hers to her side. “I understand. Master won’t pressure you, but I know he wants you to stay.”
“He said that?”
“Not exactly, no. But he’s never acted the way he acts around you. Cautious. Protective.”
I furrowed my brow. “And he doesn’t feel that way towards you?”
“Oh, no, he does. Master’s very protective of his slave. But his subs…they’ve never lasted long.”
I bit at my bottom lip. “So I’ve gathered. He mentioned something about another sub.” I chewed on my next words carefully, but Marnie spoke before I could continue.
“Karla.” Marnie’s grip on the windowsill tightened. “She came before I did, and left shortly after I arrived.” Her words broke as she brushed at her nose, sniffling. “She was a wonderful sub to him. Loyal. Devoted. Obedient.”
I eyed Marnie’s rigid posture and took one of her hands in mine. Carefully, so as to not overstep my boundaries, I led her over to the bed, where we both sat down. I was wondering what was coming next and Marnie, more than likely, was trying to decide how much she was allowed—how much she was willing—to share.
“One night, Master took her to one of the local dungeons. He was setting up at one of the stations and was just about ready to flog her when she pulled him aside. She…” Marnie fingered the simple leather band around her neck. “She removed her collar, returned it to him and went over to another Dom.” Marnie shook her head, as if to rid herself of the horrible image. “That wasn’t the worst of it. After letting her new Master collar her, she led him over to the station Master—Dylan—had been preparing. They…”
I squeezed her hand tightly as her words coiled around my throat. “I didn’t know,” I half apologised to her, knowing as well as anyone else how important a collar was to a Dom and his subs. Some even compared it to a wedding ring. The collar Dylan had given me was a simple precaution. It didn’t mean more than his protection over me when compared to the one locked around Marnie’s neck. Her collar probably meant more than I could possibly comprehend. “So that’s why he only trains subs, then.”
Marnie nodded, reaching over to the bedside table to grab a tissue. “I was there when Master fell apart. Masters aren’t supposed to lose control like that, and I don’t want to see him like that ever again. I…”
“Marnie, if Karla broke his trust, how come he…” I covered my lips with my hand. I wanted to ask how she’d ever got him to give her a more permanent collar. How she’d got him to fall in love with her.
“How come he collared me?” Marnie smiled when I glanced up at her. “It didn’t happen right away, and I’m sure if I hadn’t been there before it happened, this collar wouldn’t be around my neck.” She touched the leather again as a wave of calm seemed to wash over her. “I’d seen him the way no other should. I held him when he broke down in the middle of the day. Flogged him when he wanted to escape into subspace. Fed him when he didn’t want to eat. Made him drink when he wasn’t thirsty and slept with him so he’d have someone’s arms around him at night. I did what any slave would’ve done. I watched after my Master. This collar was my reward.”
I sat there for a long while, unable to imagine Dylan being anything other than the Dom I knew. I couldn’t see his red eyes or tear-streaked face. All I could see was his wicked grin, his fierce eyes and tightened jaw. There was compassion there as well—his arms around me, the hand in my hair, his lips on mine. But he wasn’t broken. Not in the least. Not like me.
“Maybe that’s why he wants to keep you here.” Marnie’s voice thrust me from my thoughts. “If he can fix you, maybe he can fix himself.”
I narrowed my vision as I looked over at her, her head bowed as she opened and closed her palms in her lap. “He still cries?”
“Sometimes, when Master doesn’t think I’m looking.
“He said that?”
“Not exactly, no. But he’s never acted the way he acts around you. Cautious. Protective.”
I furrowed my brow. “And he doesn’t feel that way towards you?”
“Oh, no, he does. Master’s very protective of his slave. But his subs…they’ve never lasted long.”
I bit at my bottom lip. “So I’ve gathered. He mentioned something about another sub.” I chewed on my next words carefully, but Marnie spoke before I could continue.
“Karla.” Marnie’s grip on the windowsill tightened. “She came before I did, and left shortly after I arrived.” Her words broke as she brushed at her nose, sniffling. “She was a wonderful sub to him. Loyal. Devoted. Obedient.”
I eyed Marnie’s rigid posture and took one of her hands in mine. Carefully, so as to not overstep my boundaries, I led her over to the bed, where we both sat down. I was wondering what was coming next and Marnie, more than likely, was trying to decide how much she was allowed—how much she was willing—to share.
“One night, Master took her to one of the local dungeons. He was setting up at one of the stations and was just about ready to flog her when she pulled him aside. She…” Marnie fingered the simple leather band around her neck. “She removed her collar, returned it to him and went over to another Dom.” Marnie shook her head, as if to rid herself of the horrible image. “That wasn’t the worst of it. After letting her new Master collar her, she led him over to the station Master—Dylan—had been preparing. They…”
I squeezed her hand tightly as her words coiled around my throat. “I didn’t know,” I half apologised to her, knowing as well as anyone else how important a collar was to a Dom and his subs. Some even compared it to a wedding ring. The collar Dylan had given me was a simple precaution. It didn’t mean more than his protection over me when compared to the one locked around Marnie’s neck. Her collar probably meant more than I could possibly comprehend. “So that’s why he only trains subs, then.”
Marnie nodded, reaching over to the bedside table to grab a tissue. “I was there when Master fell apart. Masters aren’t supposed to lose control like that, and I don’t want to see him like that ever again. I…”
“Marnie, if Karla broke his trust, how come he…” I covered my lips with my hand. I wanted to ask how she’d ever got him to give her a more permanent collar. How she’d got him to fall in love with her.
“How come he collared me?” Marnie smiled when I glanced up at her. “It didn’t happen right away, and I’m sure if I hadn’t been there before it happened, this collar wouldn’t be around my neck.” She touched the leather again as a wave of calm seemed to wash over her. “I’d seen him the way no other should. I held him when he broke down in the middle of the day. Flogged him when he wanted to escape into subspace. Fed him when he didn’t want to eat. Made him drink when he wasn’t thirsty and slept with him so he’d have someone’s arms around him at night. I did what any slave would’ve done. I watched after my Master. This collar was my reward.”
I sat there for a long while, unable to imagine Dylan being anything other than the Dom I knew. I couldn’t see his red eyes or tear-streaked face. All I could see was his wicked grin, his fierce eyes and tightened jaw. There was compassion there as well—his arms around me, the hand in my hair, his lips on mine. But he wasn’t broken. Not in the least. Not like me.
“Maybe that’s why he wants to keep you here.” Marnie’s voice thrust me from my thoughts. “If he can fix you, maybe he can fix himself.”
I narrowed my vision as I looked over at her, her head bowed as she opened and closed her palms in her lap. “He still cries?”
“Sometimes, when Master doesn’t think I’m looking.
Similar Books
