Six

How many?" his voice was lower than usual.

I guess he was trying to count the lashes.

My eyes looked to the floor, searching for the answer.

"I don't know," I whispered, having to replay that memory, "I lost count after 11."

Masters jaw clenched as he thought over my words.

Finally, he scooped some of the substance onto his fingers.

"This might sting a little." He said.

Little was an understatement.

I had to stop myself from jumping away because it felt like he just pressed a hot rod against my skin.

I held back the whines that wanted so badly to exit my throat, clenching my shirt in my hands.

Instead, I let out a long hiss as I took on the pain.

His fingers traced along my back, going over every injury with careful precision.

I let out a sigh as I felt his hand leave my skin.

The pain was starting to subside, being replaced by a cooling feeling.

My body was only able to relax for a second before I felt his fingers trace along my neck, covering the area where my old collar was with the same substance.

Instead of stinging, it just oddly tingled, which I was very happy about.

He saved me the embarrassment of me turning around and just reached around to get the front of my neck.

"Better?" He asked, closing the container and standing back up.

I bowed my head slightly.

"Yes, Thank you," I said only loud enough.

He nodded in response before heading into the bathroom.

I still didn't get it, though.

"Richard?" I said a bit louder as he entered back into the room, the substance no longer in sight.

He turned his head a bit, showing that he was listening.

I cleared my throat softly, preparing myself to ask the question.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked nervously.

When I imagined being a pet back in the shop, it was never like this. It never involved the master tending to my wounds.

It was a lot more beating, yelling, and whipping. Then again, I've only been here for a couple hours.

But still.

Master only glanced at me before beginning to walk over to his supposed closet.

"Like I said," He spoke, opening the door and taking a couple steps in, "I like my things to be intact."

I tilted my head, trying to understand what he meant by that.

I remember him saying that at the pet shop too.

I guess he just doesn't want to own something that's broken.

So he could break it himself.

A shudder ran up my spine.

He walked out of the closet, looking in my direction.

"You're tired right?" He asked.

I hesitated before nodding.

Exhausted actually.

Being whipped tends to make it a bit difficult to fall asleep, and of course, my nightmares.

Right... those... I hope he'll take lightly to them.

He cut me out of my thoughts as he began walking towards me with a dark blue shirt in his hands.

I skeptically grabbed it as he handed it to me, my other arm still holding my shirt against my chest.

"Go ahead and sleep in this, just set your other clothes by my desk." He said before walking back over to the box.

I did, as soon as his back was towards me, putting on the shirt and slipping off the jeans, all without the intense pain in my back.

The fabric was soft and cool on my skin.

The shirt was pretty big on me judging by how it almost reached my knees, then again, I was pretty short.

It must be his judging by the fact that it smelled like him.

I sighed as I made my way over to his desk, setting my neatly folded clothes down beside it.

I turned just as he pulled a pillow and a folded blanket out of the box, glaring at whatever was at the bottom of it.

He sighed, obviously annoyed.

"Here, come take this," he said, still glaring at the bottom of the box.

I hastily made my way over there, not wanting to make him even angrier than whatever was in the box was, and took the pillow and blanket.

The blanket was so soft, and its been so long since I've actually had one when I slept.

"Just set it up wherever you want to sleep." He said.

wait... what?

He ran his hand through his hair with another annoyed sigh as he pulled a large stack of papers out of the box.

My eyes scanned the room, following Masters orders. I paused once I fix my gaze on the cage.

"Except there," Master added.

I looked back at him in confusion.

"Just, sleep on one of the couches or something."He said before collapsing into the desk chair, still looking over the papers.

He looked stressed.

I still didn't understand but did what I was told.

Making him even more stressed could lead to a bad time for me, and plus, I wasn't going to give up the opportunity to not sleep in a cage

No matter how weird it may be, I was beyond happy to be sleeping on a couch.

I set the fluffy pillow onto the couch that faced Masters bed before letting my body melt onto the soft cushions.

It had been ages since I'd felt these many comfortable things instead of a cold metal cage bottom.

Though, I knew I couldn't get too comfortable.

"Oh yeah, Ann." He spoke again, causing me to jump.

I turned to him as he took something out of his pocket and tossed it to me.

I instinctively flinched away, letting it land on the couch beside me.

It was the apple from his meal before.

I picked it up, eyeing it questionably.

"You didn't finish your dinner and I saw you staring at it a couple times," Master said, still staring at his papers, a pen now twirling in his hand, "I don't really care for apples, and plus, you look like you need it."

I blinked at him before shifting my gaze down to the fruit in my hand.

My mouth was already watering.

"T-thank you." I stuttered out.

He hummed a small reply before turning the chair so that it was facing the table.

I didn't hesitate, biting down into the juicy fruit.

A smile reached my face as the familiar taste reached my tongue for the first time in forever.

Even though this whole thing was making me skeptically nervous, I was happy to have been given this.

I hurried and finished it off, discarding the core into the wastebasket by the coffee table.

For the first time in years, I actually felt like I had gotten enough to eat.

I curled into the warm blanket as I set my head on the pillow, laying on my aid the discomfort in my back.