Chapter 780: Chapter 780 - Controlling fear*
"Hngh," Emily moaned pleasurably when he pulled on her nipple, a grin on her lips. She arched her back a little upward to follow his movement. "T— That’s not a bad idea, Master... I think your disobedient wife might need some discipline~"
"Heh, good girl," Erik chuckled, gently caressing her hair with his other hand. "So, we have three things to do: talk, put your gift on you, and finally discipline you into following my orders like a good little slave-wife."
"I vote we skip the first part," Emily smirked, panting lightly from lust.
Erik cocked a domineering eyebrow and pinched her pink bud harder. "When did I give the impression this marriage was a democracy?"
"A— Ah! N— Never, Master! I’m sorry!" Emily cried out, her body twitching, her fists balling, seemingly giving in out of pain, yet grinning from ear to ear.
Of course, that wasn’t entirely true. Erik would never dismiss any of his wives’ votes, opinions, or thoughts... but who cared about that now?
With her submission, Erik released her again. "Good girl," he grinned, his finger now gently circling around the rose bud. This sensation felt both pleasurably and threatening in a way that sent a shiver down Emily’s spine. "Here’s wha—"
Before he could finish, Emily interrupted him by surging up from his lap and kissing his lips with surprising gentility. Though a little surprised, Erik quickly started responding in kind. Unlike the possessive, dominant kiss Erik stole before, this one was gentle and slow. It was a lover’s kiss, rather than one between master and slave.
When they finally separated, Emily kept her face close to his—almost nose to nose, and whispered, "I love you, Erik..."
Despite being surprised a second time, Erik didn’t let that stop from responding in kind. "I love you, too, my little shadow..." he first whispered gently, before raising an eyebrow after a few seconds of looking into each other’s eyes. "I didn’t think you liked this kind of lovey-dovey stuff."
With the spell broken, Emily sighed and let her head fall back on his lap with a pout. "I don’t! Usually... I just had the urge suddenly..."
Erik smirked sceptically, his hands returning to their respective tasks. "Scared of what I’ll ask?"
His wive immediately glared at him with obvious challenge. "I don’t do fear! Just spit it out, then!"
Smiling gently, Erik caressed her hair and finally revealed his plan. "I need you to go to Azania with Nobuntu... on your own."
Emily’s body snapped upward with wide eyes. "What?!" she cried out in shock.
Sighing wryly, Erik continued...
***
Half an hour later, he’d told her everything, but Emily was still glaring angrily at him, now sitting on the bed about a step away from him.
Yet, Erik could see through the anger, to the fear underneath.
"You’re going to be fine," Erik assured her.
"Y— You don’t know that!" Emily snarled back, her voice quivering a little. "You— You know you’re the only one who can pull me out of my little episodes! What if I— What if I go crazy and screw everything up?!"
With a sigh, lightning flashed, Erik moved faster than Emily’s eye could follow, and suddenly she was in his arms, her back pressed against his chest. She yelped, but Erik wasted now time to whisper in her ear. "You’ve been training with Elora, haven’t you? You’re already not the same person you were when we fought Edda..."
Just as they’d talked about at the end of that battle, Erik and Elora—though mainly the latter—had been spending more time teaching Emily how to resist what little corruption was permanently a part of her, as well as the corrupted core she possessed.
Elora’s estimation was that Emily would be fine on her own for a while. In fact, without any of Emily’s main triggers—her loved ones—around, it might even be easier for her. Naturally, Erik trusted Elora’s judgement.
"I— It’s not enough..." Emily whispered fearfully, her body shaking a little.
Erik sighed inwardly. ’Doing this might actually be good for her confidence, besides fulfilling my plans...’
To anyone else, Emily and her sadistic methods were a beacon of confidence, but Erik and the others knew the truth: it was all build on the foundation that was Erik. Her confidence wasn’t faked, at least not exactly, but it depended on Erik being near to stop her if she got a little carried away.
Knowing words would never be enough, Erik decided to move on to something that might.
His hand slipped up her body and harshly clutched her throat, just above her collar. "I guess this is the part where discipline starts," he growled aggressively in her ear. "When I’m done with you, you won’t just forget disobedience, you’ll simply find it impossible to lose yourself, for fear of failing me."
Instantly, the instincts Erik had ingrained in her activated and some of her fear made way for submissive lust as her eyes glazed over a little. "You’ll need... to do... a really good job... Master..." she muttered hazily, some of her breath stolen.
Smirking, Erik slapped one of her breasts and harshly pulled her hard nipple.
"A— Ah!" Emily cried out, her body tensing and shaking from the thing she loved both by nature and training: painful domination.
"Think I’m not up to the task?" he growled in her ear, repeating his actions. "Fortunately, I have just the thing I need to remind you who you belong to. Now, and when you’re in Azania."
A flash passed through Emily’s eyes when she was reminded of her wedding gift to him. "Y— Yes!" she panted with increasing excitement. "M— Mark my body m— more, Master! Your marks will... give me... the strength I need...!"
"You really are incorrigible, you little slut," Erik smirked. "Just this little makes you forget about your fears already?"
"R— Respectfully, Master... Shut up!" Emily panted and growled.
"Oh, now you’ve really earned your punishment!" Erik grinned, pushing Emily of his lap and to the floor.
His masochist wife barely skipped a beat. By the time she hit the floor, she was already in position—kneeling between his legs, hands behind her head, breasts pushed forward and looking at him with a challenging gaze.
At the same time, Erik waved his hand and produced two pieces of jewellery... the same ones Emily had given him on their wedding day.