The Life of Anna, Part 1: Enslaved (5 page)

“Yes, Master Devin.” My heart felt lighter than it had in years.

He stood and held out his hand. The diamonds on his pinky ring glittered in the warm light of the room. I stared at it, unsure of what to do. “I’m helping you to your feet, Anna,” he said, and reached down to put my right hand into his. He grasped it and gently pulled me to my feet, then turned to Master Jack. “Thank you, Jack. I’ll take it from here. You’re coming Friday, right?”

Master Jack nodded.
“Of course. You have new girls for me?”

“Yes.
Two, in fact. Did you want a few days off before you begin again?”

Master Jack smirked.
“No. I’m ready for some new cunt.” He looked at me. “She’s definitely ready, though she might need some help in social refinement. That’s not my area of expertise, but I did the best I could. She knows how to hold a decent conversation with a man, but she’s still terribly shy.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Master Devin smiled at me and then looked at Ian. “You’ll take him to his new girls?”

“Yes, sir.” Ian replied.

“I think you’ll like these, Jack.
Rare opportunity to have twins.”

Master Jack looked as if he
’d just won a million dollars. “You’re giving me the twins?”

“I think you’ve earned them. Train them well.” Master Devin nodded at Ian. “He’ll take you down.”

With that, Master Devin led me away to begin my new life. Whatever that meant.

After several minutes of traversing hallways and up staircases, Master Devin opened a door at the end of a long hallway.
“These will be your chambers.” He stepped back to let me walk into the most beautiful bedroom I’d ever seen.

The room was large, but not enormous, and well lit by large windows and a glass door directly across from the entrance. The sheer curtains hanging over the windows and attached to the door were pink, with darker pink velvet curtains framing them. The walls were cream and the ceiling was high with a gilded grid pattern. An elaborate white oriental rug covered most of the light
-grained wooden floor.

A white marble fireplace with a flat
-panel TV above the mantle stood across the room from the large canopy bed. A small table and two chairs sat along the wall adjacent to me. There was a bookshelf filled with trinkets and books, and an easy chair with an ottoman next to the windows.

I glanced at Master Devin and his affectionate smile startled me. He motioned for me to go further in and I slowly walked through a doorway and into the bathroom. It was a huge, luxurious bathroom with a white marble floor and a carved marble sink. Under the plate
-glass window at the end of the room was an enormous marble bathtub.

I went back out into the bedroom and looked out the windows. Through the glass, I could see a small grass courtyard surrounded by very thick, very tall shrubs.

“You can go out,” Master Devin said in a quiet voice. “It’s your own private yard.”

I hesitated for a moment and then opened the door and walked out into the sunshine. It
was warm compared to the coolness of the stone building. A small flower garden grew under the bathroom window and an iron and wood gate stood at the opposite end of the yard. I could see the back of a lock on the gate.

“How is there a yard here?” I asked softly. We had traversed several staircases to get up to this room.

“The Manor butts up against the hill behind it,” Master Devin explained. “All the rooms on this floor have private yards carved out of it.” I turned to look at Master Devin, but caught myself before I looked him in the face. I quickly looked at the ground. “It’s beautiful, Master Devin. Thank you. You are very kind to give me such a gift.” Four years ago I would have ran to him and wrapped my arms around his waist to show my thanks. Now I just stood there with my hands at my side, uncertain of what to do next.

“I’ve been working to get the room right for you for quite a while,” he said in a tender voice. He closed the distance between us in a few steps and put his hands on my upper arms. “I wanted it to be perfect for you.”

I wanted to look up at him. I was dumbfounded. He wanted it to be perfect for me? Was this really my Master Devin? Master Devin wasn’t tender or gentle or…or was he? Memories of how he’d been before I turned sixteen flooded my mind. His smiles. His hugs. His kisses. Memories of him at my birthday parties and ballet recitals. He’d treated me like a princess. And then he changed. Literally overnight.

I blinked back tears, not knowing where they came from.
Kindness towards me had been frowned upon for so long, by both Master Devin and Master Jack. The kindest thing they did to me was not make it hurt during sex.

I stood there, clenching and unclenching my hands. I didn
’t know what to do. I shook my head slightly, trying to get a grasp on what was happening. Moving would likely earn me the backside of his hand against my cheek, but I was having a very difficult time controlling my body.

Master Devin pulled me towards him, wrapping his arms around me, and I could no longer hold back my tears. I began shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. My legs collapsed beneath me and he caught me before I fell, gently guiding me to the ground. He sat on the ground with his arms around me. I wanted to grab onto him and hug him, but didn
’t dare move.

What is going on? Is this a trick? I shouldn
’t be moving; he’ll punish me.

But he didn
’t punish me. He just held me and let me cry. I didn’t understand. Why comfort me? There was certainly a visit to the dungeon in my near future for my behavior.

I sucked in gulps of air, struggling to gain control of my emotions and my body.

Stop crying, Anna! He hates it when you cry. Stop before things get worse!

But he didn
’t move. He stroked my hair and whispered in my ear, “Shhh, Baby. It’s okay. It’s all right. Shhh, Baby, I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

As hard as I tried, though, I couldn
’t calm down as quickly as I wanted to. Finally, though, after what seemed like an eternity, the streams of tears on my cheeks slowed to a trickle and I stopped shaking. I took a deep breath and let it out through pursed lips. I was calm.

Did I dare move? He held me tightly, but the comfort I felt disconcerted me. I tried to pull away, to assume my normal submissive pose, but he tightened his arms around me. I froze, uncertain of what to do.
What do you do when someone who has been icy cold for years suddenly shows you affection?

We sat there for a few moments in silence as my tears ceased. Master Devin kissed the top of my head and then stood and pulled me to my feet.
Now I will be punished
. As we walked back into my room, I took in a silent, shaky breath to prepare myself for whatever punishment he would pronounce. But instead of leading me out the door and to the dungeon, he led me to the easy chair next to the window. He sat on the ottoman and indicated for me to sit in the chair. I put my hands in my lap and stared at them, trying to look and be as submissive as possible.

“Anna, look at me.”

I looked up expecting to see anger, though his voice wasn’t angry. His eyes were kind and he stroked my cheek. “When we are in here alone, you don’t have to sit in your pose or avert your eyes from mine. When we are alone in here, I want you to be comfortable with me and not think of me as your Master.”

What?
Not think of him as my Master? That’s not possible. I’d been conditioned for too long to change that.

“Let’s go over the rules for the Manor and then you can ask me any questions you might have, okay?” He paused and looked up at me with a slight smile on his face.

“Yes, Master,” I said softly, looking back down at my hands.

“First of all, you no longer need call me Master unless I specifically tell you to.”

I furrowed my brow in confusion but didn’t say anything.

“In the Manor, you will call me ‘my lord’ as you do the other men. In here, you may call me Devin.” He chuckled. “I think you’re too old for ‘Uncle Devin’, don’t you think?” I had called him Uncle Devin as a child. I’d called Master Jack ‘Uncle Jack’ as well.

I didn’t respond, thinking he didn’t require an answer. But he didn’t continue and I glanced up at him.

“Don’t you think?” he repeated with a warm smile.

“I...yes...Ma...Devin,” I stuttered. To be honest, I didn’t know what I thought.

Devin frowned,
“Don’t lie to pacify me, Anna.”

I dropped my gaze to my hands again as cold fear filled me.
“I’m sorry, Mas...Devin. I don’t know if I’m too old to call you Uncle Devin.”

“I think the general population would frown upon my mistress calling me ‘Uncle’.”

“Mistress?”
What?

“Yes, Anna. You are my mistress. You’re still technically a slave, but to the general populace of San Francisco, you will be my mistress.”

I blinked several times, confused. Again. Why would Devin need a mistress? He was happily married to a beautiful wife with three equally beautiful children.

“You’re frowning. What are you thinking?”

“I...,” I stammered. I shouldn’t question him, but he asked and I had to answer. I took a breath for courage. “Why do you need a mistress, Devin? You’re married. What purpose could I possibly have in your normal life?”

Devin laughed.
“Oh, Anna. You’re so naïve. I love it.” He took my hands in his and kissed each palm. “Why shouldn’t I want to spend time with a beautiful young woman? You will be able to help me in so many ways, and I want you to be respected in the community. Being my mistress will ensure that. Besides, going out with my wife has become tedious. And the sex...mind-numbing. She needs to realize I don’t need her, but she needs me.” He frowned as if upset at some inner thought.

I couldn
’t come up with a response to his statement. I knew many of Master Jack’s friends were married and they came to his house to use me. They didn’t speak very highly of their wives, but I never imagined Devin feeling that way. But what did I know of marriage? It seemed an unfortunate requirement for men of a certain standing in the community.

“Shall we continue with the rules?”

“Yes, Devin.”

“This is your safe place, Anna,” he said, motioning with his hand around the room. “You needn’t observe the formalities of the Manor while you are in here. You may call me Devin. You may call Ian by his name and any other men you may desire to bring in here.”

Why would I want to bring men in here?
I didn’t say anything so he continued with an amused expression, as if he could read my thoughts.

“As I said earlier, you will call the men in this place ‘my lord’ as you have been accustomed to.
All men. There are men in and out of here all the time, so it’s probably safer if you stay in here when you’re not required elsewhere. I tried to make this room as comfortable as possible so it wouldn’t feel as if you were in a prison. Hence the courtyard.” He motioned towards the window.

I nodded.

“Whenever you are summoned into my, or certain other men’s, presence, you will enter the room, walk to stand a few feet in front of me, depending on the room, and bow in submission. Stand up. I’ll teach you how to do it properly.”

I stood and walked behind the ottoman. Devin turned to face me.
“Take a few steps back. Yes, good. Now, assume your submissive pose, but instead of putting your palms together, lean your body forward with your arms out in front of you and put your nose on the ground.”

I did as he said. The rug was softer than I expected.

“Good girl. I didn’t think you’d have a problem with that. You stay in that position until you are told you may get up or sit up. Either command means you assume your submissive pose, though you may put your hands on your thighs instead of putting your hands together. Does that make sense?”

I
nodded, my nose still on the ground. I hoped I could remember everything I was learning.

“You may return to your seat.” I did and he continued. “I want you to go shopping to get some clothing. I assume this is the best you have?” He motioned towards my jeans.

“Yes. I was undressed unless I was out at my ballet lessons.” He nodded with a thoughtful expression on his face. “I’ll have to figure out who to send you shopping with, but I’ll get you out there in the next few days. Maybe I’ll take you.” He grinned at me.

Devin wanted to take me
shopping? This day was getting weirder and weirder.

“You will be attending various social events with me, and will be allowed out to do other things, if you so desire.” He shrugged. “But I’d prefer it if you didn’t go out alone.
At least for a while. You’ve been sheltered for far too long and I’d hate for you to get lost or for something to happen to you. Unless he’s otherwise occupied, Ian will accompany you. He’ll make sure you’re safe.”

My heart sank into my stomach.
Be alone with Ian? Devin had to be joking. Ian detested me. Who knew what he would do to me if he had me out and alone?