My Master's Brother Ch. 13

Author's note: There's no sex here, just drama and development. non-consent ideas wore thin and now it'll head more toward romance, sneaking around to hook up with "master", occasional bondage (actual consensual BDSM now that im learning the lingo). unless I think up something better tomorrow.

A light awoke me. Master was still asleep, and I knew this was a safe haven no one else would endanger me at. I didn't have time to consider whether or not I would be disciplined for waking him.

"Master." I shook him from his drunken slumber.

"Elizabeth," he groaned. He squinted, then jolted out of bed and began cleaning the floor of our clothes and shoved them into a drawer.

A beep came. Not the normal beep that allowed Master entry, but one that must have denied entry.

Master went to a stack of his clothing in the corner and dressed in soft, sleep pants and a tight, black shirt, all the while more beeps and flashes came from the keypad. "Go to the bathroom and shut the door.

I got out of bed, but at the sound of the beep that granted entry, I turned back to the bed to cover my nudity.

Master's glare held warning, so I took the blanket with me toward the bathroom.

"Lizzie?" The nerve that bastard Jonah had to call me by the nickname he'd given me.

I turned with a scowl to the man in a black suit and sky-blue tie. He had locked me in a bathroom without food. He had left me to suffer.

"Fuck you," I spat, pulling the soft blanket tighter beneath my arms. His shocked expression was the only reason I could tell his face from Master's.

I looked to Master in worry. His furrowed brow had me backing into the restroom that had once been my home.

"Stop!" he ordered.

Trembling and gaze downcast, I obeyed.

"Is that our mother's necklace on her?" Jonah's tone was more surprised than Master's dominant voice.

"She has been well behaved." Master's voice shifted to growing anger. "Until you arrived." For some reason, I didn't mind remaining silent as people discussed me.

Soft taps announced Jonah's steps toward me. He lifted my chin so I would look at him.

I slapped his hand.

"Slave," Master snapped.

"Yes--"

"Blanket off and bend over the bed for disobeying me."

I didn't want to be humiliated in front of Jonah. He had no right to see Master discipline me. Instead of obeying, I backed closer to the bathroom.

Jonah gripped my arm. "Please do as he asks." It would be like him to manipulate me with politeness. Fear of Master was the reason I went to the bed.

"Master--"

"No. Drop the blanket and bend over." He wasn't holding the crop, nor was there a paddle in sight. Would he fuck me in front of Jonah? Would he let Jonah fuck me? How angry could Master be?

Deflated, I obeyed.

The collar wrapped my neck. "Spread your legs," Master ordered.

Tears poured down my cheeks, and my heart-rate blared in my ears. My legs spread wide.

"She was doing well until you pulled this stunt, Jonah. She needs to remain with me."

"You have kept her from me long enough!"

Master came behind me and placed a ball-gag into my mouth. Too gentle, as though to calm me before the horrors to come. Every muscle in my body tightened and my knees shook. Time slowed, or maybe this was added torment as he acted slowly.

Master's hand landed on my backside--harder than ever before. I cried into the gag. Another strike, just as hard on my thigh. Another, and another, always somewhere a little different.

"Stop," Jonah said.

"No leniency." Master struck me again, this time the blow landed against my core.

"Now you're punishing me!" Jonah was closer behind me.

"You shouldn't have interrupted training." Master's punishment was directed toward Jonah. Despite the angered flesh, the pain wasn't near as bad. Jonah deserved to suffer, and even I was pained, then I hoped he suffered.

A gentle hand landed on my back. "Turn around, Lizzie." Jonah loosened the strap on the ball-gag and removed it.

I remained in place.

Master spoke, "You're to obey him."

My tears returned. What sort of sick betrayal was this? Why would Master force this upon me?

I whimpered as I turned.

Jonah, now bare-chested, slid the sleeve of his shirt up my arm. This was what Master wanted? Once his shirt was on me, Jonah said, "Come with me."

I cast my gaze to Master, whose scowl was set on Jonah. "I need to apply a salve before she goes."

I turned and crawled onto the bed. I'd only received lashings that required salve once before, but I knew to be on my hands and knees. The bed dipped behind me, and his firm palm pressed between my shoulder blades to lower me. Any other time, the sound of his hands warming lotion would have been exciting. Not anymore. Now it was the last time. He'd given me away, and to Jonah of all people. A man who would have let me suffer.

Every stroke of cream on my burning flesh was one touch closer to misery--one brief moment in time that was both dread and joy. As his hands slowed, he moved forward, the hardness of his girth pressed against me. I cried out, not from pain, but from the void of abandonment.

"Master," I whispered, unconcerned with any punishment for speaking after he'd silenced me. Even the kneading of my hips provided no comfort. "Master," I spoke through hiccups.

"She receives no comfort," Master snapped. The words meant for Jonah. "And stay back there!"

"She called for me!"

But Jonah wasn't my Master, nor would he ever earn the title.

Master reached for the chain laying near my head, and guided me upward until my back pressed to his chest. Heated breath rolled over my shoulder. Lips barely grazed my neck. His hardness pressed firm to my back.

"Don't cry, Elizabeth." At that moment, all I wanted was to be called Slave. To stay. His hand went to my chest, to the sapphire he'd given me. The gift I'd thought was given out of love. He centered the jewel. "Be good for me." His hand trailed downward, the feather-light touch along my nipple brought a tingle.

My chest quaked, despite the emptiness to come. The love that I thought he had for me. "I thought--"

I barely heard his faint whisper. "I do."

But I had no clue what he said those words in response to. Did he not want Jonah to hear me? Not to know that I loved him? Or did it have nothing to do with that at all?