“If the girl could hold a good pace for the entire race, Paige would keep her at her limit the whole time, making sure she saved her own sprint for the end. She never let a strong runner get behind her. Paige likes to control. She was the same way with pool. If the opponent was a shot shooter, she’d hide the cue ball and take their shot away. She’s a good strategist and really good at sizing up her competition. She’ll use their weakness as much as her own skill.”
“So you think she’s purposely not trying to improve her starts?” Antonio questioned.
“No. She’s working on them. I’ve watched her. She’s just not working on them the way you want her to. I looked at those boots she’s wearing and she’s been changing her stance. I think she’s trying to find the right way to push off and make sure she doesn’t injure her legs,” Belinda replied.
“I’ll be damned. I knew Baby was competitive, but it didn’t occur to me she was deliberately ignoring what I was trying to get her to do.” Antonio had a thoughtful expression on his face.
After dinner, he walked Belinda back to their room and went to see Pretty Baby and repeated what Belinda had told him. Pretty Baby nodded her head in agreement with the divulged strategy. “Sundown has a real fast start and she’s liable to have a couple of lengths on you until you hit your pace. Can you make up that kind of lead?”
Pretty Baby again nodded her head. She raised one of her sleeping shoes and tapped her calf. “Yeah, it doesn’t seem to slow her down, though.” Antonio noticed the difference in the girl’s legs, as well.
Baby made a mock wobble with her lower leg, pretending it was buckled. “You think you can push her hard enough to cause her to injure herself?” Antonio asked in disbelief. Pretty Baby nodded and grimaced her smile, eyes flashing fiercely.
As reigning champion, the first race was held at Preston’s estate. The twins were excited. The Master had them both dress in their black outfits and put the formal collars and cuffs with the jewels on them. He had a pleasure pony brought around and leashed Ayden and Alyssa to the back. They followed behind the cart at a walk.
When they got to Preston’s estate, Alyssa saw Misty with Arturo holding her lead. Antonio was next to them and Belinda was kneeling by his side. Chayton and the twins walked over.
“You’re looking good, Misty.” Chayton could see why everyone seemed to like her. The wide eyes and curls gave her a sweet, vulnerable look. “I’m betting on you. Make me proud.” Misty smiled and pawed a boot towards him. “Good luck, Arturo.”
“Thank you, Master.” Arturo looked great in his dressage outfit. Chayton had gotten new gear for the ponies and trainers. Everything was black and gold.
Misty came in second over the two day event, and it was celebrated as a very good showing for a first year filly. Constantine’s pony, Maribelle, the one Denny had been working with, placed first and the two Masters toasted their good showing.
Copper and Misty placed second in the fifteen hundred. Diablo had to forcibly hold Copper back when he saw her putting too much strain on her leg, trying to get ahead, and he threatened to put the harsh training harness on her if she tested him on the mile. Diablo explained what would happen if they missed out on the rest of the season because she injured herself.
They lined up for the longer race. They had a good start, pacing beside the lead horse. Diablo flicked the reins twice. Misty pulled harder and the cart started passing their opponent. Copper’s legs pumped out the new pace, but she was letting Misty take most of the weight as they had discussed. It was a clear win and Chayton was thrilled. He had only learned himself a week ago about Copper’s injury and the change in schedule.
Pretty Baby showed up the last day for the singles competition. Preston had arranged for Pretty Baby’s hitching post to be across from Sundown’s. He wanted the new filly to have plenty of time to get worked up and nervous about the race. He expected her to feel intimidated by all the activity and walk around to the other side of the post. Instead, she stood directly across from his champion and ignored her.
Antonio and Jasper were putting on her pretty new harness. Chayton had Nevel make her a new racing collar with ‘Pretty Baby’ in bright gold under his estate name, and she thought it was beautiful. The proud pony glanced at Sundown through lowered eyes. It was obvious the girl was trying to get her attention. Baby kept ignoring her, and Preston’s plan was backfiring as his own pony became agitated at Pretty Baby’s pretense of authority and pride.
Antonio had just finished attaching the reins when Pretty Baby finally looked up and faced her adversary. The girl was practically sweating with anger by now. Baby smiled, reached out her booted foot and drew a line in the dirt. Sundown bolted, trying to get at her, and Antonio heard his pony laugh. He pretended to be adjusting her headgear, and whispered, “Good pony. Save some for the track,” and he affectionately tweaked a nipple. He heard her chuckle again as she rubbed her head on his shoulder.
Belinda knelt beside Alyssa in front of Arturo and Diablo. When the ponies were brought to the starting line, Alyssa smiled. Pretty Baby looked gorgeous, standing proud and tall. Sundown was two ponies away towards the inside. As the starting gun sounded, Belinda reached out and took Alyssa’s hand, and Alyssa, in turn, reached for Ayden.
Sundown charged from the start. Pretty Baby was the third one off. “The starts come later. Third’s not bad for first season,” Preston informed Chayton. He was sitting in front of their group. Preston relaxed when he saw Sundown a length and a half ahead. Sundown’s legs pumped in determination. She could see the new pony’s shadow and realized she was gaining on her.
She pushed herself harder, and Pretty Baby sped up, keeping the same distance between them for the first quarter of the race. For the next quarter, Baby slowly crept up on her. Sundown saw her approaching shadow and increased her speed. Her breath was labored, but she knew the new pony’s endurance would start to fail and she would be able to slow down soon.
Pretty Baby kept increasing her speed. Sundown was already straining, unable to go any faster, and it was her competition’s boots she was seeing out of the corner of her eye instead of her shadow. There was still a quarter left. Give up. Give up, damn it, Sundown thought wildly. Seeing the finish line, Sundown pushed a little more. Pretty Baby was beside her now, and Sundown watched her start to move ahead. She thought she heard her laugh, and it made Sundown furious. She kicked out, trying to trip Baby as she passed.
Alyssa, Ayden and Belinda booed loudly and Chayton chuckled at Preston’s cringe of embarrassment over his champion’s bad behavior.
Due to their speed and the motion of the cart, Sundown was thrown off pace, and when she brought the leg back in, her knee twisted. “Aaayeee….,” she screamed as she went down. She had ripped the tendon in her lovely long calf. Tears of pain, frustration and anger coursed down her cheeks as she watched Pretty Baby break the ribbon. Pretty Baby would break all six for the season. Chayton had his champion.
CHAPTER XVII. FULL CIRCLE
The final race ended in May. The Masters began visiting each other’s estates several times a week, and Ayden and Alyssa were kept at home. “What are they talking about?” Alyssa asked.
“Island stuff,” Ayden replied vaguely.
“You know what’s going on. I can tell.” Alyssa pulled him to a stop before he could dive into the pool.
Ayden looked uncomfortable. “The harvest. They’re discussing their trips.” He dove in the water leaving her open mouthed.
Chayton could tell when his twins were upset. Ayden would look like he was going to cry and the light would leave Alyssa’s eyes. He noticed at dinner, the light was gone. When they got back to their rooms, he questioned her. “You’re upset.”
“I’m fine, Master,” she answered.
“Ayden, what’s wrong with her?” the Master asked.
Ayden knew exactly what was bothering her. He just did not know why. Maybe the thought of kidnapping new slaves upset her. Ayden realized he had become immune to it. He alm
ost felt like if he could be stolen, why should someone else be spared?
“Master, she wanted to know why you and the other Masters are meeting.” He hoped he would not be punished for telling her.
“The harvest bothers you?” Chayton sat on the bed, watching her.
“I said, I’m fine, Master,” she repeated.
“I’ll only be gone a week, Alyssa. You have Ayden to keep you company.” Chayton stared in disbelief as her eyes filled with tears. “Alyssa, what’s wrong?”
“You’re going to replace me, aren’t you, Master? Why else would you bring someone else here? You don’t need any ponies. I’m the only one that’s expendable,” she sobbed.
Ayden looked horrified. It had not occurred to him she would consider such a thing. Chayton pulled her up into his strong embrace and began laughing. “How on earth did you come to the conclusion I was going to replace you?” He took her chin in his hand and forced her teary eyes to look into his. “I am not replacing you, Alyssa. I’m bringing back my harvest for the auction. As a matter of fact, except for Preston, who’s looking for ponies, all of the Masters are turning their acquisitions. We do need finances to operate. It seems we’re all rather happy with our current slaves. No one will be leaving.”
“Alyssa, I’m sorry. It didn’t occur to me you’d think the Master would replace you. I’m so sorry I upset you. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.” Ayden looked ready to cry because of the discomfort he had caused her.
“I’m going to Wyoming. There’s a town called Jackson Hole up by Yellowstone. There is a ladies group that goes on different trips every year.” Chayton did not see the point in keeping it from her if it would ease her distress.
“You’re sure? I’m staying with you, Master?” Alyssa searched his dark eyes for deceit. They glittered with amusement.
“I should punish you for even thinking such a thing,” he replied. Alyssa saw the look in his eyes start to deepen. “Yes. You should definitely be punished,” he murmured. Chayton watched her eyes slightly widen in a mixture of fear, anticipation and desire and flipped her onto the bed. “Ayden, secure your twin.”
“Yes, Master.” Ayden hooked Alyssa’s wrists and ankles to the bedposts and waited for his next order.
“Strip her.” Chayton smiled down at her. He watched as she began to worry her bottom lip. It was a nervous habit, he learned. His eyes followed Ayden’s movements as he untied the cloth and removed it from her hips. Then, he reached underneath her and loosened the knot for the top. Chayton walked over to the closet and brought back a whip. “Use the top to blindfold her.”
Alyssa disliked being blindfolded and she pouted. She wanted to look at her handsome lovers. She also wanted to keep an eye on the whip, and she squirmed uneasily.
“Can you tell the difference between Ayden and me?” Chayton was standing beside her now.
“Yes, Master,” she answered weakly.
Chayton looked down, pleased to see the juice of her arousal. “One of us will touch you and you tell me which one of us it is. If you’re wrong, you’ll be punished.”
Alyssa squirmed some more. The thought of having the sensuous men touch her, and the penalty of the whip, were igniting her passion. Her fear about replacement was forgotten.
She felt a hand on her breast. It massaged gently and moved to her nipple, the fingers gently squeezing. “That’s Ayden, Master,” her lip was slightly trembling.
Next, fingers were sliding softly from her chest to her hips. She had convinced herself it was Ayden again, until the fingers grabbed her labial rings and pulled them together. A thumb began rubbing her clit and she moved into the hand, only to have her movements stilled by the tight grip on the rings.
“That’s you, Master,” she gasped.
She must have been right, because the whip remained silent. The thumb stopped stroking and her lips were freed. A finger stroked her cream up and down her folds, and then two fingers slipped inside her and began slowly plunging in and out of her moist depths. Another hand went back to her breast, flicking the ring through the tight bud. Alyssa lips parted slightly, forgetting the game and losing herself to her arousal.
“Alyssa?” she heard Chayton whisper.
Concentrating on the touch of the hands, she tried to figure out which one of them it was. Chayton smiled at her confused expression. “You have three seconds to decide.”
The seconds ticked by and she panted, “I can’t tell. At first I thought it was Ayden, Master. Now I’m not sure,” she admitted.
The foreplay stopped. She heard the familiar swish and she stiffened as the whip came down on her thighs. “Aaah…,” she hissed. “That was you, Master.”
Chayton burst out laughing and leaned down to remove the blindfold. “Yes, that was me.” The thought of Ayden whipping her was outrageous, and they all knew it.
He tossed the whip onto the chair, and Ayden and he lay down on either side of her. They began caressing her again. “The point is, my love, you know our unique touch. At times we are so close we are like one soul.” His mouth rested on hers. She felt his tongue slide between her teeth and she answered the tender demand. Ayden’s tongue found her pussy and he lapped at her, plunging deep on occasion.
She felt herself reaching towards her release. Twisting in her bindings, she wanted to embrace Chayton and wrap her thighs tightly around Ayden’s head. Chayton kissed her while she moaned her desire. With a heated rush, she climaxed, feeling her cream squeeze from her channel to meet with Ayden’s tongue.
Chayton released her wrists and nodded at Ayden to free her legs. “Now, show me why I should keep you.” His heart swelled with the look of desire on her face. She crawled on top of him, kissing him from his navel to his lips. Spreading her thighs to the outside of his, she lowered herself onto his cock. Ayden quickly entered her from behind, and their thrusting dance began.
An hour later, Chayton lay awake studying his sleeping twins. He finally made up his mind, and kissing his lovers on the top of their heads, he drifted off to sleep.
A few days later, Alyssa was passing by the Master’s office when she heard voices behind the closed door. Curiously, she stopped to listen.
“All I’m saying is I think you’re taking a big chance.” Alyssa heard Preston say.
“It’s true, Chayton. You don’t think straight when it comes to the twins.” Camille’s sultry voice proclaimed.
“I know what I’m doing. They need to go,” Chayton argued.
Alyssa ran for Ayden. “It’s true. He is getting rid of me.” Ayden saw the fear and panic in her eyes. “He said you were going, too.” Alyssa began to cry.
Ayden was confused. “I don’t believe that, Alyssa.” He quickly followed her back to the closed office door.
“How about only one?” Preston was asking.
“I’d be happy to take Alyssa or Ayden,” Camille offered.
“No. They go together,” Chayton stated firmly.
Ayden and Alyssa held each other miserably. “Well, at least he’s going to keep us together,” he whispered.
“Why? Why is he doing this? Last week he told me he’d never send me away. I don’t understand,” she whined. They slowly walked back to the pool. Alyssa was starting to sob and Ayden was pretty sure he was not far behind her. They sat by the rocks on the far side of the pool and held each other, crying their misery into each other’s shoulders.
“At least mention my side of things. I need your support. Sean is completely against this,” Chayton admitted.
“I’d like to see them again before deciding.” Camille had the least amount of contact with the twins, and what Chayton was asking could put them all in danger. They left the office to find the pair.
Chayton went to their room and found it empty. He searched the shadows when he looked through the windows towards the pool area.
Chayton, Preston and Camille had done a quick search of the house. They finally found the twins on the patio, sobbing in each other’s arms. Camille arched a
brow and Preston gave Chayton a confused grin. “Do they do this often?” he asked.
“Of course not.” Chayton was completely baffled by the scene. “Ayden, come.”
“God, I don’t know which will be worse, Preston or his sister,” Ayden wailed as they slowly walked to their Master.
By the time they knelt before Chayton, Alyssa was shaking, she had cried so hard. “What is going on?” Chayton asked.
Ayden was so upset his throat had tightened and he stood mute, staring at his beautiful Indian while tears ran down his cheeks. Alyssa looked up and sobbed, “You promised, Master. You promised me,” she wailed.
Intrigued, Preston and Camille glanced at each other.
“Promised you what, Alyssa?” Chayton had no idea what she was talking about.
“You, you, you promised not to send me away, Master,” she stuttered between hitched sobs.
“I’m not sending you anywhere. What are you talking about?” Chayton looked at the other Masters and shrugged in confusion.
“We heard you, Master. You said we had to go. You said we had to go together.” Ayden leaned into, her crying quietly.
The three Masters realized they had an eavesdropper in their midst, and Camille decided to prey on the moment. “Did you also hear I offered to take you?” Camille loved the cruelness of the punishment. Chayton sat down, leaving his twins kneeling before Preston and Camille.
“You said you’d only take one of us, Mistress.” Ayden finally found his voice. “You don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be together.”
“I offered to take one of you, too.” Preston loved the obvious distress Camille’s game was causing.
Alyssa ran to Chayton with Ayden on her heels. They knelt in front of him and each grabbed a muscular thigh, embracing it. Their heads dropped to his lap as they wailed. Chayton looked at Preston and Camille, the question hanging in the air between them.
Six Masters Island - Chaytons Twins Page 22