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To Tame a Slave

By: ianbabyyy



So this is my first story! Our heroine, Alanna, is whisked away from her modern world and spirited life and finds herself in a medieval world full of fantastical beings. And then? She becomes a slave.

Please enjoy!

*****

"What the fuck?!" I screamed, spinning in a circle as I tried to figure out where I was. A moment ago I had... Where the hell had I been? My head pounded so hard it was becoming difficult for me to think, to process what was going on. I sat on the ground, which I idly noted was dirty and covered with what appeared to be twigs and leaves, to attempt to alleviate my stress and think. Rubbing my temples, I went over everything that had happened over the past hour. I'd been out at karaoke with my friends, having an awesome time, when I'd been hit with a killer stomach ache. So I'd gone home. I'd walked through the door, dropped my keys, and then...

Nothing. Blackness. Maybe the feeling of falling? Not actually falling, but that feeling you get when you're sitting or lying still and feel like the ground drops out from under you. And then this. I came to standing in a strange forest, the heels of my stilettos sinking in the ground, surrounded by trees so high I couldn't see the tops, and so big around two regular sized people wouldn't be able to wrap their arms around them. So I, as a relatively tiny being, felt even smaller, and ridiculously cold. My leather jacket did nothing to stop the bite in the air, further reinforcing that this was definitely not home. Fall was never this cold at night, hence the leather jacket and midriff baring tank top.

I stumbled around for a couple minutes, frustrated and a little afraid, caught somewhere between crying and screaming. Not wanting to break down and lose my head in an unfamiliar place, I settled for the latter, letting my voice shake the trees around me slightly. Done, listening to the sound echo back to me slightly, I nodded in satisfaction, and chose a direction to start walking in, idly cursing my heels. I didn't want to take them off and have to walk barefoot, but damn it, if I was going to be dropped in a strange forest, why couldn't it have been in a pair of tennis shoes?

It wasn't long before I realized that the scream had probably been a good option. I heard the sound of people approaching, talking and moving quickly as if searching for something.

"Oh thank god," I murmured. "Over here! Please, over here!" I stumbled towards the voices, not realizing I was probably making the worst mistake of my life.

Before long, I was surrounded by dark haired men in leather armor. I wasn't sure which was stranger, the armor, or the fact that they all had dark hair and pale skin. Then I noticed the swords.

"Ah, are you guys part of some medieval reenactment group or something?" They stared at me for a moment as if I might be crazy, so I skipped over that question. "Right. Um. This may sound weird, but I have no idea where I am. One moment I was in my house, and the next I was stumbling around out here. Do any of you guys have a phone I could use? And could you tell me where I am, possibly? I'm seriously kind of freaked."

One of them, who appeared to be the leader if you were going by how nice their armor was, and it was all pretty nice, turned the guy next to him. "She speaks like that blood elemental we ran into a month ago. The one at the tavern?"

His companion nodded, eyes never leaving me. "Indeed. I believed she claimed to be from some other place, which explained her strange speech and customs. This one is human, however. I can smell it on her."

I stiffened. What a weird thing to say. Smell it on me? And what was all this shit about humans and elementals and 'other places'?

"Excuse me, can you please stop fucking talking about me like I'm not here?" I snapped, the hairs raising on the back of my neck. I wasn't sure what was going on, or where this was going, but I didn't like it.

A couple of the men seemed shocked by my cussing, but a couple others laughed.

"She has a foul mouth for a human, captain. Want me to fix it?" One of them called out, leering at me. I glared at him, suddenly feeling naked in my tight jeans and skimpy shirt.

"No." The captain's voice was firm, and the men became serious again. His eyes focused on me, the intensity of them making me step back slightly, before firming up, shoulders set back and ready to face him. He walked forward, stopping within arms reach, hand coming up to touch my jaw. I smacked it away, taking a step back.

"Don't fucking touch me!" No sooner were the words out of my mouth, was I face first on the ground, arms held firm behind my back. I struggled, screaming in frustration, growing angrier when I hear laughter.

"She's quite beautiful, even with her foul mouth. She'll sell nicely, and some one else can deal with the problem of breaking her." He announced, as I felt rope being tied around my wrists. "Now the only question is, do we gag her, or do we amuse ourselves with her obscenities?" There was a loud roar of laughter, but apparently neither option was necessary, because a moment later my vision started to blur, and then I was out.

-

When I woke up, I realized quickly that I appeared to be tied to something. There was no bad taste in my mouth, and I didn't have a headache, which is what I'd heard usually happened when you were knocked out by drugs, so maybe I was lucky in that respect. My eyes blinked open slowly, looking straight into the face of the man who'd kidnapped me. What did they call him? Right, the captain. Right. So it wasn't a dream. I hadn't been kidnapped by some weirdo who had a fetish for short, mouthy girls in high heels, I'd been 'captured' by a bunch of men in armor, in a place completely foreign to me. A place so foreign, I'm not even sure how I got there.

I slumped over, closing my eyes, my mind unable to process. I heard the man laugh, and then felt his hand in my hair, tugging my head up. The unexpected touch made me gasp, my eyes shooting open to look at him, as a thread of desire shot through me. His eyes widened slightly at my reaction, able to tell that it wasn't fear that had made me gasp.

"Well," he said, looking me over in a new light, "That was unexpected. Tell me, was it the pain, or the dominance that made you gasp so?" I glared at him, but it was broken when his hand shifted in my hair, twisting my head down. My breathing became slightly rougher. "Because I've seen fiery women like you who enjoy pain, but I've never seen such a spirited woman react to dominance in this way." I whimpered slightly as his hand tightened and pulled my head back up. "So tell me, which is it?"

I spit in his face.

His hand flew so fast, I never saw it coming. I cried out, and my head would have snapped to the side if he hadn't still been holding my hair. As the shock started to wear off, I realized he hadn't hit me hard, only hard enough to hurt a little, and make me feel the restrained power in his hand.

Suddenly, he was all I could see, as his face came closer, so he could press his lips to my ear. "You'll answer me now, or I'll do it again, harder," He whispered, making me shiver, both in arousal and terror. The arousal pissed me off, so I spent several moments debating whether or not I was more scared or more pissed off. I must have spent too long deliberating, forgetting about his question, because all of a sudden, my face was on fire, and I howled in pain, trying to jerk my head back, away, anything. I was still firmly caught by my hair, tears running down my face now. I flinched, feeling his hand again, but he only captured my chin, forcing me to look at him as he finally released my hair.

"Little human, you have one more chance. The next hit will knock you out, and then we'll have to wait till you wake up to get my answer. Is it the pain, or the dominance?" He stared at me, as I tried to free my chin and put off answering, but then his hand came up, threatening.

"Both!" I cried out, eyes snapping shut from the embarrassment of having to admit such a thing to the person who'd taken me captive. There was a pause, as if he was processing this, and then his free hand caressed my still stinging cheek.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" He murmured, completely letting go of my face. I let it drop, struggling to make my tears stop. He disappeared for a moment, but not nearly long enough, because his hand quickly reappeared in my hair, tugging my head up, though gentler this time. I shifted in the ropes, hating my weakness, and glared at him. "No need for your fire, this time. This is the real reason I woke you up." He pressed a canteen of water to my lips, and a gulped it down, realizing at the touch of the water how thirsty I was. It was cold, shocking my system and waking me up.

As he took it away, I shook myself, turning my glare on him full force when his eyes met mine again. He appeared startled for a moment, his dark eyes widening. "Were you aware that your eyes occasionally glow?" He asked, and then it was my turn to stare in shock.

"What?"

I never found out if he answered or not, because the next moment my vision began to go dim again, and then everything was black.

To Tame a Slave Ch. 02



Forgot to mention the first time that this is a multiple part story. I'm sorry that it takes a while to build up, I promise really sexy things are coming.

Also, I've been struggling with which category to place it in, so I've decided each part will go into the category that's most predominant in it. If that makes sense. Anyways, enjoy!

*****

When I woke up again, it wasn't in a forest, or tied to a horse, instead I was in a cage, in what appeared to be a market place of some sort. When I looked around, there were other cages, with other people in them. Most of them looked normal like me, but others were... different. There was even one girl who appeared to be colored in all different shades of red. It was quite beautiful once I got past the strangeness of it.

"Okay. Take a deep breath. You're in a cage, in what appears to be a medieval market place, surrounded by things that definitely aren't human. And you aren't sleeping because those slaps fucking hurt." I touched my cheek, which was still slightly tender, and scowled. "Nothing out of the ordinary. This isn't strange in the slightest. It's just... new. Right. You can handle new. You're adaptable. Right. You got this. I got this." I took a deep breath and peered through the bars of my cage, straight into the dark eyes of a grotesque, green monster.

"Ahh, I don't got this, I don't got this!!" I screamed, scrambling back into the corner of the cage, far away from the creature staring at me. It was shaped very basically like a human, but with slightly over blown muscles and a dark green skin. There was coarse black hair covering it's arms and legs and chest, which was bare, and the hair on it's head was just as dark, and long, braided tight to the back of his head. The strangest thing about the creature however were the tusks that grew right next to the corners of its mouth. As a whole, it was rather terrifying. And then it smiled. Its teeth were yellowed and pointed, all of them. Some of them appeared to be stained red, and I had to assume it wasn't from fruit punch.

Yeah. Utterly terrifying.

"The dark elf said you were a noisy one." Dark elf? The captain maybe? "I personally like 'em noisy. But my customers... not so much." I shuddered at the thought of someone having sex with this being. Though now that the thought was in my head, I was forced to ponder it. Was it male? My eyes took it in again, quickly, traveling to the lack of boobs on it's chest to the conspicuous lump in its pants. I gulped. Yep, definitely male.

The thing shook the cage, startling me back to the present. "So you're going to be good, right? I wouldn't want to damage the goods, not with them being as pretty as they are." He leered at me, and I flinched back, causing him to laugh. His voice was terrifying, and his laugh even more so. It was deep and rough, but not in an attractive way. He had more of a cave man sort of feel to him. Though more intelligent. Maybe?

I nodded my cooperation to him, arms wrapped around my legs to make myself even smaller, and he finally moved away. My head dropped, everything that had happened finally catching up to me at once. The tears started, one by one, dripping down onto my jeans, until I was practically sobbing. I tried to stay as quite as I could, my shoulders shaking hard.

--

Sometime later, when I had finally cried myself out, I found myself leaning against the uncomfortable bars, eyes listless roving the crowds. I'd seen so many variations of beings, some of them almost human, others completely off the wall, that nothing was surprising me anymore. Occasionally, someone, or a group of people, would approach the creature apparently selling us. I learned, at some point during this, that he was an orc, and his name was X'tor, or something hard to pronounce like that. The people would then come and peruse the cages, poking at the occupants and asking questions. I was skipped over for the most part, and when people did stop to ask about me, they were told that I was new and therefore he couldn't yet guarantee me. They all moved on.

The day passed slowly. Despite how cold it had been the night before, or whenever it was I'd first been dropped here, the sun felt like it was baking me today. The orc came around a couple of times with a canteen of water, leering at me every time he passed. By the end of the day, all I wanted to do was curl up in a comfy bed and sleep. We were passed the canteen one last time, and each given a piece of bread, and then the orc started to disappear into what I realized was his tent. The sun had gone down and I was freezing again, thirsty, hungry, uncomfortable, and really really pissed off.

"Hey!" I snapped, the first word I had spoken since my unhelpful pep talk this morning. The orc paused and turned to stare at me suspiciously. "You're going to fucking leave us in the cold in these fucking cages with just a piece of bread to eat all day?" I kicked the bars of the cage to emphasize my anger, thankful that my heels at least semi protected my toes.

"I'm going to give you once chance to sit down and shut up, slave," the orc growled, advancing on me.

Like an idiot, I didn't take my one chance.

"No! Fuck you!" I kicked the cage a couple of more times, and before I knew it I was being hauled out and thrown across a bench. It knocked the breath out of me, and before I could recover enough to fight, his knee rested heavily on my back.

"You had your chance, now you're punished. I'll go easy since this is your first outburst." I felt a knife against the skin of my back and froze, what little breath I had caught in my throat. Death was not something I was ready to face yet, and I wouldn't fight if it meant going there.

It didn't go there, however. The knife slid lower, snagging on the fabric of my jeans and tearing through them like they were butter. With a sinking feeling about where this was going, I screamed and started to struggle again, even as I realized that my ass was now completely bare to the world. He even sliced through my thong, the bastard. There was a fumbling noise, which I was pretty sure meant the knife was being put away, and then there was no thought. Only agony.

I recognized later, back in the relative safety of my cage, that it was only his hand he was hitting my with, but at the time if felt like a blazing metal rod. I screamed and squealed and struggled and nearly blacked out a couple of times, before finally breaking down and begging him to stop, promising I'd be good, promising anything if he would just stop. He stood me up then, examining my tear stained face as if looking for any traces of defiance. Whatever he saw must of reassured him, because he nodded and set about cutting off the rest of my jeans. When he went to take my jacket, I put my hand on his arm and begged again to keep it. I couldn't lose this one thing from my life, or I would go crazy. He shrugged, and instead cut my shirt out from under it, before steering my back into my cage.

Huddled into the corner, my jacket wrapped around myself and my ass burning, I sobbed again, finally passing out in an exhausted heap.

--

The next day I woke up in a blaze of heat once again, the morning sun uncomfortably happy. Today was even worse than yesterday, considering that I was naked, except for my heels and jacket, my ass felt like I had sat on a bonfire, and my make up had probably turned my face black. Yikes.

When the orc came around with the canteen, making sure we were all awake, I meekly took a drink and handed it back, not meeting his eyes. He grunted in satisfaction, moving on.

The day was boring for the most part, as the previous day had been. The red woman was bought by a relatively attractive couple with wings on their back, and she seemed almost pleased. I amused myself with playing 'Guess the Species' and attempting to get the attention of the other caged people, dying for some sort of conversation. They all either stared out into the crowd with something akin to anticipation, or stared at the ground, so that was a bust.

Sometime after lunch, things became interesting, if that's the word you wanted to use. A rather attractive man had been wandering through the cages, idly poking at the beings in them, asking questions like everyone else. I idly noticed that he was dark haired and pale skinned, in a very similar way to The Captain, but not nearly as handsome. Was I thinking of him in capital letters now? Oh good lord, was I thinking of him as handsome? I'm not sure which pissed me off more.

Anyways, he paused by my cage again, asking questions about me. This time, however, he was dissuaded by the orcs assertions that I was new and couldn't be guaranteed. He made a seedy comment about liking his slaves that way, and next thing I knew, I was being hauled out of my cage with a whispered warning to be good. I stood unsteadily on my heels as the man circled around me, feeling very much like a piece of meat being weighed. He would occasionally reach out and touch a part of me, and I would wince and flinch slightly, but for the most part I stood still, not really listening to the conversation.

Then, randomly, his hands were on my breasts, cupping them and squeezing them in a way that almost felt disturbingly good, except for the fact that it was a complete stranger groping me. I smacked his hands away, taking a step backwards and glaring up at him. "What the fuck?" I snarled, feeling quite proud of myself that I pulled off the expression nicely. The man laughed, waving off the orc who had started towards me, a dangerous look on his face.

"It's ok. I like them angry like this. It makes them more fun to break." His voice was sweet, in a sickly sort of way, and it made my skin crawl. As he started to circle again, I turned with him, careful not to let him out of my sight. "Can you remove the jacket?" He asked the orc, who actually seemed to pause before speaking.

"Not without damaging her or cutting it, both of which I'm reluctant to do," he rumbled. Ha, reluctant to damage me. My ass said otherwise.

The man shrugged as if it was no concern to him, and stepped forward to wrap an arm around my waist and pull me against him. As I struggled to get free of his grip, his mouth touched my ear and I whimpered. "I do think I like you. I wasn't expecting to find such a prize today." As he spoke, his free hand roved down to grab my sore ass, making me wince. His laughter rippled down my spine in the most unpleasant sort of way. I could feel his fingers moving farther, traveling between my legs, and in retaliation, I sunk my teeth into his neck so hard I tasted blood. He roared and released my, only to punch me so hard I feel to the ground whimpering. He yanked me up and punched me again on the other side, this time blackening my eye.

By this time, the orc had reached us and put a calming hand on the man's shoulder. He wiped the blood off of his neck, glaring at me with a cold, excited look in his eyes that truly scared me. "You are mine," he stated. "And I will break you." At that the orc placed me back in my cage with a carefulness that I hadn't associated with him, before leading the man away. I didn't pay attention much after that, laying in agony on my side, but a short time later, the man stormed away, and the orc returned with a canteen and a cloth.

I was removed from the cage and set on the wooden bench I'd been spanked on the night before. The pain in my ass didn't even register anymore compared to what was happening on my face. Very gently, being more gentle than I realized he was capable of, the orc dabbed away the blood on my face with the wet cloth, and then offered me the canteen to drink. "Now you rest. Didn't mean for you to be damaged. Later you will be punished for being bad again." Well, so much for his moment of kindness.

I was bundled back up into the cage, this time with a blanket, presumably as an apology for being 'damaged', but true to his word, once the day was over I was back over the bench and he was tanning my hide. It went on longer this time, probably because this was my second infraction, and this time my begging didn't say him. He literally beat me until I blacked out from the pain.

When I woke up the next morning, I was back in my cage, sans the blanket, and my entire body seemed to ache. Multiple days passed in a similar fashion, the ache only slightly seeming to fade with each morning. Occasionally people would ask to see me closer, and I would allow them to touch me and turn me in any way they pleased without a fight. No one ever bought me, despite the interest, which seemed odd when I pondered it, as the first man had been very adamant. The thought was swept away however, along with all of the rest of my thoughts. The pain and humiliation was, at the moment, too much for me to handle, so I simply stopped fighting.

Once in a while, the orc would look at me for a very long period, appearing to be thinking. Every day that passed with me quiet, every day that I didn't have an outburst, or flinch at his leer, or snap at the people around me, his stare became more worried.

But by the end of the week, I just didn't care anymore.



To Tame a Slave Ch. 03



Hi guys, I'm sorry this took so long, but I've been sick and kinda down, and I kinda lost my muse for a bit. Per request, I tried to make this one longer. Also, I'm sorry we're still a little low on the sexy bits, but I don't want to force it, I want it to come naturally. Please enjoy!

*****

Snippets of conversation slid through my haze. At first it was just general tone of voice. One man sounded very angry. He kept repeating words like 'damage' and 'money' and 'business'. It was all very confusing. The other voice was also male, but it was apologetic, and almost a little afraid. The only word that truly filtered in from him was 'sorry'.

My eyes blinked open slowly. The exchange was different from any other that had occurred around me over the past week, which caught my interest. The orc was there, wringing his hands, which probably meant he was the one apologizing. Good. I attempted to summon up a modicum of satisfaction that he was worried, but I didn't seem to have enough energy. Whatever.

I could only see the back of the other man, as he was facing away from me. Black hair. Dark leather armor. An intriguing air of danger.

My eyes slipped closed again. It really wasn't very interesting, which meant that I was going to go back to sleep. Sadly, that plan was brought to a halt, as I was quite rudely removed from my cage. To be honest, the culprit was incredibly gentle, but that didn't change the fact that I was trying to sleep, damn it. "Little human, are you alright?"

Little human. That sounded familiar. As did the voice, if I cared to think about it. There was a shift, and I could feel myself cradled against a man's chest. I presumed it was the dark haired man, but didn't bother to check.

"I asked you to humble her a little. Show her a little taste of what things could have been like for her." His voice rumbled deep in his chest, vibrating against my body in a comforting way. A little sigh slipped out, and I snuggled closer to him instinctively, though he didn't appear to notice. "Instead, you allowed her to be damaged, and succeeded in actually breaking her."

There were more apologies, and I chuckled inwardly. Serves the damn ogre right. Who was broken?

And then we were moving. The man had long legs, so we covered ground quickly, but his stride was even and fluid, and he seemed to be taking special care not to jostle me too much. We walked for what seemed like forever, the sounds of the marketplace slowly fading away. When I opened my eyes next, we were entering a cozy looking house. The man called out a greeting while I glanced around. The house was... odd to say the least. A lot of decorations and two chairs, but that was it as far as furniture. Most of the space was taken up with flowers and herbs, growing out of pots that sat on the floor, in windowsills, hung from the ceiling.

A woman appeared out of thin air in front of us. There was a warm smile on her transparent face, and as I looked her over, I realized that every part of her was transparent. She shimmered where the light hit her, acting as a prism and sending rainbows across the floor. Other than that, she almost looked normal. Her skin was pale, her eyes were green and laughing, her hair was a light brown and floated around her head like it was caught in a breeze.

"Drell, always a pleasure to see you," the woman said, arms held out in a welcoming gesture. Her voice was warm and soothing, putting me instantly at ease in her presence. I could even feel a smile tugging at my lips.

"And a pleasure to see you too, Sienna," the man holding me responded. There was obvious affection in his voice. "Unfortunately, this isn't a social visit. I have a patient for you."

The woman's eyes moved to me, widening when she saw what I assumed was the ugly bruise around my eye. "Oh dear! What happened?"

"Slave pens for a week. That damn orc let her get damaged. He was supposed to just scare her a little and instead this happened." The man's grip on my tightened slightly, squeezing some of the air out of my lungs. His arms loosened immediately, and he glanced down at me in concern. I stared up at him blankly, part of my mind connecting the dots and realizing that this was indeed the man who had captured me. A tiny spark of fire curled in my chest, making me shift uncomfortably, but it wasn't enough to push me out of my silence.

"You know how I feel about this slavery business, Drell. I still can't believe you dabble in that sort of thing." I could feel the man shrug nonchalantly. "Set her in that chair over there," Sienna said with a sigh. We were moving again, and I was being placed in one of the two chairs. Despite the gentleness I was being shown, and how insanely comfortable the chair was, I still winced at the pain in my ass. "Bruises all over you legs and behind, a black eye, a split lip, sun burned, dehydrated, and malnourished. I believe those bruises run deep too. You've had a rough week. Can you tell me your name?" Her voice was soft and soothing, inspiring the desire to tell her anything she wanted, but instead I stared at her, even as her hand reached towards my face. When she touched me, there was a soft tingling sensation, not at all unpleasant.

"She hasn't spoken a word since I picked her up," Drell informed her. "The orc said she hasn't uttered a word in days. When I first captured her, she was very..." He paused, seeming to be searching for an appropriate word. "Vocal. I'm afraid he may have broken her spirit."

Sienna's eyes peered into mind, her hand storking through my face, which was incredibly unsettling. Everywhere she touched felt warm, and the longer her hand stroked, the less my face hurt. "No," she finally said, glancing away from me. "There's still a fire in her. Her spirit isn't broken, only subdued, as if there is a blanket over it, smothering the flames. She only needs the proper stimuli to make the fire blaze again. There. Her face is healed." Green eyes, dancing with mischief, were turned back on me. "I can see why Drell is enchanted with you. You are remarkably beautiful."

Drell protested that he was only protecting merchandise, that he was not enchanted with a human, that the idea was preposterous. Sienna winked at me, grinning. "Alright, now to heal everything else." At this, she put both hands on my face, hovering just at the surface of my skin, and her eyes slipped shut.

"Drell, you may need to hold her," she said. I didn't have much time to wonder why before I felt a warmth flowing from her hands and into my body. A weight settled on my shoulders, but I was too lost in the pleasant sensation to care. It tingled down my spine and limbs, settling into every part of me, mildly arousing my body. I rubbed my thighs together, breath coming a little quicker.

The warmth intensified, especially around the areas that were bruised, soothing some of the pain. It continued to intensify, and I shifted uncomfortably. It grew hotter and hotter, sweat starting to gather on my skin. I tried to pull away from the woman, but the hands on my shoulders held me down firmly.

A whimper slipped out. I felt like I was combusting, like a fire was devouring my flesh. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, a scream was torn from my throat.

And then it was over. The heat fled from my body all at once, leaving me weak but comfortable. My eyes blinked open cautiously and I lifted a hand to my face, expecting to feel burned flesh, but everything was smooth and soft, and all of the pain was gone.

My eyes found Sienna, shocked and confused, but she only winked at me again.

"I get the feeling the two of you should have a conversation," she said to the man behind me. "I have errands to run. Feel free to stay as long as you need. Drell, she's going to be very hungry when the healing finishes setting in. And you may want to find her a dress."

"Thank you very much, Sienna," Drell replied, coming around the chair and into my line of sight. She smiled at him, brushing her hand across his face, and then she was gone just as suddenly as she had appeared.

Drell turned and knelt in front of me. We stared at each other for a long moment, neither talking, before he sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to get hurt like that. I only wanted to give you a small taste of what things could be like for you, so that you would be more appreciative of your situation. I've found a buyer who's interested in you. He's a good friend of mine, and I think the two of you will be well suited to each other."

When I didn't respond, he growled. "I didn't have to go through that trouble for you. I could have just sold you to the orc and been done with it, so a little gratitude would be appreciated."

"Thank you." The words slipped out quietly, but I could see they startled him.

"Did you actually just thank me?" He asked, voice incredulous.

"Wasn't that what you wanted?" I asked, folding my hands in my lap, idly noticing that I was in my jacket still and only in my jacket.

His dark eyes narrowed. "Are you being a smartass?" He responded, sounding almost hopeful.

I shook my head, and his expression darkened. "You wanted me to be thankful, so I am."

"Are you actually thankful?" He asked, following with, "And be honest."

I thought about it for a moment. Thankfulness would mean that I actually cared about what happened to me, but I couldn't dredge up that level of interest. "Not really," I finally answered. "I'm not sure I really care what happens to me."

He scowled, leaping to his feet and pacing across the floor. I watched him for a couple of minutes, disinterested, before he turned on me, hands slamming down on the arms of my chair.

"Where you're going, you'll be well taken care of. You'll be fed and given free time and even an allowance. You won't be abused. The orc told me about the man who tried to buy you. He's infamous for buying slaves and torturing them until they finally die, whether that be after weeks or years. Is that the kind of person you want to end up with?"

I shrugged. The action must have provoked him, because the next thing I knew, his hand was in my hair and I was on my feet. I cried out softly as he jerked me against his body.

"You don't fucking care anymore?" He growled, having finally lost his temper. "Fine. Then I guess you won't care if I throw you on the floor and fuck you right here." His face was so close to mine that if either of us moved, our lips would brush. He seemed to have the same thought, because his lips were then pressed to mine with a gentleness that belied the roughness of his grip.

I sighed into his mouth, letting him deepen the kiss, but not returning it. The hand in my hair loosened, moving to cup the back of my head and lift my face so he could kiss me better. Hesitating, my hands touched his arms and slid up, settling on his shoulders.

He moaned into my mouth and the kiss became rougher. Desire raced through me, flames tearing through my veins, and without thought, my hands were gripping his clothes, his shoulders, anything they could reach to pull him to me, harder, closer.

Our kiss grew fierce, each of us trying to outdo the other. My teeth sunk into his bottom lip, drawing a growl from his chest. His hand tightened in my hair again, yanking my head back so he could nip at my throat hard enough to leave teeth marks.

I moaned, the sound startling me out of the flames. My hands went from tugging to shoving. He went surprisingly easy, a cocky grin on his face, smile growing when I glared at him. His hand touched his lip lightly. "I'm bleeding," he remarked.

"Good!" I snapped. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Many things," he replied. "To which issue are you referring?"

"All of it, you fucking bastard!" I yelled, hands curled into fists by my sides.

"You didn't enjoy that kiss? Could have fooled me." I snarled at him. "I was trying to wake you up," he admitted sighing, "bring back your spirit."

"Why?" I snapped. "Wasn't that what you wanted? I pretty little obedient slave?"

"No," he said, smile starting to turn into a glare. "I wanted a fiery, spirited woman who accepted that she no longer belonged to herself."

"I don't fucking believe you. Oh, I'm sorry, that's a little aggressive." In a sickly sweet voice, I said, "I'm sorry Master, I'll try to be better. I'll try not to curse so much, Master. I'll be good, I promise. Please don't punish me Master, unless that's your de- mmph!"

His hand was slapped across my mouth, cutting off the flow of words. "If you don't fucking stop, I will punish you. And worse, I'll make you enjoy it, so at the end, you'll be begging me to fuck you." His voice was rough and low, as if he was enjoying the thought of doing just that.

I shoved his hand away. "I doubt you could make me enjoy it, asshole. Especially after this fucking week. I hate your touch."

He laughed, yanking my body against his, one arm around my waist. "Now that I know is a lie. You certainly liked it when I was kissing you." I shook my head emphatically, trying not to tremble as his lips slid along my jaw to my ear.

"If I were to put my fingers between your legs, I bet you would be dripping for me, wouldn't you?" His free hand trailed down my back and across the sensitive skin of my ass, intent of actually finding out.

The worst thing was, I was pretty sure he was right, and I hated him for that. Before I could stop them, tears were rolling down my cheeks, everything that had happened crashing into me at once. I buried my face into his chest, trying not to let him see my weakness. He must have heard my faint sniffles, because his hand gently stroked my short hair.

"Hush little human. It will be alright, I promise," he murmured soothingly.

"Stop calling me that," I grumbled, my voice muffled by his armor. "My name is Alanna."

"Alanna then. Are you alright?"

I pulled away to glare at him, angrily brushing the tears from my face. "That's a dumb fucking question," I snapped, glaring at him. He grinned. "And can you decide if you're angry or amused? You're giving me whiplash with the damn mood swings."

The man had the gall to laugh. He shifted, and I was suddenly cradled in his arms again. "I can't wait to get to know you when you're not angry, Alanna."

I was saved from having to respond by the fuzziness blurring my vision, indicating that once again I was about to pass out around him.

Sigh.

--

I wasn't sure what woke me up, but it was probably the gnawing hunger pains. Groaning I sat up, clutching my stomach. Once the pain eased for a moment, I noticed a number of things had changed. Most pressing was the fact that I was now missing my jacket. Instead, a blanket was wrapped firmly around my body. Well that was a nice touch, but it didn't make up for the missing article of clothing. I looked around, rubbing my eyes with one hand stil clutching my stomach. I was sitting in a small clearing, relatively close to a cheerfully burning fire, and nearby was a horse, tethered to a tree and munching on some grass.

"Oh good, you're awake."

I nearly jumped out of my skin, rolling onto my knees and meeting the dark eyes of the man who was selling me into slavery. "Why am I always passing out around you?" I asked crossly, glaring at him.

"You've not even been awake five minutes and you're already glaring at me. You are a very disagreeable woman," he complained, dropping an armful of sticks by the fire. When I continued glaring at him, he sighed. "I'm a dark elf," he said, as if that would explain it.

"A... what?" I stared at him, eyes wide.

"You really are a changeling, aren't you?" I opened my mouth to repeat my question, but he shook my head and dropped down onto the ground beside me. Feeling strangely shy, I adjusted the blanket around me, making sure it covered everything. "A dark elf is..." He seemed to be trying to figure out how to explain things to me. "Well, it's type of elf."

"No shit. I couldn't have figured that out myself." Instead of responding vocally to my interruption, he pushed me over. From the ground, I stared at him in shock. "You pushed me!"

He ignored my indignation, the bastard. "We hold domain over the night, so that's what our magic is centered around. One of our abilities encompasses everything to do with sleep."

Jumping to me feet, I pointed at him and cried out, "You! You've been putting me to sleep!"

"You are surprisingly docile while you sleep. I expected you to be one of those people who kicked and thrashed about." He smiled pleasantly at me, so I kicked his leg. It didn't do much, considering I was still barefoot.

"So if you're a dark elf, what the fuck is a changeling?" I demanded to know, trying to cross my arms and keep myself covered at the same time. Seeing my struggle, he stood up and went to rifle through his saddle bags. He returned with a pale yellow dress that, while pretty, I couldn't see myself wearing. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers.

"Changelings are beings who were placed on Earth in the womb, disguised as humans. They have recently been stumbling back into our world, in their true form, and nobody is quite sure why." He had turned as round when he spoke, an unexpected but well received gesture, so I was able to pull the simple dress on. It felt rather pretty, but I very much disliked wearing dresses.

"So if I'm supposedly one of these changelings, why am I still human?" I asked as he turned back around. His eyes skimmed over me, making me blush slightly.

"You look very pretty in a dress. I'd be curious to see what you look like all cleaned up." I glared at him for not answering my question, receiving a grin. "To be honest, I don't know. I'm not sure you are entirely human. I've yet to meet a human who's eyes glow like yours."

"You were being serious about that?" I asked in shock.

"Completely. It's a little unnerving."

I sniffed and sat back on the ground near the fire, pulling the blanket around my shoulders. The sun was going down, and the air was quickly cooling off. "I'm glad I unnerve you. Also, I do believe my stomach is trying to eat itself, so unless you are planning on delivering a corpse, you should probably feed me."

He laughed, retrieving two bowls and leading some type of stew into them. One was offered to me, and the other he dug into after dropping down next to me. We ate in silence, as I tried to digest everything he told me. I took a deep breath. It was all too much at once so I decided to deal with what was happening in this moment, and go from there.

He cleaned up around the camp while I stared anxiously into the fire. As he pulled out what I assumed was a bedroll, he finally spoke up. "You're quiet."

"Put yourself in my shoes," I snapped without any real heat in the words. I squeaked in surprise as I was suddenly airborne. "I'm not a kitten, will you quit picking me up!"

"I don't know, you seem very much like a cat to me." He dropped me on his bedroll and dropped down beside me, yanking his boots off. I didn't dignify him with a response. "Time for sleep, little kitten." He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me down with him and tucking the blanket around us.

"Is this entirely necessary?" I grumbled into his chest.

"Completely."

I lay quiet and stiff, but after a while I relaxed into his body heat. He may be the man who was selling me into slavery, but the last week had probably been the roughest of my life, and I could forgive myself for craving a little physical intimacy. Feeling me relax, his arm tightened slightly, and his free hand slid through my hair comfortingly. The tears started to fall again, slow at first, but growing into sobs that shook my whole body. He held me throughout it, slowly stroking my hair, until I finally passed out from exhaustion.

--

My dreams that night were strange, involving a man and a woman, her with pink hair that I was insanely jealous of, and they seemed to be discussing magic. It flipped then through various scenes I couldn't understand, a man and woman in armor, children who seemed way more powerful than they appeared, a pleasure house full of strange and fantastical creatures, and finally, a man. The scene started with him sitting at a table, reading a book that he held in his lap. His head was turned down and his silver hair fell around his face, further obscuring my view. As I watched, beautiful white and silver wings extended from his back, moving as if they had a mind of their own. His head slowly swung up, and I was pierced by the clearest blue eyes I had every seen.




To Tame a Slave Ch. 03



He started to say something, but before I could catch his words, I was waking up.

My eyes blinked open slowly, squinting into the harsh sunlight.

"Are you aware that sleeping next to you is like sleeping on a bonfire?" Drell grumbled. I sighed. This was going to be a very long day.



To Tame a Slave Ch. 04



Hi guys. I'm so sorry this chapter took so long, but I kinda lost my muse for a bit. Anyways, sexy times in this chapter, which means I can get the ball rolling on more. ;) Almost done with the plot build up for a bit, so once everyone is settled, I'll be taking suggestions for possible scenarios. Hope you enjoy!

*****

The next couple of days were interesting to say the least. I discovered that the captain, who insisted I call him Drell, was actually a fairly agreeable person when he wasn't capturing people to sell them into slavery. Being angry and difficult all the time was exhausting, and it wasn't getting me anywhere, so I dropped it quickly. I learned that Drell had a wicked sense of humor, and had mastered sarcasm to a level that rivaled my own. He was also very handsy, taking advantage of both our sleeping arrangements and our shared horse. I think I spent our three days of travel in a near constant state of arousal.

I didn't ask questions though, despite my curiosity. Not about this world, nor the creatures in it. I was so strung out about being a slave that I couldn't bear to think about anything else without having a breakdown. And I was so desperately tired of crying.

The morning of our fourth day together, we approached a huge, sprawling city. "This is the capital city, Darova. The castle in the center is where the royal family resides," Drell explained as we made our way through what looked like a marketplace. "The king died recently, so everyone is scrambling to find the heir."

"Has he been kidnapped?" I asked, unable to deny my curiosity any longer.

"Something like that." He didn't say any more on the topic, and I didn't push.

We approached a large gate built into an even larger wall. Through the gate I could see beautiful buildings and even more beautiful people. I looked everywhere in awe as we made our way through the streets. It appeared to be comprised almost entirely of homes, each more elegant and expensive looking than last.

"You might want to close your mouth. I think you're drooling," Drell murmured in my ear. I turned slightly to glare at him. "This is the upper city. Nobles live here, along with the rich merchants. Most of the nobles have their own estates elsewhere, but everyone keeps a home in the city, to stay a part of society. Very upper class and elite."

"I'm assuming the man you're selling me to lives here?" I asked, unable to keep the loathing out of my voice.

"Yes," he replied, pinching my side. "And you'll be respectful. He's a good man, and you will do well with him."

"He's buying a slave, how good of a man can he be?" I snapped, turning to glare at him more firmly. His response was to dismount and drag me roughly from the horse. While I had been glaring at him, we'd entered the gated lawn of one of the houses.

"Look, humans here aren't considered people, you're considered property. So if I hadn't captured you, someone else would have. Someone else would be selling you, and someone else would be buying you. Your new owner is a good man, and he is infinitely better than almost anyone else you could have ended up with." Drell's hands were firmly on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him as he spoke.

"And you?" I asked quietly. "Do you consider humans people, or property?"

He was quiet for a moment. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "Before you, I'd never had a conversation with one."

While my mind processed that, a man approached, a boy following close on his heels. My first guess was that they were probably servants. "Always good to see you, Drell," the man said with a smile. "John, take this horse back to the stable. Drell, please follow me." The man turned and led the way into the house, Drell following with a firm hand on my arm.

We were shown to a sitting room and informed that the Master would be with us shortly. I paced around the room anxiously, occasionally picking up one of the books on the table and glancing at it, before putting it back. I'm not even sure if I was reading the titles, I just needed something to do with my hands.

Drell watched my from where he sat sprawled on a comfortable looking red couch. He opened his mouth to say something when the door opened and a new man walked in. "Anthony!" Drell exclaimed, pushing himself to his feet. "So good to see you again!"

"It's only been a week since you were here," the man replied dryly. I stared at my feet, unwilling to look at the man who had bought me.

"Yes, but a week feels like forever when I'm apart from you," Drell replied in a simpering voice. I shifted, a little startled. I hadn't realized that Drell had that kind of relationship with this man.

"Drell, I don't understand why you feel the need to act as if we're lovers." Oh. So not that kind of relationship.

"Because it flusters you, and I'm hoping that one day you will realize you are attracted to men, and will fall passionately into my- ow!" I struggled to keep from laughing. The men had a similar dynamic as my best friend and I. The thought that I might never see her again struck me hard, and I scrubbed at the tears forming in my eyes. I would not cry in front of this man.

I must have missed part of their conversation, because the next thing I knew there were two pairs of shoes in my line of sight.

"So this is the girl you were telling me about. She seems quite demure, not at all the firebrand you were describing." The man's voice was a pleasant tenor, rippling across my skin and sending a shiver down my spine. It made an intoxicating counterpoint to Drell's rumbling bass.

"You'll see," Drell replied with an ominous tone.

Fingers pressed under my chin, gently tugging my chin up. With a deep breath, I allowed it, determined to show no signs of weakness to this man.

When I met his eyes, all thoughts scattered from my head. They were the clearest blue I had ever seen, and I could feel them piercing me. They were familiar, but I couldn't place why. After a moment, it hit me and I gasped, stumbling away from him. The pair watched me, surprise clear on their faces.

This was the man from my dream. I had seen him every night, the exact same scene, always waking up before he could speak.

Drell was beside me then, looking torn between worry and annoyance. "I told you to be good," he grumbled with no real heat behind it. "Calm down, it's alright."

I couldn't calm down. I felt like I was going crazy, and I couldn't tear my eyes from his. He approached me, fingers touching my chin again.

"I dreamed you," I murmured, shaking slightly. His eyebrow arched, but he didn't reply. He seemed to be studying me, so I took the moment to do the same. His face was hard, eyes cold, and his thin mouth spoke of cruelty. He wasn't exactly handsome, but there was something strangely attractive about his intimidating appearance.

And then he smiled.

It was like a switch had been flipped inside of him, and his whole face lit up, a warm light glowing behind his eyes, melting the ice, and laugh lines appeared around his mouth. "There's more to you than meets the eye, little human."

When he spoke it was like a spell had been broken. I pulled away from him, crossing my arms over my chest and turning on a glare. "What is it with you people calling me 'little human.' It's so condescending."

The man appeared startled for a moment, but Drell just laughed. "You started to scare me for a moment there. I thought maybe you were becoming docile." I turned my glare on Drell, but after traveling with me for three days, he seemed immune.

"Shut up, Drell," I snapped. "I don't want to hear you use the word docile in reference to me again, not after dropping me in that fucking slave pen."

"I see what you mean about that mouth of hers," the man replied, a smile tugging at his lips again. "You let her swear at you?"

"I don't have much of a choice," he complained. "If I had stopped to punish her every time she did it, I wouldn't have made it here for another month."

"Had you tried it, I would have murdered you in your sleep," I snapped.

"When? I never let you out of my sight long enough to find a weapon," he growled, crossing his arms over his chest so his posture matched mine.

"You are aware that you sleep like a fucking log, right? I could have beat you with a rock if I-" the rest of my sentence was cut off by a hand over my mouth. While we were arguing, my new owner had moved behind me, and now his silver hair hung around my face.

"Do you always go on like this?" He asked. His hand didn't move from my mouth, so I guessed that his question was rhetorical. His body pressed against me from behind, hard and unyielding. I trembled a little at the restrained power I could feel in him, even as his free hand swept up along my side, resting lightly on the arms still crossed over my chest.

"You said she might be a changeling?" I could see Drell nod. "And yet she's human. I haven't heard anything about human changelings. I thought they all changed species when they crossed." Drell shrugged, and then the hand was removed from my mouth and I was being turned. His long fingers caught my chin and tugged my face up so our eyes met again. "I will not attempt to clean your speech, as I find it a tad bit endearing. However, if you ever swear directly at me, you will be punished. Understand?"

I jerked away from him, glaring. "Go fuck yourself." There was a flurry of movement, but before I could react, I was bent over the back of the red couch, my toes just barely touching the floor.

"This is not the best way to start our relationship. I had hoped to put you at ease, but I think you should learn now what happens when you test me." A hand was pressed firmly to my back, keeping me from standing up, and my dress was slowly being dragged up my legs until it was tucked around my waist, my ass bare. It took a moment for me to process what was happening, but before his hand could come down for the first time, I screamed.

Tears immediately started rolling down my cheeks, my whole body going into panic mode after my experience in the slave pens. Before, when I was still my own person, I had enjoyed being spanked occasionally, but never again did I want to experience what that orc had done to me. I sobbed and begged, promising to be good, promising anything if he just wouldn't break me. My whole body shook, and I had the sensation of being moved, but it was lost in the blind panic. When I felt something tighten around me, I lashed out, managing to land a blow before my arms were pinned.

It seemed like forever before my mind kicked back in and realized that nobody was hurting me. I started calming down then, voices trickling in finally.

"Hush, little human. Everything is alright. You are safe. You aren't with the orc." The voice was low and rumbling and comforting, further easing my panic. It continued murmuring soothingly until I opened my eyes and peered into Drell's face. His forehead was pressed to mine, his eyes closed.

"Alanna," I muttered, my voice rough. "Not little human." His eyes shot open at the sound of my voice and he pulled back to look at me. I shifted, realizing I couldn't move much. My hands were pinned to Drell's chest, his hands wrapped firmly around my upper arms. He had been kneeling in front of me, body as close as he could get it, but now he pulled back, releasing my arms to press a hand to my face.

There was another set of arms wrapped around my waist, and a leg strewn over my legs, pinning them to the floor. I was haphazardly sitting in what I assumed was Anthony's lap, his cheek resting on the top of my head. Feeling me relax, he eased his hold on me, releasing my feet and settling into a more comfortable position, still firmly holding me on his lap.

"Drell. Explain." I barely recognized the voice and I shuddered at the rage it contained. The arms tightened around me, only easing when a whimper was dragged from my throat. Fingers caught my chin, tugging my face up until I was looking into worried blue eyes.

The silence was broken finally, Drell explaining everything that had happened in the last week and a half. The longer he spoke, the colder those eyes grew, though his touch remained gentle.

"I do so hate those who abuse their slaves," he said when Drell was finished, receiving an answering growl from the captain. "You said your name is Alanna?" I nodded. "Well then, Alanna, you have nothing to fear from me. When you're good I will reward you, when you misbehave I will punish you, but you have my word that I will never abuse or damage you."

I glared as well as I could, though I think the effect was muted by my tear-stained face and red eyes. "So I'm what, your sex slave?" I clamped my mouth shut just in time to keep from swearing at him.

"You will be my companion. Drell believes I will find you amusing, and there is very little in my life that amuses me."

"So I'm a play toy."

The man sighed and stood up, carefully putting me on my feet. "You will be whatever I desire, when I desire it. To put your mind at ease, however, I'm not fond of raping women, unless they agree to it before hand." Desire rippled down my spine at the thought of being used by this man, but I viciously stomped it into the ground.

"Are you calm now?" He asked, almost sounding like he actually cared. I nodded, scrubbing the last tears from my face. "Good. That means we can proceed with the punishment." My eyes swung up to meet his in disbelief. "You only have one rule so far, and you broke it already. So this punishment will serve two purposes." He took my arm firmly and led me back over to the couch and bent me over it.

"One, I want to discourage you from swearing at me." My skirt was pulled up to my waist. "And two, I want to ease your panic and fear. I'm no monster, and you will not pass out from the pain."

He wasn't very reassuring. Just because I wasn't going to pass out didn't mean it wasn't going to hurt. I struggled, putting my hands on the cushions and attempting to wiggle out from under his hand.

"Drell, would you help me?"

The captain entered my vision then, his face serious, and pinned my hands together with one of his, his other hand twining in my hair and holding it firmly so I was forced to meet his eyes. Unable to look at him, feeling betrayed even though I hadn't trusted him, I squeezed my eyes shut. His hand immediately tightened in my hair, making me gasp, eyes shooting back open.

"Keep your eyes on me, little human," he murmured. I gritted my teeth at the nickname, and was about to curse at him when a hand landed on my ass.

I jumped and yelped, much to my embarrassment. It didn't take long for me to realize that it hadn't actually hurt. The hand stroked my ass for a moment, before coming down on the other side, a little harder. This time it stung a little, but only enough to make me feel it.

This went on for a couple minutes, him alternating sides, hitting just hard enough to sting a little. Despite being pissed off, I could feel myself starting to get wet, and I groaned, my eyes slipping shut. A small tug on my hair had me meeting Drell's eyes again.

"I think she's starting to enjoy it," he said, never taking his eyes from mine. Anthony took a break from hitting me to rub my slightly burning ass, fingers slowly slipping between my legs. I squeezed them together, struggling again, but another tug to my hair and they fell apart, just enough that he could reach his target.

They slid through my wetness, rubbing and teasing. I bit my lip hard to keep from moaning. "I think you're right," he replied, fingers never halting their maddening movements. His other hand slid up my back and into my hair, replacing Drell's. The captain released me all together, allowing Anthony to pull me upright by my hair, his other hand cupping my pussy to keep me balanced on my toes.

"Was he right about you?" He whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine, further igniting the fire growing in my stomach. "Are you a submissive little pain slut?" The degrading question tugged a whimper from me, my head shaking as much as it could writhing his grip.

"Rule number two. You will never lie to me, in words or action." He slipped a finger inside of me and I moaned, unable to hold it in any longer. My hair was tugged harder, forcing my head to the side, and I felt teeth graze against my throat. "You have one more chance to answer or your punishment will be much worse.

I held out as long as I could, but when his teeth nipped me hard, signaling his impatience, I cried out. "Yes! Yes, I like the pain and being dominated. Please. Just... please."

"Please what?"

"I don't know," I whimpered honestly. My head was telling me to struggle, to demand he get his fucking hands off me, but my body wanted to demand that he fuck me. And the fucked up part was, I think my body was winning.

A kiss was pressed to the bite. "Good girl." My hair was released, and I was gently pushed back over the couch. He removed his hand from between my legs and resumed his massage of my ass cheeks. Drell grabbed my arms again to keep me from struggling, a self satisfied grin on his face, but I was to shaken to call him on it.

"I'm going to hit you five times, and you're going to count them. If you don't, we will continue until you do. Understand?" I didn't reply, but he didn't seem to need me to. After what felt like hours, his hand landed hard on my ass. Unlike his little taps before, this one hurt, enough that I cried out slightly and started to struggle. He waited a moment, expecting me to say one, but I gritted my teeth.

"How am I supposed to remember how many times I've hit you if you won't keep track?" He complained. I heard the whoosh of his hand swinging and tensed up. The slap felt twice as hard this time, and the noise echoed through the room, rivaled by my startled cry.

"Ow, fuck, alright!" I yelled, head thrown back. "One!"

"Good girl." His hand came down on the other side, making me squirm.

"Two," I snapped. His hand rubbed for a moment, soothing the sting into a slow burn that made me squirm more.

He hit twice more, me yelling out the number each time, and then there was a long pause. I shifted, toes starting to hurt, when his hand swung again, this time landing between my still open legs. I howled, my whole body stiffening, the slap bringing me to the edge of an orgasm that I hadn't realized was building.

His hand stayed where it was, rubbing and keeping me on the edge, before his fingers flicked over my clit, one, twice, three times, and then I fell over the edge, my entire body rocking with the force of my orgasm.

I came down slowly, not struggling when he picked me up and cradled me to his chest. "Good girl," he murmured, kissing the top of my head.

"I think my job here is done. I'll take my leave now," Drell told us grinning. He patted my head, and something tickled my memory. Just before he made it to the door, Anthony saying goodbye, I remembered.

"Drell!" He paused and turned to me, eyebrow arched. "My jacket." He stated at me for a moment, puzzled, before smiling gently.

"It's in my saddlebags. I'll give it to the stable boy and have him deliver it to you." He winked and then was gone, allowing me to slump in relief, laying my head on the solid chest I was cradled against.

"I still don't like you," I murmured into said chest. "And I hate being a slave. But I have nowhere to run to if I escaped, and, though I hate to admit it, that felt pretty awesome."

His chest shook with laughter. "I think I can work with that, little human." I pinched him, hard, but it only made him laugh more. "I'm going to have to find a new endearment for you. But for now, I imagine you want a bath."

At the thought of a bath, I nearly kissed him, but before the urge took over, my stomach rumbled, loud enough to startle us both.




To Tame a Slave Ch. 04



"And some food," he added, carrying me through the house as if I was no heavier than a kitten. When we stopped, it was in a lavish bedroom, decorated in various pastel colors that made me want to gag from the girliness of it. I was placed gently on the bed.

"I'll return in a few minutes with some food, and then we can draw you a bath." He left then, and I flopped across the incredibly comfortable bed.

"At least you're not in an actual cage anymore," I sighed, eyes slipping shut. I was asleep well before my new owner returned.



To Tame a Slave Ch. 05



Hey guys, I'm sorry this took so long. For some reason I've been having trouble with my muse, so I've kinda been bouncing between multiple projects trying to get it back. I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I got it to a good stopping point, so I decided to go ahead and post. I'm already working on the next chapter, and I promise it will be submitted in a week.

*****

I woke up disoriented and with a hole in my stomach. My memories came back slowly as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Trying not to cry, I rolled over and shoved a pillow over my face, screaming into it until my throat started to hurt. Feeling a little better, a little calmer, I sat up and looked around the room. It really was awful, everything made of light wood and pastel shades of yellow and pink. Feminine, but in a disgustingly girly way.

Something stood out though, something black on the end of my bed, drawing my eyes towards it. It took a moment, but as soon as I recognized the object I threw myself at it, tucking it against my body.

"Thank goodness." I drew on my leather jacket, hugging it tight to me. It was familiar, mine, something from my world. It had a soothing effect, allowing me to drag myself out of bed and explore the room. There was a full length mirror on one wall, which I avoided. I probably looked awful at the moment.

There wasn't time to really look at anything else before the door swung open. "Pardon me, miss," a young woman said, walking in as I turned around.

"Uh, hi."

"You slept through lunch, miss, but it's approaching dinner time. The master thought you might like a bath before eating."

Master. The word left a sour taste in my mouth, and I scowled. "Are you a slave too?"

She watched me, eyes wide with surprise. "Slave? No miss! I'm employed as a maid for the master. I'm free to come and go as I please. For now, he has ordered me to take care of you."

My stomach growled, echoing through the room and making the girl laugh. "I'll hurry and bring your bath so you can get to dinner." She disappeared before I could ask her anything, leaving me with my thoughts.

"Great." I dropped down onto the bed, staring listlessly at the door. Being difficult was, well, difficult. And tiring. I decided it would be best for me to just roll with the punches for a little while. Which meant playing nice with this new master. I laughed. Well, as nice as I'm capable of.

I grew somber then, biting my lip. Anthony. That was the name of the man who owned me.

He was attractive, that was for sure. In any other situation, I'd be all over the idea of playing with him. There was just something about the way he had remained cool and collected, even when calling me degrading names and spanking my ass. It sent little shivers down my spine just thinking about it. And contrasted against Drell's playfulness and quick temper? I shifted, uncomfortably turned on at this point.

I jumped off the bed and paced across the room, running a frustrated hand through my hair.

They were both attractive men, to say the least. I still hadn't gotten a good look at Anthony, but I knew he was tall, though not as tall as Drell, who had to be 6'2" at least. And where Drell was broad and noticeably muscular, Anthony was lean and had more of a swimmer's build. The package they made together in my head made me want to-

"Argh! Stop it! They're not men who flirted with you in a bar, they're despicable bastards who bought and sold you!" I redirected my arousal into rage and swung around to slam my fist into the wall, startling the maid who had just entered. She was followed by men carrying buckets of steaming water.

They poured the water into a metal tub I hadn't noticed before and left without a word, the maid looking a little frightened.

"Well that's a lovely first impression Alanna," I muttered, slinging my jacket onto the floor and struggling to pull this damn dress over my head. I flung it finally into the corner of the room with a victorious cry.

My body slumped into the water, warmth slowly sinking into my bones and muscles, sapping away any energy I had left to be angry. It was fucking awesome.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I knew, the maid was back, watching me like I might bite.

"I'm here to wash your hair, miss," she said, not meeting my eyes.

I reached out to take one of her hands. "I'm really sorry if I startled or scared you. I lose my temper sometimes, but I promise I'm usually pretty laid back. I'm just... I'm off balance. I just became a slave a week ago."

The maide quietly listened to my apology, smiling softly at me when I finished. "I forgive you. Your situation is not desirable, but I promise you will be alright here. I'm sorry for being so easily frightened. It's a trait of my species."

I looked her over, startled. She looked perfectly human to me. "What are you? Or is that rude to ask?" She laughed, moving behind me to wash my hair. I didn't protest, partially because I didn't have any energy, and partially because her hands felt really fucking nice in my hair.

"It's not rude, miss. I'm a Seraldi fae. As a general rule, we enjoy taking care of people, so we often become maids, nurses, governessess. Our men take on similar positions." She rinsed my hair, doing an excellent job of keeping the soap out of my eyes. "I've been informed that where you're from is populated only by humans." I could hear the confusion in her voice, but she didn't ask about it. "So any time you have questions about various species or customs, please don't hesitate to ask. And if there is anything else you need, miss, please do the same." Her smile was kind, and the warmth in it almost made me cry.

"One favor then. Please call me Alanna. All this 'miss' business makes me feel weird."

"Alanna then." She handed me a bar of soap, informing me that I should finish bathing and that there was a dress laid out on the bed, and that she would return in half an hour to help me dress and take me to dinner. I thanked her, and she was gone.

Nearly half an hour later, I heard someone enter the room. "Hey, you know, I forgot to ask your name before," I said, assuming it was the maid but not bothering to look.

"You can call me Sir. Or Master. Either works really."

I gasped, jumping to my feet and spinning, nearly falling flat on my ass. "I-I thought you were the maid."

He laughed, the sound sliding seductively over my body. Speaking of, I realized quickly that said body was completely naked, and I tried to hide myself behind my hands, a bright blush spreading across my cheeks. He laughed again, louder, striding towards me.

"You're blushing." His hand brushed across my cheek. "I was unaware that you were capable of such a thing."

My head shaking, I took a step back and slapped his hand away from me. "I do not blu-" Before I could continue my statement, I was out of the bath and bent over my bed, face pressed into the sheets. His hand came down on my ass cheeks, not hard, but stinging brilliantly due to the fact that I was still wet from my bath.

"Rule two, remember? You will not lie to me in any way. You blush. Don't deny it." Another slap landed, this time on my upper thighs, and then I was let up. I turned quickly, hands protectively hovering over my ass. His hands came up, shoving me back on the bed, and before I could scramble away one landed firmly on my chest, pinning me down while one of his knees settled between my thighs. "You were pretty before, but you look quite beautiful all cleaned up, my dear."

I scowled at him. "Fu-" The swear got caught in my throat at his suddenly intense stare. "Um, I mean-" I cleared my throat, head swimming for something else to say, something that didn't involve cussing. "Hi."

He laughed again, face brightening, his smile doing funny things to my stomach. Or maybe that was the hunger. Yeah, probably the hunger.

"Ah, while I have you here, I will not officially punish you for hitting me. But I will return every hit three fold to your beautiful derriere." His free hand squeezed my ass to punctuate his words. "So one more." The hand on my ass swung back and landed with a loud smack that sounded worse than it felt.

At that moment, the maid hurried into the room. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll come back later."

"No need, I'll leave and let Alanna get ready for dinner. I'm sure she's hungry." At the mention of food, my stomach made its frustration known, causing me to flush again. He laughed and pushed up to his feet, pulling me up with him so that my body rubbed againt his for a moment. I closed my eyes, fighting down the urge to cuss him out, and when I opened them again, he was gone.

The maid gave me a slight, knowing smile, but said nothing. She bustled me into a pale pink dress with short puffy sleeves and a demure neckline. "I'm dying in these dresses," I grumbled.

She ignored me, though I caught the hint of another smile on her face. "It's a shame your hair is so short," she said, having pushed me into a seat in front of the mirror. A comb was pulled through my hair, gently detangling it. By the time she finished, it was already starting to curl into nearly black ringlets that fell only to my chin.

Our eyes met in the mirror, and I smiled. "I used to wear it long, but it's so fucking heavy, I got killer headaches from it."

She looked startled and slightly confused by my statement. "You have an odd way of speaking. Anyways, I suppose there's nothing to be done about it at the moment. Are you ready to go to dinner?"

My stomach answered the question for me. She laughed and walked towards the door, clearly expecting me to follow. I waited a moment though, staring at myself in the mirror, trying to see if there was any visible change after what I'd been through. Gold flecked, green eyes stared back from a slightly too thin face. I'd lost some weight, which explained some of the shakiness in my limbs. I had maintained my curves however, not that you could really see them in this dress. It's like it was designed to make a woman look as boyish as possible... while wearing a dress.

"Alanna?"

I jumped and turned towards the maid sheepishly. "Sorry, forgot you were there."

--

The dining room we entered was opulent. Dark wood with beautifully painted wall hangings and silver accents. The table and chairs looked hand carved, the latter cushioned with some sort of silver material that looked divine. There was a fire place at one end of the room, a fire burning merrily already, and standing in front of the fire...

"Oh good lord, you have wings!!" I stumbled backwards, my eyes wide, hand on my chest. My breath came a little quicker from shock as he turned, the wings on his back flexing a bit as I caught the profile of them.

"I am an Angel after all," he replied, closing the book he'd been reading and setting it on the shelf over the fire place.

"A-an Angel?" My hand flailed out, catching the wall so that I didn't fall. He arched an eyebrow, striding towards me quickly. His hands caught my hips, steadying me, his blue eyes searching my face worriedly for a moment. A smile caught his lips then, turning up in a wry grin.

"I forgot that you know so little about this world." He moved his hands from my hips, one taking my arm instead and drawing me towards a seat at the end of the table, diagonal to the one at the head. "I'm sure you're hungry. I will explain over dinner."

I watched him with wide eyes as he took his seat, which was backless. I assumed so that his wings didn't get smooshed. Speaking of wings, his were beautiful. They reminded me of a falcon's wings, built for speed, but were a brilliant white, feathers edged with silver. I couldn't take my eyes off them, to be honest.

"Alanna?" His voice shocked me back into the moment, and my eyes swung to his.

"I, um-" The words caught in my throat. "W-why have I never noticed those before?"

He arched an eyebrow at me. "Did you just stutter?"

"Don't avoid the question!"

His laughter was slightly mocking, but he answered quickly enough that I couldn't call him on it.

"They tuck against my back most of the time. You can't usually see them when I'm facing you, unless I'm going to use them. I don't believe you've seen me from the back or the side until now." His grin turned decidedly salacious. "I'm not sure you've had much of a chance to look at me at all. A good deal of our time together seems to have been spent with you face down, on your stomach."

My face turned red again as I glared at him. The annoyance didn't last long though, overcome quickly by curiosity. "So, an angel, huh? Like with God, and heaven, and that stuff?" He looked confused. "Like, religion."

"Oh, I see what you are asking. I'm not sure of the theology in your world, but here our deities represent aspects of the universe. Life, Death, Knowledge, Chaos. Angels are created by Life. When a being dies whom she has favored, someone who has proven themselves to be strong and steadfast, she offers them a choice. Go on to Death's realm and peace, or come to her realm and become an angel. Once the... transformation, I suppose would be the appropriate word, is complete, we are free to roam the world once more." As he explained this, servants came in, bearing plates with food. My stomach rumbled at the wonderful smell, but I was too fascinated to pay it much attention.

"So you weren't always an angel? What were you before?" I asked. His face hardened.

"I do not talk about my previous life. Do you understand?" His voice was cold and I trembled slightly at the threat that it held if I tried to push the subject.

"Y-yes, I understand," I murmured, heart racing. "I, um, I was just curious." The more I spoke, the quieter my voice became. His face finally softened, eyes roving over me, and a slight smile tugged at his lips, one that hinted of secret knowledge.

"Curious as a cat, I see. Come here, kitten, and I shall tell you more about this world. Whatever you wish to know to sate your curiosity." He patted his lap, eyebrow arched in an obvious challenge.

Knowledge in return for sitting on his lap. How bad could it be?

I'm really good at asking myself dumb questions.

With a sigh, knowing I'd regret this but unable to help myself, I pushed to my feet and scooted towards him. I paused by his side, unsure how to go about sitting on him, but he solved my issue by grabbing my waist, picking me up and setting me on his thigh so that my legs hung over the other side of his lap. My hands clung to his shirt for a moment, startled by the sudden movement and knocked off balance. The moment I realized what I was doing, I snatched them away like I'd been burned.

He chuckled. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

I grumbled something unflattering under my breath.

"So. What do you want to know?"

Dozens of questions ran through my head all at once, demanding answers. I was so distracted by my brain that when he held a piece of meat in front of my lips, I ate it without thinking. "When I was in the slave pen," I started after swallowing the absolutely delicious bite of chicken, "there was a woman with red skin and red hair and I think red eyes too. Is that common?"

Another piece of chicken was held up to my mouth while he started to answer. "It sounds like she was a Siren."

"Like, beautiful singing voice, drowning sailors kind of siren?" I asked around the bite of chicken.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth."

I swallowed it reflexively with a sheepish smile.

"Sirens do have beautiful singing voices. They're entrancing. But they are not creatures of water. Their most notible trait is that they are always varying shades of one color. The more vivid the colors, the more desirable the Siren is to other Sirens."

"That sounds awesome," I replied before accepting another piece of chicken. It was then that I finally realized that he was feeding me. "Hey! I'm not a fucking child, don't feed me like one." My eyes widened as I realized that I'd cussed at him again.

He laughed. "Don't fret. You swore, but it wasn't directed at me. I enjoy hearing such things come out of your mouth. It's quite at odds with your delicate, innocent appearance." His fingers trailed down the side of my face and, without thinking about it, I smacked his hand away.

Before I could react, my hands were pinned behind my back and he was sliding his plate of food to the side. "Hey, what are you-" My words were cut off as he bent me over the table and flipped my skirt up.

"I told you what would happen if you hit me," he said. I could hear the laughter in his voice, the smug bastard.

His hand came down, hard, three times on my ass. My body squirmed for a moment after he'd finished, at war with my mind. One of them wanted him to let me the fuck up. That was the sane part. The other one of them wanted him to keep hitting me. Unfortunately, that was the part that was winning. His hand slid slowly down from my ass to my thighs, and I felt the heat from his body on my back as he bent over me. Lips touched my ear, sending shivers down my back, while his fingers drew teasing circles on my legs, inching closer and closer to my pussy.

"If I were to slide my fingers between your legs, what would I find? Would I find your body resisting as much as your mind? Or would you be wet and ready for me, waiting for me to use you however I please?" His voice slid along my skin, wreaking havoc on my will to fight, and I didn't bother answering. Those long fingers had already reached their goal, bared to him because of my position, despite how tightly I was trying to keep my thighs together.

He made a low noise of pleasure, almost a soft growl, and I unwillingly responded with a whimper, my hips pushing back against his teasing fingers, searching for more. A laugh rolled across me, finally shocking me back into myself.

"Stop it! You hit me back, now let me up damn it!" I struggled and kicked until, finally, he let go of my wrists and took a step back. Spinning to face him quickly, and nearly falling, I snapped, "Can I eat my fucking dinner now?" He gestured towards my seat and I dropped down into it, glaring at my plate. The rest of dinner passed in uncomfortable silence as I sulked and he sat there looking smug.

--

"That dress looks very nice on you," he commented as we finished dinner. I made a face, prompting a laugh from him. "Oh dear, I've upset you again. What is it this time?"

I made another face. "This dress sucks." He looked confused. "It's awful. Super girly. For that matter, my room is just the same." I stabbed angrily at the last piece of food on my plate. "Not that my opinion matters. I'm a slave, remember?"

"Albeit a difficult one," he muttered, receiving a glare. "Very well. We will put you in a different room, and prepare a wardrobe more to your liking." My glare turned to startlement. 

"B-But why?"

His smile was soft and kind. "I bought you to be my companion. Our time together will be more enjoyable if you aren't constantly aggravated. So if I can do something small like this to make you happy, I will without hesitation."

"Th-thank you." I wasn't sure how to respond. That certainly wasn't the reaction I was expecting. He chuckled at the obvious shock on my face, but I couldn't find it in me to be annoyed.

He stood up then, coming around the table to tower over me, and held out his hand. I eyed it for a moment like it might be a snake, and then my hand was placed in his. It was warm and strong as it pulled me to my feet, drawing my body against his. My breath caught in my throat, heart racing, heat pooling in my stomach.

After a moment, I pushed away from him, nearly stumbling but catching myself before his hands could reach for me.

"Shall I show you to a more pleasing room?" He didn't bother concealing the amusement on his face, so I simply nodded. There was no way I could verbally respond without swearing.




To Tame a Slave Ch. 05



His arm was offered and I took it reluctantly, glaring up at him. My ire was ignored as I was drawn from the dining room and down a hallway. His home was fairly straightforward as far as design, so I was pretty sure I'd be able to find my way around. We paused in front of a solid wood door, and he shot a wicked grin down at me. Before I could respond, the door was open, and I was in awe.

The room was all lovely dark wood furniture, with red and gold decorations. There was a stone fireplace against one wall, logs in it already to prepare for the coolness of nights here. The bed was, in one word, opulent. Four poster, with dark red sheets that even from a distance I could tell were silk, and would feel sinful against my skin.

Wide eyes turned up towards Anthony who had a pleased smile on his face.

"I'm guessing it is to your liking?" he teased, hand sliding from my arm to my lower back. I nodded, unable to speak for a long moment.

"I, uh- Thank you. I don't really know what to say." A blush was starting to spread across my cheeks.

"That would be a first." I glared at him. "But the room comes with a price."

Ah, of course, there was always some sort of catch. "What is it?" I asked warily.

He turned me and pulled me against his hard body, one hand on my lower back, the other curling around the back of my head. "A kiss."

I blinked. Not exactly what I was expecting. "A kiss?" I asked, understandably suspicious.

His hair swayed, brushing against me as he nodded. "One kiss. Freely given."

My mind raced. Everything up till now had been him taking, and me just suffering through it with no control. This was my first true choice since I arrived in this strange world. Do I kiss him and move into this beautiful, luxurious room, or deny him and stay in the horribly girly one? And also, if I kiss him, will I be surrendering? First a kiss, and then more, where does the line get drawn. But...

I was curious. What would it be like, to kiss him under my terms? He was certainly attractive, for all that he owned me. Whenever he was near, whenever he touched me, my body lit up like it contained flames. Do I maintain my sanity and control of myself, or willingly fan the flames, setting myself up to potentially be consumed by them?

My hands were moving before I had consciously made the decision, hesitantly touching his chest and sliding upwards, feeling the contours of his muscles through the finely made shirt. Fingers ghosting across his shoulders and into his hair, the luxurious strands tangling around me, ensaring me. His head was lowered towards me, face pausing an inch from mine. His breath fluttered across my lips, making me shiver. I swallowed nervously, my eyes slipping shut, and stroked my lips across his, the lightest of kisses, skin barely brushing skin. But it was enough. Flames raced from my lips down into my body, and before I could think my lips had met his again, and again.

After a moment, his arms tightened around me, pulling me harder against his body, and he took control of the kiss, tongue invading my mouth and demanding my submission. With a moan, I gave it willingly, melting in his arms, my hands clinging to his shoulders like he was the only thing keeping me from floating away. His hand tightened in my hair, pulling my head back slightly as our kiss broke. Our eyes met, and his widened in shock and wonder.

"Your eyes are glowing. Drell had mentioned that they do that, but I hadn't believed him." His hand slid from my hair to my face, cradling it gently as his eyes searched mine. "Whatever you are, kitten, you certainly aren't human."

And just like that, the spell was broken, I pushed against his chest, head and eyes dropping, ashamed of myself for reacting the way I had. His only reaction was to tighten the arm around my waist, one hand stroking my hair. "Quiet now, Alanna, I'm not done with you quite yet."

My whole body trembled with his words, resisting the urge to simply give in to him. A gasp slipped out as suddenly my world shifted. I clung to his shirt as he scooped me up like I was the kitten he'd called me. The world started to become blurry as he set me carefully on the bed. "W-what are you doing to me?" I asked, words slurring.

His chuckle washed over me, making my body pleasurably warm. "I'm doing nothing little kitten. You're understandably exhausted." I was tucked under the blanket, my eyes drooping shut. There was a sensation across my forehead, not unlike a pair of lips brushing against me, and then I was out like a light.

--

"Alanna, don't forget."

I spun in circles, trying to find the source of the voice, but all I saw was inky blackness. "Don't forget what?"

"Don't forget."

"Forget what?! Who are you?" I yelled, but the sound of my voice seemed to be swallowed up my the darkness.

"Don't forget who you are." The voice came from behind me this time, and I spun to see a girl of maybe twelve. Her hair was an almost blinding white, falling in waves down to her waist, and her blue eyes had an almost ghostly quality to them. The rest of her was almost undefined, but I realized after a moment that that was because her skin was nearly as black as the darkness that surrounded us.

"Who am I? For that matter, who are you?" My voice wavered for a moment, before I firmed myself up. No matter how eerie this whole thing was, I wouldn't show weakness.

"I am Fate." She moved towards me, seeming to float like a ghost, her feet not moving. "And I cannot tell you who you are, you must remember." Her hands cupped my face, sending goosebumps across my skin, and she pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Remember."

She disappeared then, leaving me alone in the dark. "Remember what?!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in the air. The blackness started to close in around me, suffocating me. I struggled against it, struggling to breath, fists and feet flailing out.

"Damn it Alanna, stop it." A voice growled in my ear. The voice was familiar, soothing, and it made the darkness recede. I relaxed slowly, breathing normal again, reassured by that voice. It would comfort me, protect me, care for me.

"That's a good girl," it murmured, accompanied by the sensation of a hand stroking my face.

My eyes slowly blinked open, peering sleepily into the bright blue of Anthony's. "Wh-what?" He shifted and I realized that we were pressed against each other, limbs tangled together.

"You were mumbling in your sleep, and then you started whimper and nearly punched me in the eye." His hand continued to stroke my face, thumb brushing across my cheek.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice slurring as I tried to wake myself, struggling weakly against his hold.

The arm around my back only tightened. "Why wouldn't I be here? This is my bed after all."

It took a moment for that to register, but when it did I gasped and struggled harder. "You bastard! You offered me this room without telling me it was yours! What the fuck is wrong with you?" I shoved against his chest, protesting and growling as he turned me in his arms so that my back was pressed to his front.

A sigh brushed across my ear. "What have I told you about swearing at me?" One arm securely around my waist, his free hand trailed across my chest, tweaking my nipples. It was around this time that it occured to me that my dress was missing. I was about to open my mouth and yell again when a piece of fabric was shoved into it. "It's time for you to be quiet now, little kitten."

I screamed in outrage, the sound muffled by the gag, and struggled harder against him. His hand trailed down my body, sliding over and around my hip, and then trailing back up my thigh, fingers drawing little circles on my skin. My thighs squeezed tight together, forcing his hand to stop his upward exploration, and another sigh teased my ear.

"Alanna, you knew that swearing at me was against the rules. Calm down and quietly accept your punishment and I promise it will be easier on you." I snarled through the gag, my eyes widening as he slowly pried my legs apart. One leg was pulled over his legs, and his foot hooked around my ankle, pinning me there with my pussy exposed. Having me physically subdued, he started again with his maddening motions, finging trailing up my thigh.

"Are you wet, kitten? Do you like being at my mercy, unable to move, to protest, only able to lay there and take what I decide to give you?" Those long fingers brushed lightly across my lips, up and down, gathering the moisture that was leaking out. My eyes squeezed shut, starting to burn with tears at my humiliation. How could I be turned on by this?

His breath hissed through his teeth as he inhaled, nose nuzzling my ear. "Your body is ready for me to take you already, and I've barely touched you." His teeth closed around my earlobe and tugged lightly, the sensation making me squirm. Long fingers slid along the lips of my pussy, brushing across my clit and making me jump, spreading the moisture around. "Your punishment is five slaps. I won't make you count them, as your mouth is otherwise occupied." I could hear the smile in his voice, and it made me stiffen. With my ass pressed firmly against his groin, I couldn't help but wonder where he was going to spank me. I didn't wonder for long.

I squealed and squirmed as his hand came down hard between my legs, lights dancing behind my eyes from the pain. He rubbed me slowly, as if to soothe the sting, and then his hand came down again. I struggled, trying to pull my legs together, but only receiving another slap for my efforts. Tears formed in my eyes but I held them back, unwilling to cry because of this man. The pain slowly turned to pleasure, his hand rubbing again, soothing the sting into a dull ache. I wouldn't enjoy this, I couldn't.

That hand came down again, and this time I could feel my fluids splatter across my thighs. The tears started to spill then, both from the pain and from my humiliation. The fabric was removed from my mouth, finally allowing me to close it and making me realize how sore my jaw had become from clenching so hard.

"Beg for me," I heard as his hand slid back down my body, tweaking my nipples and then rubbing across my pussy again. "Beg for me and I'll spare you the last slap." His tongue flicked against my ear, pulling a whimper from my throat.

It took a couple tries, as my mouth was still dry from the gag, but I finally managed to get out a response. "Never."

He sighed and then there was only searing pain as the fifth and hardest slap came down between my legs. I sobbed, my body stiff and trembling, no longer wanting to close my legs for fear of further hurting my abused pussy. It was a couple of minutes before I finally calmed down enough to talk, and when I did my voice trembled. "A-alright, you punished me. Will you let me go now?"

The arm around my waist tightened and I could feel him snuggling against my back. "No. I'm not done with you yet kitten."

I snarled, but my heart wasn't in it. "What, are you going to rape me now?"

His lips slid down my neck, teeth catching and tugging lightly. "I told you before. I only rape the willing."

My breath caught in my throat, heart racing, images flashing through my head of him chasing me, pinning me down, fucking me. I whimpered unwillingly, squirming in his grasp.

"I think you like the idea," he whispered in my ear, fingers trailing across my private parts, rubbing and soothing the ache until the pain once more starts to turn to pleasure.

I shook my head firmly. "N-no!" My voice trembled, making my words sound uncertain, and he responded with a low laugh. Those fingers delved between my lips, continuing to rub without any real pressure, making me bite my lip against a whimper. They slowly increased pressure, one long finger slipping inside of me, rubbing against my walls. Another finger slid in with the first, unerringly finding my g-spot and curling his fingers into it. They teased and rubbed until I was writhing, the teeth in my lip nearly drawing blood as I resisted giving in and begging. His fingers uncurled, and he began to pump them hard and fast, drawing a cry from my lips as I came quickly, my body arching and tense.

His fingers slowed down until they were resting inside of me, and then simply rubbing lightly along my lips, allowing me to gently come down and relax. "Good girl," he whispered in my ear, kissing it and removing his hand, wrapping it around my waist instead. My leg was released and nudged forward so that I could curl up more comfortably, too exhausted to push away. He hummed soothingly, arm drawing me against him so that I was melded into his front, his warmth and voice lulling me into a deep sleep.



To Tame a Slave Ch. 06



I'm so sorry for the wait. Apparently I'm awful at sex scenes. I'm going to stop setting deadlines, because I feel so awful when I don't meet them. Hope you enjoy!

*****

I woke up the next morning tired and sore. A groan escaped me as I burrowed back under the covers, hiding from the sunlight pouring in from the windows. After a bit, I sat up, rubbing at my eyes and looking around blearily. Laid across a chair near the fireplace appeared to be a reddish dress, my leather jacket folded on top of it. I didn't sit there long luckily, because I would have gone back to sleep just to avoid thinking about yesterday, and to avoid the coming day as well. The maid poked her head in, making a noise when she saw me awake.

"Miss- Alanna, you're awake finally. You slept through breakfast, but the Master didn't want you disturbed."

I yawned. "The extra sleep was much appreciated. I had a strange dream last night, and then an interruption." My face flushed at the memory of my late night punishment.

The maid chuckled. "From the look on your face, I'll refrain from asking about your... interruption." Her voice was teasing, making my cheeks a darker shade of red. "I brought in some water earlier for you to wash your face and brush your teeth with," she said, bustling me out of bed. I wobbled on my feet for a moment, before gasping and diving back under the covers.

"Oh, honestly. I've seen plenty of naked women before. Up up up. You can't have any food if you laze in bed all day." Her voice was sly, and was immediately followed by the loud growl of my stomach. I peeked out at her sheepishly, debating my shyness for a moment, before clambering out. She bustled me around the room, preparing me for the day with an efficiency that was a little intimidating. In no time, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in a rose colored dress that fit a little closer to my frame. The front two pieces of my hair were braided with matching ribbons and pinned back, the ends meeting almost perfectly at the back of my head. When I looked in the mirror, I found that I resembled my old self a bit more, which made me smile.

That smile didn't last long, as at the moment I was currently fighting down some bad anxiety. The maid must have seen my expression, because she quickly perched on the bed beside me, taking one of my hands in hers.

"What's wrong?" She asked, worry in her voice.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm just-" I pause, shaking my self and taking a deep breath. "I'm still off balance is all. I need a bit before I can deal with... anything, honestly."

We sat there in silence for a bit, before she patted my hand lightly. "Would you like to talk? Maybe ask me any questions you have to distract yourself?" Her voice was kind, and I flashed a relieved smile at her.

"First question. Is it alright if I ask your name? It feels weird to keep thinking of you just as 'the maid'."

"It's Kata," she replied.

I mouthed the name silently, committing it to memory, before nodding. "Second question, and I'm really sorry if I ask anything rude, or taboo to ask or anything like that. You said you're some kind of fairy or something, but you look human."

Kata laughed. "Don't worry about sounding rude. I know you're from another place and don't understand our customs. Just be frank and ask anything you need. Also, that's not really a question," she teased. "I'm a Seraldi Fae, or simply Seraldi usually. We heavily resemble humans, more so than other types of Fae, which would explain your confusion."

"So what exactly are Fae then? Since it sounds like there's a bunch of different types." My eyes were wide, curiosity raging inside of me.

"Fae is an umbrella term for most winged creatures."

My mouth fell open, eyes roving over her. "You have wings?!"

She laughed again and stood up, removing the black jacket that was part of her uniform. Slowly, a pair of see through, gossamer wings stretched out behind her, each wing about the length of her arm fully stretched out. As I watched, they lit up, a pale green that slowly changed to a bright blue along the edges. Little veins of light flashed through them, dizzyingly beautiful to watch. The lights slowly dimmed, the color fading, until the wings were see through again, and were slowly, carefully folded up against her back.

"Those are absolutely beautiful," I told her in awe, and I swear she blushed as she put her jacket back on.

"Thank you very much, that's not something I hear often," Kata said, sitting back down and folding her hands in her lap.

"What?! Why not?"

She chuckled. "I live in a world full of creatures of all shapes and sizes. Compared to most of them, I'm very plain."

"Well, people are crazy if they think you're plain," I grumbled, picking at the fabric of my dress.

There was a period of silence before Kata took my hand again. "From what I've seen of you so far, you are such a beautiful person. On the inside I mean." She pressed her free hand to my heart, her warm brown eyes smiling at me. "I'm so happy you're here, with us."

I smiled at her for a moment, glowing from her compliment, before my happiness dropped away. I pushed to my feet, arms crossed over my chest, and paced across the room. "Don't get me wrong Kata, you're a lovely person, but I hate this." I bit back tears.

"Because you are a slave?" She asked softly.

"All of it. If I was here in this world by choice, I'd be exhilarated. Everything is so new, so different, I want to learn and see everything. But..." I rubbed at my eyes. "I miss my home, my family. And I dunno if I'll ever be able to see them again. And most of all, I miss my freedom. I just- I want to curl up in that bed and go to sleep and wake up to find it's all a dream."

I spun, looking at her through a slight mist of tears. "I dunno if I can handle all this. I'm so overwhelmed, and I feel like I'm just barely clinging to my sanity."

Kata was on her feet and across the room before I could react, her hands on my cheeks, gently forcing me to meet her eyes.

"Hush," she said firmly. "I don't want to hear such things from you. Us Seraldi have an innate sense of people. We use it to find people who are worth caring for, and to avoid those that would harm us, as we're such a timid species. And do you know what I sense when I see you?"

I sniffled and shook my head.

"I sense an incredible strength and power inside of you, one that is tempered by kindness and compassion. You are a survivor. It is an innate part of your being." Her thumbs brushed across my eyes, wiping away the tears that had formed there. "Besides, it doesn't take my sense of people to see the strength behind your temper, even if you do have problems controlling it." We both chuckled at that.

I put my hand over one of hers, smiling and feeling more confident than I have since I arrived in this damn world. At least, a little more confident.

She released my face and took a step back, matching my smile with one of her own. "And do not be afraid of your current situation. It is the safest possible one for you to be in, considering the current state of things. There is no worry of someone stealing you, or of you being abused. The Master is a very kind man, if a hard one sometimes."

My mouth twisted into a grimace at the thought of having to deal with him again.

"I promise you," she insisted, capturing my hand. "He is a kind man, and he'll take care of you. If at any point you are unhappy with something, or uncomfortable, or scared, tell him, gently and honestly. He'll do what he can within his power to help you, as long as you treat him with respect and put forth an effort towards behaving."

I made another face at the word behaving, before taking a deep breath. "Alright. I'll try. I can't make any promises, but I'll try and control my temper and be, I dunno, civil."

"Thank you miss- Alanna." She smiled apologetically at her mistake. "That's all I can ask. The discord between the two of you is very unsettling." This time it was my turn for the apologetic look.

Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me in for a tight, warm hug that made me want to melt. After a long moment, she pulled away. "Now, I'm sure you're probably starving by this point." The knots that had formed in my stomach loosened, allowing a growl to slip out.

"You missed breakfast, and it's not quite time for lunch, so I thought you might like to take a light meal with the Master in his study," she said, bustling me towards the door.

"Was that his idea?" I asked, trying to keep the sour tone from my voice.

"No, mine. He told me you could take a meal in here, but I think it would be a good idea for you to test your new resolve as soon as possible." Her eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them, and she had me out of the room too quickly for me to respond.

---

Kata entered the study before me, telling Anthony she thought it might be a good idea for me to take a small meal in there with him. I hovered outside the door, listening to his assent. I waited there, frozen, until Kata came back out and bustled me in. His study was made of the same dark wood as his room, with bookshelves lining the walls, and a lovely desk that looked hand carved, which he currently sat behind. There was also a couch with a small table in front of it, and a couple of comfy looking chairs scattered about. I took all this in to avoid acknowledging Anthony, which worked until he spoke up.

"Good morning Alanna," he said, voice slightly wary. Understandable after our, um, interlude last night. I didn't have a good track record as far as how I reacted to him.

I took a deep breath, meeting his eyes with a nice, calm expression. "Good morning Anthony." I couldn't quite manage a smile, but it was a start.

He looked startled for a moment, before a broad smile made that hard face warm again, causing butterflies to flit around in my stomach.

"Please, take a seat. Kata will return shortly with some food for you," he said welcomingly, gesturing to the couch. "I apologize, I won't be great company for another fifteen minutes or so, I still have some work to be done."

I waved my hand dismissively, dropping down onto the couch. "Don't apologize, technically I'm the one interrupting your work."

Another startled look, before that warm smile. "I greatly appreciate the company."

I blushed, turning away to examine the bookshelves. It wasn't long before Kata returned with a tray bearing some bread and fruit and a tall glass of water. I tucked into it, happy to have something other than Anthony to concentrate on. Quicker than I expected, the food was gone, and my stomach settled down a bit, though I still looked forward to lunch. For a couple minutes I simply sat and looked around the room, occasionally glancing at the man working behind the desk, before quickly shifting my eyes away. Frustrated by sitting quietly, I bounced off the couch to explore the room, running my fingers lightly across the spines of the books, reading titles here and there.

I decided that this was the best thing I'd seen since being dropped in this world. All of these books, all of this knowledge, in one room. I was surrounded by the stories and history of an entire world that a couple of weeks ago I'd known nothing about. It was overwhelming, but in a beautiful way, like when you're staring up at the stars and realize how small you are in comparison.

After a little while, my eyes inevitably made their way back to Anthony, to find him watching me with a slight smile on his lips. My cheeks flushed at the realization that he'd probably been watching me for a bit now.

"Do you like books?" He asked after a moment. I nodded, eyes wide with awe as they swept across the shelves again. "Then please, feel free to make use of this room any time you like, day or night."

I swung back around to look at him. "Really?" I was wary, and it showed. Last time I'd been offered something beautiful, it came with a catch.

He chuckled, obviously catching my train of thought, and pushed himself out of his chair. "Really. All I ask is that you don't leave a mess, and all books are returned to their proper place when you're done," he told me sternly, leaning on the edge of his desk.

It took a moment for it to really process, but when it did my face split in half with the size of my grin, and I'd launched myself at him without thinking, arms wrapping around his chest. His laugh was startled as he caught me, arms squeezing me tight. "Thank you so much," I murmured, before pulling back, clearing my throat uncomfortably. He released me, trailing a hand across my cheek. I allowed it this time, determined to show my gratitude by not being difficult. His eyes became hooded as he looked down at me, hand cupping my cheek and jaw.

"I'd like to kiss you now," he said, voice husky. My heart stuttered both at the thought of his lips on mine, and at the realization that he hadn't demanded it, that he was giving me the opportunity to pull away. Without another thought, I curled a hand around his wrist and tilted my face towards his in a clear invitation.

His lips moved softly across mine, the usual flames his touch caused becoming a slow burn. All of the heat, with none of the urgency I'd been used to. Another hand came up to cup my other cheek, gently holding me in place as his tongue lazily explored my mouth, tangling with mine and drawing out a soft sigh of pleasure. I released his wrist, hand sliding to his chest, my touch light and hesitant, ever so slowly growing bolder, curling over his shoulders to pull myself against him. He responded with a groan, breaking the kiss and tucking his face into my throat, lips pressed to my skin as his hands shifted to my hips.

My body trembled, heart thumping in my chest at the feel of his lips slowly pressing kisses up the side of my throat. Teeth tugged lightly at my earlobe, making me gasp, eyelids fluttering. And then his mouth was back on mine, tongue tracing my lips before pushing between them to find my own, sucking it into his mouth and scraping his teeth across it. The kiss became more insistent, those flames starting to burn hotter, his hands tightening briefly on my hips, and then it was over. My eyes blinked open to find him staring down at me, breathing as heavily as I was.

"You're quite intoxicating, kitten," he said after a moment, voice rough. I ducked my head, shy and a bit embarrassed, but was forced to look back up at him as his hand caught my chin. "I'd prefer you look at me, not the floor Alanna," he told me gently but firmly as my eyes met his. "I apologize for getting a little carried away. I only meant for that to be a small kiss."

My eyes were wide at his apology. This man, a person who had bought me, who owned me, who could basically do anything that he wanted to me, was apologizing for getting carried away with a kiss. I could only blink at him in surprise for a long moment. "Y-you don't need to apologize," I murmured, keeping my head up but staring at his shoulder to avoid his eyes. "If I hadn't liked it, I would have said something."

He chuckled, hand sliding carefully through my hair, avoiding the parts that were pinned back. "Yes, I'm quite sure you would have made your opinion known. You're very good at that. Sometimes rather aggressively." My grin was decidedly unapologetic. "As much as I enjoy this newfound sweet side of you, I do hope this doesn't mean that you're completely pushing aside your... shall we say, more colorful aspects."

I laughed, pushing back and breaking free from his grasp. "Not a fucking chance."

---

We spent the next half an hour or so perusing his books as he pointed out some of his favorites, and explained the system for how the books were sorted so that I could find what I wanted easier.

"I think it's about lunch time," he finally said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Ooh, food." I bounced slightly at the thought, hand on my stomach.

Anthony laughed. "Is that a stomach growl I hear? You seem to be constantly hungry."

I huffed and glared at him. "My stomach isn't growling, and I was almost starved for a week. Can you blame me for being hungry?" A dark look crossed his face at the mention, and my eyes widened, intimidated despite myself. I took a small step back, but his hands shot out, grabbing me and jerking me against his body. The sudden contact made me gasp, and I worried for a moment that he was going to take advantage of me. All that happened though was him wrapping an arm around my waist, his free hand running through my hair, curling around the back of my head and pulling my face against his chest. He held me tight like that for a couple minutes, and I let him, nervous about what his reaction would be if I pulled away.

"I loathe slavers." I could hear the disgust in his voice, and after a moment my hands came up, shoving hard at his chest.

"Says the one who bought a fucking slave," I snapped, glaring up at him as he let me pull back a bit. That dark look grew darker, hand tightening in my hair and making me whimper.

"I did it to save your life," he snapped back, startling me slightly. It was the first time he'd ever directed actual anger at me. "Whatever you may think of me, you're the first slave I've ever bought."

I smacked my hands against his chest, ignoring his rule about it. "So why me? Why am I your fucking charity case? If you care so much, why aren't you buying up a bunch of slaves to save their lives."

He actually paused at this, eyes growing thoughtful. "I don't know, honestly. I'm against slavery, but I've never actively done anything to stop it. But when Drell mentioned you... Something clicked in my head, and I knew I had to have you. Almost like Fate had made a connection between us."

My eyes widened at the mention of Fate, mind going back to the strange dream I'd had last night. He mistook my look, thankfully.

"I know, it must sound odd to you, being a changeling. But Fate does occasionally like to touch people's lives, shift them slightly. Most people are simply unaware of it." His hand released my hair to trail across my cheek, the tension of the moment slowly fading. A knot in my chest eased at the absence of anger in his face, and I allowed myself to relax slightly.

I took a deep breath, my expression tight, and finally spoke up. "I'm sorry for losing my temper," I said haltingly, "I'm beginning to understand what you've done for me, and while I'm grateful that I'm not in a bad situation anymore, it will take a lot of getting used to, being under the command of someone."

The hand stroked my cheek again, thumb brushing across my nose. "I catch glimpses of your submissive nature. You've never allowed someone to take control of you?"

My face flushed. "Well, I mean, I have. But never in a situation where I haven't given them control willingly." I ducked my head shyly.

He nodded understandingly. "I'll keep that in mind. I promise, until you are more comfortable with me, all rules shall only address respect in my home." His long fingers snagged my chin and tugged my face up towards his. "That includes looking at me when I'm speaking to you. Do you understand?"

I nodded, and he nodded in return, releasing me and taking a step back. "Now, we've put off lunch long enough, shall we?" He offered his arm, and I took it without fuss for once, allowing him to lead me out of the room. "I thought we'd have lunch in the garden today. It's rather beautiful outside."

"That sounds excellent," I responded, smiling up at him. He returned it, and those damned butterflies in my stomach started to flit around again.

Lunch passed uneventfully. His garden was small, but quite pretty, with a number of bushes and flowers that I'd never seen before. Tucked away in a small alcove was a beautifully wrought iron table with matching chairs. At the center of the garden was a lovely statue, surrounded by a fish pond. The statue was of a young woman, exact age indeterminate, wearing flowing robes and holding a couple of books under her arm. I questioned Anthony about it, and he informed me that it was a statue of Knowledge, one of the deities he worshipped. When I asked why it wasn't of Life, who'd resurrected him, he laughed and told me that while she was important, she was too hard and fierce of a woman to fit with such a soft and pretty garden. The rest of our time was spent chatting about his home here, his home in the country, the marketplace, and other nobles who lived in the area. It was informative and interesting, but I probably wouldn't remember most of it later.




To Tame a Slave Ch. 06



---

Dinner was just as peaceful as lunch, both of us sitting in mostly comfortable silence while occasionally chatting about his library. Towards the end though, I could feel tension starting to build, making me hunch and try to hurry through my food.

"Sit up straight."

I immediately straightened back up at the stern order, eyes shooting briefly to his. He held my eyes a moment, before quietly returning to his food.

Despite my rush, we ended up finishing around the same time, and I quickly attempted to excuse myself, citing a desire to go browse his library again.

"No. Come here Alanna," he said firmly. There was no anger in his voice, just that firm command. His eyes met mine, an eyebrow arched, obviously testing my newfound decision to be less... difficult.

I took a deep breath and approached him, curling my hands into fists to keep them from trembling. His hands reached out, taking my hands and rubbing them, forcing them to relax as he drew me into his lap.

"I'm so very proud of you today," he murmured, cheek brushing across the top of my head. "You were polite. You were friendly. You put forth an obvious effort to get along with me. Most of all," his fingers captured my chin, turning my face up so that our eyes met, "most of all, you lost your temper and didn't swear at me. Good girl." He kissed my forehead and my heart fluttered, heat rising in my cheeks as I beamed from his compliment. After a moment, I shook myself, trying to regain control of my emotions.

"And good girls," he said as he stood up, bringing me with him. I squeaked in surprise as we moved, clinging to his shirt. "Good girls deserve rewards." Balancing me carefully, he pushed the dinner dishes out of the way and set me on the table with a grin.

"What kind of reward?" I asked him suspiciously, eyes narrowing. He chuckled.

"Always so untrusting."

"Can you blame me?" I arched an eyebrow at him, to be met with an amused grin.

His hands hands curled around my shoulders, pushing me down carefully until I was laying back fully on the table, staring at the ceiling. My dress was slowly inched up my legs and my hips were pulled to the very edge of the table.

"Do not take your eyes off the ceiling."

"What are you- Oh, fuck!" He'd swung my legs over his shoulders and swept his tongue up my center.

There was a chuckle, and then another slow, flat swipe of his tongue, making my hips jerk towards his mouth. And another. And another. Over and over again with tantalizing pressure but no real stimulation.

After tormenting me for a bit, his mouth moved away, pressing little kisses across my thighs. A sudden nip made me jump. Another, harder one followed, making me groan at the slight sting. Little stinging bites followed the trail made by his kisses, trading back and forth occasionally between thighs, inching towards my pussy.

The bites stopped finally and there was nothing for a long moment, making me squirm restlessly on the table. My hips jerked towards his mouth as his tongue finally touched me again, trailing along and between my lips. Everything was on fire, my whole being focused on the private place between my legs. I couldn't stay still, trying to rock my hips so that his teasing tongue would go where I wanted it.

His chuckle drew my eyes down towards him and the site of head between my thighs, the brush of his silver hair against my skin, made me groan. Those blue eyes met mine and my back quickly arched in pain. It took a moment to realize that his hand had slapped down hard, fingers landing square on my neglected clit.

"Eyes up," he said sternly and my eyes automatically locked on the ceiling, body trembling. His tongue finally swirled around my clit, soothing the pain into a low burn that made me writhe.

Having his tongue where I wanted it made the flames roar hotter, body arching at the feel of his hand sliding up my thigh. Long fingers twirled in my wetness, spreading it as his mouth worked my clit, before slowly sinking one inside of me. My muscles clenched around that finger as it thrust in and out at an agonizingly slow pace.

Another finger was added, the two curling to drag against my g-spot, drawing a low moan from my lips and making my hips rock against his face and hand. They sped up, quickly drawing me to the edge of pleasure, hovering there, unable to tip over even as the pleasure started to edge towards pain.

Suddenly, his fingers uncurled and started to thrust hard into me, forcing my back to arch off the table, and then a scrape of teeth across my clit pushed me over the edge. My fluids gushed as a ragged groan escaped my throat. His fingers slowed and were slowly removed, tongue replacing them as he lapped up my juices, my body twitching each time his tongue touched my clit.

He slowly, gently shifted my legs off his shoulders and let them drop, before scooping me up in his arms. I melted limply into his chest, eye slipping shut, both of us quiet as my breathing steadied.

I broke the comfortable silence hesitantly. "Anthony?"

"Hm?"

I paused a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase my question. "You always- You never take anything for yourself."

"I dunno, I quite enjoyed watching you writhe on my- ow." He winced when I pinched him, but as I glanced up he was grinning down at me. My face flushed and I tucked it back into his chest.

"No, I mean, doesn't it, I dunno, turn you on? You give me orgasms, but you never make me return the favor. You don't ever get off." I squirmed in his lap, shy and nervous about his response. His arms tightened around me, limiting my movement.

"Kitten, if you don't sit still, you'll have evidence of how much it turns me on beneath you. I have tremendous control over my body, but your enticing ass tests the limits of that." My face turned bright red and I immediately stopped squirming. "As far as you returning the favor, you're not ready for that."

My eyes turned up to meet his, confused. "What do you mean?"

One of his hands shifted to my head, fingers combing through my hair. "You're unwilling, resistant. I don't want to take from you anything you're unwilling to give."

I glared at him. "The fuck do you mean? You seem more that willing to take advantage of me so far."

He laughed, and the sound sent a shiver down my spine despite my ire. "I have no issue with drawing orgasm after orgasm from you, and punishing you when it's necessary. These things only require you to lay there and accept it." Those long fingers scratched my scalp and I melted a bit. "But anything that would involve my own orgasm would require you to actively participate. When that happens, I want you to be a willing and, more importantly, eager participant. I want you to give because it's your desire."

I lay there for a long moment, processing that before I responded quietly, in almost a whisper, "And if that never happens?"

His hands tightened briefly around me. "Then it never happens."

Startled by his answer, I leaned back so I could look up at him. "But-"

"Then it never happens." His voice was firm, eyes serious as they met mine.

Those blue eyes captured me, pulling in, and I was struck with a flash of familiarity. Almost a memory, but one that slipped through my fingers as I tried to grasp it. He smiled then, hand resuming its passes through my hair.

"I believe you had a desire to spend some time in the library before bed. Would you still like that?" He asked, and I perked up, shaking off the strange residue of the almost-memory.

"Yes please!" I attempted to wiggle out of his lap, excited at the chance to get back in there. I'd been reading a book on the various species of creatures in this world before dinner and I desperately wanted to dive back into it.

He shifted me so that I was cradled in his arms and stood up, making me squeak in surprise.

"Hey! I can walk, you know," I snapped, hands clinging to his shirt.

"Humor me." His response was accompanied by a chuckle and echoed by my grumble, but I settled down and let him carry me out of the dining room. He set me carefully on the couch in the library and passed me the book I'd been reading, before dropping down next to me with one of his own. Feeling strangely at ease with him, I curled into his side to read. After a moment, his free hand slid back into my hair.

"Hey Anthony?" I spoke up, a thought occurring to me. "Are there any books on changelings?"

His fingers stilled in my hair. "I don't believe so. They only started appearing a couple months ago."

I chewed on my lip, a grimace crossing my face. "Do you... Do you know if any of them have- have made it home?" Tears fought their way into my eyes.

"I haven't heard of it happening, no."

My hands pressed to my eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears at the thought that I might never make it home. "W-would you even tell me the truth if you did know?"

"I will never lie to you. I promise." He shifted, jostling me around a bit, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "If you would like, I could introduce you to some other changelings?"

I tilted my head back enough that I could look up at him, my eyes wide. "You'd do that?"

"Of course. I told you, I want you to be happy here." He pressed another kiss to my forehead, a soft smile on his face. The tears started to well up again and I quickly settled back down, face turned away, to hide them.

"Thank you," I mumbled, burying my face back in my book as his fingers slid back into my hair. I don't know how long we sat curled up together like that in comfortable silence, but it was relaxing enough that I slowly fell asleep against him.

---

"Sweetheart?"

I blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the sudden bright light, before turning to face the woman who'd spoken. She was a serious woman, with bright green eyes and very long, dark pink hair. Her very being resonated a familiar power, and the sight of her comforted me.

She stepped towards me and her hand reached out to trail across my cheek, a worried smile on her lips. "You don't have to do this sweetheart."

There was a snort from behind me and I spun around quickly to see where it came from.

"Of course she has to Roselle. Don't kid yourself, and don't baby her." The man who spoke was tall and lanky and his hair continued the theme of strange colors, being a very dark, bluish grey. The grin he flashed me was cocky, but I could see worry behind his eyes. "This'll be a piece of cake. Just make sure you say something witty when he dies."

"Oh, Magic, don't joke about this." The woman named Roselle came out from behind me, arms crossed over her chest. She glared at him and his smile turned soft. Two steps and he had his arms wrapped around her, drawing her to his chest.

"I'm sorry my love, I'm just trying to keep things light. I feel like we're all on the verge of tearing our hair out," he murmured, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. His eyes opened after a moment and he pulled away slightly, holding an arm out to me. For some reason my eyes started to water, and I threw myself into their arms, comforted by the warmth and love that emanated from them.

I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could get any words out the scene was fading away. My eyes fluttered open slowly to be met with the sight of Anthony leaning over me, his silver hair forming a curtain around my face. His eyes were worried as his finger brushed a stray tear from my cheek.

"You're crying," he murmured, thumb brushing across my eyes, wiping away the moisture there. "Bad dream?"

"No. Just... odd." I nuzzled my face into his hand, seeking comfort, and he responded with a soft smile. Tomorrow, I told myself. Tomorrow I'd hate myself for seeking comfort from him, but tonight I was too off kilter, my brain still too fuzzy to care.

Feeling sleep creeping in again, I quickly opened my eyes back up, wanting to ask a question before I forgot. "Anthony, who's Magic?"

A frown crossed his lip, confusion furrowing his brow. "He's one of the deities, but nobody is entirely sure if he exists anymore. Why do you ask?"

My brain struggled to process that, but before I could respond I was slipping back into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.

---

The next week passed in relative peace. Aside from the occasional passionate kiss, Anthony kept his hands off me for the most part. We did cuddle while reading after dinner frequently, and I may have fallen asleep on him a couple times. He very politely didn't tease me over it, and I very carefully held my temper in check. By the end of the week, I was feeling rather comfortable around him, enough that I was smiling and laughing easily, even going as far as to crack jokes.

The only dark spots in my week were the dreams. I had the one about the man and woman once, and another where Fate cryptically told me I needed to remember who I was again. The most disturbing was one of Anthony however.

It took me a moment to recognize him, as his hair was a light brown rather than the silver I was used to, but the sight of his blue eyes when his head lifted confirmed it for me. He was in a dungeon, arms shackled above his head, and his limp body was covered in bruises and cuts, blood dripping onto the floor below him. A horrified gasp escaped me at the sight of him.

His eyes met mine and a spark lit behind them. "Come to torment me?" He snapped, voice harsh and full of hate. I flinched back, heart near to breaking. "Come to look upon the pain you've caused?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered. His roar drowned out my words.

"You betrayed me! You think sorry makes up for my agony!"

I couldn't respond, which seemed to set him off more.

"Leave!" he screamed.

I ran.

I woke up from that dream sobbing uncontrollably, and it took nearly an hour for Anthony to calm me down, holding me tight and stroking my hair, murmuring soothing words in my ear.

---

That's the dream that finally spurred me into doing some real research. Most of my reading up until then had been about various species in this world, and a little on history and politics. Taking advantage of Anthony being out of the house for the day, I scoured the library for books about the deities. There were whole books about individual deities, even novels written about them. I learned that Fate really did have a habit of fucking with people's lives, frequently with the help of Chaos and Love. I couldn't find a whole lot of information on Chaos, except that they were quite literally gender fluid, and I discovered that Love was a guy, which was surprising.

It took forever, but I finally found a mention of Magic in a rather old looking book. The information about him was vague, basically coming down to an explanation that he was the deity representing magic (duh), that he had a human consort, and that he disappeared shortly after The Great War, a battle between the kingdom and a sorcerer named Verone.

I snorted at the cliche name of the war, before going to research it and the sorcerer. Surprisingly, I didn't find any other mention of either. Looking at the mess I'd made, I very frustratedly cleaned up, not wanting to disappoint Anthony after he trusted me to behave in here.

Dropping onto the couch finally, I frowned, brow furrowed as I considered what I'd found. Why was information so easy to find on any other deity except this one? Why wasn't there any other mention of the so called 'Great War'? And why was I so worried about disappointing Anthony?

A groan escaped me and I pressed the palms of my hands to my eye, flopping across the couch on my back. There was no way I was starting to develop feelings for him. It was unspeakable. Ridiculous. I needed to erase all such thoughts from my mind.

"Alanna!"

His voice made my heart skip a beat and butterflies flit in my stomach. I growled at my body, telling it to calm the fuck down, before dragging myself to my feet and making my way to the door. My head poked out, lips twisting into a smile at the sight of him. "Welcome back Anthony," I said, slipping from the library. He stepped towards me with a warm smile and scooped me into his arms, tight against his chest, making me melt slightly.

"We have a visitor," he declared as he pulled away and led me into the sitting room, making my brow furrow in confusion.

"A visi- Drell!" I gasped as he stood up, a cocky grin on his face.

"Hello again Alanna," his voice rung with amusement at my obvious surprise.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

He laughed and the sound rolled down my spine, causing a pleasant shiver. "Oh, I did miss that mouth of yours. What, I'm not allowed to visit? Anthony is my best friend after all."

I blushed, having forgot about that.

"Besides, I missed doing this." His large frame moved towards me, hand wrapping around my shoulders and jerking me forwards, lips pressing firmly against mine. The kiss burned with the same heat Anthony's did, confusing my body and making me groan. I yanked away after a moment, breathless, to realize that he seemed just as affected by it.

My eyes darted towards Anthony to see his reaction, but he only chuckled, eyes bright with amusement.

Drell sighed, having apparently composed himself, and cast a simpering look towards his friend. "Now if only Anthony would kiss me like that, my life would be complete."

"You may as well stop trying Drell, I've told you before that I'm not interested in men."

Another sigh as he dropped dejectedly into a chair. "Oh well, I shall simply have to amuse myself with the kitten." It took me a moment to realize he was talking about me, and when I did I cast a hot glare at him.

"Fuck you. I'm not a fucking toy."

"Anthony, you haven't broke her of that habit of cursing at people yet?" Drell grumbled, making him laugh.

"My rule only applies to her swearing at me. I couldn't care less how she talks to you."

I grinned smugly at Drell, crossing my arms over my chest. "Yeah, so fuck you."

"Why must you be so hateful, kitten? What did I ever do to deserve such abuse?" he complained, earning another glare.

"You sold me into slavery you ass!" I snapped, hands curling into fists.

He paused before answering. "Oh. Right. I forgot about that." With a groan he pushed himself out of his chair. "Anyways, to prevent anymore fighting, I'm going to go ahead and take my leave."

"So soon?" Anthony frowned.

He nodded. "I only dropped my for a short visit on my way to the castle. Apparently something big happened a couple days ago, and many of us are being called in. I'll let you know what's going on when I find out more." He slung an arm around my waist, dragging me against him again for another hard, quick kiss, before leaving.

"You just let him take advantage of me?" I snapped at Anthony, trying to sound angry despite my breathlessness. 

He grinned. "What? You looked like you were enjoying it. And I'm sure you're more than capable of putting your foot down when you don't like something." I growled.

An angry Alanna made dinner a rather uncomfortable affair, though I'm pretty sure Anthony spent the entire meal laughing at me.