Page 57 of A Master's Destiny
I shake my head at my poor attempt at humor as I head out of my apartment. The truth is, the dream has left me deeply troubled, and I’m unsure if I can face an empty apartment when I get back home tonight.
Suspicion
Work is a struggle, but I strive to keep my mind focused on my tasks and get through the day.
Although I feel certain Slater set me up knowing a submissive would be hurt, I have no proof. An allegation of this nature will have serious consequences, so I need evidence before I accuse him.
Arriving at class early, I ask Kat if she’ll speak with me privately. Slater eyes me suspiciously as the two of us leave the room together.
“What’s up?” she asks staring at me hard. “You look like you haven’t slept a wink.”
I wave off her concern. “Don’t worry about me. I just want to ask about that night I bumped into Slater outside this classroom. You told Alana you saw everything that happened. What exactly did you see?”
She frowns. “Is that asshole giving you trouble again?”
“I need you to tell me exactly what you saw.”
She glances upward as she thinks back on it. “If I remember right, Ashford ran into you at the doorway, and then you collided into Slater in the hall. It was obvious Slater thought you did it on purpose because he bashed you in the chest, and his little minion, Lofton, looked like he was going to deck you.”
I nod, remembering the series of events exactly as she described them. “Did you notice what happened to my tool bag during the scuffle?”
She frowns, thinking about it before shaking her head. “I don’t remember anything about your bag.”
Her answer is disappointing. I hoped Kat had noticed Slater messing with my bag.
Kat asks in a worried voice, “What’s going on, Thane?”
Before I can answer, her eyes widen. “Oh my God, do you think Slater had something to do with what happened to your submissive?”
“It’s just speculation at this point.”
She snarls, “If that fucker could do something that underhanded, he needs to be kicked out of the program as soon as possible.”
“I agree, but I need to find proof first.”
She clasps me on the shoulder. “You want me to ask around?”
I glance down at my watch and see we only have a few minutes before class. “No, I’ll take care of it. I don’t want Slater getting wind of it.”
She nods. “If you need my help, let me know.”
I spend the class focused on Slater. I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that he would purposely hurt another person to get back at me. However, I’ve known since the start that he wants me out of the program, and switching out my candles was certainly an effective way to do it.
Hell, it almost worked…
With my attention on Slater, I miss most of Alana’s lecture on maintaining a long-distance D/s relationship. When she asks me to repeat what she just said regarding ways a Dominant can maintain authority long-distance if a sub has disobeyed a direct command, I’m unable to formulate an answer without the risk of sounding foolish.
She frowns. “I will speak to you after class.”
Slater snickers under his breath.
“Mr. Slater, you will remain after class as well.”
While I dislike being called out, I know it’s deserved. I focus my full attention on her, spending the rest of class diligently taking notes while silently boiling inside. I resent the extent of Slater’s influence in my life.
After everyone else files out, Alana calls the two of us up to her desk.
“Explain to me what is going on between you.”
