Page 28 of Steel & Thunder
For some dark, fucked up reason, the joke actually makes me laugh. I clamp my hand over my mouth in surprise. What is wrong with me? I’m losing it.
“We need to go back into the shop to finish a few things.” He takes a step toward me. “Can I trust you to come without fighting?”
My shoulders slump. What choice do I have? I nod my head yes. Moving around me, his hand on the small of my back guides me farther down the alley and then left into a second, smaller alley. The path between buildings winds left and right, stretching on far longer than I’ve seen an alley stretch before. We walk for nearly a full city block—right to the back of Brull’s shop. The orc in question squeezes around us to open his back door.
The room we enter is large and dimly lit. It’s bigger back here than in the front, though there’s also a small forge in one corner, so I get it. I’m led over to a desk that has small tools strewn about, the wood shavings and sawdust telling me they’re for woodworking. There’s also a pretty comfortable looking chair, which I am ushered into.
“Do you have a—?” Ironstorm turns around to ask for something.
Brull makes a clicking noise with his tongue and holds out a chain and lock in his outstretched hand. “I gotcha.”
My collar is pulled up through my shirt and the chain is looped through it and then down around one of the desk’s legs.
“Be right back, puppy.” A hand is run gently through my hair, and with a sad smile, he steps away. I half expect Brull to make some crack about not screwing up his office, but he gives me the same look as the two of them head through the door to the front of the shop.
Fuck. He’s going to punish me for running away again. My ass is still throbbing from the last one. It’s gonna be even worse this time, isn’t it? Will it be another spanking? Or... There were other things in the shop, things we hadn’t looked at. Things like paddles and canes and...whips. I hoped that was on purpose. I was too scared to ask and risk drawing attention to them. I am so fucked.
I can hear voices talking through the door, but I wouldn’t have been able to understand them anyway. I really need to learn some Orcish if I’m gonna have any hope of surviving here. For a moment, I think about escaping, breaking the desk or maybe using one of the tools in reach to pick the lock. But my heart just isn’t in it. What if he catches me again and things get even worse? How many times will I be able to push my luck?
So... I’ll wait. Just sit here with my hands in my lap and wait for whatever fucked up punishment he has in mind. Just like a good puppy, fuck. I sink back into the chair and sigh.
I’m not kept waiting for long. Ironstorm re-enters the room with Brull right behind him, though the other orc ignores me, walking farther into the room and picking up a wooden bench. He takes it out to the front as Ironstorm approaches me.
“Business has been taken care of.” Ironstorm speaks to me softly as he unlocks the chain from my collar. “Now we just need to deal with the matter of your punishment.”
I sigh. Told ya. “When we get home, are you go—”
“Oh, no,” the orc cuts me off. “We will be taking care of your punishment here.”
“What?” My stomach sinks. “Why do we have to do that?!”
“If you are going to misbehave in public, you can be punished in public,” he reasons with me.
“You wouldn’t.” I narrow my eyes, calling his bluff. He’s got to be fucking with me, right?
“I fucked you in front of a crowd of people not thirty hours ago,” the orc helpfully points out. He thinks for a moment. “Would you trust me if I told you that it will not be as bad as you are expecting?”
“Would you really expect me to believe that?” I can be helpful too.
“Fair enough.” He sighs and stands up straight, holding his hand out to help me from the chair. With a sigh, I take it.
I’m marched back to the front of the store. There are three other orcs here now, including Brull and the orc that came in during the underwear show. He must have wanted to stick around and watch the human get punished. The third orc is another customer, paying me no mind while she peruses the shelves. I am led to a corner where Brull is bent over the piece of furniture he grabbed earlier, making adjustments.
It’s about as tall as my waist and all wood, except for a few spots that look covered in padded leather. I see a number of cuffs attached to its various posts, which is starting to give me some idea of its intended purpose. Pretty sure I’m gonna end up tied to this thing one way or another.
“Alright, she’s all set up.” Brull dusts off his hands and turns to the two of us.
“Please remove your shirt, David,” Ironstorm requests.
I swallow my argument. Ironstorm is standing between me and the rest of the store, thankfully blocking most of the other occupants from my view. I know they can still see me, but whatever—let me have this. I unbutton and pull the shirt over my head, which he takes before I can drop it to the ground.
“Thank you. Now please turn around.” He throws my shirt over his shoulder, twirling his fingers to get me to rotate.
I comply, coming face to face with a wall that is half underwear and half...paddles. Shit. Ironstorm walks to my side, his hand on my upper back pushing me to bend over the bench in front of me. I don’t resist, resigned to my fate. My arms are drawn up and placed into cuffs which are closed and tightened around my wrists. The same is then done to my ankles with a set on the bench’s feet. At least he’s letting me keep my pants.
I jump when the orc bends over my body, both hands going under my waist. I spoke too soon. The hands feel around for my belt, untying it and loosening my pants. Then, after hooking his fingers into my underwear, everything is slid down to my ankles, exposing my ass to the air. A sudden wolf whistle behind me has my cheeks burn with embarrassment—both sets.
“Breathe, David.” I feel a familiar hand on my back as Khazak walks back around to my left side and kneels down so I can see him. “How are you feeling?”
