Winter's Knight

by Raine, H. J.

  Lucian coiled the nipple clamps around one fist and bit the firming flesh currently at his mercy. Shea jerked and called a word of blasphemy, but the hand in Lucian’s hair didn’t push himaway, and the sounds that followed were ofheartfelt pleasure.

  “Yes, sweet Shea,” Lucian praised, putting the metal to skin and letting it close. “Just like that,” Lucian spoke to Shea’s sternum, took the other nub between lips and into suction. Shea’s ringed cock was rigid against Lucian’s hip, tanned skin infused with a flush, and Lucian groaned as he applied the other clamp. Shea’s voice accompanied himinlower tones.

  “Sh-shit... Yes.” Shea panted, adjusting to the pain, brow furrowing.

  “Christ,” Lucian growled. “Perfect.” He nabbed the plug and stepped to one side. “Palms on the lounge, legs spread and straight.”

  “Aye,” Shea acknowledged and moved to do as Lucian bid. His breathing grew faster as he bent, face bowed and ass in the air, to put his cuffed hands on the surface of the bench. Glancing at the mirror to the side, Shea froze for aninstant, blushingdeeply.

  “I do love how you anticipate my humble commands,”Luciandeclared, kneelingbehind Shea. He dropped the plug and gripped Shea’s cheeks. “Watch, my beloved.” He caught Shea’s reflected gaze. “I wish you to see me partaking of your delightful position.” Lucian kept his eyes on Shea’s, leaned forward, and licked a long, lazyswipe over Shea’s exposed entrance.

  “Nnngh!” Shea’s eyes fluttered closed, and by an effort imprinted on jaw and face, Shea opened them againwitha gasp.

  Lucian circled, dipped to balls, and returned. “Mmm, I do enjoy feeding needs, beloved.” His nose pressed against tailbone, and his tongue sought depth, and, at the same time, Lucian reached between Shea’s legs, clasped Shea’s cock ina cruelfist, and pumped.

  Hips bucking into the pull, hands clawing at the bench’s surface, and toes curling into the rug, Shea cried out. “Ah, fuck me. Luke... God...”

  “With pleasure,” Lucian replied, thrilled when the words were steady. He dug under the lounge, retrieved a tube of lube, and nibbled Shea’s flexing ring while coating the plug with slick. Shea’s legs shook, and Lucian sucked sharp just to feel his own dick pulse when Shea’s call echoed in the room. “Though, sadly, I do not wish to skip steps on our way to sating my desire to take you ‘til you’re raw, beloved.” Lucian set the plugto Shea’s asshole and slowlypushed it home.

  “Oh, Christ!” The metal sank into rosy depths, and Shea’s arms quaked, but his head and gaze never left the mirror. “Nngh... God... goingin... shit.”

  “Indeed,” Lucian agreed. “Seeing you spread...” Lucian withdrew the plug and plunged it faster within Shea to a grunt of shock. Lucian forsook the toy and ran hands over Shea’s skin, caressing as though Shea’s body was lined in Braille, and Lucian had to memorize every tactile word. He licked and marked a bruise on Shea’s upper thigh, in love with the shattered breathing that accompanied the noisy suction. “On your knees, sweet Shea, at your ownpace.”

  “Ah... uh... all... all right,” Shea managed, arching and stretching. “Right.” Carefully he placed one knee and then the other onto the floor. Limbs shook during transition, but Shea frowned and settled on the rug by the lounge. Immediately, Lucian was there, surrounding Shea, letting soft sounds of comfort spill and touching everywhere.

  “Tonight, beloved, if you are on your knees, I am with you. If it’s pain you choose to seek, I will give it while I hold you.” Shea nodded, and Lucian petted Shea’s flank. “We arrive at your next decisionpoint, my Shea, and I wishto know how youfeel.”

  “F-feel? I feel...” Shea sounded confused, but Lucian merely rested against Shea, waiting, and Shea eventually tilted toward Lucian. “I-incredible, Sire. Having these... the cuffs remind me that you can bind me as you see fit, the collar reminds me that I’myours, the acid thread ofache fromthe clamps draws a current through my cock, and...” Shea’s voice caught and trembled. “Your presence, Sire, withme instead ofover me... I... don’t have words, my liege. None that would do it justice.”

  It took Lucian a beat to regain the ability of speech. “Elegantly said, beloved.” Lucian stroked Shea’s hair, rubbed Shea’s neck until Shea’s head lolled forward with a sigh. “You are where I always wish you to be: withme bydesire and choice. I’mgoingto tellyouwhat will happen next, but first I need you to angle more toward the mirror. One armonthe benchto brace.”

  Shifting with a wince, Shea steadied with the arm nearest to the lounge and looked at Lucianinthe mirror. Lucian purposefully let his features form a predatory expression, pleased and greedy. Lucian licked his lips, slowly, and admired Shea’s nudity meticulously for almost a full minute. “After I’m done with the explanation, you will masturbate to my commands, beloved.”Shea’s chest heaved ina hitch, and the ringed cock twitched. Lucian pitched his voice with breathlessness that was far more honesty than artifice. “Because I want to watch your hands on your dick and balls, because I want to see how you move, again, when pleasure is calling. And the game will continue untilyoumust make your choice.”

  “Choice? What choice?”Shea asked, hesitantly.

  “Thank you for asking,” Lucian said, and the flickering doubts in Shea’s eyes vanished. “My last directive will be for you either to finish yourself or to stop. If you come, then I will hold you and tell you all the ways youplease me. Ifyouchoose to stop, I willdo the same, but we will keep going to the next phase of our scene. Do youunderstand these terms?”

  Considering, Shea nodded. “I do, Sire.”

  Lucian grunted, pressing himself against Shea and adjustinghis erectionthroughthe leather. His other hand dove over Shea’s shoulder to pick up the chain between the clamps without applying force. “Good,” Lucian said, eyes on Shea’s. He groaned into Shea’s neck, and teased himself in Shea’s full line of reflected sight. He listened to Shea breathe until Lucian couldn’t tolerate any more waiting. “Stroke yourself, long and full and with care to every place that feels best, sweet Shea.”

  Gaze locked to Lucian’s form in the mirror, Shea wrapped his hand around his cock, and a soft sound spilled from his lips as he pulled on his erect shaft. Clever fingers roamed over the corona, playing with the sensitive edge, and teased the seeping slit with a gentle delvingoffingertip.

  “God, Shea,” Lucian said, dancing his touch along his own shaft, forcing the fabric around it into a cruel squeeze. He fisted the chain, lifting it without pulling, and Shea’s pecs tensed in anticipation. “I want to taste you,” Lucian whispered in Shea’s ear, licking the edge. “Get two of your fingers wet and bring them to my mouth.”

  Whimpering, Shea swirled over the head, slicking digits thoroughly. Dazed eyes followed his hand to Lucian’s mouth and watched avidly as, without breaking the eye contact, Lucian wrapped lips over indexand middle and sucked downto Shea’s knuckles. Shea groaned and swayed back against Lucian, who coated Shea’s fingers and let them go. “Stroke again, Shea,” Lucian rumbled in Shea’s ear. “As you would to get off in some public place, a second away frombeing caught.”

  “Shit, yes,” Shea hissed, and his hand blurred into motion. Twist and tug, slide and pump, and the notes fromShea’s throat turned desperate and eager.

  “Mm, Shea,” Lucian said, lining up one thigh in preparation. “But I do want you. Finish or stop, please.” Lucian tugged with rhythmic ferocity on the clamps, tightening and stretching skin, and he pushed against the plugseated inShea’s ass.

  Shea cried out, bucking, and he bellowed whenthat shoved him into Lucian, who only pulled the chain harder. Shea’s whole body quaked, arched, and stiffened, and, for an instant, Lucian thought their evening might wellbe over. But just as the odd blend of remorse and relief washed through Lucian, Shea spat a curse, let go, and slapped his hand against his thigh.

  “Yes,” Lucian said, matching Shea’s volume, and he dropped the chain and eased off the metal toy. He dipped to take both of Shea’s hands, laced their fingers and carefully crossed arms over Shea’s chest, a
voiding clamps. “Incredible, my perfect Shea, better than I could have ever hoped.”

  A tremor rocked Shea, and he gave soft plaints of frustration and need between gulps for air. “Ah... oh... dear Lord,”he murmured. “Thank... thank you...”

  Lucian crooned, helping Shea to face the lounge and rest atop of it. He let his voice disengage from his brain, praising Shea’s physique, strength, abilities, and bravery. He seasoned his accolades with kisses, called Shea every affectionate name to be found in the extensive pages of Lucian’s vocabulary, and he let himself have his fill of skin, sweat, sensation. Lucian wasn’t sure all of what he said made sense, was sure some of it stuttered, but what mattered more was Shea’s give, the slowingofShea’s breathing.

  “Beautiful, beloved,” Lucian said, bending over Shea and tracing both of Shea’s arms, which lay at his sides. “Let’s get youbound.”

  With effort, Shea moved his wrists to the small of his back, crossing them there in plain anticipation. Lucian held Shea’s hand, and bent to grab the coil of chain that lay hidden beneath the lounge. Unfurling it, the links felland skittered across the floor ina three foot line. Shea frowned, blinking in confusion, and Lucian hummed.

  “You’re on the right path as always, my brilliant knight,” Lucian explained, clasping one end of the chain to Shea’s left cuff. “But remember, as mine, you are with me.” Lucian wrapped the lengthy jangling cord around himself, hooking it through a single belt loop at the small of his back. He attached the other end of the chain to Shea’s right cuff. Shea had enough lead to put both hands on the bench, but doing so would pull Lucian close. Lucian had plenty of room to work, but he’d do so in confined quarters. Lucian hummed, pleased that he had every bit of maneuverability that he would need but had still ensured Shea would be trapped around him in a loose embrace. “For it will be to me you cling when your need overwhelms you.” Lucian dropped a kiss between jutting shoulder blades and fastened the chainto Shea’s other cuff.

  “Nnngh.” Shea strangled a moan, and one bound hand closed onLucian’s hip. “Sire,”Shea rasped.

  “I’m here.” Lucian shuddered with the collision of hot flesh to sweaty skin, and he had to fight to regain ground on his plan and course of action. He was far from immune from Shea’s journey or from the spell Lucian cast to annihilate bad memory and sow the seeds of hope. “You may touch and hold at will, and since there is a decision on the near horizon, please tell me anythingyouwishto say.”

  “Huh? Oh...” Shea’s hand spread on Lucian’s leg, and he shook his head with a hushed sound of denial. “Nn... oh... like... like this. Love this, Sire. Keep going?”

  Satisfied that Shea was both at peace and able to make reasonable choices, Lucian gently nipped Shea’s neck and reached for the second swath of velvet covering the table behind the bench. Beneath it were a wooden paddle with holes, a fiberglass cane, and a long, leather tawse. Lucian had specifically selected the tools, knowing that Shea expressed the want for significant pain, but Lucian suspected a moderate level would suffice. Judging by Shea’s state, Lucian thought he was right.

  Lucian waited until Shea was fixated on the items, stirring in the confines and grunting when the clamps bit and the binding restricted. “You will choose one, two, or allthree,” Lucian said. “And you willselect the order ifyouwant more thana single implement.”

  Chain jingled as Shea tried to move one hand to indicate his choice, and he coughed when brought up short. “Ah... I... oh, God, Luke. I want the cane.” Shea heaved a massive breath. “First. Then... uhm... the paddle, please?”

  “Very well,” Lucian answered, resisting the temptation to sigh. Naturally Shea would choose the implement designed to deliver the most impact. It coincided nicely with how Lucian thought the pain portion of their program would go, and he already had a plan to turn Shea’s expectations on their ear. Lucian picked up the cane by the handle, knee-walking to one side. Lucian rested an arm across Shea’s upper back; the bench was sturdy enough that Shea could rest against it without being in danger of shifting it across the rug. “Rules for the game, sweet Shea, are as such,” Lucian bent to speak directly in Shea’s ear, “I go until you call for the next tool, and the blows continue until youbegme thrice to fuck you.”

  “All... all right, Sire,” Shea’s voice shook, and he braced himself. Lucian kissed Shea’s cheek and neck, dragging the length of the cane’s shaft across Shea’s lower back, over his ass, and down his thighs. Quivers followed each pass, and Shea began to whimper when Lucian didn’t strike, choosing instead to continue the caress, over and over for aching minutes, heightening the suspense to a near-tangible, crackling electricity around them.

  Gradually, Shea’s breathing took on louder tones, notes of desire and pleading, and Lucian muffled a moan against Shea’s skin. “Beautiful,” Lucian whispered, and after another thirty-count in Lucian’s head, he begantappingjust beneaththe curve ofShea’s ass. Not hard, not strikes at all, but a carefully measured series of raps to the exact same line of skin that escalated from barely there to almost a hit and retreated to nearly nothing once again. A quick set of three, light, less light, nothing; a set offour, light, harder, harder, a mere kiss of cane; a set of five and onward without a hint of hurry. It was a warm up with an instrument meant to cure anyone of their need for sincere pain, and ferocious delight seized Lucian at being able to undermine Shea’s assumption that Lucian would simplywelt Shea fromthe onset.

  Shea squirmed, his skinflinched and jumped, but he settled as the pattern became apparent. With a low murmur of a frustrated curse, he craned his neck to look at what Lucian was doing. An adorably confused frown creased Shea’s brow, but he didn’t say a word, put himself back into position, head turned to watch Lucianinthe mirror.

  “Something you wish to say, beloved?” Lucian asked, sliding his free arm from Shea’s shoulders to Shea’s chest, and takinghold ofthe clamp’s chain.

  “Uh...”Shea bit his lower lip, and Lucianknew how difficult it had to be for Shea to rise above prior experience and get to ask for something. Lucianwaited, and Shea found his courage when he looked into Lucian’s eyes. “I... harder? Please?”

  “Certainly,” Lucian said pleasantly. He changed the angle of his swing and the length of the cane struck the metal plug, a quiet “clink” echoing in the room in sync withShea’s gasp. “Somethinglike this, perhaps?”

  Shea stared at the mirror, and Lucian put more force behind the ensuing blows, rattling the plug and slapping sweetly across Shea’s backside in repetitive impacts that did not waver, did not deviate, did not relent. “Oh, I see, perhaps you’d rather...” Lucian aimed carefully and struck harder, but the plug took most of the weight, not Shea’s skin. Shea moaned, arched, and hissed in surprise. “There we go.” Lucian praised, doingit againand againwithout pause.

  Flexing against each of the small invasions, grunting in time to Lucian’s rhythm, Shea’s hands clenched around chain. A low snarl met Lucian’s ongoing onslaught, stirring Lucian’s cock and thrilling Lucian’s sense of Shea, Scene, and what was right. As Lucian continued the teasing taps, Shea’s breathing ratcheted higher and higher, body tensing, and sweat rolling as the anticipation built with no peak in sight. Lucian allowed himself a handful of forceful swings that still fell short of fullarm, and Shea shook withobvious need.

  Slowly, Lucian pulled on the clamps until Shea’s flesh had to be screaming, and Shea’s eyes screwed shut. “It continues until you tell me what you want,” Lucianreminded, and cane hit metalwitha crack.

  “God... damn it...” Shea groaned and leaned back, tugging against the nipple clamps. “Shit, Luke. Just... fuck. Go onto the paddle. Sire. Please.”

  “Very nice,” Lucian said with a devious smile. He dropped the cane and snatched the paddle’s handle without slacking on the chain attached to Shea’s chest. Lucian twisted his hips slightly, yanking Shea’s arm tighter against Shea’s middle back. “I’ve been waiting for the chance to use this on you. One of my favorite toys.”Lucianaligned his aimw
hile Shea chased oxygen, torso following the sharp tug Lucian gave to the clamps. “Such wonderful range.” Lucian steadied himself and brought the paddle down with an echoing crack onto Shea’s upper thighs with a swing just short of wrecking ballforce.

  “Yyy-hah!” Shea cried out, body bending and giving to the blow. Suddenly pliant, Shea writhed. “Yes... God.... another?”he whispered betweengasps.

  “Oh, hell yes, sweet Shea.” Lucian drew back, let go of the clamps’ chain, and undid one vice from Shea’s nipple just as paddle met Shea’s ass. Lucian grabbed a handful of Shea’s hair, squeezed tight, and swatted again, aimingjust below the end ofthe plug.

  Shea yelped and jerked against all that confined him. Lucian braced against the lounge, not giving Shea any roomto escape, and when Shea hit all the imposed limits at the same time, he thrashed witha helpless yowl. “Nnnghhh... God.... oh, God... yes...” The affirmation hardlyhad time to form, and Lucianstruck again. “Fuck me, yes!”Shea called, voice high.

  “One,” Lucian bellowed through gritted teeth, and he tapped paddle to the toy in Shea’s ass while undoing his fly. Lucian groaned when flesh met air, and he stroked himself, sights on the mirror. Shea’s skin, reddened and gleaming, Shea’s muscles, bunched and tightening, Shea’s dick, wet and bobbing. Lucian rose higher on his knees. “Oh damn the earth, Shea, suck me,” Lucian said, the demand seasoned liberally with desperation.

  Sliding along the bench and using it for balance, Shea grappled with bindings, chains jingling, and with a lunge, Shea took Lucian’s ready cock into his mouth. Lucian cried out, uninhibited, and with a wet greedy noise, Shea’s cheeks hollowed, and he sucked Lucian deeper into constrictingheat.

  “Oh,” Lucian groaned, shuddering, and with a burst of willpower and a snarl for control, he clung to Shea’s shoulder and got fingers on the base ofthe plug, fucking Shea withit without warningor preamble.