Danielle's Shadow Master

"Pet!"

Her master's voice boomed across the small cottage. Danielle trembled with fear. She couldn't hide from his anger. It reached out for her, surrounding her and she gasped for breath.

"Come to me!"

Danielle crawled out from behind the kitchen table. She was hungry and he had forgotten to feed her again. She'd almost made it to the kitchen, where her bowl of water and food were on the floor. Almost wasn't close enough and he wasn't asleep like she thought. She didn't ask for permission and he would find that an excuse to punish her. Not that he needed an excuse.

Her stomach growled and he laughed in understanding. The laugh was ugly, hurtful. In the last few weeks, she had come to hate the laugh of her shadow master. Wearily, she crawled across the wooden floor. It was difficult, because her wrists were bound with a thick leather strip and she had little space between them. Walking was forbidden and another punishable offense.

"Faster, Pet. You will beg for your dinner."

Danielle caught a quick glimpse of herself in the full length mirror and almost spoke aloud. That would not have been a good thing. She was frequently beaten for speaking, because her master didn't like the sound of her voice. How she looked astonished her. The bruises and welts on her naked body weren't much of a surprise, but the unhealed bite marks on her neck, back and shoulders made her shudder. He was drinking from her, yet he had stopped healing her as a further punishment and reminder that she would never be good enough for him.

By the time she made it to the bed, he was standing. His naked body was hard and thick with his lust. Her shadow master always wanted her and his cock could be as punishing as any other weapon. His body was strong, muscular, a warrior's body shaped to perfection.

Perhaps in another time and place she would have found him attractive. Maybe she used to. He was certainly handsome, she remembered that, but Danielle wasn't allowed to raise her eyes or look at him. Pets had to earn the privilege and she wasn't a good pet. She could never please him.

She kissed his feet and put her face to the floor. She was prepared to beg, but even that required permission. His cool hands touched her back and she shivered. Not enough food combined with the constant blood loss caused her to have a difficult time maintaining any body heat. Danielle felt as if she had been cold forever. Maybe she was becoming as cold as his heart. Her master sighed.

"Should I beat you for that thought, Pet? Do you hate me so much?"

Quickly, she shook her head in denial. She hated the things he did to her, but not him.

"I think you want me to beat you."

"No, please," her thoughts begged. "Master, please forgive me. Please let me eat something."

"You can eat after I hear you scream."

He wrapped his hand in her long auburn hair and tugged. Danielle saw the carpet beater in his other hand and had two choices. She could try to fight him again or give in. The latter was more attractive, because after he punished her, he tended to be kind for an hour or three. It all depended on how well Danielle submitted to his punishments.

She followed his lead, hugged his thigh and prepared herself for the inevitable. The large carpet beater was a nasty spanker, but it was better than his riding crop. When he used the riding crop he often struck her with the braided middle instead of the tip, raising welts and drawing blood. She took a deep calming breath and then another.

"Ready, Pet?"

She nodded. Seconds later, the beater connected with her bottom and made a loud smacking noise. The flat surface covered most of her butt cheeks and she moaned into his leg.

"Not a sound from you until I reach thirty. Then you may scream. Understood?"

Yes, she understood. She'd never make it. Another blow and she couldn't hold back the whimper. Her eyes were tearing from the force of the blow and her shadow master laughed.

"You're not trying, Pet."

He hit her again and she gripped his leg too hard. A ragged fingernail scratched him. He pulled her hair in anger. Hastily, Danielle licked the wound. Her shadow master moaned in pleasure and she nuzzled herself into his leg. Sometimes, if she could get him aroused enough, he skipped the punishments. Not this time.

The beater came down again and again. Her bottom felt swollen and bruised, too sensitive for even another blow, but he didn't slow down. She lost count and began to squirm in his grasp. The hits were coming faster and harder. She was making too much noise, but she couldn't stop herself. She hated the pain.

"Thirty, Pet."

Her master sounded pleased with himself and his erection was pressing against her cheek. Boldly, she kissed it in apology and to appease him. At the moment, she would do almost anything for a bit of food and water.

"Not yet," he yelled as he slapped her face.

The violent act was yet another reminder of the curse that was eating him alive. Before she had been forced to serve him, he'd always been overly gentle with her, treating her with the respect of her title and position in his family. But that seemed like an eternity ago and he certainly didn't treat her that way any longer.

She lowered her face to the floor. It left her bottom up, exposed and vulnerable. Snarling like a wild animal, he sat down on the large bed. His feet were near her head and Danielle was afraid that he would kick her, but she didn't move to protect herself. She forced herself to think of sunny days and rainbows, of lying in the cool grass looking up at white clouds in the sky. Her vampiric master often lost his anger when he read those thoughts, her memories calming the demon within.

"Crawl up," he ordered. His voice was softer now, soothing. Perhaps, his need to hurt her was over for awhile. Hearing her thoughts, he laughed. Danielle cringed at the sound.

"Come, girl. I want you to lay across my lap and then I will finish your spanking."

He wasn't done! She hadn't satisfied him. Crying, she tried to back away from him. It was no use. He picked her up as if she was a small child and forced her into the position he wanted. It was humiliating to be across his thighs, to feel his erection poking into her belly and his hand on her reddened bottom.

"You disappoint me, Pet. I would have used my hand for your next thirty, but you must learn to do as your told. I want to hear you this time. Scream for me."

He swatted her again with the carpet beater. Danielle did scream. She screamed for his pleasure, for her sanity and for her life.

Suddenly, a cool hand touched Danielle's face and she screamed again.

"Hush, baby, it's only me. You've been having a nightmare."

She sat quickly, the adrenaline racing through her system, the nightmare threatening her sanity. Her lifemate, Stephen, gathered her into his arms and held her close. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to; just his being there was enough.

When her trembling stopped, when she felt that she could face him, she shifted positions to look up at him. His ocean blue eyes caught hers and her heart filled with love. They both knew it wasn't a nightmare, that she had dreamed of a painful memory. Yet neither wanted to discuss it. Danielle only wanted to forget.

She snuggled into her Stephen's arms and nodded at his unspoken request. He wanted her permission before he clouded her memories. Though Stephen was her mate and master, he was also her best friend. He was and continues to be the light to her darkness.

"I want to taste you, love," he said.

"Yes," she whispered into his ear and tilted her head to offer her throat.

Danielle expected him to bite her then, but Stephen had other plans. Hurriedly, he removed her nightgown and lay her back onto their bed. Funny, she didn't remember him removing his own clothes, but then with his preternatural speed, he could have stripped in front of her and she might not have seen it.

"Stop thinking," he whispered. "You think too much."

He tickled her ribs and Danielle squealed with delight. Laughing, Danielle squirmed under him. She blushed, knowing he could read her thoughts, could feel her emotions. Raising her green eyes, she saw that his were glowing gold, showing his hunger and desire.

She put her hands into his short brown hair, pulling him down to her. The smell of a spicy cologne mixed with his unique scent calmed her. Her shadow master could take on Stephen's form, but never his scent.

He claimed her mouth first, with soft kisses that soon turned rough. His hands caressed her body, sending her into a frenzy, touching her most intimate places and leaving her wanting more. She tried to lower her hands to touch him and he quickly pulled away, while simultaneously flipping her over onto her belly. He tugged her into a hands and knees position and purred into her ear.

In a single move, he thrust forward filling her pussy and biting down on her neck. Danielle clutched the sheets and called out Stephen's name. She climaxed as the momentary pain moved towards mindless pleasure. He fed the pleasure with his desire, flooding her with his own feelings. She fed him her emotions, laced with her love and surrender while he feasted on her powerful blood.

When Stephen's thirst was sated, he licked her neck clean. Danielle's nightmare was long forgotten. The only thing on her mind was pleasing him. He was still joined with her, his body without relief and Danielle waited not so patiently for him to continue.

"Tell me," he ordered roughly. "Tell me what you want."

"Please, Stephen," Danielle begged without shame. "Please come for me, with me."

His grunt of assent was her only warning. Pinning her beneath him with his teeth on her shoulder, Stephen fucked her like the animal he felt like. Like the animal she wanted him to be. His hand reached under her to play with her clit, while his lower body thrust into her repeatedly. She climaxed again, her bottom pushing backwards to meet him thrust for thrust, and still he held on.

In, out, in, out, faster, harder, the friction pushed Danielle over the edge repeatedly. She lowered her head to the silky sheets, leaving her bottom in the air. His teeth left her shoulder as he shifted to hold her hips. Reaching her right hand under her legs and upward to feel his cock and sacks, she lightly stroked him as he pounded into her. It was Stephen's turn to explode. He threw his head back and roared, filling her with his seed. Danielle mewled underneath him, climaxing again as his emotions filled her senses.

It was long moments before either of them could move. Long moments before they wanted to move. In the end, Danielle lay curled in Stephen's arms while he watched her sleep and kept her nightmares at bay.

(C) 2005 Ruby Bloodstone and Spice and Sugar Publications. All rights reserved.