Hey y'all. So after writing this latest installment using some feedback I got from the last, I wanted to thank everyone for the comments and critiques. I am neither a sadist nor Master, so the encouragement was appreciated. Please keep it coming whether it's a comment or DM, I always have something to improve upon!
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Shani woke to stiff muscles, a sore jaw, and a salty, gummy taste in her mouth.
It took a few minutes of sleepy blinking for his presence to register. As soon as she locked eyes with that patient gaze, everything came back to her: her capture, the piercings, and the way he used her mouth. Her body ached all over, muscles stiff and tingling, breasts and the nub between her thighs burning and throbbing.
And the arousal from his touch that hadn't dimmed throughout it all.
At that thought, Shani turned her head and tried to roll away, surprised when her legs bent and stretched at her will. She managed to sit with some effort and refused to look at him as she wiggled her legs. Pins and needles shot down her legs, making her groan, but to her dismay, her arms were still bound- behind her back this time. And she was still naked.
There was nothing she could do about any of it, a fact that sent her from sleepy to furious in 3.2 seconds. And, as her bladder cramped, embarrassment scorched her, driving the lesson home. He could do as he pleased with her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Despite the fresh terror, Shani stood slowly, just because she could, and let out another groan. She would not let him see just how afraid she was of him or what else he might have in store for her. It was too early for hysterics.
Instead, she focused on how wonderful it was to stretch her legs, even if she couldn't feel her feet and the effort to stand hurt. Movement in her peripheral made her freeze, even though she hadn't been doing anything but trying to get the blood circulating in her muscles. Her captor had though, and picked up the chain still attached to her neck.
Without a word, he turned and walked until the chain was just tugging at the back of her neck, urging her forward. Shani, if she had been able, would have leaped on his book, looped the chain around his neck, and rode his dead body to the ground. But, bound wrists prevented her from fulfilling her bloodthirsty wish.
Instead, she dug her heels into the ground, refusing to follow him wherever he intended to take her.
Her captor turned around and raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word, just stood, looking rather relaxed as he held steady pressure on her chain. Shani had a sudden sense of deja vu, and it took her a minute to place the memory. When she and the Horsemaster broke a new horse to the halter and taught it how to follow around its rider, they would spend hours just like this, waiting for the horse to take just one step toward them.
Anger blazed through Shani, and she forgot herself. "I am not one of your horses!" She stomped her foot for emphasis, and the motion set her off balance, stepping toward him anyway.
"No," he agreed, twitching the chain to tighten the slack in it. "You are more like an ass: a stubborn beast of burden and not worth breeding to boot. But," he added, eyes narrowing, "asses are at least quiet."
Her cheeks flamed as her mind raced with her options. She'd seen him spend hours standing in this very position with a number of horses. Her bladder cramped again and she knew she didn't have that kind of time. Next request, she promised herself. She'd fight him next time.
Shani regretted her concession a second later when he praised her for taking a step, but she kept moving, hoping he was leading her to the pot.
"Good girl." He did, leading her to the privy while she quietly fumed. She knew his strategy when it came to training difficult horses and it worked every time. Eventually, they came around. She'd have to balk at random orders to keep him off balance. Next time she would fight him no matter what the request, and the desert damn the consequences.
Shani went to the privy, then looked at him, an eyebrow raised. She'd gotten away with speaking a few seconds ago, but didn't want to test her luck while in striking range. Her captor stared back like he had while leading her around. He couldn't mean to watch her, could he?
But when his gaze didn't falter, embarrassment flashed through her. Shani ducked her head to hide frustrated tears. No matter how much she gave in, no matter how often he got his way, it was never enough. It was never going to be enough. He would take and take and take until he had her right where he wanted her and wouldn't let up until he got her there. It was what made him such a good horse trainer, and it would be her downfall.
Despite her cramping bladder, it took Shani a minute to actually go. She could feel his gaze on her, completing her humiliation as the loud sound of her stream hitting the metal pot echoed through the silent tent. Her fingers clenched and unclenched behind her back as she fought the urge to scream and lash out, however she could.
He led her back to the post when she was done, but Shani balked just outside the chain's reach of the post, refusing to move. She could almost feel his amusement; feeling out and breaking a new horse was his favorite part of the training process. He would not be easily deterred. As a matter of fact, her captor approached her, coiling the chain as he did so. He wet a cloth on his slow approach that dripped on the carpet, marking his trail from the wash basin to where she stood.
Shani held her ground, fighting and failing to hide the tremors as her limbs tensed to flee, fight, whatever was necessary. She briefly considered running, but knew he could trip her up at any time. And the last time that happened, she got three new holes in her body. She wouldn't run again unless she knew escape was assured.
"Kneel."
Her legs locked even though her limbs were wobbly as a newborn foal's. Her jaw clenched, mostly because even now, she knew it was useless to fight him. Useless, useless, useless. The word drummed in her mind in time with her racing heartbeat and her breathing came in short gasps. How was he going to punish her disobedience now?
Black spots spun in her vision, and her world tilted, knees hitting the ground with a muted thump. "Better," he crooned. Shani's chest loosened as his fingers combed through her hair, the breath coming easier as her panic lessened. "Spread."