Edward raised his hands slowly, taking a cautious step forward. “How is this possible?” he asked, voice calm despite the gun now pointed at him. “Why are you here? Why were you letting that asshole use you if you’re not programmed?”

Her hand trembled, the gun wavering slightly. “I played along,” she said, voice cracking. “On claim day, that fucker was walking around town with a gun. He claimed Jen—” she jerked her head toward one of the still-frozen women “—after threatening to shoot us both. Got close enough to touch me, tried to claim me, but nothing happened.”

She took a shaky breath, words tumbling out faster now. “I pretended it worked. I was afraid he’d kill me if he knew I couldn’t be claimed. At first, I thought about running while everyone slept, but then I heard him talking about what it was like outside. How people looted all the food in town, how dangerous it was.” Tears welled in her eyes. “He kept saying he was going to move us north, to some isolated place where he had food and supplies stockpiled. Wouldn’t tell us where. Said it was a ‘surprise.’”

She wiped her face with her free hand, gun still trained on Edward. “I decided to stay. Play along. I figured I was safer here than out there alone. I’d wait until we got to his secret hideout, then kill the fucker and lay low.”

“So why help us now?” Edward asked quietly. “Why not let him kill us?”

Her gun lowered slightly, tears now streaming down her face. Her whole body was shaking. “I couldn’t let him kill you,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. “When you said you were looking for Olivia for her father… I just…” She shook her head, then suddenly spat on Cameron’s corpse. “That disgusting piece of shit. He didn’t deserve to live another fucking minute.”

A sound from my left made me whip around. One of the formerly frozen women was moving, blinking rapidly like she was waking up from a deep sleep. She looked around the room, eyes landing on Cameron’s body, and let out a strangled cry.

“What… what?” she gasped, backing away. “Holy shit!”

Another woman snapped out of it, then another, each reacting with confusion and panic. I tensed, ready for them to attack us in some kind of vengeful frenzy, but instead, they just seemed terrified and disoriented. Some ran from the room, while others pressed themselves against the wall, as far from us as they could get.

One of them, the redhead who’d helped hold me down, stared at Edward with wide, horrified eyes as he took a step toward her.

“Please,” she begged, voice breaking. “Please don’t claim me!” Then she bolted, following the others who’d fled.

What the actual fuck?

“Holy shit,” Gabriel said, climbing to his feet and staring after the fleeing women. “Cameron’s death unclaimed them. They’re free again.”

My brain struggled to process this. Death breaks the claiming? That wasn’t in the fucking manual.

Edward nodded slowly, processing this. “Olivia didn’t witness Cameron’s death. We need to show her his body. Unclaim her too.”

Gabriel’s face lit up with an expression I’d never seen before: a kind of manic excitement that made him look almost feverish. “No, wait,” he said, pulling out his phone. “We shouldn’t do that yet.”

He aimed his phone at Cameron’s corpse, the camera flash illuminating the grotesque scene. The free woman flinched, raising the gun again.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she demanded.

Gabriel ignored her, turning to Edward. “Ramona and Phoebe need an unclaimed woman to study under the MRI, right? To understand what happens during claiming.”

Edward frowned. “Yeah, that’s why we should show Olivia the body. She’ll be unclaimed, come with us willingly, and then they can claim her back at Echelon while she’s in the MRI.”

“Echelon?” the tough woman interrupted, gun lowering slightly. “The research institute? Is that where you’re from?” Confusion and curiosity flickered across her face.

Gabriel waved her off, still focused on Edward. “You don’t get it,” he said, practically vibrating with excitement. “If we can scan Olivia’s brain when we tell her Cameron is dead, we’ll get a scan of her brain during the unclaiming process. Don’t you see? We might be able to reproduce the effect artificially. We could unclaim women without having to kill their claimers!”

The way he said it, like he’d just discovered fucking electricity or something, made my skin crawl. But I could see the logic. If they could figure out how to break the claiming without killing the claimer, it would change everything.

I looked at the free woman, still holding the gun but looking more confused than threatening now. She’d survived six days pretending to be claimed, letting that asshole use her, all to stay alive. And now she’d saved our lives.

“What’s your name?” I asked her.

She hesitated, then said, “Charlotte. Charlotte Corbin.”

I looked at Charlotte, still holding the gun but looking more confused than threatening. Time to level with her.

“Look, I don’t expect you to believe me… I’m not a free woman like you,” I said with a smirk. “But we’re really from Echelon. There’s a whole team of scientists there working on freeing women from this claiming bullshit.”

A tiny flicker of unease passed through me as I said it but I pushed the thought away. Didn’t matter. Edward believed in the mission, so I did too.

Charlotte lowered the gun further, but kept it ready. “Bullshit,” she said, though her tone suggested she wasn’t entirely convinced it was.

Edward stepped forward, hands still raised. “It’s true. We have two unclaimed women leading the project. They figured out something was happening weeks before the Blackout and kept themselves protected from the programming.”

Gabriel’s eyes suddenly widened. “Wait... How did you protect yourself from the programming?” he asked Charlotte eagerly. “Were you having an MRI when the Blackout happened?”

Charlotte snorted. “No, genius. I was flying.”

I frowned. “Flying? What the hell does that mean?”

“I’m a pilot,” she said, as if it should be obvious. “I work for Mountain Air Charter. We do small cargo runs, emergency medical transports, rich tourists wanting to see the Rockies. I was in the air when it happened.” She shrugged. “Didn’t even know anything weird was going on until I heard it over the radio chatter.”

Edward and Gabriel exchanged a look that screamed “holy shit.”

“So what? She was protected because she was in the air?” Edward asked, clearly trying to piece together whatever this meant.

Gabriel shook his head. “No... It wouldn’t have made a difference.” He turned to Charlotte. “Maybe you didn’t get the virus?”

“Virus?” Charlotte’s grip on the gun tightened again. “What virus?”

Edward shook his head. “We need to get Olivia and get out of here. It’s late, and those unclaimed women running around might attract attention.” He looked at Charlotte. “You’re welcome to come with us. You’ll be safe at Echelon.”

“You absolutely need to come,” Gabriel insisted, that manic energy still radiating off him. “If you’re somehow immune to the claiming, you might hold the key to a cure.”

Charlotte looked uneasy, but I could see her weighing her options. Finally, she lowered the gun completely. “Fine. But I don’t consent to any fucking dissection, got it?”

“Jesus, nobody’s dissecting anyone,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“We’re scientists, not monsters,” Gabriel added with a smirk.

Edward nodded. “You’ll be treated with respect. You have my word.”

Charlotte glanced down at her naked body, as if just remembering her state of undress. “I should probably grab my clothes first.”

While she went to find something to wear, the three of us headed toward the bedroom where Olivia was supposedly tied up. As we approached the door, Gabriel grabbed Edward’s arm, leaning in to whisper urgently.

“She shouldn’t see Cameron’s dead body,” he said. “We shouldn’t even mention his death. She might have heard the gunshot, but she has no way of knowing what happened. It needs to stay that way.”

I looked at Edward, suddenly remembering how this whole shitshow started. “What the fuck happened anyway? Why’d you cause such a mess to begin with?”

Edward looked uncomfortable. “I found Olivia alone in the bedroom, sorting through clothes on the floor. I managed to grab her, put my hand over her mouth, and tie her up.” He patted the small pack at his waist where he kept zip ties and other security gear. “But then that other girl, the one with the short hair, walked in. I aimed my gun at her, told her to stay quiet or I’d shoot, but she just lunged for the gun.”

I shook my head. “That was stupid. Claimed women care about their owner first, not themselves. You can’t threaten them like normal people.” It was weird explaining this to Edward, but he’d never been claimed. He didn’t understand how it felt, how everything inside you reorganized around one person.

Edward grimaced. “Yeah, I figured that out pretty quick.”

He pushed open the bedroom door, and there was Olivia Appleton, tied to a chair with zip ties, a cloth gag in her mouth. Her eyes blazed with fury as she thrashed against her restraints, screaming muffled curses through the gag. Her chestnut hair with those teal-colored ends was a wild mess, and her face was flushed with rage.

She looked nothing like the smiling girl in Gabriel’s photo. She looked like she wanted to murder us all.

I sighed, though I couldn’t help feeling a little amused. This was going to be a fun ride home.

“Let’s get her in the van and get out of here.”