Hello! As always thank you so much to all the readers that are still with me. Especially to all of you who alerted, favorite and reviewed. I think the story is about halfway done, it's hard to tell since sometimes the words take a life of their own and a lot more is said than initially intended. This chapter is one of my favorites so far and one of the most difficult to write, hence taking a little longer to finish it. That said, it is a somewhat sad chapter, I hope you bear with me, Seth's story is in no form or shape a happy one but there is a lot more behind it than meets the eye.
I want to thank BlueAnchor for her/his wonderful reviews in this story and IWCY. I really appreciate you taking the time to notify the readers that IWCY had been adopted, you rule!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight
Chapter 16
Jacob walked a few steps ahead of Seth as they climbed up the steps, the old rickety porch creaking under their weight. The submissive turned to look around while wondering how long ago the village had been left deserted. Jacob jiggled the doorknob which just as he suspected was unlocked and he pushed the door open.
"Seth don't come in just yet, stay here." Jacob walked in scenting the air and looking for any evidence of Seth's family having perished in the flood. The last thing his slave needed to mess up his head even further was to find the shriveled dead bodies of his family.
Inside the house the air was stale, the dust particles floating in the air as Jacob disturbed them. The mud that most probably was left behind after the waters receded had hardened forming a thick crust on the checking the house he came back out to find his submissive in exactly the same spot he left him. He knew his submissive was extremely obedient but watching him stay still as a statue waiting for his master's instructions confirmed that fact. "You can come in now."
"They're not in there right?" Asked Seth, hesitance and worry in his tone. He guessed his master went ahead of him to make sure he wouldn't have to confront the bodies of his family. His master had been acting differently but he still wondered when he would revert to his usual abusive self; he prayed it would never happen but his prayers had never been answered before, why would they start now?
"No, I checked every room in the house; I think they have been gone for a long time. Probably before the flood happened." Jacob had no way to be sure but he wanted to put his submissive's mind at ease.
Seth walked inside his nose crinkling at the smell that permeated in the room, a combination of dust, humidity and rotting wood. Jacob tried to pry open a window but the years had sealed it in place. Instead he opened the back door to at least get some cross ventilation. The living room was spacious, the floor mated from the years and the dust, the curtains yellowed and the sparse modern furniture rotting on its spot.
A small smile crept up on Seth's lips as the memories of his childhood flooded his mind. Looking at the old sofa he remembered how his sister used to chase him all over the house and he tried to hide behind the sofa. He should've known better than to try to hide from a she-wolf, Leah found him every time. She made him pay by tickling him until tears ran down his face and he begged for mercy. He loved those times with his sister, when their parents would leave to go play cards with friends or to some dinner party. Invariably Seth was never allowed to attend and Leah always made excuses so she could stay with him. Seth heard her use of the word cramps so many times that one day he just came out and asked her. That day she explained all the wonders of the female reproductive system. He was grossed out for a week.
Jacob looked around the room, noticing the shadows on the spots on the walls where at one point a frame hung and all that remained was a rectangular shadow. "Seth I'm certain they left before the flood, look." He said pointing at the walls. "If they had to leave in a hurry they wouldn't have time to take down whatever was hanging here."
"You're right master, they took my mother's paintings." Jacob arched a perfect eyebrow and looked questioningly at Seth. "My mother was very talented; she would make my sister pose for hours telling her a million times to stay still so she could capture her beauty."
"Wow I would've loved to see a painting of you as a child." Without the technology or materials for developing pictures over the years all cameras became obsolete and were left collecting dust in closets and cabinets. Nobody really cared anyway; there were too many more important things to worry about.
"There were none." Stated Seth sadly.
"What do you mean? Why not?" Asked Jacob perplexed.
"My mom never wanted to paint me, I asked her once and she slapped me, so I never asked again." Seth's words were laced with pain. Jacob pondered just how long his slave had been suffering. He was afraid it had been way longer than the fifteen years since he phased for the first time. Jacob's mind was overflowing with questions but he was afraid he would not like any of the answers he would hear.
"Slave, what is your name?" Jacob's question took Seth by surprise, he thought that if his master was going to ask him something it would've been related to the paintings but instead surprised him by going a completely different way.
The slave had to think quickly, trying to determine what would be the best answer; he decided to respond the safest way he knew possible. "It's Seth Black, master."
"Black?" Questioned Jacob.
"Yes master you own me and slaves take the name of their owners." Explained Seth, for somebody of Jacob's stature he was pretty ignorant of the simplest facts. Then again, he was never interested in learning anything about his submissives. All he wanted to know was when he would get a new one after killing the current one.
"Well I knew that." He lied "I meant your family name." Seth had to stop and think before answering. It had been so long since he had heard that name that he was surprised he even remembered it. At first slaves didn't even have a surname, they were stripped of their family name at the same time everything else was taken from them. But with time the need to have better control over the submissives made them decide to assign them the name of their owners.
"Clearwater" He answered absentmindedly. "Seth Clearwater, master" The submissive mumbled the name to himself for no reason at all.
The pair continued exploring the house, arriving at the ample kitchen with white cabinets that were falling apart falling victim to the termites. Seth looked around until his eyes stopped on the most insignificant item in the whole room. Approaching the wall adjacent to the broom closet the submissive shivered when his index finger inched towards a small nail on the wall. It was like he was almost afraid of touching it, like it could burn him or give him an electric shock. He had to inhale sharply when his finger rested on the rusted piece of metal.
Jacob was curious about Seth's odd behavior and standing beside the slave searched his face looking for answers. The eyes of the submissive were transfixed on the nail, the moisture increasing slowly until it started spilling from the corners of his eyes. "What's wrong Seth?" Whispered Jacob.
Seth woke up from his trance like state, his eyes darting away from his master as he tried fruitlessly to conceal his tears. Jacob wouldn't have any of that, when he asked a question he expected an answer immediately. Gently resting the back of his hand on the submissive's cheek Jacob made him turn his head towards him. "I asked what's wrong submissive. What hung on that nail? " Jacob asked sternly.
"My father's belt." Seth's voice broke drowned by a sob. He breathed deeply to calm himself before continuing. "You see, my father used to beat me with it and lock me in this closet."
"Why did he do that?" Jacob's heart was pounding so hard he felt it in his ears. It was sputtering trying to come back to life after so many years dead.
"He didn't need a reason, he just hated me too much. I'm sure that if he knew I was still alive he would hate me even more." Jacob surrounded the slave's slim body with his strong arms and pulled his head so it would rest on his chest. The master kissed the top of the submissive's head trying to comfort him.
"Why do you say he hated you?" Jacob hated having to ask so many questions, he had no patience for this. He had no other choice since Seth didn't know how to just provide information; he just knew how to answer questions. Years of slavery had erased the basic skills he once possessed.
"Because I am weak." At the mere use of those words Jacob stiffened on his spot and he felt his heart quicken, but he encouraged Seth to continue. "My parents used to say that the happiest day of their lives was when my sister was born. They had been together since before the pandemic and it took them many years to settle down and for my mom to become pregnant." Female shifters were able to conceive but it was not always easy, many only had one child if any.
"After my sister was born my father saw how his standing in the community improved. He was given a promotion at his job and was even asked to sit at the council meetings. My father took full advantage of the fact that the members of the council that had sons were pinning to arrange a marriage between their sons and my sister. My mother jumped on Leah's train and became some sort of socialite. Every night they were invited to somebody's house and everybody in town lavished my sister with compliments and presents. When my mother got pregnant with me my father couldn't believe it, he struck gold. Another daughter meant that his future as a very rich and powerful man was sealed. His friends doted him with praise seeing that he was the only man in our village to father a second child. He was asked to be a member of the council which he proudly accepted. Imagine his disappointment when I was born instead. For days he couldn't bring himself to even look at me. You may be asking yourself how I know this; easy, he told me every chance he got." Seth started shaking slightly and Jacob held him tighter, afraid that if he didn't his submissive would crumble onto the floor.
"After one week he gathered some courage and went up to the room to see me. Right then and there he knew he hated me. He at least hoped that I would be a soldier, bringing pride and honor to the family. But he was in for a rude awakening; I was the smallest baby he had ever seen. My mother tried to convince him I was premature and that I would grow big and strong but that never happened and with every birthday his dream of becoming the most influential person in our town evaporated. At first my mother fought for me but after a while her friend's comments and my father's venom ate at her and she came to detest me too." Jacob rubbed Seth's back making small circles with the tip of his fingers while rocking his slave in his arms.
"My mother stopped taking care of me and that's when Leah stepped in. Once I turned four years old I was no longer allowed at the dinner table and was fed table scraps. My sister would sneak food to my room while my parents slept; she had to wait until they were sound asleep so they wouldn't catch her. I stayed up waiting for her, my stomach grumbling. It's funny; they still dressed me nicely and sent me to school every day. They needed to keep appearances and were admired by the townspeople for being such loving parents. Behind closed doors the story was very different. He would punish me for any little thing, his belt found my back more times than I care to remember." Jacob felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water on him. He stood beside his slave judging Seth's father for the same things he had done many times and probably even worse. He was not better than Harold Clearwater, they were both monsters. Seth left his childhood behind many years before but he was still the little boy with a tear streaked face that scurried to a corner when he saw his father approach, the only difference was that it was not his father who approached him anymore, it was Jacob.
Seth moved away from his master and sat on the step that led from the back door to the yard. Jacob went after him sitting down on the floor of the kitchen since his massive body wouldn't fit on the step next to the slave. Seth's gaze was lost among the pine trees that lined the back yard. Jacob remained quiet not wanting to disturb the submissive's thoughts. After some time Seth sighed deeply and continued. "As the years passed I became the servant, I used to joke that I was Cinderella. I was not allowed to have any friends, there were not many kids in our village but they all bullied me, calling me bastard. Apparently somebody had started a rumor that I was a bastard. My father not wanting to send my mother and me away accepted me here and was raising me as his own flesh and blood. It was a win-win situation for my father, he didn't have to deal with the shame of fathering a potential submissive and people's admiration towards him grew exponentially. I'm sure he started that rumor himself." Seth scoffed at that particular idea.
"My routine was strict and I had to follow it to a T. I got up at five in the morning to make breakfast, make the beds, iron my father's and my sister's clothes and do the dishes before going to school. I came back directly from school, my mom used to time me and if I was late I would pay. I spent the afternoon cleaning and cooking before attempting to do my homework that many nights went unfinished since I would invariably collapse from sheer exhaustion. Luckily there was an elf that would come to my room and do my homework every night. Leah would pack my bag and when I got up in the morning everything was ready."
"And nobody suspected you were being abused?" Asked Jacob, concern and shame eating him inside slowly.
"If anybody did they didn't say anything; my parents were really careful about not bruising me in areas that were too visible and they told me that if I said anything they would kill Leah. I was a pup and I believed them. Now I know that they would've cut off their right hand before causing any harm to come to my sister. They manipulated me shamelessly using my love for my sister to keep me quiet.
Seth's heartache was immense, it was one thing to be hated by strangers but to be abused by the people who were supposed to unconditionally love and take care of him was something he would never understand. He didn't want to say he hated his parents but he did, he hated them even more than any dominant that had ever taken advantage of him. After all, the dominants had no reason to care for him, to them he was nothing more than an animal, but his mother and father… he would never forgive them. "Master, can I go find my box?"
"Sure, let's go." Jacob stood up and extended his hand to Seth to help him stand up as well. Seth took it hesitantly letting go the second he was upright. Out of habit the master walked before his slave even though he had no idea where he was supposed to go, Seth followed him silently.
Once on top of the stairs Jacob looked back towards Seth. "Which one is your room? After what you told me I have an idea which one is it."
"My room is the last one. The biggest one was my parent's room. Leah's used to be two rooms but my father hired some workers to knock down a wall and give her a room almost as big as theirs. Mine is the smallest one."
"That was my guess, but Seth that room is only a little bigger than a closet."
"My father said that I was so small that even a rat hole would suffice."
"Bastard" Mumbled Jacob under his breath.
Seth opened the door to what used to be Leah's room, he was surprised to see that all her furniture was still intact and they seemed to have only taken the clothes and some other items. The submissive took the desk chair and after opening the closet door and turning on the light he set the chair just inside the small space and climbed on it. His father had done something right when he opted for that house, even after so many years the geothermal energy producing system worked as well as the first day. Jacob stood right beside the chair, worry attacking him when Seth climbed on the upper shelf and half his body disappeared over it.
"It's here!" Exclaimed Seth excitedly, his master had never heard him so happy about anything and realized that a small smile crept up his lips at the joy in Seth's voice. "Actually there are two boxes."
The submissive dragged the first box from the crawl space over the closet and handed it to his master who placed it on the floor. He went back up to get the second box and repeated the process. He opened the blue box that he knew contained his treasures. Taking a peek inside Jacob felt great tenderness towards the boy in front of him. It was like Seth transformed into a child before his very eyes. It was not that difficult to picture him since he looked so young, but it went beyond his appearance. It appeared as his youthful innocence was restored if by only a moment. The submissive reached in and smiled broadly when he saw the small stuffed doggy, it was the cutest yellow lab with a brown button nose and brown eyes. Seth rubbed his face on it, the soft material bringing back memories of the soothing sensation he felt every time he hugged his little dog. He had to keep it hidden so his parents wouldn't throw it away. He ripped a small hole on his old beat up pillow and would squeeze it between the material before going to sleep. Seth couldn't believe that Leah saved it for him; well he did believe it, after all she knew how much he loved his only toy.
"Look master this is Cookie." Forgetting the usual protocol Seth addressed his master without any worry, holding the toy up for his master to see. "I named him that because I loved cookies, actually I still do." Seth realized that his eagerness could get him in a lot of trouble and he toned down his excitement.
"This was your favorite toy?" Asked Jacob oddly interested in everything regarding to Seth.
"No, this was my only toy. Leah gave it to me on my third birthday." Jacob didn't utter one word, he couldn't. So many times he had complained about his childhood being cut short by the war. He felt a deep and intense shame, knowing that he at least he had a childhood and loving parents that did everything in their power so he would be happy. On the other hand Seth had neither, it seemed like he only came to this earth to suffer.
Jacob wanted to reach in the box and bring out more items but decided against that. This was Seth's world and he wouldn't dare contaminate it. Almost like he was reading his master's mind Seth reached in and grabbed the smallest baby outfit Jacob had ever seen. The blue pants and cream shirt with duckies on it was something that he would expect to see on a doll. "This was one of my first outfits; I was really tiny, well that never really changed." Seth giggled sadly as he set the clothes aside and reached inside the box to retrieve another item.
The slave picked up a yellowed notebook with wild and majestic horses on the cover. He opened the front cover and smiled looking at his own name written in his five year old hand writing. "Look at that, you had really nice penmanship, how old were you?" Asked Jacob.
"I was five, master, but Leah taught me how to write my name, the basic colors and the numbers from one to twenty before I started school. She was determined to give me any possible advantage; maybe if I did really well in school my parents would find a reason to like me. I was very smart and always got good grades but my parents never cared, to them I was mostly a nuisance." Seth placed his old notebook on the floor and continued bringing out items, small storybooks that his sister used to read to him before bedtime, the hat he had to wear when she tried to give him a haircut that ended up being an epic fail and he looked more like he had been attacked by a rogue lawnmower. Each item contained a memory of his past; some of the memories were good while others he wished he would've never remembered.
Slowly Jacob realized that the only person to ever love his little submissive had been his sister. He wondered how could a person endure so much pain, what made him so strong as to survive everything that he had been put through and still maintain his tenderness and meekness. Jake knew that if that had been his case he would've either killed himself or made everybody's life miserable. The former never really crossed his mind but maybe that was because he opted for the latter and based his life on that principle.
Lost in his thoughts Jacob didn't notice when Seth placed all the items inside the blue box and opened the second box. Seth's gasp brought him back to the present and he saw as the submissive's eyes filled with tears. "What's wrong?" Asked Jacob.
"These are some of the things I left behind when they took me away, my clothes and my notepads. I liked writing stories and poems when I was young; I had so much hope for a happy ending. My stories were always full of optimism and happiness, I was so stupid and naïve." Seth's tone turned bitter for the first time since Jacob had known him.
"You were not stupid Seth, they were the stupid ones because they never saw the wonderful person that was right before their eyes. Will you let me read your stories one day?" Seth blushed knowing that he had never allowed anyone but Leah to read his work. He always thought it was dumb and he would be ridiculed by any person who read it.
"It's not up to me to decide master, if you want to read it I can't oppose. I can't deny you anything." Jacob took Seth's notepad away from him and set it beside him so he could take it with him when they left.
"What's this?" Murmured Seth talking to himself. He extracted a simple white envelope with his name on the front. He pried the envelope open with his thumb and index finger and his eyes went wide as he scanned the words written in blue ink.
"My dear Seth, I don't know why I'm writing this letter. I know in my mind that you will never read it, but a small part of me is holding on to the hope that you will. It has been so painful to lose you, especially because this could've been avoided if our parents would've had some compassion in their hearts. But I should've known better, I assumed they were human and they are nothing more than demons. I will never forgive them, as long as I live I will despise every second I spend in their presence. From the moment Harold so happily brought you to be slaughtered I despised him and made it very clear he was no longer my father and I will never address him as such. Sue, one day she will have to answer to whoever we face after out deaths for the sins she committed against you. I was helpless against the order Harold placed on me so I wouldn't interfere. I fought the order with all my strength until I found a way around it and contacted Jasper. He immediately made arrangements to pay for your freedom but it was too little too late." Seth had to stop reading the letter when his vision became blurry and the words got stuck in his throat. He could've been spared all the agony and torture he had to endure. He didn't blame Leah, he truly believed she had tried but also knew his parents were ruthless. Jacob picked up his submissive as gently as he could and sat him on his lap. He looked so fragile that Jacob thought he would break if he handled him roughly. The slave's whole body was shaking in anger, sadness and desolation. Seth leaned against his master, clutching the letter with his trembling hands. Jacob kissed the top of his head and his cheek. The slave felt calmer and was able to continue reading.
"I ran to the council center with the soldier that brought the note with which to pay for your freedom but they informed me that you had phased five days before and died during your initiation. One of the leaders of the council even took me to where they burned your body and I saw the ashes of what had been my only brother. I wanted to kill them all, little brother I wanted them all dead. I phased and clawed the man beside me and almost killed two others before they stated an order that made me stand down. I didn't care if they killed me, anything was better than to continue living among the people who had tortured you until your body gave up. Of course nothing happened to me; Harold used his influence and explained that I was under a lot of stress because of the wedding and the shame of having a submissive as a brother. I got away with a slap on the wrist. That night I contacted Jasper and asked him to come get me, that I didn't want a wedding, I just wanted to leave this God forsaken place with him. He agreed and arrived the next day to take me away. Surprise surprise, Harold demanded that the wedding take place and that they went to live with us as a condition to allow us to be together. He called the bastards of the council to back him up and the mother fuckers put so much pressure on Jasper that he being an honorable man and because of his love for me and not wanting to risk losing me agreed to their demands. Seth tomorrow is the wedding and we'll leave to never come back. I want to be as far away from this place as possible, we'll be sailing to the southern tip of South America were Jasper has some properties to establish ourselves there. As for our parents I have a nice surprise for them at the wedding and can't wait to see their embarrassment." Seth sighed deeply; at least he could rest assured that Leah came to no harm when the town perished.
"Sweetie please know that you will always live in my memory and in my heart, the sweet boy with the beautiful smile and infectious laugh. I'll always remember the times we spent talking under the covers, making plans for our future, reading your poems and your stories. You were a light that shone too bright for this dark and horrible world. This family didn't deserve you, you're an angel and I pray than right now you are in heaven among your own. Little brother I only wanted you to grow up and be happy, but they took your chances away. I curse this town and every person in it. I hope that every man that laid their filthy hands on you dies a slow painful death worthy of the wretched creatures they are. Some may deny your very existence and pretend there was never a boy named Seth Clearwater but I know you existed and that you were a wonderful human being. I'll make it my life's purpose to make known that slavery took away the most gentle and loving creature to ever walk the face of this earth. I'll make every effort so one day no other boy will have to go through what you went through. This nightmare has to stop and I will not rest until that's achieved. Until we meet again, your sister, Leah." Seth cradled the letter pressing it against his chest and the saddest sob escaped his lips. He let go for the first time in years and cried bitterly against his master's skin. His wails carried with them to the heavens above all the pain and suffering that stood behind every minute of his life. His face took a deep shade of red as his wails intensified. He weakly punched his master's chest feeling impotent to do anything to help his situation. Jacob wished he could carry Seth's burden for him, that he could magically make him forget all his past horrors. But just like Seth he was powerless against the evil that was too present in his submissive's memories. All he could do was hold him close to him, rocking him while he wept nonstop.
Jacob was stunned when he noticed moisture on the top of Seth's head and realized he was also crying uncontrollably. The pain of his little submissive was so real, so intense that it was gripping his heart, shaking it wildly demanding that it come to life. The shame he felt for having been another one in a long line of men whose evil almost destroyed his submissive was something he would never overcome. Jacob had to admit that he possessed everything anybody would want but he was broken and empty inside. He hated Seth's parents and wished he could have a few minutes with them, that was all he needed, a few minutes to make them pay. But who would make him pay? He was no different; he had starved, beat and raped the slave, would he have to wait for his death so hell itself would make him pay for his transgressions?
At last Seth's sobs quieted down and turned into nothing more than whimpers. He still held to his master like he was afraid of losing his sanity or his will to live. Jacob's skin felt soothing against his own and the rhythmic beat of his heart lulled him to sleep. Jacob who was also dozing off maneuvered the submissive's body until it was flush against his chest with one leg on each side of him. He placed his arms protectively around the slave and allowed sleep to take him away.
The next morning found them lying down on the dusty floor, Seth still curled against his master's chest and Jacob's arms in a protective embrace. For a change Jacob woke up before his slave when an unforgiving ray of sun shone of his face which luckily shielded Seth's. He was in no hurry to get up and just laid there listening to the birds and the forest creatures in their search for their first meal of the day. Soon enough Seth began to stir, feeling the warmth that surrounded him making his skin tingle. He was startled awake when fear for the punishment he would most likely receive took over his thoughts. Not only he had lost control and cried in front of his master, something that all dominants hated, but he fell asleep in his arms and without pleasuring him. He was afraid to lift his gaze and confront the angry expression of his master, Seth hoped he was still asleep and he would have a chance to not get punished. Slowly his eyes trailed up looking from his master's chest, to his neck, his lips and ending up on his eyes. Seth sighed relieved when he saw no anger on his master's expression, if all it was almost loving.
"Good morning pup" Greeted Jacob.
"Good morning master, I apologize for losing control yesterday I..." Jacob interrupted him making him stop by pressing his lips against Seth's in a chaste kiss.
"No need to apologize, I would've thought you were made of stone if you didn't react the way you did." Jacob kissed Seth once more but this time his lips lingered longer over his sub's lips. He deepened the kiss, his need becoming very obvious when the change in his pants became noticeable. Seth, resigned to his fate moved to get ready to fulfill his duty. Jacob stopped him when he saw his slave begin to push his pants down his narrow hips.
"No" The submissive looked at him quizzically, unable to understand the reason behind his master's behavior.
"Seth I cannot make any promises, but I'll try my best not to hurt you ever again." The slave was so moved by his master's words that he let down his defenses and hugged his master like his life depended on it. Time would tell if Jacob would be able to keep his resolve but for the first time in many years the slave felt hope bubbling inside his being.
"We should leave, I'm starving and I know you must be too. Seth, why don't you bring a few of your things with you? I would tell you to bring everything but it's just too bulky and we wouldn't be able to carry the bins while in wolf form. Don't worry I'll send somebody to retrieve your things." Seth couldn't believe it, he was being allowed to have possessions, they had no monetary value but just having something that he could call his own was a cause for celebration.
After they hunted and ate their fill they decided to walk away from the ruins of what once was a lively village. They were both happy to turn their backs on it to never look back. As it always happens reality had to slap them on the face when half a mile away from the town they were confronted with the gates of hell. Jacob became concerned when he noticed the change in Seth's demeanor; he was shaking, his heart racing while his mind turned into a jumble of thoughts. The house looked like any other country home, a two story house with big windows that had shutters on each side, what seemed to have been a beautiful garden at some point and a spacious porch the led to the front entrance. Like every other structure in town it showed the effects of time on it, in addition of the clear demarcation of where the water reached during the flood.
Seth what's this place? Your heart sounds like it's going to jump out of your chest." Asked Jacob concerned and on the verge of picking up Seth by his scruff and getting him out of there.
It's the council center; here is where I was initiated as a submissive slave. Each one of Seth's words carried tremendous pain.
Seth stood before the crumbling structure and phased back to human. Not bothering to put pants on he approached the house and stopped at the base of the four steps that led to the porch. Jacob followed suit but he grabbed Seth's arm to call his attention. The submissive turned to look at his master with a hollow expression in his tortured face. "Seth don't go in there, let's keep going."
"Master if it's ok with you I will like to go in there, don't ask me why, but I feel I need to face this demon. Also, I thought you wanted to hear about it." Seth's tone was slightly accusatory, like he was judging his master for the morbid desire he felt to know his sub's story of pain and suffering. Jacob was uncomfortable, not with Seth's accusation but with the possibility of what could be waiting for them inside. He considered the idea of just picking up his submissive and running in the opposite direction as far as his legs would take him. Seth's courage and decisiveness made Jacob opt for going into that house of horrors.
Walking inside the house look like any other structure in ruins, the wallpaper was peeling off the walls, the chandelier that at one point was the crowning glory of the foyer was nothing but a dust covered heap of glass on the floor. The two wolves maneuvered themselves carefully around the broken glass that littered the floor. "When the fever started we were brought here and taken to a huge room in the back of the house. There we waited until we phased, the dominants were returned to their families unscathed, the submissives ran with a very different luck. Unless your parents had given a deposit as a guarantee that they would cover the total amount they were taken to a different structure behind this house, come I'll show you." Seth walked ahead of his master, as if the anger and resentment that was boiling in his chest extended to his master.
They entered a big room with six beds pushed against the back wall and a big open space. "There were five of us in my group; they said it had been the biggest group ever. We were each assigned a bed in which we rested, too exhausted from the chills and the vomiting, well why am I telling you this? you went through it." Jacob followed his submissive into the murky room; he looked around realizing that he had it better than even he knew. He was never in a place like this; when his symptoms started his own father, with Carlisle's help, took care of him. He doubted that the council was informed, not that anybody thought he would be a submissive but his father wouldn't want to risk it and was prepared to do anything in his power to protect his only son.
"The first one to phase was a kid two years older than me; he was the biggest bully in our town. He phased into a dominant but at least he didn't have the make of a soldier. I still remember his words as he was leaving to go back home 'don't worry Seth I'll ask my dad to bring me over to fuck you when you phase, submissive' the funny thing is that I have no idea if he came or not. The second one to phase was another dominant; he was nicer than the first one and only looked at me with pity in his eyes as he was leaving. The third one to phase was the oldest one in our group, he was seventeen, he was smaller than most but I'm sure he thought he would be a dominant. Imagine his surprise when he phased into a submissive, they waited for him to calm down enough and phase back to human and dragged him away kicking and screaming." Seth paused for a moment before continuing; Jacob approached him and laced his fingers through his submissive's, knowing that a difficult part of his tale was coming up.
"There were only two of us left and the odds were seriously against me. Emmet was the closest thing to a giant in our town and his father was an alpha. He had the biggest crush on my sister and was always nice to me. Of course my father never wanted him for Leah; he had his eyes on a landowner of some kind. I was awoken around midnight with the biggest need to run outside but we were locked in here and I phased right there." Seth pointed a shaky finger at the center of the room.
"Of course I was a submissive; Emmet started crying as soon as he saw me knowing that my fate was sealed. He came over and helped me calm down so I could phase back, I did and he held me until morning. We lied down on his bed together until dawn, little did I know that it would be the last time I would sleep on a bed. Two men came in the room to bring our breakfast and realizing I had phased took me away knowing very well I was a submissive. I didn't even fight them; it was futile to do so." Without saying anything Seth exited the room in the direction of a smaller structure not far from the house. It was well within earshot of the main house.
Both men were taken aback by the putrid smell originating from the entrance and noticed a dead possum. They walked over it and entered the structure. It was divided into four rooms but only one was visible from where they stood. It looked like a waiting area of some kind with chairs and tables scattered all around. Seth opened a door to their right and entered the dark room; Jacob couldn't believe his eyes where what looked like a cell shocked him into reality. "This was the holding cell, Tyler was curled on the floor crying when I arrived, he had not been fed but so far nobody had touched him. I was pushed inside and the two men left. Sometime later two different men came in the cell and blindfolded us, one of them was my teacher. Minutes later we heard some shuffling and before I could even guess who it was I received my first blow. I was standing up shaking to my core and a fist connected with my gut making me bend forward. Based on what I heard I guessed Tyler was receiving the same treatment. I don't know how many they were, but they beat us until we lost consciousness. When I woke up we were alone in the cell. I removed the blindfold and saw a bloody mass on the floor and realized it was Tyler; I probably looked just as bad. He was lying down on his side crying quietly. I couldn't even move, my whole body was screaming at me, it was difficult to breathe and my eyes were so swollen I could barely see. How that damn blindfold stayed on with those men barreling on my eyes, I will never know. For the first time in my life I wished for death to find me in my sleep, and it was only the beginning. The worse was still to come." Seth moved out of the cell with Jacob in tow. He wouldn't dare make a sound, he never cared to know how the initiations happened, but now that he knew he would never forget it.
The room adjacent to the cells was nothing but an open space with drains on the floor and an old hose coiled on a rusty reel on the wall. Seth made no comments about that room and continued to the next door. That place was like a macabre haunted house where each door opened to a new and worse nightmare. Seth pushed the door open and stood frozen on his spot. A sob escaped his lips as he brought his hands to his face and covered his mouth. He didn't know why he was torturing himself but knew that his master needed to see this. His hand darted to that of his master and Jacob grabbed it hastily. The room looked like taken out of a horror story, three hospital style curtains old and faded by the dust and the years hung from the ceiling almost reaching the floor. Jacob didn't know what he was looking at but Seth knew all too well. Partially covered by the shredded pieces of cloth were three narrow tables. They were made out of wood but with steel reinforced legs. What was unexpected were the five restrains on them, one on each leg with a wider and longer one around the center of the table. "What the fuck is that?" Asked Jacob while pointing at it with a shaky finger.
"This master is where they strapped me so I wouldn't trash around too much while they raped me." Incredulity tinted Jacob's features, how was it possible that this took place right under their noses and nobody did anything about it? Then again, if all the dominants were like him they basically didn't give a damn. He wondered if his father was aware of this or not, he doubted that the Aleph would be ignorant to what took place during these so called initiations which were nothing more than an exercise in torture. Taking advantage of the weak for the benefit of the strong. Jacob went around the table looking at the worn leather on the restrains.
"I was in this one while Tyler was in that one over there." Said Seth pointing to the table on the opposite side to where they stood. "The second day they blindfolded us again and brought us here, I can still remember the smell of blood and shit in the room and the roughness of the leather against my skin. They bent me on this table face down and spread my arms and my legs tying them to each leg of the table. Finally they looped the belt around my waist and tied it down as tight as they could without cutting off my respiration. Two persons came in the room, one walked in Tyler's direction and the other stood behind me. After a few minutes of grunting and a weird flapping noise I felt something pushing against my naked behind, then a burning pain, like I was being burned from the inside out. I started screaming, begged him to stop, it hurt so much, he had no pity and of course didn't stop. He just did what he came to do without any compassion. After he was done he withdrew and I could smell the metallic scent of my blood and his putrid fluid that was seeping out of me. I don't know how much time passed, felt like only minutes. Before I knew it another man was inside me, Tyler's screams and my own mixed in this room bouncing off the walls around us. I think it went on all day; I'm not sure since I kept coming in and out of consciousness. At the end of the day they unstrapped us and dragged us to the room we just passed where they hosed us clean. Neither one of us could walk so they had to drag us by the armpits back to the cell."
"The next day we were beat again and when they got bored with beating us they tied us to these torture apparatus and raped us. Just like the day before we were hosed and taken to the cell where they had left a bowl with some food. We huddled together on the floor bruised, cold and in serious pain. It was hard to see through my swollen eyelids but still managed to get some food inside me before falling asleep. The next day they passed on the beatings and brought us directly here. Did I mention my father took part of the beatings? I don't think he raped me because I would've detected his scent, but I'm sure he was one of the men who beat me. That day the steady stream of men continued for hours, by the little bit of light coming from outside I guessed it was almost nighttime when several men came in and walked in Tyler's direction. I don't know what they did to him but he wouldn't stop screaming it was nothing like the previous days. These were bloodcurdling screams that I would never forget as long as I live. After a while the screaming stopped and I was glad that apparently he had lost consciousness. I heard one man ask if I was going to get the same treatment and a different voice told him I was too small and wouldn't survive it."
"What did they do to him?" Asked Jacob.
"I don't know master, when they took us back to the cell Tyler was still unconscious and wouldn't stop bleeding. I thought about trying to wake him up so he would eat something but decided against it. If he was asleep at least he was not hurting and his healing would pick up. I tried to sleep but the throbbing pain on my backside wouldn't let me rest and I was worried for Tyler. I crawled to where he laid very still and he felt cold to the touch and his breathing was almost imperceptible. I tried to call him but I had no voice because of the hours of screaming, I shook him trying to startle him awake but nothing worked. I pulled his head to my lap and held him until he stopped breathing. Master have you ever seen somebody die?"
"Yes I have; my mother died in my arms." Stated Jacob simply.
"Then you know it's something you never overcome, it haunts you for the rest of your life. The next morning when they saw that Tyler was dead one of the men ran back out and came back in with one of the council leaders. He was raving mad, not because Tyler had been killed but because they wouldn't get the revenue from selling him. There was a lot of yelling, nobody wanted to take responsibility for killing him. Several men came and took away his body to be burned. I guess his body was the one they showed Leah. They told me that I was in luck because my initiation was going to be cut short by one day, yeah right, lucky me. Then they explained to me what was expected of a slave, fitted me with my collar and took me away from here forever. A week later we arrived at the auctions and I was sold the same day."
"Seth if it was anyone else telling this story I would call them liars but you have never lied to me and I don't think you are doing it now. I've lived in ignorance and denial for so long that I'm ashamed. This place can only be described as a torture chamber, what you describe shouldn't even be done to an animal. Little submissive, I don't know how you survived all this and to think that I prolonged and added to your suffering…" Jacob's voice trailed off as he saw Seth walked around the table and kick the wall angrily, he asked himself what he had said to make Seth react in such a way. But he had no right to question anything; the slave had all the right in the world to be pissed and want to destroy the damn place.
"Pup wait here, I'll be back in a few." Jacob left Seth only to come back several minutes later carrying an ax and a big hammer. He asked Seth to choose and the submissive understanding perfectly his master's intentions grabbed the ax from his hands. Right before his master's eyes Seth turned into an ax yielding one man wrecking crew. Jacob moved to the back of the room and went bat shit crazy on the table were they had tortured Tyler. After Seth finished obliterating the table where he has been initiated he went to the other one, then the walls, also pulled down the curtains and stomped on them. When they were finished the room looked like a storm went through it, leaving behind destruction and chaos. Seth stood in the center of the room, his chest raising and falling rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. He let the ax fall to the floor and searched the room for his master. Jacob was already standing by the door reaching towards Seth. The submissive held his hand tightly as they left the house of horrors turning his back on it and closing the book on that nightmare.