‘I’m here.’
Instead of responding, Gem pushed the button to connect to a FaceTime call.
“Hello, sir.”It had only taken one ring for him to be answered.
Gem brought the phone closer.
His boy was in a dark room. The only light came from the phone in his sub’s hand. Ty wore his usual black half-face mask and a dark hoodie.
“Are you good?” He asked his question gently.
“I…” His boy swallowed hard. “Yes.”
Gem didn’t believe him. “List,” he demanded.
Ty bit his lower lip.
“I have all night,” Gem told him. He didn’t, but this was about the illusion, after all. And if his boy needed him, Gem would work out a way to make it happen.
His boy huffed then immediately spoke, knowing that he was pushing his luck. “I am strong, both physically and mentally.”
Gem cleared his throat when his boy paused.
“I am resilient and can overcome any challenge. I can handle tough situations. I stand tall in my beliefs and values. I don’t have to be perfect to be valuable. I am enough just as I am.”
“And?” Gem pushed.
“Uh.” Ty’s voice dropped lower. “I honor my feelings and emotions, and I allow myself to experience them fully. It’s okay to ask for help when I need it. My vulnerability is a strength.”
“Good job, baby.” He made sure his voice was full of his pride.
“Thank you, sir,” his boy whispered.
They started every session like this. His sub had been uniquely vulnerable when they made their contract. Theexperience had been interesting. Not only because they’d met a total of one time in person but because Ty had been up-front and a little demanding about what he needed.
There were times when Gem wanted to demand that his boy tell him what caused so much darkness in him, but boundaries were a thing.
“Tell me something fun you did today,” Gem demanded.
A small smile tipped up the edges of Ty’s lips. “I shifted.”
That was one thing that they had shared. The fact that they were both shifters. It mattered when impact play had been one of the first acts they’d experienced together. A shifter could take more than a human. His sub had wanted to make that clear. Ty needed more than a human would. Could take more. But shifters also required a certain amount of aftercare as well.
Gem didn’t know what type of shifter his boy was, but he imagined some kind of large predator. His sub was built. Amazing definition and muscles. With Ty’s faint Russian accent, Gem was thinking bear, maybe.
“That’s good.” Gem hoped to get his own shifting in over the next couple of days. Aries and Nix were fun to shift with. Except if they shifted in front of their mom, they would end up having to do the thing. Gem hated doing the thing. He’d much better concentrate on his boy. “And you ate afterward?”
“My mom made her famous stew for us,” his boy said. “I had three bowls.”
Gem grinned. That was the most excitement that he’d ever heard from his sub. “Three? I’m impressed.”
“It’s my favorite meal,” Ty replied. “She only makes it on special occasions.”
“She must be very happy to have you home,” Gem pointed out.
His boy sighed. “It’s my dad’s favorite too and it was probably to keep his mouth busy.”
“Ty,” Gem said. He hated that he couldn’t give his sub any concrete advice since he hadn’t gotten the full story of what was going on. Just bits and pieces.
