Aster paced back and forth in the small living room that was part of this suite of rooms. Blondie was, no doubt, sitting on the little black bench outside the door. Whereas the guest room had been pleasantly plain, this room was domineering. A thick blue carpet covered the hardwood floor of the room which was decorated with plush black furniture with a modern metallic edge. The large painting behind the couch depicted a Siberian tiger leaping from one rocky ledge to the next as birds took flight from the budding trees. The smart TV on the wall was inset into a bookshelf that held a variety from Sun Tzu to Plato and Oscar Wilde. Aster's finger stroked the spine of a collection of stories by Sade.
Trenton had said to deliver his books and personal items. That didn't bode well. He thought that, at worst, he'd have to endure a few days of torture but it seemed that Trenton hadn't been joking when he'd said that he wanted Aster to be his pet. As soon as he'd entered the room, Aster had tried to rip off the collar that now hung around his neck. It was locked tight and he could only manage to detach the leash.
Once Aster had worn himself out from pacing, he decided to peruse the suite of rooms. There were two doors that connected to the living room. The first led into an office which held two chairs, a large dark wood desk and rolling office chair. Bookshelves lined the walls and among the books were small glass cases that held various preserved insects. There were no papers left on the desk and Aster couldn't bring himself to rifle through the desk. The last thing he needed was more information that could actually sign his death warrant.
Quickly leaving the office, Aster entered the other door which led to the bedroom. A large four-post bed dominated the center of the room. The sapphire blue comforter looked to be of silk with some gold brocade embroidery. Aster looked away, not wanting to imagine what Trenton would do to him there. He walked slowly around the room to inspect the dark wooden furniture. It was spotless, as if someone had just cleaned. The only footprints on the blue carpet belonged to Aster. Atop the dresser was a selection of expensive colognes.
Several photographs hung on the walls, but none were personal. A local bridge at night. An osprey in flight with a fish. A mountain ridgeline covered in snow. There was no life or emotion to the room. It had been lived in, sure, but this room was not someone's home. Aster doubted that anyone really called this place home despite it looking like a luxurious house. The lack of personal affects made the room feel empty.
Next, Aster wandered into the adjoining bathroom. It held a roomy shower, a large bathtub, double sink, toilet, and closet. There were several shower heads and the knobs looked complicated to Aster. The tub had jets and could likely hold two people comfortably. The products in the shower were, surprisingly, unique. High-end toiletries designed for specific purposes with their own unique scents. Aster stopped himself from inspecting them further, instead hurrying back to the main room. He shouldn't have been snooping, but he was too curious for his own good.
Taking a familiar book off the bookcase, Aster sat in the corner of the room on the floor so he could see the door. He tried to read as his heart pounded. Trenton would come for him. He didn't know when or how much he would do, but Aster had caught the look of possessive lust in his dark brown eyes. He would return.
**
Despite his best efforts, Henry couldn't follow the trail further than the maze of alleys. He wasn't used to urban tracking. The lack of windows and cameras in the alleys was frustrating. Henry debated on whether or not to call the police. He didn't want to get caught up in an investigation that would likely go nowhere. No, he'd have to do something else. Necessity won out over his wounded pride. Henry pulled out his phone and readied himself to call in a favor.
"What do you want, Glenn?" A gruff voice answered his call.
"Hey, Stork, I need a favor." Henry said as he walked back to the spot where he'd found Aster's phone.
"Seriously? Damn. I thought you'd never ask. What do you need?" Stork asked.
"I'll send you my location. I need you to tap into the security cameras nearby and find any footage from last night featuring a specific person. I'll send you a picture, but he shouldn't be hard to spot." Henry switched the call to speaker phone and took a picture of the footprint he'd found earlier.
"What'd he do?" Stork seemed distracted as a keyboard clacked in the background of the call.
"My..." Henry paused for a moment, thinking of Aster. "My friend disappeared. I think he might be in trouble."
"Got it. Send me what you have and I'll get on it." Stork said.
"Yeah, It's on the way. Thanks, Stork." Henry hung up then sent the information.
Henry stopped as he saw the moving truck parked outside of Aster's apartment. He was dumbfounded. Breaking into a jog, he hurried down the sidewalk to where Joseph was outside his shop speaking to a young blonde woman with curly hair. She wore jeans and a t-shirt with the moving company's name on it.
"Hey, what's going on?" Henry butted into the conversation.
Joseph turned to him with an exasperated look. "They say they're here to move Aster's things."
"What?" Henry then looked at the woman who was growing impatient.
"Like I told him, I don't get any more information than what we're moving and where it's going." She sighed and tapped her foot impatiently.
"Where is it going?" Henry asked, confused.
"I can't give out that information. We take our client's privacy seriously. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do." She turned around and motioned to her crew to open the door. Henry watched in disbelief as the movers opened the door and filed up the stairs with several unfolded boxes. Joseph turned to him, wringing his hands.
"Aster didn't mention anything about moving." Joseph frowned.
Henry put a reassuring hand on the older man's shoulder. "It's okay, I'll find Aster and sort this all out."
**
Trenton opened the door to his suite of rooms and smiled as he saw Aster look up from a book. He had sequestered himself in a corner chair and now set the book down on a side table where the red leash had also been placed. He smiled at Aster and locked the door behind him.
"Have you been a good boy, waiting patiently for me?" Trenton strolled over to Aster and gently stroked his face. Aster frowned and said nothing in return. He let Trenton pet him and resisted biting the hand that stroked him like a dog. "Come on, I've got some time."
Trenton then grabbed Aster's hand and pulled him up and toward the bedroom. Aster's stomach dropped. He knew what Trenton wanted. His mind raced as he thought of how to escape the situation, but nothing came to mind. He walked stiffly behind Trenton.
"Take off your clothes and get on the bed." Trenton ordered as he locked the bedroom door behind them.
Aster stood, shifted from foot to foot, then pulled off his hoodie. Trenton's eyes were trained on him and watched his every move. Weighing his options, Aster clutched his hoodie in front of him. He swallowed hard then stood still, making no move to strip off anything else. Trenton's eyes narrowed.
"I don't like repeating myself. Strip." He ordered, more roughly.
"No." Aster said, his eyes on the floor between them.
"No?" Trenton chuckled and walked over to Aster, his hand gentle as he stroked Aster's cheek. Then, his hand gripped Aster by his curly lavender hair and forced him to look Trenton in the eye. "Forget that word exists. When I tell you to do something, I want to hear 'yes master'."
Trenton shook Aster. Aster grit his teeth and stared into the harsh dark eyes of Trenton. "Yes master."
He released Aster's hair, pushing him away so he could watch the younger man. "Good. Now, strip."
Aster could feel Trenton's eyes raking over him as he pulled off the shorts and boxers. Now naked, he waited as cool air rushed over his skin causing goosebumps to prickle all over his body. Trenton grinned as Aster covered the juncture of his thighs with his hands. It was cute, the way Aster tried to preserve some sense of modesty. Trenton nodded to Aster's feet and, despite rolling his eyes, Aster pulled off his socks and dropped them with the remainder of his clothes. Now satisfied, Trenton undid the button of his suit jacket and then tossed it on the corner of the bed. It was soon joined by his tie. Undoing the first few buttons of his shirt, Trenton sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Aster to come to him. Taking the silent que, Aster walked over to Trenton who was now undoing the buttons at his cuffs.
"You know, Aster, even the most calm pups will still need some training." Trenton gripped Aster by the wrist to keep him from running. "Over my knee."
Aster felt his stomach drop. He glanced toward the door and knew he'd never make it out of the room. Closing his eyes and centering himself, Aster took a deep breath. "Yes master."
Laying over Trenton's lap, Aster felt his mouth go dry. He had been spanked before. He had enjoyed it, but that was years ago. Closing his eyes, Aster braced himself as he felt Trenton's hand rub over his bare ass. His hand was hot and large. It gripped Aster's ass and then smacked playfully before grabbing the other cheek.
"So you do know how to behave?" Trenton murmured to himself. Aster grit his teeth and bit back the sparky reply that had popped into his head. "Let's be clear about some things; I don't like repeating myself and I don't keep useless things. My fondness for you is conditional."
Aster felt a chill go down his spine. Trenton was reminding him of his place. It didn't matter what Aster wanted, he only needed to stay alive and right now that all depended on Trenton's whims. Aster opened his eyes and stared down at the carpet, tears forming in his eyes. He was resigned to take whatever Trenton had planned for him. "Yes master. I understand."
"Good boy. You learn fast." Trenton smiled. "I'll only give you ten smacks for your disobedience up till now. Remember, though, that I won't be so kind now that you know better."
"Yes master." The response came out robotically as Aster tried to calm his breathing.
