Masters Ring Chapter 40 Timing is the key to many things; striking true, killing quietly, even a successful seduction. I held the wooden sword in both hands while facing my opponent. I was far from the best swordsman in the school, unless the rules were changed to approximate a life and death struggle. In those circumstances, I could take a clean kill and a simultaneous one out of five matches with the master. None of the other students could do as well, which puzzled them. I could have explained, but how do you tell someone that killing will teach you that holding back is a down payment on defeat. I had killed, with gun, knife, and bare hands, so my body did not need my brain to tell it when to strike. Two clean kills to three deaths later, the master bowed respectfully to me. The Brotherhood represented a danger, honing my edge to make me a more dangerous opponent. The master's smile was pleased as he walked away; I would never be his equal without sharpened steel between us, but he felt closer to his ancestors when he faced me. ----- I dumped my training bag on the couch and sat down hard. The living room was full and I could hear more people walking around on the second floor. Janet and Melisa were in the early stages of what promised to be a bloody exchange. Rachel and Doris Alex looked at me asking me to get between the two combatants before they had to clean up the carnage. "Melisa!" I said sharply as she took a deep breath to blast Janet, with a scathing retort, after receiving a particularly nasty insult. "I need your help." Melisa deflated instantly, and dismissed Janet by turning to give me her full attention. Janet seethed, but seemed to console herself with having had the last word. "What do you need, David?" Melisa asked sweetly. "My martial arts school," I said thoughtfully. "I'd like it moved." "You don't own the martial arts school, David," Melisa said reasonably sitting down next to me. "I think the master is feeling financial pressure from the building owners," I told her. "A benefactor that wanted to move the school to a more appropriate location would be welcome." "Why do you want it moved?" she asked. "I like the idea of a more traditional surrounding; a couple of buildings, some gardens," I told her. "The school is the only place I can get away from everyone here." "Do you have some ideas for a location?" she asked. I had plenty of ideas about what I wanted, but giving Melisa large projects with few details kept her too busy to look for new ways to manipulate people around her. I was about to answer when the front door opened. I turned to see who was entering the house, when Malia stumbled and fell into the hallway from the foyer. Michael's laughter penetrated into the house. Malia stood up, faced the front door, and cursed at him. She finished a vicious set of curses, before turning towards the living room. When her eyes met mine, she squeaked out another curse. "You're dressed," Melisa told her. "Michael pushed me," Malia defended immediately. "From the front door, past the foyer, and into the house?" Melisa asked unbelievingly. "I forgot for a second, but I stopped myself before I stepped into the hallway," Malia said quietly. "I was leaning in when Michael bumped me the rest of the way." "It doesn't matter," Melisa said forcefully. "You've been standing INSIDE the house, fully dressed, for at least a minute in direct violation of David's instruction." Stephanie, Nancy and Heather walked down the steps talking, but froze when they saw Malia. "You're not in uniform!" Heather said excitedly to Malia. "Michael pushed me," Malia repeated uselessly. Stephanie's eyes widened and she looked on the edge of panic. I stood up and approached Malia. I looked towards the front door to see Michael leaning against the door frame. "You can say thank you later, David," he crowed. "Why would I say thank you?" I asked him. "Psshuh!" he said with a smirk. "Nobody lays down ultimatums, with spankings as punishment, without expecting to have an aching hand at some point." I nodded slowly; there had been an expectation that Malia would eventually force me to make good on my threat. "Can I watch?" Michael asked me. "You'll have to step into the house to do that," I pointed out. "Malia's still wearing clothing," he said. I shrugged and waited. "Get in uniform, Malia," Michael ordered. "Go fuck yourself!" Malia yelled before stomping angrily into the living room. "Doris Alex? Melisa?" Michael pleaded. "Make her take off her clothes." Janet, Doris Alex, Rachel and Melisa had followed me into the hallway. "I'm supposed to help you when you aided and abetted getting my ass spanked?" Melisa asked tauntingly. "I want to watch," Michael whined. "No," Doris Alex said with finality. "Unless you step into the house, of course. Malia is wearing more than her bathing suit bottoms though, so you'll have to accept the consequences." "Bitches!" Michael mumbled. "But you will," I said looking at Stephanie. "What?" she asked nervously. "Watch," I clarified. "You didn't live in the house when I set the rule of Malia's clothing so I won't spank you. I want you to watch though." I turned to walk into the living room, only to be stopped by Melisa's voice. "Rachel lived here at the time," Melisa said. "She's not..." I started to answer. "You don't make decisions for me, David," Rachel interrupted with. I turned enough to stare into her blue eyes. "Then you can be last," I said with a nod. "Am I exempted?" Nancy asked suddenly. "Don't even try, Nancy," Doris Alex answered for me. --- Stephanie sat nervously in the papa-san chair during the spankings. Malia screamed bloody murder trying to make me go easy on her. Heather enjoyed every second of her spanking, and I had to pry her out of my lap when it was over. Doris Alex was annoyed that she was not last so could not take care of the hard-on spanking the Siblings produced. Nancy was another screamer, but I got the impression she was trying to make sure Doris Alex did not think I had gone easy on her. Janet tried to spank my hand with her ass, rather than the other way around. Melisa criticized my technique trying to make sure Rachel enjoyed her spanking. She offered to take care of my sexual desire so that I would not be distracted with Rachel. I pulled her back over my knee and spanked her again for that comment. "I shouldn't be here for this," Stephanie said standing up from the papa-san chair. "This is between you and Rachel." "There is nothing between Rachel and me," I said softly. "That's what you think," she said. "It's what I know, Stephanie," I replied. "You were willing to let it go, David," she pointed out. "She insisted on being treated the same as everyone else." "She doesn't really know what's she's agreeing to," I said. "None of us know that at the beginning, David," she replied. I shrugged. "Make sure she enjoys it, and she'll never leave your side," Stephanie said walking out of my bedroom. Rachel opened the door and walked barely inside the room. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. We stared at each other for a couple of minutes before she spoke. "What am I supposed to do?" "Your dad never spanked you?" I asked leaning back on the bed. "No," she confessed. "We could just stand here, and say you got what everyone else did," I offered. "I heard some screaming before, and I'm not that good of an actress," she said taking a step towards me. "You don't have to do this, Rachel." "I think a lot of people in your life would think less of you if we didn't," she said seriously. "That's my problem," I told her. "So what do I do?" she asked ignoring my statements. "Just climb onto your lap." She was standing by my right knee. "Something like that," I said. She smiled and folded her body over my legs. Her weight slowly rested on top of me. Her ass was in perfect position for my open hand to be applied to it. "Rachel," I said gently. "What?" she asked turning her head towards me. "Bare bottom." "Oh!" she said breathlessly getting up from my lap. There was a moment of insecurity in her eyes, but I tipped my hand too soon by smiling. "You're trying to force me to change my mind," she accused. "Everyone else got it skin to skin," I said calmly. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other for a few seconds before grabbing her shirt. She pulled it over her head to expose a tight white tank top. "I said bare bottom, Rachel." "The shirt might get in the way," she responded. Her hands dipped under the waist of her sweatpants and she pushed them down slowly. She was not wearing any panties so her natural blondness was evident. Smiling widely, Rachel hopped back into position on my lap. I closed my eyes and thought about not doing anything. I opened them to see her staring at me. "Scared?" she asked with flashing blue eyes. I put my left hand on the small of her back. The tank top had ridden up so my fingertips touched her skin. She shivered and arched her back as my heat mated with hers. I placed my other hand flat on her right ass cheek. She arched even farther as more of my heat penetrated into her body. Her skin was soft and without intending it, my hands moved on her. The fingertips of my left hand trailed a circle on her back; my right hand gripped her ass cheek and then released her. The first spank was light. I did not want to startle her so I lifted my right hand eight inches from her body and brought it down with only a hint of power on her right ass cheek. She gasped and pulled away a little in reaction before her body realized there was more surprise than pain. I rested my hand exactly where it had landed. I raised my left hand so that only two fingernails touched her. I moved those fingers up the line of her back until I touched her tank top, then down until I was at valley of her ass. The second spank was sharp. I brought my right hand up fast and brought it down faster on her left ass cheek. She squirmed at the biting sensation, but stuck her ass out for the next touch. I squeezed her ass cheek to ease some of the sensation. I breathed in a heady mix of nervous sweat and excitement. I palmed her ass cheek in a tight grip and released it. The third spank was in between. I raised my hand and brought it down with my fingers on her right cheek but my palm on her left. She squirmed in my lap as I kept my hand on her body. She tried to rise up but my left hand at the small of her back prevented it. She was not trying to escape, but pulling back from a precipice that surprised both of us with its height. The fourth spank was harder than I meant it to be. My right hand came down on her left cheek and I knew I had gone far. I applied pressure to keep her down as I took a deep breath. I put my hand on the spot I struck and rubbed the pain away. She let out a feminine sound as I brought my left hand to her left ass cheek and squeezed. I kneaded both her ass cheeks as she pressed her stomach against my raging hard-on. The fifth spank made up for the fourth. I used my left hand on her right cheek making sure it was almost gentle. The position made it easier to control the power. Rachel's thighs separated slightly, flooding the air with burgeoning need. I fought back the desire to turn her over, lay her on the bed, and drink the nectar of her desire. The sixth spank was perfect. It landed so that both of her cheeks were touched with an equal amount of force. Her ass came up to meet my hand and she gasped at the feel of us coming together. I left my hand on her and dropped my head. I put my hand on her hip and pushed at her. She turned off my lap and knelt on the floor in front of me. Her blue eyes looked up to meet mine. "That's it?" she asked. The disappointment in her voice almost pushed me over the edge. She stood up slowly, continuing to stare at me. I stood up and only inches separated our lips. "If you kiss me, I'll stay," she whispered. I stared into her eyes for a second before I stepped to the side and walked to put the bed between us. I turned towards the window for a second and took a deep breath. Her face was shocked when I turned back to her. "If you come here, I'll kiss you," I told her. "I don't understand," she said unsurely. "Walk to me, Rachel, and I'll kiss you." "This isn't the time for games, David," she said with an edge to her voice. "I've never played games with you, Rachel," I said. "Why would you think I would start now?" "Then what are you doing?" she asked angrily. "I asked you to kiss me." "You didn't ask me, or tell me to do anything, Rachel," I said. "You said IF I kissed you, you would stay." "What's the difference?" "I've taken every step towards you," I told her. "I can't do that anymore. You have to take at least one step in my direction." "What?" "Come to me, and I'll never let you go." "David, this isn't funny," she said adding desperation to an angry voice. She grabbed her sweatpants and pulled them up. "I'll make it easy for you, Rachel," I said. "Take one step towards me, and it will be enough." "I just fucking let you spank me, asshole!" "That wasn't a step towards me," I said softly. "Then what the fuck was it?" "Following the house rule," I said. "A rule that I set." "Oh, okay!" she said sarcastically. "What would you call what happened between Janet, you and me by the pool?" "The pool was Janet and you; and Janet and me, there was no you and me. You didn't touch me out there. I didn't touch you," I responded. "I would call it revenge against whatever your mother said to you last weekend." She collapsed on the bed looking at the floor. I waited for her to recover. "Why can't you just kiss me?" she asked tiredly. "Don't pose a question, Rachel," I instructed. "Ask me to kiss you. Tell me to kiss you. Walk to me. Hell! Just look at me and say yes." She turned her head towards the doors. "Whatever we are, Rachel," I said. "It's less than a kiss. It has always been less, and it will always be less." "You just don't want me enough to take it!" "I want you," I replied. "I want to wake up next to you every morning I have left to live. I would give up Melisa, Doris Alex, and everything else for you." "But not this stupid fucking line that says I have to come to you," she said in frustration. "I've come to you every time, Rachel," I said. "There has to be one step; there only has to be ONE step, but there has to be a step that you take towards me." "I moved in here!" "Melisa manipulated you into it." "I sucked Janet's pussy after you fucked her!" "An acquired taste that Melisa taught you." "I let you spank me, David," she nearly screamed. "What did your mother say?" I asked. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "She said I wasn't her daughter anymore." "Why?" "I told her I was going to medical school, like my father had," Rachel whispered. "She screamed that I wasn't her daughter. She should have been proud!" She stared at me while the tears rolled down her face. "She should be proud of me, shouldn't she?" "I don't have parents, Rachel," I told her. "I don't know what they're supposed to feel." "You're proud of me, aren't you?" she asked. "You're doing what you want to do," I said. "You don't need me to be proud of you." She broke out into laughter. "So what does it mean if I was expecting you to say something like that?" she asked shaking her head. I shrugged. "I was okay doing what my mother wanted until I met you," she said. "I talk to you and everything I want seems possible. I hate my mother for what she said, but sitting in the same room with you makes me want to forgive her." "Whatever courage I give you, Rachel, you're still the one that has to face the consequences," I said. "What am I doing here?" she asked forlornly. "In this room, or in this house?" "With you," she said. "You needed me," I told her. "What do you need?" she asked curiously. "I don't need anything, Rachel," I said. "You're not going to kiss me, are you?" she asked. "I'll kiss you when you want me to," I said. "When you want me." "I don't think this is because I don't want you," she said. "I'll tell you what, Rachel," I said. "I'm going to ask you a question. This one time you can say yes, and I'll let you walk out of here anyway. You won't be held accountable. Do you want me?" Silence met the question. "I'm sorry," she said finally. "There is nothing to be sorry about," I said turning around to face the windows. "I'm going to regret this for a long time," she said to my back. "I won't," I replied. "It went too far, David," she whispered. "I used you when I could've done it all on my own." "You didn't do anything I did not allow," I told her. "Are they going to let me leave?" "Who?" "I'm not stupid, David. I don't know what really goes on in this house, but I know enough to realize there are secrets here that need protecting." "Don't talk about it, Rachel," I said. "Don't ever talk about it, and I'll take care of you." "Okay," she said gently. "I trust you." I heard the door open and turned my head. "Rachel," I said. I felt her turn towards me. "Long after I'm 'that guy' with a crush, whose name you can't recall anymore, I will still remember what it felt like to touch you," I said. "Thank you for that." ---- A Brother can make every decision for a Sibling, except the first one. A Sibling must submit completely of their own will. Rachel moved out the next day.