It was fear.
Pure and simple.
As sharp as a fracture through crystal.
As clear as a breath of calm, frozen air.
It made his chest ache, as though in reminding him of the heartbeat that such a moment would once have set pounding so desperately fast.
He had broken the rules.
For the first time in a very long time, he had done wrong.
And he would suffer for it.
His Master already knew.
Of course he did.
Their Bond was so widely open, that such a rush of guilty shame and fear could not be mistaken for anything other than what it was.
In part he was annoyed at his own stupidity, for it was one thing to maintain dignity and self-control while on occasion suffering the results of having committed some minor infringement of the simpler rules that governed his life. But it was something else entirely to confess an infraction of far large magnitude that would take time and effort to repair.
His fear was clarifying though, reminding him of the reasons why rules existed for people like himself. He needed their limitations, their certainties, their shape and scope to define his life.
Everything had rules.
Everything mattered.
And so even as he stripped off his clothes, he placed them neatly where they belonged, before adorning his body with the symbols of his status as the Slave he had become for his Master.
It was a familiar sensation, to put on the thick leather cuffs at his ankles and wrists. The metal ring that hung from each one, had been fashioned to match the much smaller version he always wore on the forefinger of his left hand, and the one that pierced the head of his cock.
The metal served its purpose, with or without recourse to other forms of restraint, for his Master had a particular skill in more than just the manipulation of his body.
He smiled, despite the knowledge of what was yet to come.
His Master was unhappy with him, and that would require correction. But he knew what he had done wrong, and he knew how to make amends.
Contrition.
Obedience.
Suffering.
Kai looked at himself in the full length mirror, satisfied that his appearance was both pleasing and appropriate in the naked vulnerability of his well toned flesh.
As with everything, there was a time and a place for nudity, and a reason for its necessity. His body was, after all, not his own. It was the property of his Master, who enjoyed it’s many fine attributes, in many creative ways.
Kai had only to take the very best care of it, in every way, and for that he was lavishly granted whatever he might desire.
Which rather made his own foolish slip up all the more shocking to his own mind. That he could have forgotten something so important…
He sighed, adjusting his hair slightly so a wisp fell across his forehead innocently, and enhanced his eyes.
He was ready to face the results of his failure, knowing that it would make his Master proud, and further enhance the Bond they shared so freely.
When the Marquis stepped into his private rooms, Kai was waiting.
With deliberate intent he slowly closed the door and locked it behind himself, never once shifting his gaze from his Mate, who knelt in naked subservience on the bare floor at the foot of the bed.
Eyes downcast, hands at his sides, back rigid, knees placed at the correct angle to allow for nothing hidden – he was perfection.
Had the moment not required serious discipline, the Marquis knew he would have instantly softened all the tightly held rage and personal embarrassment that his Slave had so thoughtlessly brought to him.
Kai had not failed him so, in a very long while indeed, which forced him to wonder whether his Mate was subconsciously desirous of the punishments to come.
Nothing had to be said.
Kai knew that apologizing was pointless.
So too were excuses.
None were required.
None would be accepted.
He would scream when it was permitted, and that would serve due purpose.
But not before he suffered.
The Marquis took even strides toward his Slave, with slow, steady purpose, stopping only when he knew the toes of his immaculate, hand-stitched Italian loafers were within sight of Kai’s unflinching vision.
The pause that followed was exquisite.
In his right hand he already carried the cane that would mark its correcting fire on Kai’s buttocks, and he was tempted to tap it impatiently on his own thigh as a warning.
But Kai knew what was required, and with a grace that belied his physical build, he bent forward, palms flat on the floor to either side of his Master’s feet.
And with great reverence he placed a kiss on the toe of each shoe.
It was a fine beginning indeed.
Lovely