There was really only so much you could do to prepare yourself for being whipped. Even in the hands of someone trusted and experienced, it was still a momentary shock to the system, a feeling more than an actual sensation until a moment later when it actually settled into his skin. Shannon let out a quiet gasp and was perfectly still while it echoed through him.

It had hurt, of course, but there had been something else to it. Something sharp and fierce to the blow that made his breath catch in ways entirely unrelated to the pain. It worked together with the fading sting of the whip's bite and he needed to feel it again to be sure.

"Again," he confirmed, stance finally loosening again. "Please."