Page 21 of Dark Embers

“From here on out, that’s how you will address me when I give you permission to speak.”

Her brows rise, and she gives me her, ‘Areyou fucking kidding me?’look. But before she can speak, I walk over to her, take her purse from her shoulder, toss it on the bedside table, and then place the finger I had in her pussy against her lips.

“I haven’t given you permission to talk, littleslut.” I see her eyes flicker in shock at what I’ve called her. Her cheeks heat with humiliation. I know it's not because of what I called her but because she likes hearing me call her that. “Open your mouth.”

Her lips part, and I slide my finger inside. “Do you taste that?” I step closer. “That’s your desire from your hungry little pussy.” My voice is low while my eyes hold hers. I take my finger from her mouth and grab her chin. “As you’re new to this, I’ll tell you how it works.” My eyes flicker to the gold curtain cords, an idea forming before looking at her again. “I give you an order. You carry it out. If I’m pleased with how you obey, I reward you. If you disobey, I punish you. If I’m not happy with how you performed, I punish you. Not to hurt you. To remind you of the control you’ve given me.”

Sabrina nods slowly, but her voice is raw. “So… you want everything to be about you? And for me to let you treat me like your slave?”

I freeze. Sabrina’s words hit harder than I expect.

“No, malenkaya,” I say softly, shaking my head. “This isn’t about control for the sake of power. It’s about freedom. It’s about creating a space where you can finally let go. Where the world outside doesn’t exist, and the only thing that matters is what you feel—right here, with me. No decisions. No responsibilities. Just surrendering to your own pleasure and letting someone else carry the weight for a change.”

Her eyes flicker, her breath hitching.

“In this room, you don’t have to think. You don’t have to be the smart one, the strong one, or the one always holding everything together. You just have to feel. Let me take the reins, and I’ll take you further than you’ve ever dared go on your own.”

I pause, my voice dropping deeper. “And in return, you get me. My protection. My focus. My obsession. You become the center of my world when I’m inside you. What I do is take you apart and put you back together until you feel so much you forget even pain.”

She swallows hard, her lips trembling now.

“You call me Sir,” I say, gently tilting her chin higher. “Not because I own you, but because I’ve earned your submission.”

CHAPTER 10

Sabrina

I should run.

That’s what my mind is screaming at me as Oleksi stands before me, larger than life, watching me with those impossibly blue eyes like he already owns my soul. My mind is tempted to engage in a physical altercation, citing numerous dangers, foolishness, and irresponsibility, yet my body is already on fire. I feel the pull of his voice in my bloodstream, the command in his gaze searing through every layer I thought could protect me.

“Do you trust me?” he asks again.

I catch my breath. I want to say yes. God, I want to trust him. But my stupid brain won't shut up long enough for the words to form.

“Can I try?” I whisper, hating the vulnerability in my voice.

His head tilts slightly, a faint smile on his lips. “It's all or nothing, Sabrina.”

The sound of my name in that voice does something to me. I feel it in my nipples, my clit, and the base of my spine.

“This is your last chance to leave,” he says, gesturing toward the door. “Walk away now, and we'll forget this happened. But if you stay... there’s no going back. You don’t have to submit all at once. That takes time. Training. But you submit completely to me!”

Oh, so now I’m a dog that needs training?I almost bite out the words, but they catch on my tongue, and instead, I bite my lip.

His gaze doesn't waver. “If you stay, I expect obedience. If you give me your submission, I will protect it. You won't regret it, I promise you.

Every inch of me aches for what he's offering. Possession. Devotion. Release. But that damn voice in my head is still trying to make sense of it.

“Can we just give it a try?” I ask, desperate to hold onto some sliver of control.

“No,” he says simply. “What will it be, Sabrina?”

I stare at him, swallowing hard.This is it, Sabrina. He’s given you a chance to walk away. Do it—do it now!But my fucking feet won’t. They seem to be firmly fixed in place. Mybrain is saying.I’m out of here; that’s my decision.However, as I prepare to tell him, it feels as though my tongue is under a spell.

“I want to stay.” The words tumble from my lips, startling me.

“And why do you want to stay?” Oleksi presses.

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