Page 34 of Fallen Petal

Chapter 17

Petal

“I have something for you.”

The smile on his face is hard to read. There’s something sinister about it, but it’s not a threat. He told me to look up at him right after he stepped through the door, approaching me with his hands behind his back. I tilt my head back, considering him with questioning eyes when he comes to a halt in front of me.

“It may be a little early for this,” he says, kneeling down before me. He keeps one hand behind his back while using the other to place a finger beneath my chin and keep my head in place. “But I think you deserve it. Like you said, you’ve been a good girl lately.”

My heart starts hammering with joyous excitement. Is he going to let me take a walk outside? Will I finally get to the sun, breathe in some fresh air, feel the wind on my skin?

“Close your eyes,” he says, jutting his chin forward.

“Yes, Master,” I respond, hoping to enforce his generosity with my obedience.

A startled sigh escapes me when I feel something on my throat, something hard and cold. A necklace? But it sits tightly, more like a choker. I shiver when he closes it around my neck, the cold metal resting on my skin with heavy weight. He fiddles with the clasp at the back of it for a while, until there’s a loud click sound.

“Open your eyes.”

I do as I’m told, met with his dark hazel gaze and a small silver key that he’s holding up in front of my face. My hands fly up to my throat on instinct, feeling out the metal ring that’s now closed around my neck. There’s a little pendant attached to it, a small ring, just big enough for my index finger to fit through it.

“It’s a collar,” he enlightens me. “It shows that you’re mine.”

I throw him a bewildered look, hooking my fingers below the collar and yanking at it.

“You can try, but you can’t take it off without this,” he lets me know, lifting the key up before my eyes for a second, before he lets it disappear in his shirt’s pocket.

“Why?” I ask. “Is this to stop me from running away?”

I can feel the hope blossoming deep inside my chest. My mind is still set on being allowed outside, and it makes sense that he would equip me with a device that would stop me from getting away from him. But why not just cuff my hands to his if he wants to make sure I stay close?

He shakes his head. “Like I said, it’s a symbol of ownership, nothing more, nothing less. But yes, it does provide us with some new options of restraining you.”

Before I fully process what he’s saying, he reaches up, hooking his finger through the little ring at the front of the collar, pulling on it as he gets back up on his feet, dragging me with him.

“So... this is not for a treat?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer.

His finger is still hooked through the ring as he stands before me, giving me a little yank so I’m forced to take a step forward and stand so close that our bodies touch.

“It’s a gift, yes, but not a treat,” he confirms. “If anything, you owe me a little punishment for using my name.”

“I didn’t—”

“You did when you were by yourself,” he cuts me off. “You told me yourself.”

I furrow my eyebrows as I look up at him. He let it pass when I told him about it, why is he so keen on punishing me now?

“I’m still healing from last time,” I utter, causing him to smile.

This smile I can read. It’s a simple one, open and without any hidden meaning. It’s the display of a pleasant memory, a harsh but pleasing scenario between the two of us. There was no reproach in my voice when I pointed out my bruises. Yet, as much as I like them, I’m also terribly aware of the wrongness of it all.

Nothing made that clearer than the girl’s horrified expression when she saw them.

“Show me,” he says, and I see lust flickering in his eyes as he does.

I share his sentiment, but when he lets go of my collar, gesturing for me to turn around and lift my gown for him, I’m flooded with hot shame. My movements are slow, but compliant with his wish. I slowly gather the silky fabric, pulling it up and exposing my marked behind for him.

“Beautiful,” he assesses, caressing the curve of my ass so tenderly it’s hard to believe that it was the very same hand that caused the bruises in the first place. “You look stunning, Petal. Wearing your marks with such gorgeous pride.”

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