"That seems easy."
"Press it again."
I did, and then when she told me to, I said Yes, send the test. Another box appeared a moment later saying, "Test message sent."
"I think I would have figured that part out."
"Lady Dunn told me to show you everything. Wait."
A few seconds later, the device began to chirp and a box said I had a message.
"Whatever you are doing, that box will appear, and you may not do anything else until you respond to it. If you do not respond to these alerts in a timely fashion, Lady Dunn will become angry with you."
"Do I take it into the shower?"
"Oh no!" she replied. "You will need to ask her what happens if you are in the shower when an alert comes. Unless she tells you differently, you may want to step out of the shower and answer it, but don't take this into the bathroom if you are showering. The steam is bad for it. And make sure you dry off."
"All right."
"Press the alert," she said. So I tapped the screen, and a full message appeared. "Congratulations!" it said. "Ashlyn the magnificent has sent you an automated message. Do you think she is very pretty, very smart, or both?"
There were boxes I could tap for each. I looked over and she was grinning at me.
"Are you going to respond?" she asked.
I tapped the "both" box.
"Good answer," she replied.
The screen said, "Reply sent." And when I tapped it again, it returned to the main page where I could select either the library or the message service.
"How long will the batteries last?"
"For reading books? All day. If you let it chirp an alert, a few hours."
"How do I charge it? Is there a cord?"
"There is a charging station on the table outside your door. You will plug it into the charging station at night, and whoever brings you breakfast in the morning will give it back."
"So no reading in bed?"
"Ask Lady Dunn about that." She paused. "She doesn't like if people ask for too many privileges."
She closed the case around it and said, "The face is glass and easily broken. Don't drop it."
She stood up. "You are to eat your breakfast. And then if you wish to exercise, you can send a message. Someone will respond, but they may not be immediately available to take you."
"Thank you, Ashlyn."
"You are welcome. What do I call you?"
"My name is Melissa. Do you have time for any further questions?"
"One or two."
"Does everyone hate me?"
She cocked her head. "Why would anyone hate you?"
"Because of what happened to Penny, and because I made the lady so angry yesterday."
"Penny made the lady very angry yesterday. She assembled the entire household after I got home from school and told us Penny had dared to misuse something that was the lady's."
"Did she tell you what Penny had misused?"
"Yes," the girl said, lowering her eyes.
"And that is why I asked if everyone hated me."
"Penny did it to herself," Ashlyn said. "Everyone knows you belong to the lady. We would not drive one of her cars without permission. You are no different. Penny knew that."
"Thank you for helping me, Ashlyn. Will I see you every morning?"
"I do not know. The lady will find a new maid. There are always women who wish to be the lady's maid."
"May I use this to send messages to the lady?"
"Only if I program it to do so, and she has not told me to do so."
"I suppose I cannot send messages to you, either."
"No." She grinned. "But I can send them to you."
"Do not get into trouble!"
She turned away, about to leave, then stopped and turned around. "Did it hurt?"
"What?"
"Your face."
"I don't really remember. The technician gave me a drug that made me not care about anything at all."
"Like laughing gas?"
"Yes, like laughing gas, only it was a shot and lasted longer."
She bent down and looked closely, but kept her hands to herself.
"Do the rings hurt?"
"They are distracting, but they only hurt when Lady Dunn pulls too firmly on them."
"You should probably come when she pulls then."
Such simple logic. "I probably should."
"May I touch?"
"Lady Dunn told me she is very, very possessive. I do not want you to get into trouble. You must ask her if it is allowed, but if she says it is okay, then I do not mind."
"Is that what Penny did? Touched you?"
"No. Will Lady Dunn be angry if I tell you?"
"No."
"Penny treated me like I was her slave, not Lady Dunn's. She ordered me to kneel to her and to kiss her feet, and she told me she would see to it my life were miserable if I disobeyed."
The eyes grew wide. "No wonder the lady was so angry!"
"Well, I had quite a lot to do with the lady's anger. I defied her."
"Did you do it? Kneel and kiss her feet."
"Yes, twice, and then yesterday morning I grew angry with Lady Dunn herself. While defying her, I let it slip that Penny was contributing to my anger, and she demanded to know why. I told her to check the videos herself."
Ashlyn glanced up at the cameras and nodded.
"I have to go," she said. "Or I'll be late for school."
"Thank you for coming, Ashlyn," I replied.
"You're welcome. I'll ask Lady Dunn if I can bring your breakfasts for now. Bye!"
"Don't forget to lock the door!" I said as it closed. I heard it click shut.
* * * *
I put off exercising. I didn't want to parade around the house. I had no idea who would come for me. It had been bad enough with Lady Dunn, Penny, and now Ashlyn. I felt like I was on display, and I was never a performance artist.
But I also knew the lady would be perturbed if it even looked like I wasn't following her wishes. I read for a while, but finally I turned to the messaging system and pressed the request to exercise button.
The device didn't tell me the time, so I had no clue what time it was.
A few minutes later, a message arrived. The tablet began to chirp. I pressed the View button and read the message.
"Lunch is pending. Do you wish to exercise now and delay lunch, or exercise after lunch?" There was no option for both. I pressed the "exercise now" button. There was only a brief pause before the reply came. "On my way." There was no option to reply.
It was five minutes later when my door opened. I stood up, and a short woman, about forty-five years old, appeared.
"I am Maria."
"Ashlyn's mother, the cook?"
She nodded.
"Am I taking you from duties?"
"This is one of my duties, at least until there is someone else."
"I don't want to put you out, Maria."
"I will escort you to the gym and lock you in. Bring the tablet. Send another exercise request when you are done."
"You're a small woman. Aren't you afraid I'll attack you?"
"To what purpose?" she asked. "How far would you get?"
"I could attack you out of spite."
"Are you going to?"
"No, but I could."
She laughed. "Come on."
"Um. If I want to exercise again later?"
"Then message me again later. I do not mind. If I am making something that requires my attention, I will tell you to wait or send someone else. If you become excessive, I will tell you, or the lady will."
I nodded. "Thank you."
"Don't forget the tablet."
I picked it up and, incredibly self-conscious, followed her from the room. I used the tablet as a shield for my modesty. Maria turned around and smiled. "If the lady sees you doing that, she will probably take it away."
"Really?"
She nodded. "If she wanted you covered, she would have let you w
ear clothing."
I sighed and held the tablet normally as I followed behind Maria. We descended the central staircase, passed through an opening, and then took several more turns. We never saw another individual.
"Where is everyone?"
"There aren't that many in residence," she said. "There's a grounds staff. They never enter the house unless summoned by the lady. There is Ashlyn and I, and for events, we bring in extra help. There are typically three housekeepers, including Penny, but of course, she's gone."
We stepped through another door, down a short hallway, and through one more door. Maria held the door, and I stepped into a well-equipped gym. I looked around.
"I am going to give you a word of advice, Melissa. When you are in this room, you should be actively engaged in exercise."
"Why else would I come?"
"A change of scenery. Lady Dunn will know if you are here for leisure. She may not mind, but do you want to risk it?"
"I am told I am the first blood slave the lady has had. How do you know to warn me?"
"Because the lady told me to warn you."
"In other words, this room is available for leisure when the lady decides I have earned another privilege."
"Perhaps. She did not direct me on that. Do you need anything else?"
"I think it is self-explanatory."
"She said you are to choose your own exercise, so I presume that means you may use the entire facility. If that is not the case, she will correct you, but she will not punish you."
"The entire facility?"
"There is a pool and running track. Also, if you ask, the lady enjoys playing racquetball."
"I imagine she would be bored playing with me."
Maria frowned.
"Did she tell you to tell me she enjoys playing?"
"Do not ask questions like that," she warned me. "She likes playing racquetball. Perhaps you should invite her to play sometime."
"Thank you, Maria. I am a poor racquetball player, but perhaps I would enjoy it. Do you believe she would allow me to dress for a game?"
"I rather doubt it," she said with a grin. "But perhaps you will distract her. If there is nothing else."
"Only... did you want to apply a time limit?"
"If you are spending longer than is wise, I will retrieve you. You could eat lunch here and continue to exercise afterwards."
"No, if I do not ask you to retrieve me, come when you think I should. I'll want a break. You feed me too much, and I do not want to exercise on a full stomach."
"I am obligated to tell Lady Dunn you complained about the meal."
I looked down. "I am sorry. It was not meant as a complaint, it was a poorly phrased statement. I will not blame you if she punishes me. When you tell her, will you tell her what I said?"
"If you promise to tell her yourself, I will allow you twenty-four hours to do so."
"Thank you, Maria. I will tell her the next time I see her."
And then she was gone. I fretted for a minute what the lady would do, then decided there was nothing I could do about it.
I gave myself a tour of the facility. There was, in short, everything. The pool looked inviting, and the running track circled around the upstairs of the exercise room.
I set the tablet on a convenient counter, nearly dead center of the entire facility, and then I stepped over to the corner with the exercise mats. I stretched carefully and decided to warm up with a run.
There were clocks at both ends of the oval track and more downstairs. I ran for a half hour, which got my blood moving. I hadn't been running since... I decided I didn't want to think about it.
I wondered how Mrs. Benchley was doing without me. The thought made me sad.
I moved downstairs and reviewed the available equipment. I didn't want to use free weights without anyone watching me, so I moved to the machines. I decided core exercises were most important, so I found the right machines and picked my circuit through them.
I was nearly done with my circuit when I heard a voice behind me. "Ahem."
I looked over my shoulder and nearly dropped the weights. The vampire was standing behind me, watching me. I set them down carefully then scrambled from the machines and knelt in front of her. I bent over and began kissing her feet.
"Stop. Straighten up."
I knelt upwards but kept my head bowed. "I am sorry."
"For what?"
"For whatever reason you asked me to stop, and then I have a confession."
"You did nothing wrong, but I do not want that to be a standard greeting. When you kiss my feet, it should carry special meaning. I believe last night it did, and that makes it special."
I thought about it. "Then as long as I understand that, are you going to stop me in the future?"
She lifted my chin with her hand and smiled. "No."
I returned her smile, and as soon as she released my chin, I bent forward and kissed her feet languorously. "Thank you," I said, then kissed them once more before kneeling upwards again.
"Why are you thanking me?"
"The privileges. And the change of scenery."
She caressed my cheek and stepped mildly closer, then bent down and kissed the top of my head. "You are welcome, my lovely slave."
I didn't care for the title, but I decided it was accurate.
"You mentioned a confession."
"There was a slip of the tongue I am obligated to report."
"You are about to confess to a slip of the tongue?"
"Maria pointed out she was obligated to report it but offered to allow me to do so."
"Go on."
"We were discussing exercise plans. She offered to bring my lunch here, but I declined. I told her she feeds me too much and that I would need a break before continuing exercises, so the food could settle. She interpreted my words as a complaint and perhaps an attempt to modify my diet. It was a slip of the tongue, but I understand you may need to punish me. I am sorry."
"So ready to have your privileges removed again?"
"No, but I understand if you do."
"I understand it was an unintentional, or at least unplanned slip. There may have been a portion of you that was requesting smaller meals, or it may simply have been a preface to your need for a break. Are you absolutely sure which of these it may have been?"
"It was largely the latter, but there may have been at least hope for a small adjustment."
"Well, you are treating me with honesty. That bodes well for our relationship. I must punish you. I will give you a choice. I can withdraw your access to the books for a period of time, or I can offer something far more severe but short-lived."
"Are you going to tell me what?"
"You will not enjoy it."
"That is the nature of punishment. Will it prevent me from serving you?"
She lifted my chin and she was smiling. "No."
"Then I would prefer the more rapid punishment."
She was wearing my leash draped over her neck. She pulled it down and attached it to me. "Come." She tugged firmly on the leash, and I scrambled to my feet and hurried after her. She walked quickly but again, was expert at maintaining a fixed pressure on the leash. She led me to one of those large leather horses that men vault over in gymnastics. When she turned around, her fangs were showing. She clasped the chain right below my chin and stared at me for a moment. I could see her internal war.
"What do you want to do to me right now?"
"Ask another time when I have more control."
She paused a moment longer before unlacing the chain from her hand and setting it across the horse. "Bend over it," she said, pointing to the leather horse. I moved against the side of it. It came across me just below my breasts, and I didn't have far to bend to be pressed against it. "Clasp the handles." I reached and clasped them, and she moved my hands where she wanted them. "Pull yourself tightly against the horse, and remain there. Do not move. Look straight ahead."
She stepped away without another word then r
eturned after several moments.
"There will be five strikes," she said. "You may cry out, but you must not use profanity or direct anger in my direction. If you attempt to interfere, I will bind you in place and be far more vicious. If you behave, I will heal the wounds afterwards."
I was filled with horror as I realized she was about to do something to me that required healing. She shifted her position, then there was a swish! And then I was struck across the back. I hissed.
"One," she said.
Another swish, and I almost swore. "Two."
"Lady, please wait. Please."
"Why?"
"I do not know if I can control my tongue."
"Bury your face against the horse."
I shoved my mouth against it, and then there was the third stroke. On the fourth, I screamed into the leather, and on the fifth, I used a few choice words, and I didn't think the horse properly muffled the sounds.
"I'm sorry!" I said after a moment. I could feel the tears crawling down my cheeks. "I tried to hold it in. I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" she asked. "I heard muffled screams, but that is all."
"Thank you, m'lady!"
She moved closer to me. "You behaved. Your back is bleeding. I am going to lose control when I heal it. I will end up taking your blood, and I won't be slow about it. I should have done something else. When I pull you from the horse, do not fight me."
And then she began bathing my back with her tongue, and it felt cooling. Everywhere her tongue traveled, the pain disappeared moments later. It wasn't the pleasure from when she fed from me, and I realized she controlled the effects.
Her hands moved to my hips as she continued to lick my back, her fingers digging into my sides, and I could feel her trembling. But she kept her control until she had chased away the pain in my back. Then she yanked me from the horse, and I relaxed, letting her do to me what she wished. She spun me around and pressed me back against the horse. I caught a glimpse of her face, her fangs evident, and then her mouth was over my neck.
She had enough control to lick me first, and then she entered me with one thrust of her fangs, but then she licked me several times, and the pain disappeared, replaced by pleasure. She began to suck from the wound, working her fangs in and out of me a few times to keep the wound open.
I clutched at her, and she drank.
She shuddered twice, but then she withdrew and began licking the wound closed. I moaned from the pleasure, but as soon as she released me, I began to slump to the floor. She caught me, propping me back up.
Blood Slave Page 11
