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    We talked about what the bonding meant for the rest of the game. Fuji had cooled my back down


    significantly, so it felt a little better. The girls said they would ask their Masters how they bonded. I


    would ask my owners, also.


    Fuji and Rose didn''t know my owners, but they knew their Warriors were friends with them. The girls


    were worried their Warriors would be upset if mine were taken. It was strange to realized how much


    we all cared for these men. I wondered if, other than Christof, they felt anything for us.


    I walked quietly behind Master Damien pondering the strange situation I found myself in. He led us


    into the bathhouse and the men stripped me of my little cover. The water stung my back as it


    sloshed over it, but I tried not to make any noise. As usual, I bathed Master Damien first. Master


    Bane settled in front of me next.


    As I washed him, I noticed everyone else had wandered off to watch a water game on the other side


    of the pool. Boldly, I sat on Master Bane''sp so he couldn''t follow them. The water went higher


    over the marks and it took a minute to get used to. He looked at me curiously.


    "May I ask a question, Master Bane?" I asked wrapping my arms around him to wash his back.


    He moved me so I straddled him and said he didn''t mind at all. Men could be so predictable.


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    "How do you bond with your brothers, Master Bane?" I asked brazenly.


    The water had sloshed higher on my back and I arched toward him at the pain. He watched me


    closely as he answered.


    "It starts when we are very young. We learn to sense one another. My bond with my brothers is


    stronger because of what Evan can do. Not every family has a member like Evan. We are very


    lucky," he finished.


    I continued to stroke him and let his hardening length slide between us. "Tell me what do you mean


    when you say you sense your brothers, Master," I said hoping my tone wasn''t too pressured.


    It wasn''t clear how much more time I had before the others came back.


    "I sense how they feel about things, my feelings follow simrly to theirs. When we make a decision,


    we make it as one being," he said.


    A look of understanding came across his face and his brow furrowed.


    "Don''t be angry with me, Master Bane. I only wish to help," I whispered in his ear.


    Cautiously, I watched his face. If they were angry I was asking I knew where I would end up.


    "He has to trust us again, Ciara. It will destroy us if he doesn''t. We cannot survive with just four; we


    need our brother," he said quietly.


    "You don''t feel him anymore, do you Master?" I asked ying with his chest hair.


    "No, Ciara, not since the women took him," he answered. "Something happened when they had him


    and the connection was broken."


    "Why did you buy me, Master Bane?"


    He told me softly the Administrators thought it would help. Other families had gotten better with the


    addition of a ve. We seemed to be something the men could reestablish their bond over.


    Sloshing water behind us brought me flush against Master Bane. The whole of my back was


    unbelievably tender. He held my hips tightly against his and appraised me.


    "Brothers, I am tired of the pained look and I do not wish to permanently mar the flesh," he said


    directing thement over my shoulder.


    Master Evan stroked the side of my neck and agreed.


    We made our way upstairs and I was d to see the bed. I doubted I''d sleep, but it would feel good


    not to move for a while. Every piece of my back was in pain, I couldn''t even turn my head without


    feeling it.


    The men had mey on my stomach and Master Kein brought in the little tub of cream. I begged


    them not to touch my back and they shushed me. Every mark was rubbed with the cream from top


    to bottom. At first, it was like having the whipping again. Slowly the pain started to fade.


    For the first time all day it didn''t hurt to move.


    I watched from my prone position as the men got ready for bed. Master Damien caught me


    watching him and spoke.


    "The General can hurt you and we can heal you as many days as we need to until you learn," he


    warned.


    "Yes, Master Damien, I have learned," I answered humbly.


    For the moment, I had learned my lesson. Never disobey in front of an audience. Keeping Christof


    alive was going to take a lot of effort at this rate. I prayed I could find a way.


    The men crawled into bed around me and settled down.


    I''ve never been a stomach sleeper, but for tonight I was. I drifted off quite soundly listening to their


    slow even breathing.