Security Binds Her (Thalia Book 1) (The Thalia Series)

by Jennifer Bene

  Thalia arched her back, trying to relieve the pressure on her throat. She couldn’t breathe. She still didn’t understand what she’d done but she knew she couldn’t fight him – so she nodded.

  He gripped her throat harder for a moment and then yanked her back to her knees by her hair, “You’re here to learn to serve, Thalia, and you will be sorry if you fail me.”

  She whimpered, the cold fear of what he would do to her settling in her stomach, “Yes, Master.” Her voice cracked as the ache in her throat affected it.

  He was once again terrifying, the small kindness he’d shown her before was gone. She couldn’t imagine what she’d done to earn this.

  The rules. She just had to follow the rules. Perfectly.

  He let go of her hair and she dropped her eyes to the floor. She heard him growl in frustration, or anger, and then he spoke again, “Follow me, Thalia.”

  He yanked the door open hard enough for it to bang into the wall behind it, and she winced. He was moving and she crawled after him, expecting him to go left back to the dark toned room she had been in, but he went right. He walked with heavy steps as he took her back to the room that resembled a hotel. The one she had woken up to her first morning.

  How did that seem so long ago? It was just a few days.

  He unlocked the door and shoved it open, gesturing inside. Now that the lights were on she could see that it was falsely sunny with a pale yellow wall color. There was no window though, she remembered that, and she had no idea what time it was. Thalia hiccupped as she kneeled in front of him, the fear and the uncertainty of what she’d done to set him off making her feel off balance, unsure. She had to fix this. She couldn’t handle this version of him. Not when he was the only person she ever got to see.

  She moved forward slightly until her knees were almost touching his bare feet. Keeping her eyes low she shook with fear as she lifted her hands to the waist of his pants. He grabbed her wrist and twisted it sharply and she yelped.

  “What are you doing, Thalia?” His voice was rough, but she didn’t dare look up. She wanted to yell at him, scream at how unfair he was being when she was trying, but she didn’t want him to hit her again. If she finished what they’d started that morning, maybe she could be on his good side again. Her mind raced with how she could answer him within the rules, her pulse pounding in her ears. Her voice wavered when she finally spoke.

  “May I, Master?” She was afraid she spoke too softly for him to hear her but he let go of her wrist and he stepped back against the doorframe. She heard a quiet thump and thought he must have dropped his head back against the wood.

  “Yes.” His voice was quiet, but she heard the edge to his voice. He wanted her, and if she could please him, maybe she could calm his anger. It was too terrible to be in this house with that anger. She inched forward on her knees and reached for his waistband again, slowly, worried he might hurt her again if he changed his mind.

  A quick tug and his cock sprang free, growing before her eyes as he got hard before she’d even touched him. She almost forgot to respond to him, but she muttered a “Thank you, Master” before she gripped him.

  Running her hand towards the tip she licked the head. He hissed between his teeth and she saw his fists clench at his sides. She didn’t wait for him to second-guess his decision. She drew his cock into her mouth and ran her tongue along him as she pulled him deeper. She gripped his shaft more firmly and moved back, bringing her mouth to his tip and stroking him with her hand before she took a breath through her nose and pushed forward. When he hit her throat she swallowed and took him deeper, he moaned above her and she heard him hit the door with his hand. She fought the urge to flinch at the sound.

  Thalia lifted her hand and ran her nails up his thigh tugging his pants lower. Sliding her mouth back and forth again, swallowing him deep, she cupped him and he groaned.

  “Dammit.” He whispered and his hand was in her hair, his hips bucked against her throat and she ignored the urge to gasp for air as he held her there. Her other hand clenched in the fabric of his pants, but then he mercifully pulled her back enough so she could gasp a breath and then he thrust deep into her throat again. She didn’t even care that her body fought to breathe. Her eyes tearing as she moved her tongue against him, he was moaning above her. He thrust again and again, her body gaining small gasps of air when he pulled back far enough, her mouth filling with saliva as she swallowed against him. His fingers were tight in her hair, but the faint pain actually made her wet.

  He pulled her back, sliding from her mouth, and then he yanked her to her feet by her arm. “Move.” His voice was harsh and she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t look at him as he pushed her forward into the room. His fist remained tight on her skin and she stumbled but he steadied her. In a few more steps her legs ran into the bed. He bent her forward, “Get up. Spread your knees wide, arms above your head.”

  With no warning he thrust all the way inside her and she moaned, squirming under him. He didn’t ease into it with her like he had that morning; he fucked her hard and pulled her head up by her hair to bow her back. She bit her lip as the hard pounding stirred up heat between her legs. He groaned behind her and she knew if he continued with the deep, hard thrusts she was going to come.

  “Master, may I come?” The request came out breathy and begging, her voice sliding into a moan as she tightened her thighs against the rising orgasm.

  “No, Thalia. Wait.” He ground out the words and she whimpered, trying to ignore the friction, the waves of sensation as he thrust deep inside her. She was panting and moaning, squirming against his grip as she tried to focus on anything else. His hand was on her hip and he dug his fingers in hard enough to bruise, but it only made her cry out louder.

  Her hand clenched in the bedspread as she moaned again, and she brought her arm back to her mouth and bit down holding off the urge to come for a moment more.

  He slammed into her hard and growled out, “Now, Thalia!” She let go and came screaming, trying to muffle her voice against her arm as her hips bucked back against his. She felt him fill her and her head swam, angled back sharply by his grip in her hair. His moans behind her were low, and his grip in her hair slowly relaxed so she could lay forward on the bed again breathing harshly.

  “Good girl.” He said and she felt relief, she had not come without permission. He likely wouldn’t hurt her if he said she’d done well.

  “Thank you, Master.” She mumbled and he moved back, his hand sliding from her hip over her ass before he squeezed the round of it. Then he stepped back completely but she was afraid to move, to make a mistake again, to find out what he’d meant by consequences.

  “You should shower and rest, Thalia. I’ll come back.” His voice sounded off, but she didn’t even have the chance to respond before she heard the door close and lock.

  Her legs shook as she tried to stand and she leaned back on the bed, looking around at the room she’d first woken up in. Well furnished with bright, feminine colors. She remembered the ample bathroom and decided she’d just soak in a bath until she was clean and the throbbing between her legs dulled.

  Thalia still wanted to know what she’d done. How could she avoid his anger again if she didn’t know? She just had to obey him enough that he wouldn’t hurt her. At least until whatever time table he had mentioned revealed what was next for her. As far as being obedient, he’d told her to shower, and so she would.

  The rest she’d have to wait to figure out.

  Chapter Six

  Thalia had never realized just how much she depended on clocks. She’d had the alarm clock in her room, the one on the microwave, the little one in the living room on the DVR. And her phone.

  She missed her phone.

  She missed her apartment.

  For a brief moment a panicked sob clenched her chest so tightly she didn’t think she could breathe. Wrapped snuggly in the large towel from the bathroom, curled up under the sheets, she was covered in more cloth than she’d been allo
wed in days, and all she could think about was everything she didn’t have.

  And wouldn’t ever have again, according to the guard.

  She had no idea how long he’d been gone. No clocks. Her stomach was growling because he only seemed to feed her when he wasn’t angry with her, and she had no idea if he was still mad now or what he was planning to do next.

  The sob escaped from her chest and she bit down on the soft pillow under her head. She hated herself. She did. Why wasn’t she fighting him with everything she had?

  ‘Because he’ll beat you.’ Her mind reminded her. But he hurt her anyway. He hurt her even when she was trying so hard to follow his rules and behave. What if he was the only person she ever saw again? What if she could never figure out what the hell he wanted, and he just punished her at random? What if this was going to be her entire life? What if whomever he was bringing to this nightmare house was worse?

  Another sob slipped out and she realized her tears were soaking the pillow she had buried her face in. The lock clicked and she jumped. He didn’t slam the door open this time, which told her maybe his anger had cooled. He turned and gently shut the door and locked it.

  Thalia had her face hidden in the pillow, but from the corner of her eye she could see he was standing by the door. Waiting.

  For what?

  “Thalia...” His voice had an edge of warning to it and her stomach filled with anxious butterflies, her pulse firing in time with their beating wings. “I know you’re not asleep. Get on your knees.”

  She didn’t try and fake it. Sitting up she kept her eyes down at the bed and pushed into a kneel, keeping the towel clutched tightly across her body. “Yes, Mast-”

  His stern voice interrupted her. “What did I say about covering yourself in my house?” She flinched as her hands let the towel down slowly until it pooled at her waist, and she sniffled trying to stifle the tears that had been flowing freely before he came in.

  “I’m sorry, Master.” She spoke quietly, not trusting herself to speak any louder.

  “Get on the floor.” He had the cold edge of command that she’d first heard in his voice, and it made her muscles quake as she slid off the bed leaving the towel behind. Forming into the proper kneel she paused and he snapped his fingers. “Come here.”

  “Yes, Master.” Her head was spinning trying to remember everything she should and shouldn’t do. He grabbed her hair when she arrived at his feet, tilting her head up so she had to stare into those blue-gray eyes. Completely detached, that’s what he looked like.

  He pressed his lips against the shell of her ear and hissed, “I will teach you more today, but do not forget the other rules or I will punish you severely.”

  She nodded against the grip in her hair, biting her lower lip to try and stop the crying. “Yes, Master,” she said on a quiet, shaking breath. He didn’t even give her a second look when he let go of her hair, unlocked and opened the door. Then he started walking.

  Her knees ached as she followed him across the wood back into the huge open living room. She realized it was daytime; an entire wall of the room was made of floor to ceiling windows and beautiful sunlight flooded into the space. Outside were the woods, and she couldn’t see another house. “Eyes down!” He snapped and she winced and dropped her eyes back to the floor to continue after him. He walked into the kitchen.

  When she arrived he slapped her, just hard enough to shock her, but not enough for lasting damage. He was frighteningly good at walking that line when he wanted to. She realized she hadn’t responded to his command about the windows.

  “I’m sorry, Master. I will keep my eyes down, Master.” She leaned her head a little lower as he pushed out a frustrated breath.

  “Do you know how to cook?” He paused in front of her, “Stand up and look around the kitchen.”

  She stood slowly, and looked over the pale wood counters, the glass paned cabinets that displayed beautiful glassware and plates and bowls and a variety of colorful kitchen tools. “Yes, Master. Some things.”

  “What can you make us for breakfast?” His voice had an edge to it that had not been there before, as if he was already angry with her. The anger had appeared after the phone call, and now she wanted to know more than ever what had been said and who had called. But it wasn’t like she could ask, so she tried to focus on his question. Breakfast.

  “Eggs?” She said nervously, then continued, stumbling over her words, keeping her eyes away from him and training them on the fridge as if it could offer her support. “French toast, omelets, bacon, sausage, and I can make pancakes if you have a mix, Master.” Her body quivered with tension, he was unpredictable now. What was a good answer, and what would make him punish her?

  “French toast. I believe the ingredients are here. Make it. There’s fresh fruit in the fridge as well. Do not eat until I return. When I return you will kneel and await my permission to continue.” He spoke quickly, and she nodded.

  “Yes, Master.” She said. Then – he left. He left the room. Left her alone in the wide open space of the kitchen, which flowed into a dining room and then the massive living room with all its windows. She had no cuffs, no confining walls, no locked room without windows. In her fear she waited a moment for him to return, but he didn’t.

  Moving mechanically to the fridge she took out eggs and milk. She found the pantry and was surprised at how deep it went. She found bread, spices, vanilla, and piled it all by the stove to start making breakfast.

  Thalia’s mouth was watering as the first piece was cooking, but since she just had to wait she started to look around the kitchen again. There were big windows in here too – and a door.

  A door!

  She ran to it, and realized it was a sliding door to a deck. She pulled on it hard; it didn’t budge. Her heart was racing as she fiddled with the small twist lock at the handle and then she tried again. The door rocked slightly under her assault but still didn’t budge. She ran her hands around the frame looking for a secondary lock, or a pressure lock like she had at her apartment.

  Nothing.

  Nothing?!

  Then why wouldn’t it open?! Tears were streaming down her face again, she was so close to freedom and she wasn’t going to miss her chance. Hurrying back to the cabinets she quietly opened the one that held a large, red, KitchenAid mixer. It was heavy in her arms, and as weak as she was from lack of food, the fatigue of holding herself up the day before, and her overall exhaustion, she was worried she wouldn’t be strong enough to do what she planned.

  Lining herself up at the door, she took a deep breath and tested the weight of the mixer in her arms. It was oddly shaped, but definitely the heaviest thing in the kitchen she could wield. Thalia stared at the glass and breathed a quiet prayer to any god who felt like listening, then she twisted back and threw it as hard as she could.

  The crash of the glass breaking almost gave her a heart attack. She crouched down, covering her ears as the mixer slid over the deck amidst hundreds of shards of glass. The glass in the doorframe crashed to the floor, tinkling over the wooden floors. The frame was jagged and Thalia turned quickly to grab the metal spatula she was using for the French toast and started knocking out huge chunks of the glass to make it safe to crawl through. A shard sliced her foot but she yelped and didn’t care.

  “THALIA!” She heard his voice boom through the house and lunged for the door, slicing both of her feet on glass before she felt his strong arms grab her around the waist and throw her backwards away from the door. She hit the floor hard, already sobbing in fear, as she flipped to her stomach and scrambled up, ignoring the pain in her feet as she tried to get away from him. It took him no time to grab her by her hair and pull her out of the kitchen and throw her down again. She hit the floor with a sharp pain in her shoulder and tried to get up again, but he was already there. He kicked her hard in the stomach and she curled on her side, sobbing as she coughed and tried to drag air back into her lungs.

  “YOU STUPID SLUT! Did you really thin
k I’d leave that door unlocked? Or that I wouldn’t be watching you?!” He was shouting above her, and she knew she had no chance to outrun him, or fight him, but she had been so close. So close.

  “I HAD TO TRY!” She screamed and he yanked her head back by her hair until she cried out from the pain of it. Flipping her to her stomach he grabbed her arm in his other hand and twisted it up behind her back. She fought him like she had the first night, bucking and twisting until he slammed his knee into her back and pulled her arm higher. He moved it further and she thought her shoulder would tear under the strain.

  “You are so stupid!” He was screaming down at her, and she couldn’t control the sobbing. “It was a test, Thalia! You stupid little bitch, it was a TEST! And you failed me, you failed me miserably!”

  She tried to twist under him, but he used his knee to press her harder into the floor until it was difficult to breathe. “I WANT TO GO HOME!” Her voice broke as she screamed, and he growled in anger above her.