Training Tia

by Isabella Laase

  Simon shrugged. “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you naked, and you’ve seen my penis a thousand times before we came here. It’s the same penis. Why is it bothering you now?”

  “It just…is,” I snarled. I really didn’t have a good answer, but his feline appendage was a lot less intrusive than his human one.

  In an attempt to make a point about privacy, I put a strong hair removal product in the moisturizer container, hoping he would end up with hairless arms or even better, bared legs.

  The growl from the bathroom told us otherwise. “Tia, what the fuck did you do?”

  Simon entered the living room missing a very clear patch of hair from his head, and his temper was in full fire. The muscles in his neck twitched, and he didn’t have to speak to scare the crap out of me.

  It only took a second to seek safety far away from his anger, and I bolted to escape…anyplace. I tried to hide behind the couch, but he maintained hot pursuit. A lamp was broken in a brief scuffle, and the rest of the staff shouted for us to stop.

  Zane picked up on the stress and appeared in the nursery in a slight panic. I hid behind the safety of his large body while Simon missed another grab at me. It only took my master a few seconds to put the pieces together, and he had to choke down a laugh while he picked me up.

  I tried excuses. “It wasn’t my fault. Who the hell puts moisturizer in their hair?”

  Instead of offering unconditional security and protection, Zane simply dropped me unceremoniously at Simon’s feet.

  “She’s all yours, Simon.” He disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived, leaving me to my fate.

  Simon had never laid a hand on me, and I was more than a little nervous. My playmate was monstrously huge, and his brick-like biceps quivered with indecision.

  He stared me down with his fists clenched, and a bald streak down the middle of his head like a reverse mohawk. With a growl, he disappeared with a magical flash, and I didn’t see him for hours.

  When he arrived for dinner, he’d shaved the rest of his head like a cue ball. We never spoke of it again, but he stopped peeing in my bathroom.

  That night I approached exhaustion but fought sleep like a two-year-old. Despite the embarrassing comparison, I couldn’t stop myself.

  “I don’t know why I hate going to bed,” I said as the clock ticked away. “Napping was a luxury in college, but now, I fight it.”

  Zane had already said his goodnights and had gone to a business meeting, so Simon and I were in the middle of a gin rummy tournament.

  Without looking up from his cards, he said, “You always hated to nap. Even when you were a baby, you fought it. You don’t like giving up access to your subconscious, and you haven’t figured out how to rest there. It’ll come to you. Don’t worry about it.”

  I hesitated. “Wait, how did you know me as a baby? You didn’t come until I was almost out of high school.”

  Simon was the only person in my limited life who didn’t try to sugarcoat things. “Are you stupid? Think about it. I’ve known you forever. Your mother bonded me to you when you were born. That was months before you mated with Zane and long before the cat came.”

  “Huh. What were you before…” I answered my own question. “Oh. You were Ginger the dog, weren’t you?”

  “Yeah. Why in God’s name did you call me Ginger? Didn’t you see my penis then either?”

  I had taken some teasing from Owen and Anna over that one, and I was still a little defensive. “Well, it was a cute name. Besides, I wanted a girl dog, and they brought me you. I did what I had to do. And…and…I was seven, for fuck’s sake…”

  “Well, it was discussed that I transform into a female as well as a collie, but I wasn’t willing to go that far. I took the stupid name, but convinced Owen to make you call me Simon when I went to the cat.”

  “So, which one is your symbol? I just assumed the cat was your relaxed state.”

  Simon spoke dryly, “That’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever said, and that was a pretty high bar. Cats are creepy things.

  “My symbol is a hawk. When I know you’re secure, I go to it. But only when I am confident that you’re out of trouble, and God knows that doesn’t happen very often.”

  I was a little impressed. “Can you turn into anything else?”

  “I have a lot of forms in my subconscious. I went to school with you every day, even in New York. Once I was a wasp. How do you think Alex Hunter got stung on the ass after he teased you on the playground?”

  I had to give him credit for that one. I’d hated that kid but still struggled to put the pieces together. “Wait. You’ve been with me since I moved in with Owen and Anna, and I was seven. That’s…”

  I stopped to count it out, but Simon finished for me. “First, that number is fourteen, and you should be ashamed of your math abilities if you have to think about it, but you didn’t listen to me.

  “I’ve been bonded to you since you were born. When we lived with your parents, I was just plain Simon. There was no need to hide behind something acceptable to humans.”

  There was just too much information. “What’s bonded? You’ve used that word twice.”

  He hesitated. “It’s like a one-sided, symbiotic relationship. Basically, if you die, so do I. Kind of an incentive for keeping you alive.”

  I was floored. “Why the hell would you want to do that?”

  Simon shrugged absently. “I never doubted it. You represent the future of our people. I was honored when your mother asked me to do it.”

  A sarcastic Simon was much easier to have in the room than this reflective soul, and his words embarrassed the hell out of me.

  The sincerity didn’t last when he opened his mouth to continue. “Not that it’s been easy. You were a cute baby, but a monster of a teenager. There were days when I considered drowning you.”

  The realization hit me slowly. “So, you were the reason Owen always knew what I was doing?”

  Simon looked smug. “Owen was dominant over you, and so was Zane. They could usually see what you were doing anytime they wanted, but yes, if they missed something, I didn’t mind filling them in.”

  “And, you were with me in my room? Even at night?”

  “Well, if you were with your biological parents, or the Malones, or even Kim, I didn’t stay. And if you were with Zane, I left. But you were never alone. Not once. You’ve always had your mated Dominant, or me, or somebody Zane gave temporary power.”

  My world spun around just a little further. “I don’t get this whole Dominant/submissive shit. I mean, I don’t even like erotica novels. They’re just too weird.”

  Simon laughed. “Didn’t you hear me? You were never alone. I know exactly what you thought when you read those books. I was on your lap the whole time, except when you kicked me off to get that little pink toy of yours.”

  Holy fuck. How many times did I look at my pet and say, “Thank God you can’t talk” only to find out he could talk?

  “You watched that?” I said angrily.

  “I didn’t leave you. That’s my job. I did feel a little sorry for you the first few times though. Who would have thought a little pink toy would do that?”

  My mortification was complete. With my first erotica novel, I’d bought a vibrator from an expensive boutique and kept it in my apartment, far away from my parents’ eyes and credit card.

  The result was something out of a bad porn flick. I’d read the first few chapters of steamy sex with my hand between my legs. Deep into chapter three, I’d dropped my pants with the toy in the ready position.

  It was a powerful son of a bitch in the hands of the inexperienced. I found the tight bundle of nerves and dropped the vibrator directly on a very sensitive spot. I swear the effect reached the ends of my toes. A tremendous intensity tormented my entire body, but there was no release. I threw the toy against the wall in frustration and shuddered for twenty minutes.

  “I don’t know why you’re mad at me,” said Simon. “I di
dn’t buy the toy.”

  I whispered my curses since Nanny was close by. “You gotta be fucking kidding me? It’s a creepy violation of privacy for God’s sake.”

  “Really, what part of ‘you were never alone’ do you not get? You’ve never had privacy from me, ever. You’re part of me. I watched you when you were a baby, I watched you when you were an adult, and I watched you try to kiss that pimply kid on the school bus when you were thirteen. He was gross by the way. What were you thinking?”

  “Just how long were you with me?”

  “You can be really dense sometimes. I have always been with you.”

  I was still skeptical, and he begrudgingly moved to prove his words. He held my hand for a minute, but I waited until he muttered, “Are you coming? I can’t prove your memory by myself.”

  His criticism flustered me, but I joined him inside my thoughts. With his help, the memories came faster than I could process. His voice told me to focus on my breathing, and I slowed down to see my past.

  My birth parents appear first. In their elegant evening clothes, they prepare to leave me for the night. My mother kisses my head while my father scowls and urges her to hurry. Even at my young age, I recognize that they have important jobs, but I don’t feel left out or alone.

  Simon is there. He takes me from my mother’s arms, and I cuddle to his shoulder. There are other caretakers, but Simon is the only one I want. We move to a table where we play games until I grow tired.

  He tucks me in my safe bed and settles in a big chair by my side where he watches me sleep. He will be there when I wake up. Simon is always there.

  My mind moves forward. I sense the same safety and companionship from my collie, but my mind doesn’t mourn his loss when the cat comes to the back door. I have my peace, and it’s all I need.

  I almost faded back to the nursery when several images of Simon appeared from New York.

  “You stalked me as a human, too?” I said.

  “I couldn’t stalk you as a cat. And no offense, but you weren’t exactly James Bond. I could have followed you in a garbage truck, and I don’t think you would have noticed.”

  The news filled in a lot of gaps, but it also left me agitated. Despite my comfort, it was another part of the conspiracy that turned out to be my childhood.

  Simon knew my thoughts and shrugged. “Our first goal was always your safety.”

  It took Nanny a long time to settle me down that night. I was a challenging ward, but she was very good at her job.

  She entertained me with stories about her childhood as a member of the coven. “It was a wonderful life. I wish you could have experienced it, too.”

  “Where did you live?” I was curious, but her stories aided my quest to stay awake a little longer.

  “I lived in Scotland, but I attended school right here at the castle. Traveling is easy for our kind. I met both your mother and Zane here. Hawa and Simon went to school with us, too. We called ourselves the Magnificent Seven.”

  I counted off the names with my fingers. “Who were the other two? Was my father here?”

  Like everybody else when I mentioned my father’s name, Nanny scowled. “No, little one, he was much older. The other two were Wintra and Bryson. Bryson works for Zane’s father doing security. And Wintra has long left our lifestyle.”

  “Where are we exactly?” I asked with a shrug toward the window.

  “We’re in Romania.”

  “Wait,” I stuttered in confusion, “Romania doesn’t have an ocean.”

  She laughed, “Actually it does, but where do you see an ocean?”

  “Right out the window.” I wondered if Nanny was getting senile.

  “You’ve never seen the ocean on your run with Zane, have you? This nursery has no windows to the outside. That security is one of the things that keeps you safe.

  “The window is tied to your subconscious. What you see is what your mind wants to see. I see the Scottish Highlands, and I think Simon sees mountains in Switzerland.”

  The realization that I’d never even thought to look for the water when I was outside made me feel a little stupid, and I needed to change the subject. “What does Zane see?”

  “You’ll have to ask him, little one.” She left me with the promise she would check on me regularly until I fell asleep.

  Simon came to me in his cat form to snuggle on my bed. The knowledge that he’d shared every embarrassing moment of my life was too much, and I kicked him to the floor. “If you were a wasp right now, I’d take a can of bug spray to you. Get lost.”

  It was a poor choice. Simon wandered the room with pitiful whines while I tossed and turned with restless distraction. Both of us were clearly miserable, but he waited an hour before he tried to rejoin me on the bed.

  I had a hard time staying mad at him. His soft fur and gentle purring brought out pleasant Simon memories, and I let him snuggle next to me. “I’m sorry I was mean, Simon.”

  He gave a quiet hiss, and I laughed before pulling him even closer.

  Chapter Seven

  The emotional roller coaster calmed a little with time and training, and increased work time was incorporated slowly into my day. Even the intricately patterned coloring books were replaced by blank pages that required stronger access to my subconscious.

  The magic didn’t really help my artistic ability. Halfway through an elaborate and colorful geometric feature, Simon looked over my shoulder and muttered, “Don’t give up your day job.”

  “Give me a break,” I snapped. “Not everything is magic, you know. There’s some natural talent involved.”

  He shot me the you’re-incredibly-stupid look.

  “Oh come on,” I countered sarcastically. “You’re not going to tell me that Michelangelo was a warlock, are you?”

  Nanny sighed. “My mother said her grandmother would have killed to be his submissive.”

  I couldn’t ask any more questions and had to remember to close my mouth as history briefly rewrote itself in my new reality.

  Personable and caring, Nanny often entertained me with stories from her childhood, though Hawa remained private and reserved. After years of deception at the hands of trusted friends, I wondered if this was her real image or if she was hiding something.

  She easily read my thoughts. “Don’t worry. As long as you get what you need, where I come from and what I look like isn’t important.”

  I remained suspicious. “Have you ever been to New York?”

  “A few times,” she said with a noncommittal shrug.

  “Did you know my bodyguard, Kim Wallace?”

  “We have a small community. Of course, I know Kim, but she stayed focused on your safety. Now, let’s start your massage and practice the new access routines before you watch the movie you picked out tonight.”

  With a longer attention span, short novels and longer movies had brought the first true entertainment in months. The action adventure would provide a nice distraction from my busy day, so I nodded my head and went to work.

  A few nights later, I woke from a deep sleep. The clock by my bed revealed it was still short of midnight, and my rooms were surprisingly quiet. The bars were down, so I went to the bathroom.

  The liberty wasn’t unusual. My staff went to bed well after I did, so I seldom actually saw the restraints go up, and many mornings they were down before I woke up.

  Wide awake, I wandered to the living room to look for Simon to entertain me, but the room was empty. I easily found his portal and saw the hawk that placed him far from the castle.

  It took a few seconds before I realized that my nursery was empty. I couldn’t imagine everybody had forgotten to secure my bars, but witches must have been human after all. It only took another second for the possibilities to earn my grin.

  Unlimited junk food after months of restriction was the first stop, and I quickly located a box of almond cookies and a pint of chocolate ice cream. The sugar went to my brain, and my body shuddered with illicit enjoyment. Ten or fi
fteen minutes of unsupervised fun brought a little nausea, and I put the food aside to plan my next step.

  I chewed my lower lip while evaluating my options. I’d enjoyed the solitude, but the nagging quiet was a little too alien for total comfort. I turned my music on full volume, convinced the noise would attract somebody to lecture me.

  Simon hated old-time rock and roll and always used his powers to override the entertainment system, while Nanny nagged about long-term hearing loss when I used my headphones. The music wasn’t as much fun by myself, and within a few minutes, I returned to the deafening silence.

  The door to the hallway provided too much temptation. Expecting the handle to morph into a snake, or at the very least, I’d find it locked, I was surprised when it opened easily and without drama.

  Half connected to my subconscious, I hesitated in case some demon came along to eat me, but the nighttime castle remained calm and peaceful. The gray stone walls and marble floors were familiar from my runs with Zane, and I had no fear. My entire secret service protection detail was clearly a shout away.

  It had been a long time since I’d left the room unsupervised and on two legs. Despite my inner instinct to be responsible, I stepped into the cool, dark hallway with the intention of pursuing a night’s worth of illicit exploration.

  Four steps later, I heard a cough behind me and felt Simon’s presence. His smirk didn’t require any magic, and I put the blame where it belonged. “You tricked me, didn’t you? You guys can read me a mile away. You just let me do this.”

  Simon raised his eyebrow. “You’re the one in trouble. Given the chance to show that you don’t need bars on your bed, you ate a crap load of junk food, deafened yourself with terrible music, and left your room within thirty minutes. Zane isn’t going to like that.”

  Zane’s name generally had a magical effect on my attitude, and I turned my argument to a desperate whine. “You aren’t going to tell on me, are you? Nothing bad happened. It all worked out.”

  Simon shrugged. “Don’t worry, Tia. I won’t tell.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief before he scoffed, “He already knows, you idiot. After all these months, do you still think you can hide anything from him?”