JENNIE
She stood there, my devil dressed in black, and just watched me, waiting.
For the dramatics, I guessed, for me to shriek and scream, and curse her to hell.
I wanted to—oh God, how I wanted to—but like a true stoic Kim, I attempted to squash all emotion and face her head on. 'Decorum', Mother used to sniff whenever my shoulders slouched even an inch out of perfect alignment.
Decorum.
"You're awake," Lisa remarked, chasing the ghostly admonition away. Her tone radiated anger, but was oddly polite at the same time.
I wondered why. Perhaps the sight of me in chains put her in a good mood?
When I didn't answer, she took a step closer, and I ruined my brave façade by jerking back against the headboard.
"Did Jisoo explain what is to be expected of you?"
"E-expected? There's more?"
Being chained and half-naked wasn't enough?
Lisa glowered for a long moment before launching into a speech with all the gusto of a stuffy professor: Welcome to Sex Education 101, the bondage edition.
"For the next two days you will continue to learn how our 'employees' entertain their clients. The day after—" coincidentally, my fourth and last day indebted to her "—you will take a client of your own."
"Why?" I blurted stupidly. "I thought—"
"Must we go over this again?" Her irises darkened around fathomless pupils. "You owe a debt, Jennie. Unless you've changed your mind on how to repay it …" She paused, as if waiting for me to jump at the chance to do just that by lunging for my checkbook. When I didn't, her brow furrowed even more. "Then, these are the terms of your contract."
"But …why another client?" I asked after a dry swallow. "Wasn't last night payment enough—"
"I was not your client," she said harshly. "And last night was merely a convenience on your part, trust me on that."
Convenience. She made it sound as if my virginity had been something icky she'd disposed of and I should have been thanking her for it.
"Why?" I asked even though her expression warned me not to. "Why you?"
"You will take a real client in two days," she said, ignoring my question altogether. "While it's practically no time at all to prepare …you should still be somewhat ready."
Left with no choice—other than to resort to my fortune—I sat there, mulling it over as detachedly as I could.
Two days of instruction.
One day of application.
No mistakes ...
I felt like a student back in University.
"And until then?" I couldn't even look in her direction, so I allowed myself to inspect the silver cuff encircling my wrist for the first time instead. There was no keyhole, just a seamless strip of metal.
How on earth would she take them off?
"Until then, you will continue your training," Lisa said, snapping my attention back to her. "With me."
By some miracle I managed to keep my expression blank. What kinds of 'training' could one learn in two days at the instruction of Lisa Manoban? I had a sinking suspicion that chains were only the beginning.
"In what?"
Lisa shrugged, but there was nothing casual about the motion—tension leaked from her so thick that I could almost smell it.
"Take a wild guess," she suggested. "After last night, I'm sure your mind is running rampant with possibilities."
That was an understatement. At the memory of blood and teeth, my heart sank through my body and flopped out through my toes.
I wanted to protest, to tell her to go to hell, that a true Kim didn't belong here, etcetera, etcetera.
But I knew that any display of fear on my part would cause her to revert back to that damn 'first' offer—and somehow the thought of being written off so easily seemed more unbearable than any horrors this club might hold. I had come this far. Three days should have been nothing compared to what fate had in store for me.
According to my diagnosis, I was already dead.
You're insane, Jennie, a part of me whispered as my nails dug into my palms, but it wasn't loud enough to make me demand she let me go. Yet. "So, would I have to ..."
"Tonight," Lisa began in a tone of steel without giving me the chance to finish, "I expect no less from you than I would from any other girl here."
Her scowl proclaimed what she didn't bother saying out loud: As much as anyone can expect from you.
"And what would that be?" I rasped once I found the nerve to speak again.
"There are standards we follow here," she said, words raining down like blows. "We'll start simple. Your first lesson is respect. Do you understand?"
She deliberately paused.
"Yes," I croaked.
"Yes what?"
I stiffened. What more could she possibly want me to say? Oh yes, my Devil—beholder of my immortal soul?
Then it clicked. Oh good Lord, she couldn't possibly mean … Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I said it anyway, fingers clenching into fists.
"Yes …Ma'am."
She didn't acknowledge the title. Instead, her gaze finally honed in on my unbound wrist and her entire body went rigid.
"Jisoo," she hissed, while marching to the foot of the bed where she snatched the spare set of cuffs from the box. Without another word, she grabbed my free arm, forcing me to lie down on my back or risk having the limb pulled right from its socket.
"Your second lesson," she growled while snapping the manacle in place, "will be obedience. We'll start simple; spread your legs, Jennie."
My eyes widened. "B-But …you said—"
"You've failed already," Liss announced, voice flat. "Let's hope your bank account is more reliable than its owner ..."
She started to reach for the other cuff, but something made me speak out. "W-wait!"
She paused, hand outstretched and I could feel my skin burn with shame as I slowly forced my legs apart.
The fabric of my borrowed robe was thinner than tissue paper, and Jisoo hadn't left me with either a bra or underwear to wear underneath. I didn't want to guess how much of me she saw from her position.
Though, I might have felt more ashamed if she didn't look so bored.
"Good."
She sank onto the mattress and slid a hand beneath my calf. Every nerve stalled beneath her touch as she lifted the leg and forcefully flexed it at the knee.
"You do have smooth skin," she admitted as an icy finger traced the inside of my thigh, brushing tendons, veins … "At least that's something."
My mind spun as she let me go and reached beyond my head to undo one cuff with a subtle click. Rather than command me to leave, she launched right into another 'lesson'.
"Let's review." As she spoke, she grabbed for my hand and dragged it down to my side. "Show me what you learned yesterday."
What I learned? My mind churned with images; her, fingers, blinding heat.
"W-why?"
"I told you once that this isn't the place for modesty," she warned, before pressing my hand to the apex of my thighs regardless of my protests.
I whimpered at the back of my throat, but was too breathless to fight her. Instead, I tried to look at it clinically.
This isn't your hand, I told myself as Lisa curled my fingers within her and pressed them to that intimidating mound of curls. It's just a doctor's instrument …one currently being shoved up your—
I winced as Lisa forced a finger inside me. It didn't feel quite as painful as it had yesterday, more sore, but the sensation was unwelcome none-the-less.
Or so I tried to tell myself. I stiffened as once again she began to move that icy digit in and out ...
Out and in.
My cheeks burned with shame at my body's reaction. That odd heat returned, flooding through my belly, my veins …
"I told you," Lisa grated against my ear, sounding miles away. "Your clients won't take the time to check whether you're ready or not and we don't stock lubricant—" She made it sound like a dirty word. "So, I suggest you take notes."
On "notes" she slid that probing finger in a deep, slow circle that made my eyes flutter.
Holy …
Without warning, Lisa withdrew her hand and nudged my own fingers in its place.
"Show me," she commanded.
My eyes slid shut with a reluctant groan. I felt like a child again, forced into a horrendous confection of lace and velvet, and ordered to sing a warbling, off-key version of 'Silent Night' for the stuffy investors at my parent's dinner parties. Lisa's expression was the same as theirs had been; cold, impassive, and indifferent.
But in all those horrible, pitchy memories, I couldn't remember ever feeling as mortified as I did now, with her sneering down at me while I …
I squashed the thought and gave my head a firm shake. I could tell that she was only pushing the topic because she knew it embarrassed me.
She wanted me to give up.
Give in, and accept her first offer like a good, dutiful girl.
I refused to give her the satisfaction—it was my body, after all.
Right?
"No," I whispered, sounding stronger than I'd expected.
"No, what?" I could almost hear the triumph in her voice as she pictured me reaching for my checkbook in defeat.
I took a deep breath to steel my nerves and forced my eyes open to stare into hers. It was a mistake; her gaze was endless and I was drowning in it.
Miraculously, I managed to slide a trembling finger down that intimidating path of curls without collapsing into a puddle of shame.
I stiffened at the contact. It was nothing like when Lisa touched me, but it wasn't a bad feeling per se. That searing heat flared sleepily in response and I pressed a little harder- while she watched.
Her eyes were narrowed into slits and I was reminded of a stern teacher, just waiting for the moment she would have to discipline a misbehaving student. However, when the seconds passed without her saying anything …I guessed that I was doing it right.
I bit my bottom lip and carefully applied a bit more pressure. I Gasped. The sensation of warmth that surged in response caught me off guard.
It was pleasure, I thought. Deep inside my belly I felt a familiar knot being to tighten.
"It's not going to bite you, Jennie," Lisa murmured, not satisfied. Bold and sure, her hand slid down to cup my own, forcing a deeper contact. "Shall I give you a quick lesson in anatomy? This …" Her thumb slid up, striking a bundle of flesh that made every ounce of air leave my lungs. "Is your clitoris. I suggest you remember it. Trust me; no one wants to spend good money on a prude."
Good money. God, she made this whole thing sound like prostitution.
Duh, a part of me hissed. What did you think this was?
My heart faltered as Lisa's thumb drifted away from my clitoris and traveled lower. I wanted to run screaming from the room, butt naked and dripping with blood. No sooner had I thought about escape than I felt Lisa's fingers curve, replacing my own and suddenly I couldn't think about anything anymore.
A million conflicting sensations assaulted me all at once: Heat. Hot. Hotter. Searing.
God, I was burning alive. My hips arched, aching to feel the relief of her icy touch, but it was only when I heard her laugh that I realized what I'd done.
"At least you're not screaming," she said, and I doubted the real Devil herself could have sounded more menacing. "You learn quickly …but not quickly enough."
Her hand returned to my thigh, creeping over my knee.
"Can you tell me what happens next, Jennie?"
It was a dangerous question, made all the more ominous by her tone.
"Don't feign ignorance," she added. "I know Jisoo told you some glimmer of the truth. Let's see how smart you are; put two and two together. What happens next?"
I shook my head, even though a grim idea was beginning to unfold in my mind anyway. Nibble, nibble, Jennie. Those teeth aren't just for show.
Jisoo's words chose that second to run through my mind, seeming to reinforce what I was too terrified to comprehend: Most only come to the Den to feed.
"Take a wild guess," Lisa urged. One nail deliberately teased my skin. Tap. Tap. Caress. "I want to hear whatever dark, little fantasy is making your heart beat so quickly."
I squeezed my eyes shut, but a fearful guess slipped out anyway.
"Are … Are you going to b-bite me—"
"Are you going to bite me, what?"
Her tone would haunt my nightmares for the remainder of my foolish days; so very smug, sinister. I could scarcely find the nerve to answer her.
"Are you going to b-bite me, Ma'am?"
I didn't dare open my eyes, but her finger never ceased tracing patterns over my skin. Just light, dangerous little circles, over and over ...
"Again," she commanded in a voice so deep that it vibrated in my bones. "Say it again."
"Are you going to bite—ah!"
Pain jolted through my body, and I shrieked, eyes flying open.
My first thought was that she'd pinched me, finally sinking that nail into my skin, but no … Somewhere during the course of a few seconds, she had moved, and her mouth was affixed to the curve in my knee rather than her hand. Her throat jerked to swallow and blood dripped down to dot the bed. I tried to scream. I wanted to …
But just as my mouth opened, sensation flooded my body and I couldn't do anything but breathe. It wasn't painful, like I would have imagined. Instead warmth seared through my veins, traveling right down to my bones; sharp, piercing. It felt …indescribable.
My eyelids fluttered. My vision blurred. Lisa, feeding from my leg, was miles and miles away and …
I was on cloud nine. Every single cell in my body came alive with a pop. I croaked for air. Tried to move—think, feel, anything.
Either Lisa was oblivious to my reaction or she just didn't care. That tongue was ruthless, swirling, licking, tasting.
I wanted her to stop … Continue. Stop. Never, stop! Drain me of every last drop until …
"Jennie."
Suddenly, the universe shifted and I found myself back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Lisa's voice sounded louder than it had before, as if she were speaking inside my head, shouting.
"Jennje!"
I blinked to find her hovering above me—but the expression on her face wasn't the usual infuriated scowl. Those gray eyes were wide, mouth stretched in a frown, and for the first time I didn't get an overwhelming sense of hostility from her.
Could she be ...worried?
"Say something," she demanded, and my heart skipped a beat.
How many times had she made that request, I wondered? Would I be punished for not obeying quickly enough?
"Something ..." I said.
I felt dizzy. It was a struggle just to suck in air. Breathe …
"Look at me."
My eyes scanned her face, settling over the fangs peeking from the hood of her mouth. Oddly enough, it wasn't hard to finally admit to myself what they actually were.
Not regular teeth or a figment of my imagination, but fangs ...
Honed to a point and dripping with blood.
"Can you move?"
Confused, I shook my head. Why on earth would I want to? I could just lay here forever, drowning in pain and pleasure …
I doubted Lisa could have looked any less shocked if I'd spat on her. Her eyes scanned my thigh, narrowing over the scarlet stain spreading beneath my punctured knee.
"Must have bitten too deep," I thought I heard her murmur.
"Too deep?"
The words didn't fully register—I was too busy hating myself. Pain I could bear. Every tragic heroine needed to suffer in order to make her plight believable, but that …
That had been anything but painful.
Admitting as much made me feel like a dirty little traitor, but it had felt …good. My body was warmer than the effects of a glass of strong brandy. Even while chained, I was floating, flying, and I wanted more.
Suddenly, Lisa reached for my leg. Cold fingers curled beneath my knee and I waited, every cell alight as she observed the bleeding limb before lowering her mouth.
A sound I'd never heard myself make tore from my throat even before her lips finally made contact with my flesh. I couldn't remember being so on edge before in my life, so electrified.
But rather than bite, those two sharp points merely scraped the flesh, once …twice. Then her tongue came to lap away the blood. Liquid-quick it slipped back within the crevice behind my knee, caressing the bleeding wound.
"You taste …decent," she remarked after another careful lick, breath chilling my skin. .
She sounded almost surprised at that. Sweet, not bitter, I could imagine her thinking. I expected her to take more.
I knew, deep in my bones, that I wouldn't have fought if she had, but she abruptly let me go instead and pulled back.
"Listen to me closely. It's time for your next lesson." Her eyes sought out mine, reinforcing every stern syllable. "You must never allow yourself to be bitten more than three times in one night by a single client. Understood?"
I nodded, even though my brain struggled to process her words.
Three. Bite. Night.
"I mean it, Jennie, no more than three. There are safeguards, of course—" She dragged the pad of her finger down to the center of my throat and I could barely find the strength to focus on what she said next.
"But, if a single client ever tries to feed a fourth time, you fight—scream, claw, kick. You resist as if your very life depends on it. Understood?"
"Three times, no more," I managed to croak.
The funny thing was …I wished she would do it a second time.
Instead, she stood and tugged her collar neatly into place. She would have been the picture of perfection if it wasn't for a single spot of blood that marred her chin. With little fanfare, she swiped it away with the pad of her thumb and launched into another 'educational' session.
"Lesson four," she began while pacing the length of the bed. "Your clients will combine various …acts while feeding." She gestured to the chains. "Sex, bondage, sitting on their lap and calling them Santa Claus—whatever it is, you do it. No questions asked. No tantrums thrown."
This time she didn't even bother with a growled 'understood?' The message within her gaze was crystal clear.
But I was still stuck on Santa Claus.
I had lost my virginity only yesterday. Now there was talk of bondage, fantasies and the drinking of bodily fluids—not to mention that I was currently in chains.
To say that I was overwhelmed would have been an understatement.
"I need to hear you agree, Jennie." Her tone was crisp, like a teacher waiting for affirmation from a naughty student; I will not disrupt the class.
"I …"
"Repeat after me, Jennie: I understand, Ma'am." She mocked my high-pitched tones, but the fact just made her seem even more sinister.
"I …"
Suddenly, she was crouched over the bed, and every cell in my body went on high alert. She ignored my fear, creeping towards me like a pale Devil with beautiful eyes.
"Perhaps things are moving too quickly?" she asked.
I nodded.
Too quickly.
"Too …strangely," I said.
"Of course," Lisa agreed in a tone that was far too gentle. "You're inexperienced. You've probably never considered half the things I'm talking about in your dizziest little daydreams, but do not worry, Jennie ..."
I flinched as an icy finger trailed the length of my throat once again, lingering where I knew my artery would be pulsing.
"When I'm done with you …there won't be a single thing you'll be too haughty to try."
Before I could react, she was fully above me, bracing her weight on both hands. Her chill hit me with all the force of a pile of iron chains, pinning me in place.
"We'll start slow," she promised in a tone that made my blood run cold. "Bare your throat."
Automatically, my head tilted back into the pillow, and her body lowered even further over mine.
I had to clench my teeth just to keep them from chattering. Ice wafted from her the way heat would from anyone else—but even that didn't terrify me as much as the way warmth flared through my skin wherever her chill touched.
Torturous seconds passed like eons while her icy breath fanned across my neck.
Then ...just when I thought the anticipation might drive me insane, she lunged, fangs piercing through flesh, and this time I didn't even try to smother my scream. It erupted for a second before she bit down harder, choking off the sound.
I was in agony. Searing, incredible pain, and then …
I couldn't feel anything, nothing but a bubbly sense of calm that knocked me under. The sensation was unlike anything I'd ever felt.
It was sharp, almost unbearable, but underneath it all was this tingly pleasure that had me gasping out. "Oh."
My mouth was open. My eyes were wide. I was suddenly reminded of how that blonde had looked while being bitten—only now could I begin to place the expression on her face. Ecstasy …
"Jennie!" Lisa's voice yanked me from my daze.
My vision cleared to reveal her kneeling beside me, but I could barely find the energy to focus on the gaze burning from beneath those golden lashes.
When had the earth stopped spinning?
"Maybe it's best to start you on one bite for now," she said slowly.
"Mhmm," I tried to speak—what, I didn't know—but it felt very important to say something.
To do something …
"Jennie—"
Lisa sounded miles away, but everything had gone black once again. Were my eyes closed? Or had I finally given in to the silly little fool I was deep down and passed out?
Either way, a stern voice chased me into the darkness.
"Jennie!"