She can't be Tamed

Chapter 28 - Punishment

"What... what are you going to do to me?" 

She hated the weakness in her voice, but the fear was really starting to get to her. He wouldn't make it hurt too much? What was that supposed to mean?

"Shh..." His knuckles trailed softly over her cheek, wiping the last of her tears away. 

Looking into her eyes he waited a moment, seemingly searching for something, before grabbing her hips and turning her abruptly around so she was facing the window.

"Don't move." 

Surprising Ashe, she listened at once this time. Satisfied with her new position, he let his hands wander from her hips to her exposed ass. She still didn't dare to move a muscle.

"You're not losing that delicious stubborn attitude already, are you?" 

She narrowed her eyes at his words, biting her tongue to refrain from answering. He found her 'stubborn attitude' delicious? 

He noticed the subtle change in her body after his words - she squared her shoulders just a little more, strengthening herself against whatever he was gonna do to her - and he smirked. There was his little stubborn girl. She could build a wall, and he would break it down.

"What are you going to do to me?" Her voice came out strong and even this time.

"So eager to start?"

She wipped her head around, sending him her best death glare over her shoulder. Unfortunately it didn't work.

Ashe just chuckled before softly pushing her chin back so she could only look forward. Her eyes darted to the window, noticing the training was over. It actually had started to rain, and the courtyard was almost empty. At least she wouldn't have any onlookers - thank heavens.

Soft tugs at her hair made her refocus on Ashe. Half a minute later he draped a loose - although quite neat - braid over her shoulder.

"Why...?" Before she could finish her sentence he silenced her with a firm slap on her ass.

"Quiet now, darling. You'll only speak when asked or ordered to, understood?"

She quietly nodded, but he pinched her butt cheeck warningly and she got the message.

She hissed her yes angrily through her teeth.

"Good girl. As for your punishment... You're going to have some nice marks on your back for a little while."

She heard him walk around behind her and a few moments later a loud 'snap' echoed through the room.

She tensed at the sound, trying to identify where she'd heard it before. It wasn't long before she recognized it and suddenly she wasn't so calm anymore. He was going to fucking whip her? Only criminals deserved such a thing!

"No! Ashe, please, no!" Panic overtook her and she turned around, watching his every move with wide, fearful eyes.

"Tskk. I didn't even start and you're already begging me. A bit pathetic, don't you think?"

Maybe he was right - she was acting pathetic. But she couldn't turn her eyes away from he terrifying instrument in his hand. She backed away from him as far as the could, pulling at the chains as if they would suddenly drop from the cealing if she tried hard enough.

"Please."

"Turn around." 

When she didn't, but instead held her eyes completely focused on the whip in his hand, his eyes narrowed. He flicked his wrist, causing the whip to snap in front of her face. That seemed to get her attention back to him. She finally looked past the whip and met his eyes.

"Do I have to make your punishment worse?" Seeing the clear warning and anger in his eyes she bit her lip and shook her head in defeat. 

"Then don't make me restrain you. Turn around."

With shaking limbs she turned her body back towards the wall. Why wouldn't he listen? 

The first hit from the whip was a sudden diagonal burning sensation across her back. It was bad, like she'd expected, but actually not too bad. Maybe she could handle this. She rolled her shoulders, trying to ignore the pain.

"Count for me, darling."

She grounded her teeth. This would already be more painful than she's initially thought when he said he'd punish her. And now he wanted her to play an active role in her punishment? The asshole. If he wanted her to count, fine.

"One." She laced that one word with as much disgust as she could.

*

"Ten." There. She made it. Her back was on fire but she made it.

The sudden pain of his next hit shocked her and she could only just gasp her 'eleven'.

She'd thought it was over. She thought he was gonna stop at ten, that she could make it through without giving in. She really thought he was done.

When the next strike burned another mark into her skin she realised she'd never been so wrong. He'd go through with his stupid 'punishment' until she broke. Tears gathered in her eyes. She was helpless, completely dependent on him. 

"Lost count?" 

"Twelve." Her voice was little more than a broken  whisper this time and he knew they'd reached her limit. Deciding to wrap things up he quickly rounded the number up to fifteen, although he handled the whip with much softer hands this time. 

The last three hits were probably more painful for him than for her. Each time he saw her tense up or heard a quiet sob escape her lips when she tried to get the number out his - was it his heart? - screamed at him to stop. 

She'd begged him to, yes, just like he wanted. But she'd been too late. The punishment was already deserved and he couldn't go back on his word. Besides, he didn't want her trying to escape again. He'd never felt so relieved as when he could drop the whip.

"Shhhh, you did great, love." In two steps he was in front of her, wiping the tears on her face away. She kept her head down, not wanting to look at him and see his satisfied face. So instead she kept staring at a random point somewhere on his chest.

But when his hands cupped her face, tilting her head upwards, and she finally dared to look in his eyes it wasn't satisfaction she saw. It was something more like concern. 

"I'm sorry Cass. Please don't make me do that again." 

He was sorry he had to whip her? The irony. He was making his own rules, right? Nobody forced him to do these things. If she'd had some energy left she'd gladly laughed right in his face. But she absolutely didn't want to provoke him right now and she felt completely drained. So she just ignored him and continued staring at his chest.   

He quickly unchained her. When she wrapped her arms around her stomach he wordlessly hugged her, making sure he didn't touch the irritated skin on her back.  

She'd never felt so worthless before. Willingly accepting the offered comfort from the man who caused her misery. Yet her body didn't care whose embrace it was. So she silently let him hug her until her heart started beating normally again.

*

Ashe debated on what to do next for a moment. The urge to make it up to her was overwhelming, yet he didn't forget their deal or his goal. So he decided to combine the two. Make her feel good and hopefully get one step closer to fully claiming her. He pushed her a bit back in his arms and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

"Time for your reward."