Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 93751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93751 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Meditation room. Hannah instantly visualized people sitting in lotus positions on flat cushions, incense burning around them. Hopefully there were chairs and sofas there, as she’d had enough of kneeling on the ground, thank you.
Opening the cabinet door, Anthony removed a folded robe and held it out. “Would you like to put this on?” He flashed a smile. “Though, if you’d rather stay naked, that’s perfectly fine as well.”
Hannah practically grabbed the robe from his hands. “Thanks. This is perfect.” She wrapped the thick, knee-length silk robe around herself and pulled the sash tight at her waist.
Lucia had remained still and silent since the scene had ended. She stood beneath the bondage rack, her arms loosely at her sides. From the cracking, whistling sound of the lash, Lucia had taken quite a whipping, yet she appeared as calm and serene as ever.
Anthony bent down to a small cooler near the cabinet. Opening the lid, he took out two bottles of chilled water and handed one to Hannah before moving to Lucia. As he handed her a bottle, he gently stroked a tendril of hair behind her ear.
Hannah could almost see the love like an aura shimmering between them. For a moment, she missed Andy with such intensity that she nearly cried out. Fortunately, it quickly passed, leaving behind only wistful melancholy.
While Hannah sipped the chilled water, Anthony removed a tube of ointment from the cabinet and gestured for Lucia to turn. As she pivoted, Hannah drew in her breath.
Lucia’s tan skin was crisscrossed with dark red welts that had to hurt like hell. Hannah shuddered in sympathy, though she was aware her sympathy was perhaps misplaced. Lucia was there because she wanted to be. She was clearly deeply masochistic and thrived under her Master’s harsh lash.
Would Hannah ever have the nerve to receive an actual whipping or caning?
Lucia sighed softly as Anthony smoothed the ointment over her skin. When he was done, he said, “You two go relax. I need to have a quick word with Lawrence, and then I’ll be along shortly with a snack.”
“Yes, Sir,” Lucia said softly. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Yes, thank you,” Hannah echoed.
The scene had taken more out of her than she’d realized and relaxing sounded like a wonderful idea. Dinner, which she’d been too nervous to do much more than peck at, had been hours ago, and a snack would be most appreciated. Hopefully something sweet and full of carbs.
As Anthony left them, Lucia bent and retrieved Hannah’s small pile of clothing and her shoes. “Come,” she said, smiling.
Chapter 7
Hannah followed Lucia through the dungeon. As they wove their way between scenes in full swing all around them, she scanned the room for Charlotte and Jim, but didn’t see them. She decided not to worry about it. She would just go with the flow.
Leaving the dungeon, Lucia led Hannah down a hallway. She stopped at an ajar door and gestured for Hannah to enter. As they stepped inside, Lucia flicked on the lights. They were muted and recessed, casting a warm, peaceful glow about the small room. Three of the walls were painted a soft pale blue. The fourth wall appeared to be made of dark slate with copper inlays.
“Have a seat.” Lucia gestured toward an overstuffed sofa strewn with pillows. There was a small coffee table in front of it and pocket chairs on either side.
Hannah sank gratefully into the yielding cushions. As she did so, Lucia flipped another switch and a rippling sheet of water cascaded down the slate and copper wall.
“Wow,” Hannah exclaimed, delighted. “That’s so beautiful.”
Lucia settled onto the sofa beside her, snuggling into a corner. “Isn’t it great? I love this room. It’s the perfect place to just get away from everything. I spent a lot of time here when I first came to The Enclave to live.”
Hannah shifted so she could see both the lovely wall fountain and Lucia. She wanted to get Lucia’s take on the scene, but wasn’t quite ready to go there yet. Instead, she asked, “So, can you tell me more about how the training program works here? Charlotte once mentioned that you don’t allow the slave trainees to use a safeword. Doesn’t that go against the whole safe, sane, consensual mantra?”
“No, not really,” Lucia replied. “Not when you understand how it works. Precisely because we work intensively with our trainees, they have no need of an arbitrary word that stops everything in its tracks. Before, after and sometimes during a particular training scenario, the trainee will have the opportunity to express themselves when it is appropriate.”
“That makes sense,” Hannah said.
Lucia nodded. “Submissives who sign slave training contracts with us aren’t engaging in scenes with built-in exit doors. When undergoing the sort of intense training we offer, having no safeword can be quite freeing. There is no decision to make, no guard to keep in place.”