by Cerise Noble
"Enough."
Reluctantly, I released him, opening my eyes to see the welling crescents. He stroked my face, my hair. Tenderly now, I licked the blood, reveling in the iron tang, so similar to and so different from my own. He winced, but smiled at me when I glanced up.
"Are you ready to take the rest of your spanking?"
Comforted by his acceptance of me, by the re-ignition of his claim over me, I nodded. My flesh throbbed. He pushed himself upright and spent a long moment positioning me just so, building the anticipation. I melted in the morning sun as its fingers reached out from the horizon, a welcome heat.
When I was lying just how he wanted, he picked up the belt again. A hand on my tailbone held me still, and then the spanking resumed. It torched my skin; I felt each impact deep inside my flesh, my body softening and yielding to his discipline. I lost touch with coherent thought, existing only as a recipient of pain, and then even that slipped away, and I felt only warmth and pulsing pleasure.
I felt his hands on me, stroking and soothing the raw edge of my skin, and then I felt them delve between. I parted my thighs for him willingly, moaning as he slid in. He slid in so very easily. Like a sword whose sheath was made for it, it fit, filling me up.
I could do nothing but take his cock, could cry as he pounded me, could beg for more more more, and scream as he gave it to me.
In the end I belonged to him above all others. I could feel the click as my soul meshed with his, could dive inside my mind and find him there.
It was a long time before I recognized myself as distinct from him. And when I did, there were no words. None were needed.
Chapter Five
The men came abruptly in the night. I didn't understand who or what they were until their knives were at our throats, their hands holding us, Jessica and me, upright. Our men had woken in time, and held weapons of their own trained upon the men we didn't know.
Roy's voice was deadly. "Let them go."
The man holding me was angry. "No." Why was he angry?
"They belong to us."
The man scoffed. "You lost your right to them when you beat her."
I tipped my head, trying to get a look at him in the flickering firelight. He let me. His face was kind.
Roy didn't budge. "That's none of your concern."
"It is our concern. This river is our home. I won't have abusers coming in, tramping all over the place, making it dangerous for our women."
Roy raised his eyebrows. "And what are you calling abuse?"
"This."
He moved the knife and shoved me onto my belly, dark bruises visible on my naked body.
I rolled over, offering my front to him, parting my thighs. My voice slithered through the air between us.
"This? This is joy."
I could see Tobin out of the corner of my eye, practically vibrating. Roy kept his gun trained on the man with the knife.
He stared down at me, lust and disbelief shining in his eyes. "Joy?"
I reached for his hand, and he let me. I brought it to my lips, kissing his fingers.
"I enjoy pain. If you take me from the men who give it to me, I will bide my miserable time, aching with frustration, and then I will slit your throat while you sleep."
He flinched. I smiled, then nipped his fingers.
"Ask me if they abuse me."
Compelled, fascinated, he obeyed. "Do they abuse you?"
"By the stars, no! I crave this. I beg for this. I cried when it took my master too long to give it to me."
He looked up at Roy, unable to watch my sensuous wiggling for a moment longer. His pants were tented and his cheeks flushed.
"We heard her screaming."
Roy raised an eyebrow, glancing down at me, at the glisten between my thighs. "Women often scream during their pleasure."
The man flushed darker, and the man beside him released Jessica.
"Are you abused, my lady?"
She smiled up at him, her sweetness shining through the gloom. "No." She leaned in, confidentially. "Sometimes I'm naughty, and I get my bottom spanked." He colored, too, obviously intrigued. "But it's for my own good. I need to learn to behave better."
Her innocently downcast eyes would have undone the hardest warlord. Even I could hardly bear to keep from gathering her up in my arms and petting her, and I knew her wiles like the back of my hand.
He touched her cheek, tipping her chin up, the knife safely returned to its sheath. "Do you, now?"
She glanced up at him through her lashes. "Yes. Maybe you'd like to see? Then you'll know it's just what I need."
"I'm sure there's hardly anything that you could be punished for."
I laughed to myself, watching her wrap him around her little finger. The man near me watched, entranced, my sexual display forgotten.
"Oh, but there is." Her breath was light. Her eyes widened. "Sometimes I leave my clothes on the ground, and they get muddy. Then we have to do extra laundry." He followed her pointed glance to where he knelt on her dress beside her bed, and immediately moved back. She shifted closer. "Maybe you should spank me."
He backed up again. "I don't—that's not why we're here."
She settled back on her knees. "Very well. I suppose my master will have to punish me." She crawled to Roy, an angel on her knees beside him. "Will you watch?"
The men stuttered, nonplussed. Roy handed his weapon to Gerard ,who took it without lowering his own. Roy's big hand wrapped in Jessica's hair, and she stood up readily. He kissed her forehead tenderly, his voice so full of affection a deaf man could hear it.
"When are you going to learn to keep from putting yourself in danger, hm?"
Her murmur was barely audible. "Soon, sir."
He tucked her over his hip, her round bottom exposed, the firelight flickering over her smooth skin. Her peach was visible between her thighs, and my heart rate increased. His calloused hand rubbed her cheeks, warming and possessive.
The first spank that fell was sharp, but not nearly as hard as he usually spanked her. I wondered if he was going to go easy, since this was just for show.
I didn't have to wonder long. Her bottom turned pink, and then red, her thighs shifting as she squealed and whimpered. The meaty smacks continued unabated. I could see the outlines of his fingers on her thighs, could see the way she held on to his ankle to keep from reaching back. I watched her face change, from flirty teasing to chagrin, from difficulty to utter submission, and I loved her even more. The men watched, entranced, their weapons forgotten.
When Jessica had been soundly spanked, just as soundly as any other time she'd incurred Roy's displeasure, he stopped. His thick hand smoothed over her hot skin. "Come on, my love. You're forgiven." He tipped her upright, her big eyes leaking onto his bare chest as she huddled close and he wrapped her in his arms.
He spoke into her hair. "That's what a proper spanking looks like. No violence, no abuse. Just my woman, getting her bottom toasted."
The man near me nodded.
The other one swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for her to be spanked now."
Even as he said the words, I could see the one near me fighting with his desire. He wanted a woman like that, like her. Like me.
Roy shrugged. "Now or later, doesn't matter. You may as well see that she bears me no ill will."
I sat up. "Stay. It'll be dawn soon. Break your fast with us."
The man near me looked askance. "Why?"
"You want something we have. We live nearby. We should come to an understanding."
The men looked at each other for a long moment, and then they seemed to come to an agreement.
"By your leave. We would appreciate it."
Roy nodded. Gerard and Tobin lowered their weapons, and turned their attention to building up the fire for breakfast. The unknown men went with them, their conversation stilted and awkward.
I no longer cared. I went to Jessica, petted and kissed her.
"Are you all right?"
She nodded, teary-eyed but smiling. I wanted to scold Roy for spanking her so hard, but I bit my lip. It wouldn't have been good for the men to think he was hiding something, that he was ashamed of how he treated her.
Roy petted my hair. "You are a wanton little brat."
I squirmed against him grumpily. "It's true. I wanted what Tobin did to me."
He petted me some more. "I know."
***
The men spent a long time talking. I saw one of them signal to someone on the other side of the river, and then they spent the day with us. Jessica and I kept ourselves busy, an easy task. There was laundry, transplanting more edible plants, collecting firewood, and checking the rabbit traps and the fishnets. I found out that Devon had been the man holding Jessica, and Jeffery had held me. I mostly ignored them.
It wasn't until I was knee-deep in the water of the shallowest cove, struggling with the net there, that Jeffery approached me. His hand on mine startled me, and I jerked away, splashing.
He caught my wrists. "Here." He released me, and reached for the net. "Let me help."
I glowered at him as he untangled it from the rocks, finding barely enough manners to grumble my thanks. He waded back to the shore and dumped the fish into my basket, where they flopped wetly.
"May I speak to you?"
"Yes." I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow.
He laughed a little, running a hand through his hair. "You don't like me. I understand."
"Why should I like you? You came into our camp. You threatened our men. You held a knife to my throat."
"I'm sorry." His voice sounded sincere. "I didn't need a fight on two fronts. I just wanted to get you out of the camp."
"Well, we don't want to go." I turned away from him with a huff, pulling my tattered boots back over my wet feet.
"I understand that now." He gestured across the river. "But it's hard to get nuance when all you hear are screams."
I looked, and if I squinted, I could see the shape of some sort of shelter, just under the trees on the far bank. He had a point.
"I still think you went about it badly."
"This is true." He hesitated. "I'm truly sorry if we scared or upset you." I didn't answer. "We have a leatherworker." I looked up. He gestured at my boots. "We could make you new ones."
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "In return for what?"
"Nothing. A way of apologizing."
"You want her."
He half shrugged. "Yes and no."
I was outraged. "No?"
He laughed at the lightning in my eyes. "Yes. But we recognize she belongs to your leader."
I rolled my shoulders. "True." I considered him for a moment. "We accept."
He raised his eyebrows. "Accept?"
"Boots. A pair for each of us. In recompense for coming into our camp, uninvited, and holding knives to our throats without consent. Especially Jessica's." I stepped in close, tipping my face up to his, my lips curving into points. "Next time you get that urge, ask first. I might just consent."
My breasts brushed his chest, and then my hip brushed his crotch as I turned away, picked up my basket and hiked back up the trail without a backwards glance.
They went home that evening. We watched the boat as they rowed it cross-wise to the current, their muscles bulging in the setting sun. Several other men met them on the shore, and I could just pick out the forms of women, too. Tobin settled an arm around me, holding me close.
"I'm glad you and Jessica were able to explain things in a way they understood."
I shrugged. Roy nodded, thoughtful.
"It would have been a shame to kill them."
Gerard. "They're men after our own hearts, really. They want to protect their women, and ours, too. But their camp is too fractious. They won't be able to stay together unless they learn to work together."
Jessica smiled. "They just need someone to have the final word."
I eyed her. Was she thinking what I thought she was thinking? Bringing those people into our group? What if they did not want to obey Roy? They outnumbered us. I elbowed her, and she pinched me back, hard enough to bruise my arm.
"Ow!"
Tobin smacked her thigh. and she winced, her eyes laughing at me. Roy stroked her absently.
"It's something to consider."
And so, a week later, we went to visit.
The men welcomed our men, and the women welcomed Jessica and me. There were many children peeking out from behind their elders' skirts, and I frowned at them, unsure what to say or do. Jessica, of course, bent down and began a conversation, laughing and playing with them in no time. One of the eldest women led me into her tent and offered me some sort of bitter herb tea. I accepted, watching Jessica with disbelief.
The crone spoke. "She's meant to be a mother, isn't she?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. She's like this with everyone."
The woman chuckled. "Call me Patsy."
I bowed my head to her. "My name is Stephanie."
"Welcome to our camp."
I looked around. It seemed a poor space, barely better than the camps we made as we traveled. "How long have you been here?"
"Myself? I've been here a few years. Yon strapping lad, only a few months. Some of them have been here longer than myself."
I followed her withered finger to see Jeffery, laboring over the boats.
"Why is everything in such a disarray then? Shouldn't there be something more stable?"
She shook her head. "They've never decided to stay or go. It's a constant debate. But as I've told them, time and again, failure to make a decision is a decision. We're staying here. And the longer they refuse to decide, the longer we'll stay."
"Who?"
"The men who were here before me." I looked around, and she pointed out the biggest tent, the one that Roy and Tobin had entered. Gerard I saw leaning against a tree with a few younger men around him. There was frustration in their gestures. "They aren't strong enough to hold the younger men. Those with rash ideas go on and do them, regardless of the wisdom of waiting, because they don't trust the elder men to make the right choices anymore."
I turned back to her. "Like the men who came to liberate us." I put as much scorn into the word as I could manage.
She cackled. "Yes, like them. This time, even I told them it was foolish to do it the way they did, without speaking to your men, without finding out that you two wanted to be rescued." She nodded to herself. "I'm heartily glad your men have cool heads and didn't kill them on sight."
I nodded, as well. "Will they follow a stronger leader?"
"Oh, aye. They're itching to feel like they're worth something, to feel part of a grander purpose." She eyed me shrewdly. "Your man offers them that, and they'll go."
I considered it. Roy would be able to offer them purpose. But what to do about the ones who refused? I demurred.
We watched the children for a long time, watched Jessica accept crowns of daisies and clover necklaces, watched her face light up at the barest word from tiny babes. My heart hurt. I wanted her to myself. It was one thing to love her while she belonged to Roy, while I belonged to Tobin. A child could consume her life.
A young woman offered her nursling to Jessica to hold, a woman who looked young enough to be a child herself, and Jessica took the baby, crooning and rocking. The young woman blushed, slanting her eyes at Jessica. I bit down hard on my lip, watching Jessica's eyes light up, watching her reach out and caress the woman's cheek.
I found my hands had made fists in my dress, and my teeth had drawn blood. No. No. No. Jessica was mine.
The crone noticed, but did not interrupt the flaying of my soul until I was nearly mad with jealousy.
"She's your queen. Not the other way around."
I started, then stared at her, my ego punctured, the poison draining away.
"True."
I loved Jessica. But I belonged to her. She didn't belong to me. And thus, she was free to love whoever she desired
. And how could I begrudge her a new fancy? I loved her because of who she was, not in spite of it.
It was a long time before I could speak without my voice shaking. "What is her name?"
"Jacqueline."
I nodded, tasting the name.
It came time for dinner, and we gathered around the bonfire. There was a bland soup of rice and fish, served in plain wooden bowls. The men were still discussing the problem; it seemed little progress had been made.
I ignored them, and focused instead on watching every nuance of Jacqueline's movements, finding hidden meaning in every flick of her fingers.
Jessica pinched me, hard, then her fingers found my ear, twisting just enough that I winced. "Be a good girl, Stephanie, or I'll tell Tobin to give the ladies a demonstration of what happens to brats."
I gaped at her audacity. "I have done nothing wrong!"
She kissed my cheek. "Not yet."
I spent the rest of the meal glaring at her.
It wasn't until the end of the meal that I realized I'd forgotten to be angry, and was once again mesmerized by the sound of her voice, the careful attention she paid to each person who sought it, somehow making each one feel special.
We stayed longer, and this time I helped. Of course, it was laundry day. I swallowed my bile and spend hours scrubbing, wringing, and hanging. They left their clothing on the lines overnight, a ridiculous method if I ever saw one, but I was not in charge.
By the time supper was ready, my arms were stinging from above my elbows to my wrists. The crone brought me a salve. It stank, but the relief was worth it. Jessica pinched me again, just to remind me that pain was my friend. I stuck my tongue out at her, and she kissed me, biting my tongue until my throat vibrated with a soft moan. We broke apart, and I flushed red to see all the eyes on us, the conversations stopped. She just winked merrily at me and turned back to her supper.
Over time, men began to show up on our island. Jeffery and Devon were the first, bringing the boots with them. I very much enjoyed slipping my feet into the new ones, the feeling of being able to run over the surface of our island without worrying where the rocks or thorns were. Shortly thereafter the boot maker himself, Jorge, and his two thick-armed wives, Hanna and Nichole, showed up. I began wearing a collar that Tobin had asked for specifically. It had Roy's sigil carved into the leather.
