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Chapter 30

Xavier watched Mae shift nervously as she stood beside the wooden horse, which he’d moved into the middle of the room. The top was a two-by-six piece of cherrywood that was turned on its side so the upper surface was the narrower two-inch face. There were rings set into the underside of the crosspiece and along the edges of the slanted legs. Xavier left the cuffs on her wrists and ankles, but decided against binding her to the convenient tie points on the horse. It was time to see exactly what Mae could handle, and how obedient she could be.

“Do you know the difference between a hard and soft beating?” he asked.

Mae opened her mouth, but closed it.

“No?” he prompted.

“I can only think of sassy things to say.”

“Why don’t you say them?”

Mae eyed the flogger in his right hand. “Maybe later.”

Xavier chuckled. She was fun. It had been a long time since he’d had fun with a sub.

“All right, Red. I want you to face the horse, bend at the waist, and rest your arms on the top. You can fold your arms if that’s more comfortable.”

He helped position her, having her step back until her body made a ninety degree angle and her cheek rested on her folded arms atop the wood. NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

“Very good. Legs together.”

The metal on the ankle restraints clanked as she brought her feet side by side. Once he was satisfied, he swung the flogger against his own leg, letting her get used to the sound.

“Do you want to know the difference between a hard beating and a soft beating?”

“Yes, Master Xavier.”

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

The flogger’s steady rhythm was like a metronome as he spoke. “The difference is in how long the sub wears the marks. A flogging is a light beating, because your skin will be red for a few days. Paddles, canes, a tawse, and whips are hard beatings.”

“What’s a spanking?” Her words were slightly muffled because of the way her face rested on her arms, but he understood.

“A spanking is foreplay. A spanking is what little girls get when they want to pretend they’re being punished.”

That wasn’t exactly true—spanking was an art form in itself and a well-administered one could have longer-lasting effects than a caning, but he was guessing that those weren’t the kinds of spankings Mae got.

“Are you punishing me? Is that why you’re beating me?” Her question was soft, and when he looked, her eyes were wide and dark, fixed on his face.

“No, Mae. I’m going to beat you because I want to. Because I need to. And because you need to be beaten.”

He’d kept up his steady movement of the flogger. Without breaking rhythm he raised his arm, this time striking Mae’s ass.

She yelped, jerking upright with her hands braced on the horse.

“Back in position.” He struck her ass again, this time with more force.

She cried out in either shock or pain, looking back at him with wide eyes. Her hair fell in soft waves around her face. Her lower lip was wet and pink, trembling slightly. Her eyes pleaded for mercy, pleaded for him to stop and kiss her, hold her.

Xavier understood how she’d managed to go so long without being properly mastered. He understood, but he wasn’t so blind to her real wants as others had been. She was going to accept her beating, and nothing she did or said would change it.

Holding her gaze, he struck her ass again, even harder than last time. This one had to hurt, and there was a flash of anger in her eyes.

That’s right, Red, you’re mine, and you’re about to find out exactly what that means.

* * *

“Back in position, Mae. I won’t tell you again.” Master Xavier pulled the flogger back.

Mae was frozen, the tension in her arms, back, and legs seemingly turning her to stone. The first blow had taken her by surprise, the second stung enough that she’d jumped, and the third one hurt.

Thwack.

Pain set fire to the back of her thighs and ass as the hardest blow yet landed. Jolted from her paralysis, Mae yelped and took two steps forward, turning so that Master Xavier’s flogger couldn’t reach her ass.

“Mae, you’re making me angry.”

“Master Xavier, that hurts.”

He tilted his head. “Of course it hurts, Mae. It’s meant to hurt.”

“But I don’t want it to hurt.” He swung the flogger towards her and Mae pressed herself harder against the horse, staying just outside its reach.

“I understand that you don’t want it to hurt. But that doesn’t matter.”

Unexpectedly, tears of frustration filled her eyes. “It should matter.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not up to you. I decide if you get pleasure or pain. I decide how much pain. I’m your Master.”

His words flipped a switch inside her and Mae shuddered. Her outrage and anger faded, replaced by a dark need. The need for pain, the need to give up all control.

She couldn’t stop herself from trembling, but Mae turned around, presenting her back.

“Back in position, bend at the waist.”

Mae resumed her position, hiding her face against her forearms. Part of her was amazed that she was doing this, that she hadn’t walked out. A larger part of her desperately wanted to know how far he would take it, how much he would do to her.

Master Xavier tugged her panties down until they pooled at her ankles, leaving her totally naked for the first time.

Thwack. This time the blow landed on the back of her thighs, avoiding her ass. The reprieve was short- lived, as the tails of the flogger once more landed on her sensitive ass.

She was tensing before each blow, whole body drawn tight in anticipation. For what felt like an hour but could have been no more than five minutes, he kept up a steady rhythm, the strength and placement of them alternating. At first she tried to keep quiet, but was soon gasping and whimpering.

“Relax, Mae. You can’t control this. Can’t stop this.”

The words freed something inside her. Mae let out a little sob, and the tension faded from her body. When the next blow came she accepted it, her soft flesh taking in the pain more readily.

The fiery ache in her ass and thighs grew until she was moaning steadily.

“Open your legs.”

She didn’t question, didn’t hesitate. She stepped out of her panties and spread her legs, wide as she could while keeping her balance. She wanted him to have access to her sex, wanted him to use her in whatever way he wanted.

The tails of the flogger came up between her legs, smacking her pussy. The gentle blow had only the barest hint of sting, hidden under a jolt of pleasure. Or maybe it was that she was so aroused it didn’t matter what kind of attention her aching pussy got.

Master Xavier alternated gentle swats to her inner thighs and pussy with harder floggings of her ass. Her whole body was trembling, and Mae didn’t know if it was pleasure or pain that made her shake.

“Can you come from pain alone?”