by Tigris Eden
All of the women stood and made their way below. Blue looked Nerina’s way and approached her behind the bar.
“You have your instruction as well Caterpillar. “
“Yes, serve the drinks. Hey, have you heard anything from Victor?”
Blue rapt his knuckles on the counter and that was his way of saying he wanted a shot of whiskey. Without thinking, Nerina turned retrieving the bottle pouring him a shot. She turned back noticing the smile on Blue’s lips.
“No I haven’t heard anything. I know our good friend Victor will be here tonight.”
“He’s coming to the claiming? I would have thought Sasha would veto that idea right out the door.”
Blue nodded, downing the entire shot.
“I’m sure he will find a way around his current situation. As the next to take the torch for his Pack, he not only has bedding rights, but he also has the right to choose a mistress. Sasha can bitch all she wants, but ultimately it’s up to Victor.
Blue bent his head so that he could get a better look at Nerina.
“You up for the task?”
Her head shot up at the question. Was the man out of his mind! She was not going to be like her mother. That was not who she was.
“Fuck no! I’m no one’s mistress.”
Blue rapt his knuckles again and Nerina poured him another shot.
“You could be a lot more than just a mistress. You could challenge Sasha to rights of first wife.”
Was he serious?
“What do you think this is, Showdown in Anchorage? I don’t think so. If a man needs more than one woman to satisfy his needs. Then that just means the woman isn’t enough for him.”
“I see your point. Come with me Caterpillar, I’m eager to turn you into the beautiful butterfly you are. Tonight, I want you to have just a taste of what it’s like to be cared for.”
That was so not going to happen.
“Don’t think so.”
“Suit yourself. I know your curiosity is going to get the better part of you. I just figured with tonight being the claiming, we could take care of two birds with one stone. You can be my sub tonight. You’d get to see what all the rage is about being tied up in one of my ropes.”
She was so not curious. Liar, you so are. Okay she was curious, but really she only wanted one man to do the things she saw Blue do to the other women up there on stage. She didn’t want Blue doing those things to her.
“I think I’ll pass.”
“Well I know for sure Victor will be here. Not only can I tell you from experience but also from firsthand knowledge, he lives for this type of shit. Sasha isn’t submissive by any stretch of the imagination. Let’s show Victor all he’s been missing out on.”
She was not one to play games with people’s emotions. She wouldn’t false advertise who she was just to get her man. Victor may like to tie his women up, but she wasn’t the type of woman who wanted to be tied up and then discarded. What about in the cave? That had been a heat of the moment thing and lasted a handful of stolen moments. Staying here was not long term. Especially now that her uncle was in town nosing around and asking about her. Sooner or later he would turn up at Eden’s and that bomb she’d been anxiously waiting to explode, would erupt in such a way that it would take out everyone around her. Something she didn’t want to happen to the people who were only trying to help her.
Blue eyed Nerina further but didn’t say anything. He turned on his heel, shot glass in hand and made his way downstairs to his suite. Cherry made her way over smiling wide. Mischief evident on her face.
“You should take him up on his offer for the evening.”
“Yeah, and why should I do that?” Nerina countered.
“Because, Blue makes it good. Real good for his subs. He’s all about the pleasure, he gives it ten times over.”
Shaking her head, she responded. “I’m not going to sleep with Blue.”
“Good, because he’s celibate. He won’t sleep with anyone, nor does he let anyone get him off. Ever. He’ll let the subs play, but he never takes it any further.”
Then what was that thing he was doing the other night with Cherry stroking him off?
“He never lets me get him off. Believe me, I’ve tried. He doesn’t even allow kissing. He’ll whisper to you, sing to you, but he’ll never actually kiss you, unless it’s on the forehead or the cheeks. Never the mouth, but I’ll tell you this, his touch is electric. Something no woman would ever want to miss.”
Dribble. All of it. There was no way a man could do all of that for a woman and not get off on it in some way. Maybe that was his payoff, not getting off. But if what Cherry said was true, and if she was being honest with herself, she was curious. Very curious. The minor prelude she’d had in the cave with Victor had been very satisfying. It had been nice to give up control, and hand over the reins. And because Blue was celibate, the most she’d get out of it was an experience and maybe a few rope burns.
Fuck it, Nerina thought moments later. She may as well have a little fun and satisfy her curiosity. At least this way she’d be close to Blue and should something happen with one of Eden’s club members, she’d be protected by the big bad ass wolf. Wiping down the bar, she untied her apron and went in search of Blue. Hopefully his offer would still be on the table.
Chapter 15
“Victor man, it’s good to see you.” Tino said as he let him in through the door. He hadn’t realized it was a claiming night, but everyone else had. The club was only open to members. He knew that there would be at least three females there tonight, looking to be claimed. A year ago that would have whet his appetite. Now he was saddled with the burdens of the Pack. Mating in the spring, and a human that was his Eros. He only hoped Blue had her somewhere safe tonight. Males and females would be on the prowl. Everyone in attendance tonight would be considered fair game. Something he knew would not be okay with his Neri. Your Neri? Yeah, she was his, his in a way that no one could dispute.
“Hey Tino, where’s Blue at?”
Tino winked. “He’s about to go up on stage. Be sure to grab a seat in the front. You don’t want to miss this. By the way Sasha’s here to. She showed up with her girls.” Tino pointed to one of the VIP sections overlooking the cage.
Great. One more thing to deal with. His father must have told her he’d be at the club. But why? He knew what Nerina meant not only to him but also to Menes. Victor took a seat in the middle of the club at a booth that was open enough to give him view of the entire floorshow. Because this was a night of claiming, Blue would be the first to go up on stage and set the tone for the others. The claiming was a primal, erotic awakening of the soul to those of his kind. It brought out the need to protect; to kill anyone who would get in the way of what another felt was his by right. This wasn’t his first claiming, and it wouldn’t be his last. The only difference between Victor and the others was that he wouldn’t be partaking. He was duty-bound to mate with Sasha. She spotted him across the club and nodded in his direction. He didn’t expect an invitation to her world because he knew she felt she was the one who would have the upper hand in their relationship. He’d let her continue to think that.
The lights dimmed and an acoustic guitar started the intro to a song that Victor was very familiar with. It was one of his favorites. The stage was in the center of the club so that everyone could see Blue and his subject. The woman he chose would be completely covered in a blood red cloak. It would mask her scent until she was finally relieved of it. The cloak did a lot more than mask the scent of its wearer. It also lulled them into a sort of a trance. Making the wearer more susceptible to the instructions of the owner. Which in this case was Blue. As the woman entered the cage, the fabric of the cloak trailed behind her on the floor as she walked into the center of the cave. She stood facing the opposite direction of Victor. No one could see her face even if they tried. Nothing would be revealed until the cloak was removed. The rigger itself was adjacent to where she stood, but still center enough for ev
eryone to see. This was the part that got him off. The ropes, the marks it left on a woman’s flesh once she was released. Unbidden to him, an image of Nerina tied and bound for his pleasure surfaced. The picture itself blossomed into an entire motif of something so erotic, so beautiful, he instantly became hard. The show hadn’t even started yet. Blue entered the stage after the woman. His friend as always was very laid back, it helped set the stage for the mood in the club.
Right when Victor was about to seek out the object of his torment, the cloak was lifted by Blue and only the back of the woman’s head was shown. It was pulled back into a ponytail that was braided halfway down her back. Pearls were braided into her hair. Some sort of headdress spanned the top of her head. He couldn’t tell if it covered her entire face as her back was still to him. But whoever she was, Sasha didn’t like her. The hate evident and clear on her face as she gazed at the woman Blue had chosen for the night’s festivities. Blue turned her then. Victor’s entire body tightened as sharp spasms of lust rocked his body. It was Nerina. His Neri. Blue nodded in his direction and didn’t move any further. The cloak had yet to be fully removed still masking her scent to the others. Her eyes clashed with his briefly before she looked to the floor.
He could see that half of her face was covered with the headdress. Emeralds and pearls strung together to create a vision of loveliness that barely hid her unfailing beauty. Her whiskey eyes rimmed in kohl were further enhanced by her thick lashes. They’d dusted her skin with crushed pearls to make her already lustrous butterscotch tone appear even brighter. Her eyes remained downcast and all he wanted her to do was look at him again. Just once more. He wanted to feel their connection. The unbreakable tether that held them together. Peeking from beneath the cloak he could see the elaborate pearl choker she wore. But Blue hesitated. He didn’t unveil her. Instead he deferred to Victor.
“Shall I undress her, or would you like to?”
Everyone in the crowd turned envious eyes to Victor. To be allowed this by the clubs owner was the embodiment of respect and loyalty. Victor didn’t have to be asked twice. His body, on its own accord rose and he approached the stage. Nerina was his siren, and he, the lost fisherman compelled to heed the call. When he came out of his daze, Victor had no recollection of how he’d gotten from point A to point B. All he cared about was the end game. Blue turned to him bowing low at the waist.
“She’s all yours Victor.”
Yes she was.
Victor took a step towards his captive who was enthralled by the cloak and knew the moment he unveiled her fully she would only be in a mild haze. He didn’t want that. He wanted her full attention. He looked out to the crowd, a crowd that would normally be restless, but like him they were all under the spell of Nerina’s beauty and her act of submission. Sasha had yet to say anything. But then she knew her place. Here in Blue’s club only Blue could veto what was about to happen. She could either watch, or leave. Either way this was going to happen. He was going to claim Nerina. Not in the way he should, but in a way she would at least be his.
Hands slightly shaking, Victor placed them on the knot at her throat. With deft fingers he untied the string. Opening the cloak exposing her chest. He inhaled sharply. Blue sure knows how to get a man’s attention. Her outfit was more fire to the flames already burning inside his veins. The cloak dropped to the floor, and still Nerina didn’t look up. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she waited. Victor could only stare. She wore an ivory corset with a bunched skirt. The pearls that were wrapped around her neck that he thought was a choker, wasn’t. It was a long string wrapped continuously around the delicate column of her throat. Victor stepped closer, a hairsbreadth separating them now as he took in her scent. Her human scent. The others watching were growling now. A low hum of vibrations he could feel beneath his feet. No one said a word. They knew who she was. The entire population from Alaska to Canada knew about this one human who could be the end of Victor. They saw her as a threat. Yet no one made a move to try and stop what was going to happen next. One of his hands went to her throat, caressing her skin beneath the pearls laying delicately along her neck. She was not bound tightly at all. Not yet. Right now she was a gift. Hand selected and wrapped for his pleasure. Her breath stalled at the touch of his fingers as he began to unwind the pearls. He could have asked her to bend her head further so that he’d have better access. But he wanted to make the journey around her body. He wanted to enjoy the view as he walked a tight circle around her. Her appearance made his body hum with a powerful need that threatened to destroy everything he knew to be tradition. Never in their Packs history had the first son claimed a human for his own. Never had a warrior attached himself to a human via an Eros connection either. Sasha’s hate travelled the length of his spine. Victor couldn’t bring himself to care. Nerina Simpson was made for him. In all ways. She would be his salvation, his closest confidant. Even if he didn’t know how, he was going to bring that to fruition. It would be done. Obviously Blue knew his intentions or why else let him claim her here, now, in front of those who would go back and report what they witnessed. It wasn’t a Reaping ritual, but a claiming was just as important. This only gave her second mate status. It was probable she’d have to fight Sasha for first mate privileges.
Clearing his head of all the reasons why he shouldn’t claim the woman in front of him, Victor filled his mind with images of her bound. Images of her looking up at him with nothing but adoration and respect, and one-day love. Those were the things that propelled him forward with the claiming. Not the consequences of his actions, but all of the rewards.
“Neri, look at me.” Victors voice washed over Nerina. Half of her was angry as hell that he would even walk up on the stage, and the other half was relieved. Blue had been very clear about what the cloak would and would not do. It was there to mask her scent from the males in the club until the unveiling. Something only done for what he deemed virgin skin. He said it would create an atmosphere that would not only ratchet up their energy, but also bring out a feral side to them that would be to her advantage. She didn’t believe it for one second. These were werewolves. Guided by instincts, smells, and body language. How could any of that be to her advantage?
Blue explained that scent played a very important role in their lives. Locating prey, other Pack members, smelling fears, anxiety and arousal. Once the cloak was removed one of two things could happen, she’d either be claimed, which he promised would not happen. Or she’d earn a few admirers that would be hers for the evening. Neither option sounded like a good idea to her. But Blue had assured her that if she didn’t want their attentions they would defer to him. That had all gone to shit the moment he’d offered her up to Victor. The other thing the cloak did was lull her into obedience. While wearing it, she would do whatever she was commanded to do. Something else Blue assured her she wouldn’t have to worry about. This all was supposed to be a new experience for her. Test her limits just enough to give her a taste. Now she was at the mercy of Victor.
That isn't such a bad thing. Oh but it was. His fiancé was there glaring down at her. Once the cloak was removed she was free to stay or leave the scene.
Leaving the scene seemed like the best course of action, until Victor caressed the tips of his fingers against her overheated skin. The pearls a constant weight as she waited, head bowed. When he walked around her, unwinding the pearls layer by layer, she couldn’t help but catch her breath. She was overcome with so much emotion, she feared she’d pass out from the strength of it. Their eyes had connected briefly before she cast them back to the floor. But rules were rules. She was to keep them downcast until he told her otherwise. Being obedient was not her strong suit, but she found that with Victor it was easy.
Slowly, Nerina lifted her eyes. She didn’t know what she was going to see when she looked up at Victor. She wasn’t expecting to see some internal struggle. His eyes searched hers with a serious of questions and statements that neither of them voiced out loud.
He wondered if she could handle the scene, she challenged herself to remain steady, and of course Victor dared her to try. Clearly they were both having an issue with her being here in the middle of the club for all to see. Blue had the rigging machine set up along with bundles of brand new red nylon rope. Three bundles in all. She knew what he was going to use them for. She’d felt safe in Blue’s capable hands. With Victor she was unsure. There were too many emotions as well as words that had been left unsaid the last time they’d talked. She knew he couldn’t make her any promises. She also knew she was in no shape to make promises to him either. But this moment felt defining. Like they were putting something into motion that couldn’t be undone. That scared the shit out of her.
Warm fingers brushed the apples of her cheeks. The pearls still dangling from his hands as Victor delicately cupped her face. His eyes were searching hers, some question he was silently asking, and she was too afraid to answer. If the words were spoken out loud it would shatter what little privacy they had.
“We will take this slow,” he said against the corner of her mouth as he brought her head forward to meet his.
Etiquette said she wasn’t to speak unless asked a question. Deep down she didn’t want to disappoint him. She wanted to make him happy. Wanted him to be proud of her. Nerina wanted to show him that with her, he could have it all. She was willing to offer him that and maybe a little bit more if only she knew it would last.
But it wouldn’t.
This was a simple demonstration to wet her toes, possibly submerge her legs calf-deep into the waters of a place she never saw herself going.
“Hold out your hands.”
Nerina obediently held her hands out in front of her, palms up where Victor placed the long string of pearls.
“Thank you, Neri.”
His arms circled her back, bringing her forward, just enough so that he could reach the hooks of her skirt that connected to her corset. He was going to unhook her. Lay her bare for all to see. Nerina’s body froze as the severity of what was going to happen assailed her. Could she stand in front of this crowd naked? She knew this was a possibility, but her first thought had been that it would be a show for Victor. He was to be her focal point in this scene. She’d imagined him watching her, lusting only for her. It had given her a deep satisfaction that he could watch, but couldn’t touch.