In a peaceful resort in the Carpathian Mountains, Severin meets Wanda, a beautiful widow. He opens his heart to her, shares the secret of his life: he wants desperately to be enslaved by a cruel woman wrapped in furs. He wants to be beaten and humiliated by this goddess. He wants to worship her while she cheats on him with another man. He wants to be destroyed by her. Wanda is impressed. Severin is no ordinary man. Together they set out to make his fantasy a reality. They travel to Italy in the guise of a tyrannical mistress and her obedient servant. What begins as a game, however, soon turns deadly serious. Wanda develops a taste for blood. Be careful, Severin, what you wish for!

Edited and annotated with an all-new introduction by Matthew Kaiser