Page 48 of A Debt of Darkness

“You’re okay,” Henry mutters. “You’re safe. You’re adored.” His hand strokes my face and I fucking melt. “I adore you.”

My heart explodes and my clit throbs again. I’m wet. I’m fucking wet and confused as hell. This shouldn’t be happening. I don’t like it at all. It’s against everything I believe in, but it’s happening anyway.

Henry beams down at me and his hand keeps brushing my skin, petting me, and it’s not fair. “I know this is a lot for you, lea. I understand this is hard. Don’t overthink this. You’re safe. It’s all okay. Enjoy this for what it is.”

“Which is, Henry?”

He doesn’t flinch and he isn’t disappointed. I’ve deliberately used his name and we both know it. I know he would have preferred something else, but I can’t quite bring myself to go that far. It’s too much, too deep, too intimate.

“A Master feeding his pet, lea. You’re accepting your place and taking pleasure from what I give you. It’s okay to feel this. I want you to. I give and you receive, and you give back to me. I enjoy providing for you and you enjoy me taking care of you. It’s that simple.”

He takes another piece of bread and asks me to open my mouth. I don’t fight it and he smiles, relaxing a little now I’ve stopped fighting.

“You’ll enjoy this more as you relax. You’ll start trusting me and then you’ll find you need more. Want more.” Henry reaches for a slice of cold meat and slowly folds it into a bite size piece. “Open, lea. Good girl.” Its saltiness explodes on my tongue and I moan. “You’ll understand the relationship and its rules, and things won’t seem so strange. Then you’ll trust me even more and you’ll let me have more control. We’ll be attuned to each other’s needs and wants, and you will fulfill me as I fulfill you.”

I fiddle with my hands and Henry threads his fingers through my mangey hair.

“It’s okay to be nervous, lea. It’s fine to ask questions. I don’t expect perfection. I expect effort and honesty.”

He pops another piece of bread in my mouth.

“I expect you to call me Master.”

I balk, and his grip tightens around my hair. He tsks and my heart pounds, certain I’ve made him angry. I’ve had a taste of something other than the dungeon, and every goddamn inch of me screams it doesn’t want to go back.

“You could do this earlier, lea. You can do this now.”

His tone is a force of nature and my clit pulses with excitement.

“This time, you will ask me to feed you. Properly. Politely. Using my correct name.”

Henry releases his grip and pulls me forward, resting my head on him. He strokes me again and it’s soothing. It’s nice. My hands slide onto his legs and hold them, and it’s strangely reassuring. He isn’t pressing, he isn’t pushing.

“Is this how it works?” I ask, quietly. “You make it easy to begin with and then it gets harder?”

“Yes, lea.” His smile is soft and it’s tempting to fall for its effortless charm. “But I will never ask for more than you can give and you find your way. With me.”

I drop my head and rest, tired and confused.

“You can do this, and the harder you think about it, the harder it will be. Stop questioning if this is right. Accept that it is.”

I sigh and stare at the buckle on his belt as I swallow my pride and choose to save my energy for a battle I can win. It’s uncomfortable and downright odd, but it isn’t entirely wrong.

“Please can I have food? Master?”

“Good girl.” Henry places some meat on a piece of bread and waits for me to open my mouth before letting me take it from him. He offers me more praise and my insides flip, and I’m damn sure he’s realized I like praise. A lot. Enough to repeat this cycle over and over in the hope of a different outcome. Or maybe one involving more praise. Damn.

We repeat this and every time feels less strange.

More normal.

Henry offers one last piece of food and I shake myhead. I haven’t eaten much, but my stomach has shrunk after days without food. I’ve reached my limit but Henry tenses, misunderstanding my refusal.

“I can’t. I’m full. I’m not…”

He exhales. “Thank me and we’re done, lea.”

“Thank you.” I pause and he forces a cough. “Master.”

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