"How are you feeling?" Baralai asked his slave wife the next morning when she woke up.

Trophy's lips trembled and her eyes watered as she remembered her new lot in life. "I'm alive." she finally replied.

Baralai frowned at her tone of voice. Now that she wasn't pretending anymore, he could expect her to be grieving for…however long it took her. "I'll be in the shower." he told her, kissing her neck before getting out of bed. "Please finish putting our luggage away before joining me downstairs for breakfast." he said when he was getting dressed afterwards.

"Of course, Master." she replied quietly and began to do as she was told.

"I'll be in my study." he said, pausing to look back at her before heading downstairs. He unlocked the study door and sat down at his desk. Before he could stop himself, he opened one of drawers and took out a short wooden box, and he just sat there staring at it, unmoving even when the butler announced a guest.

"Lady Laura is here to see you, sir." he said and bowed before returning to his other duties.

"Do you know what this is?" Baralai asked her, not taking his eyes off the box.

"A box." she replied cheekily as she walked in.

"It's the cigars I ordered to give out when Trophy gave birth to our first child." he explained, then threw it in the trash and cradled his head in his hands.

"Well, I was going to ask how you're doing, but I won't bother now I guess." Laura plopped down in the closest chair and put her boots up on his desk. "So I'll warn you instead, wouldn't miss Stan's breakfast except for a good cause…you know how hard it is to keep secrets in Bevelle, especially when you're doing it alone. Word's gotten around about what happened to her, and it's whipping the wolf-sharks into a frenzy. Be careful. How is she coping?"

"I. .not very well I think. And I don't know how to help her…some Master I'm turning out to be." he admitted, unable to hide the truth from one of his oldest friends, especially since she was too perceptive to not figure it out anyway.

"Wow, I haven't seen you this unsure of yourself since I took you under my wing when you first got into our lifestyle." she commented, concern enriching her voice. "Remember our time together?"

"You mean when I was trying to figure out which role suited me best?" Baralai forced a smile. "You made it abundantly clear that I wasn't cut out to be a slave."

"No, you weren't. And do you remember what the advice I gave you then was?" she asked.

"That every relationship is different and it could take me a long time to find the right partner." he replied.

"Exactly. And I've watched you and Trophy together, it's obvious you two were made for each other. So don't ever doubt yourself, that's the worst thing you could do for her right now." she told him.

"Excuse me for interrupting, sir, but breakfast is ready." the butler announced after knocking and getting permission to enter.

"Well, that's my cue to leave. And give her time, but if you be who you've always been to her, she should come around and be who she's always been for you. " Laura stood up, then leaned over the desk and whispered in Baralai's ear. "Just don't push her too far, because I'm sure you haven't forgotten how good I am with a whip." She smiled ominously at him before heading towards the door. "Tell her I said hello and she needs to call and schedule another lunch date."

Baralai looked closely at his wife as they sat down to breakfast. She was barely touching her food, a far cry from the enthusiasm she used to have for everything. That was her prime attraction for him, and watching her grow into her new role in life as his slave wife with such enthusiasm made him so proud of her. She made coming home from work every day worthwhile, instead of being just a place to sleep and entertain.. He hoped Laura was right. "I'll be working from home for the next few days, so I'll be here for lunch as well. And you might want to check in with your new friends. Laura stopped by and wants you to call and make lunch plans." he informed her.

"Oh. Okay, Master." she replied apathetically.

"And you are to resume your usual routine tonight." he continued.

"Of course, Master." Trophy felt both relieved and anxious at the same time…he hadn't really touched her since…since she ruined everything for them, and as much as she wanted things to be normal again, she wasn't sure she deserved it.

When they entered their temporary bedroom after dinner, she obediently took her robe off and got on the bed on all fours, waiting for him to lube up.

"Good girl." he told her approvingly as he joined her on the bed. "Now tell me who and what you are."

"I'm your Trophy." she automatically replied.

"That's half of it. What are you?" he asked again.

"I'm your property." she said after thinking about it for a moment.

"Now say it in one sentence and don't stop saying it til I tell you otherwise." he commanded her.

"I'm your Trophy and your property." she kept repeating as he thrust into her. She was glad he was being gentle, her ass felt like it had never been used like this before.

"Never forget you belong to me." Baralai murmured as he got on his side on the bed and held her firmly to him.

"Never, Master." She forced herself to reply cheerfully, hiding her ugly shock. Her body had orgasmed like it was trained to, but even though she physically felt the pleasure, the loving thrill she had always felt from being dominated by him was gone. They might as well have been strangers paid to have sex…was this what was wrong with her? Now that she had failed him by being unable to have a family, had she lost her value to be anything but a piece of property?