Chapter 20

Anna dragged herself out of bed an hour before morning class. She had slept fitfully for only an hour because the injection hadn’t worn off yet. The slightest motion sent a jolt of agony through her body, making even the simplest tasks unbearable.

She dressed for class and even her soft warm-up clothes dragged like razors against her skin. She glanced back at her bed, longing to crawl back under the covers and black out for a few more hours, but she had to go. It was a performance day. And she had to apologize to Peter for being apathetic about the apartment.

The walk to the theater felt like a million miles and she limped the entire way. She made her way through the backstage maze to the stage without seeing anyone.

Peter leaned on one of the portable barres used for performance day on-stage classes, smiling sensually at the female dancers that surrounded him.

She slumped to the floor near the back and pulled her pointe shoes out of her bag. Tears filled her eyes as she stared down at the worn pair she wore for classes, knowing she needed to tie the ribbons tightly around her ankles. If she did, the scream trapped in her throat would surely be unleashed. She’d never danced with the injection flowing through her body before and for the first time, she was dreading class. She wanted to find a dark corner and hide until her body went back to normal. But if she didn’t go to class, Isaak would call Devin and he would do it all over again.

“He lost interest in you already?” Brooke, a corps dancer, asked with a sneer on her face.

Anna shrugged and winced. She was hurting too much to care about what Peter was doing.

“Anna, what happened to you?” Isaak squatted down next to her and lifted her chin. “You have a bruise on your cheek and you look like you haven’t slept.”

“I do?”

He nodded. “Did Peter?—?”

She shook her head. “No. Just Devin.”

Isaak frowned. “Did you sleep at all last night?”

Anna shook her head again.

“Go to Aaron’s dressing room and sleep. I’ll tell him what you’re doing.”

“But Isaak, I can dance?—?”

Isaak shook his head. “I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Go sleep. Just get a good warm-up this afternoon, okay?”

Anna nodded and stumbled her way to Aaron’s dressing room. The moment her head hit the couch, she was sound asleep.

Something brushed Anna’s cheek and she jumped and opened her eyes. “Aaron!” She looked around, confused. “Where am I?”

“My dressing room. Isaak sent you in here to sleep, remember?”

Anna blinked several times as she got oriented. “Oh, yeah.” She held her breath and then let out a sigh of relief. The injection had worn off. She wasn’t fully healed, but she was feeling mostly better. Her ribs still ached where Devin had kicked her.

Aaron reached up to stroke her cheek and she winced. “Devin hit you?”

“I misbehaved.”

He grimaced. “I can’t imagine you did anything that deserved his abuse.”

“Does it really matter whether he has a good reason or not? He’s my Master. He can do what he wants.”

“No, it doesn’t matter because he shouldn’t hit you regardless.” Aaron pressed his lips together. “What did he say you did wrong?”

“I upset Peter.” Anna twisted her fingers together.

“You upset Peter? What happened?”

Anna sighed. “I told him I didn’t care what apartment he picked out.”

“Why would you care about his apartment?”

“Because we’ll move in together eventually, and he wanted to know which one I liked. I told him I didn’t care. That my opinion doesn’t matter, and if he really wants to know if it’s an okay apartment, he should ask Devin.”

Aaron frowned. “It sounds like he was just trying to be nice.”

Anna blew out a breath as she stared at her hands. Yes. Peter was just trying to be nice. Aaron was right. “I don’t know why Devin thinks anyone would want to be around me for an extended period of time. It’s only been a few days and I’ve already made Peter angry.”

“It’s too bad you can’t be with someone who really cares about you.”

She turned to look sadly into his eyes. She knew he was talking about himself. “We can’t be together. He’d hurt you.” Oh, how that hurt to say! But her heart needed him. Needed his kind touch to counteract her misery. Without thinking about it, she reached out to stroke his cheek. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

They gazed at each other for a long time, and then suddenly their lips were touching. Aaron slid his hand around the back of her head to keep her from escaping when she pushed against him, albeit unenthusiastically. His lips seized hers and his kiss was full of every emotion that had plagued them for years. Anna relented and let him kiss her, returning his kiss and emotions with abandon.

“Oh, Anna . . . I’ve missed you so much.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him as tightly as he held her. His lips didn’t part from hers as he pushed her back onto the couch and moved on top of her. He stroked her neck and pulled her leotard off her shoulder before kissing her neck and collarbone and shoulder.

Anna pressed her head back into the couch and sighed as Aaron’s hand moved down to her breast, bringing her leotard down with it. His lips followed his hands and his mouth quickly found her breast. She cried out softly as he sucked gently on her nipple.

Within a few minutes, they had disposed of their clothing and Aaron’s body covered Anna’s, their bare skin rubbing against one another, sharing desperate emotions that had been pent up for years. His hard cock pressed against her thigh and she spread her legs apart, hoping he’d enter her. “I need you... .”

Aaron kissed her and moved his cock to her entrance. When he pressed forward, they both sighed, and when he’d buried himself deep inside of her, they moaned together.

“God, Anna, I love you...” He moaned as he slowly moved in and out of her.

“I love you, Aaron.” She matched his movements and rhythms, wrapping her legs around his hips.

They made love with desperate abandon, gazing into each other’s eyes as their bodies moved as one. Pleasure and love mixed together.

The tension built and suddenly both exploded with passionate cries as their orgasms overtook them. They tensed together for a long moment and then slowly relaxed.

Aaron kissed her neck and then her lips, looking at her with such love she could hardly stand it. The only other man who had ever looked at her like that was Alex. She cradled his cheek and kissed him soundly.

He propped himself on his elbows and smiled. “That was better than I remembered.”

She giggled. “I agree.”

He was still inside her and she moved her hips and squeezed his softening cock, making him shiver. “Anna...” He kissed her again.

The door opened and they heard a low growl. Aaron and Anna both jumped and turned to see Peter standing in the doorway. His face had turned red and twisted into a mask of rage as he stepped into the room, slamming the door behind him.

Aaron held Anna close to him. “Get out, Peter.”

“You’re fucking my girlfriend,” Peter growled. “I think I have a right to say something.”

“If you had actual feelings for her, I’d say so. But you’re just with her because Devin told you to.”

Peter’s eyes narrowed and he glanced at Anna and then looked back at Aaron. His eyes glittered with amusement. “Well, then. If you know that, then you know what a dangerous situation you’ve put yourself in.”

“No, Peter!” Anna untangled herself from Aaron’s arms and threw herself on the floor in front of him, bowing at his feet. “Please don’t hurt him. Please don’t tell Devin.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Please...”

“You beg as his cum drips out of your pussy?” Peter sneered. “Devin gave you to me . You don’t have the right to let anyone else touch you, Anna.” Peter looked down at Aaron’s cock and then his hand, where he wore a sapphire ring that Anna hadn’t noticed before. “A common Brother dares to fuck an Elder-Mistress? That’s even stupider.”

“My Elder gave me permission to be with her.”

“Devin would never?—?”

“Devin is not my Elder. Wilhelm is. And Alex, her husband and Master, gave me permission before he died.”

“Alex is gone. His word no longer stands.”

“Maybe. But Wilhelm took ownership of her after Alex died, and he also gave me permission.”

“Wilhelm is forbidden from contacting her.”

“He is still her Master.” Aaron stood, yanking on his sweatpants. “Devin can’t change that, no matter how much he wishes he could. She was given to the Germans by her father before she married Alex. If anything, Wilhelm’s claim is more legitimate.”

Peter stared at Aaron, his jaw clenching. His brows twitched as he looked between him and Anna. The room was so silent they could hear the piano music from the stage. At long last, he let out a breath and raised his eyebrows. “Don’t touch her again. Keep your distance and I won’t say anything to Devin.”

Anna’s mouth dropped open and she stared up at Peter. He wouldn’t tell Devin?

Aaron clenched his jaw. “Don’t punish her. She didn’t start it. I did.”

Peter gave a stiff nod and looked down at Anna. “Get dressed.”

She quickly pulled on her tights and leotard, watching Peter as she did so.

“And pull your bun out,” Peter barked. “You look like you’ve been fucking on a couch.”

Anna undid the pins holding her hair in place and brushed her hair out with her fingers. She resisted stepping away as Peter stepped closer, gently brushing his fingers over her bruised cheek. She flinched at his touch.

“What happened?”

She looked at the floor. “Devin was angry that I had upset you yesterday. I... needed a reminder to be grateful that you’re in my life.”

“Do you see what he does to her?” Aaron growled. “This is nothing compared to the things I’ve seen.”

Peter held up his hand to Aaron and then looked at him, not unkindly. “Keep your distance.” He gave a single nod to Aaron, almost a nod of respect, then took Anna’s hand and led her out of Aaron’s dressing room. “Why were you in Aaron’s dressing room? I didn’t see you during rehearsal.”

“Isaak sent me in there to sleep. I... didn’t sleep last night and he knew it.”

“Why didn’t you sleep?”

“Because Devin came over.”

“All night?”

She shook her head. “But the injection didn’t wear off until I got here this morning and I couldn’t sleep.”

“Injection?”

Anna shrugged. “He calls it nerve juice. It... makes the lightest touch feel like razor blades.” She shivered. “I-I’m sorry I angered you yesterday. I think the apartment is very nice.”

He stopped and stared at her. “He really hurt you because of me?”

She forced a smile. “It’s okay. I can handle it.”

Peter’s brows twitched again. “You should go warm up. I’ll see you later.” He turned and walked away.