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“‘M ‘orry ‘asser,” he mumbled.
“Did you just call me Master?” Jagger asked after a moment.
Luke nodded.
Jagger pulled his boot away, and for a moment, Luke thought that was a total rejection, but his owner kneeled and made him straighten up. He reached behind Luke to unbuckle the gag.
“What do you want to say to me?”
Luke licked his lips before the words poured out. “Please don’t get rid of me, Master. I’m sorry, and I’ll do anything for you. Anything at-”
“It’s not just you doing everything I say. I could force you to obey anything.”
Luke took a deep breath as he tried to think of how to better word things. “I’ll try to focus on pleasing you and nothing else when I’m serving you, Master.” He figured he better be honest. “I don’t know if I can truly enjoy public sex the way you do, but I’ll do my absolute best to focus on you. I’ll put your wants before mine, and I won't complain. I promise, Master. Please don’t get rid of me.”
Jagger’s face blurred from the tears in Luke’s eyes. What if that still wasn’t enough, and he’d already made his choice?
“I knew that last little bit of pride and defiance in you could be worked out, and I wasn’t planning on getting rid of you,” said Jagger. “You must obey me so we can both follow the system. I’ve been here for a long time, and you know that, right?”
“Yes, Master.”
“In the beginning, my kinks and idea of fun became clear pretty fast since I had a pet who loved doing just about everything, and he thought wagers were fun too. It’s fine if a guard doesn’t like an activity, but if he suddenly dislikes it after more than a decade while having a pet, and it’s obvious he’s putting the pet’s wants first, he might not be looked upon too kindly. After this long, they’d know I’m doing it becauseyoudon’t like it. You thought I could pretend to dislike public sex and wagers, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Master.”
“I can get away with some things, but not everything,” said Jagger. “A guard can show some mercy and kindness, but if he treats his prisoner like it’s a real relationship in front of others, it can be a little suspect. There have been a couple that tried to help their slaves escape.”
Luke hadn’t thought about that. A missing criminal would be pretty obvious, and his owner might be the first suspect. The other guards might start thinking about how he had acted toward his slave and grow suspicious.
“I will not do that or risk my own freedom, and I won't do anything to potentially make others suspicious. Got it?” After a nod from Luke, Jagger continued. “That’s partly why you must be obedient and focus on me.Pretendingto put my wants first isn’t enough. If you get cranky one day and go through the motions, and then you snap at me or act up, it shows you’re not fully compliant, and everyone would expect me to whip you. If you still act up and get sour over it, everyone would wonder why I bother keeping you, and the guards never like to see a prisoner with too much pride. That’s why I’ve punished you so harshly to get out that last bit of defiance.”
“People can’t change over the years, Master?” asked Luke. “I’m not complaining. I’m just asking.”
Jagger tilted his head. “Yes, in some ways, but a guard better not be changing to accommodate a prisoner. At the moment, it’s your side and my side. Even if our sides mingle, and mercy might be shown in various circumstances, and both even work together like when they make meals, your side is considered overall to be lesser. Prison and the mines aren't like the general world, or at least not here."
Jagger had been protecting him, and honestly, he was right. Going through the motions wasn't enough. If Luke let his annoyance and dislike fester, he might speak out again, and in front of others, that could be dangerous in the long run. If he didn’t like something, he could still make his owner happy and make that his focal point.
"Do you want to ride on the horse with me for a bit?” asked Jagger.
“Yes, Master.” Luke hadn’t dared to hope for that. “Isn’t that too kind?”
“I’ll say you’ve cramped your leg quite badly. Remember, I can show some mercy, and occasionally, a guard might let his pet ride with him although I really shouldn’t be rewarding you at all in their eyes right after punishment. Don’t expect that privilege too much.”
Jagger removed the bar and attached it to the saddle so he didn’t have to carry it. His horse was mostly blocking them from view of the group that had gotten quite far ahead, but Luke was surprised when Jagger pulled him into a hug. He wasn’t too clean and likely didn’t smell that pleasant, but Jagger didn’t seem to care.
“You can sleep properly tonight and have a real meal.”
“Thank you, Master.” Luke squeezed his torso. Thank Elira he hadn’t lost this. In fact, the affection and kind touches would probably help through his sentence just as much as the protection. His Master wasn’t easy to please, but when he was soft, that made it all more than worth it. “I can still call you that, right?”
“It’s fine. The others will think I broke you down quite a lot, and it’s a title of absolute respect." He took Luke’s shoulder to look at him. "Even if I did get out that last bit of defiance, you don't have to call me that. Sir works. You're still a man, not a dog or an object, and I don’t view you as lesser. Prison isn't forever, and I want you to be okay on your own later."
"I will, but I want to call you Master."
"All right. Drink some of my water, and we’ll catch up.”
Luke got to sit side saddle on the horse in front of Jagger as they made their way back to the group. The courser had to hustle, but soon enough, Jagger was at his usual position.
Luke leaned on his chest as his eyes drooped. His arms were still sore, but the bar being gone was a relief, and he figured he might be allowed to sleep.
