Page 41 of Taken

“I suppose we did know each other once,” I murmured, trying to ignore the heavy feeling that was descending over my chest. “But our lives have been very different since then. We do not know each other anymore.”

He shook his head. “You can’t look at me and deny there’s something here. Something between us, different lives or not. You felt it last time I was here. I saw it in your eyes. I’m telling you I felt it too. I still do.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said. My cheeks felt as if they were on fire.

Mason placed a hand under my chin and tilted it upwards. “Seriously, Jolie, look at me. Tell me you don’t feel a thing when you do. Tell me you weren’t excited when you heard I was coming to live here. Tell me you weren’t happy when you saw it was me pulling you away from that other man at the Joining. You can’t, can you?”

My heart slammed in my chest. He was right. I was happy when he did that to me, albeit confused, and I did feel something when I was close to him. Something inexplicably needful. Something warm. No, hot.

Volcanically hot.

In truth, I’d always been drawn to him. Even when I thought he was dead, I still thought about him from time to time; thought about lustful, disgusting things. Once I discovered he was actually alive, it happened even more. He was the most beautiful and commanding man I had ever met, and every time my eyes fell upon him, I couldn’t help but think: Mine. As if he belonged to me and I to him, all because we knew each other so many years ago.

Of course, I couldn’t tell him that. Those feelings were not allowed, and given how easily he’d told my father and the Elders about the bad thing I’d done a few months ago, there was no doubt in my mind that he would turn me in again if I admitted to any feelings of lust.

I wrenched myself free of his grasp. “No,” I said. “All I feel toward you is gratitude for doing the right thing and bringing me here to be punished.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“But you must,” I insisted. “I need it, and besides, you are new here. The men will be keeping a close eye on you for a while, and if I emerge from this room without a mark on me, they will see and they will wonder. You may be forced to leave for failing to uphold our doctrines.”

His lips twisted grimly. “I know,” he muttered. “I know I have to punish you. It was just the only way to get you alone like this for more than fifteen minutes. I didn’t want to touch you, though. Not like this.”

I tilted my head to the side. “Why not?”

He rubbed his unshaven jaw. “Because it won’t be easy for either one of us.”

Comprehension dawned on me at the sight of his uncertainty. He didn’t know how to begin. Why else would he say it wouldn’t be easy?

I pointed to the rack of punishment tools on the left wall. Whips, canes, paddles. “You can do it,” I said with an encouraging nod. “You may beat me with any of these instruments.”

I waited for him to move over to the rack. My heart was pounding even faster now. I couldn’t wait to be punished. It would hurt terribly, but that was the price I must pay to remain pure of heart.

“Which one hurts the least?” Mason asked.

I pointed to the cane. I knew from experience that it was actually by far the most painful form of punishment for me. Mason might think he was being kind by going easy on me and selecting a lighter tool, but I would not allow that to happen. I was a sinner. In the end, it was actually kinder to punish me hard and teach me the lesson I needed to learn.

And who better to teach me that lesson than Mason? He was strong. Big. Deeply committed to our ways. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t.

I bent over the trestle table and took a deep breath. “Please restrain my wrists,” I said calmly. “It will make it easier.”

After he’d tied my wrists to the rail at the top of the table, Mason trailed the cane over my buttocks. My skin tingled in its wake. “I’ll make it as quick as possible, and then we’ll talk. Okay?” he said gruffly.

I still had no idea why he wanted to talk to me, but I raised my head and nodded. “Okay.”

“Count them for me when I begin,” he said. “So I don’t lose count and hit you too many times.”

I nodded again. It was customary to count out the blows anyway, so the men knew we were truly present in the moment instead of disappearing into our minds and pretending the punishment wasn’t occurring. Some of the girls used to try that, because they despised the pain so much.

Those girls were even worse than me. At least I was obedient enough to know the pain was necessary and good.

For a few seconds, nothing happened in the room. I finally heard Mason curse under his breath and let out a deep sigh. Then I heard the cane. It whooshed through the air and tore across my buttocks, leaving a fiery stripe on my bare skin.

I screamed and struggled on the trestle like a wild animal. The pain was horrendous. Pure burning agony. It was… incredible. Exactly what I needed right now. “One!” I cried out.

The lashing went on and on, stroke after stroke. I counted every one of them. When Mason reached ten, he stopped. “That’s enough,” he said tersely. “You’re marked now. When they check you, they won’t know I didn’t do fifteen.”

“No, don’t stop!” I cried out. “Please, you must do them all!”

---