Possession

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

. . .

Selix slipped through the dark hallways of the large estate. Slowly, his sandaled feet crossed over the thick expensive rugs strewn throughout the majority of the house. His cloaked shoulders passed unnoticed into the suite of Master Vesperian. Once inside, Selix slowly slipped the dark cloak from his shoulders and laid it across the back of the gently curved back of a sofa. The shadows of the front room hid the hesitant breath that brought a straight, worried line to Selix’s lips. Master’s public office lay beyond the set of doors opposite of the main entrance to Darius Vesperian’s rooms. The continued darkness of the public office brought yet another level of comfort as Selix crept closer to the private bedroom of Master Vesperian. Solid, cold weight filled Selix’s hand as he gripped the door handle tightly. It twisted slowly; the sharp clicks of the door mechanism broke through the stillness of the late hour. Breath caught tightly in his throat, Selix pushed slowly. The movement of his arm opened the door just wide enough for Selix to slip inside.

Selix took a long slow breath and two steps forward before the hand at his throat stopped him in his place.

“Selix?” The surprised voice of Master Vesperian comforted him completely.

“Yes, Master.” Selix forced his voice into a deep purr from trembling at his lips.

The turn of a switch and the gaslights overhead, sparked to life.” What are you doing here?” Mikhael turned back to his slave for his voice to die at the sight.

Selix’s eyes were shinning and bright. The dark line and dusky powder surrounding those deep green orbs made them all the more alluring. UN favor of his more feminine garments, Selix chose a pair of military styled dress pants and no shirt. The graceful tendency slipped away as Selix consciously squared his shoulders and sharpened his gaze.

“I’m here to serve you, Master.” Selix kept his voice heavy and passionate. If Master wanted a stubborn and defiant slave like Connor, Selix would give him just that.

A retort caught in Mikhael’s chest as Selix took a long, elegant step forward.

Staring his Master in the eye, Selix brushed his lips against Master’s before attempting a smirk.

“Selix.”

Unsure if Master meant his name as a question or a compliment, Selix pressed his palms against Master’s stomach and traced them around his sides. “Yes, Master.”

“You should leave.”

“No.” Selix’s heart pounded in his chest and he opened his eyes to a completely bewildered Master. “This is about what I want.” Selix kissed Master again but couldn’t stop the noise building in his chest from bubbling up into his mouth.

Mikhael attempted to pull away, but Selix tightened his grip on Mikhael’s lower back and pushed his tongue into the taller man’s mouth. A smile on his lips, Selix licked a stripe up the center of Mikhael’s parted lips.

Selix strolled to the bed and leaned back. “Give me what we both want.”

Mikhael shook the kiss out of his head. “Go back to your rooms.”

“No. I don’t want to.”

The confident tone sank like a stone into the pit of Mikhael’s stomach. “I’m your Master Selix. Back to your rooms. Now.”

“No.” The word was crisp but the defiance wavered in Selix’s eyes. “You’re going to do what I want now.” Selix rushed forward to press against his Master, only to be held at arms length.

“Now.” Mikhael didn’t let a hint of his arousal creak through his tone.

Blinking slowly, the defiance melted from Selix’s body. A small nod preceded a small but strong voice. “Yes, Master.”

Mikhael watched the façade fade and sight, confident that it proved he did the right thing in sending Selix away.

“Please forgive my disobedience.” There was a low, formal bow. Collecting his clock, Selix hid his face once more and returned to the prison of his rooms.

. . .

The delivered dishes broke the uncompromised tension with the light clattering and noises of silverware on ceramic. Selix starred at his plate, the silence a welcome comfort to the chaos in his mind. There was no relationship to be had between them. He could not serve his Master with his training. Perhaps it was a failure in technique or a misinterpretation of circumstance, but Master made it clear his attentions were unwanted in this way. Master Cruz hadn’t used him that way and he’d been happy. He could be happy again. He would write Master’s letters. He would stay by the other man’s side as much as his position permitted. His place did not allow him to be a companion but he could be as he was born, a slave. Now he knew why the position of slave was so low in the eyes of Citizens. There was no happiness here in a place with no ability to pursue what one wanted. Only the ability to be ‘useful’ mattered here.

His passions could be his own. His time would be spent in the luxury of a pen in rows of books. It would be a pleasant life, a privileged life for any pet. A life unsullied by the demands and sexual desires of a Master. Many of the pets at the trainers prayed for such service. Perhaps it was his own romantic illusions that glorified such things. Pets are sexual slaves… he was just a slave now. They’d gossiped of slaves at the trainers. They said pets that failed would be demoted to slaves, little more than breathing furniture in the eyes of Banpo. The fruit was too sweet for his tongue this morning. He could get used to it. He didn’t have a choice.

Connor noted the presence of meat on his plate with a distant fascination. He wouldn’t touch payment for his imprisonment. Selix is sex. Enjoying a tight grip and a fast pace didn’t make him a traitor. The defeat at the hands of these pigs was not an option, but he couldn’t seem to find a decent way to get away. Perhaps there would not be another good chance. Vesperian was sharp and well prepared. He anticipated weakness like a great bird watching mice from the sky. Connor didn’t enjoy being the target of that attention. Maybe Vesperian’s weakness could be found in the submission the other man craved. The person price of such sacrifice was a high one to pay for the possibility of a chance to escape. Could he go that far fro freedom, for a war that already robbed him of everything.

Darius watched Connor mull over his thoughts. The black look in Connor’s face didn’t throw him off. Beneath those young features was a brilliant and complex tactical mind. There would be no surrender on either side; there would be a conqueror and a conquered. A smile crossed Darius’s mouth at the thought of the chase: another battle, another field.

Mikhael thanked the silence of the meal for its mercy. The bottle of brandy he finished came with a pounding headache and wave after wave of nausea. He ordered away his usual breakfast for tea and toast. The gentle smell of the tea lurched against his senses.

“Will you dictate this morning, Master Vesperian.” Selix’s voice was strong in his mind. Pets don’t show emotions unless their Master wishes it. He may not be a pet but he could his best to follow the rules of slavery. His Master wanted no such emotion and no such pet.

“Not today. Please spend your day as you like, Selix.”

“Thank you, Master Vesperian.” Selix nodded. Slaves would be pleased with such freedom. He thought he was pleased. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

The lack of request for time with his Master Mikhael attributed to last nights rebuke. “No, Thank you.”

“May I take my leave, Master?”

“If you like.” Mikhael waved a hand and Selix left the room with a bow. The servants moving through the halls drew refined smiles and pleasant conversation. His hand longed for the feel of a pen and the cool silence of the library. He must present the perfect visage of a pet befitting his Master’s high status. The doors to the library felt like the lightest things in the world as they moved beneath his hands. The calm silence of the library relaxed him completely. Here he could be free. There were thousands of worlds to be explored in the pages of these novels. He longed for the escape of one of the novels in Lingin or some other foreign language. Today he veered from the military regulations or novels to the law section of the library. It would be best to remind himself of his place in the world.

. . .

“So what exactly is going on with that charming pet of yours? Darius asked, his eyes remained on his meal.

“Nothing.”

“There lies the problem.”

“Shut up, Darius. I have no patience for this conversation at the moment.” Mikhael took a bite of his plain toast.

“Here I was hoping Selix took the spring from you step this morning.”

“Please keep your thoughts as far from my bed as possible.” Mikhael grimaced, “I think that’s one torture you can spare us both.”

“So what is wrong with our dearest pet? Improper training perhaps?”

“Maybe you missed the first part of my original statement. Shut up.”

“Connor, please wait for me in your rooms. Your groomer will dress you for the day.”

Connor didn’t say anything. He stood stiffly and exited the room.

“Perhaps you should explain that pet of yours before you go polking around about mine.” Mikhael snapped. “What pet needs two keepers that size. He certainly is untrained and obviously not from our kingdom. He speaks like a criminal.”

“Perhaps I enjoy a touch of the foreign masculine to the feminine domestic pets plaguing the market.”


“Foreign my ass. He’s uneducated and it’s clear. Where did you find him?”

“If you really must know, I purchased him from Trelix.”

Mikhael looked up with pure horror on his face. “You must be joking. I heard horror stories about that pet of yours. “You can’t make a former resister or pet. The Council will think you’ve lost your mind. Forget a promotion, you’ll be locked up”

“Don’t be ridiculous. He just needs the right Master to train him.”

“You have to be joking.”

“He’s been perfectly respectful.”

“If you don’t take into account his table manors, his posture, and the constant glaring. He’ll slit your throat the first chance he gets.” Mikhael laughed and immediately regretted it.

At least, I know how to treat and deal with my pet. That poor thing of yours is likely to kill himself out of boredom or neglect.”

The impending argument span around the room like a heavy storm. “What I do with my pet is none of your business unless you intend to report me for misconduct.”

“You mean what you don’t do.” Darius rolled his eyes. “Don’t be overly dramatic. I’m trying to point out that you have a duty to those that you own.”

“I have no obligation to bed someone without the ability to decide whether or not that’s what he really wants. I have no desire to play games.”

“That doesn’t sound like you at all. You’re one of the first to play games. A few of the court ladies could attest to that.”

“Yes, but with adults not children.”

“Be careful, Mikhael you’re evading the laws of the empire. We both know how well that turns out.”

“I could say the same for you. I don’t know how you can advise me on the law when you’re twisting it to your own ends while you’re under review for promotion.”

“You’re absolutely correct, which is why I’m having Connor trained and accredited.”

Mikhael laughed and recovered from the pain it shot through his head. “You think an ex-resister is going to be accredited as a pet. Now I’m sure you’ve lost it.”

“Connor will do well. He and I are both quite aware this will be his last chance to prove himself before he’s put to death. I believe he will be eager to prove himself.”

“You’re delusional. There will be no such effort on his part. You’ll be lucky if you get rid of him without serious injury or embarrassment.”

“I’m sure he will prove you wrong.”

“For your sake I hope so.” Mikhael laughed and exited the room, pleased that his own pet wasn’t one to bring him trouble outside of his personal life.

. . .

Selix’s pen scratched against the paper quickly as he scrawled his notes against the written rights of Military Class persons.

“No Military Class Citizen shall own a slave. The only exception to this ruling are those accredited pets, such as sexual slaves are highly educated and preferentially bred to serve the Upper Classes.”

Selix grimaced. His life had been one of preferential treatment and education. His high pedigree made his failure all the worse. Master Cruz treated him like a wonderful pet, one that acted like a treasured companion and delightful possession. Even now, Master Vesperian kept him in the lap of luxury. A blissful childhood, a treasured adolescence were worth the price of a disillusioned adulthood. He was not a pet in the prime of his years any longer. Proper repayment for the risk Master was taking in keeping him against regulation was beyond him.

His pen moved more quickly and the pages turned with depressing ease.

. . .

The heat of the sun was pleasant against Darius’s bare skin, but the crowds of people made it difficult to truly enjoy his travels through the business sectors of the city. After inquiring with two distinguished trainers he was at the end of his patience. They seemed more interested in selling him a more demur pet and ridding him of Connor than doing as he acted. Surprisingly, Connor was behaved but kept the pride and defiance in his frame so that even the most inexperienced trainers would see the clear challenge. No doubt his questionable pedigree and history was doing little to aid in the search.

Connor’s heart pounded as he slipped into the waves of people in the market. There would be no good chance for escape, just a chance here or there and this was as good as any. He focused on moving with the crowd and ducking his head appropriately. He appeared to be a perfect example of a pet on a chore until he’d ducked into the alley. It was risky but he could find something to cover himself and get over more ground than fighting the sea of bodies in the street fronts.

Turning back just in time to watch Connor slip into one of the crowds that washed over their small group, Darius’s face grew immediately serious. The tactful subtlety and ease with which he confidentially walked brushed glances off him at the regularity of the situation. It was a bold move in the bright of the daylight. It was bolder knowing Darius was with him. The chase began. Vesperian smiled and made his own subtle slip from the keepers to follow his charge. The labyrinth quality to the back storage alleys of the markets was a strong chose. Now and then Darius watched Connor pick up something here or there.

A dirty shipment cover was picked for a cloak. A tattered shirt discarded in the alley covered a good length of his expensive pants and the silken shirt. Wiping his hands against his face, Connor appeared just an impoverished traveler if no one noticed his boots and pants. After a few blocks, Connor picked up his pace, well aware that he would need to clear the edge of the city before nightfall or he’s never make it to the woods. At least he had boots this time and cloths that he could trade at the far corners of the farm lands. He’d need to break into a work shed or blacksmith’s to cut the collar from his neck, but he could make it. He had to.

Darius followed him until it was clear that he could circle around and catch the other man. Ducking through a store he headed around the alley before doubling back. The cloaked figure of his pet passed right by him and Darius threw his weight into a tackle. A heavy bite into his shoulder made him growl as the two tussled over the ground.

The strength of adrenaline pulsed through Connor’s veins, kicking and punching with everything he had. He broke free, stumbling to avoid Darius’s hand and raced off into the shadows again. Darius flew after him, starring bystanders caught sight of them now and then, before Darius caught him in the corner of an alley and slammed into him again, quickly pinning him against the moldy brick of the wall.

They panted and struggled a bit more before Darius chuckled his victory. “I think it’s time we return home, pet.”

Connor growled in frustration. “Fuck you.”

“All in good time, Connor.”


. . .

R&R please.