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Authors: Julia Sykes
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me. I felt safe with her.
Then Master stepped into my room, and I forgot all about Susan. I had never really noticed how he moved before; he had spent most of his time with me sitting at my bedside. Although his body was imposing, he moved with the smooth, controlled grace of a predator. His eyes looked tired, but he had shaved since I had last seen him. It seemed he had a perpetual five o’clock shadow, but it only made him even more appealing, giving him a rough edge that belied the orderliness of his neatly tailored suit. And although he had straightened his appearance for work, his dark, wavy hair still fell haphazardly to curl just beneath his jawline.
Beneath his civilized veneer, there was a wildness to him that I relished. It was that ferocity that made me feel so safe with him. He would never turn it against me, but no one would dare to touch me while this powerful man claimed ownership of me.
“Hi, sweetheart.” He beamed at me, and the sight of his dimple elicited a reciprocal smile from me. The upward tug of the muscles around my mouth was still only a vaguely familiar sensation.
Clayton followed Master into my room. “Hey, Jane.” He was smiling at me too.
Everyone was so kind to me here. I never wanted to leave this place.
Master settled into the chair beside my bed again and covered my hand with his. I didn’t realize just how keenly I had missed his presence there. Tension I didn’t even know I had been holding in my muscles finally eased, and I felt safer than I had in hours.
Obeying Susan had been easy once Master had ordered me to do so, and we had followed a regimented schedule all day. I had eaten several small meals and even walked around for a short time to begin building up my strength. She explained that I would repeat the processes daily until I was healthy.
I couldn’t contemplate what might come after they deemed me healthy. The prospect of more change terrified me. All I wanted was for Master to tell me what to do. Before he had taken me for himself, I had been imprisoned in the dark for most of the time. Back then, I didn’t have to think about anything other than waiting for my ma – that Bastard, I corrected myself – to come and use me.
Now Master had burdened me with too many freedoms all at once. I would have been overwhelmed by them without his constant guidance. All of my senses were assailed by sights, sounds, and smells that were disturbingly familiar to me. I had forgotten about the world outside my dungeon, and now my recollections of such things threatened to call forth the woman I had once been.
She was the one who remembered these things, but I couldn’t allow myself to remember her . If she existed, then the abused slave also existed. I couldn’t face either of them. I had to stay in the present, had to focus on pleasing my new Master so I could remain in my new reality. I couldn’t look back.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you a few questions, Jane.” Clayton’s expression was slightly reluctant, regretful, even.
My gut clenched. I had gathered from their hushed conversation in the hallway that they wanted to question me about that Bastard. I didn’t want to think about him. But Clayton hadn’t asked whether or not I wanted to answer his questions; he had simply told me he would ask me.
Master squeezed my hand. “It’s alright, sweetheart. I’ll be right here with you.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. Master wanted me to comply with Clayton’s wishes. Even though it wasn’t an order, I couldn’t refuse.
“We want to track down the man who hurt you, Jane,” Clayton said, his tone calm and even. “I know you can’t remember his name, but we can’t find him without more to go on. Can you tell us where he lives? Is he here in New York or did you travel to come to Decadence?”
I bit my lip. I didn’t know the answer to his first question. The
Then Master stepped into my room, and I forgot all about Susan. I had never really noticed how he moved before; he had spent most of his time with me sitting at my bedside. Although his body was imposing, he moved with the smooth, controlled grace of a predator. His eyes looked tired, but he had shaved since I had last seen him. It seemed he had a perpetual five o’clock shadow, but it only made him even more appealing, giving him a rough edge that belied the orderliness of his neatly tailored suit. And although he had straightened his appearance for work, his dark, wavy hair still fell haphazardly to curl just beneath his jawline.
Beneath his civilized veneer, there was a wildness to him that I relished. It was that ferocity that made me feel so safe with him. He would never turn it against me, but no one would dare to touch me while this powerful man claimed ownership of me.
“Hi, sweetheart.” He beamed at me, and the sight of his dimple elicited a reciprocal smile from me. The upward tug of the muscles around my mouth was still only a vaguely familiar sensation.
Clayton followed Master into my room. “Hey, Jane.” He was smiling at me too.
Everyone was so kind to me here. I never wanted to leave this place.
Master settled into the chair beside my bed again and covered my hand with his. I didn’t realize just how keenly I had missed his presence there. Tension I didn’t even know I had been holding in my muscles finally eased, and I felt safer than I had in hours.
Obeying Susan had been easy once Master had ordered me to do so, and we had followed a regimented schedule all day. I had eaten several small meals and even walked around for a short time to begin building up my strength. She explained that I would repeat the processes daily until I was healthy.
I couldn’t contemplate what might come after they deemed me healthy. The prospect of more change terrified me. All I wanted was for Master to tell me what to do. Before he had taken me for himself, I had been imprisoned in the dark for most of the time. Back then, I didn’t have to think about anything other than waiting for my ma – that Bastard, I corrected myself – to come and use me.
Now Master had burdened me with too many freedoms all at once. I would have been overwhelmed by them without his constant guidance. All of my senses were assailed by sights, sounds, and smells that were disturbingly familiar to me. I had forgotten about the world outside my dungeon, and now my recollections of such things threatened to call forth the woman I had once been.
She was the one who remembered these things, but I couldn’t allow myself to remember her . If she existed, then the abused slave also existed. I couldn’t face either of them. I had to stay in the present, had to focus on pleasing my new Master so I could remain in my new reality. I couldn’t look back.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to ask you a few questions, Jane.” Clayton’s expression was slightly reluctant, regretful, even.
My gut clenched. I had gathered from their hushed conversation in the hallway that they wanted to question me about that Bastard. I didn’t want to think about him. But Clayton hadn’t asked whether or not I wanted to answer his questions; he had simply told me he would ask me.
Master squeezed my hand. “It’s alright, sweetheart. I’ll be right here with you.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. Master wanted me to comply with Clayton’s wishes. Even though it wasn’t an order, I couldn’t refuse.
“We want to track down the man who hurt you, Jane,” Clayton said, his tone calm and even. “I know you can’t remember his name, but we can’t find him without more to go on. Can you tell us where he lives? Is he here in New York or did you travel to come to Decadence?”
I bit my lip. I didn’t know the answer to his first question. The
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