“Yes, sir.”
I had no idea what was happening. My heartbeat was thundering in my ears. Had I messed up? I was giving him what he wanted, so how?
Master Mal started pacing on the plush rug like a caged lion. Then suddenly he paused and spun towards me. “Fuck, your back. Come here, Little Owl, let me see you.”
I stepped down off the little stage. I could practically feel the anger radiating off of him, but again, it wasn’t atme. Slowly, I turned, giving him my back.
His touch was gentle, almost nonexistent. “It looks clean, no broken skin. You might bruise in some places. I have arnica cream in my bag as well as pain-reliever pills. Let me get them?—”
I spun around, grabbing his wrist when he made to pull away. “Sir.” I looked up into his eyes. “What did I do wrong? Why are you acting like a scared bunny? I don’t understand.”
“Oh, Little Owl.” He reached for me, cupping my face between his large hands like I was more breakable than glass. “Why did you not tell me that you don’t like impact play?”
I did not look away as I answered, “You already agreed to give up bondage for me. I didn’t want to take something else away from you, too. Not when I knew I was strong enough to take it.”
He flinched like I struck him in the face. Leaning down, he kissed my temple before resting his forehead against mine. We stayed like that until Valentino entered without knocking.
“Master Mal, Dani,” he said as we stepped apart. “What’s going on? Toby said it was urgent.”
“We’re dropping the formalities,” Master Mal told him. “We need to have another safety chat.”
Valentino looked between us before nodding. “What happened?”
“First, let me treat her back. Then we’ll talk.”
I tried to insist otherwise, but Master Mal wouldn’t take no for an answer. I wasn’t sure if that was sweet or ironic. After applying the cream, making me eat a protein bar, and taking two pain-reliever pills, Master Mal removed his shirt and draped it over my nudity like a bathrobe. It might as well have been one, it was so big.
Not having anywhere else to sit, the three of us claimed beanbag chairs, making a triangle.
Valentino groaned. “Well, I’m down. I can’t guarantee I’ll ever be able to get back up.” I smiled at his attempt to ease the tension in the room, but Master Mal did not. Valentino squared his shoulders, turning serious. “Dani, did you use your safe word?”
I shook my head. “No, Sir.” I looked to my Master. “He did.”
Valentino’s eyebrows went up. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Since I didn’t know what happened, I let Master Mal speak. “My little owl lied during our first safety talks. She does not like impact play, yet she told me she did.”
I winced. “I didn’tlie?—”
“Do you or do you not get aroused by impact play?” Master Mal snapped.
“I don’t,” I confessed slowly. At the rage on his face, I added quickly, “But it’s not like it turns me off either. I can take it!”
Master Mal tried to jump to his feet, but the beanbag chair prevented the smooth transition. He fought, grunting and groaning, until he finally stood. Were the situation anything else, I would have been on the floor laughing.
He stood over me, his hands in fists like it hadn’t just taken him three minutes to fight his way to his feet. “How the fuck can I trust anything that happens between us if youlieabout what you do and do not like, Little Owl?”
My mouth fell open. “I didn’t mean to… I mean, that wasn’t my intention. I just…”
“If you say you wanted to ‘give’ this to me,” Master Mal snapped, “I swear to God, Little Owl, I will lose my shit. I am barely holding on as it is. I justfloggedyou without your consent.”
“You had my—” I started but Valentino interrupted.
“Enough. Mal, go stand somewhere else. You looming over us is making my neck hurt.” Master Mal stormed away. The beanbag rattled as Valentino turned to face me. “Dani,” he said softly, “from what I understand, you don’t like impact play, yet you told Master Mal that you do. Is that correct?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but then realized that without my stipulations as to why, hewascorrect. I closed my lips and nodded, sadness falling over me. I’d been so worried about lying to Master Mal about my name, and yet I’d been lying to him all along. My chin quivered and I looked away, ashamed.
“And you did so because you felt guilty about removing bondage from your agreement and you didn’t want to take something else away from Master Mal that you thought he enjoyed?”
