Death of a Master Ch. 06

Chapter Six

Survival of the Wounded Heart

Valerie woke, her groggy mind surprised at not hearing the dreaded beeping of her alarm. Gradually, she became aware of the moving, whispering form next to her in bed. Susan was crying softly in her sleep, her body thrashing gently in the throes of what could only be described as a nightmare.

"Master, please don't leave me. Calvin, I can't do it alone," the woman cried.

Val looked over and saw Sally had woken as well. Susan was sleeping between them, unable to handle sleeping alone; certainly not in a separate room. Sally took Susan in her arms, holding her tight as the nightmare played out. The dreams had started that weekend, while Valerie had been at Charles' house. Susan jerked suddenly, waking from the terrors in her mind.

"He's left me. He's left me alone," she cried, her tears dampening Sally's shoulder.

"He didn't want to," Sally whispered in return. "He was taken from you."

"But it still hurts so much," Susan said.

"I know, love, I know," Valerie added, her own arms reaching to enclose the hurting lady between them. "It felt the same way when Mike was taken from me."

"In my dreams, he...he left me, cast me out because I wasn't good enough. I wasn't slave enough for him any more."

"You know that's not true," Sally replied. "You're the most committed slave I've ever known. There's nothing you wouldn't do or endure for him, was there?"

"No, I don't think so. There were times he would beat me until I passed out from the pain. I just needed to be his, to be so totally his. Before I met Master, my life was a wreck. Did you know I'd gone through ten roommates in the four years before I met him?" Sally shook her head, not wanting to interrupt the vital remembrances Susan was experiencing. "I'd fight with them, push them around and make them miserable. Yet, even though I'd get my way, I was miserable myself. The only times I'd be at peace was when I found a play partner. It was harder then; Mephisto's didn't exist back then."

Valerie started to say something, but Sally forestalled it with a motion from her hand.

"Calvin was the first Dom I'd met with who allowed me to not have a safe word. He was the first to give me more pain than I would have asked for. He had me begging for him to stop, and he didn't. I'd made him promise to do what he wanted to do, and to ignore any pleas on my part. Afterwards, I knew I could never go back to the safe and sane play that others would give me. I asked to be his slave that first night."

Susan paused, seemingly not sure if she should go on; not sure if she could go on. Sally, who knew the story already, prodded her. "He didn't did he?"

"No, he wouldn't take me then. He wanted me to understand what I was getting into. We played as often as my body could handle the damage. I'd be his slave from when I walked in until he told me to leave. The longer we went, the more it seemed he just fit me; like a well worn glove. I just knew that I had to be his; not just his slave, but his property, his thing to own and do with as he pleased. It was months, almost a year, when I told him I needed more than the occasional weekend play date. I wanted to know what it would be like long term."

"What did he say?"

"He said that would only work if I didn't know how long the trial would last. So I told him to pick a time, and I would commit for it. I still don't know how long he picked. I've been...was his ever since."

"Until you wanted to quit," Val said in a soft voice. "He told me a couple of years ago that he would keep you until you quit. I don't think he actually believed you would quit, though, not by then."

"No, I would never quit him. I did leave once, while he was at work. I hadn't been out of the house for an hour before I felt so miserable that I had to come back. He was the center of my life." Susan choked up, her thoughts turning towards a dark future. "I don't know if I can go on without him," she cried.

"You can, Susan, I know you can," Sally answered. "It's what makes us human, that we can, and do, go on after loss. It's not always quick. Sometimes it takes a long time to recover from the death of a loved one. But, you'll laugh at a joke one day, and then feel a little guilty that you enjoyed something without him. Once it happens once though, other times will come, more and more often. Soon, the painful times will be the minority. Through it all, you'll realize that you have to go on, for him, not in spite of him."

"I can't see that far. I can barely see tomorrow."

"Which is farther than you could see last week."

Valerie was interrupted by the beeping of her alarm, as it let her know that another week of work had started. She rolled her nude body off the side of the bed, standing free of the covers. She turned back towards the two women left in the bed. "Susan, you're welcome here for as long as you want to stay. If you need anything, just ask. I'm afraid I have to get ready for work. Sally, breakfast, if you will?"

"Of course, Mistress. How many places at the table?"

"Two, plus one for Susan if she's up to it."

Valerie padded her way to the shower and it's extra large capacity dedicated hot water tank. With Sally fixing her breakfast, Val was able to lounge in the hot water, letting it massage her body. Her pussy and breasts ached for a lover's touch, something the weekend hadn't included. As she dried off and fixed her makeup, Val decided that she needed to play with her slave. Both had gone the weekend without any play, let alone sex.

Once she'd dressed, Valerie grabbed a couple of small toys from their bedroom toy box and joined the other two women in the dining room. Sally, not having been told what to wear, was still naked, save for an apron to protect her from the splattering of bacon grease. Susan had put on an oversized t-shirt and a skirt. Susan sat at the table while Sally put the last of breakfast in the center. When Sally turned back to the table from hanging up her apron, she found Valerie toe to toe with her.

Valerie brought her hands up to grab Sally's breasts, forcing her slave and lover against the wall. Their eyes met, each revealing a hunger for what the other had to offer, be it submission or domination. Val's fingers pinched Sally's nipples, eliciting a gasp and moan from the slave. Val leaned in, lips almost brushing Sally's, as she increased the pressure, seemingly intending to squash the tender nubs flat. Sally gasped, her hands clasping her thighs to keep from coming up protectively. The lovers' eyes never left each other, as they reveled in the brief play time they allowed themselves.

Valerie released Sally's nipples only to press her arm against her lover's neck, holding her in place. Sally could see a hint of a toy in that hand while the other went to her cunt, which had lubricated itself in the short time she'd been in pain. She felt Val's fingers pressing something round into her cunt; two round things. Valerie pressed them in as deep as her fingers could reach. Sally recognized the feel and shape of the ben wa balls that now resided inside her. The subtle feelings of the balls moving in her as she went about her day would keep her aroused without providing enough sensation to send her over the top.

Valerie used her now empty hand to grab the back of Sally's neck, forcing her to the table. "Have you been to the toilet slave?"

"Yes, Mistress. I used the upstairs bathroom."

"Good, because you're going to be wearing this all day," Val replied, holding the butt plug for Sally to see. Sally licked her lips at the sight. While not the largest they owned, the one Val had chosen was insidious because it wasn't totally smooth. It was lined with small concave dimples that, while not very big, would over time, make their presence known on Sally's rectal muscles.

Val pushed Sally over the edge of the table and kicked her legs apart. Sally found herself staring into Susan's eyes as the former slave stared at the couple with a mixture of embarrassment and longing. Susan's eyes brimmed with tears as memories rose, unbidden, of her former Master and his pleasure in using her.

As Val pressed the plug into Sally's pussy, Sally realized that her own juices were to be the only lube she would get. At Val's order, Sally reached back and pulled her ass cheeks apart, clearing the way for the plug. Val placed the plug against Sally's sphincter and gave one shove, forcing the toy all the way in. Sally cried out at the rough treatment, her ass aching at the passage of the studded intruder. With a hard slap on her butt, Val released her slave to stand while she took her own seat at the table.

"Susan, are you okay?" Valerie asked, noting the unshed tears in her eyes.

Susan sniffed, nodding her head. "Yeah, I was just remembering...Master." She didn't mention her burst of desire for being used by a strong dominant. It still felt too much like betrayal of the man she loved.

"If you ever feel the need to play, just ask. You don't have to be a slave to play."

"I...I will. Thank you," she replied, a small smile gracing her face for the first time in a week.

Val turned to Sally. "As for you, my little slave, those are to stay in until I take them out and you're not to cum without permission."

"Yes, Mistress," came Sally's breathless answer. Valerie picked up on her needs so well these days. She shifted a little as the plug tried to settle in. As she squirmed, the ben wa balls shifted as well, pushing pleasantly against Sally's inner membranes. Her breath came in a rush as pleasure trickled through her body. Her juices were going to coat her inner thighs by the time Val returned home.

Valerie smiled as her own pussy became damp in anticipation of her slave's service later. "It's going to be a long day for both of us," Val thought to herself. Finishing her meal, Valerie stood and embraced her sitting lover from behind. Val's hands caressed Sally's nipples, feeling them harden in response to the familiar touches. As Val pinched them, Susan, sitting to the side, licked her lips without realizing it. Susan's body, unused to going so long without Calvin using it for his pleasure in some way, stirred in an almost unnoticed arousal.

Sally leaned back in her chair, giving her body over to her Mistress' hands. She writhed in her chair as Valerie's skilled fingers brought Sally's nipples to an aching rigidity. Her squirming set the plug and balls embedded in her body to further stimulating her arousal. It wasn't long before Sally's cunt was soaked and her fragrance was competing with the smells of breakfast for domination. Sally started to pant as Val moved one hand down her torso, towards her pussy.

"No cumming, slave," came the whispered reminder as her lover's hand brushed Sally's pussy lips. Each loving touch induced a frantic moan from Sally as she fought to not give into her desire for release. Her entire body tensed to fight off the waves of pleasure threatening to burst forth from the center of her being.

When Val brushed Sally's clit, she cried out, "Please Mistress, I can't hold on."

Valerie pulled her hands away, leaving only her chin resting on her slave's shoulder. Tears flowed down Sally's cheek as she pushed the incipient orgasm down, denying herself the culmination of her pleasure. Watching in desirous fascination, Susan licked her lips unconsciously, recalling similar struggles her Master had put her through. She wouldn't realize until later that she, for the first time, recalled Calvin without the flare of pain she'd come to expect.

"I want you to drive yourself to the brink at least twice while I'm at work. When you do, you must stimulate your cunt and clit for at least 15 minutes without stopping. If you cum, I'll punish you tonight. I want each session recorded on the computer for Master to view at his leisure."

"Yes, Mistress. Mistress, I don't know if I'll be able to hold out. I might fail you."

"No, slave, you won't fail me. If you cum, I'll enjoy punishing you mercilessly. If you don't cum, I'll enjoy fucking you to half a dozen orgasms or more. It's a win-win for me. Your only choice is what you get out of tonight."

"I understand."

"Good. Now clean my hand."

Sally spent a few minutes, sensuously licking her own juices from Val's hand, savoring the taste she hoped her Mistress would be enjoying herself tonight. Valerie wiped her hand dry against Sally's belly and headed out to work, leaving Sally and Susan by themselves.

At the office, June had everything ready, as she normally did. "Ms. Burbon, how is Susan doing?"

"As well as can be expected, I guess. I think she forgot her loss for a few seconds at breakfast."

"It's never easy. Here's your appointment schedule. The proofs are back on the new ads for Sylvia's Switch. I left them on your desk."

In spite of the ever present nature of computers and digital photography, at some point in time, any pictures would be viewed in the medium an ad was to appear in. It was always best that time was before the reader saw them and any glaring errors or problems that were included. Valerie spent the next half hour looking over the ad photos, making sure their appearance on magazine gloss didn't hold any surprises. She knew, from the slip included, that Nelly had an identical set that she would be looking over today, if she hadn't already done so. Val made some notes about minor changes needed to accommodate the pages of the magazines the ads were scheduled to appear in.

June's voice over the intercom interrupted her. "Ms. Burbon, Mary Carstares is on line two. She sounds upset."

"Thanks, June." Val picked up her phone. "Mary, what can I do for you?"

"Ms. Burbon, they want me to take over!" Mary's voice was rushed and high pitched, indicating a high level of distress.

"Slow down, Mary. Who wants you to take over what?"

"Upper management. They want me to take over Calvin's job; to edit Pony's Paddock."

"Congratulations," Val offered without thinking.

"No! I can't do his job. I'm a secretary, for God's sake. What do I know about publishing?"

"Mary, slow down. Calm down. Of course you can do this. You've been Calvin's right hand man for two years. Honestly, I think you know as much about the magazine as he did, if not more. No one knows more about every publication here than you do, Mary. George wouldn't have put you in charge if he didn't think you could handle it," Val assured Mary, referring to George Falstaff, Delgrasi's general manager.

"But...why me? I mean, there must be plenty of people who are better editors than I am."

"Perhaps, though I wouldn't want to bet on that. But what you have that they don't, is an understanding of the readers of Pony's Paddock. Mary, for someone who's as unkinky as you are, you have an amazing curiosity about all things kink. Add your phenomenal memory and ability to accept another's differences as just that, and I can't think of a better replacement for Calvin, myself. You know the magazine and have the skills to step in and take the reigns."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Even if I make some changes?"

"Especially if you make some changes. Mary, no one expects you to blindly keep the same course as Calvin. You're an individual with your own views as to what should be done. Did they say you were to be an interim editor?"

"No, just that I was to take over for him."

"I thought so. You can do this, Mary, in fact, I suspect the hardest job you'll have to do in the next few weeks or months, is to replace yourself. Remember, you were what, the thirteenth potential secretary I'd interviewed two years ago; and Calvin never did manage to find his own. I sent you his way."

"Oh my God. I hadn't thought of that. Any suggestions?"

"If you know of anyone as open as yourself, snap them up. It's easier to find an open-minded person and make them a good secretary than to find a good secretary and make them open-minded."

"Hmmm," came Mary's voice, her attention seemingly on something else, suddenly. "I think I know who I might be able to get. I'm sorry, Ms. Burbon, I have to go. Thank you."

"Not at all, Mary. Oh, and since you're on the editorial staff, make it Valerie or Val. Be sure to let me know if you need anything else."

Valerie hung up the phone and returned to her work, putting her mind back on the upcoming appointments. Her first one, due to start in 15 minutes, was with one of their regular advertisers. Restrained Passions was a company that sold all manner of sex toys, with an emphasis on, not surprisingly, restraints and sensation play toys. They carried regular ads in several publications, including Mastering Magazine, The Sensible Submissive, Bondage Monthly and The Pony's Paddock. According to June's note, Mr. Harris, Val's regular contact with the company, wanted to consult about a new product they were introducing.

Given the company's penchant for taking security to extremes, Valerie wasn't surprised to find no indication of just what the new product was. She called up their existing ads and product line to remind herself just what they were currently pushing. Their existing inventory was immense, with numerous models of every device Valerie could conceive of; many of which were quite specialized in nature. In fact, specialty items seemed to be the major thrust of their product lines.

Valerie's studies did little beyond setting her mind on their products in general. Before she knew it, there was a knock and June peeked in, announcing, "Ms. Burbon, Mr. Harris is here."

"Thanks, June. Show him in, please," she answered, rising to meet the older gentleman. Val shook hands with him, eyeing the canvas bag he was carrying. "Welcome, Mr. Harris. It's good to see you again."

"Thank you, Ms. Burbon. It's good to see you again." As they sat in their respective chairs, he continued, "We have something quite different from our usual products and are hoping you have some ideas on how to best advertise it."

"Sounds interesting. I was just going over your ads with us, and wondering just what new toys you might have developed. Your existing product lines are quite extensive."

"Actually, in a way, the new product is something we already carry; or should I say several somethings. First, some background. As you're no doubt aware, the current economic slump has put a crimp in the bottom line of pretty much everyone in the adult toy industry. When someone isn't sure they'll be able to pay their bills in three months, spending extra on sex toys seems like too much of an extravagance. When the customer is willing to spend, he or she wants something of value. Specialty items are far less likely to attract their dollar."

"I've experienced that myself," Val commented with a nod.

"Exactly," he continued. "Especially hard hit are the sales of bondage frames. A lot less people are willing to spend from $500 to $1000 for a single frame. That's what this is designed to address," he said as he lifted the bag he'd brought with him. It was about as long as, and maybe half again as thick as one of those collapsible camp chairs that were increasingly popular as lawn furniture.

Valerie rose and came around her desk so she could examine the case in more detail. Harris handed her the bag, offering to let her feel how heavy it was. "I've felt heavier toy bags," Val commented. "How does this address your flagging sales of frames?"

"This is a bandage frame, or rather, several bondage frames in one." Taking the bag back, he turned to a clear section of floor and opened the bag, letting the contents splay out of the bag. The metallic clanking was a bit loud as numerous lengths of metal tubing slid out onto the floor. The last object was a smaller, leather bag, which landed with a significant thud, indicating quite a bit of weight for it's smaller size. Val also noted the crimped ends of many of the poles, much like the poles for a tent.