by Joey W. Hill
Even if her consent wasn’t required.
Ella swallowed. “He’s made it clear he’s not going to be my Master. Not that way.”
He couldn’t be. She understood, Goddess, she did. Because of what he’d done to his family, he’d passed sentence on himself, and was committed to that sentence, because he was a man of honor. No one could commute that punishment but Wolf. No matter how much Ella wished it was otherwise.
“That’s not my question and you know it. Look at me.”
Anwyn leaned forward, bringing that penetrating stare closer. Yeah, Anwyn might be upset, but she was still a hundred percent the Domme who could tear a sub a new one, if they didn’t give her, and themselves, total honesty.
“I’ve looked into the eyes of hundreds of submissives, Ella,” Anwyn said. “The shape of their souls can be so different, the level of devotion and self-sacrifice. As well as how much of themselves they’re willing to give to their Master or Mistress to nourish that need inside them. So, you answer me. Is he your Master or isn’t he?”
He was. Him not being able to commit himself to that wouldn’t stop her loving him and serving him like he was her Master, now and forever.
“He is,” Ella responded, her throat aching. “That’s why I’m doing this. If I’m not going to be his, I at least can do this. The act was mine. I struck Allan. Let me clear the slate. Please…Mistress. If, in this world, I am considered yours, then the choice would be yours, but I don’t want him angry with you, either. I’m not anyone’s fully marked servant. I want him to know this choice is mine.”
“I don’t think Wolf is going to see it that way.” Anwyn’s smile was tight. “But thank you for trying to protect all of us.”
There was another half-chuckle from Saturnia, equally grim smiles from Allan and Fort. Ella wished they would decide, so she could get on with it. There was a dread in her belly, perhaps because if Wolf tuned in and figured out what was happening, he might start talking in her head, ordering her not to do this, and then she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to refuse him.
She needed reinforcement. Unstoppable resolve.
“If Wolf doesn’t obey, I know Lord Richard will kill me.” What a surreal thing to say aloud. She tried to ignore that and focused on her question. “But what would happen to Wolf? Is it all right to ask?”
She looked toward Anwyn, but it was Fort who answered. “Depends on the Region Master. There are standard punishments for vampires who don’t fall into line. Usually starts with ‘milder’ things, like being shut up in a coffin and buried for a couple months. If the vampire is really a problem, they might break a couple of limbs and tie them in the wrong direction before putting him in there.”
Ella had paled. She noticed Anwyn had as well, and realized Anwyn hadn’t known that, either. “Christ, Fort,” Saturnia said. “What the hell.”
Fort’s expression hardened. “I expect the girl had a good reason for asking. She wanted to confirm that an hour’s worth of punishment was a good trade for what he’d endure. And she’d still be punished, because she has no choice in that. This way, she gets ahead of it. Smart, and it means she cares about Wolf. That kind of backbone deserves honesty.”
“Yes,” Ella managed. “Thank you, sir.”
She cleared her throat, looked toward Allan. “Is it all right to ask…what is the standard punishment for what I did?”
“You don’t get to know that until it happens,” Allan said. “But as long as Lord Richard doesn’t have an objection, I don’t see any reason not to get on with it. Do you?”
She shook her head and he glanced at the others. “Are we all in agreement on our course of action?”
Just like a PTA meeting or something. She had to stifle a giggle because she knew it might come out like a hysterical sob. There was so much wrong with all this, wasn’t there? But this was Wolf’s world. Knowing it didn’t make her want to be with him any less. Maybe she’d feel differently after her punishment, and maybe that would help her deal with his resolve not to make her his full servant.
While she’d been going over that in her head, Anwyn had picked up the club phone and murmured into it. Ella focused on the slim, tense line of her back. She knew Anwyn didn’t want this. That helped, as did the hint of kindness in Allan’s eyes when he’d told her they’d move forward. If Gideon was to be believed, that consideration wasn’t always a given.
She thought of the way Wolf had punished her that unforgettable night. It had been a hint of the extreme power balance of the vampire world. Like his response about safewords.
Vampires don’t believe in them.
Yes, their world was ruthless and had a lot of strict rules. And the inequity factor between vampires and humans was over the moon. But beneath that…there was something Ella recognized, and still craved. She couldn’t explain it, or put words to it, but the answer to it had been in Gideon’s simple answer to that final question.
“Do you ever regret binding yourself to either one of them, despite that dark side?”
“No.”
“You requested my presence?”
She looked toward the door. The woman who stood there emanated a velvet sexual vibe that reminded Ella of an old-world bordello, populated by women with long curling hair. Their lips curved in secret, promising smiles behind lace fans as they trailed scarlet-painted nails along the smooth surfaces of dark, ornate furniture upholstered in silk brocade.
This woman’s features looked carved out of creamy mocha-colored soap. She had dark eyes and a curtain of long, slim braids that framed prominent cheek bones, drawing attention to full glossy lips and a delicate chin. Her impossible to overlook body was highlighted by a classy black wraparound dress that cinched at the waist with a belt made up of lots of straps tipped with fleur-de-lis charms. Ella realized it was a cat-o-nine, designed as an accessory. It accentuated the curves above and below. Her tall skinny heels made the most of her legs, the fragile anklet on one glittering with a diamond fleur-de-lis charm.
“Seanna.” Allan rose from the chair. “I need you to convey a message to your Master.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Allan left the room, out of Ella’s earshot, to handle that. Ella had stayed where she was, on her knees, head down. The submissive posture centered her, and she kept her mind empty. Anwyn shifted to Allan’s chair. As she quietly discussed other matters with the two vampires remaining, she put her hand on Ella’s shoulder, a simple, firm contact.
Ella turned her cheek to it, a light brush that she hoped reassured Anwyn. She accepted this. She was okay.
Allan returned. “Richard approved the punishment. Seanna will witness for her Master, and Anwyn’s presence is acceptable to Richard as the party responsible for Ella. We can do it now.”
He looked toward Anwyn. “We need a sound-proof room with a drain. I want a cold and sterile place, no props to soften it up. Something like a prison cell would be best.”
Ella’s heart accelerated. She relaxed her shoulders, closed her eyes. It would be more difficult to meditate with adrenaline surging through her, but she’d learned how to zone out when needed. But she was jerked out of that state when a rough hand gripped her hair and yanked her head back.
Allan stood over her. Anwyn was still in the chair, her long, slim leg extended so her foot almost touched Ella’s knee, but she did not move, her body language tense again. Ella could see Seanna standing behind him. As he did what he was doing, he adjusted so she had a more direct view of Ella’s reaction.
She was on camera. She got it. Lord Richard was watching. But it wasn’t an act, none of it. The look on Allan’s face was as deadly as the one she’d seen when she’d struck him, but this was scarier, because it was cold, controlled. The tips of his fangs showed as his gaze coursed over her thoroughly. A sexual appraisal, an appraisal, period. For the duration of this punishment, she was his, to do with as he wished. He might not have sex with her, but what he would do to her would feed the sadist in his Dominant side. She felt
that in the heat of his regard, the danger of it.
“You will not detach from this, little one,” he said. “You remain fully present, from beginning to end. If I suspect otherwise, I start my count over. The punishment is a hundred strikes with the object of my choice. I’m fond of the cane.”
Stinging pain. Of course. She should have expected it would be the kind she disliked most, though she was capable of handling it. But a hundred…Goddess. Never had she taken that much in one session.
Allan released her and stepped aside, nodded to Seanna. “Prepare her.”
“Ella, show Seanna to the room we use for prison scenes,” Anwyn said, her expression stiff. “Prepare it accordingly. We’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ella rose. Seanna executed a slight bow toward the vampires in the room. As she circled behind the table to move toward the door, she passed Hollow at his corner table. She trailed fingers playfully along his shoulder. The expressionless male didn’t react to her touch, but when she would have continued on, that changed.
He surged up from his chair. His knee hit the table, making a jarring thunk against the wall. It didn’t stop him from putting himself between Richard’s servant and Saturnia. Since Saturnia had been sitting with her back to him, Seanna would have been passing behind Saturnia, between her and her servant, to leave the room.
Hollow’s position was so close to Saturnia he was pressed to her chair. He gestured with wooden courtesy to Seanna. Now she could continue on her way.
Seanna didn’t seem perturbed, but her distracting mouth deepened that sensual curve. It made Ella wonder if she’d done it on purpose, to tease or test Hollow for his overprotectiveness. But she lifted her hands, a pacific gesture, and passed before him.
Saturnia didn’t pay any attention to the exchange. She was discussing something with Fort about the security system. Ella’s punishment was just part of the day’s to-do list, apparently, and now that a course of action was set, they’d moved on.
Ella met Seanna at the door. The woman’s eyes were expressive. Sharp and intrigued by the entire situation, the different players in this room, but not unsettled by it a bit. Ella didn’t know if she should find that comforting.
As they left the room, Ella stole a sidelong look at her. How did it feel to Seanna, to have Lord Richard’s third mark? Have him soul-deep in her consciousness, like Gideon had described. Maybe the second mark was a lot like a gateway drug. It planted the yearning for more.
Maybe this punishment would be so wretched that it would stop that ache.
“That Holliman is an odd one,” Seanna said. She had a cultured Southern drawl, and was as casually friendly as if she and Ella had met at a social event. “Has Saturnia used any of the public facilities, let you see a scene between them?”
Ella shook her head. Chantal had mentioned that Saturnia and Hollow had used one of the private rooms once, no camera engaged, but they’d been back out in fifteen minutes. Ella’s assumption was they’d done it for Saturnia to feed. Or it had been a very functional sexual encounter, understandable with so much needing to be done to get the security up to speed for reopening.
When they entered the stark room Allan had designated, Seanna’s gaze swept the cinder block wall with rings embedded in the rough surface. She also registered the concrete floor with a built-in drain, and the hose coiled on a hook in the corner. “I expect many fantasies have played out here. There’s an energy to this room. You could feed on it.” She closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath. “Yes. There it is.”
She opened them again, looked toward Ella. “Where are your restraints?”
Ella nodded toward the cabinet. This room was the one most likely to be used for extreme scenes where blood play was approved, or the submissive might lose control of bodily functions. However, while Seanna rummaged among the restraints, murmuring in pleased approval at the wide range of options, Ella verified the right supplies were in the room for a “session” of that intensity.
Seanna spoke, her back to Ella.
“I admire your resolve, though I do not envy you your Master’s wrath when he finds you acted without his consent.”
“I’m not his full servant. This will be my last duty as his second-mark before I’m considered fully Anwyn’s.” At least, that was what Ella assumed. Regardless, she figured it was best to remind Richard she was securely under vampire control.
“Perhaps. Our Masters and Mistresses have their own ideas about where the lines of ownership begin and end.”
The response fueled Ella’s hope and trepidation, but the time for conversation was apparently over. Seanna nodded to the scattering of rings in the cinderblock wall. “Go there, face the wall. Put your palms flat upon the stone. I’ll chain your arms and legs. Keep your clothes on.”
Ella complied. Her legs were starting to shake. “Do you think I’m doing the wrong thing?”
“It is always wrong to go against your Master’s will,” Seanna said promptly. But as she came to stand beside Ella, her expression was unexpectedly understanding. “Yet sometimes what must be done, is done. And we can bear anything because we know, as much as they enjoy seeing us become aroused at pain, there is a part of them that feeds on the pleasure of the kind of pain we fear. Especially when we face it because we belong to them. We are theirs to do with as they wish, and our desire to embrace that pleases them like nothing else.”
Ella was sure there were those who would find it twisted that her body roused at those words, but her shaking increased. She did yearn to serve her Master’s will. Truth, she could bear so much, if it was Wolf’s command. But Wolf’s will wasn’t part of this, so that arousal gave way to a coldness she tried to ignore. A vital ingredient was missing, to handle this moment the way she should.
She’d figure it out. She would.
Seanna caressed her arms before lifting the restraints she’d chosen. Ella’s dread increased, her shaking. This room was all about edge play, so no surprise, the restraint options reflected the theme. The cuffs were lined with metal studs, so the more fiercely the submissive struggled, the more the studs would dig into flesh, abrade it.
Seanna tightened them on her wrists. They weren’t cutting off circulation, but couldn’t be slipped, either. Then she did the same to Ella’s ankles, leaving her legs shoulder width apart. Once done, the woman ran a familiar hand over Ella’s arm, to her back, and down, over her ass, giving it a squeeze. “You are a lovely handful,” she said. “Now, for a little something extra.”
She’d had a black tote on her shoulder when she’d come to the conference room, as if she’d known why she was being summoned. Now she went to it, and withdrew a jar of what looked like pale green lotion.
“Is it okay to ask what that is?” Ella said, sure she probably didn’t want to know.
“You can ask me anything you want, ma chatounette,” Seanna responded simply. “I’m a servant, not a vampire. I’ll tell you if I can’t answer.” She held up the jar for Ella’s inspection. “There is a version of this that, when smoothed on the skin, feels so soft and creamy, so healing. It smells so good, and tastes the same. Made of a very rare combination of flowers and herbs. Your Master would bury his face in your cunt to taste it. The barest touch of his lips would have you fighting not to release, because it makes the skin so sensitive to arousal. But my lord had a chemist work with it, change the composition, so now there is a before version and an after version. This is the before version. It makes the skin sensitive, too, but in a different way. A pin prick becomes the stab of a knife blade.”
“Oh,” Ella said faintly. Her hands curled in the bonds. “What does ma chatounette mean?”
Seanna smiled. “My little kitten. Lord Richard commands you to be silent now. Until the punishment is done, you say nothing, do as you’re told, and endure.”
Ella put her cheek to the stone. Seanna reached under Ella’s knit skirt with brisk, efficient fingers and slid her panties down to mid-thigh, then ripped the seams to remove them f
ully. She unhooked her bra, threaded the straps out of Ella’s T-shirt before she broke them as well, so she could remove the undergarment without unchaining Ella.
Ella understood this was part of the lesson being applied. It was why Seanna hadn’t told her to undress before being bound. Nothing she owned was sacred. It could be destroyed and cast aside. Just like Ella herself.
Stop it. Stop thinking that way. This is for Wolf. You do this for your Master.
Even if he wasn’t here to steady her, to approve of her obedience, to give her that core of strength she so desperately needed. She focused on her submissive instincts, which had never failed her. A weak spiral of arousal had happened the second the first cuff closed around her wrist. She held onto that feeling with both mental hands, trying desperately not to let it slip away.
Seanna at least was willing to help with that. When she began to apply the lotion underneath Ella’s T-shirt and skirt, she applied the mixture with an efficient, firm and thorough rubbing. She worked the lotion into Ella’s back and shoulders, her ass and thighs, and then against her labia and the tender pocket between them and her thighs, rubbing with extra thoroughness.
Ella tried to focus on the touch, not on what the lotion was doing to her skin, but it was impossible. The nerves were coming to life, prickling against her skin.
“Beautiful ass,” Seanna murmured. “I wouldn’t mind strapping on a nice big shaft like your Master has and seeing how you handle that. Would you cry pretty tears for me, ma chatounette?”
Seanna coiled strong fingers in her hair, lifting Ella’s head and sucking on her neck briefly, giving her a brief bite with her human teeth.
“How long have you and Lord Richard…” Ella stopped herself, biting back the words. She’d forgotten Lord Richard’s mandate so quickly. Perhaps because her mind was scrambling for how she was going to get through this in a way that would make Wolf proud.
