“You thought I was a Broken One—that I enjoyed giving pain,” he said grimly. “But it isn’t true, I swear it. Now, will you please let me put this salve on you where I hurt you? I know you must be in pain.”
“I…I am,” she admitted. “All right. You…you can put it on me…Master.”
His gaze softened.
“You still want to call me that? Even after what I did to you?”
“Now that I understand, yes,” Selena whispered. “You saved me—you did what any good Master would do—you stood between me and a much worse punishment than the one you gave me.”
“It was all I could do,” he said simply, stroking her cheek. “And now all I want to do is heal you.”
Selena nodded. “All right.”
“Good.” Leaning forward, he kissed her tenderly on one tearstained cheek. Then he took the damp rag and gently washed her face. It felt good against her flushed cheeks and her eyes, swollen from crying. “I’m so sorry I made you cry, little one,” he murmured softly. “Let me make it up to you.”
“Yes, Master.” Selena nodded and shifted around on the bed, wincing as she did so, because of the sharp pain in her pussy and ass.
Valen got up and came to sit beside her again.
“Lay across my lap,” he told her. “It’ll be easier to reach you that way.”
Obediently, Selena did as he said. She was still wearing only the diamond and ruby breast harness and the teardrop ruby nipple weights attached to their springs. Her tight pink peaks rubbed against the big Kindred’s thighs as she moved to get into position on his lap, sending sparks of sensation down her spine.
“Good.” Valen rubbed her back soothingly with one large hand. “My, my—your soft little ass really is the color of a sunset. Let’s tend to that first, shall we?”
Selena nodded. She would rather him deal with that part of her anatomy first—she honestly didn’t know if she could stand to have anything touching her pussy, which was extremely sensitive and painful when she moved even a little.
“Gently, now,” Valen murmured and scooped some of the pale blue salve out of the little silver pot he’d brought.
Selena tensed as his big hand connected with her ass, but then she sighed in relief as the big Kindred rubbed the salve carefully into her stinging flesh.
The blue salve was wonderfully cool and soothing to her hot skin and Valen was as gentle now as he had been rough while he was spanking her. His long fingers explored her tenderly, making certain to rub the healing ointment everywhere he had struck her before. A cool tingling followed wherever he touched her, making Selena feel a hundred times better.
Well, until she moved, anyway. When she did, a strangled little gasp came from her lips. Her ass felt much better now, but her pussy was still extremely swollen and painful.
Valen seemed to understand the problem.
“It’s your soft little pussy, isn’t it?” he murmured. “Gods, I’m so sorry, little one. The fucking Ma’shorkans and their inhumane punishments! I didn’t want to have to use that Goddess-damned pussy paddle on you!”
“It’s all right,” Selena whispered, looking up at him. “I…I’d rather have my pussy paddled than spend ‘a thousand lifetimes’ in a Ma’shorkan prison any day.”
He scowled.
“Just the same, that shouldn’t have been the choice. No female should be hit in such a sensitive area.” He shook his head, his face a mask of regret. “Do you think you can spread your legs and let me put the healing salve on you there, too?”
“I think so. Only please—be careful. It’s really sore,” Selena told him.
“Of course, little one,” Valen murmured. “All right, here we go.”
He reached for more of the pale blue ointment and started to smooth it over her pussy mound.
But the minute his finger made contact with the stinging, swollen skin, Selena hissed through her teeth and jerked away reflexively. She couldn’t help herself—it simply hurt too much.
Valen frowned.
“You’re that sensitive, hmm?”
“I’m afraid so.” She nodded, trying to hold back tears of pain. “But…but I’ll try to hold still for you, Master. I know you need to heal me.”
“I do. But it doesn’t have to be this way.”
To her surprise, Valen rubbed the cream he’d gathered into the skin of her thigh and then rested his hand on her ass. He squeezed it gently.
“This feels all right, though—doesn’t it? You think you could lie on your back for me, little one?”
“I…I think so,” Selena said, looking at him with wide eyes. “But what are you going to do?”
“Heal you,” he said shortly. “Come on now—onto your back and let your lower legs hang over the side of the bed—I need to be able to reach you.”
“What…how…?” Selena asked breathlessly, but he was already flipping her over onto her back and positioning her so that her calves and feet hung over the side of the bed. Then he took a pillow and dropped it on the floor.