Could the way he felt about her survive what she was about to do to him? No—what they were about to do together, Malik amended to himself. For the first time, he was going to be a willing participant in this act. He thought it could—he knew how he felt about Nicole and he didn’t believe opening himself for her would change that. But he needed to remember who she was and remind himself she wasn’t Mistress Hellenix. He needed to fix her in his mind like a sailor fixed on a bright star in the darkest night to guide himself home. He had to—
His thoughts broke off as he suddenly realized that things weren’t going very well between Nicole and the head vendor. Janda was motioning at the phallus again but Nicole was shaking her head.
“I really don’t think I want to do this,” she was saying.
Janda was frowning. “But you specifically asked for this model! You told me to bring it—there aren’t any others!”
“But it’s too big,” Nicole protested. “I just don’t feel like—”
“Mistress, a word if you please,” Malik murmured in her ear, taking a step closer.
“What?” Nicole turned to face him and he could see the misery in her lovely dark eyes both so alike and so unlike his old Mistress’s.
Malik drew her a little way away from the fuming vendor and leaned down, making certain they were close enough that the invisible privacy bubble kept their words completely private.
“Nicole,” he murmured, “What’s wrong? I thought we agreed that this was a necessary part of your duties at the banquet tonight.”
“No, you agreed!” she shot back. “I never agreed to hurt you like this! Especially knowing what you’ve been though in the past. I won’t do it, Malik—I won’t rape you! I won’t.”
Tears were making her eyes shiny and she blinked angrily, swiping at her cheeks with her fingertips. In that moment, Malik felt that last piece of his heart give way and he knew that for better or worse, he loved her.
She doesn’t want to hurt me—doesn’t want it so much it’s tearing her up inside, he realized. It was so different from the sadistic ways of his old Mistress that it nearly took his breath away. Truly, though they looked exactly alike, they could not be more opposite on the inside.
“Nicole,” he said gently. “You’re not going to hurt me. I’ve had this done to me before, remember? And it won’t be rape—I’m willing to do this, willing to open myself to you. It will be all right.”
“It’s not all right.” She sniffed and swiped at her eyes again. “Just because you’ve been abused in the past doesn’t mean it’s all right for me to abuse you now!”
“It’s not abuse,” Malik objected. “It was in the past but with you it will be different.”
“How?” she demanded. “How can it possibly be different?”
“Because it’s you.” Malik cupped her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss away the tears from her long, wet lashes. Gods, she was beautiful even when she was crying. Maybe even especially when she was crying since he had never seen his old Mistress—who had a heart made of stone and ice—shed a single tear.
“I don’t want to do it,” she whispered when he finished kissing her.
“You have to,” he murmured back. “If you refuse, every Mistress out there who knows the real Hellenix will know you’re not her. Remember, the penalty for impersonating a Yonnite Mistress is death, Nicole. You have to do this.”
“But I don’t want to bring back bad memories for you. I…” She bit her lip and looked up at him. “I know this sounds kind of crazy, considering we’ve only known each other for a few days but, well…I really care about you, Malik—a lot. And I would never want to do anything to make you hate me like you hate the real Mistress Hellenix.”
“I could never hate you. And I care for you too, Nicole.” The words, I love you trembled on his lips but he couldn’t let himself say them—not when he knew they could never be together in the long run.
“Then…you really want me to do this?” She looked at him uncertainly, her eyes still wide and wounded.
He nodded firmly, though he couldn’t deny the fist of tension still clenched in his belly.
“Yes. You have to and I want you to. I want you to be safe and I also need you to be with me to get into Uriel Two,” he reminded her. “You’re not just doing this to save your own life, you know—you’re doing it to help me save my entire planet.”
This seemed to make Nicole feel better. She sniffed again and blotted her eyes with the back of her hand.
“All right but I warn you, I’ve never done this kind of thing before.”
“They key is plenty of lube,” Malik told her. “That was one thing Mistress Hellenix always did for me—mainly because I was a valuable slave and she didn’t want to damage me, I think,” he added wryly. “But it’s important not to go in dry.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Nicole murmured. “The, uh, rod the head vendor has been showing me is self-lubing—so it keeps on secreting more lube as you, uh, penetrate your slave.”
“So much the better.” Malik nodded. “Then we shouldn’t have a problem.”
“But—can you give me any other pro tips?” Nicole asked, looking a little desperate. “I’ve been the penetrate-ee plenty of times in my life—not a lot recently since Gary lost interest—but plenty in the past, you know? But I’ve never been the, uh, penetrator. And I really, really don’t want to hurt you.”
“Communication is key,” Malik told her. “Go in slowly and if I need you to stop I’ll tell you to. Once I’m comfortable with the rod’s placement and I let you know, you can fuck me harder and faster.”
“But why would I want to, uh, fuck you hard?” Nicole protested.
“You have to make me come,” Malik reminded her. He felt the fist of tension in his belly again but tried to ignore it. “It’s the finale of the show. And in order to do that, you’ll need to stimulate me—both from without and within.”
“You mean you want me to stroke you—stroke your cock—while I, uh, stroke inside you?” Nicole’s eyes were wide.
He nodded. “If you can manage it, yes.” He cupped her cheek gently. “Feeling your soft little hand on me will go a long way to helping me release my seed for you, sweetheart,” he murmured.
“I’ll do anything I can to help you,” Nicole promised. “Anything else?”
“Just one thing,” Malik told her. “If you’re going to make me come, you’ll need to remove the stay-hard band from around the base of my shaft. And that’s all I can think of for now.”
“All right.” Reaching down between them, she carefully felt for the release on the stretchy black band at the base of his oiled shaft. Just the brush of her soft little fingers sent a tremor of need through Malik’s entire body and he had to take a deep breath and close his eyes for a moment while she fumbled with the band and then finally released it.
“Okay?” Nicole asked him when he looked at her again.
Malik nodded. “Fine, Mistress. Come—I think Janda is getting worried. We’d better go tell her you’re ready to make your speech and do the demonstration.”
“Oh God—I almost forgot about the speech. Thank goodness I memorized it!” She took a deep breath and seemed to gather herself. Then she lifted her chin and threw back her shoulders. “Okay—here goes. Let’s do this.”
“Is everything all right, Mistress Hellenix?” Janda asked, as they approached her. “In regard to your concerns about the rod prototype—”
“No, no—it’s fine,” Nicole cut her off, just as the real Mistress Hellenix would have. “Just a simple misunderstanding. I’m ready to put on the rod and give my speech now.”
“You might need to lift your skirt a bit to get the straps around your thighs seated correctly,” Janda said carefully. “Would you like me to help you?”
“Not necessary—my slave can help,” Nicole said. “And you say it will make plenty of lube as I er…” she paused for a moment, her cheeks going pink. “When I penetrate my sla
ve?” she finished at last and Malik could see that she was fighting to keep her tone even.
“Yes, of course—that’s the whole point of the rod, Mistress—to be able to fuck your favorite slave without having to deal with lubing him up first,” Janda explained patiently. “After all, nobody wants to ruin the resale value of a valuable slave but who wants to go through the trouble of lubing him up every time before you give him the rod? This new self-lubing rod takes care of that problem for you.”
It was an excellent sales pitch for Yonnie Six—Malik bet himself that the head vendor would sell hundreds of these rods tonight. Especially if their little demonstration went according to plan.
He felt another quiver in his belly but he told himself to be calm.
It’s nothing you haven’t been through before, he reminded himself. You’ll get through it again. You can do this—you have to do this. Which was nothing but the truth but he still couldn’t seem to help the tension in his muscles as he helped Nicole put on the rod and strap it in place around her thighs and hips.
It had a long black phallus a little thicker than anything Mistress Hellenix had previously used on him but the material it was made of looked flexible and slick—good for easy penetration so he told himself not to worry about it.
“What’s this?” Nicole’s question broke his concentration and he looked to see what she was pointing at—a hard little ridge that was placed just at the level of her clitoris. Clearly it was meant to stimulate her while she fucked him—Malik found the on button which brought the little ridge to life and Nicole nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Oh!” she gasped, wiggling her hips as though an insect had stung her in a sensitive place. “Turn it off, Malik!”
“It’s for your pleasure,” he explained. “There are some rods that insert inside the Mistress too, you know, but this one is for single penetration only. So they’ve included the vibrating ridge for your enjoyment—it will stimulate your clit with every thrust you make inside me.”
Nicole got a stubborn expression on her lovely face.
“Leave it off,” she insisted. “I won’t take pleasure from your pain, Malik—I won’t.”
“It won’t be painful as long as you’re careful,” he promised. “And you’ll be giving me pleasure too—you’re going to make me come—remember?”
“For an audience,” she pointed out. “I could see using it if we were doing this together because we wanted to but I won’t take pleasure from this situation if I can help it. It just doesn’t feel right.”
He shrugged. “As you wish, Mistress. We’ll leave it off. Does it feel comfortable otherwise?”
She nodded and shifted her hips experimentally.
“As much as it can, I guess. It’s not chafing anywhere and it seems to be staying in place pretty well.” She looked down at herself. “I can’t believe I’m about to go out in public in front of a bunch of people and give a speech with this thing strapped on me!”
“This is Yonnie Six,” Malik reminded her. “Almost anything goes here. Well—as long as it has to do with male domination.”
“I guess so.” She still didn’t look happy about it but Malik sensed that nothing was really going to fully reconcile her to the situation.
“If you’re comfortable then it’s time that I got into position too,” he remarked. “Can you chain me up?”
“Oh…” She followed his eyes to the manacles hanging down from the metal frame above them. “I guess so. I wish you didn’t have to be chained in place, though.”
“It’s part of the image,” Malik said, going to get into position. “I’m your slave—this is how the females out there want to see me—bound and subjugated to your will.” He stood under the frame and raised his hands submissively above his head.
“Well, it’s not how I see you,” Nicole said fiercely. “And just for the record, I think you’re incredibly brave to do this, Malik. I honestly don’t know if I could do it—let myself be…be taken in front of so many people if our positions were reversed.”
He was genuinely touched by her words.
“Thank you,” he said, nodding. “I guess I never looked at it like that. But, well…thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I just wish I didn’t have to do this to you.”
She sighed and climbed the step stool so that she could reach his wrists, stretched high above his head. As she buckled the leather manacles around him, Malik felt his heart beginning to pound. They were really going to do this. Of course, as he had told her, Mistress Hellenix had done this to him many times, but never in front of such a large crowd as was gathered here tonight. Usually she was just putting on a private show for a few friends at her estate.
It’s all right, he told himself firmly. Just remember it’s not really Mistress Hellenix back there—it’s Nicole and she cares for you. Cares so much that she’s wept for you more than once. She’s doing this because she has to—not to hurt or humiliate you.
Still, his heart rate wouldn’t slow, especially when he felt the cool, slippery material of the phallus she was wearing brush against his naked ass. Soon that was going to be inside him, filling him—fucking him.
And he would just have to submit and take it.
Nicole kissed him gently on the cheek, interrupting his racing thoughts.
“I guess it’s show time,” she murmured in his ear.
“You’ll do fine,” Malik told her, glad to hear his voice come out steady and even. “Just say the speech exactly as you memorized it and remember to strut around while you give it—that’s what the real Mistress Hellenix would do.”
He had spent the greater part of that morning quizzing and coaching her in the short speech his old Mistress had written and also about her mannerisms, so he knew she was ready as long as she didn’t get stage fright.
“Are you ready, Mistress Hellenix?” Janka asked, raising one flame-red eyebrow. She had a hand on the mechanism which opened the curtains and she was looking at Nicole.
Nicole took a deep breath and nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“All right.”
Janka pushed the button and the curtains opened, revealing what seemed to be a sea of faces, both Mistresses and slaves, all watching them.
No, they’re watching her, Malik corrected himself.
Nicole seemed to realize the same thing. For a moment she froze and a look of fear passed over her face. But then she lifted her chin and began.
“Paaain,” she said, drawing the word out. “Pain is our business and pain is our pleasure. We are gathered here tonight to celebrate it in all its many forms and uses…”
And then she was off and running as Malik watched in admiration. He couldn’t deny that she was an arresting sight, strutting around the stage with the black phallus strapped between her thighs and her lovely, full breasts completely bare now that he had sucked the punishment dust from her tight nipples. This stage and the clothing she had been forced to wear were pushing her far out of her comfort zone but she wasn’t letting that bother her—she was going for it in a way that made him proud.
We’ll see how proud you are when she goes for it in another way a minute from now, whispered a little voice in his head but Malik pushed it away. He just wanted to concentrate on Nicole. Just wanted to watch her and think of nothing else.
She was beautiful, diminutive but curvy as she strutted and posed, really playing Mistress Hellenix to the hilt. He had been worried about her—uncertain if she could play the part in front of so many people. But here up on the stage, she really seemed to have come into her own.
The speech wasn’t very long—it was a mostly self-congratulatory piece, praising the pain-loving lifestyle and assuring the other Mistresses in the crowd that they were doing the right thing to punish their slaves the way they did. It drew hearty applause, which wasn’t surprising since it basically exonerated and validated their way of life.
Then, all too soon to Malik’s way of thinking, the speech was over and
Janka came out to give a brief sales-pitch for the self-lubing rod Nicole was wearing. After she explained its uses and how it worked she said,
“And now, the lovely Mistress Hellenix will be pleased to demonstrate our new rod with the public punishment of her bodyslave.”
Malik saw Nicole take a deep breath—this was the real show and they both knew it. Would she be able to go through with it?
A better question might be can you go through with it? whispered a little voice in his head. Can you open yourself for Nicole and take what she had to give you?
Malik supposed he would find out—he only wished his heart would stop pounding so hard. Still, Nicole was already upset enough about this situation as it was—he had to project an air of calm for her, no matter how difficult he found it. So he kept his face carefully blank as she came around to climb the step ladder behind him.
The chains were flexible and Janka had him standing to the side, in profile. In this way, the audience had a side view of him and Nicole, so they could watch the penetration process. Malik set his jaw as she climbed up behind him and he felt the cool, slick head of the phallus brush against his ass again.
He expected her to just shove the thing in him and get it over with so he spread his thighs and gritted his teeth, getting ready to be filled. To his surprise, though, Nicole didn’t do that. Instead, she reached around him, hugging him from behind with her hands rubbing gently over his chest.
“What…what are you doing?” he managed to get out, glad that they still had their privacy bubble in place.
“I don’t know—just trying to be with you in the moment, I guess. Before…before we do this.”
“All right.” Malik nodded and tugged at the manacles with a sudden surge of anxiety. His movement made the chains that held him prisoner rattle and clink together and he felt the voltage running though his body. It was a good thing the manacles were leather or his own nervous energy might have electrified the chains and the entire metal framework they were attached to, he thought.
“Are you okay?” Nicole murmured in his ear. “You’re breathing really hard and I can feel your heart pounding under my hand.” She rubbed the left side of his chest gently. “Your whole body seems to be vibrating.”
Twisted: Brides of the Kindred 23 Page 25