Page 36 of His Dark Cravings

"Please," I hear myself begging.

Winter's eyes darken. "Please, what?"

"Please, Mistress. I need—"

She slaps my thigh, the sting jolting through me. "You need what?"

"I need more, Mistress!" I cry out.

Sable's fingers tease my nipples, twisting and pulling. "Good. We're not done with you. But you'll need to be patient."

I cry out in frustration, my body taut with need.

Winter's free hand reaches up, trailing a finger down my cheek. "You're doing so well, Everly. But we have one more lesson for you."

I whimper, my body throbbing with unfulfilled desire. "Anything, Mistress."

Winter smiles, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Sable, fetch the riding crop."

My eyes widen as Sable retrieves the implement I had only just been acquainted with last night. Fuck, not that.

"N-no," I whimper out, unable to stop myself. Did Xavier specifically tell them to use it? I want to ask for the flogger, but the second that request is on the tip of my tongue, a terrifying thought hits me:

What if I get more strikes from the crop because I asked for something different?

Winter's eyes sparkle as she watches my internal struggle. "This will hurt, Everly. But remember, you're safe with us. You know your safe words, right?"

That's right, I can stop this. But does that mean I never wanted it to stop before?

I nod, my breath coming in short gasps as Sable runs the crop lightly over my skin. I'm anticipating the hits before they even come, my body flinching at the slightest flick of Sable's wrist. She knows exactly what she's doing.

Winter's voice is soft but commanding. "Count, Everly. As before."

The first strike lands, and I cry out, the sting like fire against my skin. "One," I manage.

The second strike of the riding crop cracks against my thigh, the sharp sting burning through my skin. I gasp, my breath hitching as tears well up in the corners of my eyes. The sound of the crop slicing through the air is magnified in my ears, each swish making my muscles tense in dread.

"Two," I whisper, forcing the word out through gritted teeth. My hands curl instinctively into fists against the restraints as I fight to stay still.

Winter’s expression remains impassive. Sable raises the crop again, and I flinch before it even lands. The third strike hits my other thigh, the pain mirroring the first. I bite down on my lip, the metallic taste of blood mingling with the salty tang of my tears.

"Three." My voice cracks.

Sable's eyes gleam with a dangerous intensity. She brushes the tip across my stomach before she snaps the crop sharply against my hip. The pain is searing, and I jerk violently against the restraints, my breath catching in a sob.

"Four!" I cry out, my resolve trembling, my mind racing to my safe words. Yellow. Red. They hover on the edge of my tongue, but I don’t let them escape. I won’t say them.

Sable’s lips twist into a cruel smile, and she strikes again, this time on the side of my ass cheek. The sting radiates through my flesh, and I let out a raw, guttural moan, my body arching futilely against the cross.

"Five," I choke out, my words dissolving into a jagged breath. The crop whistles through the air once more, and I scream as it lands on my breast, the pain shooting through me like an electric current. My body shudders, my mind reeling as I scramble to keep count.

"Six!"

Another strike lands, this one lower, just above the curve of my hip. The pain is blinding, and I feel the warm trickle of tears streaming down my cheeks. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my chest heaving as I strain against the restraints.

"Seven!"

The crop cracks against my outer thigh again, and I scream, my voice raw, the sound echoing through the room. My entire body feels alive with pain, each strike a burning brand seared into my flesh. But beneath the agony, a strange, thrumming heat pulses through me, a twisted, unwanted arousal.

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