I crouched down beside Sheila and began to release the cuff from Jane's bare ankle.

"Please." Sheila whispered.

I looked at her. Taking my lack of admonishment as a sign to continue, Sheila begged. "Please. She's hurt. Let her down. I know how much it hurts. Her arms hurt. She. She told me."

Jane shot a look at Sheila through her tears. Probably not wanting me to know how much she hurt.

I didn't answer Sheila and lifted her to her bare feet. I gently handcuffed her hands behind her back which she didn't protest.

"Sheila, honey. I need to talk to Jane. Will you go into the master bedroom with the others?"

"Will you let her down?"

"I'm going to let her down soon."

Sheila nodded, tears filling her eyes at her helplessness and she padded quietly towards the open door. I watched her as she moved into the hallway, and towards the other side. She'd have some trouble with the doork.n.o.bs with her hands cuffed behind her, but she'd manage. If not, she'd be smart enough to kneel in the hallway and not return until I asked her back.

I settled myself into the leather chair and gazed at the half dressed, crying girl in the middle of the room. I couldn't help but notice the contrast. Her having nothing and me comfortable with everything I ever wanted. Almost everything.

I mentally marked the timeline as I sat. I felt a brief crawling sensation in my mind as I did, but nothing serious. I didn't black out again.

"Janey?"

"Oh G.o.d. Please let me go. My arms. Hurt."

"I know, baby. I know."

"I didn't do anything to deserve this. Please. I'll do whatever you want from me."

"Will you kneel and listen to me?"

She managed to raise her head and look at me, incredulous that I'd even asked.

"You can tie me on my knees for all I care. Just let me down. I'll do whatever you want. You don't have to hurt me to have me."

I rose slowly from the chair and approached her. She watched, apprehension filling her face. She had no idea if I was going to punish her before letting her down or not.

I knelt in front of her, looking up into her teary face. Still looking into her eyes, I ran my fingers softly up under her dress, stroking her soft skin. Relishing her feel. I touched between her legs. Sopping wet. Her eyes were still glued to mine as she squirmed in her restraints, knowing that her body was betraying her again.

I rose, carefully untying the tether from the chain between her wrists. With a gasp the girl fell to her knees as soon as the support of the rope fell away. Her arms audibly smacked against her back. She was breathing hard and her eyes teared from relief. I knelt behind her and gently ma.s.saged her upper arms and shoulders. She moaned at the unexpected kindness. After ten or so minutes of that I crawled around front of her and adjusted her dress over her exposed b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She looked stunning kneeling there in her evening wear, tears still slowly dripping from her eyes.

"You didn't need to do that," she spoke quietly. "I. I appreciate it, but I know you didn't have to. Thank-you."

I didn't know if she was talking about the ma.s.sage, or the dress.

"Janey. Sweetheart. I have to let you go."

"You just did."

"No. I have to let you all go."

My eyes began to tear, but I forced the wetness from my eyes. She was quick, probably the most perceptive of any of the girls.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"I was playing, and I blacked out. I. I can't maintain this timeline much longer. It's a symptom of my losing control. If I don't stop this, at some point I'm going to blackout and never wake up. And I have no idea how much danger you or I are in."

She sat back on her heels studying my face. "I wish I could say that I'm sympathetic."

"I know. I don't expect you to be upset or anything. I just thought you should know."

"Why me?"

"Because you might understand. And you were always good to talk to."

"Are you going to tell the others?" She pulled at her bonds again.

"Eventually."

"How long until you black out again?"

"Have no idea. Could be hours. Could be days."

"How much longer are you going to keep us."

"Not much longer."

Her eyes registered her perception. "You are going to have one last fling with us. Aren't you?"

I'd considered that on the way here. I'd decided on something a little different. I slowly shook my head and Jane's eyes betrayed her confusion.

"You aren't going to use us all one last time before you have to let us go?"

"No, sweetheart. I'm going to give you all a choice. To a degree. I'm going to let you all decide if you want anything special before you go. You won't remember it, but you may as well get something you always wanted to do before you go. Doesn't have to be s.e.xual. As long as it doesn't take too long. That's all. You might want to think about it."

"When?"

"When what?"

"When are you going to let us go?"

"By the end of today. Not much choice, I'm afraid."

She lowered her head. When she raised it again, she was fighting off tears. Not sure why.

"Can a slave beg for lunch? Or are you purposely making her wait? She's hungry."

I smiled at her. I wondered what she was going to ask for. This seventeen year old, gorgeous creature kneeling so docile in front of me.

I had her get to her feet, and I released her bonds. She turned on her bare feet rubbing her wrists and biceps.

"How are your b.r.e.a.s.t.s?"

"G.o.d awfully sore. You didn't have to do that to me, you know. Whatever you asked, I would have done. Even this dress hurts now."

"How are the arms?"

"A little better."

"You think you can make lunch?"

"Depends what you want."

"Anything you would normally make."

"I can make sandwiches. Egg salad, or cold meat."

"Whatever strikes your fancy."

"You are really going to let us go?"

I nodded slowly. Not wanting to.

"I know what I want." And with those words she bent down quickly and kissed my forehead. In a whirl of black fabric, she turned on her feet and hurried to make some lunch for everyone, I could hear her bare feet whispering down the hallway and down the stairs.

I slowly rose to my feet and followed her but only as far as the master bedroom. I hesitated, but forced myself to turn the k.n.o.b. I entered the room, glancing around. Sheila was kneeling in the center of the room, her bare body still on display. Idly, I wondered how much trouble she'd had with the doork.n.o.b with her hands bound behind her back. Amy was still tied into her chair, squirming slightly. Christi lay quietly on the bed looking at me. And Elizabeth remained exhausted, sitting at the end of the bed, arms outstretched, vulnerable.

I made my way over to Amy's chair and knelt in front of her. I slowly ran my fingers up her calf and across her smooth thigh. She shivered, but didn't protest. She began to say something, probably wanting to beg again for her release, but then remembered her orders to keep quiet. She knew about gags and really didn't want another. She remained silent. I waited for a few minutes there, just enjoying the sight of her, and finally began to unknot the ropes holding her bare ankles. She sat still, breathing easier as she realized that she was getting a measure of freedom. After a few minutes, her limbs were free of the chair. She still sat quietly, not sure of my intentions. She was shaking a little.

I picked up a stray pair of handcuffs from the pack and motioned for her to come to me. She stiffly managed to rise out of the chair. She began to walk towards the bed where I stood, but realized that she hadn't been told how to move. Closing her eyes, she opted for safety and fell to her knees. She awkwardly shuffled towards me on her bare knees, finally ending up at my feet. She bowed her head.

"Turn around," I spoke gently to her. "Hold your hands behind you."

She looked up at me, tears forming in her eyes. She had done everything I wanted, including being bound to a chair for hours suffering female attentions. Rightly, she didn't deserve to be bound, and she knew it. She hadn't been free of restraints for a long time. But I had my reasons.

"It's not punishment, Amy. You've been a good girl," I tried to rea.s.sure her.

She looked up at me, begging with her eyes, silently asking why. I couldn't give her an answer. Not yet. Not getting a response, she resigned herself and turned slowly on her knees, her wrists held behind her bare back.

I bent and slipped the steel around her wrists, being careful not to tighten them into her skin.

"Go kneel with Sheila. Okay?"

Amy nodded silently, and began her slow journey to Sheila on her knees. I rose and walked over to where Elizabeth sat slumped at the foot of the bed.

I crouched in front of her. Her breathing was regular, her eyes closed. Her legs were drawn up, trying to make herself more comfortable on the floor. Her wrists were hanging loosely in the cuffs.

I touched her shoulder gently, whispering to her.

"Elizabeth? Sweetheart?"

The girl awoke with a start, but she wasn't as disoriented as I'd feared she might be. She pulled once at her restraints and then moaned a bit. She looked up.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Sorry for what?"

"For sleeping," her eyes widened as she realized the rest of the room was quiet except her. Her mind focused and she remembered her orders to be quiet. The girls were taking me seriously today. I couldn't blame them. "And for talking, just now. I'll be quiet."

"It's alright. You can talk. Just not loudly. I'm going to let you go from there, alright? I'm going to handcuff you like Amy and Sheila."

She numbly nodded, not even being fully awake yet. She didn't have much choice in how free or not free her body was anyway.

I reached up and stroked the soft skin of her face. I let my finger trace over her jaw and down her throat. I traced down between her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and touched her belly. She shivered, but didn't protest the touches of her skin. She had been through a lot worse.

I reached up and released her left wrist from the cuff holding her. She pulled the hand in, and gently held it on her thigh. I released her right wrist by releasing the cuff attached to the bedpost. She just looked at me and spoke, "Front, or back?"

She was clearly hoping for front, but I had to disappoint her. "Back," I told her. Her eyes registered a bit of disappointment, but she squirmed her bare body around, reaching her knees. Mimicking Amy and Sheila, she held her wrists behind her and allowed me to attach them together with the chain. She pulled idly at her bonds, but satisfied with her helplessness, she turned herself back around to face me.

I gently kissed her cheek, which she again allowed without complaint.

"Jane's making some lunch and you're probably hungry. All of you. Head down. And you can talk between you. Tell Jane that she can talk to you as well. Alright?"

The faces around me brightened a bit, as they didn't have to worry about keeping quiet. All four began to rise to their feet, struggling against their restraints.

I rose, seeing that Christi had managed to rise to a sitting position on the bed. She was swinging her bare legs off the bed.

"Except you, Christi," I spoke gently to her. She looked up at me questioningly, but stopped her movements obediently.

She braved speaking.

"Please. I'm hungry too." She had made her voice purposely pitiful, like a hungry child being denied food. Perhaps she actually felt that way. And it tore at me. The vixen.

"I'm not punishing you. You'll get to eat, in a moment. I promise."

Her face brightened a bit at the promise and she slowly lay herself back onto the bed, wistfully watching the other three girls exit the room. The door closed quietly behind the retreating beauties.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at this woman that I knew so well. Her blonde hair cascaded over her bare shoulders. Her arms looked uncomfortable held behind her, but she wasn't complaining. Her full lips were slightly parted, her breath coming in short bursts. She stared back at me, not angry, not upset, not in accusation. None of the things she should have been feeling as I watched her. This beautiful creature that I had possessed for what seemed like forever. I idly wondered what she'd want before she left. If anything.

I silently motioned for her to sit up. She struggled with it, her abdomen straining with the awkward sit up that I'd demanded of her.

"What's the matter?" she whispered.

I couldn't tell her yet. "In time. I'll tell you."

"Something is the matter, then. I could feel it," her shoulders shook a bit as she craned her neck to try and look at me. My fingers fumbled at the knots holding the rope around her wrists.

"Is it me?" she asked tremulously. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry."