by Rae, Nikki
Mia looked skeptical as she inched closer, carefully tucking her dress under her knees. “Are you sure?”
Master Lyon’s hand found the back of my head, fingers curling slightly in my hair so they couldn’t see. That one small gesture held so much: control, reassurance; but it also reminded me he was there, making sure I obeyed him and didn’t make any mistakes. Protecting me.
“Doe,” he said too gently, like he was talking to a child. However, I knew his voice, what each tiny inflection or change of tone meant. He was speaking for her, treating this woman like she wouldn’t understand otherwise. “You’re not going to hurt my friend, are you?”
I’d been instructed not to speak, but this was a direct question; I had no choice but to answer.
My eyes slid in his direction; I wouldn’t dare move my head for fear he would stop touching me. Right now, his touch was a tether, keeping me a safe distance away from wandering thoughts of what this woman intended to do with me. He was giving me to another woman right now, to do with what she pleased until he intervened. Was this another lesson he was trying to teach me, or was it a convenient coincidence? Would I feel the same way if he wasn’t here with me, when I was back in the Wolf’s claws?
“No, sir.” My voice came out hoarse and timid. Perhaps if I’d been thinking I would have done this on purpose to sound shier, but my nerves did it for me.
When his smile was directed at this woman instead of me I almost let the weight in my chest crush my lungs, but then he spoke. “See?” he said to Mia. “Doe doesn’t lie, just like her Owner. Isn’t that right, Doe?” He didn’t bother to face me.
However, I hadn’t looked away from him. “No, sir,” I said. “I never lie.”
Master Lyon slowly removed his hand, fingers combing through the waves in my hair as if he was thinking, watching what she would do, but I found it hard to ignore how it seemed he didn’t want to let go of me just yet.
“Go on, Mia,” he encouraged. “Clean her up before she gets sticky.” He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out that gold cigarette case I saw on the first night we were together in that hotel room. He lit one with the candle burning on the table. He wasn’t just concerned about me failing, he expected it. He didn’t fully believe I could follow his instructions. I wanted to show him that even though I didn’t like that he would be delivering me to a man I’d disfigured, I had always taken every test—pass or fail—with the purpose of one day preparing me for what was to come. This was no different.
In front of me, Mia came even closer. I glanced at Master Lyon, and he stared straight at us, exhaling smoke into the air.
Mia started stroking up my arm with her index finger, which was tipped with a black artificial nail shaped to look more like claws. It drew goose bumps from my flesh and it made me more aware of the champagne drying on my body. This made her touch feel too intense, too powerful in how it affected me.
“She really is pretty.” Something in her voice had changed, become darker and heavier. Hands became surer of themselves, applying more pressure. With every new action, I remained still and silent, and this seemed to make her more confident, pushing up the string of diamonds that was supposed to be the hem of my dress and her fingers tracing the scars on my thighs. I caught myself in a grimace as her fingers lingered on such raised, private parts of me and forced my muscles to relax.
“You were always intrigued by imperfections,” the older woman pointed out. “The damaged ones.”
Master Lyon took another drag of his cigarette, not saying a word.
Mia’s palms slid across my skin, spreading the remnants of whatever champagne hadn’t already dried. She glanced up at me, fear in her eyes as if I were a ravenous animal on too long of a leash.
“There’s really nothing to be afraid of,” Master Lyon said, drawing both of our attention. I could tell he was impatient, annoyed, even as he gave her a reassuring grin. “Why don’t you show Mia you’re not dangerous, Doe?”
He wasn’t looking at us any longer, now in conversation with the woman by his side. Out of my peripheral vision—I refused to look anywhere but at him and the girl in front of me—I could tell there were about five or six more people, mostly men, gathering around our small area. By their mingling voices told me they did a good job pretending they were interested in whatever they discussed, I felt their eyes on me become more intense the longer they stood there.
I didn’t exactly know how to show Mia I wasn’t a threat to her right now, but I settled for the best smile I could conjure, fighting the tremor that shot through me like my very body was rebelling against the action.
Her muscles relaxed slightly, but her expression remained wary, even as she returned a similar, if not more nervous smile. Something within me was frantic, needing to complete this task before my Owner turned in our direction again. I stared at the woman as she stared at my body, stalling whatever it was Master Lyon had given her permission to do.
Slowly, as if she were the one who was in danger, I inched closer, diamonds digging into my knees as I lowered my head to her shoulder, imagining the boniness that met my cheek were the broader, warm, toned muscles of my Owner. If it wasn’t for her overwhelming scent of manufactured roses, I would have been able to successfully do so.
At first, she tensed, unsure of what I was doing. Then her light hair became a sheer curtain around my face as she mirrored me. She wrapped her arms around my back, fingers digging into the ropes that held me.
I could only slightly make out my Owner, shaking hands a few feet away—he had stood and I hadn’t even noticed. Mia’s hands were on my face then, drawing my head upward a second before she pressed her lips to mine, too wet, too soft. Even though I was prepared, I was still somehow shocked as she teased my lips apart with her tongue. After a second’s hesitation, I granted her entrance and returned the kiss.
Behind me, I felt fingers in my hair and I was so focused on making this woman believe I wanted to kiss her that it took me longer than it should have to realize Master Lyon had come back, standing behind me and towering over us both. So many words were conveyed in that motion, but all I could think about was that first moment I’d given a part of myself to him—sitting in the lounge, fire blazing, as we kissed. Then immediately I remembered how he hadn’t believed it. How would this woman react if she could see through me as well?
With new resolve, I kissed her back, intent on my goal. I would no doubt be forced to kiss at least one more person when I was transferred; this was something else I had to get used to. I wasn’t sure it was affecting her at all until she moaned into my mouth. Seeming to catch herself, she pulled away slightly, glancing at me only a second before her head dove down my neck, between my breasts, and down my belly, following the same trail the champagne had traveled. When she was done, she backed away, smiling with embarrassment at my Owner.
I heard him softly chuckle as he jerked my head upward so I was staring at the ceiling once again, throat straining for breath with the new angle. Eagerly, the woman’s mouth roamed downward again, her sucking sounds too loud but not as loud as my own pulse.
“Doe particularly likes being kissed here,” Master Lyon said softly, a finger tracing the spot below my ear he never failed to press like a button whenever he wanted to make me come undone.
I swallowed hard, not moving any more than that. As the woman licked and sucked down my chest, hot breath grazing my nipples before she continued on to my stomach and thighs, spreading them wider than necessary.
My skin prickled, nipples hardening so she could mistake it for arousal. My chest heaved with unshed tears and I made it look like I was breathless from the actions of her mouth. Behind me, Master Lyon pressed the back of my head against him and I could smell the fabric of his pants and see just a shadow of his face as he grinned down at me—or maybe it was her.
Slowly, the woman’s mouth made its way back up to my chest, my throat, and then finally, that secret spot on my neck I’d mistakenly thought would
stay between us. Try as I might to ignore her advances, I couldn’t help but feel the heated tingling sensation flowing through me. I had to momentarily close my eyes to catch my breath, and my Owner pressed my head even further into him. I could feel him growing hard and I wanted to cry, to fight, to scream, but I held it all in and let it continue.
Eventually, she stopped and Master Lyon almost immediately let me go, retaking his seat and crossing his legs as he picked up the conversation he’d been having with the others who’d assembled as if he hadn’t paused at all. The woman kissed my cheek like she was thanking me and I had to clench my teeth to keep from spitting in her face.
She stood, making a show of ensuring her lipstick wasn’t smeared and her hair was smooth as it cascaded down her shoulders. She sat in my Owner’s lap this time, emboldened by our encounter and walking away without injury. Now they both ignored me as she giggled and squealed as he uncrossed his legs to better accommodate her, most likely feeling his full hardness against her backside as she kissed him and he kissed her back.
Anger flared within me, engulfing my muscles and making me shake. I had thought it almost impossible to become more upset, but them openly fondling each other sent me over the edge. Still, I was able to hold my ground and at least appear as if nothing affected me, even as my hands twitched behind my back to claw his eyes out.
After our little show, the crowd that had formed around us had dispersed, back into the safety of their own groups. As I tried to ignore my Owner and Mia, I heard the song switch to something contemporary I didn’t recognize—most likely something new and popular that I was unaware of. It was slower, with a woman singing from her throat over deep drum beats and manufactured metallic sounds. It grated my nerves and I doubted Master Lyon had picked this music.
Perhaps wanting to share the smallest of moments with him, I turned my head in his direction and hoped he would smirk or nod in acknowledgement of the discordant song piping through his speakers. However, Mia was no longer sitting in his lap, and the top half of her dress no longer covered her tiny breasts.
I wanted to look away, knew that I should, but I was frozen, eyes as large as they would go. Mia knelt in front of my Owner, Elliot, my Master, hands on his parted thighs and head in his crotch. Her hair at least hid what they were doing, but anyone would be able to tell. Her head bobbed up and down methodically as she worked towards her goal, arms rigid and all the tiniest bones and muscles twisting under her thin skin.
When I finally tore my eyes away, Master Lyon was staring directly at me, eyes heavy, heated, and then he grinned.
I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t cry so I looked away instead; it was the only power I had in this situation. What did I expect? I wasn’t truly his, and everyone here knew that—everyone except me.
A tremor raced through me when I next heard her voice, now deeper than it had been before. “Thank you, Master Lyon,” she said.
I heard her heels against the cement floor as she stood and I could hear the fabric of her dress shifting back into place. I blinked slowly, letting my eyes stay shut for just a moment longer than what was needed. For that brief moment, I didn’t see or hear anything; there was only me and the dark, and I wanted to stay there.
“You can look at us now, Doe,” he said casually. “You certainly didn’t have a problem looking at us before.”
Mia giggled and I turned to them with purpose, as if it had been my idea. She reclined in his lap, arms around his neck and face snuggled close to his head. Her hair was a bit mussed, tiny wisps in her face. Her lipstick was slightly smeared now, but it didn’t seem to concern her as it had before.
Master Lyon looked more than comfortable with her in his arms, fingers digging into her thighs through her dress. When I looked at his face, he still held the same grin. I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck. “Did you like watching, Doe?”
Next to him, his cigarette sat in a crystal ashtray on the arm of the seat, smoking down to nothing but a trail of dust. He hadn’t touched it once since that woman had returned to him. “No, sir,” I whispered, afraid if I used any more force I would scream.
Master Lyon cocked his head to the side and Mia gave me a mock-frown. “No?” he asked.
I stared back at him. “No, sir. I’m sure.” I could have left off the last part, but the small amount of control it made me believe I had was worth it.
His grin only widened as he leaned into Mia’s shoulder so her could coo in her ear, “I’ve trained her to be very loyal to her Owner.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and she closed her eyes and smiled as his fingers lingered on her chin. “But I’m afraid it makes her quite possessive of me.”
Mia stared down at me. It wasn’t until now that I could see the glint of evil all Members had in their eyes. The higher up they were on the food chain, the less human they were. Sooner or later, they all turned into sharks with dead black eyes. Her legs dangled off his thigh as she kissed his cheek. “I don’t blame her.” She didn’t look away from me even as her lips remained on my Owner’s skin. “I can see why she would be protective of you.” She ran her fingers through his hair.
“I’ve told her many times that she’s to be transferred,” he said, “but I think you and I can teach her that I am not the one who belongs to her.”
Mia turned fully towards him, legs shifting so now she straddled him, her dress riding up her legs and showing more of her than I wanted to see. “Really, Master Lyon?” she asked like a child.
He nodded once, and she lowered her head to capture his mouth. Now, she wasn’t timid at all. It was as if he’d given her a once in a lifetime opportunity and she was going to make it count. She unbuttoned his shirt, kissing down his neck the way I so badly wanted to.
I hadn’t realized I’d shut my eyes until Master Lyon spoke. “Doe.” I opened them, scared that I would be punished more than this. “Come here,” he said.
I couldn’t hide the fear in my eyes and Mia glared at me as if he was an object she didn’t want to share. Knees already buckling, I rose on trembling feet and weak ankles. It only took three small steps before I was right next to them.
His fingers curled behind my neck, squeezing until it was on the verge of pain. “I want you to watch,” he said. “I want you to learn that nothing belongs to you. Not even me.”
My teeth were clenched so hard that they cut into my tongue and cheeks. I tasted blood and I wished it was his. He didn’t even try to sound sad or remorseful—no imperceptible gesture I could decode to comfort me.
Without a word, his hand left me and cupped her face. His eyes became solely focused on her. He stared into her eyes the way he’d stared into mine that night in the greenhouse, before I ran and before I was condemned. Before he saw me as weak; something not worth fighting for.
Their tongues dueled for a short while before things grew more heated. Mia stopped glancing at me every few seconds with demure eyes as if she didn’t want to see my reaction and now her forehead pressed against his, back arching as his hand slid between them so he could better position her over him.
I knew the moment he entered her because she let out a muffled, if not over exaggerated, moan; like she had never felt anything so amazing. Part of me thought maybe my Owner was that gifted, but I knew how women of the Order worked just as well as I knew the men. Men took pleasure and women convinced them they felt it, whether they did or not.
Their breathing had become heavier and Mia had begun to writhe slowly in my Owner’s lap. He didn’t help her hit any specific spot, instead staying still as she used him like a piece of furniture. Still, he kept her head close to his as if he could breathe her in, consume some aspect of her he didn’t have like a vampire draining the blood of its victim. I wanted to see Mia’s blood as well.
“Oh, Master Lyon,” she groaned before her muscles stiffened and she rode out an over enthusiastic wave of pleasure. Perhaps the fact that he only wanted to fuck her to teach me a lesson had dampened the fire he’d originally set within
her and she wanted to go back to simply flirting with him, because at least then he was giving her attention.
I wanted to smirk at her, show her I knew every tiny thing that had just occurred, and instead of upsetting me the way I was sure Master Lyon intended, it had empowered me. I knew these people. They weren’t hard to figure out. I could do this as long as I detached myself—the way he was right now.
He practically lifted her off his lap and she stood to fix herself, suddenly ashamed and glancing around her as if she didn’t want anyone to see. She put on a brave face as she leaned forward, kissed him, and whispered something in his ear, but when she stepped away, I saw her disappointment. She’d thought if she could seduce him—if you could even call it that—he would forget his wife for a moment and give in to her. I’d made the same mistake.
Seven
Mr. B came to collect me not long after my newest lesson. Though I wasn’t exactly scared anymore, going through so many emotions in such a short period had spiked my adrenaline and I tripped repeatedly as we walked down the hall. “That’s it, Miss Fawn,” he encouraged as we emerged from the elevator. I was happy to be back to Fawn now. At least with him. He’d never used my name to manipulate me; it felt cleaner, without motive coming from him.
He’d taken off my hood when we stepped into the elevator, no need to conceal where we were going now that I’d already been there. None of the lights in the house were on, and as my eyes adjusted, I could tell we were in the foyer. Mr. B let me set the pace, never rushing or pulling me forward. We were completely silent. I wanted him to say something; ask me how I was feeling or give me some comforting words, but he didn’t. Only our footsteps in the dark made any noise. One would never believe the ruckus I’d left in the wine cellar. When Master Lyon summoned Mr. B, nearly everyone in the room had been completely drunk. He sat watching it all, a casual observer as I stayed in my knelt positing at his side—he’d made me kneel again once Mia was out of sight.