Prologue - A second glance
Learning that her Mother died protecting her was hard to deal with for Julie. It
had been easier when she had died giving birth, because that way there was no
shady third-party looking for her. Her elusive father refused to reveal any more
information during his intermittent visits to her. He wouldn't even reveal to
her how he seemed to pop up everywhere, not matter how much she promised not to
tell. He ignored her questions about the necklace, and about anything else that
had happened to her over the weekend.
But when he was gone, it was easy to forget the problems that lurked in her
past; she had her two girlfriends to deal with, and as much as it made her
uncomfortable to think about, they were both her responsibility. Owning her
best-friend Kate had been as accidental as owning Susan, and she was still
nervous about doing anything as intimate as a kiss with anyone else, in case she
unwittingly added them to her 'collection' as Susan jokingly referred to it.
Her mood became sombre whenever she thought about Kate. Despite their best
efforts to help, she still had a lot of trouble thinking by herself, after her
brainwashing at the hands of the criminal, Moira. Her improvement was
progressing slowly, and even though everyone told her that it was only a matter
of time, Julie couldn't help but wish for her old friend back.
Her mood wasn't helped by the hostility of the locals. She was too stubborn to
wear sunglasses in public, and every person who recognised her eyes was another
blow to her self-esteem. They blamed the Dominants for what had happened to the
Orphanage, and to them, she was just another member of the group.
Her only help through it all was her mentor, Nyssa, and her boyfriend, Simeon.
Nyssa was slowly helping her deal with her Dominant side, teaching everything
from how to use her abilities to basic knot-tying techniques. Her education at
the Orphanage was limited, and there was a lot to fill in.
Simeon helped her with everything else. When she felt terrible, he was there to
provide a hug and a shoulder. When she felt like shopping, he grudgingly gave
her money, and when she bought too much, he spanked her arse like a child. The
Dominant within her rebelled whenever he punished her, but as much as she hated
the thought, she loved being under his control. She needed to be on top as much
as she needed to be submissive, and she knew that Simeon took full advantage of
her confusion.
When he didn't have her tied up somewhere in the bedroom, they went out
together, visiting places and eating, and ignoring the glances they got from
others. Several times they had gone out with Trig and Susan also, and although
Julie felt guilty about leaving Kate, Nyssa was adamant that she stay at the
house until she improves more.
Julie began to settle down after a few weeks, trying to push the questions about
her past to the back of her mind.
But the past hadn't gone away yet. Having stolen one of the Council ships for
herself, Moira was travelling to a distant space-station, taking a long,
convoluted route to throw off the pursuing Council. In the refrigerator of the
ships kitchen sits a vial of Julies' blood, Moira intended gift to an old
acquaintance she left behind many years ago. But the blood is only an excuse,
because what she learned from it has led her to believe that things are not as
simple as she had thought, and the answers lie within the Station.
But the owner of the Station is fully aware of her approach. He wants her dead,
he wants the vial, and he wants Julie. He's already killed Julies' mother in an
attempt to capture her, and sent her father into hiding. He doesn't care who
dies, as long as he gets his way, and ensures the superiority of the Dominant,
forever...
