Clara woke the next day feeling surprisingly refreshed considering how she'd spent the last several days. After rising, she put on the short red dress Damien had laid out for her and left the opulent bedroom. Jarod greeted her once more.

"M'lady," he inclined his head to her.

"Jarod, what a pleasant surprise. Glad to see you again." Clara smiled warmly at him and they started down the hall. She didn't even ask him where they were going. The response wouldn't matter anyways. To pass the time instead, she studied his profile. He was once more in his human form. Were she a more articulate judge she might have been able to find the right words to describe him, but she lacked the talent to do him justice. Instead, she remained companionably silent as he led the way.

They rounded the next corner, and Clara nearly screamed when they almost collided with another demon. Unlike Jarod, it was obvious this one wasn't human. His attempts to hide his demon form had created a monstrous fusion of man and beast. Startled and off balance, Clara reached out to steady herself on Jarod's arm. He jumped back as if she might burn him, a look of utter terror on his face. Lacking the stability she'd counted on, Clara fell to her knees and pushed herself back up quickly. The demon who'd scared her hurried past, edging along the wall till he'd reached the other side and then sprinting away. Jarod put a hand to his racing heart and looked down at her sympathetically.

"I apologize, m'lady. If I were to have steadied you, the consequences do not bear thinking on." He shuddered involuntarily and studied her to make sure she hadn't been harmed in her fall.

"It's fine, Jarod. I'm sorry, I just forgot about the touching thing. That other guy scared the shit out of me."

"Understandably, m'lady. If you wish him punished, I'm certain you need only mention the incident to His Majesty and have him...taken care of." Jarod shifted uncomfortably and looked away. It was obvious the very thought of what would happen made him ill.

Clara smiled and had to stop herself from putting a hand on his arm.

"A little scare isn't going to make me damn some poor demon to eternal torment." She brushed off her knees and saw Jarod relax.

"Let me express my gratitude to you on his behalf then, m'lady."

They stopped outside yet another ornate door. This time, Jarod's smile wasn't quite as concerned as his smile two days before had been. Had he known what was waiting for her in the atrium? Had he known what Damien had in store for her? And if he had, was his more easy smile now a sign that whatever awaited her tonight would be easier to bear?

Unable to stand the uncertainty, Clara went through the door and found herself in the dark, blank room where she'd first met Damien. Surprised, she stepped back. Instead of bumping into the door like she expected, she stumbled into empty space. She turned and found the door had disappeared.

Hearing a noise, she whirled back around and nearly collided with Damien. He caught her against his chest to prevent her from falling. Clara's breath hitched as she stared up into his black eyes.

Having been startled twice in a row, she felt off balance and strained. Despite how firm and warm his chest felt, how secure she felt in his arms, Clara met Damien's smirk with a scowl.

"Why aren't any of the demons allowed to touch me?" The question came out like a demand. Like an accusation.

Damien's smirk melted away, his onyx eyes glittering coldly. "Has one of them laid a hand on you?" Razor sharp fangs snapped and fire filled his tone.

Instantly chilled to the bone, Clara tried to push away from his chest, but Damien held her tightly.

"No! No, of course not. I just want to know why!" She was still pressing him back and now he let her put a fraction of an inch between them.

An easy smile crossed his face, confident and almost amused. "You are mine Clara. I don't want anyone else playing with my toys."

He'd told her she was his before. He'd referred to her as his toy before. So why did the references make her so angry now? Her temper flared and she pushed against his chest once more, harder, this time breaking away from his hold entirely. Courage she didn't have a right to feel sparked within her and put ice in her voice when she spoke.

"I don't belong to anyone," she snapped. "I'm not a toy!"

"Temper temper, Clara," Damien tsked patiently. Were she a demon, he imagined she would be shooting flames the color of her dress. The idea appealed to him sexually and he took a step toward her to pull her to him. When his hand closed on her arm, she jerked it away. Now the amusement turned to anger. "You belong to me, pet," he said darkly. "I can do with you what I wish. Anything I want. Be grateful that I am not inclined to share."

"You wouldn't," Clara said confidently. He'd gone to all the trouble of threatening his servants against even laying one finger on her. He wouldn't share her.

"Wouldn't I?" He wrapped his fingers tightly around her arm and jerked her against him sharply. Her breath left in a rush and the first icy fingers of fear settled around Clara's heart. Damien glared down at her, looking every inch the devil he was. "Wouldn't I?" he repeated, this time his words a whisper that was somehow even more chilling. Those black eyes studied her slowly.

Damien let the wrath and outrage course through him. He was no stranger to them. He was the very Prince of them. As he embraced the anger, he realized that his earlier decision to take a few main taboos out of his plan had been stupid. Why let his selfishness and possessiveness rob him of three beautifully sinful carnal delights?

He pushed her away from him and watched coldly as she stumbled back. He snapped his fingers and a light appeared over them, illuminating them. "I had intended something else for tonight's pleasures, Clara, but you've changed my mind. I hope you slept well last night, pet. You won't be sleeping for another three nights by my estimation."

He smiled cruelly at her and raised his voice. "Servants! Your Prince summons you!" Before the deep echo died away, thousands of demons appeared in the endless darkness. With a snap of his fingers, seats arranged like an arena appeared as well. Thousands more demons began to flash into the room. The rasp of their voices became a deafening din. "Silence! Be seated, demons. Tonight, we feast in sin!"

As one, the demons fell silent and found seats. With the light illuminating just them, Clara could only see the demon's eyes glinting in the darkness but she knew they could see her perfectly. She stayed frozen in place, terrified of what Damien had planned.

Once the commotion had stopped, Damien turned back to her. "Now then, my pet. Let me show you to whom you belong. Let me show you how absolute my dominion over you is. You are mine. And soon you'll know that without a doubt." He reached up and tore at her dress, his immeasurable strength shredding the material.

Clara shrieked and tried to grasp at the tattered ends of the crimson dress. Damien only laughed and ripped them out of her hold. Wearing nothing beneath, she was now totally naked in the center of the circle of light. Instinctively, her hands went to cover her breasts and sex. A flush of humiliation shaded her cheeks scarlet. Her head bent and her long dark hair fell like a curtain around her face.

Damien was at her side again in two long strides. He pulled her hair back in his fist and wrenched both of her arms behind her back. Now, she was totally bare to the thousands of eyes staring at her from the darkness. Damien pulled her wrists back further, arching her back and making her breasts push forward. A sob caught in her throat and she closed her eyes.  

She should hate this.  Should hate him.  So why was her clit throbbing?  Why were her limbs shaking, not with fear, but with anticipation?

"Already so scared, little one?" Damien mocked in her ear. He could feel her pulse racing, her body trembling. "We've only just begun."

"P-please," she stammered.

"Please what, pet?"

"Please don't-" She shuddered and tried to stifle her tears.

Damien only laughed. "But you have a lesson to learn, Clara. You are mine. I can do with you whatever I please. I can give you to whoever I want. Your sole purpose is to please me, in any way I demand. You are a toy, nothing more." 

Clara shuddered again, squeezing her eyes shut as though that would block out the fact that his words had left her wet and wanting.

He led her forward to a bench, released her wrists, and pushed her down to her hands and knees on it. She tried to turn over, but he caught her shoulders and pinned them, forcing her ass up lewdly. When her legs kicked out, he blanketed her body with his own, letting his weight hold her down. He summoned a restraint and tied her hands over her head, then quickly stripped his clothes off. Naked, he loomed over her and watched her struggle.

Lust beat a tattoo in his veins as his eyes roved over her naked body, knowing thousands of other eyes were doing the same. He gripped his cock and rubbed it against the opening of her sex.  It was slick and hot, just as he'd known it would be. She squirmed away but couldn't move beyond his reach. With the head of his cock pressed against her, they could both hear the collective intake of breath from the crowd.

"Let's not disappoint your admirers, Clara. Scream for me." Before Clara could vow to herself to remain silent, Damien thrust into her. The scream was ripped from her throat as his cock slammed deep inside, his thickness and length almost more than she could bear. She hadn't even had time to catch her breath before he pulled back and thrust forward again. He started fucking her hard, moving roughly within her. The howls and screeches of delight from the crowd filled her ears, making hot tears of shame fall down her cheeks even while she moaned wantonly.

He rode her endlessly, stretching out the event as long as possible. His body never tired, never wore out. With limitless energy and power he continued to thrust into her until she went limp and could only accept him. Then he snaked a hand down between them and started to stroke her clit. She gasped and the movement sent shockwaves of pleasure along his cock. With each small circle his fingers made on her, her muscles gripped him tighter.

Clara tried to fight it, almost unable to bear the indignity of being made to orgasm in front of others, but he was relentless. Finally, her body fractured, spasming and clenching around him. Damien fucked her brutally through her orgasm, driving her higher until her screams echoed through the endless room.

When she finally went limp again, he withdrew and shifted her unresisting body. When he had her bent over the bench, he thrust into her once more. The roar of applause from the demons only got louder as he continued fucking her. He repeated the process, taking her long and hard before forcing her to orgasm.

Finally, he let himself climax. As he did, he fisted his hand in Clara's hair and pulled her head back.

"Look out at them, pet. Let them see your eyes as I come in you." Against her will, Clara's eyes opened and she saw thousands of demon eyes staring back at her hungrily. More tears fell down her cheeks, even as her body shuddered in pleasure. Damien growled. He poured himself into her with a hoarse yell and continued thrusting as he released.