by Eileen Green
“Once you have put down all your wants, you need to go back through the list and correct any of those to wants or needs. Do you need to be tied up to orgasm? Do you need a punishment, such as a flogging to offset a bad habit, etcetera? When you figure all that out, you need to talk to your partner.
“Doms, the same thing. Write down your wants and needs. Start out with a Dom mentality and not a Master. Start simple. Being a Master requires so much more discipline and responsibility. That can come in time as you ease yourself into the lifestyle.
“And please remember, for both subs and Doms, sex is not always an endgame when being a Top or a bottom. At play parties, you may have a play partner who will play with you in the form of a scene, but not have sex. Again, this goes back to communication. Find out what each of you are expecting so no one gets their feelings hurt.
“Many times, in play parties, or even here at the club, a Top may not want to perform aftercare. Subs, you need to ask if it is something a Top will perform, or will you have to look to someone else for it. Tops, you need to find out if it something the sub needs before the scene. I’ve been to play parties where aftercare isn’t provided, at least for those not attached to someone else, and the sub gets upset and has to deal with the aftermath themselves.
“Despite being a submissive, you hold a lot of control in a relationship for without you, the Dom would have to move on, and most likely not get their wants, needs, and desires taken care of, just like yours aren’t. You have a say, no matter what your Dom says. All you have to do is speak up and discuss the situation. If the Dom doesn’t want to talk about it, or only wants their needs taken care of, then they aren’t the Dom for you.”
The door opening at the back of the room caught Eliza’s gaze. Alex stepped into the room, followed by Todd and Victor. When the latter two men caught sight of her, they both began to scowl, anger evident on their faces.
Oh, shit! This can’t be good.
Clearing her throat to let the class know she was still with them, she continued.
“So, you all need to speak up. Discuss. Communicate. Be active in your D/s relationship, not a doormat. You have to find a happy balance between what you both want, and that is no different in D/s. Now, for the next ten minutes or so, I want each of you to write out your wants and desires, and later, we’ll go over how to further them into wants and needs, for your needs are different from your wants. I’ll be out in the hallway.”
Paper rustled as Eliza stepped away from the desk and then walked toward the door. Her legs felt like cooked noodles and her heart was pounding in her chest. She had deliberately avoided telling her two men about the incident in her office because she knew they would be upset, and she needed a clear head to teach class. Alex must have snitched on her for Victor and Todd were supposed to be at her house.
Alex stepped from the room as she walked towards them, then Todd. Victor remained where he stood. When she was close enough, he took one step so that he was directly in front of her. He raised his hands and tenderly cupped the sides of her face. Tears glistened in his eyes as he looked over her wound.
“God, look what he did to you,” he whispered. So much love was behind those simple words, and her heart felt as if it was going to burst. It was in that moment Eliza knew she wasn’t going to be able to live without him. He laid his forehead against hers and sighed.
The sound of rustling clothing caressed Eliza’s hearing despite her blood pounding loudly in her ears and told her the students had turned to see what was going on. Over her shoulder she called out, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Grasping one of Victor’s hands, she pulled him out into the hallway. She heard the door close behind them and saw Alex step away from it. She stood only a few inches shorter than Alex in her six-inch heels, but his muscular build made her feel small in comparison. “I can’t believe you told them,” she accused in a whisper.
Not one to usually have his actions or life questioned, his eyes narrowed. “I didn’t. They came to the club, and when they were in the locker room, they overheard someone talking about it. You know how I hate gossip, so I’m sorry you weren’t able to tell them first.” There was control in his voice, as if he was trying hard not to yell at her.
Shrinking back a bit, Eliza lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
Alex knew she had been a submissive before, so him seeing her in that state wouldn’t shock him. It was he who had helped her to see her dominant side and had trained her to be the Domme she had become, but as if time had been erased, she felt like she was standing before him that first time behind the door they were standing next to.
“You know I would never reveal anything about anyone unless they were deliberately putting themselves in danger. Now, talk to them. They were beside themselves when they heard the news. They demanded to know where you were, and I felt like they would disrupt the club for a second time this week, so I brought them up.” Alex gave a nod before he walked toward the elevator.
Heat suffused her face so much it felt as if she had a sudden sunburn. Turning, she looked at the two men who she realized were wearing their street clothes. If they had been in the locker room, why hadn’t they changed?
“I’m too upset to play tonight,” Todd said as if he had heard her thoughts. “I don’t want to hurt either one of you with my anger.” He stepped up to her, his body trembling. “Why didn’t you tell us when you called to say you weren’t going to get home before coming here?”
The man was trying hard to contain his anger by the looks of his body language. At first, she didn’t understand why he was so upset since they had only met a few days ago. However, it dawned on her that she had agreed to enter into a relationship with him and Victor. As a former sub, she knew that he had the right to be angry, because their word was a bond. She should have called him immediately to let him know what had transpired.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered as she lowered her eyes. “I was afraid you guys would tell me I couldn’t teach tonight.”
* * * *
Victor had been slipping into his leathers while in the locker room when he heard two men in the shower area talking about Eliza. When one of them had mentioned her black eye, he nearly ripped the stitching on his pants. How had she gotten a black eye? Why hadn’t she told them. He wanted to find the asshole who had hurt his woman and rip him a new one.
A glance over at Todd, who had been sitting on one of the benches going through his toy bag, Victor could see that his master was now alert to the conversation in the other room. Todd looked up at Victor, anger on his face. “Get dressed. We’re going to get our woman.”
Todd’s tone sent a chill through Victor. With a tinge of disappointment that they weren’t going to play, Victor re-clothed himself in his street clothes as Todd did as well. Todd put his toy bag into the locker he was using for the night and the two were getting ready to step out into the playroom, but a man in a speedo and a collar stopped them at the door.
“I’m sorry, sirs. You can’t come in wearing street clothes. You’ll have to change,” he said quickly, his gaze slipping down both of their bodies before looking back up into their faces.
“Can you get a message to Alex for us, please?” Todd asked as he stood taller. He puffed his chest out and held his head high which Victor knew to be him reflecting his dominance over the man before them who was obviously a sub by his attire.
“Yes, sir. Can I tell him who is requesting his presence?” the young man asked nervously.
“Todd and Victor.” They didn’t need to go into why they wanted to talk to Alex, so the man knew he was excused to go.
The man nodded and retreated out the door, letting the door close softly. Victor went over to sit on the bench and waited. Todd paced the room, frustration radiating from him. Watching his Master go back and forth, Victor thought about Eliza.
She was a strong woman, and even when he knew her, she had been despite being a sub. It had been a
n attribute Victor and Bobby had loved about their woman. A strong woman on the outside, out in public, but she was a strong sub in private. An incident came to mind from when they were together before. A mechanic had been trying to screw her over on charges on a repair because she went in alone to get her car fixed. Since she had walked in the shop before Victor, the man was trying to tell her that more repairs needed to be done than what was wrong with the vehicle. Victor walked in while the man was trying to show Eliza what was going on. Victor hung back and watched Eliza lay into the man, telling him that the parts he was trying to say were worn out were only a few months old. She stood up for herself and Victor was so proud of her. The mechanic backed down, gave her a discount, and never got their business again.
Pain came along with the memory, but with each recollection, the pain was diminishing. Hopefully one day soon, he would remember how he ended up in this predicament and no longer have the pain in his head. He had settled in the knowledge that there were parts of his body that would always have pain. Those he could deal with.
Finally, the door opened, and Alex stepped in. He was wearing black leathers and a black leather vest that showed off his chiseled chest. The man was built, and a bit of intrigue surrounded him for he had a few scars on his chest, abdomen, and arms that denoted a gunshot wound and a few knife slices. He had been a Navy Seal, and those scars were trophies of his service to the country.
Bobby had been in the Army and had a few scars, but thankfully, no gunshots or knives. At least until the end. The officials who came to tell him and Eliza about Bobby’s death told them that it would have to be a closed casket as he was unrecognizable. They had to use dental records to identify him.
Victor stood and moved over to Todd.
“You wanted to see me?” Alex questioned them with authority.
“We just heard that Eliza has been injured,” Todd informed him. “We weren’t aware of it. Can you take us to her, please?”
Alex looked a bit put out. “She didn’t tell you?”
“No. She called from the office to tell us she had to work a bit later than expected and that she’d come straight here from the office. We weren’t going to come here tonight but changed our minds.” Todd was holding tight to his anger so as not to irritate Alex any more than he already was.
Nodding, Alex escorted them upstairs and then to her classroom. They stepped inside as she was explaining communication to her students. How ironic, Victor thought.
Victor had to control himself when he viewed the damage to his woman’s face. Todd’s shaking hand grasped Victor’s, most likely trying to hold each of them from running forward.
Black and blue along with swelling surrounded her eye while the bruising continued into her cheek. To see the injury was painful in itself. Victor could only imagine what it felt like for her, a woman who was unused to violence. Sure, she had endured some paddling and floggings, but nothing so brutal.
When she spotted the trio near the door, surprise registered first, and then a touch of fear. Victor was certain she just realized that in a relationship like they were entering into, she didn’t communicate and let them know what had happened. The swelling was so bad that she must have had problems driving to the club from the office.
Once she gave instructions to the class, she made her way down the aisle hesitantly and stopped within a foot of them. Victor had to touch her, to feel her skin against him as she apologized to them, but at the moment, he didn’t want to hear it. He placed his hands on both sides of her face and leaned in towards her. He couldn’t stop the tears that sprang to his eyes, nor did he want to. Small memories kept invading his thoughts, but they were all about Bobby and Eliza, most likely because of Victor’s deep love for them. But he had also promised in their bonding ceremony to love and protect Eliza for the rest of his life, and looking at her now, he felt as if he had failed.
“God, look what he did to you,” he whispered before he laid his forehead against hers. The contact was short-lived as the class turned towards them. They needed to leave the room so as not to further disrupt the students.
Victor didn’t blame Eliza when she accused Alex of ratting her out. He probably would have done the same thing. Once Alex explained what had happened, and left, Eliza revealed why she hadn’t told them what had transpired in her office. She had also slid into a submissive poise, something Todd hadn’t seemed to miss.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” Todd asked through clenched teeth. Victor could tell his Master was keeping his anger on a tight leash as his body was trembling. Victor could sympathize with him for his own anger was rippling under the surface.
“No.”
“As soon as breakfast is finished, you will shower and then we’ll come here for your discipline,” instructed Todd. “You will be punished, and if you are truly repentant, we might cement our relationship.”
A gasp escaped Eliza while Victor’s cock grew hard. He couldn’t wait to be reunited with her, and to have his Master there was going to make it that more special.
“We don’t have to come here.” Eliza’s voice shook as she spoke. “I have my own dungeon.”
“What?” exclaimed Victor and Todd in unison.
Where in the hell did she have room for a dungeon?
She slid her gaze up to Todd from the floor, a sly smile on her lips. “I converted two of my extra rooms into one dungeon.”
“You really surprise me, Eliza. I never would have guessed.” Todd’s smile nearly split his face as he continued to look at their woman. Victor’s heart warmed further at the sparks that were zinging between his past love and his current love. Todd continued. “Then, after breakfast and a shower, I expect you in your offering pose so I can dispense of your punishment. So, get a good night’s sleep.”
Buzzing with excitement as Victor followed Todd down the hallway to the elevator, Victor fully believed that he was going to be part of a bigger family. His cock was hard enough to pound nails, but he knew he wasn’t going to get any relief tonight.
Chapter Ten
Her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to escape its flesh and bone cage. Her knees ached as did her back from kneeling on the floor for what seemed like forever. A dull ache centered in her right eye and cheek. However, she tried to ignore it. It was the reason she was in this position.
Eliza was trying hard not to think about the little inconveniences for she wanted to hear Todd enter the room. Sleep had eluded her in anticipation of this morning, and she could barely choke down the breakfast Victor had made for them. However, she dreaded what was going to happen when both men discovered her other secret.
It wasn’t as if she was trying to hide it, and it wasn’t something she dwelled on. She had to hope her punishment wasn’t about to be doubled once they got a look at all of her.
She straightened her back as she heard footfalls on the stairs. Her knees were shoulder width apart and her hands were on her thighs, palms up. There was a spot on the floor to focus on that she had purposely set on the hardwood floor for whenever she got a sub of her own. Her gaze was on that spot as her two men approached the doorway.
A gasp and a whispered “Whoa!” sounded from just inside the double doors Eliza had put in where the two rooms would have met. Fighting the urge to look up along with the smile that threatened, she stayed focused on her pose.
A pair of boot-shod feet along with a bare pair stopped in front of her, the latter ones she hadn’t seen in years but recognized. She no longer could say that she knew every inch of Victor’s body due to all the scars that mapped his skin now, but his feet had been spared the blemishes, most likely because of his motorcycle boots.
“I never would have imagined that all this was in your house, sweetheart.” Todd’s words with laced with admiration. “And, it looks like it’s all new.”
“Permission to speak, Sir?” The words were foreign to Eliza, ones that hadn’t passed her lips in a little over five years. The comfort they brought overwhelmed her des
pite the need to hear them said to her.
“Of course,” Todd responded.
“Everything here is new. I got it when I moved in here a month ago. But just so you know, I have never had a sub to bring home.”
Todd’s handsome face appeared before her as he squatted. “I’m honored. We’re honored. That you are willing to bring us here, to let us use this equipment first, is truly special.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Heat rushed to her face at his words. It took a lot to embarrass her, but he had.
He stood. “Take your position, slave.”
Victor moved so that he knelt to her left. In her peripheral vision, she could see him smoothly sink to his knees. He had taught Eliza how to move that fluidly. However, she was rusty now. He placed his hands palms up like hers. A wave of emotion swept through her at the memories that flooded her. They had been in this same position hundreds of times, the only difference being the man who stood before them.
“Very nice,” Todd praised. “You both make striking subs. Now, do you remember why you are kneeling before me, Eliza?”
“Yes, Sir.” She swallowed hard. “I failed to inform you of my injury.”
Silence reigned as Todd moved out of her sight. His booted footsteps ran in the room until she could tell he stopped behind her. She felt his fingers touch her spine, causing a shiver to rush through her.