The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

TITLE: The Mark of Power

AUTHOR: Stormrazor

PART 5

The rest of the week passed fairly quickly. Devon played catch up for missing a day, and Jen was working late hours getting the branch office open. This helped Devon to put to rest any lingering reservations about what happened. He almost got to the point of thinking that he had imagined the whole ‘power’ aspect of their encounter.

The only thing left to remind him was the dagger. He found himself more than once taking it out of the shoebox to examine it. The flawless sharp blade felt so cold against his skin. He wondered about the woman who had planned to murder the poor girl with it. It was at those times, dagger in hand, that he couldn’t shake the feeling that the gift could be something more than just the release of inhibitions and making him more attractive. No, if somebody was willing to kill for it, it would have to be much more than that. And now Devon had it. He tried to deny it, but he couldn’t hide from himself the dark thrill that ran through him at the thought of being able to control others like that. He’d taste the excitement and then he would put the dagger away, angry at himself for even thinking that way.

He worked out regularly at the gym each morning, but Brenda hadn’t been there all week. He hoped it wasn’t because she was avoiding him after wearing the bra and tights. She’d missed weeks here and there before, though. He preferred to assume it was work.

Saturday finally rolled around, and Devon indulged himself by sleeping in a bit. He dreamed of Jen – hot sex dreams that left him relieving the ache in his balls by hand. He could still feel it when he arrived at the gym. Grabbing his bag, he triggered the lock on his car and trotted up to the door, slowing as he approached.

Brenda sat on the bench outside, bent over with her elbows on her knees. Her hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail, the straggly bits around her face telling him she’d already worked out. She wore a t-shirt that did nothing to hide her large breasts. He could see the outline of her exercise bra through the fabric. She was wearing the same figure hugging tights she’d worn the last time he saw her.

He smiled and walked toward her, but something made him slow. “Hey, Brenda,” he said, stepping up the curb in front of the bench. She looked up in surprise. She looked tired.

“Hi.” She sounded tired, too. The dark smudges beneath her eyes only made her skin look even more pale and translucent. Vulnerable. Devon felt heat rise in his gut and loins. God, she’s beautiful.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said, but her eyes glanced away. She bent and picked up her bag as if to go, but then slowly let it fall from her fingers back to the concrete. “No, not really.”

“What’s going on?” he asked. It slipped out before he could stop it. This was so far off the ‘don’t get involved’ rule it wasn’t even funny. But it was Brenda. Even if it broke a rule, it’s what friends did, and she was as close to a real friend as he had these days.

She shook her head, “It’s not really...” Her voice trailed off uncomfortably, and he slipped onto the bench next to her. She slid over closer her arm touching his and he couldn’t deny the stab of lust that shot through him. Rules be damned.

“It kind of seems like it is,” he said, setting his bag next to the bench. He tried to project something between casual and understanding. His ex had always said he was never supportive. Devon wasn’t sure he agreed, but he tried to push the lingering memories away. He might not be the perfectly sensitive husband she’d wanted, but he couldn’t turn away from Brenda any more than he could have turned away from the girl that night laying on the stone as a sacrifice. “Want to talk about it?” he asked.

She sighed and looked at him as if debating. “It.. It was just a fight. With Sam,” she added.

“Your husband?” he asked, and she nodded. It occurred to him that he didn’t really know much about her outside of the gym, except that she was married with kids. He watched her, discomfort keeping him silent. This was dangerous territory.

She took a deep breath, obviously composing herself, and sat back in the bench, her large breasts shifting, threatening to make Devon stare. “I just don’t really want to go home right now,” she said. “I should. I haven’t seen the kids since, like, Thursday. I’m a horrible mom.”

Wow, what do you say to that? “Bad week?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Call was a bitch this week. I ended up just staying at the hospital.” Devon knew Brenna was a doctor, but she normally didn’t talk about it with him. After all, the gym was an escape from work for both of them, and Devon never violated that.

“When I finally got home last night, I wanted...” She continued with a sigh. “Well, I wanted things that just aren’t part of our marriage anymore.”

“Like...” He couldn’t quite bring himself to say it.

“Yeah,” she said, breathing out and leaning her head back against the wall to stare at the sky. “I gained a lot of weight after the kids, and... things just don’t feel the same. I thought if I lost the weight, it would change things. Help my self-esteem, help get back the spark. Help things physically.”

Definitely not a comfortable place to be. He found himself wondering what Sam looked like.

“Have you guys thought about counseling?” he asked.

“No, not really,” she shook her head. “I don’t know... Professional hazard, I guess. I send people for counseling all the time. A little harder to do it myself.”

“You should think about it,” he said, and she rolled her head over to look at him with a wry smile and an arched brow. Yeah. Okay, so he’d vented a few times about his ex dragging him to the shrink. “Hey,” he said in self-defense, “it really did help clarify a few things.”

“I don’t know,” she said with a sigh, looking back at the parking lot. “Sometimes I feel like things are all bottled up inside me. Feelings. Needs. Things that I’m not sure anybody should know about.” She looked at him and pressed her lips together, obviously having said more than she felt she should have.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I know what it’s like to not be on the same page, sexually. And God knows I’m not a good one to give advice.” Because I want to fuck you. His pulse was pounding “ But you should talk to him, if you want to help things.”

She nodded. “I know, I know...” She gave a small smile. “I’ll think about it, anyways.” She sat up, looking over at him. “So how was your week?” she asked. “Got a girlfriend yet?” she teased.

He shifted on the bench, feeling his face heat. Her eyes widened. “Oh my god,” she said with a gasping laugh. “You did!” Her face brightened and she grinned. “Who is she?”

“She’s not really a girlfriend,” he started, but she nudged him with her elbow.

“What’s her name?” she interrupted.

“Jen,” he said, feeling a flash of awkwardness.

“Is she hot?” she asked. He shook his head in protest. “Oh come on... at least let me live vicariously a little bit,” she urged. “She’s hot, isn’t she.”

“Yeah, a bit,” he admitted. She threw him an exacerbated look. “Okay, yeah. She’s hot,” he grinned.

“Good,” she said with a nod. “You deserve somebody hot.” She smiled, although not as brightly as before, and stood to pick up her bag. “Anyways, I’d better get home.” She took a deep breath, and gave a small wave as she stepped away. “See you around,” she said.

“Later,” he answered, watching her go.