Masters of the Castle: Witness Protection Program

by Maren Smith

  “It’s time to go down for breakfast,” he spat. “I’ll deal with you later.”

  They got Champ and were out the door and down the hall before Nick decided it was time to torture his little sub just a smidge more. “I’ve signed us up for a spanking 101 class after breakfast,” he informed her with an evil grin. “Behave, and I won’t be tempted to volunteer you as the test dummy for today’s lesson.”

  Chapter 8

  “Welcome to Spanking 101, folks. My name is Master Kade and this is Chelsea, one of our Castle submissives. She has gleefully volunteered to be my test subject for the morning. Right, Red?” he asked, with a flirtatious wink in her direction.

  “Yes, Sir.” Chelsea’s enthusiasm was evident in her body language and her eyes sparkled with eagerness. Now this was a woman who knew what it meant to be a submissive, Nick thought. Terri could learn a thing or two from her.

  Nick held tight to Champ’s leash while keeping one arm around Terri’s shoulders, holding her close. She had been quiet since they left their room, but the fight had left her. She was taking his threats seriously, as she should, and was so far on her best behavior. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was more than a little turned on by his earlier show of dominance. And she hadn’t really seen anything yet. He had big plans for later. Right now, however, he was content to watch the class, and observe Terri’s reaction to it. After all, she was the reason he had signed them up for this particular course. He certainly didn’t need a class that was 101 anything.

  Now more than ever, he wanted to feel the way her body reacted to what she was seeing. If she tensed, he would be able to look over and read her facial expression. And when she squirmed, well, that was when he would remind her of what she had coming.

  Kade started with the bare bones basics, molding Chelsea into various spank-friendly positions and naming them.

  “Who would have thought there were so many ways to smack a sexy ass?” Nick whispered in Terri’s ear and smiled as the shiver traveled down her spine.

  After all the positions were thoroughly explained, including how access to the submissive’s pussy and anus would change with each, Kade moved on to implements. An enormous armoire was rolled onto the stage and the double doors were swung open. Terri sat up straight in her seat and leaned toward the stage ever so slightly, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. Nick could feel the unspoken questions lingering in the air as she watched Master Kade bring out the implements one by one.

  He leaned toward her, grabbing a loose tendril of her hair and twirling it around his finger. “All those devices to thoroughly punish a naughty submissive. Each one has its own special way to redden a naughty bottom, and each brings its own brand of pain. I wonder which ones I should use on you tonight?”

  She opened her mouth to protest and Nick lifted a finger to his lips, reminding her of their agreement. “I wasn’t planning on gagging you until tonight. But, if it’s necessary to do it before then, it can certainly be arranged.”

  “The possibilities are endless as to what can be used as an implement.” Master Kade was speaking again, beckoning their attention. “I have seen many innocent household items used in a pinch, but for the sake of this course, we will focus on items specifically crafted for spanking bottoms. Anything you see here can be purchased in our gift shop and, for convenience sake, the most popular items can be found in your private guest room. Whatever you choose to use will simply be charged to the room.”

  “Oh, a gift shop,” Nick murmured close to her ear. “I think we’ll have to make a trip down there later. I have several things on my list that I need to acquire before your punishment session tonight.”

  The change in demeanor was instant and intriguing. She was mad as hell about her current situation, but there was an underlying curiosity that was unmistakable. He would bet money her panties were wet underneath her short flouncy skirt. Her gaze met his, and he tapped the table in front of her, directing her attention back to Master Kade who had continued his speech.

  “So, what we have here are paddles, straps, canes, floggers and whips.” He pointed to the different sections of the opened cabinet where multiple examples of each one hung. “Leather is among the favorite of most of the girls, but even that can be very effective in the hands of the right Dom. Wood is solid and unforgiving, fabulous for meting out a quick punishment. Lexan and acrylic are hard plastics that pack the punch of wood and leave a sting that is unrivaled. They can be smooth or textured. I find that the smooth ones carry more of an intense sting, but the textured ones leave beautiful marks and a more lasting impression. Lastly, we have Delrin, which is a thermoplastic polymer that feels like hard rubber. If you are taking this class for its true intent and purpose, you should stay away from rubber. It is intensely painful and leaves deep bruising. For more information on anything I’ve said you can check out the Implements 101 class later today.”

  A murmur of interest buzzed through the room as he picked up each implement and swung it through the air as he described it.

  Kade clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are going to use one thing and one thing only. The most tried and true implements that you never leave home without, your hands.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Nick caught Terri shifting in her seat. The small spanking he had given her Thursday night had been with his hand, and he had planned to stick with that method for as long as possible. This morning’s events had changed that. The only question now was which sort of implement would he be purchasing in the gift shop later?

  He would miss the skin-to-skin contact of hand to butt, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to watching her squirm and squeal at her first taste of wood or leather.

  There was still nothing like a hand, and he knew he would return to it at the first opportunity. Feeling the soft skin beneath his hand grow warm fed something inside of him. Sliding his fingers through the moisture her body created in response to his dominance was heady and an implement tended to lessen the intimacy of a good spanking. No, the hand was definitely his tool of choice.

  A loud smack echoed through the room and Nick turned his attention back to the stage. Champ sat happily at his side, taking the whole thing in stride, seeming to sense that there was no real danger here. Nick knew the dog’s keen sense and relaxed demeanor would come in handy later when it was time to punish Terri.

  “The hand is not a quiet implement, as you can tell, keep that in mind if noise is a concern for your everyday life,” Kade instructed in a voice that boomed through the small room. “My Red here marks nicely; you can already see the print of my hand. Comfy, sweetheart?”

  The submissive was draped over a spanking bench, her bare ass facing the crowd. She did not wear a microphone, making it impossible to hear her response.

  “Good girl.” He patted her butt, then turned to address the crowd. “When spanking, you want to focus on the area from here to here.” He framed the fleshiest part of her butt with his hands. “Going too high could result in an injury to the tailbone, especially if you are using an unforgiving implement. Going lower will not harm your submissive, if you are giving a hand spanking. Extended spanking with an implement to that area can, in some cases, result in ruptured blood vessels and muscle or tendon damage. However, don’t let that scare you off from spanking this area altogether; it is a lot more painful for the spankee and may elicit some verbal and physical protesting. Just be careful and responsible.”

  He pulled his hand back and let it fly, hitting Chelsea where her ass met thigh. Her foot flew up and she screeched out her displeasure, as if to illustrate his point.

  “See?” he patted her again. “Relax, that was the only one as long as you continue this exemplary behavior. You’re not the one in danger of a punishment today.” He winked at a brown-haired girl in the front row and she sank low in her seat.

  Terri’s body sank in unison with the other naughty submissive’s as she remembered her ow
n predicament. “Can we at least leave before that part?” she whispered.

  “What? No, that would be rude. We were the last ones to arrive, it’s a miracle we weren’t late. We’re staying for the whole class. After this, we are meeting with Grimsley and Eden.”

  “Thank you for joining our class this morning,” Kade said, drawing the informative section of the class to an abrupt close. “Before you go, we have in our audience several subs who have earned themselves demerits over the last week. I want a few of our disobedient ladies to stand up and volunteer as demo partners for anyone who needs one.” There were no immediate volunteers and Kade scowled. “All right, then. I’ll sweeten the pot. If I think your partners have done a sufficient job reddening your little backsides, I’ll waive the full hour of demerit time.”

  A hand in the front row shot up. “I volunteer as tribute.”

  Laughter filled the room, and Kade clapped his hands once to get everyone’s attention. “All right, kajira Holly. Do I have anyone who’s interested in teaching our lovely comedienne here the error of her ways?”

  She was obviously with the man next to her, but he was not the one to volunteer. Instead another man came from the very back and joined them in their row.

  “Me.”

  “All right then. The floor is yours, remember she is technically owed an hour of punishment so feel free to make it count.”

  “I wonder what she did to earn a punishment?” Nick teased close to Terri’s ear. “Surely nothing as dangerous or naughty as crying wolf and sending a three-man security circus to come interrogate her Dom?”

  “You’re not my Dom.” Terri scowled. “I don’t have a Dom, because I’m not a submissive.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart, because I am a Dom, and until further notice, you are my submissive. The sooner you get with the program on that, the better.”

  Terri’s eyes narrowed at Nick’s whispered confession. There was no mistaking that was what it was, and the feeling she had had about him since the assignment literally landed in their laps in Captain’s office was finally confirmed. Nick hadn’t raised an eyebrow about the contents of the folder because none of it was new to him. He seemed happy to be at the Castle and explore all of its inner workings because he was happy to be here. For Nick, this was a glorified vacation, and one he was getting paid for. Her eyes darkened as the pieces began to fall into place, and she turned to scowl at him.

  “You tricked me,” she accused, crossing her arms in front of her.

  Nick shook his head. “I did no such thing. All I did was encourage you to be open-minded and professional. You were unable to do that so here we are.”

  “How long have you been into…” She trailed off, making a sweeping motion with her arm.

  “Long enough to give you what you’ve got coming without blinking an eye,” Nick retorted smartly. “Now stop chirping and turn your attention to the front. You’re being quite rude.”

  Terri sighed and slouched low in her seat. “I don’t want to watch this.”

  “Then don’t watch. I’m sure it’s tame compared to the ass whooping I’m going to be giving you later,” he offered flippantly, smiling when she squirmed.

  Sadistic prick, he was enjoying this far too much, Terri decided. She resolved right then that no matter what he managed to dish out this weekend, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of the reaction he seemed to be expecting.

  “Why can’t I leave then?” she questioned, turning around in her seat as she angled her body toward the door.

  “Because I said so.”

  “That’s not a good reason.”

  “Because if you even think about walking out that door before this is over, I will raise my hand and volunteer you to be the next hands-on demonstration dummy, and if you think for a second that would make me go easy on you later, you’re wrong. All it would do is give me a nice tender canvas to start with and make sitting an impossible feat for my naughty little sub.”

  She didn’t answer, she also didn’t move.

  Nick gave a curt nod. “That’s what I thought.”

  There was nothing left to say, and they both turned their attention to the interaction happening in the front of the room.

  The man said something close to Holly’s ear and she bent at the waist, giving him easy access to her ass. Without addressing her or the room further, he flipped up her skirt and went to work, spanking with gusto. It was obvious that Holly felt differently about this spanking than Chelsea had about hers, but Terri supposed that was due to it being a true punishment. The difference was sobering, and Terri was unable to draw her eyes away from the sordid display as the Dominant cracked his hand hard against Holly’s ass again and again. She wiggled and bounced, but kept surprisingly quiet. Terri slunk down in her chair, just like she did when something on television was especially creepy.

  Nick took her hand in his and gave a comforting squeeze. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she pulled her hand free and scooted as far away from him as the small space would allow.

  Thankfully, it was over pretty quickly. Master Kade, who had been standing off to the side as he watched, walked toward the demonstrating duo, dismissing them with a nod.

  “All right, Holly. Your demerits are taken care of and you’re free to go if your Master has other plans for you.”

  “Thank you, Master Kade.”

  “This ends our demo for the morning, ladies and gentlemen. Check the schedule on your way out so you don’t miss any of the other classes we have to offer. Other than that, enjoy this beautiful morning and the rest of your stay here at the Castle.”

  He helped Chelsea to stand and scooped her into his arms, exiting stage left.

  Chapter 9

  As Champ led them through the Castle to their meeting with Grimsley, Terri could not get the visions of leather paddles and reddened asses out of her mind. She was tortured by the way Chelsea had so willingly bent over the spanking bench, baring it all for the crowd without hesitation or thought to modesty. Then there was Holly’s punishment. Just thinking about it brought a heat to Terri’s cheeks and made her panties inexplicably wet. How had that scene affected her the way it had? She definitely was not an exhibitionist and the idea of getting spanked or watching someone else get spanked was still horrifying to her. The fact that Nick kept taunting her with threats and promises of what was to come had her in a constant state of aroused unease. What the hell was wrong with her? She could only hope that Nick was right, and his plan to make her his submissive for the time being actually would help her stay focused on the job somehow, so she could catch the criminal and leave this fuck fortress far, far behind.

  For now, she needed to focus on getting through the day. She knew Nick well enough to know the torture would continue, especially if he knew how her body and mind were reacting to it. If she could find her anger and convincingly pull off unaffected, it would be best for all involved. Well, at least for her. There was no way she was getting through the day otherwise.

  The unknown killed her. She had always been that way, and right now there were too many unknowns buzzing around in her brain to give her any peace. What did Nick plan to buy at the gift shop? Would he make her go with him? Would that be easier because she would know what was going to happen, or would it just be more mortifying?

  The girls at the demonstration had been taken care of after in a way that had her stomach buzzing and her heart warming. They may have been harshly punished, but afterward there was a tenderness that made Terri ache inside. Nick didn’t really seem the tender type. Especially not right now. The best she could hope for was a hug and a glass of wine. She sighed. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, she supposed, and after this morning’s vegetable debacle, she had no right to ask for or expect anything. All she could hope for was mercy.

  The thoughts running through her mind boggled her and left her frustrated. All Nick had done so far was make a bunch of threats, and all of a sudden, she didn’t even recognize herself. She had
been a completely different person since the minute he snapped his fingers and sent her to her knees. And she had gone willingly, that made it even worse. Not that she really had a choice. But still, I should at least try to protest or defend myself from his chauvinistic bull crap. Terri berated herself all the way down to the kitchens to grab a cup of coffee before heading to Grimsley’s office. Her stomach fluttered with nerves. Hell, they weren’t even sure the bad guy was going to show up. This could all be for nothing. That was the most frustrating thought yet. She was on a physical and emotional rollercoaster over all this shit and it might be for nothing.

  “Are you ready to fulfill your duties, my Little Maid?” Nick interrupted her inner rantings by growling in her ear.

  Startled and annoyed, she turned and slugged his shoulder as hard as she could. “Don’t call me that. I’m not a fucking maid and this whole fucking thing is a fucking waste of time.”

  Nick took a step back, his face turning a deep shade of red as he scanned the hall. Thankfully, they were alone and her words had been a low growl that matched his. His jaw clenched as he stared her down for what felt like an eternity, but she refused to cower from his anger.

  Finally, he spoke. “I was going to wait until tonight to gag you, brat, but as I’ve said before, if you don’t cut the crap, I’ll get special clearance from Marshall to keep you gagged for the remainder of the trip. The way you’ve been acting and the fact that you are one stupid outburst away from blowing our cover, I’m certain he would make an exception to the usual rules, just for you.”

  Her eyes bugged out of her head and her throat constricted at the thought of being gagged all weekend, and the truth that Master Marshall would probably prefer her that way. She was about to open her mouth and ask if he was serious, if he really could or would do that, when the door at the end of the hall swung open and sounds of a bustling kitchen echoed through the hall as Master Grimsley swept out. The woman they had caught eavesdropping followed behind him, barefoot, her Little Maid’s uniform slightly disheveled, her blonde hair a tangle of free curls trying hard to escape her back bun, and one hand tucked back behind her. The butler stopped when he saw them. So did the woman, but only because she plowed into him first. She leapt back, both hands tucking behind her now as Grimsley snapped around to glare down at her.