Chapter 22: Jeeves (1)
Jack glared at Madison. He wanted to be angry with her, but he could feel through their bond that her saying "Yes, master," was not intended to mock him, or tease him, or make light of what she had done. He got the impression that, though she didn't really want to be his slave, she would, if it would appease him. She wanted to please him, to be of use to him, and he could tell that she had said, "Yes, master," in an attempt to lighten the mood.
He sighed. He truly was stuck with her. Not that it was a bad thing. With the way the soul bond made it impossible for her to harm him, he could probably trust her not to do anything horrible to him. Though he wondered how she would react now to the idea of him dating another girl. Not that he'd ever dated her, so it would be more like going on a date for the very first time, assuming he could get someone to go out with him.
His past relationship with Madison had been purely platonic friendship. They met before he hit puberty, and by the time he started thinking seriously about girls, she'd already been cemented in his mind as more of a sister than anything else. So he never considered her as a potential romantic partner. And the soul bond had propelled them beyond any other relationship type. They were connected in a way no marriage, no intimate contact could achieve. And yet, they were more distant than they were yesterday. Closer than lovers, yet friendship strained.
He wasn't sure how he felt about her now. On one hand, he knew she would have sex with him if he asked. He could feel her desire through their connection. But he hadn't had those kinds of feelings for her, and her recent revelations left him cold. Intellectually, he understood why she had interfered in his potential relationships, that she hadn't understood how her actions had hurt him. But emotionally, he felt hurt, betrayed. And that would take time to fade.
He knew he could trust her now because of the soul bond. And, on some level, he understood that she was probably more on his side than anyone else could be, baring another soul bond. So, he saw no reason not to make use of her. She was smart, and often had good ideas, so he would be a fool to just shut her out. And, maybe with time, things would change. She was an attractive woman, after all. His eyes had been opened to that reality earlier in the day. And it was clear she wanted him. Part of him wanted to "make use of her", to satisfy his pent up urges, but he just could not bring himself to do that, to be the kind of person who used someone for sex, but didn't reciprocate their feelings.
He was stuck with her now, their connection permanent, or so the description claimed, and he decided he needed to understand what that meant. He had other questions and now was as good a time as any to get them.
Deciding that he would punish her a little by putting some small distance between them, pointed at the floor to the side of the wood chair and said, "Sit."
Madison looked at the chair, then at him, then trudged over and sat on the floor right next to the chair. When he grabbed the chair, slid it a meter away from her, and sat, he could feel through their connection that she was unhappy with the distance from him. She did not resent it, but was instead resigned to whatever choice he made for her.
He sat on the chair and then asked his assistant, "The soul bond description says the bond is permanent. How permanent? What happens if she dies?"