Author's note: If you've read my connected Yes, Mistress one shots, then you are in for a treat. As promised from my Tumblr booksrockmyface, this is the expansion of that idea. I hope you like seeing what changes I've made.
Title is a reference to the Evanescence song Lose Control.
Many thanks to my beta alliswell!
Thanks a ton to my bestie and forever prereader, writingbutunpublished.
Trigger warning: This entire fic will feature scenes that contain all manner of BDSM practices. These will mainly be bondage and spanking, as seen at the top of this very chapter. Please use your own discretion as you read.
Happy reading!
Play My Way
Everlark fanfiction
Chapter One
Katniss raised the paddle and took aim, but was interrupted by the sound of the timer going off. An hour gone already? She sighed and dropped the paddle to her side before turning off the alarm.
The man bent over her desk let out a disappointed groan around the ball gag in his mouth.
"Time for the cool-down." She soothed, untying her submissive's hands and unhooking the latch of the gag from his mouth. "How do you feel, Joe?"
"Invigorated." He pulled himself up slowly and reached for his discarded clothes.
Katniss smiled and handed him an ice pack to sit on once he was covered again. She pulled on her satin robe and dropped to her knees in front of him to massage pain cream into his wrists. "Take a soak in some Epsom salts tonight." She advised. "And try to lay down or stand up for the rest of the day to keep the pressure off your bottom."
"I remember, Mistress." Joe gave her a sly grin. "I'll be thinking about you tomorrow at work."
Katniss laughed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He reached up and brushed his fingers over her cheek. "You're still free next week?"
"You know I have kept your time open every week for two years." She finished with his wrists and reached up to massage his jaw. After she was done, she stood and readjusted her robe. She was ready for an Epsom salt bath of her own. Cramps were eating her alive and it was all she could do not to cry out in pain. That was for her clients.
Joe took a pile of cash out of his wallet and placed it on the counter with a satisfied grin. That wasn't his real name, of course. It was part of the deal. She had an agency who set everything in motion. All the men were run through a rigorous background check through them before they were given her information.
There were very few rules on her end: phones turned off before they came through the door, payments in cash, no real names. They did have a corresponding client ID number she logged into a system weekly to keep track of many things, most of which Katniss didn't know.
Katniss required a meeting at a coffee shop before taking on any new clients. Even with the background checks, she needed to feel them out on her own.
She followed Joe to the door. "Take care of yourself."
He stopped and turned. "You too." He looked her over. "It felt like you were a little more aggressive today."
"Why didn't you say anything?" It was the anger that filled her bubbling over, she knew.
Joe grinned sheepishly. "I kind of liked it. Maybe it can be like that next time too."
Katniss gave him a sultry smile. "Whatever you want."
After he left, she made sure all the locks were set. It was time for that bath. And then some ice cream and a cheesy romantic comedy.
Katniss picked up the cash Joe left on her counter and counted it out. He'd kicked in an extra hundred dollars. She shook her head. Joe was her most loyal client. Others had come and gone over the last couple of years, but he'd stuck with her from the awkward first months to the more advanced scenes he requested in recent weeks.
Katniss poured a handful of Epsom salt from the bag beside her tub and turned on the hot water. While it filled, she popped a few ibuprofen and got undressed. She wore a black bra and panties and a plaid schoolgirl skirt. Of course Joe wasn't always into the schoolhouse fantasy. Most of the time the outfit didn't matter as long as he was naked and getting a good spanking.
She slid into the scalding water and let it cover her as much as possible. Nothing seemed to relieve the near-constant pulsing pain, but at least it helped a little. And it was nice to just let the day float away from her.
Even with a mother who was a nurse practitioner and a sister planning to be a doctor, hospitals and clinics made Katniss uncomfortable. So it took a lot of convincing from Prim and the agony of the latest round of pain to get her to make an appointment. It was not a great experience. She was so grateful Prim had agreed to go with her. She wouldn't have been able to drive after the disaster of a diagnosis and the completely unsympathetic doctor.
Katniss scowled so hard her face hurt. It took all her strength not to punch the doctor in the face.
When she sat down in the passenger side of Prim's waiting car her sister gave her a concerned look. "What's wrong?"
Katniss took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "Endometriosis."
Prim patted her leg. "That's what I thought." She backed out of the spot she occupied. "So what are you going to do?"
"Deal with it, I guess." Katniss ticked off all the possible complications that could result from the condition. "Chronic pain, heavy periods, high chance of infertility. He gave me a prescription for birth control and said it might help. If not, just take some ibuprofen for the pain and use a heating pad. I asked about a hysterectomy, but he acted like that wasn't even an option. Said I may want kids someday. And something about it can't always be confined to the uterus. Like this could cause issues all over. And kind of acted like it couldn't be as bad as I was making it out to be." She let out a heavy groan. "I just don't feel like I got an answer, only more questions and frustration."
After Katniss picked up her prescription, Prim pulled into the drive-thru of the closest KFC and ordered enough food for an army, even though it would be the two of them and their mom.
"You could get a second opinion." Prim suggested. "But do you really want an elective surgery like that? You've been a little leery since Dad..."
"I don't know. I mean, I guess that would be a very drastic step. Especially if it's in other places in my body." Katniss sighed. "I just don't know. It's so much all at once."
"It is. But I'm sure you will figure it all out. Do some research. Get another opinion or two." Prim pulled into their mother's driveway and twisted toward Katniss. "I'll support you whatever you decide, Katniss. It's your body and you should be comfortable. Get all the information on this you can to get the treatment that's right for you."
"Thank you, Prim." Katniss leaned over and hugged her sister. It was a little awkward with the arm rests between them.
Their mom pulled in just a moment later. She headed right inside. "Several confirmed cases of the flu. Don't touch me." She called over her shoulder. "And spray everything I touch with Lysol." She went to the bathroom.
Katniss laughed. "She still worries about that?"
"Yes. She doesn't want me to miss any of my classes." Prim sat the food in the middle of the table and went to the cabinet for plates. "Speaking of classes…"
Katniss sighed, "I'm mostly working on my thesis these days."
"And how is…?" Prim glanced toward the bathroom and then made a whipping motion.
Prim had accidentally walked in on the middle of one of Katniss's sessions a few months before. Thankfully it hadn't been anything too over the top. Most of her clients just really liked to be spanked. Katniss explained it was how she'd gotten herself through the first years of grad school and helped get her mind off the pain she endured constantly. Prim didn't fully understand, but she at least never seemed judgmental about it.
"It's going really well." Katniss said.
"Is it slapping?" Prim giggled.
Katniss rolled her eyes. "Don't start."
Iris came into the kitchen with her hair still damp. "Thanks, girls." She started to fill a plate. "So what did you find out at the doctor, Katniss?"
They gathered their food as Katniss explained everything that the doctor told her. She'd already let go of most of the initial frustration, even though she was still mad about the doctor's attitude.
"Anyway, I'm going to try the birth control for a few months and see if that helps anything." Katniss concluded. "And if not, I'm going back for a more solid treatment."
Iris nodded encouragingly. "If you need, I can get you fit in anywhere you want for other opinions."
"Thanks, Mom." Katniss sighed. Having a mother in the medical field had some perks.
She'd stumbled into the domination game because of her pain. It seemed to be getting worse and she was starting to feel out of control of everything. It was someone on a morning talk show going on about one of those books that got popular in the wake of Fifty Shades that got her thinking. Maybe she could find control other places.
Prim drove her home later that evening. "Let me know if you need anything else." She opened her arms for a hug.
Katniss returned it. "Same to you, Sister." She reached for the door handle.
Prim stopped her. "Hey, you want to come to a party later?"
Katniss laughed. "A college party? I never even went to those in undergrad."
Prim shrugged. "Maybe it will get your mind off things."
"Tonight?" Katniss looked at her phone. It was already almost eight.
"Yeah, it starts at ten." Prim gave her a pleading smile.
"You need a wingman or something?" Katniss joked. Prim was a social butterfly who could get whatever guy she wanted.
"No, I just want to introduce my cool older sister to my friends." Prim grabbed her arm and squeezed. "Please? You need to not be in your torture chamber for an evening."
"It's only a torture chamber a few hours a day." Katniss looked toward her tiny house and then nodded. "Okay. Send me the address and I'll meet you there."
Peeta groaned. He hated these parties. As a non-traditional student he always felt out of place. Like the dad of the group. But he was still a junior just like a majority of the attendees.
Prim Everdeen came into the house and all the guys flocked to her. Peeta had liked Prim from the moment he met her. She was sweet and caring. After she learned he had put off school to help in his family's bakery when his father suffered a heart attack, she showed genuine sympathy. And she asked how his dad was doing almost every time she saw him. It was something he had greatly appreciated.
Peeta watched as she made her way through the crowd, asking everyone very specific questions about their life. She was just so thoughtful when it came to other people.
She finally stopped in front of Peeta and gave him a big hug. "Hi, Peeta! How are you today?"
"I'm great." He smiled. "And you?"
She shrugged. "I convinced my sister to come. I'm a little nervous. I want her to have a good time. She doesn't let loose in crowds." She checked her phone. "Oh, be right back."
Peeta watched her push through the crowd back to the front door. He went to the kitchen to retrieve a beer and talk with a few of the kids gathered there. After a few minutes, there was an odd buzz of conversation through the house.
"Prim's sister is a hottie!" Someone said, not so subtly.
Peeta followed the eyes of the crowd to the woman standing at the door. She wore a dark green dress that stopped several inches above her knees. The neckline was low revealing a good bit of cleavage.
But the dress wasn't the half of it. She wore her brown hair loose over her shoulders and it framed her perfect face. Peeta already was planning all the paintings he could create inspired by her eyes alone.
And then she stood in front of him. She exuded a quiet confidence.
"This is my sister Katniss." Prim said cheerily.
Peeta hesitated only a moment before holding out his hand. "Hi. Peeta. I'm Peeta."
Katniss smiled and slipped her hand into his. He could see something flash in her eyes before she spoke, "Nice to meet you, Peeta."
"Can I get you a drink, Katniss?" Peeta offered.
"I just need some water." Katniss replied. There was something in her tone that made it almost a command and he very much wanted to follow her order.
Peeta retrieved the drink for her. She chatted kindly with him for a few minutes, long enough for him to find out she was getting a master's degree in environmental conservation. Somehow that made her even hotter.
But just as he was about to start getting to the deeper stuff, Prim took Katniss away to talk to other people. Katniss kept glancing at him throughout the night, but didn't come back until just before she left. She slipped a piece of paper in his hand.
"Text me tomorrow." Katniss gave him a sultry smile and then sauntered away.