The Kiss
Sealing my fate
I stand with Gwen arm-in-arm as I watch Russo, Michelle, Amethyst, and Carlisle perform the collaring ceremony. Their happiness is my happiness, and I am filled with joy for them.
Gwen nudges me afterward. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am,” I assure her.
The atmosphere changes after the ceremony, feeling like a big wedding as people celebrate the pairing of eight community members.
Gwen and I dance through the night with different partners from all over the world. I couldn’t have asked for a better graduation party. Twirling in the middle of the dance floor, I feel free and look upward, smiling at my father, certain he can see me.
When I feel a light tap on my shoulder, I stop to see who it is.
My heart catches when I see it’s Leōn.
He has a swollen lip, and his white shirt is bloody.
“What happened to you?”
He leads me away from the dance floor and asks me to take a seat. Pulling up another chair, he sits beside me and takes my hands in his. I notice that his knuckles are bloody.
Gripped with concern, I ask again, “What happened, Leōn?”
“I went to confront my brother…” he answers in a low, angry growl.
“He took pleasure in sharing with me the things he said to you.” His expression darkens, and the veins in his neck visibly throb when he tells me, “He will not be bothering you again.” He breathes in and out heavily, struggling to regain his composure.
Lifting my hand to his lips, he kisses it gently. “I’m sorry he hurt you.”
I look at his broken lip, whimpering, “I hate that he hurt you!”
“I hate that he said such vile things to you.”
“They are only words, Leōn. And they don’t apply to me.”
“I agree.” He smiles sadly, kissing my hand again.
Looking at the emptying room as people leave, he grunts. “I missed it.”
“You did.”
His gaze lingers on my neck. “No collar?”
Shaking my head, I’m honest with him. “I didn’t find the right match.”
He gives me a half-smile. “Good.”
I move closer and stare into his eyes. “A lot has happened tonight.”
“Tell me.”
“The interviews helped me realize what it is I want.”
“And what is it you want, jewel?”
“I don’t want to ever leave New York.”
He chuckles. “Same.”
I bite back a grin, appreciating his answer. “I want a Dom that I can work beside. I don’t want to jet set around the world or be someone’s spoiled pet. I like working hard and fighting through the struggles of life because the victories are that much sweeter.”
“Agreed.”
I sigh as I look into Leōn’s beautiful sea glass eyes. “There is another thing I realized.”
“Yes?”
“I like to be challenged.”
He chuckles. “That has been your MO since you started this course.”
I laugh. “Yes…more than you know.”
I stare at him for several moments, then lean in, locking my gaze with his. In a serious tone, I tell him, “When you shared your love of fire, it terrified me.”
Pain flashes in his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry.”
I lean forward even closer, inches from his face. “I was frightened because of my past, not because of you.” I swallow hard, trying to express the surge of emotions building up inside of me. “You showed me with little steps that I could overcome my fear of the cage…”
His gaze never wavers as he waits for me to continue.
“When I asked about your past you were open with me, but I wasn’t with you.”
He squeezes my hand. “I didn’t want to push.”
Tears well up in my eyes, and I give him a crooked smile. “The truth is…I want to be pushed.”
He tilts his head. “What are you saying, Sophie?”
I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “I would be honored to offer you my collar…but only if you won’t reject it.”
His eyes soften. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
We lean in to kiss, and lightning courses through my body when our lips touch.
“It’s always been you…” I whisper, kissing him deeper.
Wrapping me in his arms, he murmurs, “I have tasted these lips a thousand times in my dreams.” Our embrace becomes more passionate as we lose ourselves in each other, bound by the electrical attraction between us.
When we finally pull away from each other, I sigh. “It’s a shame we were too late.”
“No, you’re not.”
I glance up to see Anton with Gwen standing beside him, and then notice the others watching us.
I cast a questioning look back at Leōn.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since the first day we scened together,” he answers.
“Me, too,” I grin, unable to believe this is really happening.
The chime sounds, marking the beginning of our formal ceremony.
I look at Leōn, unable to stop from smiling as I kneel and present my collar to him.
Leōn takes it from me and says in a possessive tone, “You belong to me. I will do all within my power to protect and keep you as you join me on this journey.”
I can scarcely breathe when I feel his hands as he fastens the collar around my neck. When I hear the lock click into place, I think:
His…
“Jewel, you will wear this symbol of my ownership as a sign of our commitment to one another.”
I look up at him with tears in my eyes, the words flowing freely from my lips. “I accept this symbol of your ownership, and I will wear it proudly for all to see, Leōn.”
“And I will wear your key as a symbol of our commitment to each other,” he vows, placing it around his neck.
He takes my hand and lifts me to my feet, announcing loudly for all the room to hear, “You now belong to me.”
I experience goosebumps when I match his declaration with my own. “I now belong to you.”
“Jewel, I accept your request to serve me, and I will honor your needs and desires. Trust that I will always put your best interests foremost in my dominance over you. Your happiness, health, and well-being are my biggest concern, and I will consciously tend to them because you are a part of me.”
I smile, enjoying the feel of his collar around my neck. “Leōn, I will honor and love you as I serve you to the best of my ability. My submission to you is freely given. I am now a part of you and will respect your dominance over me as our lives become one.”
I kneel and kiss both of his feet in a gesture of submission.
“Stand before your Master.”
I stand up proudly, excited about the new challenges ahead for us.
Leōn cradles the back of my neck and presses his lips firmly against mine, our passionate kiss sealing my fate.
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