by Diana Ames
“My name is Jenalynn Felix. I am twenty-three years old. I have no family.” She moaned as she shifted slightly on the cot. “The last thing I remember…” Her voice trailed off as she struggled to remember something. “The last thing I remember is being led into the castle for an interview. I was to be interviewed for the position of submissive life partner for the prince.”
“You don’t remember anything beyond that, Jenalynn?” Gilly asked. Her heart beat a little faster. It wasn’t unusual for a trauma victim to not recall what caused her injuries, but this would be too perfect.
“No. Can you tell me what happened?” Jenalynn asked quietly.
“When your mind is ready and feels you can process it, you will remember,” Gilly lied smoothly. Often, accident victims never regained the memories they lost. If only I can keep everyone away from Jenalynn…Gilly mentally shook herself out of her thoughts. “I will tell you this. Your injuries are extensive. You are going to require many, many expensive surgeries before you are even able to sit in a chair.” Gilly smiled to herself. “Prince Anton feels terrible that you were injured here in the castle even though it was through no fault of anyone here. He has ordered that you will remain here in our hospital, and all treatment costs will be covered for you. Of course, you are no longer a candidate for the life mate position since it was discovered that you are not pure…” Gilly’s voice trailed off as she let that little tidbit sink in.
“I have never been with a man,” Jenalynn protested. The effort cost her though, and she moaned with pain.
“I’m going to give you something for the pain now, dear,” Gilly said in a sickeningly sweet voice. “As far as your purity is concerned…well, it doesn’t make a difference to me. But the interviewer clearly told me that he found you were not a virgin.” Gilly prepared a shot and moved to the IV line in Jenalynn’s arm. “Don’t worry, my dear. I will take good care of you.”
***
Damian walked into medical with purpose in his steps. The blonde, Jenalynn, was awake. He needed to find out about her condition, and he needed to figure out a way to keep her safe. He hadn’t talked with Prince Anton since he’d issued the ultimatum the day before, and as far as he knew, Prince Anton still wanted this girl in his bed. Damian was determined to not let that happen. She’d already suffered enough at the hands of a sick man.
“Damian,” a voice called.
Damian didn’t even hear it as he made his way to Jenalynn’s room.
“Damian, wait!”
Damian turned toward the frantic shout to see Gilly running to his side. She was panting and out of breath as though she’d just run a marathon.
“Are you unwell, Gilly?” Damian asked with concern.
“Just…give…me…a…moment,” she said, huffing heavily.
She’d run from her apartment in the royal wing to medical when she’d heard that Damian had been paged. When the woman had regained consciousness several hours ago, Gilly had examined her and spoke with her at length. Gilly didn’t know who’d gone against her orders and contacted Damian, but when she found out who was responsible, heads would roll.
“You can’t go in there, Damian,” Gilly told him. “The blow to her head caused her some memory loss. The last thing she remembers is being led into the castle for the interview.”
Damian was startled by this revelation.
“Don’t look so concerned,” Gilly told him. “It’s fairly common for the patient to not recall the incident when a traumatic accident is coupled with a head injury.”
“Except this wasn’t an accident, Gilly,” Damian said, his voice low.
“Regardless, the results are the same,” she said. “And while she doesn’t recall why she is in that room, she does seem to have a terrible fear of men right now. When a male nurse went in to change her bandages, she lost it and had to be sedated. Currently, we are on a female-only order. She doesn’t need stress to complicate her condition.”
“What exactly is her condition then?” Damian questioned. He could understand her fear of men. It wasn’t the first time the prince had damaged a woman so badly that no man could get near her.
“The head wound doesn’t appear to be serious now that she is awake. I don’t know if she’ll ever recall memories of the incident, which could be in her favor. It’s her back that has me concerned.” In doctor mode now, Gilly was very clinical and professional. “Her back doesn’t have enough skin left to allow the wounds to close; the lacerations break open as quickly as they clot and scab. We have slowed the bleeding, so she shouldn’t need too many more transfusions if we can begin skin grafts within the next day. She will need several months of surgery and recovery. Since she came in, our lab has been working around the clock to come up with a compatible synthetic skin. The damaged area is just too large to use her own skin.”
“She will live though?” Damian asked. He thought about Jenalynn’s upcoming months of surgery and recovery, but he knew what Gilly did not say. Jenalynn would also experience months of pain.
“I see no reason why she would die,” Gilly told him. “Her wounds are severe, but at this point, they’re not life threatening. As with any surgery, there are risks, like a reaction to anesthesia or infection, but we’re the best hospital in the country. Those risks are minimal.”
“When?” Damian’s tone was terse and to the point. “When will the surgeries begin?”
“We should have enough skin to do the first graft tomorrow morning,” Gilly told him. “It’s going to be a long process, Damian. We can only make a few inches of viable skin at a time and there is no guarantee that she won’t reject it.”
“Who will do the surgery? Is there anyone in the country even remotely qualified for this?”
“I used a favor from medical school to call in the best surgeon I know from the continent. Due to the situation, special travel arrangements were made and Dr. Forrester is enroute as we speak. He should be here by morning.” Gilly’s tone was placid as she continued. “He is only able to come for the first surgery. He’ll give me some on the job training and then be on a flight back out as soon as it’s finished.”
Damian looked at the tiny woman long and hard. There was something different about her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. It was something in her eyes.
Damian shook his head. “Is security prepared for his arrival? Flights in and out of the country are difficult under the best of circumstances and with advanced planning.”
“It’s all taken care of, Damian,” Gilly reassured him. She lowered her voice and took a step closer, “I have only involved those absolutely necessary, though. This is an extremely delicate situation.”
“I agree that this should be handled cautiously. The woman lying in that bed doesn’t deserve to be ridiculed or harassed for what has been done to her.” Damian sighed, “I expect immediate updates after every surgery, every procedure, and every development. I’m taking this very personally.” The warning beneath his words was plain.
“Of course,” Gilly said. She took him by the arm and steered him toward the exit. She wanted him out of her ward. “I will be sure to contact you myself with any and all changes.”
***
Since he’d left Gilly’s apartment, Prince Anton found himself roaming aimlessly through the castle. He was stunned by what he had done. He was even more stunned by the fact that he didn’t feel unclean. It was a first for him. Any interaction with a woman usually left him feeling the need to scrub himself raw. At least, that had been the case until Gilly. Apparently, his comfort with her extended beyond her being his confidant.
Even his beast had remained silent when he’d spanked and then fucked Gilly. Yes, he’d enjoyed spanking her, and he’d longed to take his belt across her smooth white ass, but he’d never felt the urge to spill her blood. It astounded him. At thirty years old, he’d finally had a normal sexual encounter—well, at least, a nonviolent one.
He felt slightly guilty for leaving Gilly lying there on the bed. He couldn�
��t bring himself to look at her or speak to her, so instead, he’d hurried out of her apartment. He’d been confused. He was still confused, and confusion wasn’t an emotion he dealt with well.
Why now? She’d obviously wanted him. She had been hot and wet, and she hadn’t put up even a token of resistance. But why now and not five years ago when she returned from her medical training? She’d been pure and untouched. Did she really save herself for me? He couldn’t wrap his head around it. Why did she never apply to be mine? Why didn’t she approach me before the search began?
None of it made sense to him. Gilly had allowed him to take her virginity. She’d been submissive and followed his directives beautifully. It was almost as if she’d been trained, but he could tell from her responses that she was completely untouched, so he knew she hadn’t undergone any training. Is it possible that she was a born submissive, someone who just naturally ceded control? The thought made his heart beat faster. It was so rare to find someone made to be dominated.
Anton was surprised when he looked up to find himself in front of the doors to the training room. He supposed that in the hours he’d been wandering the halls, it was inevitable that he would end up here. He was curious to find out if his beast was quiet with other women or if it was just with Gilly. Taking the keys out of his pocket, he let himself into the room.
CHAPTER SIX
Mellissandra was sitting in the chair in front of the fire with a detailed picture book. Her face was as red as her hair, and it had nothing to do with the heat radiating from the logs. She’d been horrified when she’d first started flipping through the book. She couldn’t believe people really did those things with their hands and mouths. Yet, even while she was horrified, she’d felt that tingling sensation between her thighs. Will I be expected to participate in these acts? The thought both shamed and thrilled her at the same time.
When she got to the pictures that contained more than two people, she nearly threw the book away from her. But her curiosity got the best of her, and she continued to go through the book. Mellissandra was so engrossed in the photos and captions that she didn’t hear the door open.
Anton silently observed the redhead sitting by the fire. He didn’t know what book she was reading, but he had a pretty good idea what it entailed from the way she was staring at the pages. It had to be one of the many sex manuals stocked in this room. Anton was surprised that Damian had given her access to the books already, but he was sure Damian had his reasons.
Damian was the best domination master in the country and possibly on the nearest continent as well. That was the reason Anton had called on him when he realized he couldn’t have a life partner who would expect a normal man. Anton knew if anyone could find him the perfect submissive to bear his children, it would be Damian.
Watching the woman, Anton tried to guess if his beast would make an appearance. He could never be one-hundred percent certain, but at this moment, he felt reasonably sure that he was calm and in control. He didn’t know if his interlude with Gilly a few hours ago had temporarily caged the beast or if he was truly in control. Either way, he felt calm enough to interact with the lovely, aroused redhead.
“What are you called?” Anton asked, his voice deep, husky, and seductive.
Mellissandra’s head popped up, and she hurriedly shoved the book behind her back. She was embarrassed to have been found looking at such photographs. When she realized who stood in front of her, she quickly stood and bowed low as she’d been taught, showing respect for the royal blood in her presence.
“Rise, woman,” Prince Anton said, annoyed. “You are not here as my subject. You are here to be my submissive, and I will let you know when I want you to bow.”
“My apologies, sire,” she said softly. She straightened her back and stood before him. She tried to cover her nudity with her hands, not sure why she felt so uncomfortable. She’d had no problem being naked in front of Teacher. She could only figure it was because he was the prince.
“Do not cover your beauty,” he told her, pulling her hands away from her body. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. Now tell me, what are you called?”
“Mell…I mean, Sandra,” she said. “Teacher said I am to be called Sandra.”
Anton was familiar with the practice of renaming subs. It was the first step in their domination. It also helped them let go of the former lives. But, for some reason, he didn’t feel like Sandra was the right name for this one. It didn’t seem to fit the vision of innocence in front of him, and he had a feeling if he said it aloud, it would leave a bad taste in his mouth.
“Very good,” he said. “I’m glad to see your training has already begun. But I want to know what you were called prior to coming here.”
She looked at him, startled. She had been told she would have to give up everything from her past life, and while she had no intentions of doing so, the prince didn’t know that. Although it made Mellissandra uneasy, she couldn’t very well refuse to answer the prince. He was supposed to dominate her, control her. How would it look if I put up a fight at the very first request he has given me, even if it is contrary to other instructions? Since he was the prince, she figured he could change the rules when he wanted.
“My name was Mellissandra,” she said after a moment’s hesitation.
“Mellissandra,” the prince said and then sighed. “Now, that is a name that rolls off my tongue.” He grasped her chin between his fingers and carefully examined her face. “But I suppose you can’t be allowed to retain that, can you?”
Mellissandra kept her eyes lowered as the prince studied her face. She felt ill at ease with his inspection, even more so than when Teacher had shoved his fingers inside her during the interview. She couldn’t put her finger on what was bothering her so much about the prince.
Anton sat in the chair that Mellissandra had been occupying before he’d come into the room. As he picked up the book she’d been going through, he smiled a devilish smile.
“Sit at my feet, pet,” he instructed, motioning to the carpet. “What did you think of the book?” he asked her.
She settled into a comfortable position beside his legs, and he chuckled as her face turned bright red.
“Oh, you are an innocent one, aren’t you?” he murmured more to himself than to her. He licked his lips.
“Sire?” she said questioningly, rising above her embarrassment.
“Never mind. I was thinking aloud,” he told her. “So, tell me, what pictures interested you?”
Mellissandra fought her immediate response to shy away from the question. She kept telling herself she’d known what she was getting into when she’d applied for this position. She had to play the part. Taking a deep breath with flames rising in her cheeks, she took the book from the prince and flipped through it until she found the picture that had piqued her interest the most. It was of a man with a woman stacked on top of him with their faces on each other’s genital area. Handing him the book, she left it open to the page that had given her instant tingles and a pull deep in her belly.
Anton grinned at the picture she showed him. He could tell she was timid, but that didn’t turn him off. He loved innocence; in fact, the more innocent, the better. And it looked like this one also had a lusty streak.
“Have you ever done this, pet?” he asked.
“Oh no, sire, never. I have never even been naked in front of anyone before I came here,” she said quickly.
Anton slid off the chair to sit beside Mellissandra. He placed the book in his lap, so they could look together.
“Let me tell you about what they are doing in this picture, pet. The woman has the man’s cock in her mouth, and she is sucking it. It is a delicious pleasure. Use of the tongue is also important for it’s not all about the sucking motion. A woman can also lick and suck a man’s balls to bring him pleasure.”
Mellissandra’s chin hit her chest as she listened to what the prince was describing. It sounded wicked, but she realized some part of her must be wicked b
ecause it also sounded fascinating. She focused on the prince again as he told her what the man was doing to the woman.
“Now, the man is using his tongue to fuck the woman. He is stroking her slit with it as well. When she is ready to climax, he might even suck on her button. From my understanding, it is the ultimate pleasure for a woman.”
Those feelings in her belly intensified as she listened to him explain the picture.
As small pants came from her open mouth, Anton grinned to himself. He reached between her legs and found her pussy soaked. He groaned inwardly. If she is this responsive to just words, what will she be like when I finally get my cock inside her?
“My prince?” she asked softly. The feel of his fingers on her most private of places sent a streak of fear and desire through her. It wasn’t anything like during the interview when fingers were shoved inside her, causing pain, before her body adjusted and began to enjoy the invasion. This felt good. The tickling sensation caused her tummy to flip-flop.
“Pet, please call me Anton. Later, when you truly become my submissive and when we are alone, you will address me as Master.”
He removed his hand and lifted his fingers to his lips. The scent of her arousal hit him hard, and Anton couldn’t resist the temptation to clean her juices from his hand with his tongue. Anton wasn’t sure what changes were happening inside of him. A woman’s nectar had always made him feel unclean in the past, but twice in one day he found the creamy liquid sweeter than fresh fruit juice.
“Delicious,” he whispered huskily, meeting her eyes. “I will grant you a boon, pet, if you will grant me one in return,” he said softly to her.
“I am yours to command, my pri…Anton,” Mellissandra said, remembering her role.
“I will allow you to keep your name,” he told her, “and in return, you will keep my visits here between the two of us.”
“Visits?” she asked. “You will be back?”
“Oh, yes. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, my dear Mellissandra. But I’m afraid, Damian, uh…Teacher wouldn’t like me visiting before your training is complete.” Anton rose to his feet. “Would you like me to come back, Mellissandra? Perhaps to demonstrate some of the pictures in that book?”
