by Lyra Evans
“Kilo serves only me,” Cobalt said, and Niko took the chance to curl into Cobalt’s leg slightly, as though to indicate his affinity for Cobalt above all others. He tried to ignore the strange lightness he felt at touching Cobalt without concern. “I’m very possessive of my toys. You understand.”
Preston settled back slightly, his expression very mildly put out. “Ah, of course. Afraid someone else might break your things?”
Cobalt met his gaze, his tone even but quiet. “Rather more that others don’t break them in the way that I like.”
Preston raised one eyebrow. “Indeed,” he said. “So what brings you to Maeve’s Court? Looking for some entertainment you can’t find up North?”
Cobalt glanced at Starla a moment. “You could say that,” he said. “But I’m also here on business. Looking to purchase some property.”
“Oh?” Preston’s interest glittered in his dark eyes. The others around the sofa slowly began to take note of them now.
“What’s this about property?” Redwood asked, tossing the remote aside, leaving the dildo machine set to the highest level. The woman in the pedestal writhed as it moved. Niko fought his every impulse to turn it off.
“Our newcomer is looking to buy,” Preston said. “Commercial or residential?”
Cobalt looked to Redwood, nodding in a gesture of greeting. Redwood seemed disinterested in greetings or introductions, perhaps assuming everyone already knew who he was.
“Commercial,” Cobalt said. “I’m looking to open my first restaurant in Maeve’s Court.”
“Interesting,” Preston said, though it didn’t sound as though he thought so.
“What district are you looking at?” Redwood asked. “The market in the restaurant district is brutal, but it’s always worth the investment.”
“Please, Ambert, the entertainment district is a much better value if what you’re selling is food,” Preston said with a dismissive wave.
Niko blocked out their conversation, choosing instead to study the two women opposite him on the curved sofa. Juniper had hiked up Goshawk’s dress to the point where she was exposing herself to everyone around them. Juniper’s fingers moved methodically between Goshawk’s legs, her mouth latched to Goshawk’s neck. The Witch moaned and spread wider for her, and Niko flinched at his own instinct to turn his head away. Instead, he played it off as though he’d grown uncomfortable in his position, shifting slightly to look elsewhere. But ‘elsewhere’ meant watching the woman in the pedestal get increasingly erratic in her movements. Niko was certain she was past the point of pleasure now, but he could not move from his position without giving away their deceit.
In a swift movement, fluid like falling silk, Starla rose from her position and recovered the remote control. She flipped it off, liberating the woman from her assault, and set it aside, on the far end of the sofa, away from Redwood.
“Buzzkill,” Preston shot at her, having noticed. He had a playful look on his face, and Starla rolled her eyes. “She was enjoying herself, I think.”
“I worry for your partners,” she said. Then shooting him a smirk, she added, “Even women have limits to the number of orgasms they can endure, love. Besides, her writhing was getting boring. I think you’d agree, Ambert, no?”
Redwood nodded. “Pity it’ll be a while before the rotation happens. We’re stuck watching her hang there until then.”
Preston smacked his lips once. “What about you, Snyder?” Preston asked. “What do you think of the shows on display here so far?”
Cobalt took a sip of his drink. “Please, call me Cobb,” he said. “Indeed, I confess, I expected something more—punishing—if you will, given the reputation of the pleasure district in Maeve’s Court. So far, nothing I’ve seen is much more thrilling than the offerings in Nimueh’s Court.”
Preston and Redwood both seemed surprised by this. They shared a glance, and Juniper and Goshawk finally finished with each other and turned their attention to the rest of the group.
“Really?” Preston asked. “What kind of punishment are you looking for, exactly?”
Cobalt met his gaze for a long moment. “My interests have a distinct sadist leaning, shall we say?”
Juniper shifted on the sofa, adjusting her dress. “How sadist?”
“Are we talking whips and chains, or breath control, or what?” Goshawk asked, her dress still scrunched up around her waist.
Cobalt only said, “Yes.” They continued looking at him a long moment, clearly confused, and he took the opportunity to look around as if spying out eavesdroppers. “I like to push boundaries, I suppose. I like to push Pet’s boundaries. Don’t I, Pet?” Niko nodded his head once. “Perhaps you should show them how far I push them.”
Niko hesitated only a moment, briefly confused about what Cobalt meant him to do. Then it dawned on him. He straightened off his knees, then leaned forward on all fours to give them a clear display of his back. He felt their eyes on him as he put himself on view, the scars that littered his back from his time with Sade shining in the low blue light of their area.
“I see,” Preston said after a moment.
Cobalt said, “And the other side, Pet.”
Niko straightened and leaned until his back arched, his stomach and chest on display now. He shifted the leather bands that crisscrossed his body to show the various scars on his front, including the one on his chest from where Sade had shot him.
Facing the gathered group, Niko was privy to all their facial expressions. As they counted out the scars, landing finally on the bullet wound, their faces each reflected a specific set of reactions. Mild interest turned to excitement and surprise, which in turn transformed to a dark kind of hunger Niko had seen on Sade’s face.
“Well, then,” Preston said, leaning back into the couch. “That is interesting.” This time he sounded as though he meant it.
“That’s enough, Pet,” Cobalt said. Niko returned to his place.
“And you were looking for something more in Maeve’s Court?” Goshawk asked.
Cobalt shrugged once. “There are still limits I’d like to push,” he said. “Certain things I’ve yet to experience in full, if you understand me.”
Preston hummed. “Even with such a well-trained pet at your disposal?”
Cobalt ran his fingers through Niko’s hair again, grabbing a fistful and yanking his head back until Niko was off his knees, arched over the edge of the sofa. Cobalt breathed him in, sucking on the skin just below Niko’s ear and worrying it with his teeth.
“Alas,” he said, reaching down to draw a hand down Niko’s chest and stomach. His fingers moved lower until he cupped at Niko’s semi-hard cock, drawing him to full hardness within moments. “I’ve considered it. But I find I can’t quite part with him just yet. I’ve grown attached, I suppose. It’s so hard to find a good Pet these days.” He pressed firmly on Niko’s erection, forcing Niko to grit his teeth to stop from moaning. “And I quite like the thought of Kilo experiencing that one barred taboo with me. Imagine, ordering him to do whatever I say. No matter the order.”
Juniper shivered, glancing at Goshawk, whose mouth was pursed in poorly contained glee.
“Yes, that does sound,” Preston said, thinking the last word over a moment, “tempting.”
Cobalt released Niko, letting him fall back to his knees with a dull thud and an ache behind Niko’s kneecaps that dizzied him. “I enlisted Starla’s services to identify where I might find such an indulgence in this Court,” he said. “And she led me here.” He glanced at Starla. “I’m afraid if The RACK is the best Maeve’s Court has to offer, I’m rather disappointed.”
Redwood tapped a finger to his chin. “Perhaps not so disappointing,” he said.
“It is possible there’s somewhere that might suit your needs,” Preston said. “Though it would require some vetting. And a down payment.”
Cobalt kept his gaze steady. “I assure you, money is no question,” he said.
Preston’s eyes flashed. “How l
ong are you in Maeve’s Court?”
“As long as needed to secure the purchases I’m interested in,” Cobalt answered smoothly.
“Very good,” he said. “Allow me to reach out to my contacts.” He glanced down at Niko, his eyes falling to Niko’s erection. “In the meantime, perhaps you’d like to show us just what your pet can do? It would be a shame to leave without sampling even a taste of what The RACK has to offer.”
“Oh, please let me play with him,” Goshawk asked, staring excitedly at Niko. “Noor and I will take good care of him, won’t we, Noor?”
Juniper’s expression was deadpan. “You know I don’t mess with boys, Mads. Girls are far more interesting. But you go, have your fun.”
“He’s not for sharing, ladies,” Preston said. “But I’m sure Cobb here wouldn’t mind showing you just a bit of how he punishes Kilo. Only the vanilla games, of course. We are in public, after all. What do you say, Cobb?”
Cobalt held Preston’s gaze, searching his face. Niko already knew from the tone and weight of Preston’s words that the offer was not a request but a demand. Cobalt smiled slowly, pulling back on the leash.
“What do you say, Pet? Shall we put on a show for our hospitable new friends?”
A wave of electric tingles raced across Niko’s skin. “Please, Master,” he said, the words breathy and needy in a way Niko hadn’t expected them to be.
Without another word, Cobalt got to his feet and led Niko up the nearly invisible stairway to the top of the pedestal. Niko made a show of hesitation and slight awkwardness of movement, being supposedly unable to see where he was being led. The space at the top was limited but workable. Most of the area was taken up by the spanking bench stationed in the middle. Niko bumped it very slightly, but it did not budge. He suspected it was fixed to the floor for safety reasons. Up above it hung hooks at varying levels for whichever kind of bondage suited the user, all in black and matte silver blending easily into the black ceiling. Even at this height, Niko had no sense of where the ceiling actually was, which unsettled him.
The most disquieting aspect, however, was the clear floor. Polished to the point of being essentially invisible, Niko had the distinct impression they were floating over the bound woman inside the pedestal below them. It took him a moment, with darting looks while his face was directed elsewhere, to realize that the woman’s bonds emerged out of the feet of the spanking bench. Whether this was just convenient placement to avoid disturbing the illusion of the pedestal or an actual structural feature, Niko did not know.
“Find me toys,” Cobalt said, yanking on the leash slightly. Niko snapped to attention, groping around as efficiently as he could for the show. He found the box of toys, a container made of material black enough to absorb all light, beneath the spanking bench. Pulling it out, he found a variety of tools and toys inside. There was a size-adjustable dildo and matching strap-on, rope and cuffs, self-disinfecting gags, an anal hook, a combo flogger, a wooden paddle, and a riding crop, among other things. Niko picked out the flogger and paddle, assuming based on the conversation that pain was more in line with what the gathered group was expecting. After a moment’s thought, he picked up the anal hook as well, placing all the items on top of the spanking bench.
“Curious choices,” Cobalt said, picking up the items. He hung the flogger and paddle on a nearby hook and picked up the anal hook. Gesturing with it, he pointed to the bench. “Get into position.”
Niko shuddered and laid himself out on the bench. The padded leather central beam made it relatively comfortable. He let each limb hang down along the legs of the bench, waiting for instruction. Cobalt’s feet appeared by Niko’s head, and Niko breathed in the ocean-breeze scent of him, clearer up on the pedestal, away from the hovering musk of the lower club. It was also quieter up there, the din of the music and other patrons somewhat dampened, though Niko wasn’t sure how. It was almost as though they were alone, up there, but for the woman dangling below them and the people gathered to watch their show.
“Arms up behind you,” Cobalt said, and Niko did as instructed. Cobalt took each of his hands, adjusting the rings on the cuffs, and clipped them together onto a hanging hook. The position forced Niko’s shoulders back and together, pulling painfully on them. He instinctively pulled down, trying to release the stress on his arms, but the hook held fast. Already his hard cock twitched.
But Niko’s instinctual movement was not unnoticed. A moment later, he felt a set of sharp stings across his back, a dull thudding emerging beneath them as the stinging faded. Cobalt had struck him with the flogger, and Niko exhaled a breathy sound.
“We’ve not got all night, Cobb!” Redwood’s voice came from somewhere below them. It was followed by hushing sounds and muffled discussion, but Niko could neither hear not see if Cobalt responded in any way. And then suddenly, everything went black.
For a moment Niko thought the power had gone out in the club, but a second later he realized Cobalt had turned his visor to black, blindfolding him for real. Suddenly all Niko had were his other senses—the whiffs of Cobalt’s scent or the oily smell of leather as he passed, the soft tapping of Cobalt’s shoes against the glass over the muted din of the club, and most importantly, the feel of everything. He felt the cold of the metal legs of the bench against his thighs, the press of the padded centre against his chest, the cool jets of air coming from the ceiling vents somewhere, and the throbbing pain of the cuffs binding his arms. And then there was another sudden whip of air and a sharp sting against his back.
At once, lights blossomed in Niko’s mind, his entire body jerking slightly from the impact. A pause gave him a moment to enjoy the tingling sensations before yet another strike, then another, and another. Each blow hit a slightly different area, each time setting his nerves on fire and sending blood rushing to his already rock-hard cock. Niko’s mouth was open, moans spilling from his lips just barely quiet enough to be drowned out by the music.
“You like that, don’t you, Pet?” Cobalt asked, striking him again. Niko knew better than to answer, his mind racing with the searing sensations. “My little slut for pain. But this is just a warm-up for what will come later.” He said the last words with a mixture of confidence and dark promise that left Niko shivering. In that instant, he wasn’t certain what Cobalt meant by ‘later.’
Some movement and shuffling told Niko the flogger was being retired. Then something cold and wet pressed between his cheeks against his hole. Niko’s legs spread wider as Cobalt pressed the ball-tipped anal hook into him, pushing insistently but slowly. He was unprepared, but the hook seemed to be coated with lube, easing the process. Niko groaned loudly, his body tense and shaking with anticipation. A swift slap to his left ass cheek told him noise like that wasn’t allowed, and he snapped his jaw shut, biting on his lip to fight the urge.
The hook pressed in further and further, burning slightly as Niko tried to relax around it, but the waves of pleasure rocked through him more powerfully than the discomfort did. Once it passed the tight outer ring of his ass, Niko felt Cobalt slide the hook in and out a bit, fucking him with it to get him accustomed to the intrusion. Arms throbbing from their position, Niko couldn’t move back into the thrusting to encourage Cobalt. Soon, Cobalt pushed it as deep as it would go and attached it to one of the rings along the back of Niko’s harness. Niko exhaled low and unevenly as his back was forced into an unnatural arch, his ass in the air to accommodate the hook. Every one of Niko’s nerve endings screamed for release and climax. He was hard, still trapped in the tight leather shorts, and he desperately wanted to rut himself to completion.
There was another sound, but Niko could hardly focus on any sense but the physical experience of all Cobalt was doing to him. Then something hit his ass, and Niko flinched, jostling the hook. A deep radiating thud settled into Niko’s flesh, followed by a searing sting across both cheeks. He’d never been paddled with wood before, but Birch and Pine was it glorious. Cobalt struck him again and again, and Niko let the pain surge throug
h him, sending him spiralling into darkness where only the pain and accompanying pleasure existed.
Soon he wondered if he would last much longer, sure that Cobalt would make him come from the sheer experience of the paddling, but then the strikes stopped. A radiant heat throbbed over Niko’s ass and upper thighs. No matter how he moved, he couldn’t help but keep the position demanded by the cuffs and anal hook. He realized slowly that he was sweating and panting, that his muscles burned, exhausted, but that he was also very certainly not done.
The scent of the ocean passed beneath his nose, and Niko knew Cobalt was in front of him now. With a soft caress of his face, Cobalt drew his fingers up into Niko’s hair and pulled smoothly.
“Look at that open mouth of yours,” he said to Niko. “Wet and wanton and mine. I think you deserve a little reward for being so good for our new friends.” Niko heard a zip and soft rustle, and he could smell Cobalt’s cock before it touched him. His mouth watered as Cobalt drew the tip of his erection along Niko’s lips, circling his mouth. Niko moaned softly as Cobalt slowly pressed his cock into Niko’s mouth, thrusting deep into Niko’s throat. Niko began sucking, licking, his jaw spread wide to accommodate Cobalt’s erection. A slight salty tang touched the back of his throat, triggering his gag reflex, but Cobalt pulled back briefly, allowing him to ease the muscles there. Then Cobalt pushed back in, deeper still, and Niko was choking on him. Cobalt fisted Niko’s hair, pulling back out quickly and thrusting again, and Niko had to catch sharp breaths between every driving movement.
His mind flickered momentarily to the last person he’d given a blowjob to, to the indelible taste at the back of his throat, the taste that always resurfaced and stopped him seeking out any other partners since the trial. But now, despite that nagging memory, Niko only tasted Cobalt, his thick cock slipping smoothly in and out of Niko’s mouth and throat. And Niko was dizzy with the sensations. He sucked hungrily on Cobalt’s erection, pulling at his restraints to try and take him deeper still.