“She has incentive to gain control,” Brain said with a smile.
“And my incentive is that if I’m not in control by the time she goes home,” said Spence, “Abbott will leash my wolf again so I can go home.”
Harmony hugged me when I stepped onto the porch, but I didn’t let her get away with a quick one. I held her for several long seconds — well past the point I could smell annoyance coming from Brain.
Her energy was stable. It felt good.
“The two of you should redo your relationship bond,” I told Brain. “She’s ready for it, and it might help with her control.”
Harmony and Brain looked at each other a few seconds, and Brain finally told her, “We’ll ask Abbott when he arrives tonight. Your human self is bound to my human and wolf, but your wolf is left out. I thought we needed to wait until you have more control before we mess with the energy, but Razor could be right.” He chuckled. “He’s a bird though, so he could also be full of shit.”
“You’re killing me, Razor,” said Spence. “What’s your news?”
I tousled his hair and his wolf looked out of his eyes.
“Hmm,” I said, “Looks like you have a hair trigger.”
His human brain processed the joke, and his wolf faded into the background. “That was bad,” Spence said with a smile, but it faded and he added, “But yeah. Not just my hair, but any fast movements, or someone touching me when I don’t expect it. It’s like the wolf is always on alert, ready to burst forth and defend us.”
“We’re working on it,” Brain said from behind me, “but having other people pop in and reinforce it is good.”
“Your news,” said Spence, though he was working with the grill and didn’t make eye contact.
“I’m looking at buying a house, and it brought up all kinds of logistical conversations.” I shrugged. “Long story short, asking Matty to marry me simplified everything, so I did.”
Spence froze, turned, and a smile lit his face. “I’m assuming, since you have news, this means he said yes?”
“He did, though we’re setting the wedding out a little over a year — in part because we want more time, but mostly because he’s going to go over-the-top with the planning, and he’ll need the time to put it together exactly right.”
“I’m so happy for both of you,” said Harmony. “I wish I could see him, but it isn’t safe yet, so please give him an extra hug from me?”
Marcus stepped into the backdoor and his eyes landed on Spence — analyzing, evaluating.
“Eat a candy bar while you cook. You’re too thin.”
Spence glared at him a half-second before walking to a cabinet, opening it, and choosing a four-pack of Reese’s Cups. “I was a werewolf before, why am I having to eat so much more now?”
“Because you’ve gone to wolf twice, which means you’ve changed four times today,” Marcus told him, his voice patient.
“I’m loving the fact I have to eat so much,” Harmony told me. She gave Brain a sideways look and added, “Of course, the fact I have someone who’ll go to the store to get whatever food I’m craving is a big plus.”
“Whatever it takes,” Brain wrapped his arms around Harmony from behind and kissed the top of her head. “You feed the hungers so they won’t take over. You have to feed the wolf and the human.”
“You still want to fly?” Marcus asked me.
“Yeah, once our dinner’s digested.”
“If he thinks Spence is up to it,” Marcus told me, “Abbott will fly with him tonight, so the boy can start getting a handle on control during an adrenaline spike. He thinks you flying with them might be enough to help Spence focus.”
Abbott surprised us all by showing up with Aaron, Sophia, and the triplets an hour after dark. Hunter ran to Spence, and I couldn’t help but smile at the picture Spence and little Hunter made. They sniffed each other, circled around a few times, and finally hugged.
“Your wolf smells right,” Emmy told Spence from behind her dad. “He always smelled sick before. Can I see him?”
“Not tonight,” Abbott told her. “The goal is for Spencer to stay human. You’ll get to see his wolf another time.”
“We get to fly with you!” Hunter told Spence. “Abbott will carry you, and we get to fly alongside! I can’t wait!”
Emmy had looked at me when they first arrived, and I wasn’t sure she remembered who I was. I should’ve known better.
“Are you going to fly with us, too, Razor? I’ve never flown with a raven before. I’ll be a lot bigger than you. Do you want to ride on me?”
“I’ve never flown with a dragon before, so I suppose we’re even,” I told her. “I appreciate the offer of a ride, but I’m looking forward to the evening. I’ve been flying around the city, and the air is different over a forest.”
Emmy gave her dad an accusatory look, and he calmly told her, “Crows are indigenous to Tennessee, and most people can’t tell a raven from a crow. Dragons aren’t indigenous anywhere. Marcus will do a fast flight of the property to be sure there aren’t any humans before we take off. We have to be careful, Emerald.”
And this is how we came to have our little ragtag flying group of a vampire, five dragons, a raven, three werewolves, and whatever Marcus is. Abbott strapped Spence to him for the flight, while Brain and Harmony rode Sophia, and Aaron tried to keep the triplets corralled and close to us. I soared all around them, and Marcus seemed to be everywhere at once, acting as security.
And the three little dragon pre-schoolers were possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
The moon was new, the night was dark, and the dragons added magic I hadn’t expected. Harmony stayed human, but Spence couldn’t hold on, and turned wolf perhaps thirty minutes into our flight. I heard the unmistakable sounds of sex about thirty minutes after Abbott landed with him in the forest, which told me Spence was back in human form. Sure enough, twenty minutes later they were back in the air with us.
We had another huge feast when we returned, and said goodbye to Aaron and his family after we ate. I slept in the woods in raven form, and woke when Abbott left around two in the morning. He came down to see Spence a few nights a week, but he had an empire to run, and he needed to be in Chattanooga to do it.
Brain and I spent a few hours running numbers and making lists the next morning, and I finally headed home so I’d be there when Matty came home from work.
Chapter 21
Razor
* * *
My Wednesday evening Krav Maga class was packed, but I had it under control. We’d just finished the warmups and I was about to teach the day’s move when Nix stepped in. I immediately knew something was wrong.
“Razor’s had a personal matter come up, so ya’ll get me tonight.” He looked at me, muttered for me to check my phone, and turned back to the class. “I need a willing victim? I mean, ummm, volunteer?”
A blonde giggled and raised her hand, and he motioned her to the front, but I only saw it through the glass as I walked down the hallway.
I had a text from Duke: Your boy’s in a holding room. You should come handle him.
My stomach somersaulted into my throat, but I ignored it. It took less than five minutes to get to the clubhouse, and Duke was waiting for me in the front room.
My gaze met Duke’s. “What happened?”
“He hurt Gen’s feelings.”
“I’m fine, Duke! God, he’s just having a little case of the bridezillas. It’s normal. We worked it out.”
Duke didn’t take his eyes off me to tell Gen, “It isn’t fine. I could smell how much he upset you.”
“What happened?” I asked again.
Gen’s hands moved as fast as her mouth. “He didn’t like my color scheme for your engagement party.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s his only engagement party, he should get a say!”
“You worked hard on it,” said Duke. “He was rude.”
She looked at me. “I started out with a white and pearl theme, since, you know, wedding
theme and all, but it was too washed out. I added pink roses and some greenery, and then pulled a few pink and green accessories in to give it some more color.”
“He said it looked like a tired eighties theme,” said Duke. “He called you a loser.”
“I was upset because he was right!” said Gen. “I hadn’t seen it until he said it.” She looked at me. “We’ve already fixed it. We’ll just replace the pink with lavender and it works. Simple fix.”
Duke met my gaze. “It wasn’t just what he said, but the way he said it. No one speaks to Gen that way. He’s your responsibility. If he didn’t belong to you, I’d have coldcocked him, but he’s yours so you get to handle it.”
“What are my options?”
“New territory. If it was a male friend you’d brought in, he’d fight me or be banned from the property. For an ol’lady, the choice is for me to belt her or you to belt her. I guess you get the choice of all four.”
“If it was another ol’lady, you’d have let us work it out,” Gen said, her hands on her hips.
He looked at her a few seconds and gave a tiny nod. “You might be right. I’d have talked to whoever was responsible for her, but I might not have required…” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. No man gets to hurt you like that.”
She started to argue, but I turned to look at her so she let me speak.
“It’s okay, Gen. Like Duke said, we’re in uncharted waters, but every man who walks in the door instinctively knows if we make you cry then Duke will make us cry. Matty’s a man, he’ll take his licks.”
I turned back to Duke. “How important is it you’re the one to belt him?’
He shook his head. “Not at all. Whatever lesson you think he needs, we’ll give him. You know him best. If it should be me, I’ll do it. If it should be you, I’ll gladly watch. Or, if you want to make it over-the-top official so you can stay neutral, Bash can handle it as Sergeant-at-Arms, but then he’ll decide the consequences, not you.” His face went a little harder. “No erection while he’s belted. None of us wants to see that.”
“Not a problem. I’m guessing no plug either?”
He shook his head, and I asked, “Where is he?”
“Conference room.” He turned to the bar, retrieved something, and offered it to me. Matty’s phone. Of course.
I keyed the code in to unlock the conference room door. I was fine when I opened the door, but I didn’t see him and it scared me. I almost left to look for him elsewhere, but I caught a whiff of his scent so I walked the entire room, and saw him tucked back in a corner, behind the door I’d come in.
“Why are you sitting on the floor?”
“Duke scared me. I wanted to hide.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“He just scared you?”
Matty nodded. “Are you mad at me?”
“I’m not pleased.”
“It was hideous.”
“You hurt her feelings. Every man who walks through the door knows if they make Gen cry, Duke will make them cry. He doesn’t have to tell us, we can see it in the way he looks at her.” I could tell by the way he was looking at me, he hadn’t picked up on it. “You’re a man, but you identify as an ol’lady. It’s a grey area, but you aren’t gonna get a pass on this one.”
“Gen isn’t mad at me!”
“I’m aware, but Duke is, and that’s the important bit. He’s in charge, not Gen.”
“Are you mad at me?”
I crossed my arms, gave him a level stare, and repeated, “I’m not pleased.”
He pulled his legs closer to his body. “Please tell me I won’t have to, like, fight Duke or something.”
“It’s one of the options on the table.”
His face registered fear and acceptance at the same time. He didn’t want to, and he knew he’d get his ass kicked, but he’d do it without whining. My heart swelled with pride, but we weren’t through with the conversation and I couldn’t go there yet.
“Basically, we get to decide whether to treat you like my friend or my ol’lady. I was inclined to belt you in the clubhouse, but you seemed to accept the fact you’d have to fight him.” I sat in a chair and shook my head. “No. I don’t think I can watch the two of you fight without intervening. You’re the equivalent of my ol’lady, and this is my decision.” I looked at him a few more seconds before adding, “The only question is whether I belt you, or whether I let Duke do it.” There was no need in bringing Bash in. My boy had fucked up, I’d punish him.
More fear, but he put on a brave face and said, “Whatever you decide, Daddy. I knew the rules, and I don’t agree I was enough of a bitch to have to be punished, but I’ll take whatever you say I’m owed.”
“But you agree you were a bitch?”
He shrugged and looked down. “I didn’t realize it until it’d already come out.” He looked up. “It was truly hideous. I just said what I was thinking.”
“So, you could’ve been more tactful?”
“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry.”
Not as sorry as he was going to be, but he was scared enough without me adding to it.
“Okay then. I’ll give you two-thirds or maybe three-fourths of however many strikes of the belt Duke and I agree to. I’ll let him give the rest.”
“What’s the protocol?”
My practical boy. He’d accepted it was going to happen and now wanted the details. “The women are either stripped, or they wear a skirt and we tuck the back of it into their waistband. They stand and face the corner while we eat, and then they’re belted, and they often go back to the corner to show off their red ass a while afterwards.”
“Please don’t make me wear a skirt.”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll work it out with Duke. Maybe just have you pull your pants down to your thighs.” I sighed. “Duke specified they don’t want to see a hard on, so I’ll put you in a CB3000.”
“Please don’t, Daddy.”
I knew there was a good chance whoever was in the control room was watching, but I didn’t care. “I know you have good control, but I won’t risk it. I’ll talk to Duke and work out the specifics. You have the option of refusing, but it’ll mean you can’t come onto RTMC property again, you won’t be able to call the control room to reach me when I don’t have my phone, and you won’t be the equivalent of an ol’lady anymore.”
He looked down, took a calming breath, and met my gaze again. “You won’t ask me to do anything dangerous. I’ll do whatever you want, Sir.”
“Give me a hug, and then you need to go to my room downstairs. I have your phone. You’ll get it back when we’ve finished this.”
Matty
* * *
Waiting in Daddy’s room was hell. I wanted to get it over with, but I was there for hours before Daddy came to put the plastic cock cage on me and take me upstairs.
Without my phone, I was thankful for the pencils and drawing pad I’d brought a few weeks before. I’d have gone crazy with nothing to keep my hands occupied. Still, I ended up drawing pictures of belts hitting asses, so I’m not sure how much it helped. I’d draw a sofa, and the next thing I knew, someone would be bent over it getting their ass belted.
I scanned the room for Gen when I was finally taken upstairs. I’d known she probably wouldn’t be there because she always leaves when a sweetbutt is punished. Still, I needed to be sure the two of us were okay.
I wasn’t going to have to stand in the corner, but it was clear Daddy expected me to show grace and strength and prove I could take whatever he dished out. He stood me a few feet away from the pool table, so my chest rested on the edge and my stomach had nothing under it.
“Arch that back, boy. Hands behind your head. Make sure your feet are placed where you need them. You’ll get so much more if you move.”
Daddy made me pull my pants down to my knees before I’d bent over, so I needed to keep my feet far enough apart to keep them from falling all the way down. I made a slight adjustment and imagine
d my boots were super-glued to the floor. This was punishment, and I was expected to stand still and take it.
The room was full of people, and I know some of them had to have seen the plastic cock cage, though most everyone was behind me and only a few were in front. I hoped the pool table blocked it, or maybe they didn’t realize what it was.
Duke’s voice belted out behind me, and the fear in my belly grew with every word.
“Matty called Gen a blind, loser, flope, and said her planned decorations for the engagement party were hideous. We’re a family, and men don’t get to talk to someone else’s ol’lady like that.”
I shook my head. I hadn’t called Gen those things. I’d asked what blind, loser flope wanted to torture the eyeballs of anyone forced to look upon such a hideous disaster.
But then, Gen was the one who’d come up with it, so I could see why he’d think I meant it about her, but I’d have never said that about Gen.
Only, I did. Fuck.
“Matty spoke without thinking,” said Razor, “and without realizing Gen had come up with the design. He regrets his words, and he came in of his own accord. He’s prepared to accept the consequences.”
“Razor and I have talked,” said Duke. “We’re in uncharted territory. We usually let the ol’ladies work this kind of thing out, but Matty’s a man and I can’t let it go.”
“Duke brought me into the discussion as Sergeant-at-Arms, to act as a neutral third party. He and Razor came up with the consequences without my input, and I approve. As Duke said, Matty’s in a grey area, because he’s in the position of ol’lady but is still a man.”
“The object of today’s lesson,” Duke’s voice once again sent fear burning through my gut, “is to make Matty think before being a little bitch again. Words have power. We’re a family. We don’t hurt an ol’lady’s feelings with thoughtless words. Razor will give Matty twenty strikes, and I’ll give him five. Matty has agreed he will stand for them all without moving.”
Razor: Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, Book 11 Page 17