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“This is highly inappropriate,” he says, helping the girl off the floor. I can see them in the corner of my eye as my hands shake.

The alarms are still screaming, and the overstimulation is overwhelming.

“Sorry, Warden,” the man mumbles. “She didn’t move fast enough when I asked her a question.”

“Did you get your answer?” Grayson asks, a vein pulsing in his neck.

“Yes, Sir. We’re almost done here. Then they can spend the night doing their own laundry and putting their rooms back together. As inmates, I feel as if they’re all too comfortable.”

These people are different from the auditors that were here before. They’re loud, brash, and arrogant. This feels like a scare tactic from someone who believes we aren’t serving our punishment well enough.

If I could, I’d tell them that not being able to leave this place is hell enough. While I’m not mistreated, I’m still reminded daily of what the queen expects from me once I leave here.

Watching one of my classmates attempt to flirt with Sidney as she pretended to drop sleeping tonic into his drink was just one reminder. Another was when my instructor toppled over his drink without drinking it. Riley was bent over the desk and fucked brutally in front of us and sent on her way in shame for her failure.

“Poison and tonics only work if you actually get them into your mark’s system,” Sidney remarked as he put his dick away. “If you aren’t able to do this, your body is a good distraction.”

“Alright, inmates! You’re free to pick your shit up and put your rooms back together. The Warden insisted that his recruits wouldn’t have any contraband, and I’m pleased to report that he’s correct. You run a tight ship,” says the man as I slip into my room to escape him.

I don’t know how anyone could get contraband in here when we’re so far away from civilization. No one wants to fuck around when it comes to the Warden, either.

“This entire dick swinging exercise to prove I don’t know my facility was a little much,” Grayson growls under his breath.

My clothes are covered in shampoo and soap, and my notebook didn’t escape the same treatment. Fuck, I’m glad I studied obsessively yesterday, because my notes are destroyed.

Sounds of dismay and anger rise around me as the other recruits view the damage they left behind.

Avoiding Grayson, I attempt to grab my mattress so I can strip the sheets. It’s heavy and miserable to maneuver unfortunately.

“Your recruits are all wimps,” says the man he’s talking to. There’s a patch on his dark blue uniform that recognizes him as the crown’s staff, and tells me that his name is Holton.

“Very few of my recruits are here because of how much they can lift in weights,” Grayson says drolly.

There is a weight training room though, because Grayson told me that it helps some of the inmates blow off steam.

“What kind of exercise do these people get?” Holton asks, grabbing my arm and pulling me over.

My mattress drops to the floor with a thud, and I hold in my huff of annoyance. I don’t want this whole situation to become any more difficult.

“The facility is huge, and they walk back and forth daily,” Grayson begins. He does a really good job of explaining what kind of options there are for weight training and exercise.

The men in this facility all have decent muscle mass, regardless of what section they’re in. My arms have decent definition from working in the greenhouse every day in the mornings with Sidney as well, and my legs are toned.

Just don’t ask me to run, because that isn’t one of my strengths. My breasts would also probably try to knock me out.

“This girl looks as if she’s one stiff breeze from blowing over,” Holton complains, pushing me so hard I can’t keep my balance.

My ass and thigh hit the stone floor hard, and I hide my wince away, along with all of my emotions. This man wants to feed off my poor little girl persona, so he won’t be getting my tears if I can help it.

“If you’re done harassing and damaging my recruits, I’ll escort you out,” Grayson says mildly. “This girl isn’t training to take down a man three times her size with her muscles, but with her pussy.”

Breathing through my nose, I lie to myself, telling myself that didn’t hurt either. It is why I’m here.

I know this. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to survive it when the time comes for me to ‘perform’, but I will because I have no other choice.

Standing, I go back to my mattress, ignoring both of them. Another inmate takes pity on me, picking it up and propping it against the wall for me. Nodding my thanks to him, I pull off the bed sheets from it.

“You there,” Holton barks at me, his fingers pinching my chin and forcing my eyes up to his.