Chapter 55: SM03-Tau, Day 8, Theresa's Room

Theresa lay on her bed under Erica's watchful eyes. She felt miserable. She'd failed her master, not once, but repeatedly. He'd done so much to please her, and all she'd done in return was anger him. She should have known better than to strike Jane, no matter the provocation. Master would defend himself as he saw fit; it wasn't the place of a would-be slave to strike a free woman, to usurp Master's right to do so if he wished, or to ignore the comment as beneath notice.

Her heart was shattered; she was sure Master would never love her the way she loved him. She had heard the voices of the other masters as they passed earlier, all of them sounding like her Master. Erica had told her there were four visitors, all so much like their Master, and yet different.

The room monitor spoke, but she was too lost in misery to listen to it. The monitor's voice was replaced by her Master's, summoning her to his room. She shook in fear and hope, as she rose from her bed, and moved to obey. She didn't dare hope, but perhaps her Master's peers had convinced him to give her another chance.

She entered Master's room, and stopped in confusion. Five identical faces stared back at her; she couldn't tell which one was her Master. The masters detected her problem at once; one with an angry expression on his face spoke harshly to her.

"Is this the slave who presumes to act without instruction from her Master? Who presumes to second-guess his decisions as to her discipline? Normally you would refer to your own master as simply Master, while referring to masters not your own by using 'master' and their first name. Since referring to four of us as "Master Steve" would be confusing, you may refer to me as Master Gamma.

"We are gathered to determine what should be done about you. I am inclined to suggest that I take you with me to instruct you in proper obedience to your master's wishes. You will not enjoy the experience in the slightest, but you will learn. I'm sure that our hosts will be able to repair the injuries you will suffer while you do so."

Theresa nearly lost control of her bladder at his tone, but she managed to hold her urine and her tongue. Another of the masters, a less hostile look on his face, spoke up, saying, "I doubt that will solve the problem. I think she wants to serve, but she doesn't know how. Or, rather, she doesn't know how to tell her master what she needs. You're half right, though. I doubt she's ever served a master who didn't tell her exactly what to do, usually with a kick behind it."

Theresa wanted to answer, to tell them it hadn't been like that, but she knew better than to speak without permission. That permission was quickly granted when another master, HER master, spoke. "Is that correct, dear? Was your last master such a brute that you can't recognize a less harsh one?"

She kept her eyes down as she replied, "No, Master. My husband was also my master, and he had a firm hand, but he never struck me, except under extreme circumstances. He sometimes used me harshly, but he never used pain as a punishment."

Her master's hand touched her chin, and forced her to raise her face, and her eyes, to meet his. "And have I caused you pain, slave?"

Her eyes began to tear up as she said, "No, Master. I have failed you repeatedly, but you have never hurt me. Perhaps you should have."

Her master snorted. "Again you presume to dictate the terms of your punishment. You will be punished for that, and for your previous offenses today, which I am sure you remember well. But that will be the end of it. Until I consulted with my brothers here, I was unclear on what you expected of me as your master. Together, we have been able to formulate a better idea of what those needs are, but it will be your responsibility to make it clear if you have any unmet needs. If you can not bring yourself to speak to me directly, inform your fellow slaves, and they will speak on your behalf."

Her master stepped back slightly, and told her, "Strip and get down on your knees." Shaking at the thought of what might come next, she did so quickly. "Take me into your mouth, and swallow what I give you." Again, she did as instructed, but instead of being given time to pleasure her master and swallow his seed, she was shocked as a hot, foul-tasting liquid filled her mouth.

Shamed and humiliated, she swallowed her master's urine. Even the foul taste in her mouth couldn't distract her from the arousal she felt at being so abused, before so many people. She struggled to remain focused on her master's voice as he directed her to stand, and led her to a nearby table. She felt him greasing her anus, then shivered as he roughly bound her arms and legs to the table. That was when she noticed that it wasn't really a table. She was bound to it face down, but her breasts still swung free beneath her. A sharp slap to her ass with his open hand interrupted her thoughts. As the blows continued, they added to her pain and arousal. The blows stopped, and she felt the pressure of her master's cock against her anus. She struggled to admit him, and was rewarded as he slipped into her with only a little discomfort.

Her shame at being used 'in public', the discomfort from the ropes binding her to the table, the residual pain of her spanking, and the sensation of having her anus stretched and her bowels invaded combined to bring her closer and closer to orgasm. She was vaguely aware that her master was speaking, and managed to divert enough attention to his voice to make out what he was saying. Her heart soared as he told her how much he loved her, enough to do what he was about to do, even though it disturbed him, simply because she needed it.

She was nearly at orgasm when the exquisite pain began in her nipples, then spiked as the chain holding the nipple clamps was pulled sharply. She came hard, and kept coming and coming, again and again, each time the chain was pulled. She was barely aware of the sensation as her master filled her bowels with his sperm, and lost contact with reality completely when he released the clamps and the blood rushed back into her abused nipples in an explosion of pain and pleasure.

When she returned to herself, the other masters were gone, and she found herself laying on her back on her master's bed, unbound except for the reassuring pressure of leather cuffs at her wrists and ankles. Her nipples were slightly tender, much less so than she would have expected after being used and pleased so thoroughly. She turned her head, and beheld her master, laying on his side, looking at her.

Seeing that she was awake, he rose, and left the bed. He returned with a tray containing a glass, as well as something else she couldn't make out. He helped her to sit up, then gave her the glass to drink from. She swallowed eagerly, and returned the glass to him. He picked up the item she'd been unable to see clearly, and held it before her. Her heart rose as she recognized it at last.

"This is your collar. Unless your pregnancy requires otherwise, it is the last thing you will ever wear aside from your cuffs. Hold up your hair."

She did so, and he put the collar around her neck, accepting her service, and her love, at last.

Steve looked at the happiness in Theresa's eyes, and the last shreds of reluctance to treat her as his property evaporated. With a much lighter heart, he helped her to her feet, and clipped her wrists together behind her back. He went to the replicator and returned with a leash, which he clipped to her collar. Turning, he left the room, leading his new slave behind him.

Conversation stopped as they entered the common room. Steve walked to his chair, near the center of the crowd, and sat. Theresa stood beside him, naked and apparently unashamed, until he tugged lightly on her leash. She knelt then, and leaned against his leg.

All eyes were on her, until Steve began to speak. "It has been carefully explained to me that Theresa has certain needs that I was not meeting. I have agreed to try harder to treat her as she wants and needs to be treated. None of the rest of you should assume that I intend to make similar use or similar demands of you; what has changed between myself and Theresa is between us alone, and I will continue to treat the rest of you as I have before, unless you ask me to do otherwise.

"Theresa assumed, as some of you may have, that I declined to give her my baby in addition to her husband's because I had not fully accepted her. That is not and was not the case. My decision was based on my intent that Theresa assist Anna with the two children she will be bearing for me, in addition to caring for the child of Theresa's husband's seed that Theresa now carries for me. I repeat my previous promise that any child born to a woman in my care will be treated as my child, whatever genes he or she may bear. Once Theresa's current child is born, and she is ready for another, I will give her a child of my seed and blood, to go along with the child of my heart that she now carries.

"I love her, and began to do so even before I first took my pleasure from her body, even as I love and loved all of you whether we had joined physically first or not. She serves me and loves me in her way, as each of you serve and love me in yours, and I love and serve you all, equally and completely. Those of you new to our family should know that you too are loved, just as much as those who came before.

"I appear to be unable to simply 'fuck' a woman; I make love to her, and in so doing, begin to love her just as I love all of you. My brothers and I spoke of many things, but the one thing we did not need to speak of was how much we cared for those we lived with. I felt great pride as they met you, and saw them recognize your love for me, reflected in the respect you showed them, despite their being both complete strangers and far too familiar.

"Are there any questions?"

There were no questions, but there were a lot of unshed tears as the full emotional import of Steve's speech sank in. They'd all known what Theresa needed, either directly from her mouth, or by gossip, but none of them had spoken up. Every one of them realized that Steve was announcing that a general amnesty was in force for any mistakes made in handling Theresa's problem, and they were all grateful.

Things lightened up considerably as Steve moved on to discuss the things he'd learned from his brothers during their meeting. His wives had been present for most of it, but the concubines hadn't, and so he and his wives recounted the news as the rest of the family listened eagerly. Even the description of the 'eligibility requirements' for rescue didn't dim the mood for long.