Page 53 of In Darkness We Claim

Her eyes, wide saucers reflecting the dim light, dart back and forth as her head whips from side to side. “But we…we had sex several times tonight, and you didn’t once make me ask for permission.”

She’s right. I was so lost in the feel of her, I forgot my own rules, but now that I’m not thinking with my dick, it’s time to start training her—and this is rule number one.

“Well, now we’re going to play by my rules,” I tell her.

She wrinkles her nose at me, her cheeks flushing. “How am I supposed to play by the rules if I don’t know them? You bloody hit me,” she spits.

I spin Harper over onto her back before rolling on top of her, using my body to cage her in without pressing my weight onto her. I shuffle and spread her legs wide enough for me to settle between them.

With one hand on her hip, I move the other to her throat once more, only this time I press down enough to restrict her air, as well as limiting the blood supply rushing to her head. Her eyes widen as she starts to thrash beneath me, trying to throw me off her as panic sets in.

I keep my hold on her for just a few seconds more, before releasing my grip enough that she’s able to pull in some much-needed air. I’m sure her head is spinning, but I keep my soft hold on her throat, making sure she doesn’t look away.

“I didn’t hit you. I spanked you as a punishment—and a mild one at that. Don’t even bother denying that your pussy isn’t still dripping wet. I saw the way you reacted…you like a little pain with your pleasure. Just what I love in a whore.”

With a fresh surge of fury, her eyes narrow, and with her teeth tightly clenched, she spits, “I’m not a whore.”

I let out a short, sharp laugh. “Yes, you are, sweetheart. You gifted yourself to me, remember? That makes you my whore, and I plan to train you to be the best fucking slut I’ve ever had.”

The anger drains from her eyes, leaving behind a blank, unseeing gaze. When she speaks, there’s no emotion or fire that I heard just a moment ago. “So, that’s all I’ll ever be…a whore.”

It’s a question, but she phrases it like a statement, and the hollowness in her voice makes my stomach sink, though I’m not entirely sure why.

“Is that a bad thing?” I ask.

Harper tilts her head as though she’s thinking over her answer, before letting out a long sigh. “I guess that's all I have now.” She sounds resigned, almost lost, and I fucking hate it.

Taking my hand from her throat, I move it until I’m cupping her cheek, before running my thumb under her eye to catch the lone tear that has slipped free. She doesn’t lean into my touch the way I’ve come to expect in the short time she’s been here, and I hate how much I miss it.

“Look, I think you have a warped view of what it means to be my whore. It doesn’t mean I’m going to share you with other people. It doesn’t mean you can fuck any other guy you please. All it means is that you’ve embraced your sexuality. You listen to your body, to what it craves, and you take what you need.”

Harper opens her mouth, as if she wants to respond, but I press my thumb to her lips, silencing her so I can continue.

“If you have a sexual fantasy you want to explore, then we will. If you have something you’ve heard other girls talk about that you want to try, then we fucking will. That’s true for me too, as long as we agree.

“Yes, as my Prize, I’m going to push your limits sometimes, but I won’t ever take things too far. You can have a safeword, and if you ever feel like you have to use it, we’ll stop instantly. Until then, I will push you to explore yourself, because I believe you’ve been caged inside the previous version of yourself for far too long.

“You deserve to experience everything, to know genuine pleasure, but also to see how much power you can wield just by embracing how fucking sexy you really are.”

She sticks her tongue out to lick my thumb, as if to emphasise my point, and my dick throbs once more. I have to focus my thoughts to finish my point, before I’m lost to her.

“The men in your past have held you back from exploring this version of yourself, and I sure as fuck will not do that. I want to watch you explore, to find out what you like, what your body craves. I want to see the moment you realise how fucking gorgeous you really are, and how unstoppable that makes you if you truly know how to use it.

“So, no, being a whore is not a bad thing. In fact, being my slut is going to be so fucking good for you, your head will be spinning constantly, and you’ll be so wet all the time that you’ll run out of fucking panties. How does that sound?”

I watch with a cocky smile on my face as her cheeks flush bright red, her mouth opening and closing as she struggles to find the right words. But when I feel her leaning into my palm on her cheek, I breathe a sigh of relief.

“I think I’d like to find myself, like you said. I’ve always felt like I’m missing out on so much. It’s just, whenever anyone calls a woman a whore or a slut, it’s always a negative term, and I thought that’s what you meant,” she explains, before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbling on it nervously.

I move my fingers down and pull it free before sliding my thumb over her soft, plump lower lip. When she sticks her tongue out to lick the tip, my cock twitches, reminding me just how close to orgasm I was only a few minutes ago.

“It’s definitely not a negative term for me. It’s just more proof that you belong to me and nobody else. I want to be the only person who makes you feel like you can let loose and embrace your inhibitions. I want to be the one who forces curse words to slip from your filthy mouth.”

Harper’s eyes flicker to my lips, and for just a moment, I think she’s going to lean forward and kiss me, so I pull back, rocking my hips until my hard length is sliding against her slick folds once more. She seems confused, but it’s quickly replaced by lust when the tip of my dick presses against her sensitive clit, pulling a moan from her lips.

“Are you ready to be my good little slut and come for me?” I ask as I line my head up with her hole.

This time, she doesn’t hesitate. She fixes her gaze on mine as she says, “Yes, please. Just for you.”