Page 16 of Savoring Sienna
“Good girl,” he murmured as his fingers threaded gently through her hair. “Don’t hide from it, kitten. Feel it… all of it. No more hiding. Embrace the escape I’m offering.”
She was still bemoaning the loss of his heat when the next strikes landed. The pain transcended mere physical sensation. It penetrated deeper, finding places she had kept locked away. Her cries transformed from sharp gasps to ragged sobs as the iron bands around her soul began to loosen.
“Oh god! Sweet hell and fire,” she wailed as the next series of strikes blurred the line between pain and release. Her world narrowed to the rhythm of the falls and Master Crone’s unwavering presence. The Dungeon faded and time ceased to exist.
“That’s it, kitten. Let go.” His voice penetrated the haze. “Float for me.”
Her body surrendered while her mind snagged behind. The resistance drained from her muscles as endorphins flooded her system. Each blow now sent waves of sensation through her, no longer registering as pain but as pure energy coursing through her veins. The void inside her ceased to exist, all that mattered was him… and his touch.
Master Crone’s hand pressed against her lower back, offering her stability as she drifted higher. Though her eyes were closed,she remained aware of his quiet strength keeping her safe as she floated free.
“That’s it.” His words reached through the fog, keeping her tethered even as she soared. “Remember what I told you. Do not let the chains keep you from living, kitten. I’ve got you.”
The vacuum that had consumed her for two years transformed as darkness gave way to light. Where emptiness had reigned, peaceful clarity started to fill her soul. She floated, wrapped in the security of his control.
Time stretched and compressed. Master Crone’s presence remained constant with a touch here and a whispered word there as he guided her journey through subspace.
The whip’s song changed as each strike now carried purpose beyond mere sensation. Master Crone moved closer between sets, his presence became a shield and a catalyst.
“The chains you forge yourself are the heaviest to bear.” His whispered words penetrated the haze. “But they’re not unbreakable, little one.” The whip painted another stroke of fire. “Trust me to guide you through the maze and let’s find the light.”
Her consciousness floated between reality and subspace when his energy shifted. In the next pause, he molded himself against her back with one arm banding across her waist. His other hand slid over her shoulder with his fingers spreading wide before gently encircling her throat.
Time stopped as the touch resonated through her entire being. Her pulse thundered against his palm. The world narrowed to that single point of contact. It wasn’t threatening or controlling. His palm against her racing pulse offered sanctuary and understanding. Every heartbeat under his fingers chipped away at her defenses. It gave her permission to be vulnerable. The silent appeal burned from his skin to hers, urging her to trust and to heal.
The first crack appeared in her carefully constructed walls, a fissure running deep through two years of fortified sorrow. His fingers tightened fractionally, grounding her as waves of suppressed anguish crashed through her.
“I’m here, Sienna. I’ve got you and I will keep you safe,” he breathed against her ear. “It’s time, kitten. Let it all go.”
Her voice trumpeted through the Dungeon as a sob tore free. The sound echoed around them in a raw and primal yowl as if to verify the crack deep within her.
Two years of carefully contained grief poured from her trembling body. His palm pressing against her back offered her strength as the first wracking sobs tore free.
“Release her restraints,” he commanded softly. The moment the cuffs fell away, his strong arms lifted her from the bench, cradling her against his broad chest. The world tilted and swayed as he carried her, settling as he sat down on a soft leather sofa. She curled into his lap, clinging to his jacket while waves of emotion crashed through her.
His embrace offered sanctuary as she turned into him, fingers curling around his bicep. The fortress of his arms created a safe haven as suddenly there were no walls left to hold back the tide of emotion overwhelming her. She didn’t have the strength to contain her anguish. He held her with a silent force, urging her to take the first steps to healing.
“That’s it, brave girl. Let it all out.” The rumble of his voice vibrated against her cheek.
Warmth enveloped her as he tucked a blanket around her shoulders. His hands never stopped moving. They trailed down her spine, massaging her nape as his fingers gently wiped tears from her cheeks. When her sobs subsided to hiccups, he pressed a water bottle to her lips. She swallowed dutifully, sighing as the coolness of the liquid soothed her dry throat.
“I’ve got you, Sienna. In this moment and more to come,” he murmured against her temple. “You’re not alone anymore.”
Fresh tears fell silently as she absorbed those words, each one settling deep into her chest with a warmth that spread outward through every aching, hollow place inside her. After so many years of holding herself apart, she finally allowed herself to sink into the comfort a man freely offered, surrendering the sorrow she had carried alone since that terrible day. His heartbeat thumped steadily beneath her ear, gradually drawing her own pulse into its quiet rhythm. The shadows that always crept back at the edges of every scene, waiting to reclaim her the moment her guard slipped, were notably absent.
Devastation had never felt so healing. The walls she had built to survive lay in ruins around her, yet she felt safer than she had in years. Master Crone’s strength surrounded her, his touch was a lifeline as his presence promised sanctuary through whatever storms lay ahead.
The void inside her wasn’t gone, but for the first time in two years, light had found a crack in the tightly plastered walls.
Crone
Rawhide Ranch Dungeon
“I’ve got you, Sienna. In this moment and more to come,” he murmured against her temple. “You’re not alone anymore.”
The words escaped before he could analyze them. Their truth resonated deep in his chest, startling him with their intensity.
When did this shift from a therapeutic scene to... this?
