Learning the Lifestyle Pt 8 – First Punishment

Dear Readers. See its starting to pick up

“Come in the dining room when you are finished, slave,” he ordered and walked out of the room and turned to the right.

She knew this was a room she had not been in yet. Some sort of secret room she thought and wondered what it contained. Knowing Michael, she figured it was his B&D room. She finished drying herself and wrapped the towel around her chest and went to the dining room as ordered. Once there, she grabbed the comb and detangler spray off the table, sat down and began to comb through her hair and wait for Michael to come back. She knew that he would punish her now.

He went in to his Dungeon, as he called it, when he left the bathroom. He grabbed a pair of cuffs to use in her punishment. He wanted to step up her instruction now since the other slaves were involved. He felt she was ready and this caused him to smile with pride. He knew she was really turned on right now and thought that they would have sex after her punishment. This caused Michael to feel a little guilty because he had already decided that as part of her punishment, she would not receive any pleasure tonight. He went back to the living room, set the cuffs in a chair and then went to the laundry room. Once there, he placed the top and thong in the dryer with a pillowcase to help them tumble well.

Next he came back upstairs to the dining room. He watched her as she combed the tangles from her hair. Finally he came towards her. “Slide down on the floor and I’ll braid that for you,” he told her.

She did as he asked and he sat on the couch behind her and held out his hand for her comb. He combed through it to be sure it was tangle free and tried to get it as dry as possible before he braided it. Finally he was satisfied and began braiding it in one long rope down her back. As he neared the end of the braid, he pushed her forward to finish the braid.

She sat still as he did this; no male had combed or braided her hair for her other than her father. She was rather shocked to find that Michael could braid hair. She wondered what other hidden talents he had as he pushed her forward and finished the braid. Finally he handed her the end.

“Get a hair tie and finish it,” he told her as he handed her the end.

She got up and rummaged through the bags and found one and wrapped the end of the braid in it. Once she was done, she turned to look at him.

“Kneel,” he ordered.

She dropped smoothly to her knees and awaited his next command.

“Now crawl over to the chair where I placed several items and bring each one back to me individually with your teeth,” he commanded.

“Yes Master,” she answered and turned towards the chair as she dropped to all fours, then she crawled over to it and began to grab the items with her mouth.

“One at a time Silk,” he told her, “And I want the cuffs first.”

Noting that there were four items on the chair she sighed, this would take a while. “Yes Master,” she replied.

Grabbing the cuffs in her teeth, she crawled back to Michael. Once there she resumed kneeling.

With a smile on his face, he took the cuffs from her mouth. “Turn around with your back to me and kneel up.”

She did as ordered and wondered what now.

“Place your hands behind your back.”

Again she did as he ordered but this time she didn’t have to wonder as he placed her right hand in the cuff and closed it around her wrist and then he grabbed her left and cuffed it too. Now she was stuck. How was she to crawl like this?

“Now go get the rest, collar next.” He said

“Yes Master,” she told him and dropped her body to the floor. She succeeded in a crawl like motion across the floor but it hurt her back. She grabbed the collar and brought it back to him

He almost laughed out loud when she dropped to the floor like that. He had forgotten he told her to crawl. Wondering if he should tell her that she didn’t have to crawl now, he noted that she found a way to do it anyway in that position and decided not to say anything. She was a smart one. As she brought the collar back to him and he tried hard to keep his face blank, but inside he was beaming with pride.

“Kneel up,” he told her as he took the collar from her mouth. He then placed it around her neck and fastened it. She noticed that it was not too tight, but that it was not loose either.

“Now go get the leash,” he told her.

“Yes Master” she sighed and turned and dropped down again and went to the chair. She grabbed the leash and crawled back to him.

“Kneel up,” he ordered and took the leash from he and clipped it to her collar. Next he gave it a jerk, just enough to get her attention. “Look lively slave, am I boring you?”

“No Master…” she trailed off so that he could tell she wanted to say more.

Not that he really cared, but he wanted to see what she would say, “But what?” He asked.

“It hurts my back to crawl like that,” she told him.

He laughed, “So, go get the paddle.”

“Yes Master,” she said and went and got the last item.

He took it from her and stroked it between her breasts. “Do you know what happens now Silk?” He asked her.

“I get spanked Master,” she answered.

“And do you know why?”

“Because I was bad and mouthy,” she stated.

“Be specific slave.” He wanted her to be totally clear on want was allowed and what was not. “You’ll get an extra swat for everyone you miss.”

Thinking about the whole day, she tried hard to remember all she had done that he deemed wrong. Starting at the beginning, she said, “First I was mouthy and acted like a jealous child over my slave sisters, then I was snotty to them and then I argued with you about the cost of things and you’re paying for them. I also told you to shut up and I argued with you again about money and got really mouthy with you and acted like a child.” She couldn’t think of anything else.

He was impressed; she even thought of a few that he had forgotten. Still nonetheless she was due for punishment and with that he ordered her to assume the position with coldness in his voice, “Down.”

She noted his tone as she lowered the top half of her body to the floor. She felt a little like she was falling but did so with grace anyway. She hoped this pleased him.

He got up off the couch with paddle in hand and came around to the other side of her, she turned her head to him and he smiled at her eagerness to obey. Finally he knelt down next to her and stroked the paddle up her leg and watched her reaction. Finally he swatted her twice with it, not hard but enough to let her know he meant business, enough to sting.

“Once again, you will never tell me to shut up,” he said and swatted her again, “You will not argue with me on what I choose to spend on you,” another swat, “You will answer any question I ask with an answer, not an argument,” another two swats, “You will never act like a jealous lover to or about anyone,” another swat, “You will be respectful to your slave sisters and not act like a selfish child,” another swat, “Once again you will never question me again about the money I spend, it’s my money and I will spend it as I see fit,” two more swats followed, “And this one is to even it up,” he said as he delivered the last swat.

She took it all even though her ass felt on fire. Once he was done she felt the fire in a different place.

He noted that her ass was very red again and hoped she was okay with all this. He got up off the floor and went to the table, tossing the paddle down, he picked up the crop she had picked out earlier and went and sat back down on the couch. “Kneel again,” he told her as he sat down and grabbed the end of her leash again.

She sat up and turned her body towards him. As she did this she saw that he had the riding crop she had picked out. What now she thought.

“Come closer to me slave,” he said as he tugged a little on the leash.

She inched closer till she was touching the couch with her knees. He lifted his leg over her head so that she was between his legs. She waited further instructions.

“First I have some questions for you and then you’re going to please me slave,” he told her as he stroked the crop down her front and caressed her breasts with it.

“Yes Master,” she answered even though the crop distracted her a bit.

“First I have to ask how you feel about bisexual relationships. Your slave sisters are bi. I need to know now so I know what I can ask of you and what to expect of what I ask,” he asked her straightforward, all the while, teasing her with the crop.

What, she thought, how did she feel, “Don’t I just do what you tell me no matter what?” She finally asked.

“Yes and no,” he told her. “If you are not into being bisexual, then we don’t have you do things that are bisexual. You can still obey without doing certain things; remember when I read the lists from the girls to you?”

“Yes, Master,” she said with confusion in her voice.

He could see that she was confused about what he was saying and tried to think of a way to clarify it for her, finally he got up and grabbed the list from his jacket pocket and sat back down again, showing her the lists he began again, “See here on their lists, they have want they will do or like to do marked in red, things they’d like to try are marked in blue and things they will not do are crossed off. What I need you to do is tell me what you will do, what you’d like to try and what you will not do. It’s called limits Silk.”

“There is so much to cover, I’m not even sure what some of that….” she started.

“Let’s start simple, we’ll cover what I will require of you tomorrow and later I’ll print you a list like this and we can go over it and decide what you like,” he told her, interrupting her.

“Okay Master,” she said with relief. “What will you require of me tomorrow?”

Smiling at her obvious relief, he explained, “Tomorrow will be pretty normal. I already know you like oral and vaginal seems to be okay with you too,” he told her with a wink. “What about anal?”

“I like anal, but I am really tight, so you’ll have to be careful. As for oral, do you mean on me or on you?”

“Both, now what about sex with other girls, I have to know what you will and won’t do and how you feel about it, slave,” he told her and caressed her stomach with the crop, teasing her.

A blush crept up her neck to her checks and Michael found this so appealing. Finally she answered, “I have always wondered what it would be like, but never had anyone to experiment with. I guess you could call me curious.”

“Well then,” he said as he stroked her pussy lips with the crop, “Tomorrow, you shall experiment.” He caressed her pussy with the crop and saw that she was close to the edge again. He so wanted to give her pleasure, but she had to learn and going without was the best way to teach her. “Now,” he said as he brought the crop up to her breasts again, “You will pleasure me,” and with that, he brought the crop down hard enough to sting on her nipple.

The crack of the crop surprised her, but it also turned her on and almost made her cum. Her head was swimming and she was so turned on that anything he asked at this point, she would have tried. He cracked her again on her other nipple and she realized that he wanted her attention. He was speaking to her.

“Are you paying attention?” He asked and pulled on the leash, “I told you to lean up over me.”

“Yes Master,” she said as she lifted herself over his lap and noticed the towel was open and his desire was evident, once there he dropped the leash and grabbed her by the hair and she gave him her full attention.

“I said, you would pleasure me, orally slave. Now what are you waiting for?” He ordered.

“But my hands are,” she started.

“You don’t need your hands,” he informed her as he pressed her head down in his lap. With his other hand, he took the crop and swatted her back and ass with it.

She began sucking him and moaned and wiggled as he cracked her with the crop. It was driving her mad she really needed him now. She tried to show him her need with her mouth. He gripped her braid to help her suck without the aid of her hands, but as time went by she really didn’t need his help. The whole thing turned her on and she was fast losing control. If he didn’t take her soon, she would explode on her own.

Damn, he thought as she took him in her mouth, she was so hot. He couldn’t believe that after as many times as they had made love in the last day, she could still bring him to the edge so fast. He gripped her hair and helped her to move since her hands were bound, he knew that she probably felt like she was falling. As she sucked him off, he swatted her with the crop and was pleased to see she liked it. Finally he was close.

He dropped the crop and grabbed her head with both hands. As he lost control, he tried not to push her head down and gag her. “Oh my god,” he yelled as he threw back his head and let go completely.

Silk felt him near and then he exploded in her mouth, she swallowed without even thinking about it. Finally he stopped and she looked up and met his gaze. The look in his eyes gave her confidence. Then he grabbed her braid again and pulled her up his body till his lips met hers. He kissed her forcefully, shoving his tongue in her mouth. This floored her and she melted into his embrace and rubbed against his leg. She was just about to lose it when he stopped and pushed her back so that she was off his leg.

“Down,” he ordered her.

With hands still bound, she got down on the floor as best as she could and assumed the position. What had she done wrong?

He grabbed the crop and stood up. He knew what she was doing when she began the slight rubbing on his leg. He so wanted to let her have her pleasure, but knew it could not happen. Looking down over her in this position really turned him on. Finally, he cracked her ass with the crop, a little harder than he had before but still not enough to really hurt her.

“You did not have permission to cum, slave. In fact you will not have pleasure tonight as part of your punishment. You will learn one way or another,” He told her and then walked away.

As he went down the stairs, she wondered what he meant. No pleasure tonight. Oh god, she thought, she would die. She was so close, so hot.

He left her there to cool off as he went to get the top and panties from the dryer. He also grabbed the sheets and folded them giving her more time. Finally taking the sheets, panties and top with him, he went back upstairs to her. She was in the same position he left her in and looked more in control of herself. He watched her for a few seconds more than knelt down and un-cuffed her hands. “Stand,” he told her.

She did as asked and met his gaze. She saw that he had her top and some sheets in his hands. He handed her the top and with it a thong.

“Put these on,” he ordered.

She did as he asked and he watched her the whole time. Once dressed, he turned towards the bedroom and walked away, she followed. He tossed the sheets down in the chair next to the bed and swept the blankets off the end of the bed. Then he grabbed the fitted sheet and unfolded it, tossing a side towards her.

“Help me make the bed, you need to sleep.”

She did as he asked, enjoying the company. Finally the bed was made. She stood there as he turned the bed down and indicated for her to get in. She did and he reached over and took off the leash then went into the other room and shut off all the lights, finally coming back to bed and getting in with her. She lay on her side facing away from him close to the edge.

“Don’t pout like a child Silk,” his voice finally broke the silence. “You earned this punishment and you will bare it like you did the spanking.”

“But…” she began.

“But nothing, I don’t want to hear it. Now come over here and cuddle up to me. I like to hold a slave when I sleep with her. If you don’t stop this pouting and carrying on, you will not receive any pleasure tomorrow either. Trust me, you don’t want that, because I will make what you feel now a hundred times worse,” he informed her.

She gave up and moved closer to him. She really liked to feel him next to her anyway. She thought to herself though, that she would not find sleep easily. She was too keyed up.

Knowing that she was still on edge, he rolled over on his back and pulled her head on to his chest. Once situated, he began to rub her back to calm her down. Finally he felt her fall asleep and let himself slip away also.

*****
The next morning, Michael got up around eight and left Silk to sleep longer, she would need all the extra sleep she could get. He was going to push her far today and tonight. He wanted her well rested. With this in mind, he got up and closing the doors to the bedroom, he went into the kitchen and started some coffee to brew. While he waited, he checked his messages and found that his truck was ready for him to pick up. This made him smile. Next he went a surveyed the mess in the dining room. While he waited for the coffee, he unpacked the dresser from its box and began to assemble it.

Thirty minutes later, coffee in hand, he finished the dresser and was ready to move it into the other room. He went into the other room to determine where he would put it. Finally he decided and went and got the dresser. Once in place, he attacked the sacks. He removed all the tags from the clothes and took them to the laundry room for washing. The stuff he had bought at Diamond’s went into one of three piles depending on which girl it was for. The thought occurred to him that he needed some bins to keep their toys in and made a mental note to pick some up today. Finally he gathered up all the stuff that he had purchased for Silk to use at his house and put them all in their proper places. Once done, he decided on breakfast.

He went into the bedroom and found Silk cuddled up on his side of the bed. She looked so breathtaking that he just stared for a moment. Finally he leaned over and nuzzled her ear. When she stirred, he asked her if she liked omelets, she mumbled yes.

He left her to waken on her own and went to make breakfast. Just about the time he had finished and dished them onto plates, she sat up and smiled at him shyly. He took her a plate of food and a fork and then went and got her some OJ, then joined her with his own plate.

“Hungry little one,” he asked her as he sat down and began to eat.

She took at bite and chewed it then swallowed and answered, “Yes Master, I am,” then took another bite.

He laughed at her eagerness and ate his own. Between mouthfuls he told her, “Eat up, we got a big day ahead of us and you will need all your strength.”

“May I ask, what are we doing besides dancing?” She questioned.

He smiled at the, ‘may I.’ and answered her, “Well, we need to go to your place to get your outfit and anything else you might need this weekend. After that I need to pick up something to make for dinner and some other items need for tonight. I also need to pick up my mail and my truck is ready finally. We’ll pick it up first and drop your car off.”

Prying, she asked, “What about after that?”

“After all that is a surprise, one you’ll have to wait and see,” was all he would tell her.

They finished their meal and he put their dishes in the dishwasher along with the ones he used to make the meal. It was full now so he started it. Next he went and picked out clean clothes and laid them on his bed then told her that he was taking a shower and that she could join him if she wanted to or wait and take hers after he was done.

She said she would shower with him and followed him to the shower. Before she got in, he had her take off her collar. Once in the shower he washed her hair for her again then left her to condition it and wash her body while he washed himself. As he did this, he thought that it would be nice to have her wash him occasionally. Mentally he reminded himself to have he do that next time. Finally they were done and he shut off the shower and grabbed the little hose.

She felt him tap her thigh again and spread her legs for him to clean her out. She had hoped he wouldn’t clean her like this again. It really turned her on and she was so keyed up. For what seemed like an awful long time, he cleaned her out. She was panting by the time he was done.

He watched her with closed emotions. He could tell that this stirred her like crazy. Watching her was turning him on too and finally he couldn’t take it anymore. The thought crossed his mind that she had been punished last night and had thus since corrected the problem she now deserved a reward. He dropped the hose at their feet and grabbed her up and as his mouth met hers, he slid into her hot depths.

One minute he was cleaning her out, the next she was in his arms. He pressed her up against the wall and entered her as he plundered her mouth. All she could do was wrap her arms around his neck, her legs around his back and hold on tight as he thrust deeply into her. Then all of the sudden she was exploding into a million pieces and she couldn’t stop to ask permission. She pulled back from his mouth and moaned his name.

The intensity shocked him but he held onto her and continued thrusting into her. She was so hot that he felt scalded when she exploded. He just couldn’t believe that she was really his and he thanked his lucky stars for her. Finally the intensity of her orgasm wore off and she allowed him to resume kissing her. He couldn’t get enough of her mouth. He had always liked kissing. To him sex without kissing was not very satisfying and she knew how to kiss the way he liked. He liked it when a woman used her tongue and kissed back. Most just let the man take control and had limp tongues. She actually used her tongue to spar with him and kissed inside and outside of the mouth like he preferred. She even sucked on his tongue, which was a new aspect of kissing, but one he quickly decided he liked.

He stopped kissing her and pulled his head back to look into her eyes. They were glazed over with passion but he could tell she was looking him also. Wondering what she was thinking, he asked, “What’s going through your mind, little one?”

“How wonderful this feels and how much I like kissing you Master,” she told him without hesitation.

“Flattery will get you everything,” he laughed and claimed her mouth once again.

After about five more minutes, he felt the urge overtake him. He grabbed her hands in one of his and held them against the wall, so her legs and his deep thrusts were the only things holding her up. Then he lost it and exploded deep in her. This caused her to explode also, which pleased him. After his breathing returned to normal, he lowered her to her feet, but she still clung to him.

“Are you okay, my pet?” He asked as he held her.

“Yes,” she breathed, “That was so intense. My legs are weak.”

Knowing what she meant, he agreed, “Yes, but earth shattering was the word I thought fit.”

He turned her toward the back part of the shower and reached out to flip down a chair mounted on the wall that Silk hadn’t noticed. He then pushed her into it and then turned around to retrieve the little hose and the soap. Then facing her again, he handed her the soap.

“Clean me off, slave,” he ordered.

She washed him all over including his balls, which surprised him. She then took the little hose and rinsed him off. Once she was done he took the soap from her and pushed her back.

“Place your legs on the sides of the tub,” he told her and he took the soap and began to lather her up. Instantly she got hot again. “Could you cum like this?” He asked as he kept stroking her little muff with the soap.

She gripped the sides of the chair and hissed, “Yes Master.”

Cruelly he stopped and with a sneer said, “Maybe another time.” He then took the hose from her and rinsed her off. He then inserted in her and cleaned her out. Finally he was satisfied that she was clean and turned to shut off the water. Next he turned to her and held out his hand, helping her to her feet as he opened the shower door. Once she was standing, he reached out and grabbed a towel and handed it to her, then grabbed one for himself as he got out.

They dried off and Michael went to get some clothes for the day. Silk grabbed her collar and went to the living room to fetch her clothes from yesterday. She would change when they went to her apartment she thought as she put them on. Next she brushed her hair free of tangles and braided it again. She thought to herself that she hadn’t wore a braid since she was in middle school, but it seemed so easy to manage she wondered why she had stopped doing her hair that way. Lastly she put her collar back on.

Finally they were ready to go. Michael drove again since he knew were the dealership was. One there they picked up his truck and Silk gave a low whistle. It was a beautiful truck and she told Michael so. Next they went to her apartment and Silk changed clothes. She also got out her schoolgirl outfit and showed to it Michael. He nodded his approval. She grabbed the shoes and packed a few more items of clothing for the remained of the weekend and something to wear to school on Monday. Once that was done they were off again.

Next he took her to a store that sold bins and racks for organizing every part of your house. She wondered why they were there and he told her that he needed some bins for their slave stuff. She laughed and agreed that they needed a place to keep their stuff. Next Michael went to Wal-mart again.

“Why are we here again,” Silk questioned.

“I need a few more things, and I also promised dinner,” he told her.

They picked up some clothesline rope, clothespins, some hooks of various sizes and eye bolts. Michael would not tell Silk what they were for, promising that she would see later. Next he picked up large shrimp, garlic, vegetables, pasta and fresh clams, which he told her, was going to make a great dinner that they could eat with their fingers. Lastly he gave her a sexy grin as he picked up popsicles.

“May I at least know what those are for,” she asked when he grinned at her.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Your hot little pussy,” and when she blushed, he laughed.

She decided to let it alone and not ask any more questions. Finally they went to the check out. Silk glanced at her watch and saw it was going on one o’clock. The others were due at three. She pointed this out to Michael who nodded and told her that they were done. Once everything was paid for they headed to the truck and then to Michael’s house.

They got home and took everything inside. Silk put the food away while Michael put the bins together and placed all their stuff inside. She saw that he had taken a magic marker and wrote each of their names on the bin with their stuff inside and sat them off to the side of the dining room. Next he went to the back room, Silk wondered just want he kept in there.

She didn’t have to wonder long thought as Michael called her to come help him. She went back there and stood in the door as he gathered up some things. She also noticed that he had changed clothes and was now wearing only a pair of shorts.

Handing her an armful of stuff, he told her, “Take these out and place them next to the bins.”

“Yes Master,” she told him and walked away. She placed the stuff where he had indicated and went back to see if he needed any more help.

He handed her a bucket full of black leather items that looked like reins or straps. She took them to the dining room also and returned to find him lifting what looked sort of like a weight bench.

“Help me take this to the other room,” he told her as he sat one end in the doorway.

She lifted her end and helped him carry it to the dining room also. He took it from her once they had it in the room and sat it also off to the side. Next he pulled the chairs out and pushed the table all the way back into the corner. He took two of the chairs and sat them in the garage, which was accessed from a door in the dining room; the other two chairs were pushed back under that table. After some last minute things, he seemed to be satisfied and went into the kitchen.

“Can I help with anything,” Silk asked as he began to prepare to cook.

“You can go get your razor, the disposable razors, the shaving cream, my little electric trimmer that is on the back of the toilet and a bunch of towels and washrags and take them and go in the laundry room. Go through the door that is there and you’ll find my Jacuzzi. Place all the stuff in there then come back here,” he informed her.

She did as he asked wondering what all the stuff was for. Once that was done she went back to the kitchen and watched him prepare the meal.

He had sat the pasta to boil and was mixing the shrimp, garlic, vegetables, clams and some spices in a large bowl. He also added half a bottle of wine. Once mixed, he placed a lid on it, he then got out a wok and set it on the stove, and added some olive oil to it and covered it. Seeing that she was watching, he explained that he was preparing the stuff so that it could marinate until he was ready to cook it. It wouldn’t be actually cooked until later. While he explained the whole process, the pasta boiled and when the timer he had set went off, he shut it off. Next he drained and rinsed it and put it in a covered bowl and set it in the refrigerator. Finally he was done; he looked at his watch and saw that it was two-fifteen.

He went to his computer and printed off a blank list like he had showed Silk the night before. Once that was done, he grabbed a pen, then went down to the living room and sat down in his chair. As he went down the stairs, he motioned for her to follow him.

“Kneel,” he told her.

She knelt by his legs and waited for his next command. She saw that he was reading through the papers he had printed and wondered what it was.

He read through the list as he watched her. He was proud to note that she seemed content to sit there and await his commands. Looking at the list he decided that it would be better for her if she read through it with him and decide for herself at this point. Anything she didn’t understand, he could explain.

“Kneel up and lean on my lap and look at me,” He ordered.

“Yes Master,” she said and did as he asked.

“Okay, here is that list we were talking about last night. I’ll read through it and you tell me how you feel about each thing. Right now I need to know if you will do something, if you won’t do something or if you’re curious or willing to try something. If you don’t know what I am saying, I will explain it to you,” He told her.

At her nod, he went on, “The first things I need to know are do you have any health problems or injuries I need to know about that might cause problems.” She shook her head no so he continued, “What level of bondage would you prefer, Tight and snug, uncomfortable or painful and extreme?”

“Tight and snug to uncomfortable I would say, Master.”

“Okay level of discipline discomfort. Light, medium or intense,” he asked.

She thought on this, “Light to medium I think.”

Next he explained the different types of attire to which she agreed to all. He went on with lingerie and fetish type attire. Silk had no problem with the lingerie but said no to latex and spandex. She agreed to try corsets and informed Michael that the smell of leather turned her on. Next that discussed costumes and Silk said she would wear most anything that Michael asked of her. Michael also covered that she preferred leather to rubber gloves on him. As they went over this list, Michael noticed a delicate blush on her cheeks, which he liked.

Next they went on to positions. Silk was a bit confused here and required a lot of explanations which turned out to be very time consuming and so they only got about half way through before there was a knock at the door letting them know that others had arrived. Michael told her to answer the door and show their guests in.

Silk did as ordered and opened the door to find her new slave sisters. She invited them in and was surprised when each in turn hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “Welcome to my Master’s home,” Silk greeted.