11
I'LL NEVER HARM YOU PET
IVY
I flop like a ragdoll over Henry’s shoulder and keep my goddamn mouth shut. He marches at a relentless pace and doesn’t tire. The man is a machine and he’s seething. I can almost smell the anger oozing from his pores. He’s wounded. Hurt. And he won’t let this stand.
I had my chance and I blew it.
I wasn’t fast enough. I wasn’t smart enough. I realized someone was closing in on me and I fought back, but my shock got the better of me.
It reduced me to a quivering idiot.
Henry found me, but I’d already given up. I don’t know if it was more devastating to discover how quickly he caught up with me or that I’d stop running for no reason.
At least I have a moral compass, which is more than can be said for the man carrying me. I stiffen and he spanks my ass again, growling I’d better not even be thinking about trying anything.
“I thought you might be getting tired.”
He delivers another hard spank, and I squeal. “I’m not fucking tired.”
I ignore the bile trying to make its way out of my body and manage to avoid retching all over him. He slows down and I lift my head, and his hand lands again, sending more heat spreading over my ass.
“That fucking hurts,” I hiss.
“Be grateful it’s not my belt.”
Fuck. My body trembles from a combination of fear and excitement. I suck in a deep breath and try pulling myself upright again and Henry stops, setting me on the ground and taking a very firm grip of my hair.
“We’re at the edge of the woods. Can you walk from here?” he asks.
I nod and he shoves me forward. I stagger and trip, landing hard on the ground.
“For fuck’s sake.”
He hisses as he moves towards me, pulling me into his arms. For a moment, he’s soft again and it’s nice. But then he remembers himself and stiffens as he picks me up, carrying me back as I curl against his chest. “We could have had this, pet. Things could have been like this. But you chose the hard way, and now we’ve got to deal with it.”
I whimper and he ignores me.
I peep out and catch Ryan glaring at me like he’s going to murder me. The man standing next to him isn’t as angry, but he’s as unimpressed. I recognize the bright red hair and facial features I covered in blood earlier. The ones that don’t look badly hurt .
I’m still in a shitload of trouble and there’s no way out of this.
Henry carries me up the steps, and I catch sight of the castle for the first time. It’s pretty. More than that, it’s stunning. Tall, gothic towers stretch into the sky and their curved roofs are impossibly beautiful. The turrets and the grey stone stand still, opposing the frenzied flurries of the clouds above them.
“This is…”
“Silence.” Henry’s voice is tense. “For your own damn good, stay quiet unless you’re asked a goddamn fucking question.”
I swallow and clamp my mouth shut.
“Where was she?” Ryan asks.
“Curled up on the ground, petrified,” Henry says. “What happened with Matt frightened her.”
Ryan steps forward and every goddamn muscle is primed, ready to attack. I whimper silently and cling to Henry, truly terrified, as his head of security walks toward us like he’s about to kill me.
“You’re frightening her, Ryan,” the third man says calmly. “Stop. The poor thing’s in a state.” He walks closer and I shrink away, afraid he’ll strike back. “Ivy, I presume?”
I nod.
“We’ll be getting to know each other, Ivy,” he says, turning to Henry. “She’s being obedient now. Look, don’t factor what happened with me into whatever you decide to do with her. She was quite brilliant, and we ought to respect that.”
Ryan growls and he’s still livid. “Fix this, Henry. This can’t continue. It isn’t safe. For anyone.”
Henry nods and I don’t like it. He’s calm. Too fucking calm. He carries me into his office, dumping me on the chair before his desk. I wriggle and his hand clamps on my shoulder, effortlessly telling me to stop dicking around.
“Keep an eye on her,” he hisses at Matt. “I’ll be disappointed if it happens a second time.”
The door slams and I’m left with Matt. He sighs again and slides against the desk, crossing his arms as he prepares to give me a lecture. His eyes are the strangest color and I gawk at him, making a bad situation worse.
“Let’s not waste time, Ivy. Henry almost lost his shit and he’s going to have to tackle this. It won’t be pleasant and it isn’t meant to be. Don’t be stupid. Don’t make this worse. Do what he wants and it will end. Henry won’t let this go on any longer than it has to.”
I turn my head and stare at the water lilies.
“Henry isn’t a monster, Ivy. He’s reasonable. He won’t hurt you and he won’t abandon you. You’ll find life a damn sight better if you give him what he wants. He adores you.”
I scoff and Matt stiffens.
“The sulking won’t help. It won’t get you out this punishment. Accept it and accept him. Then you can move on and move forward.”
I flick my eyes back and make it clear I have no intention of following his advice.
“Ivy, what is it you want?”
A choice.
I want a fucking choice.
“I see,” Matt says, quietly. “I’ll talk to Henry. He needs to give a little, but right now, you’re the one who needs to flex. Henry needs to know you accept him, Ivy.”
The door swings open and Henry walks in, seething at Matt. My stomach ties itself into a knot and I watch shadows creep over Henry’s face, darkening until there’s no light left.
Matt edges back and Henry takes his place, staring at me with unadulterated disdain. He’s using his height to his advantage and he towers over me, leaning forward exactly far enough to make me deeply uncomfortable.
“I’ve been patient, Ivy. I thought you needed time to settle and stop fighting me. I was mistaken. You’ve been petulant. You’ve been downright rude. You've hurt me but worse than that, you've hurt yourself. This must end. I warned you I'd be forced to act and you've left me no choice.”
My lip trembles and he sees it. He doesn't flinch, doesn't respond.
It’s cruel and cold. It’s everything he hasn’t been until now. My core is shaken and in a single moment, everything that was true no longer holds. He’s ripped away my reality and I’m adrift, panicking, as nothing makes sense anymore.
“You need to accept your place. Accept what you are and what I am to you.” Henry runs his hands through his dark blond hair. “Come with me, pet.”
He offers me his hand and I stare at it, confused as to why he wants me to take it. Adrenaline pours into my veins and tells me not to do it, screaming I need to fight or fly. I’ve already tried both and I’m too damn tired while he’s too damn fast. Maybe there isn’t any point in fighting the inevitable. Maybe going with this current is better than fighting against it.
My hand shakes as it slowly slides into his. Henry smiles and thanks me, carefully pulling me onto my feet after his fingers take a forceful grip. He pulls me behind him and I'm left with no choice but to follow him through the castle. He leads me to the basement and I freeze.
“Henry...”
“Are you fighting, pet? ”
I shudder and my feet refuse to move. I can't move. I can't do anything. I stare at Henry, pleading for understanding and unsure if I find it.
I don’t know how to tell him all the thoughts racing through my head. I don’t know if I’d trust him to know them. But I’m certain I don’t want to go down there and my legs won’t work, refusing to obey even if I somehow convinced myself to force them to move forward.
Henry moves closer and tuts.
“My pet finally understands. I decide what you need and what you get, Ivy. About everything. All you had to do was accept this, accept me as your Master. But you wouldn't and now I have to be sure. I need to know you won't hurt yourself, pet. That you've learned, and we won't be back here again.”
He moves so fast I barely see him and I'm flung into the air. Henry carries me through the basement and down another staircase where the air is heavy with the smell of rot and damp. Darkness wraps itself around me and I whimper, afraid of whatever lies ahead.
“I will never harm you, pet. Never.”
A door creaks open and Henry walks through it, lowering me onto the floor of a cell. Straw covers the small floor and a small pile of blankets lies stacked in one corner.
Panic ignites and I thrash, screaming as Henry holds me on the floor. I’m punching and kicking again, fighting as hard as I can—and it’s doing nothing whatsoever. Henry’s too strong and I’m too tired, and even though he knows I don’t want this, he’s decided this is the way forward.
“No. No, no, no, no, no.”
“I will not harm you.”
“You’re locking me in a fucking cell,” I snarl back.
“You need to learn, pet. You need to understand. I am sorry. I thought I could teach you by being gentle. I’ve indulged your temper tantrums and sulks and all it’s taught you is to be rude and rebellious. I’ve pampered you far too much and now I must correct my error.”
The dusty straw doesn’t cover the smell of damp, and the nasty smell of urine and death catches in my nostrils. My eyes search for a way out and Henry holds me firm, insisting I understand my predicament.
“Eyes on me, pet,” he says, stiffening. “You stay in here until you acknowledge me as your Master. I don’t expect perfection but I do expect acceptance and effort. You have straw and blankets, and your water will be changed every morning. You’ll get a bowl of soup at lunch.”
My face twists in disgust and Henry stares at me, checking I’ve understood the conditions of my confinement.
“If you want anything else, you will ask me for it. I will visit when I choose, and the choice to ask for more is yours. Accept that anything more than this is in my gift and trust me, and I will let you out.”
He releases me and I surge forward, lashing out at him.
Henry grabs my wrist and twists it, sending another burst of pain down my arm as he renders my attack completely useless. I’m under his control and much more pressure will snap my wrist. I’ve never felt so helpless. So weak.
And that’s exactly what the asshole wants.
He wants me to give up. He wants me to believe there is no other way. Henry wants to break me and he dares to look at me with pity. I don’t need it. I don’t want it. And I won’t tolerate it. Not from him.
“You can't do this,” I snarl. “I’ll never forgive you.”
Henry backs away and I stare at him, channeling all my rage and hurt into the look of betrayal .
“I don’t need your forgiveness, Ivy. I need your compliance. Your obedience. Your acceptance. Everything else comes after.” He steps back until he’s standing in the doorway. “You stay in here until I’m satisfied you accept me as your Master. That’s all you have to do, pet. Ask me for something and we’ll go from there.”
I wonder if Henry going away and dying would be a request he’d consider. He stares at me and his eyes narrow suspiciously, almost as if he’s read my thoughts and is far from amused.
“You’re safe, pet. It isn’t as comfortable as you or I would like, but it is safe.”
I scoff and Henry’s fingers whiten as they grip the door harder. His exterior is composed and he’s in control, but he’s in turmoil too. He doesn’t like this either and I don’t like knowing that fact. It means he’s doing this even though he knows it’s despicable. He thinks this is for the best and he’s committed to seeing it through until the end.
It also means he cares.
I wish he didn’t.
“Did you want anything, pet?”
I roll over, turning my back and remaining silent.
The cell door closes and the door locks, leaving me on my own. Henry's decided he needs to break me and I'm determined he won't. It's a battle I can't afford to lose, but the odds are stacked against me.
I can’t see any way out of here except through Henry, and I ask myself how I’m going to survive this. I stare at the wall and ask again, hoping for an answer. The wall stares back at me and refuses to answer, leaving me to decide my fate.