Chapter 51


    The sound of a spanking woke her.


    Mae blinked, trying to orient herself. She was lying on a narrow bed in a small room with walls whose


    upper halves were vertical bars. In a second it all came rushing back—the branding, the talk, and most


    of all Xavier’s face.


    She checked all around the bed, but there was no note from him. No sign of him at all, except for one


    of her shoes fromst night, sitting on the ledge of the stall door.


    The sound of a beating—the distinct thwack, thwack, thwack of leather hitting flesh—echoed through


    the main part of the Conve. Mae grabbed the sheet of the bed, folding and wrapping it around


    herself. Her body and emotions were both raw after thest few days, and if she was going to slink


    back to the Subs’ Garden, she’d rather not do it naked. Her fellow members had seen more than


    enough of her yesterday.


    She opened the stall door and peeked out. It was mid-morning judging by the light that spilled in


    through the windows in the end wall. To her left, a half-naked male sub was chained up, his arms


    stretched above his head, his lower body partially covered by silky boxers. Mistress Faith stood beside


    him, crop in hand. When she snapped the tool against the sub’s ass, Mae winced. She did not want to


    interrupt one of the overseers at y.


    “Aren’t you going to thank me, boy?”


    “Thank you, Mistress.”


    Mae gasped. That was Xavier.


    Mistress Faith’s attention whipped to her. “Good morning, Mae. Join me.”


    Feeling like Alice down the rabbit hole, Mae padded over to where Xavier was chained up, circling


    around so she could see him. He raised his head and a rueful smile twitched the corners of his mouth.


    Mistress Faith struck his ass again and Xavier snarled, chain rattling. The change from hello smile to


    barely leashed fury was frightening.


    The Mistressughed. “Oh, you really have changed. A pity. You were a delightful sub.”


    Mae could not have been more shocked. Staggering over to a bench, she took a seat, gaze ping-


    ponging between them.


    Mistress Faith touched Xavier’s shoulder, her expression one of both affection and worry, and Mae felt


    the first stirrings of jealousy. “This boy used to be one of my favorite subs. He started out as a rich kid


    ying games, but he was born for this. After he was…hurt, he couldn’t submit anymore. I taught him


    to top, taught him to be a Dom.”


    He turned his head, and Mae saw the full extent of the damage to his face in the daylight. Whatever


    had happened to him had burned most of the right side of his head. He’d been lucky that it missed his


    eye, but his ear was mangled as was the flesh all down the side of his face. In the morning light she


    could see the twisted ridges of the scar tissues, the skin both paler than the rest of his face and darker


    in ces where it seemed a permanent red-wine color.


    He cleared his throat. “After I was burned, I took some time away from this life. Years, actually.” He


    shifted, the chains that bound him rattling musically. “Sessions with Mistress Faith were not only


    enjoyable, but how I dealt with stress, before. For a while I was too busy recovering, and making some


    other changes in my life, to miss this. But then I came back.” He seemed at a loss for words, as if he


    didn’t know how to tell the rest of the story.


    Mistress Faith tucked the whip under her arm. “When he dide back he was a much darker person.


    Before, he was smart, sweet, and a bit sassy. Does that sound familiar?”


    Mae nodded slowly.


    Xavier looked surprised by theparison, but that didn’t stop him from continuing the tale. “I couldn’t


    submit anymore. Any loss of control was horrifying, yet I wanted pain. I wanted to feel something


    besides anger.


    “Mistress Faith taught me to be a Dom. She saved my sanity.”


    Mistress Faith smiled softly and touched his cheek. “You deserve to be happy, Xavier.”


    He nodded, but didn’t smile.


    “Is that why you won’t cor someone?” Mae asked. “Because you might go back to being a sub?”


    Xavier growled and tried to reach for her, but the chains brought him up short. “I’m not a switch,” he


    snapped.


    Mae raised one eyebrow. “Weren’t you just getting spanked with a crop?”


    Mistress Faithughed while Xavier glowered. “Oh yes, I knew you two would be good for one another.”


    Mae tried to smile, but the need to understand was choking her. “Why?” she asked him.


    Xavier’s gaze locked with hers. “If I could do it for anyone, I’d do it for you.”


    Tears sprang to Mae’s eyes. Rising to her feet, she dropped the nket and ran to him, throwing


    herself against his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck. With his hands bound, all he could do


    was bend his head to hers.


    “You didn’t have to do this,” she said.


    “I wanted you to understand that I know what it’s like to change.”


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    Before he could exin further, Mistress Faith cleared her throat, tapping Mae’s ass with the crop. Mae


    jumped when the Domme touched her. She took a step back and bowed her head, nervous at being so


    close to someone powerful enough to have topped Xavier and yet angry that she was still here. Angry


    that this other woman had touched Xavier, and that she clearly felt affection for him, and he for her.


    “I’ll leave you two to talk.” The Mistress used the butt end of her crop to lift Xavier’s chin, and Mae


    realized where he’d gotten that particr habit. “Don’t hurt each other.”


    “Yes, Mistress,” Mae said politely.


    “The controls for the chains are over there.” The older womanughed softly. “I suggest you make use


    of your time with him.”


    With that Mistress Faith left, her heels tapping against the floor.


    Mae looked from the panel that controlled the chains to Xavier, her eyes widening.


    “Don’t even think about it, Red.”