Chapter 8 (Patreon)

Meanwhile

Chad's body quaked as he waited for Anna to finish undressing. He tried to look away from her glorious figure as she removed her sleepwear, but he knew he was about to get closer to her body than he ever would have liked. He felt her watching him out of the corner of her eye as she slowly disrobed in what he was sure was supposed to be a teasing display. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but notice the striking figure that she cut. She had her mother's body and curves, that much was obvious, and he knew if she would get over her off-putting demeanor, she would one day make some guy very happy. He wasn't just some guy, though; he was her stepfather. Everything about this felt wrong on a whole other level.

Only a few agonizing moments later, Anna was as naked as the day she was born. Try as he might, he couldn’t help but admire her impressive physique. The prominent curves of her breasts that rose and fell with every breath she took, the defined abs below them from rigorous training, and the glorious bulge that her hips made all stirred something primal within him. He swallowed as he realized that her remark about being a God compared to him held more credence. By all rights, she may as well have been a Goddess standing before him. His eyes roamed her body until they came to rest on her angular face. It was framed by her auburn hair, but the look in her eyes held anything but mercy. There was a hunger in those eyes that he’d seen before and it terrified him.

He was paralyzed as she walked over to him and stood still for a moment. He guessed it was some kind of powerplay, not that she needed it after the other night, and that she wanted him to take in her full glory. She bent down and leveled her massive face with his puny form after a moment, "Ready, squirt?"

"Anna, please," he pleaded in a final attempt to prevent what was about to happen, "I am begging you, don't do this. You made your point already, you're strong, and I'm weak. You don't have to do this; I've already conceded."

"As much as I like hearing that, and I do, this is happening, little man," she said, emphasizing the word little, "Besides, you should be thanking me. After all, I'm showing that you still have some use at this pathetic size."

He knew she wouldn't let it go, but he had to try, "Anna, please, this is wrong."

"Don't lecture me about right and wrong," she snapped as she scooped him up and brought him up to her level, "What do you know about that, anyway? Nothing, that's what! Now, don't struggle too much, or you'll slip out of my hand. Unless you want to see if you can survive a drop and a trip down the drain, you'll cooperate."

He wasn't sure, but the last part of her statement sounded almost like genuine concern. He heaved a sigh of defeat in her grip as she slowly made her way over to the shower and turned the water on, "Yes, Anna."

"That's a good toy," she taunted before bringing him to her face once again, "I mean it, Chad, keep as still as you can so I don't drop your dumb ass."

"I'll try," he said and then asked, "Are you worried about me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, bug boy," she snapped, "I just don't want to lose my new plaything, and I'd rather not explain to mom that her idiot husband slipped down the drain."

That seemed believable enough, but he chose to believe that some small part of her cared about his well-being. As nice as that thought was, the looming events that were about to take place eclipsed it. He felt the rush of heat and steam from the shower as Anna stepped in. His world shook in the palm of her hand as she planted her feet on the slick surface of the shower floor. Her hand was cupped but not closed so he could get a good view of her exposed flesh. She turns her back to the stream first to let the water run down her back and soak her hair. Droplets of water rolled down her skin, and he felt a bit of shame as he stared up at her. Terrifying though she was, from his perspective, he couldn't deny that she looked magnificent.

His embarrassment rose when she called attention to his ogling, "Like what you see, pipsqueak? Don't worry; you're about to get a nice up close and personal look."

That was all the warning he had before she grabbed a bar of soap and a rag. She mashed his body into the malleable substance with a surprising amount of care. It still hurt, but he knew that she could have easily injured him with the process. His back was pressed into the bar with his face exposed, and he found it impossible to turn his head one way or the other. He caught sight of her delighted grin as she turned herself around to face the steady stream of water. His body was pelted by the shower, and he hadn't expected the intensity of the heat and pressure. A pained cry of surprise escaped his lips before he could bite it back, but thankfully Anna didn't hold him beneath the water for too long. He was moved away from the assaulting waterfall, but it did little to comfort him because he knew what was coming next.

His sight was obscured by the water that had soaked him, but he could almost feel her excitement as she brought his soapy prison to her body. He was flooded with nervous anticipation, and he wasn't sure if Anna was deliberately drawing this out or if it just felt like it was taking longer. He closed his eyes as he was brought to her chest, and she began lathering herself up. She started him between her mounds, and he found himself doused in the scent of stale sweat from the day prior. She worked him and soapy prison up and down before moving him up and around to her breasts. Try as he might, his body once again betrayed him as she rubbed along the supple flesh of Anna's breasts. He was sure she at least knew it because she slowed her rhythm down in a compelling way, and she took some extra time while lathering her nipples. It may not have been the most humiliating thing he'd endured, but it was close to it. With every stroke, he felt his embarrassment swelling along with his member.

Eventually, after what felt like much longer than necessary, Anna moved him to the underside of her breasts. She forced his body and the soap into the mass one after the other, and he had to stifle a gag at the overwhelming scent of sweat. He'd expected the foul odor, but the experience far surpassed his expectations. He shuddered as best he could in his prison as his open mouth caught the taste that accompanied the smell. The longer he had to endure it, the more he dreaded having to help wash the rest of her body. If the stench of her breasts was this bad, then he didn't want to find out how bad her underarms, let alone the rest of her body, would be.

She dragged his minuscule form from the underside of her left breast towards her armpit. Despite the feelings of dread and panic that were welling up within him, he did his best to limit his struggles. Although, even if he had wanted to, he couldn't move much given his body was still pressed into the bar. That didn't stop him from once again gagging as the powerful stench of Anna's underarms bombarded his senses. He'd thought that the underside of her boobs had been nasty, but that was a pale shadow by comparison. The smell was disgusting, and he could feel the contents of his stomach threatening to upheave. To further his disgust and humiliation, Anna pressed both him and the soap against her skin with much more pressure than she had previously. She proceeded to slowly and roughly drag him in small circles around the area.

The friction alone would have been enough to cause discomfort, but the increased pressure combined with the foulness of the experience was unbearable. His erection had thankfully disappeared, but not before receiving an excessive amount of pain from the sudden force that Anna used with him. After his initial gag reflex, he did his best to keep his mouth closed and desperately wished he could turn his head. She scrubbed vigorously and without mercy. It felt like an eternity, but he knew it had only been a few seconds. The fact that this was only the first if two caused his heart to drop. This was torture on a whole other level of humiliation and degradation that he had never considered when his condition first developed.

Anna was thoroughly enjoying herself. It might have been better if she could feel him squirm, but she knew he was in hell right now. She'd felt his minuscule cock spring to life while she used him to wash her breasts. The feeling had filled her with superiority and reminded her that Chad was no different than any other man. That thought had been the basis for her punishing him with her armpit. She knew that her pits were probably rank and that it would most likely be torturous for her stepfather. Her head spun with ideas for ways to play with him more, but one in particular stuck out to her. She would wait until she was on her other armpit before acting, though.

She had scrubbed harder and longer than she usually did this time around. She wanted to ensure that Chad had a firm grasp on how powerless he was before moving him onto her other pit. She finally pulled him away and carried him to his next destination. She heard him squealing out what she assumed was either a protest or a plea for mercy, but the sounds of the shower drowned him out. She didn't personally care about his objections, anyway. Until she finished with him, he was nothing more than a human loofah, and last she checked, those didn't talk back. She was going to enjoy every second of this. She hadn't even made it to the other half of her body yet.

Chad had tried to get Anna to let him catch his breath, but she had either ignored him or didn't hear him. He knew there was no getting out of his predicament, but he had hoped that she would have at least been willing to let him breathe a bit between rounds. However, she didn't waste a second, and he tried to brace himself for the oncoming stench. The pressure returned to his body along with the friction of her vigorous scrubbing. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like she was working faster this time around. However, the pace did little to reduce his torment as she dragged from all over her smelly crevice.

He was confused when she stopped her scrubbing without warning and left him in the center of her armpit. His face was mashed into the now steamy area that smelled somewhat like a mixture of the floral soap and the remnants of her sweat. While his vision was obscured, he could still see the light on the edges of his eye. However, everything went dark as pitch, just as the pressure amplified once more, and his breathing became difficult. It took him a moment to realize what was happening, but when he did, he disobeyed his only command and began thrashing around as best he could. It did nothing to help his situation, and most of his struggles were halted by the soap bar that held him captive. Nevertheless, with his eyes burning from the soap, his lungs screaming for air, and his mind filled with panic, he did his best to free himself.

Anna had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Chad was in a full-blown panic about her little joke. His struggles tickled her, and she fought to keep from twitching from the sensations. Part of her felt like she should punish him for failing to do as he was told, but then again, she was already subjecting him to a pleasant surprise. She needed to find someone else this size to keep around, someone she could have fun with. As exciting and enticing as this all was, the fact of the matter was that Chad belonged to her mother. She wouldn't go all the way with the little runt, but she would definitely toy with him. He was finally learning his place in the world, serving women better than him. Now, if only she could get her mother to see how much fun this was.

She felt his struggles begin to die down, so she slowly lifted her arm to retrieve him. Her endorphins were shot when the bar of soap slipped in her grip. She could hear Chad screaming as he flew through the air; at least she knew he was alive. She caught him before he could plummet to the ground and brought him to her face, "You alright, shrimp?"

Chad was not enjoying his adventure in the slightest. His heart raced as he struggled to catch his already depleted breath. He wanted to yell at Anna and tell her the truth, but he knew that angering her would be a huge mistake. There was a slight look of worry on her face anyway, and he didn't want to scare her any more than he wanted to incur her wrath. So instead, he called out over the water, "I'm fine, Anna. Can we please cut this short?"

She felt a bit of relief knowing that he was okay. It was weird, but she quickly brushed it aside and fell back into her typical demeanor, "No chance, bug boy, you're not even halfway done! You've still gotta wash my feet, my legs, my ass, and, lucky you, my pussy."

"Anna, wait!" he yelled, "Look, I'll do whatever you want, but please not that!"

"What, you wanna tell me that you're too good for my cooch?" she asked.

"Anna, I am married to your mother!" he argued, "Please, that's like cheating; hell, it's worse than that! You're her daughter for crying out loud!"

"That didn't stop your little cock from getting hard, now did it?" she fired back.

"Anna, I am less than an inch tall, I am trapped in this stupid bar, and you were rubbing me everywhere!" he defended, "It was a reaction, not because I'm attracted to you!"

"So you're saying I'm not attractive?!" she demanded, tightening her grip on the soap and him.

"No, of course not!" he yelled back, "You have your mother's looks, but you're not her! Someday, you're going to make a guy lucky, but I am in love with your mom! Just...please, I won't ask for anything else, just don't use me like that...I can't do that to her!"

She paused and let his words sink in. Of course, she never had any intention of using him that way, but there was no harm in teasing him with the thought of it. Still, she could hear sincerity in his pleas. Even with the torrent of water pouring around them, she could hear the devotion to her mother in his voice. "Alright, tiny, I'll make you a deal," she began, "I won't use you to clean my vag, but I will use you to clean the rest of me. In exchange, I don't want to hear any complaints, and, this goes without saying, you keep your little mouth shut about our fun. We got a deal?"

This was certainly not what he would consider fun, but he wasn't going to correct her. He tried to nod as he responded, "Yes, Anna, I'll do my best...thank you."

"Alright then, why don't we start at the bottom and work our way up?" she asked, ignoring his gratitude, "How does that sound?"

Awful, it sounded awful to him. He knew better than to argue, though, especially in the face of mercy from his stepdaughter. He put on his best face and said, "Sounds great, Anna."

"Liar," she said with a grin, "But you already know there's nothing you can do about it, so I appreciate the cooperation. Do not struggle while I'm washing my feet. I don't like you, but for whatever reason, mom does, so I'd rather not upset her, understand?"

"Yes, Anna," he replied, fully aware of the possibilities that came with being so close to someone's soles.

"Good boy," she said as she lowered him and the bar down past her waist.

He really wasn't looking forward to this or her ass, but at least she wasn't going to use his on her more intimate area. He would have to endure the remainder of their shower together, and he told himself over and over to keep still for the upcoming scrub down. Anna had raised her foot and taken hold of it with her free hand, allowing him a firsthand look at his next destination. The sensations were as he expected, rough and fast, generating a good amount of discomfort for him. The bottoms of her feet were already soaked from standing in the water, but they stunk, and the skin was calloused from her time on the court. He wasn't sure if it was intentional or not, but she had him and the bar held at an angle that forced his face to rub along the bottom of her foot. Up and down, side to side and small circles were made using him as a metaphorical scrub brush on her foot, and it took everything he had not to fight against her.

He was given a slight reprieve from his hellish time when she pulled away and prepared to swap feet. He sucked in the steamy air and realized that his nose was tainted and stained with the stink of her feet and pits. He tried to ignore the scent that lingered in the back of his nose as Anna swapped him over to her other hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to prepare himself, but he instantly regretted that decision. He felt the rough surface of her next foot collide with his face just as he was exhaling. This meant that his mouth was open and forced to remain that way for a moment as she roughly similarly dragged him along her foot. The taste of tainted water, mild sweat, and the soap that he was trapped in filled his mouth and made him gag. It was one of the most unusual and revolting tastes that he had ever had the unfortunate privilege of experiencing. Without warning or hesitation, Anna began the process of lathering her foot with his imprisoned form.

The discomfort quickly began to evolve into pain as she pressed him into her arch. She pulled him away right as his nose felt like it was on the verge of breaking, though, and moved him towards her toes. He was thankful that she seemed to be moving quicker this time, but he knew what awaited him after this. Her legs wouldn't be terrible, but he hadn't been thrown into a bare ass yet and wasn't looking forward to it. First, though, he had to finish cleaning her toes. She threaded him through each one just as she had the last, and he was disgusted by the grime that rested in those crevices.

He felt waves of nausea crash over him as Anna moved onto her legs. She made short work of her calves, and Chad's world spun at the speed that she worked. She ran him up and down her legs like some elevator from hell. The disorientation was all-consuming, and no matter what he tried, he couldn't find a way to come to grips with it. Closing his eyes only gave him a feeling of being drunk with the world spinning and his stomach somersaulting; keeping them open wasn't much better, and blocking out the experience was next to impossible. Her thighs, strong and well defined, took a bit longer, but he was able to note that she kept him just out of reach of her womanhood. She swirled his body and casing around every inch of her thighs while keeping just far enough from her sex. He could, however, smell the distinct aroma of arousal wafting and mixing with the steam. While he couldn't quite get a solid read on Anna, one thing was certain: she loved the feeling of power she had over him.

By the time she finished her legs, his prison was wearing thin. He guessed it was due in part to the extra time Anna had spent washing herself along with the overexposure to the torrential stream of water he'd been subjected to. Now that Anna had finished her feet and legs, there was only one place left for him to clean. The idea of being that close to her ass was already dreadful, but now he could feel his restraints beginning to wane. What would happen to him if he suddenly fell out of the bar or if it crumbled around him? Would Anna notice in time, and would she care enough to save him? As much as it worried him, right now, he had to put his trust in her hands. She was, after all, the only thing standing between him and either the abyss of her ass or the certain death drop to the shower floor.

There was a moment of slow tension as she brought him around to her backside. There were no taunting or cruel words this time, only silent action amplified by the sounds of running water. He dug his fingers into the malleable and scented substance surrounding him in an attempt to hold on, but he forced his panic to the back of his mind. Fearful though he was, he knew that crying out would do nothing except possibly anger his captor. The shape of Anna's full moon came into view, and he had to admit it was quite a sight. Pale and well defined from years of athletic activity, it was an impressive yet frightening sight to behold. The last time he'd been this close to an ass had been a repulsive experience, but he knew there was nothing he could do to escape. He just held onto the hope that this would be over soon.

He came into contact with the first cheek, and he caught a strong whiff of the pungent odor coming from her backside. His stomach rolled as Anna pressed his body into the bulbous flesh of her butt. She wasn't a particularly dirty girl by any means, but sights, smells, and sounds were all magnified at his height. It was the biggest reason having to endure everything from her armpits to now her ass had been so unbearable; not that it would have been particularly glorious from his former height either. The slow and deliberate way she lathered her butt cheek told him that she was drawing out this process more than the last. He was willing to wager that it was either a power play or simply for her own amusement. Honestly, it was probably both.


Anna had been waiting for this part for some time now. Ever since she had witnessed Chad's humiliation at the ass of an unaware Victoria, she'd been contemplating just how to toy with her stepfather with her own. Everything about her shower fun had felt right, and it doubled as sending a permanent reminder to Chad that he was little more than a toy dependent on the whims of those bigger and far superior to him. She would take her time with him here and ensure that he never forgot the feeling of powerlessness that she was sure was sinking in.

She started slowly, with careful circular patterns on her right cheek. Chad was rolled along the soft mounds with care, and his sense of smell was quickly getting overloaded with the scent of her backside. He knew, however, that the worst was yet to come. However pungent the stench was here, it would be at least tenfold worse when she moved to her crack. He felt his world shift as she dipped him lower and dragged him along the underside of her cheek. The area was akin to an inverted canyon filled with humiliation and disgust. The heat from the shower mixed with the heat trapped in this area of her body, and Chad felt his prison continued to weaken around him. He told himself, once again, that it wouldn't be much longer now. Soon enough, he'd be free, and even if he was still at Anna's mercy, he wouldn't have to worry about a painful plummet.

She finished the first cheek and moved onto the next. Her movements were slower than they had been, particularly as she moved him over her crack. He was certain now that this was some sort of ploy to demoralize him further, but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Small and weak though he was, he was still a person, and he wouldn't let himself be broken. That didn't mean he wasn't afraid, however, and with every second that passed, he found his fears continually escalating at the prospect of falling to his death. The fact that his safety rested in Anna's hands didn't do much to quell those feelings either.

The process for the left cheek was identical to the first. Anna rubbed him along her cheeks in a circular motion. Despite the precise definition of her cheeks, the flesh was soft to the touch, something he was grateful for. It wasn't much comfort if any at all, but at least it wasn't painful to he mashed into those orbs. The only rough part about scrubbing was when she moved him back to the underside. She purposefully pushed him up and lifted her cheek with her hand and his body. This meant that despite the mild softness of the flesh, being jammed against it was more unpleasant than necessary. Honestly, what was the most disturbing was that he was beginning to get accustomed to the smell. He hoped that that meant the transition to wash her crack would be easier, but even for him, that hope felt as small as him.

The time finally came, and he was pulled away from her left cheek. There was only one place left for him to go now. Without a word from Anna, he found himself inching towards the foul valley. His heart sank as the stench emanating from it graced his senses. It was a scent fouler than any he'd experienced so far in his adventures as a shower aid. The smells of stale sweat and filth formed an unholy union that caused him to retch involuntarily. He was treated to the sight of Anna's free hand taking hold of one of her cheeks and parting it to allow him unbarred access to what was undoubtedly her foulest area. He didn't see any debris, something he thanked whatever God was looking out for him, but the closer he got and with the doors opened, the stink stung his eyes and turned his stomach.

With his show finished, in Anna's eyes, she plunged him into the smelly abyss and began scrubbing him vigorously along the walls. The smell alone would have been enough to make him sick, but he could feel the grime as she worked him and his soapy prison along the first side. He felt panic welling up within him that grew as she moved him deeper into the confines of her ass. Her threat to keep him in this hell for an evening practice rang out in his mind and carried a heftier weight. Through the darkness, he could just barely make out the outline of her anus, and a horrific thought came to the forefront of his mind: the idea of getting lost in such a repulsive area. It filled him with fear, dread, and disgust on new levels that nearly caused him to lose what little composure he had left. Were it not for fear of either getting lost to the darkness around him or falling to his death, and he would have given into the compulsions that were filling his mind.

Terror continued to fill his little body even as Anna withdrew him from the deeper confines of her ass. His prison was withering away little by little, and he honestly wasn't sure how much longer it would last. He could feel it crumbling with every push and pull from Anna. His nerves began outweighing his disgust at having to wash Anna's backside. The stench was still bothering him, but he couldn't shake the fearful feeling that he was about to suffer a worse fate. There was a slight feeling of relief as he realized that Anna had finally finished washing herself. He'd been so wrapped up in his worries that he'd failed to notice that she'd made short work of the opposing wall.

She held him in place for a moment rather than pulling him out of the cavern. He wondered what she was doing, but he didn't have to wonder for long. He was briefly and vaguely aware of her hand slipping away from his diminishing prison. The next thing he knew, the walls of her cheeks slammed together and pulverized his body. The pressure was unlike anything he'd felt throughout this unwanted adventure. It left as quickly as it had come on, but he panicked as he felt himself start to slide down. Her cheeks slammed shut once again, catching him before he fell, and he felt his chest contort from the pain. Worse than that, though, he realized that Anna's newest game was obliterating what was left of his soapy safety net. The remnants of his prison fell away, leaving his body free once again, but in doing so, caused him to break and scream in an attempt to get Anna to realize what was happening.

Anna hadn't wanted her fun to end. She'd finished giving herself a thorough cleaning with the help of Chad, but it had felt too short for her liking. She had decided to play one last game with her stepfather before giving him a small break. Admittedly, he'd done better and cooperated surprisingly well, all things considered, not that he had much choice in the matter. Still, she was almost impressed, almost being the keyword in that thought. Since he was already getting acquainted with her ass, she decided to show him just how powerful it was compared to him. A simple flex after removing her hand was sure to decimate her little captive, and she could feel him thrashing between her cheeks. It was a good feeling, and so she decided to replicate it after a moment of relaxing. Maybe Chad could help her with her workout routine. She could use a good sweat rag.

She noticed something off after her second attempt. Something was falling from her backside, and it was confirmed by the sounds of something hitting the shower floor. She quickly clenched her cheeks once again in hopes of catching Chad before he fell out, "Shit, hang on, bug boy," she said just as she heard the faint cries for help.

Chad had been about to fall from his humiliating position when Anna clenched her muscles a third time. The impact without the buffer of the soap was much more painful. Something popped, and he let out a howl of pain that was muffled by her flesh. He wondered if these were his last moments, surrounded by his stepdaughter's ass, soaking wet and battered beyond belief. He felt her relax her muscles once more, and he gave himself to the feelings of weightlessness as his body fell away from the walls he'd quickly become accustomed to. His body hurt, even as he fell, but the force from the fall and the heat from the surrounding steam made it almost impossible to scream.

His body made contact with something soft yet firm, something that felt familiar even in his disoriented state. He blinked through the grime, soapy debris, and water that he wasn't sure was from the shower or tears to look around. He was on a hand. Anna had managed to catch him before he fell to his death. Whether it was a merciful response to his screams or luck, he wasn't sure, but he knew that he was alive, and that was something he could take solace in. He felt himself fading in and out of consciousness from the adrenaline wearing off and the exhaustion setting in from his eventful morning. He was vaguely aware of the water being shut off and Anna stepping out of the shower.

"You alright, squirt?" he heard Anna ask, but he couldn't bring himself to reply, "Chad, are you still with me?"

There was something in the tone of her voice that he couldn't quite place. Was it a concern? Surely not, not after everything she'd put him through. He told himself that in spite of her cruel acts, she wasn't evil. She was a girl who'd been hurt by a man whose sole responsibility was supposed to be to look after her and her mother. He felt himself getting set down on the cloth, a rag he guessed, and he tried to sit up to respond. There was a pain in his shoulder, though, and it staggered him. He pushed himself up using his right arm and tried to yell up to her, "I'm here and alive, hurting but alive. I think you might have dislocated something, Anna. It hurts to move my arm."

"You better not-" she began.

"I'm not going to tell anyone about this or what happened, Anna, I promise," he cut her off, "Much as I don't enjoy these little games, I'm not going to taint how your mother sees you."

She closed her mouth and tried to glare at him, but she couldn't quite muster her usual look of contempt. "You're smarter than you look," she said after a moment before softly asking, "What are you going to tell mom and Victoria?"

He tried to shrug and instantly regretted it as a pain shot through him, "I'll tell them I fell while we were talking," he replied with a grimace, "At my size, it doesn't take much to get hurt. Just...please try to be a little more gentle for the rest of the day. Is that asking too much?"

She frowned at him and rolled her eyes, "Fine, you big baby," she replied, "Only because you already said you wouldn't rat me out. Come on, let's get you washed, and then you can take a nap or whatever dumbass thing you want to do for a little while."

"Thank you, Anna," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," she said as she gingerly scooped him up, "You're still going to be spending some time with me today, and we're going to have a little chat later on. Got it?"

It was better than what he had been expecting. He nodded as she carefully moved him closer to the sink, "Yes, Anna," he replied.

As she turned the water on and checked the temp, he pondered on everything that had happened. He wasn't sure if he was fooling himself or if she really did seem to be showing some sincere concern with him. He hoped that it was true, and if it was, then maybe he could find some way to connect with her. Their talk earlier had gone better than he had hoped, so maybe that was the key to forming some kind of connection. If he could do that, then perhaps some good could come out of this nightmare. For now, though, he would accept this bath from her and fall into some much-needed sleep. Strange as it was, he felt confident that she would keep him safe for the time being. Maybe he could get some rest. He would find out soon enough.