Authors: Kim Dare
Axel bit back a sigh. What Bayden really deserved was a dom who would stick with his decisions and see punishments and penances through to the end, no matter what his personal feelings might be. He hated punishing Bayden, but that wasn’t a good enough reason to turn into the kind of wishy-washy dom who’d never deserve Bayden’s respect.
“Tonight’s bondage is going to be a lot more painful.”
“Yes, sir.” Not even the slightest hesitation.
By the time Bayden returned from the bathroom, Axel was ready. He’d laid all the necessary bondage neatly alongside Bayden’s blanket.
“Kneel here.”
“Yes, sir.”
Axel crouched down behind Bayden. One caress to remind Bayden how pleased he was with him, and Axel got down to business. He began with Bayden’s arms, pulling them behind his back and sliding a black leather sleeve over both limbs at the same time. As Axel did up the buckles, working from those by his wrists up towards those around his biceps, Bayden’s arms were tugged closer together, straining his shoulders and stretching his muscles.
The buckle closest to Bayden’s hands was fitted with a D-ring. Axel padlocked a chain to it. Arranging Bayden on the blanket, laying on his side, Axel fastened the other end of the length of chain to one leg of the chest of drawers below the window.
They were halfway there.
Axel moved around Bayden and carefully fastened a ball stretcher around Bayden’s sac. The two inches of black leather forced Bayden’s nuts down away from his body. Axel had worn similar toys himself. It wasn’t comfortable, but it wouldn’t actually hurt Bayden—not yet. There was a D-ring on the ball stretcher too. Axel clipped a length of chain to it and ran it toward the base of the bed.
He tugged, very gently. Bayden obediently squirmed on his blanket, moving his crotch closer to the base of the bed. The chain behind him rattled. When it grew taught Bayden had to strain his arms, lifting them away from his body in an effort to position himself as Axel demanded.
Axel attached the end of the second length of chain to the bed frame, leaving just a fraction of slack. He checked the arrangement carefully. From that moment on, Bayden had a choice, he could move back and release the strain on his shoulders, but in doing so he’d cause the ball stretcher to pull painfully at his sack.
There was no escape from pain, just a choice between two forms of it—each of which would grow more intense as time passed.
Even now, it had to send discomfort twisting through Bayden’s body. Axel wouldn’t have expected a human to tolerate it for long, but Bayden was nothing if not tough—physically at least. Everything he’d gone through had made his body resilient, even if it had taken a psychological toll.
His penance would be real. It would take him to the edge and make him determined not to lie again. Maintaining the position would test him, but it was a test he could pass.
Axel took his turn in the bathroom. By the time he returned to Bayden’s side, it was obvious that Bayden had realised just how much of a battle of endurance he was in for. There was no way he’d be able to sleep a wink.
“Okay, pup?”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you’d told me the truth when you started submitting to me, you’d be in my bed right now.”
Bayden closed his eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Axel got into bed, but he didn’t try to sleep. He remained wide awake, watching Bayden choose one type of pain over another again and again. At first he remained relatively still. As the minutes ticked past at glacial speed, he had to switch tactics more frequently.
By the time the clock reached the next hour, Bayden couldn’t remain still for more than a minute at a time.
Axel threw back his blankets.
The chains only took seconds to undo.
“Sir?”
“It’s okay,” Axel said, undoing the quick release tabs on the bondage sleeve. “It’ll hurt when you first move your arms, but that won’t last long.”
“I didn’t ask you to untie me, sir.” There was just a touch of uncertainty in his voice, as if he’d considered doing that so many times, he wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t succumbed to the temptation.
“Hush.”
Axel tossed the sleeve aside. Bayden gasped as Axel guided him to put his arms in front of him. Axel moved on to the ball stretcher. As much as Bayden tried to co-operate, he was stiff and clumsy. It was pointless to order him to his feet. Axel simply picked him up and carried him the few paces to the bed.
Quickly tugging the blanket up over them both, he beckoned Bayden closer.
“Sir?”
“Yes, pup?” Axel reached down between them and cupped Bayden’s balls in his palm, gently massaging them to ease the way they had to ache.
“I don’t understand, sir?” Bayden whispered.
“One night for every month you lied to me. Three and a quarter months,” Axel reminded him.
“Three and a
quarter
nights,” Bayden realised.
“If you hadn’t told me the truth when you did, you’d still be down there.”
A shiver ran through Bayden. He didn’t feel chilled enough for it to be an entirely physical reaction, but Axel pulled Bayden closer anyway, letting him share his body heat.
Bayden hesitated for a moment.
“You can come as close as you want,” Axel said.
A moment later, the only way Bayden could have got any nearer would have been to climb inside Axel’s skin with him.
“That’s right,” Axel murmured. “I’ve got you.” He rubbed Bayden’s biceps and shoulders to coax the stiffness out of them.
Bayden snuggled in against him. The punishment had taken him so close to the edge he was past hiding how much he needed Axel’s praise and comfort. He murmured his pleasure at each touch, making Axel smile.
“See how good everything is once we tell each other the truth?” Axel whispered to him.
Bayden nodded, and took the opportunity to burrow his face into Axel’s shoulder at the same time.
Axel slid a hand down his back, welcoming him back to his side with every touch. “Good boy.”
Bayden’s cock hardened against Axel’s thigh. Axel’s body quickly responded in kind. Bayden pushed out his arse when Axel’s hand slid over his buttocks.
“It’s late, and you’re exhausted,” Axel chided.
“I could suck you off if you prefer, sir. And I can make it quick if—”
Axel hushed him. “Tomorrow,” he promised. “We’ll do everything there is to do, tomorrow. Just rest now.”
Bayden had snuggled down so far under the blankets, his face was inaccessible. Axel pressed a kiss on top of his head. A second later, Bayden placed a tentative kiss on Axel’s collarbone in return.
“Good pup.” Axel grinned with relief. They’d both had enough punishment. Tomorrow it would be time to play.
* * * * *
Tomorrow.
Obviously it was Axel’s choice what they did and when they did it— and Bayden had no doubt that was exactly the way things should be. But, Axel had said they would have sex tomorrow, and it was tomorrow.
By the time the pub was due to open for business that evening, Bayden was starting to really wish he’d asked Axel to specify a rough time of day.
Axel came around the bar and stood behind Bayden. He chuckled as he slid his arms around Bayden and encouraged him to lean back against him. “Impatient, pup?”
The truth. Bayden nodded. He’d been impatient first thing that morning. After an entire day on edge hoping that Axel hadn’t changed his mind, he was little short of desperate. “If I’ve done something to make you not want to—”
“I’d tell you,” Axel cut in. “Mind reading isn’t part of the deal. I still want everything I wanted since the first time you walked into this pub.”
Bayden nodded.
“Tonight, after everyone’s left. No distractions, no cutting things short because we have to open the pub. Just you and me.” Axel dipped his head to whisper against Bayden’s ear. “It’s going to be so good, pup. So good.”
Then, Axel was gone to open the pub’s front door and welcome in the first customers of the day.
Bayden managed to hold back a whimper, but there was no way he could convince his cock to soften. He was still hard and aching when Axel locked the door after everyone at the end of the night.
Bayden stepped out from behind the bar and started to collect up the empties. He’d just put the first lot on the bar when Axel caught hold of his shoulder and spun him around.
They stared at each other in silence for a long time.
“Anything you want, sir,” Bayden whispered.
“Anything at all?” He slid his fingers through Bayden’s hair and took a tight grip on the strands.
Bayden nodded, tugging at Axel’s grip on his hair. Axel didn’t slacken his hold in the least, and Bayden felt something inside himself relax. Axel was in charge now—not just the way he always was, but in a way that meant Axel intended to control each inch of Bayden’s body and every corner of his mind.
Axel smiled, as if he sensed Bayden give up every detail. He slid his hand out of Bayden’s hair and back to his cheek.
Bayden kissed his hand, just as he had when Axel had sat naked on the floor next to his bound body, explaining exactly how much he’d hated watching other men screw him. Axel’s smile broadened. He stepped forward, making no allowance for the fact that Bayden was already in that space. Bayden quickly yielded and stepped back.
“I want you upstairs, naked and waiting for me in the living room. Now.”
Bayden raced up the stairs and took off every stitch as quickly as he could without ripping the seams. Axel was still downstairs when he was finished. Bayden absentmindedly folded his clothes and set them neatly on the chair while he waited. His hands were shaking with need. His cock curved up in front of him, painfully hard.
He’d seen human submissives kneeling with perfect poise while they waited for a command, but they were other men, submitting to humans who weren’t Axel.
Axel stepped into the flat. He didn’t glance in Bayden’s direction—not even to check that he’d followed his orders. He went through to the bedroom, but he didn’t invite Bayden to join him. Shuffling his weight from one foot to the other, Bayden remained by the door.
Axel returned with a set of cuffs and stopped under the beam on the other side of the room. “Come here. All the way to me,” he specified, before Bayden had a chance to pause outside Axel’s space.
Axel put the cuffs around his wrists. As Bayden watched Axel’s hands move confidently at their task, he couldn’t help but think back to the way Axel had bound his fists before fights.
But he wasn’t going to fight this time. They were going to play. That was what humans called it. The most serious thing in the world, and they called it play. Bayden glanced up. Axel didn’t look like he thought this was a game. His lips smiled, but his eyes were serious.
“Here are the rules,” Axel said. “Your safe word is still the same. If you don’t like what is happening, I expect you to say it.”
Bayden nodded.
“And remember that you’re not allowed to try to control when you come.”
“I could—”
Axel put a fingertip to his lips. “It’s my choice. You’ll come when I want you to. That might be in five hours, it might be in five seconds.”
Bayden felt the heat rush to his cheeks at the second possibility. Axel caressed the flushed skin with his knuckles, apparently pleased with that reaction. He picked up the chain linking the cuffs at Bayden’s wrists and lifted it to loop it over a hook on the beam above them.
Bayden stretched up onto his toes to make it easier for Axel. The chain settled into place. Bayden tried to lower himself down, but he was too short. His weight remained forward on his toes, his body stretched out taut.
After the last four nights, part of Bayden expected Axel to step away and go to bed.
Axel did move—but only to stand at Bayden’s side. “I’m not going anywhere.” He put his right hand against Bayden’s arse. Bayden tensed, as much in expectation as anything else, but Axel just rested the cupped palm against him and settled his left hand similarly against Bayden’s stomach.
“I…”
“It feels different when you’re not left on your own in the bondage, doesn’t it?”
Bayden nodded.
Axel began to move his hands slowly over Bayden in a casual display of ownership. Bayden did his best not to wriggle in an effort to lean into every touch, but it was so tempting.
“You don’t have to keep yourself still. That’s what the cuffs are for.”
Bayden glanced up at Axel.
“Whenever you’re in bondage, you’re always allowed to move as far as the bondage allows. It’s there to tell you what the limits are—to help you.”
He cupped Bayden’s balls, just letting the heat from his hand soak into his skin as his other hand roamed. It was very much like the very first time Axel brought him up to his flat.
Bayden closed his eyes. His hopes had been just as high that night, but his need now was so much greater.
“You’ve never been spanked unless it was part of a bet, have you?”
The answer Axel expected was obvious. Bayden only hesitated for a second before he shook his head.
“The truth,” Axel pushed. His right hand rested motionless on Bayden’s arse. Bayden knew there was no way in hell Axel would move it until he got his honest answer.
“The bets, sir… The whole point of using a wolf is so…” Damn it, there wasn’t a way to say it without insulting him. “Spanking wasn’t really something they…”
“If a man wants a wolf specifically because wolves heal quickly, he’s more likely to whip him than spank him?” Axel translated.
Bayden nodded.
“Because a spanking isn’t hard core,” Axel went on. “It would be a waste of a convenient punch bag.”
“I…”
Axel stroked Bayden’s abs. “Hush. There’s nothing wrong with telling me what some idiots think.”
Bayden swallowed.
“It’s never been your ability to heal or you’re willingness to take a beating that’s interested me.”
Bayden parted his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask what it was about him that did interest Axel.
Axel finally moved the hand resting on Bayden’s arse. He squeezed the muscle and rubbed his palm in circles against it. The first tap was so light it was hard to see it as anything other than an insult.