Stranger Than Truth Ch. 04

"Sally, that's... really unusual. Can you explain why you need the harshness?"

"I don't know if I can. The denials, the animalization, they are all things that make me feel like a slave. But they are things I enjoy, too. I need to know that you'll do things for yourself, that I don't enjoy. I need to know that you're using me, not just pleasing me."

"I see. You know I can't do pain well. It tears me up. Hell! After a point, I can't even watch you being hurt."

"Mistress, please! I need this, I really do. I need to know that I'm your slave, not just your lover." Sally was in tears, the salty drops dropping onto Val's chest.

Valerie held Sally tight, trying to comfort the weeping woman. Her stomach knotted as she considered her options. In the end, she went with love instead of comfort. She knew she could push herself if she had to, though it would leave her physically sick. Sally, however, was worth it.

"Sally. Go downstairs and wait for me."

"Yes Mistress."

After Sally went downstairs, Valerie called her office and left a massage for June that she would be in late. It was fortunate that she had no early appointments. She hung up, wistfully wishing she could call Surmi and ask her to whip Sally. Surmi truly enjoyed both sides of pain. Then it hit her. There was something she could do, and Surmi was the reason she knew she could.

Valerie walked downstairs with a lightness in her step. Sally was next to the whipping post, on her knees. Val strode over to her with determination. Grabbing her hair, she dragged the stumbling submissive to one of the ceiling mounted eye bolts.

"Stand!" she ordered, pulling on Sally's hair. Sally whimpered in pain as she scrambled to her feet. "Stay there. Don't move!"

Valerie retrieved some chains from their toy drawers as well a reaching pole and some antibiotic ointment. She used the pole to feed one of the chains through the eyebolt. One end was attached to Sally's cuffs. Val then pulled the chains tight, until they had lifted Sally to her toes. The end was clipped to a floor connector. The other chain was attached to one ankle cuff, pulled through a floor bolt, back past Sally, through another floor bolt and tied of to the other ankle cuff. She made sure to pull it tight enough to stretch Sally's legs far apart.

Valerie walked around Sally, letting her stew in anticipation. Then, quick as a snake, she dropped her head towards sally's breast and bit down on it, hard. Sally cried out in shock. They had used biting for erotic purposes, but never enough to cause great pain, but this time Valerie was biting for the pain only. She had discovered, months ago with Surmi, that bite play did not trigger her pain inflicting sensitivity. So she bit Sally and kept increasing the pressure, feeling her teeth sink into Sally's breast.

"Oh God, Mistress! Please stop. I didn't mean this. Please, not this. It's too much!"

Valerie ignored the pleas for mercy, continuing to increase the pressure until she felt something give. Taking her mouth away, she saw tooth impressions that were leaking drops of blood. Val smeared a little ointment on the bite marks, recalling Surmi's comment, "Nothing infects as easily and as badly as a human bite."

Then she bit the other breast, going even harder, forcing Sally into convulsive sobs from the pain and fear. The second bite bled a little more and she treated it as well. Val played with Sally's nipples, looking up at the fearful woman with a wide, tooth showing grin.

Sally shook her head, pleading, "No, please, not my nipples. Please don't Mistress. I can't take it."

"Too bad," Val said and latched her front teeth onto one nipple. Sally screamed in terror, fearful that her nipple would be bitten off. Val, however, carefully monitored this bite, not letting it break the skin. When she was clamped on as hard as she dared, she pulled her head back, stretching the nipple with her. Sally's pleas were incoherent and she was shaking her head and twisting her body. Val had to release the nipple early to avoid Sally hurting herself.

Then Val knelt down with her face right next to Sally's pussy. Her finger pulled he hood off of Sally's clit, causing the woman to start babbling and shaking. One hand held Sally still, not letting her move while the other kept the hood pulled back. Valerie's mouth reached up and she brought her teeth down on Sally's sensitive organ. This scream was even louder, enough to make Val happy the basement was soundproofed, and it was accompanied by racking sobs.

She released Sally and stood back, licking her lips, tasting Sally's juices. It occurred to Val that Sally might not even know how aroused her cunt was. Once Sally had settled down a bit, Val let her down and took her to the hide-a-bed. She clipped Sally's cuffs to the bed, spread eagling her.

"Sally."

Tears still in her eyes, she answered, "Yes, Mistress."

"You are mine, woman. I can do with you as I please. Do you really think that pain is the worst way I can use you?"

Sally's eyes widened. She had never heard this side of Val before and it scared her. She had no clue about the emotional turmoil that Valerie was going through to be so harsh and prepare for what she planned to do.

"Your very life is mine, slave!"

With that, Valerie pinched Sally's nose shut and cupped her hand over Sally's mouth tight enough to form a seal. Terror filled Sally's eyes and she began to struggle against her bonds. Val could feel the suction on her hands from the frantic attempts to breathe in. Soon, Sally was pleading with her eyes, begging for air, precious air. In Sally's mind, she had lost the assuredness that she was safe with Valerie. Val could take her life and there was nothing she could do about it. Tears began to flow and her struggles redoubled.

Valerie's outward calm was a mask over her pain. It was in the middle of the last bite that she realized what Sally needed. Sally needed to know that itwasn'tsafe. That's what the safe word issue was all about. Sally had not used her safe word in six months because her submission had become too safe, too predictable. The edge was gone and she was desperate to get it back, any way she could. So Valerie was taking her as far into unsafe as she could. Val knew that Charles would be livid when he found out, but this was for Sally.

Sally's struggles weakened. The eyes looking back at Valerie lost the pleading and showed acceptance. In her head, she knew that Val could very well kill her and she made the conscious choice to let it happen. Valerie saw that in her eyes and smiled. Without letting go, she leaned down and kissed Sally just as her eyes started to close. Waiting ten more seconds, Val released her hands and listened at Sally's nose. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she heard the faint whistle of air moving in and out of her nostrils.

While Sally was passed out, Val released her limbs and pulled Sally onto her lap. When Sally's eyes opened again, she gasped, gave a sob and clutched Val close. Valerie held her close as well, letting the tension ease out of both their bodies. Both cried softly for several minutes. Sally spoke first.

"Mistress. How did you know?"

"I don't know. We've always been able to sense what each other needs. You needed to fly without a net."

"I didn't even know that was what I needed. I was so scared. I didn't know if you were going to let me breathe again. I should have trusted you."

"No. You needed to not trust me, just this once. You needed to know that I would take you past what is considered safe. I hope you never need to go that far again. It's very hard on both of us."

"Thank you Mistress. Is there anything else you require of me?"

"Not right now. Tonight, I'm giving you to Steven to use any way he wishes. He has been told you're on orgasm restriction, but nothing else."

"I understand Mistress."

"Sally. This is important. Do you have a safe word limit right now?"

Sally shuddered. "I don't think so. I only remembered that I have safe words when I couldn't breathe, and I didn't want to use them. Mistress, I'm really scared. I won't stop anyone from doing anything to me. What is happening to me?"

"I don't know, baby, I don't know. Master and I will keep you safe, though. You know how Steven dominates. He likes the role playing. He won't take you too far. That's why I called him. You're to be whatever he wants you to be tonight."

"Why are you... Oh, that's right. You're going out with Gwen." Sally smiled at the thought. "You'll have a wonderful time. Just let Gwen seduce you and take you. It won't be a real domination, but it will be close. She so likes to lead in sex."

"That's good. I think I've used up my leading quota this morning."

"I'm sorry I was so demanding."

"Don't be. You're worth it. Now, go upstairs and fix me breakfast, Slave. And no more talking. You're back on speech restriction."

Sally smiled and bounced off the bed to race upstairs. Valerie followed more slowly. She took her shower and got ready for work. At the table, she made Sally eat from the floor again, informing her that she could not speak until Steven showed up to use her. Then she headed to work.

"Morning, June. Did I miss anything?"

"No Ms. Burbon. There is an e-mail from Dutch, confirming the shoot for tomorrow. I also contacted the models and confirmed that they would be there."

"Thanks June. I'll want you there too. Lord knows I'll never keep everything straight on my own. Will that be a problem?"

"No, ma'am. I'll be fine."

"Could you ask Calvin if he's available for a meeting. No more than half an hour I would guess."

"Right away."

Valerie checked her e-mail (she used a different account for her work related contacts) while she waited for a confirmation from June. Nothing was pressing, just some inquiries from editors about the ads in upcoming issues and from advertisers asking for minor changes to the ads they already had. June buzzed her just a few minutes later.

"Ms. Burbon, Mr. Freshin says he can spare you a few minutes right now."

"Thanks, June. I'll be in his office if anything comes up."

Val walked down the hall to Calvin's office, finding Mary, his new secretary in her usual spot. Mary looked up from her typing, smiled and indicated that she should go right in. Valerie went in, closing the door behind her.

"Morning Calvin. How is Mary working out?"

"I think I got the better deal on the secretaries. Mary is phenomenal. I almost don't have to tell her what needs to be done. It's like she reads my mind. Even better, she is someone I can bounce ideas off of with no fear that she will cry harassment."

"I'm glad she's working out. Is Susan back to her usual submissive self?"

"Yes, thank God! She has asked if you could come over for a play date with her. I wasn't sure if I should ask you or Charles..

"I can pass the request on to Master. I would love to play with you and her." Valerie still remembered the intense time she had under Calvin's hands at the handfasting, when he won Sally and her at the auction. From the look on his face, so did Calvin.

"I know you didn't come down to chat. What can I do for you?"

"I need some domination advice?"

Calvin's eyebrow rose. "I wasn't aware you were dominant."

"Not usually. I've dominated Sally a few times, very short times. But there's been a change. Sally is experiencing a new phase of her submission. She hasn't used her safe word since the handfasting, even in the face of pain many times worse than what she has usually gone red light on in the past. Master has her in 24/7 submission to Him and myself. I'm at a loss on how to proceed. I can't handle inflicting pain, other than bite play. Sally needs depth. I think she needs to feel unsafe at times. I know that Susan has no safe word and is 24/7. How can I give Sally what she needs?"

"Let me correct you on one thing. Susan is not 24/7, at least not just 24/7. She is my slave. I know many people in the lifestyle use the word slave when describing their submission, but for Susan, it is something much greater."

"How do you mean?"

"Susan does not have the option of leaving me, ever."

Valerie's mouth hung open. Calvin's claim did not make sense to her. Of course Susan could leave, couldn't she? "What do you mean? How would you stop her?"

Calvin took a minute to gather his thoughts. He could see the utter confusion in Valerie's face and wanted to explain it right. "Val, I'm not the one keeping Susan from leaving, yet she can't leave. She did not come into our relationship looking for a dominant. She came looking for anowner. I really should have her talk to you about this, but for now, I'll try to explain her thoughts. Susan needs to be possessed. When she has to make decisions for herself, she falls apart. She craves total control, total, unwavering, no questions asked, no quarter given, control. She wants her body, her entire life to be someone else's. She needs to be given only two choices at any time, obey or be punished. I give her that. I can be very harsh when she displeases me. I have whipped her back as raw as Ms. Traline did to yours. There are no lasting scars because I know how to avoid them."

"Oh my God!" the horror in Valerie's face was matched only by her desire to escape the room. She fought to control herself, trying to repeat that Calvin was not a danger to her over and over again. "Calvin, that's...that's..."

"...sadistic?"

Valerie nodded her head.

"Yes it is. It is also what Susan needs and wants. She would tell you that in a heartbeat, if she were here."

"It's... hard to fathom. You say she came to you looking for this?"

"Not at first. We connected to simply play. But that first time, we were perfectly matched. She pleaded for more and harder, for intensity and control. I gave her everything she asked for and she asked for more. Afterwards we talked. It had been a fantastic session, but she felt unfulfilled. She confessed that it was the knowledge that it would end, either by her stopping it, or by being over. She told me that she longed for an endless scene, one that would go on until the dominant stopped it, and would start again when the dominant wanted it to, regardless of what she wanted. She was between jobs at the time and I offered to pay her a monthly salary if she would live with me under those very conditions that she would be submitting 24/7, that I could ask foranythingI wanted of her, that she had no choices, only obedience. She accepted with two reservations. She did not want to be paid. She had enough in savings to get back on her feet if it didn't work out."

Calvin paused, leaving Valerie to ask, "What was the second reservation?"

"That only I knew how long the trial would last. She did not want to be able to 'last until the time was up.' She told me that I had to choose a duration and hold to it, without her ever knowing. She even said that I could make it forever, if I wanted."

"How long did you make it?"

"There has been no break. I determined to make it last until she or I no longer wanted it. That has never happened. I think there were a couple of times when she would have left if she had not set it in her mind that she had no choice. Valerie, I believe that Susan would accept mutilation and death at my hands if I demanded that of her."

"But, she seems so happy. I don't understand that."

"That may be why you're having trouble with Sally. She sounds like she may be in the same place Susan was at when I met her." He held up a hand to forestall a complaint. "I'm not saying that she will become, or even need to become, a true slave. But it does sound like she needs to taste it; to know that, for a while at least, she has no choices, that she will be used, abused, and expected to obey without question or safe words. You need to take her safe word away, and her choice of becoming dominant again. I can't say for how long, but it needs to happen."

"No safe words. Master will never allow that. Other than consent, safe words are the bible of our style of play."

"Then Sally may have to leave Charles' service for a time."

Valerie thought for a minute, remembering the breath play from earlier. "I think I may have started down that path. I tied her up and suffocated her with no safety ball. I kept it up until she passed out."

"Very good. I saw, when I had you two six months ago, that the two of you had a level of understanding that bordered on psychic. You perceived what she needed and gave it to her. In your case, I think you simply need to trust your instincts. If you think she needs something, or if you simply want it for yourself, do it. Susan needs the knowledge that she is a toy for my pleasure, whatever that may be. Sally needs that from you and from Charles. Mostly from you, I suspect. Tell me, do you love Sally enough to use her mercilessly?"

"I don't know. I do love her more than life itself."

"Think of this as her life being on the line, or at least, this life of hers. Fail her and she will be diminished. She will become less than she is. Make Sally your total slave. I'm not talking just sex and pain. Take over her whole life. Control her job, who she communicates with, who she sees and plays with, when and if she eats, how she eats, how she goes to the toilet, everything. Leave her absolutely nothing that she has any choices about."

"Master won't do that. I know Him."

"Then convince him to give up Sally for a time. It's in her best interests."

"I'll see what I can do. He does love her and wants what's best for her. It's just a question of whether he seesthisas what's best for her. Can I count on your help?"

"What kind of help?"

"Advice, for one. Also, I'm still a submissive. I can't keep it up for her 24/7. I will need to take time off, submit to Master. Would you be willing to slave sit for me at those times?"

"If you are truly owning her, yes. I can't take a submissive into the house that is not owned. That's why I don't play with others and Susan at Mephisto's. It disturbs her to be put back into a safe word environment."

"If Master does not let me own her, then it won't be an issue. Thanks Calvin. I'd better be going."

Valerie spent the rest of the morning going over routine ad work for the magazines, making sure that what was contracted for was what they were providing. Just before lunch, she received a call from Crystal Hadren.

"Is this Valerie Burbon?"

"Yes, this is Valerie. How are you this morning, Ms. Hadren?"

"I'm fine. Would you have time to meet with me. There's some stuff I need to talk about."

"I think so. I'm just getting ready to take my lunch. Do you want to meet somewhere?"

"That would be great. Do you have anyplace in mind?"

"I was planning on going to a place called Dolly's. It's on 34th and Vine. Can you find that?"

"As long as the cab knows where it is."

"Great. I'll meet you there in 30 minutes."

Valerie finished a few more details and then left for her lunch. Dolly's was a small diner she had discovered near Degrasi's. They had a fantastic, if somewhat basic menu. In the months she had been working at the publishing house, she had yet to be served a bad meal. However, it did require a little more exercise to keep the wonderful food off her hips.

Crystal was only five minutes behind her. When she climbed out of the cab, she looked at the small diner with a quizzical look. Val smiled, thinking that Crystal may never have eaten in a restaurant that charged less than $20 for a lunch. The actress was in for a surprise.

"Ms. Hadren. It's so good to see you. If you'll step inside, I think you'll find Dolly's is a rare treat."

Once they were settled and a waitress had brought them a menu, they started to talk.

"Ms. Burbon. God, that sounds so formal. Can I call you Valerie?"