Jasper felt Kate's arms around him and leaned into the embrace. A small point of grounding in all that was going on. He hated himself for the way he was acting, how he was seeking comfort from his mistress. A small whimper escaped him and he felt his breathing becoming uneven and fast once more. Jasper felt the tears running down his face and he tried to pull away, wanting to wipe them away and pull himself together, even if he had to fake it. But he couldn't. Slumping against Kate once more, he felt himself shaking as the tears continued to flow.<br/><br/>He heard what Kate said, and forced himself to listen. It went against everything he had been taught, that crying, or showing any emotions was a sign of weakness, and in slaves it was something you just didn't do. With another whimper he buried his face against Kate's shoulder, closing his eyes and willing himself to get back in control. He didn't know what was wrong. Lady Malora and Lord Draco could beat him or ridicule him all they wanted and he wouldn't get to such a state, but for some reason Kate's gentle approach and kindness were reducing him to this.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, I...I didn't want to c...cause a problem." He said, hating how even his voice sounded weak. He hadn't want to breakdown like this, to embarrass Kate in front of others.