15. Kristof

Iwas wrong.

It isn't the alcohol that gives Alena such an attitude. It seems like it's always existed underneath the surface and she hasn't had an outlet.

Now she lies before me, sarcasm dripping lightly from her words, and I'm a little amused.

I'd prepared myself earlier for being yelled at, sworn at, and cursed out to high heaven, but instead, Alena is a surprise. Her hungriness for me last night wasn't a fluke.

Or it's a trick.

Frankly, it matters little. I'm happy to push her as far as I desire, and if she's telling the truth, it won't be a problem. If she's lying, I'll fuck some sense into her.

She glares at me from the pillow, her earlier fear and hysteria completely absent from her striking eyes. She holds so much power over me, and part of that is frustrating. I don't like feeling weak, and yet her skin burns against my palm, like her touch is forgiven.

"You should know by now, Alena," I say as I slowly untie her left ankle. "I'm a man with little patience."

"Right now, I don't really care," Alena snaps. I brace myself as the rope slips loose, expecting her to try and kick me. Part of me would revel in the fight, but she doesn't. Her earlier struggles have imprinted the pattern of the rope on her ankle, and I trace the indents with one finger, then I untie her second ankle.

"Are you sure?"

"I mean, I care that you're untying me, so that feels like a victory," she retorts, and when I glance up at her, her eyes flash brightly.

She's so fucking cocky. Something dark curls inside me, and I quickly untie her left wrist. As I work on her right, she sits up slowly, and the temptation of freedom has clearly lifted her spirits. An assumption she never should have made.

As the rope falls loose from her last wrist, my hand shoots out and wraps around her narrow throat. She squeaks in surprise and one hand curls around my wrist, but I pay it no mind. It takes little effort to drag her from the bed, open the hatch on top of the cage, and toss her inside. It's spacious enough for her, and she's so light that I can move fast enough that she barely has time to react.

The cage shudders as she lands, and I shut the door, locking it firmly and pocketing the key. The cage is spacious but small enough that she can only sit up before she hits the bars. Which she does immediately with both hands, and the metal shakes under the impact.

"What the hell? I'm not some fucking dog that you can lock away," she snarls, and she grips two bars with her fists. "Let me out!"

"Maybe not." I smirk, dropping to my haunches so we're at eye level and biting back a wince as the crotch of my jeans presses into my hardening cock. "But you're in need of some training."

"Fuck you! I'm trying to help you here, but you're just an asshole!"

"Help me?" I raise one brow. "Alena, you will be whatever I want you to be, do you understand? Right now, you're my dog if that's what I desire, and you can't do anything about it. You said you would have come willingly, but this?" I indicate the cage. "This tells me you can't be trusted."

"Because I don't want to be in a cage?" Alena rattles the bars again with such force that the sway of her naked breasts catches my attention.

Desire pools hot in my gut, and I drop one hand to rub at my crotch, trying to ease the pressure there. Her eyes snap down, and her lower lip trembles slightly. The signs are there, and after last night's display, I'm certain that she's desperate for attention. I just need to work it out of her in the right way.

"You've got quite the mouth on you." I continue to rub my crotch, and her eyes don't leave my hand. "Your parents kept you in the cage and I didn't hear so much as a bark out of you."

"That's different," she snaps, and she glares up at me. "They didn't lock me behind bars."

"Not ones you could see," I point out. "But if you want to be a brat, like I said before, I excel in taming them. You think you can act out, yell at me, disrespect me? Alena, I enjoy punishments just as much as pleasure, and by the time I'm finished with you, you will learn that I always get what I want."

"You're fucked up," she snaps, and I laugh deeply as I stand back up.

"Now you're flirting."

"I'm serious! I mean, who kidnaps someone they're interested in if they have even a stroke of sanity?" Her cheeks flush darker, and her knuckles bleed white from her grip. "I can't believe I had a crush on you."

"We both know you still do," I reply, keeping my voice low. "I can see your pussy glistening from here, Alena. Your body knows what you want, even if your bratty attitude is getting in the way. Is it because you feel wanted for the first time in your little life?"

Her cheeks flare purple, and she tries to move herself and close her thighs together, but it makes no difference. I've already seen what I need to.

"Is it because I touched you? Wrapped my hand around your throat and moved you like you were a weightless doll? Is it because we're holding the longest conversation you've ever had, hmm?" Her cheeks flush darker the more I talk. "Or is it because you already know what my cock can do? You don't have to tell me. I'll find out eventually."

"Fuck you," she mutters.

I chuckle. "If you want me to."

She doesn't reply.

"This will be easy if you meant what you said about coming willingly. But you should know by now, Alena, that things in our world hold actions higher than words. You want to be here with me? Prove it. I have you either way."

Alena is silent, but she tilts her head and her long, blonde hair spills across one shoulder in a light caress.

"I did mean that," she says stubbornly, and she huffs. "You don't need to put me in a cage."

"No, I don't," I agree. "But I want to."

And that's the kicker. The woman I have hungered for, that I've stripped my dick raw for, is now naked and locked away in my cage, waiting for whatever I want to do to her. The power trip is enough to make me almost dizzy. Slowly, I start to pace in front of her.

"I will make things clear, Alena. I will take care of you. The shower has hot water, and you will have three square meals a day. You won't waste away here, and I will include vitamins to make up for the absence of sunlight. I want respect—no, I need respect. I have rules, and if you obey them, we will get along perfectly, understand?"

I glance at her, and while a debate seems to rage in her eyes, she nods just once.

"No talking back is the first rule. I'm not here to have arguments, understand?" I glance at her again but continue before she can answer. "What I say goes. That means if I want to keep you in there, I will. If I want to tie you to the bed, you'll thank me for it. No bratty behavior. I can already tell that will be a struggle, but I deal with enough pushback and sarcasm at work. I don't want to come home and face it here."

Given her current responses, my whip will be getting a lot of use to tame that animal inside her.

"No eye-rolling. You're not a child. No petulant behavior. If you have an issue about anything, then we will discuss it. I'm not against compromise, but I am against stewing and lying." My steps halt, and I face her fully. She's settled a little more now and is toying lightly with the pendant around her neck.

"No trying to escape. I have zero tolerance for that. Don"t try to hurt me because you will lose and regret it, understand? No lying, either, even about small things. If I ask you how you are, I want an honest answer. I can't help you if you hide things from me. And finally, for now, I want you to always address me as Sir."

Silence hangs between us when I finish talking, and I watch Alena as she processes everything I've said. I'm no fool. There will be pushback, but that will be exciting. Alena is smart and savvy, so I will just need to guide her.

"Why?" Alena asks after a moment, and her eyes narrow. "Why shouldn't I try to run away? You don't believe me, you don't trust me, and you've locked me in a cage." She shoves one hand against the bar for emphasis. "So why should I want to stay?"

"I told you." A curl of exasperation settles in my chest. "Actions speak louder than words. You need to show me that you can be trustworthy. Just as I will show you that I have no intention of—what was it? Oh, chopping you into itty-bitty pieces. I already know you want me in some capacity, Alena. I'm giving you the opportunity to tap into your full submissive potential."

"And if I refuse?" She bites her lower lip, eyes still sharp and narrowed.

"If you refuse? Your alternative is going back home to be sold to Mikhail who will make me look like a fucking saint." The thought sours me, and in the back of my mind, I know the truth.

I will never give her back. I will never give her to Mikhail.

Over my dead fucking body.

"And I will promise one thing."

"What's that?"

"I will not fuck you again until you ask me for it. Understand?"

Alena's eyes widen, and she watches me, chewing on her lower lip. Part of me would give anything to know what's going on in her mind, but I am not privy to her thoughts. I will make do with her body.

Finally, her shoulders lift and she takes a deeper breath as some of the attitude melts away.

"Okay," she says.

I click my tongue. "Yes, what?"

"Yes, Sir."

A pleased shudder rolls through me and a faint smile pulls at my lips. Finally, a little progress. She's willing. I can see it as clear as day. She just needs some help.

"If you follow the rules and prove to me that you can be trusted, that you are serious in what you say about staying here with me, then…" I say, stepping forward.

Her eyes blink wide, and I finally smile.

"If you do all of that, I will move you into the main house. How does that sound?"

For the first time since last night, Alena smiles.