I want to thank everyone for the reviews and for voting in the poll. Wow! Really boosted my spirit. My coauthor is also very happy and thankful. We have been dabbling with future chapters and will begin the next one soon. We're also revising the old chapters and planning to post them on LiveJournal.

We'd appreciate any criticisms or suggestions we can have to perfect the story and gain more readers. (How about those lemons? Are they too long?)

Thanks again! ENJOY!

I helped her to her feet and she moved fluidly to let me lift her and carry her to our room. I thought her mood was improving. She didn't like it when we disagreed. I knew she'd try to bring us back to center.

"I like the view of your butt from this angle." She giggled. I knew her predilection for my backside.

"I enjoy your butt too lover… I'm going to show you that very soon." I promised her. I felt an anticipation and nervousness through our bond. Still, she didn't argue. I carefully sat her on the bed and pressed her to her side. She helped lift her legs and I rolled her on to her belly. I enjoyed her compliance as I fitted a pillow under her head and pushed the hair out of her eyes. I stroked her back and massaged her scalp. She loved that. I felt her curiosity and waited, hoping she would voice what was on her mind.

"Eric… why didn't you come to me after the incident with the vampire and Fellowship? Did you think I wasn't interested in you? I've heard that's never stopped you from pursuing someone before." She must have heard of my persistence from Sookie.

"Honestly… I found myself intrigued by you. I was curious enough to ask about you. Your friend and The Voluble Bill Compton probably revealed more than they meant to when I steered the conversation toward you. I wanted you even then." I watched her eyes widen with that information. I suppressed a sigh. Sometimes I doubted my Bonded knew her worth. "I considered just taking you, but decided I didn't want that."

"Wait… what do you mean 'just taking' me?" She asked with fear in her voice.

"Exactly as it sounds. I would have brought you here or to one of my homes and claimed you as my own. Our relationship would have been much the same as it is now."

"Eric… that's criminal! Not to mention terrifying. You actually considering taking me and forcing me –" She was scared. More so than I think she ever had been of me. It didn't aline with her views to be taken by a suitor.

"Lover, I did not do so. It was a thought. It's not a horribly uncommon practice. In my day, it was much more wide spread. Throughout history really – the Romans, most of the barbarians as history now calls them, Native Americans and many other cultures. It still happens often in parts of Asia, namely Kazakhstan, and by indigenous tribes who don't cooperate with modern society. It was a common practice amongst Vampires as well, though like with humans it began to be frowned upon as things become more integrated."

"Eric… that's still not okay. I can't believe you'd even consider that. Would you have… forced me?" She asked barely above a whisper. I kept playing with her hair.

"No, little one. That's also why I didn't do it. I would never have let you go, no matter how many times you would have asked me to. I would have had to keep you under close supervision and maybe even lock and key. If you felt so helpless you might have tried to do yourself harm, even though I would have treated you gently and tried to earn your affection. It has happened in other cases – even human on human kidnapping and forced marriages. I wouldn't risk you in such a way. Nor would I have ever raped you. I have told you before; I hold you in too high esteem to do that to you. I respect you."

"I don't know how to feel about this. I can't fathom anyone thinking its okay to take someone. Not you, not some other crazy culture. Sadly, I could see some Vampires taking no issues with it, but not you. You aren't that cruel or pretentious. It scares me you had these thoughts."

"I know. I am not asking you to be comfortable, Lover. We have not grown up the same way or had the same experiences. You are still human and I am Vampire. Those thoughts came from the Vampire in me. I was also a Viking; your very beloved college classes call me a barbarian. When I was human, our men would take women from across the water when they were in short supply and we needed brides. And before you ask, no, I did not personally do that. I give you my good and bad and let you sleep beside me as I enter my daydeath. Do you understand the trust I give you by allowing that? Most Vampires will secure themselves alone in an impenetrable chamber or lock their companion in a cage. You give me your everything and take my dominance. Can any of these strangers understand the caring and affection between us?"

"I doubt it. I think most people would see you as dangerous and abusive." She said with a just hint of wondering if they were right in her voice. It stung me more than I thought it would. But I understood – she was a modern woman.

"And yet, you experience my affection daily. You admit you trust me and I never use my position to hurt you. Even when you were punished you felt I was fair in doing so." I reminded her gently. "I know tonight has been a trial for you. Believe me; it wasn't easy for me either. I would like to move on to more physical activities. Are you ready for that?"

"Yea…we talked enough. I'll go over it in my journal later. And, Eric, I do not see you as dangerous and abusive. I feel the need to make that clear." I couldn't help but beam at her words. She was turning to her journal without being told to do so. It also made me feel better than I thought it would to know that she didn't consider me dangerous or abusive. Who gave a fuck what other people thought? It was her opinion that mattered to me. I began to let her hair fall around her shoulders and down her back. Thanks to my blood, it was growing rapidly. I did need to discuss coloring it with Leila. Perhaps if Dina didn't keep arguing about talking with her past lovers, I'd let her pick her own hair color. I stroked her shoulders and ran my fingers down her bound arms. I was very turned on seeing her like this. I thought we'd both end up in a good place by the end of the night – she'd know exactly who her Master was and I'd feel better about her argumentative exchange with me. My fingers climbed over her cuffs and she opened her hands, extending her fingers. I rubbed her palm and she smiled. My roaming digits continued on their journey. I traced her backside and enjoyed the way she moved under me. My thumbs moved on the curve between her leg and butt. I felt her anticipating my fingers and she moved her hips. She was moist for me already. I traced her lips and teased her. I never penetrated her nor did I directly touch her clit. I waited for her to wiggle and show me her frustration. Only then did I allow her to the pleasure she craved. I was happily working her up and considered going out to get the middle of the spreader bar so I could attach it to her ankles and open her wider. I wanted her begging. I would deny her release until after we worked to further open up her other entrance. I lubed up my fingers and penetrated her surprisingly easily with my middle one. I added a second finger and moved them in a slow circle, brushing her clit softly with my other hand and making her cry out to me. I felt like I was touching her everywhere inside. She interrupted me just as the real fun was starting.

"Eric…ah, I have to go," she suddenly cried out frantically enough to get my immediate attention. She sounded disappointed and almost in pain, wiggling around like something was burning her. I gently removed my fingers and settled my hand on her lower back, softly rubbing in a circle.

"Go where?" I asked confused. I understood that something was dreadfully wrong, but what?

"Go… you know… to the ladies' room." She tried to clench herself, but it was hard with her legs spread open. This was the first time she had jerked against the bar since I fed her. I noticed her embarrassment spreading like wildfire. She even said 'ladies' room'. The sadistic beast in me lifted its head, enjoying her discomfort. I lifted her and carried her to the bathroom. I sat her down and pushed the hair out of her face. She looked at me and her eyes widened when I didn't move to leave. I wasn't going anywhere.

I gracefully moved to sit on the edge of the bathtub in front of her. I tried to look casual as she sat there trembling. She bit her lower lip and I knew she was fighting asking me to leave. We both knew I wouldn't.

"Don't you have to 'go'?" I asked using her word. I reached out to touch her knees, offering reassurance.

"I… I can't."

"Of course you can. Its fairly natural. You've done it before."

"Eric… Please. I have to go so bad it hurts! I really want to just go… and you are making it so hard!"

I listened to her come as close as she ever had to pleading with me. She was feeling very tense right now. Her emotions had stretched her resolve tonight. I was going to push her through this.

"Dina, we have discussed this. If you have to pee – and I know you do – then do so. I will sit here until you are finished. This isn't negotiable." I said firmly and didn't move from my position.

I watched her wiggle and sweat. She bit her lips and I could practically see words forming in her head. She suppressed them and the urge to argue each time. She made soft frustrated noises from behind her clenched teeth. I saw tears form in her eyes.

"Dina, I am growing impatient. You either relieve yourself or I'll punish you. And then I will bring you back here and you will end up using the toilet in front of me anyway. That is, if you don't wet yourself during your punishment." I watched her squirm again. "Just go. You will feel better."

She closed her eyes and dropped her head. I listened as the first drops hit the water. She stopped embarrassed, but quickly started again. I was always amused at how submissives seemed to prolong their humiliation unintentionally. If she'd just release in one attempt, it would take under a minute. Yet, instead we sat there for several minutes and she was slow to finish once she finally started. I watched as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Breaking her of the concept of privacy would be hard on her, but I would do it. She didn't let a sound escape her mouth. I didn't think she wanted to cry in front of me. I would allow that.

I gave her a moment. She didn't lift her head.

"Finished?" I asked. She nodded, silently.

"Can you uncuff me now?" She asked quietly. I heard her choke back a sob. Her voice was raw and pained.

"Why?" I fully admit that at this point I understood where she was coming from and what she needed to do. The sadist in me was enjoying the small torment I brought her.

"I need to… wipe."

"I'll handle it." I said calmly. Her eyes shot up. Terror spread through our bond.

"No!" she cried in a high-pitched voice. Her words were between a denial and a plea.

"I wasn't asking." I said as I turned to retrieve and wet a washcloth with warm water. I knew how hard I was making this for her so I would do it gently, giving her as much comfort as possible. I moved to kneel in front of her and she tried to pull away. She fought against the bar, but her legs remained wide apart. I ignored her. There were times when I would reprimand her and remind her who was in charge in an active manner. I would verbally castigate her. I would warn of punishments. I might even physically remind her of my control as I had before with small slaps, nips from my fangs, and other small amounts of pain that served more to remind her to behave than anything else. Other times I would simply ignore her and do as I pleased, as I was doing now. She understood I was in charge in these moments as I acted like she wasn't even there and her resistance meant nothing to the accomplishment of my goals.

She could no longer keep from crying. I listened to her cries and moved with her as she pulled away. I carefully washed her privates with the warm cloth. I lingered longer than what was necessary. I moved back to the sink and washed the cloth out with soap. I decided to end her torment. I wet another washcloth, this one a different color so she didn't think I was using the same one. I sat back in front of her and cupped her face. She didn't move as I wiped away her tears with, this time, a cool cloth. I gently pressed it to her forehead and then softly moved it over her temples and across her eyes. Her cheeks beneath her eyes were red, the skin irritated. I bloodied a finger with my fang and swabbed her skin with it. When I saw the skin heal, I wiped away the blood with the washcloth, which coincidentally was red.

"Shhh… It's over. There are no secrets and no shame between us."

I allowed her time to quiet herself. "We're going back to bed." I told her before lifting her up once more.

DPOV

If I had ever thought of the most humiliating thing I might ever have to do in my lifetime, this would not have been it. I would never have even imagined it! Not only had he watched me go but he… I let the tears fall freely but tried not to sob during the dozen or so steps from the bathroom back to the bed. He meant to have no privacy between us, he said. So far that seemed to mean that I would have no privacy. He had plenty. I respected his things, his places, his ways, but he was cutting everything that was me down into nothing. He didn't speak but he stroked my legs and backside in a very non-sexual manner, as if hoping to soothe me. I would accept his comfort. I needed it. Even as he humiliated me, I needed him. I loved him. His care of me was heartbreakingly sweet. By the time we reached the bed my tears had stopped for the most part and I had resolved to stop fighting against Eric when what we needed was to come together.

I don't know if I winced or moved funny as he set me back down on the bed, once again on my stomach, but suddenly he grabbed my right knee and bent down to examine it closer. "Dina!" he barked at me. "How badly does this hurt you?" Oh God, now what? He started unbuckling the spreader bar from that knee, and then the other one, which was an immediate relief to me, but now I had a decision. Would I tell him how truly bad it had felt for the past couple of hours? There had been a pressure point that had gotten progressively worse but I'd been stoic and let it hurt, not asking him to release me. I thought he'd be proud of me for my resilience. "And don't even think about trying to gloss over the truth!" he ordered. "I will know!"

Well, that made the decision. "It's not that bad Eric…" I started to say.

"How Long?" he demanded again, using his hand as a source of cooling on the area that actually felt pretty bad.

"I don't know, maybe a couple of hours?" I offered.

"Why did you not tell me how much it hurt you?" He demanded. He had suddenly changed from the loving, understanding Dominant who had held me in the bathroom just a few moments ago. I didn't understand what had caused the change. "You are bruised and swollen back here! You will explain why you said nothing. NOW!"

He bellowed the last, bending down to put his face right next to mine. It wasn't like I could go anywhere. "I'm sorry Eric!" I tried to appease him.

"You know how much your apologies are worth when damage has been done!" he ranted. "Now, give me a straight answer or face punishment."

With punishment on the line I wasn't about to skirt the issue. "I thought you would think I was whining!" I told him. "You've just gone on and on about resisting my bonds and embracing my restraints! I didn't want you to think I was trying to get out of them!" The fragile veil I'd made to cover my emotions tore down the middle, and everything came out again. It was too much for one night! This was just one more thing for him to lay on me after so much already!

He pulled me upright and into his embrace, setting me on his lap so I could wrap my legs around him. "Once again I fear you were not listening completely," he said softly, kissing my forehead and each of my eyelids. He cupped my jaw between his fingers and stared straight into my eyes. "Two hours ago? Is that when it changed from annoying discomfort to real pain?" I nodded, trying to pull from his grasp, but he wouldn't let me. "You must watch out for this, Dina!" he insisted. "And you must tell me when it hurts. I want this to be clear." THE VOICE had come out, so I'd better heed what he was about to say. "I do not always bind you with comfort in mind. At other times I do not mean to cause discomfort. It matters not. It will be uncomfortable, probably more than it will be comfortable. The difference is when that discomfort becomes a persistent pain, a repetitious hurt, where you feel like something is wrong! You absolutely MUST tell me when that happens!"

"But what if it's nothing? You'll punish me!" I still had a hard time saying that word, and I couldn't meet his eyes as I said it now.

"I won't punish you unless you do it persistently and make me feel like you are trying to get out of something. But I WILL always stop and check to make sure nothing is wrong. I might make an adjustment or I might leave things as they are. But we will both be assured that I did check and found nothing that would do serious damage. Do you understand why you must always tell me?" He forced my gaze back to his.

And I really did! His words were logical to me. He'd promised that he wouldn't punish me just out of spite for disturbing him. I would feel more safe from now on, something I knew would make him happy. I told him so. And then I went on. "Eric, may I ask you a favor?"

He kissed my forehead and rubbed my shoulders. "Of course. Anything!"

"Please, will you look at my wrists? They ache from hours in these metal handcuffs." I didn't know why he liked the metal ones so much except that they had no give and no means of escape to someone like me. He could immobilize me completely with metal and chains and I'm sure it was one of his favorite things to do to me.

He lifted me to sit on the bed in front of him and picked up my aching wrists. I could feel him tracing the grooves in my skin where the metal had bitten in. In some places there must have been open wounds, because I felt him put something wet there. His blood? But in the end he just laid me back down in the center of the bed, again on my stomach, and ordered me not to move. Then he left. When he came back, I saw that he had more cuffs and chains and groaned inwardly. What now?

He fastened a leather cuff to each ankle and pulled them out tightly toward the edge of the bed. They were so wide that my inner thigh muscles were starting to protest, but I was fine. Then, after that, he removed the metal cuffs, finally! I knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't leave my hands free, and he didn't. He pulled my arms out in front of me and put a pair of very soft cuffs into my hands, then he laid himself out on the bed next to me. "Touch them," he said. I did. The leather on the outside was buttery soft, like the finest leather jackets I'd ever seen. But the inside was also soft! They were lined with something very soft – a material I didn't recognize. It wasn't slippery; it had some nap to it. It was a beautiful jewel-bright purple. "Are these more to your liking?" I turned my head and kissed him on the cheek, smiling shyly and then blushing and giggling.

"What is it?" He wanted in on the joke.

"Never in my life did I think I would lie in bed with a lover asking if I liked a soft pair of handcuffs." I blushed more.

"Well then, let's be done with the asking and move to the trying!" he whispered conspiratorially. He snapped his fangs at me, winked, and put them on my wrists. They were very snug but not tight. After that, he pulled them out toward the headboard, stretching my arms very very tightly. By the time he was done, my ankles were stretched as wide as they could be stretched without pulling muscle, and the way my arms were stretched so tightly toward the headboard made it impossible to move. I loved it when Eric tied me this way! I really felt his dominance. Every muscle felt his dominance. Very soon, he would take what was his. I shivered.

Eric noticed my shiver. "Is that fear, or anticipation?" he asked with a devilish smile. He threw one leg casually over mine, ending up with his knee between my widespread thighs. He sensually brought his leg up, pressing hard against my backside and spreading the cheeks. My God, his legs were long! When his knee was fully bent he pointed his toes and skimmed them lightly between my nether lips and virgin hole. I tensed immediately, but he was able to soothe me by rubbing my back.

"A little of both, I think," I whispered to him, highly embarrassed with the thought that he could have pressed his big toe… there. I didn't want to think about it! I could feel my face flaming red hot and I tried to hide it from him between my arms and the pillow. But Eric wasn't going for that.

"Oh no!" he scolded me. "You will not hide from me tonight!" he ordered, taking a smaller pillow and placing it between my upper arms so my head rested higher and he could see my face. He rose above me and moved his body between my legs. I could feel the hard length of his cock, resting dangerously close to the new territory it wanted to conquer. It almost felt like a threat.

"Eric?" I squeeked in a small voice as I felt him take it in his hand and stroke it a few times. He held himself above me on his other forearm and leaned down.

"Shhhhh," he tried to soothe me, his lips burning a trail from my earlobe to my neck and then to my own, capturing them gently and sucking my lower lip between his teeth. As he deepened his kiss, I felt the head of his cock slide between my cheeks and press against the tight hole. I flinched and tried to move away, but he persisted. "Be still!" Even though he whispered it, it was still an order. "Trust me!" he continued to soothe and distract me with his lips and fangs until I was beginning to relax, kissing him back and biting his lips as he did mine.

Then I realized what he was doing. He was drawing moisture in the form of precum out of his cock. As the lubrication spilled forth, he began to gently work his fingers around the tiny opening until finally, he pushed in with his middle finger.

That was when all hell broke loose! The lull that he had so expertly relaxed me into disappeared and I tensed up, making frightened noises beneath his kisses. He immediately stopped everything that he was doing as I lay there, shaking. His body seemed to implode around me; he pressed himself closer down on top of me, the tip of his cock pressed even more intimately against my frightened little hole as the lube he'd been applying had warmed and made the area moister. He now slid easily between my spread cheeks like he was home, but of course didn't try to penetrate me. Yet. His forehead hit the mattress beside my bound arm and he turned to look at me, his eyes full of disappointment even though there was a determined set to his features.

He sighed. "Dina, if you continue to panic we will get nowhere at all." he scolded me softly. The bond told me that he was like a tightly coiled spring that, if sprung the wrong way, would result in disastrous consequences. "If you fight me when I continue, it will only hurt you. I want you to have as much pleasure from this as I will."

"I'm trying Eric!" I squeaked at him, ready to cry again. "You caught me off guard!"

He smirked. "Trust me, Dina, I have no plans to start saying 'I will take your ass now!' in the middle of everything!" He tried to laugh at that but I didn't echo the sentiment. Maybe I would need warning! Finally he told me "I want this to be good for both of us, but I begin to tire of your reluctance to even try. At some point, and that point is coming soon, my patience will wear out and I will not show you the care that I have been. If training you gently fails, we WILL do it the hard way. Understand?"

I stared at him, wide-eyed. He would do that to me? Yes, he would. I could see it and feel it. I was being a baby. I was thinking if I whined or failed enough times he would give up. That was not going to be the case, as I was slowly beginning to realize. I nodded silently at him.

"That is not good enough. Tell me. Speak to me, Dina."

"Yes, yes Eric, I understand." My voice was soft and frightened.

"What do you understand?" he demanded.

"If… If… If the training you are giving me doesn't work or if I won't cooperate, you'll…" I couldn't say it.

"What?" he was relentless.

"You will…" my voice dropped to a whisper. "You will take my… my virginity without trying to train or care for me any more."

"What do you think will happen if I do that?" he asked, his voice back to being gentle.

"It will hurt," I whispered. "I won't like it. But you'll do it anyway."

"It will not be my desire to hurt you, Little One, but yes, I will do it anyway." He held himself close to me for a long several seconds, his hands rubbing my shoulders, his body pressed close against my back. He leaned in, rubbing his cheek against my hair and his nose against mine. "Now," he whispered, "will you try harder? I want you to like this too."

When he put it that way, how could I tell him no? I mean, he made it perfectly clear that he was going to do what he wanted. I should be grateful for the fact that he was taking the time to ease me into it gently, and all I did was feel sorry for myself while fearing the inevitable. Even if I never, ever liked this, I would do it for Eric. "Yes, Eric," I said shyly, my face turning red.

He gave me a bright smile and kissed me soundly. That got my body all worked up and ready for his hands to go *almost* anywhere he pleased. He slid to his side of the bed and pulled something out of the drawer of his nightstand that I couldn't see. He messed with it for a minute before coming back to me. I opened my mouth to ask him what he was doing and he shoved in something fat and rubbery-tasting. He knew that I had a strong aversion to gags, and I instinctively spit it right back out. He sighed.

"Dina, did you not just tell me that you would try harder?" his voice contained more than a little bit of irritation at this point. "Answer. Out loud." He demanded.

"Yes, I did!" I said, confused.

"Then I will have to assume that your spitting this out was merely an accident, was it not?" He raised an eyebrow and stared at me.

He knew damn well that it hadn't been an accident, but I thought he was giving me an out. "No, no, Eric, I didn't do it on purpose." He nodded approvingly even though I'd just told him a bold-faced lie. I'd read him right!

"I need your help, Dina," he explained, holding the thing up for me to look at. It was weird-looking. It was in the shape of a fat, stubby little penis – nothing like Eric's – and in the opposite end from the head, I could see the end of a tube sticking out. There were straps on either side of it. He held it in front of my face. "Open!" he ordered, and I complied.

I didn't like it any better this time than I had the first time, but I didn't spit it out. It was hard to get a good grip on, and could slip out easily if I didn't pay attention. But then he made it easier for me, buckling the straps tightly behind my head and forcing the gag deeper into my mouth. I looked at him curiously, now unable to voice any question.

"Your help," he repeated. "I don't know if you noticed but there's a tube of lubrication in that little gag I just gave you. Your job is to suck on it. The harder you suck, the more lube will come out, and the more I'll give you. Pretend it is me." He winked and kissed my cheek, and I gave him a dirty look out of the sides of my eyes. Suck on a plastic cock for lube? He had to be kidding! I didn't do anything.

Eric began sliding himself between my parted ass cheeks, spreading them open with his strong hands. But pretty soon all of the moisture he had collected there was used up. He felt the end of the tube and it was dry.

"Okay," he said, "if that's the way you want it!"

He briefly slid his hand downward toward the hole that was aching for him, ran his fingers smoothly over the outer lips for a few seconds, then delved in between them for moisture. He had done nothing but hurt and humiliate me for the past half hour or so, and I wasn't very wet for him yet. He sighed again and his fingers brushed briefly over my clit, causing me to jump and moan. This made a little moisture happen, and he dipped his fingers barely inside of me and came back up to his target. Again, he massaged around it, making me squirm – it was so sensitive! Then he slowly, carefully moved his middle finger inside – dry! I didn't think he would persist, but he did.

"Mmmmpphhhh!" I screamed at him through the gag, which I would have spit out if the straps hadn't been holding it in place. The first hand continued its exploration of me, but my muscles didn't want to let him in. They were tight against him.

"Dina, relax! Let me in!" he ordered in his DOMINANT voice.

"Mmmmm-hnnnn!" was my refusal as I tried to squirm away from his hands.

"Do not try to evade me or there will be punishment for you!" he stated, and he moved the hand that had originally put the gag in my mouth back to spank me, hard, right in the cleft where my ass meets my thigh and everything starts to curve forward toward my pussy.. oh that would hurt when I walked! He did it again, and again, and at the end a few more times. I still protested. His finger finally forced its way past the tight ring at my entrance and was pushing its way in as Eric had done many times before, but this time it hurt! "You know what to do if you want lube!" he told me, his face close to my ear.

I got the message. He would do this with or without care for my comfort. I began to suck half-heartedly on the little penis, and a tiny drop of lube came out of the tip. Eric's finger immediately came up to retrieve it.

"Harder, Lover!" He encouraged me. "You can do much better than that, and it will make this feel good for you!"

I growled at him for once. He responded by pressing his finger deeper into me. I moaned in pain and began to suck harder, moving my tongue around trying to find the exact spot to press to release more lube. This was similar to the time he made me choke on his cock in an effort to lube him for my tired pussy. I sucked hard and as the lube was somehow pressed out, Eric reached up to catch it. I was surprised that it hurt when he pulled his finger out of me. I had hoped I would get released when he moved to lubricate it. Instead I almost choked on the stupid lube-gag in my mouth.

"Very good… come on, you'll want a little more than that."

I sucked harder at his encouragement. From where I was laying, I'd want a lot more. I thought about the pain thus far and moved to quickly empty more lube into his hands. My jaw ached.

"Alright, very good. I'm going to remove the gag. I want to hear you." I noticed the deviousness in his voice. I was happy when he pulled the terrible thing from my mouth. He set it on the nightstand. He moved to comfortably kneel between my legs. His wet fingers traced my hole.

"Remember to breathe." He chided. I breathed and tried to relax my noncompliant body. I was fearful. Both from the previous pain and the expectation of pain already thriving in my head. His finger gently pushed into me. It popped past the tight ring and I moved involuntarily.

"Your body wants to push OUT, we need to train your muscles and reflexes to allow me to get IN. This is similar to your gag reflex. You can control both. Believe it or not, pushing out will relax the muscles enough for me to penetrate. So, I need you to bear down and concentrate on opening yourself the way you do when we have sex."

I loved getting a biology lesson from my Bonded as he pushed his fingers into my butt, while I was tied to the bed. My night was just improving in leaps and bounds. After he worked in the first finger, I began to relax. I was surprised by a few things. Firstly, I really felt like I had to use the bathroom. I knew I was clean, but that was the urge I had. Secondly, his finger felt good after a while and enough lube. When he moved to the second finger, I felt some discomfort and the feeling that I had to 'go'. I concentrated on the urge to 'push' and tried to accept him. As with the first one, it felt nice after a few moments. I began to moan.

"Hmm, see I told you it would be enjoyable if you cooperated."

"Hmm… you did. It is." I mumbled. He chuckled.

I enjoyed the sensations and relaxed. I actually wondered if I could cum from this alone. I didn't think about that much longer however…

"I'm going to increase this now, Lover." I was surprised at his words and he must have felt it. "Remember the goal is to prepare you for… bigger and better things."

Oh dear, he thought he was a comedian. I wish he realized he laughed harder at his own jokes than anyone else did. I had no laughter in me about this.

Before I could think about the implications of his statement, I felt his fingers picking up the pace. It was nice, but was beginning to get rough and made me sore. I decided after a few moments I could deal with the discomfort. I'd had worse. But then he began to spread his fingers apart, effectively stretching me. I yelped and jerked my hips. He never lost pace as he thrust quickly into me, bent, unbent his fingers, and scissored them apart inside of me.

"Eric it doesn't feel good any more… it's not enjoyable!" I cried out to him.

"I know, Lover. It will get easier with time."

He kept going and I stopped relaxing. He fought past my resistance.

"It hurts –"

"Not as much as my cock would if I took you right now." He reminded me. I tried to force myself to be calm once more and lay still. "Arch your back for me, Lover!" he suddenly commanded. At first I didn't know what he was talking about, until he pressed his hand into the small of my back. I fought back the urge to moan in complaint and obeyed. This changed the way his fingers felt, the angle was more natural and it hurt less.

Everything inside of me was very sensitive and each finger as it was pressed in and out gave its own rush of sensation. I started to wonder again if I could come from this. "Eric?" I practically moaned his name.

He didn't stop what he was doing – his fingers kept fanning out and stretching me. "Yes, My Lover?" He punctuated that with a particularly deep thrust of his finger that hit a spot that set something off. I didn't think women had the same parts as men had in their butts that could make them orgasm from this. But I had to ask.

"Could I cum from this?"

"Are you asking permission, or is this a hypothetical question?" He sounded amused.

I sighed. "Knock it off, Eric, and just answer the question!" For that he punished me with a hard push into a place I hadn't felt him before, and I jerked with pain. But the pain quickly turned to pleasure.

"You have had a hard night so I will let that fly – once," he said in a hard voice. Silence reigned between us for a few moments. He didn't like the words 'I'm sorry,' so I didn't know what else to say. But then, his whole demeanor changed. "Do you want to find out?" he asked mischievously, and his touch also changed. Instead of deliberate stretching movements designed to make me bigger somehow, his fingers would push in to me and them blossom outward like flowers. Then Eric would turn his hand slowly and a new rush of sensations would follow.

"That… That does feel good," I moaned, arching my back more for him.

"Open yourself to me," he ordered softly, now that we seemed to be on the same page. "You know what I mean. When I take you, you push back and open everything wide for me. I wish for you to do that now."

I was in some kind of new space where all there was in the world was Eric's fingers and Eric's voice. I arched again and did as he said, opening everything wide, and felt a heavy throbbing in my core that had nothing to do with any part there being touched!

Eric kept going and I pushed my ass as high in the air as I could for him. It was hard with my restraints but I moved closer to him. I wanted these new sensations very badly. I noticed his pace slowed, but got a pleasant surprise – the tip of his cock began to rock back and forth, against my clit. I started to moan, squeal, and whimper for him.

"Ahh…Eric! Eric!" I screamed as I came for him. My orgasm made my whole body explode. Before the aftershocks stopped, I felt his cock sliding into my very wet pussy. His fingers slowly withdrew from my back entrance. His thrusts were hard and purposeful. I managed to get in one more small orgasm before he finished.

I laid there, panting. I think He exhausted my body. My butt and cunt were tingling with the after effects. I let my body relax, every single muscle. I loved the feelings I was still having from the pleasure he had given me. I couldn't help it. I had to say it. "Thank you, Eric," I breathed.

I briefly wondered if I would fall asleep. I assumed he'd wake me since we normally stayed up until dawn. I got my answer as his fingers began to rub a thick amount of lube on my hole. I felt his fingers again penetrating me. They slid in easier this time. I was loosened and I think the orgasm relaxed my sphincter. Funny, an orgasm usually tightened my vagina. He moved his fingers away and I felt the bed shift. I figured he was getting more lube or putting it away. Next I felt something at my entrance. It wasn't his fingers or his cock, it was very hard and pressing into me.

"Eric?" I tried to look back.

"Our fun is just starting. Be still. You know how to relax your muscles now."

"What is that?" Gosh, had he ever thought a girl would want to know what was about to go inside of her?

"I actually hadn't planned on introducing something like this so soon, but in light of the conversation we had earlier…" He stopped talking, leaving me to think back and try to guess what he was talking about.

EPOV

I knew she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about, but she would soon enough. Right about the time she felt that I had changed the lubrication we were using. I had been able to keep them in check so far, but now that I was about to reveal my real mood, my fangs clicked into place. She heard them.

"Eric?"

I truly didn't need more words from her to know that she was getting anxious again. Her hips began to move restlessly as the new lube took effect. It was the type that provided a tingling sensation, but no heat. I liked to describe the feeling as having one of Dina's bubbly "pop" drinks poured over your skin as you felt moisture and the popping of the bubbles at the same time. But the bubbly sensation would be more intense the more I applied, and I had used a lot. She accepted the intrusion of the new butt plug I had gotten out to play with inside that outer tiny rosebud with surprising ease. But as I pushed it up against the second barrier she jerked her hips violently, trying to dislodge it. I still hadn't said anything to explain why my fangs had made an appearance and could feel that making her more nervous.

"What is that? It hurts, Eric! Take it out, please!" I didn't have to look at her face to know that her tears were flowing again. I sat between her widespread thighs, "indian-style," and set my hand heavily down on her lower back. At the same time I was able to use my knees to press down on her thighs, holding her still. She continued to try to jerk her hips around but was only able to effect a little bit of squirming.

"Do you remember a while ago?" I began, sure she was listening for an explanation of this new "torture" I was inflicting on her. "You told me that I was all up your ass. Well, I wasn't then, but I am now, wouldn't you say?" My voice was relatively calm but I let slip some of the resentment I felt about her refusal to completely give up some of her past lovers. I wasn't ready to slide the plug in to the hilt – that was coming – but I did maneuver it around and put some pressure on the barrier that she didn't yet understand how to open for me.

"You're upset about that?" she said, startled.

"Not upset, no," I replied calmly. "More like disappointed. I really thought my feelings meant more to you than that."

She surprised me then with quite a bit of backbone. "I refuse to discuss this with you again, Eric, with you threatening to shove God-knows-what up my ass as a punishment!"

"This?" I asked, giving the plug an even harder twist as I pushed it slightly inward. "I am not threatening you with this. It is going in – that is not a threat. Nor is it a punishment. We are simply progressing toward your being able to take my cock here." Then I remembered that she'd already sassed me once. "I told you that I would allow your attitude once. However, that was twice. Speak civilly to me or there will be punishment!" Her eyes closed and she buried her head under arms and pillows. I had tied her into an extremely physically vulnerable position so it was natural, I guess, to want to try to regain some ground from me verbally. Too bad for her that I wasn't going to allow it. Then I thought I'd up the ante. "Besides, this little plug is nothing. I am easily twice its length and in girth, well you probably don't want to know." I was sure the thing felt huge to her right about now. I enjoyed the little shiver that went through her body after that comment. She knew that I was telling the truth.

The plug actually was a punishment, of sorts, for her comment about me being up her ass. But it was also useful in her training, even if I was using it sooner than I had intended. Before her body had gone completely cold from her climax, I wanted to have it inside of her. I never wanted her to be afraid of anal sex or think of it in a negative fashion, so I gentled my tone. "This is a new lube that adds some stimulation. It does not heat up but I thought it would help you to feel your muscles working as we do this." My hand on her back became a caress. She was listening closely to me even though I still couldn't see her face. "Remember, I want you to push out as I push in. Everything inside here has been cleaned out today; you know that. You will not make a mess."

"But it still hurts!" she told me.

"I know it is uncomfortable, Dina, but it is not hurting you. The tingling goes away after a few minutes. It will not burn you inside and it washes out with water." I tried to reassure her but I was getting impatient. It was becoming difficult to hide my impatience and I'd been hiding my general agitation all evening. "I'm going to push in now, and I want you to push out. This will open you up and it will slide in. I am going to add more lube." I had a smooth, thin "syringe" of sorts – no needle – full of the lubricant I was using. I was easily able to slide it in next to the plug and emptied it inside of her.

She cried out! "That's making it worse!"

"No, this will make it better, I promise." The tingling that felt so harsh to her now would mellow to a low stimulating feeling that would keep the skin sensitive. She would feel every move the plug made inside of her a bit more intensely than without this particular lube, but that was what I wanted. I would ask her to journal about it. "Now, as I said, bear down, push out! Now!" I began moving the plug in a circular direction as I felt her struggle to do as I asked.

"It isn't working!" she cried out.

In fact, it was working. "Just keep doing what you're doing. Don't tense up. Push outward to open yourself, as you did for me before. Arch your back again if it helps." She whimpered and moaned but I could tell she was trying, and suddenly her inner muscles gave way. I was pushing in fairly hard and backed off quickly so I didn't hurt her. I slid it in as far as I could without losing hold of the end, and she tried to squirm away from me again. I had to laugh. "Dina, you can't squirm away from it. It is buried in you! How does it feel?"

"Just give me a minute here!" she spoke through gritted teeth, obviously trying to come to terms with this new sensation. I reached beneath her with my free hand and applied some of the stimulating lube to her clit directly, going beneath the hood. Again she tried to jerk away but I held her still. "Oh, my God!" she began to moan and cry out. My fingers were full of the lube so I took a few seconds to rub it in to her sensitive skin, her outer and inner lips, and then inside. "Eric, stop that!" she moaned breathlessly.

"You want me to stop?" I repeated, stopping all my movements. This earned an even louder moan form her.

"No! Ohmigod – yes! No! I don't know just…." She continued to squirm as much as I would let her. I understood what she wanted. I fanned out my fingers, moving them downward from her thoroughly plugged hole, across her wide-open nether lips, and centered my attention on her clit. It only took me a few circles around with a gentle finger before she was screaming with her climax. "Eric, Eric!" she whimpered at me, trembling.

Maybe she thought I would let her rest now, but I had a point to make. With my fangs still out, I kissed, nipped, scratched, bit, and licked my way up her back to her shoulders and neck, covering her body with mine and leaving small wounds to bleed in my wake. The smell of the blood was like an aphrodisiac to me. If my fangs could have grown any longer at that moment, they would have. As I swept her hair to the side, she pulled her face out from under her pillow and smiled her sexy smile at me, the one that was reserved for me alone. I smiled back, and made a show of licking my first two fingers clean before biting the tips of both and thrusting them into her mouth. She took them and sucked them deep like she was working on my cock. Then without warning I struck at her neck, thrusting my cock hard into her at the same time. Her answering moan was not one of terror, but one of ecstasy.

I didn't move inside of her as I took her blood. This was a pure moment of primal claiming and taking for me. My fangs were in her neck, my blood was going down her throat, my cock was in her pussy, and my plug was in her ass. I enjoyed the sensation of the stimulating lube. It made me growl and push in to her harder. I held on to her tighter than I needed to, growling deep within my chest. This was one area where I did enjoy her full trust. She lay, relaxed, beneath me, making soft sounds of desire and contentment. If she could have, she would have held me tightly to her. I breathed in her essence, my face surrounded by her hair and her soft skin. This was home for me. This was mine. She was mine.

Once again there was the urge to turn her, now, to take all of her blood inside of me and replace it with my own. She would truly be mine then, forever. I would have more dominion over her than I did now and she would have to obey my maker's command as well as accept my will as her Bonded and Dominant. The thought of the day when that would be true caused my cock to swell inside of her and I had to move. I pushed deep, withdrew a little, and did it again. I wanted more of myself inside of her but I was already giving her everything I physically could at that moment. I sent my lust and possessive feelings at her through the bond and she responded with love. For all the bickering we had done this evening, in a moment when she couldn't speak, the message she sent was her love. She was truly amazing!

I withdrew my fangs and healed the wound I'd made. When I caught her eyes she blinked at me, her eyes full of the same message the bond had sent, and smiled around my fingers. The wounds had closed but she still held them deep within her mouth, sucking and licking like they were the best treat imaginable. I pulled them out slowly and kissed her, sharing more blood in the process. I felt the power of our bond between us and knew we were operating on the same frequency. It made me feel powerful, especially having just shared our blood and being buried deep inside of her. But that would belie the words I was about to say.

"Dina, I feel a disconnect between us and it distresses me," I began, moving my hips back and forth to make sure she felt me within her as I spoke.

"A what?" she started to say. I covered her lips with a finger.

"I want you to tell me," and I pushed deep within her, "who you belong to." I looked at her fiercely while her eyes reflected confusion.

"You, of course," she whispered.

"What did you give to me when you agreed to this relationship?"

"I gave you my love," she said.

"What else?" I could tell she still didn't understand what I wanted from her.

"My, my body?" I nodded approvingly and waited. She knew there was more. "My soul, until I go to God." She whispered, looking down. She wasn't entirely comfortable with that one yet, I knew. She didn't know I would never let her "go to God."

I was encouraging. "Yes, there is more."

She nodded. "My life is in your hands. You have everything, Eric. What are you getting at?"

"Yes, everything, but there is one more word. What is it?" I couldn't remain still within her any more and I pulled back and pushed deep a few more times until I had myself under control. We needed to be this close for me to make my point.

She was genuinely at a loss, and had to search for the word I wanted. Finally, she found it. "My.. will?" she asked me.

"Yes, my Dina. You gave me your life. Your heart. Your mind. Your body. Your will. Did you lie to me when you gave me those things?

"No!" she protested, starting to squirm uncomfortably beneath my close scrutiny. I held her still. She was going nowhere and we were doing this on my terms.

"There is no backing out on those promises, you know. I will hold you to them."

"I know you will! Eric, what are you getting at?" She asked a second time.

I could feel her intent through our bond. She meant what she said and had no intention of backing away. But there were too many times, like tonight, when she argued or questioned what she should not.

"I want no misunderstandings between us. You are mine, Dina. Mine. Every part of you is mine. I do this," I grabbed the end of the plug I had stuffed her with and rotated it, causing her to jump and moan a bit painfully, "because your ass is mine to do with as I please. Is it not?"

"Yes!" she gasped while I rotated the plug some more. I knew it was uncomfortable because it was her first time. I was making a point.

"Are you saying this because you want me to stop moving it, maybe take it out?"

She looked down and I felt her uncertainty. She had more to say than yes or no.

"Tell me!" I ordered.

"I- I'm not sure I like it Eric." She blushed and my cock jumped. I loved it when I made her blush. "I do wish you'd stop moving it. I do wish you'd take it out. But I know you won't. And I know you won't because I am yours. My – that part of me is yours." She wouldn't look at me. I thought about making her tell me exactly what part was mine, but I decided to be easy on her.

"Who does this belong to?" I thrust into her again, deeply, and she knew I was talking about her pussy.

She blushed again. "Yours Eric."

I put my hand around her throat and squeezed lightly. "This?" This was where I bit her most of the time.

"Yours."

My hand strayed beneath her and plucked at one of her nipples. "How about these?"

"Yours Eric." She was so embarrassed now that she wouldn't even open her eyes.

"We had several disagreements this evening. What was the result of each?"

It took her a few seconds to put together a sentence. "We did what you wanted."

"Even when I compromised, I had the final word. Why was that?"

"Because you are…" she hesitated.

"I am what?"

I thought she wasn't going to answer, she was silent for so long. Just as I was about to reprimand her for refusing to answer, she whispered. "Master."

"You have all the right answers, little one. Now we shall see how you follow through in the future." I finally let my agitation show in my voice.

"Eric I…" she started to say.

"Be silent!" I hissed at her. "Think of my words. You will journal about this tomorrow!" I could feel how stunned she was at my words through our bond, but she obeyed me. I couldn't hold back any longer. "I claim you, my Dina. You are mine!" I growled into her hear and then I let loose. I fucked her hard, deep, without mercy. I could feel the plug filling up her other hole and it was a whole new set of sensations for me. I could only imagine how it felt for her. "Mine!" I growled again, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her head back. She had her eyes closed and her face was expressionless, but then she opened her mouth and moaned my name, and I felt her inner walls convulse around me. She bared her teeth and sucked in her breath, riding it out. Selfishly I wanted to bite her again but held myself back from that. I continued to pound into her until my cock swelled and I expelled my seed into her hard and deep. I growled again and continued to pump until there were no more shocks left to ride out. Then I collapsed atop her, barely able to hold myself on my forearms. She was silent, unmoving. I had just fucked her angrily, something I'd never done before. Perhaps she was afraid to move, waiting to see what I would do next.

I had lectured and fucked the madness away. I reached up to loosen the cuffs on her wrists and she moved her arms slowly, rubbing each wrist. When I disconnected from her, the sensation of me sliding out made us both sigh with regret. We both loved the feeling of me buried deep inside her, unmoving, after satisfying our lust for each other. At Vampire speed I removed the cuffs at her ankles and returned to the bed after only seconds. I gathered her into my arms, half expecting her to reject me. She didn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly.

"Did I hurt you?" I whispered, half afraid of the answer.

"Not physically," she replied. I admired her tenacity in being able to answer honestly after the way I'd just acted. "Eric?" She was brushing the hair out of my eyes with her hands and looking up at my face.

"Yes?" I kissed her fingertips as they brushed by.

"You're angry with me?"

"Was. Not any more." I'd gotten it out of my system.

"You waited all night and let it build up. Couldn't we just talk about it?"

"There was so much to do…" Even I knew this was a lousy excuse, even though we had been busy.

"And you kept me tied up all night!" She looked accusingly at me.

"For a purpose," I reiterated from earlier.

"How can I come to you, hold you, make you feel better if I can't move around?" She asked me. "Don't you like my touch any more?"

"We will figure something out," I told her, knowing that I was going to keep her restrained a lot more in the future until she was able to settle better into our relationship. "Here, let me help you with that," I insisted, seeing that she was trying to rub her own back to get rid of the stiffness my restraints had caused. I put her on to her stomach and proceeded to work on her shoulders, arms, back, thighs, and calves. She sighed with contentment.

"Eric you are so good with your hands!" In response, I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Stay there," I told her, getting up and leaving the bed. She sighed as she watched me get into the "toy closet." She probably knew that every time I got in there it was for some kind of restraint. This time was no exception. I came back with a long chain and a couple of locks. I measured off the distance between her side of the bed and the washroom, but not all the way to the shower. I made the chain about that long and attached one end to an eye bolt in the baseboard next to the bed. Then I sat down to explain. "I made a decision tonight. This won't be permanent, but I am going to restrict your movements while I rest. You'll be chained by your ankle; you'll be able to go far enough to take care of your human needs and to sit at the table there and journal. I'm also bringing your laptop in here. You won't be able to shower or eat a full meal until I am with you. Do you understand why I feel the need to do this?"

"You don't trust me?" she asked, staring in horror at the chain I was holding. "Eric, I don't understand. Is this a punishment for something?"

"It has nothing to do with trust!" I stated firmly, shaking my head. "I have no reason not to trust you." And, if she did or got into anything she shouldn't, I would know immediately. "Punishment, no, but you may feel like it is. You are thinking too much outside of our relationship. You need to look to me for everything you need, and you need to settle in. I will keep you busy while I can't be with you and we will work on your training while I can. Now, come here." I wanted to attach the chain to her ankle, but she didn't move.

"Don't I have a say in this at all?" she demanded, upset.

There it was again. She was questioning me instead of obeying me. "I guess you do," I said smoothly. "You can have the chain on your ankle or be tied to the bed with a bedpan. Take your pick." If she fought me on this, I would tie her to the bed and she wouldn't move at all until I woke. A day of two of that might make her more agreeable to this.

She looked at me in horror for a few seconds, then she sighed and her shoulders slumped. "This is killing my self-esteem, you know?" She scooted to me and allowed me to attach the chain to her ankle. It was lightweight but strong, and the cuff was soft. It wasn't meant to be uncomfortable or cumbersome.

"Dawn is coming fast, or we would discuss that now," I told her. "Given that fact, I want you to write it in your journal. Hurting your self-esteem is not my goal here. What can I bring in here as a snack for you during the day?"

"Um, there are some granola bars in the pantry, and a couple bananas I need to eat."

I nodded and went out to the other room to collect the things she needed. I set up the laptop to show her some specific information the next time she used it, and then I climbed back in to bed. "Come on, let me hold you before we both pass out." I had an ulterior motive for chaining her to the bed. I had loved to find her there with me, warm, soft, and naked, that evening when I woke. I wanted to experience that every night. But it was not my only reason for what I was doing. She truly did need to become more grounded in our relationship. Holding her as close to my side as possible as much as possible would accomplish that, I hoped. It could have the opposite effect. If it did, I would take other measures. But for now, I would keep her close.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked me. I looked at her curiously. She had lain back down on her stomach and pointed at her backside. "This… thing?"

"No."

"You're leaving it in there?" Barely recovered from the upset of the chain, she looked stricken.

"I am." I was trying to soothe her with my calmness, sending it through the bond as well. I reached out to her and she looked at me like I was crazy. I used my Vampire speed to move forward and haul her into my arms, bringing her back to the center of the bed with me and pulling the covers over both of us. She struggled but only halfheartedly. She knew she was no match for my strength. She started to cry.

"This is overwhelming Eric! I don't know how to feel!" I pulled her close and she let me. I cursed the dawn that I felt rapidly approaching. I wouldn't be able to make this right before it pulled me under.

"Let it out," I soothed her, rubbing her back. "I am here but dawn will force me to sleep soon. I am not leaving you on purpose."

"I know Eric. That isn't your fault," she sobbed into my chest. I could read what she didn't say. The dawn wasn't my fault. The fact that she was upset was.

"It is not punishment," I repeated. "It is another step in your training, to help you give that part of yourself to me when you are ready."

"Who decides when I am ready?"

That was the last thing I heard before dawn forced me into my daytime slumber.

Dina POV

I don't know how long I laid there and cried, clinging to Eric desperately. He was my lifeline and I needed him to explain all of this to me. But he couldn't, because he was a Vampire. Dawn had come and he was, quite literally, dead to me for the next 12 hours or so. He had wrapped his entire body around me before He went to sleep. Now his limbs formed a cage around me, a cage that I did not want to escape. I tried to force all of the negative thoughts out of my mind so I could relax and hopefully go to sleep. Like a miracle, somehow a calm and soothing feeling flowed through the bond from Eric. It was just like last night, when he had sent me happy feelings right before he woke. There was still some consciousness in him. I told him that I loved him and I was sorry to be such a pain in the ass. Then a new thought occurred to me. My ass! How was I supposed to sit and write in my journal or type on the computer with this thing shoved up my ass? Somehow, Eric knew what I was fretting about, because I caught a feeling of sadistic glee coming from him through the bond. "You are such a rat sometimes, Eric!" The sadistic glee turned into dominant possession. I sighed. There was nothing I could do about it, so I might as well stop thinking. After a little while, with Eric somehow still sending me soothing feelings, I was able to go to sleep.