“You wish,” Richmond said. “This is to keep you from shifting. Go ahead, give it a try.”
My eyes blazing at him, I took a step back. I’d show him. I’d shift and tear his damn eyes out. Nothing in the world could keep me from my bat form.
Except when I tried to go into my shift, nothing happened. Blinking, I tried again. It didn’t usually take much thought, so I put more effort into it, squeezing my hands into fists as I called on the bat within me. It was useless. She didn’t come.
“You can’t do this to me,” I said, glaring at him with newfound hatred. “This is fucked up. Inhumane.”
“You should’ve thought of that before you decided to cross us.” Richmond set a hand on my lower back and guided me toward the hall. “Now, are you ready to see your dungeon?”
“This is insane,” I said. “You can’t just have a dungeon in your house. And you can’t keep people there.”
“And yet I do,” Richmond said. “Don’t be so shocked. You might find that you enjoy it.”
“You sure did with the spanking.” Jacob’s words came in a low growl from behind me.
I stopped in my tracks, ignoring Richmond’s hand on my back. “How would you know?”
He chuckled. “Didn’t take much to see how wet you were getting.”
While I tried and failed to process that information, Richmond grabbed my arm and yanked me down the stairs.
The basement was a luxurious space. My eyes flew to the wood panelling and well-furnished surroundings, but before I could take much in, Richmond pushed me through a door into the dungeon itself.
It was a tiny room, maybe fifteen by fifteen, but well-stocked with all the kinky equipment a freak could desire.
I guessed that dominating women was a hobby of Richmond’s. Otherwise, it made no sense for him to have all this equipment. There was a cross taller than me at one wall – I had no idea what it was called. Two beams of gleaming dark wood formed an X. A steel restraint dangled from each side at the top, and two more hung menacingly at the bottom.
I quivered as my eyes tracked around the perimeter of the room. There was a shelf with paddles, each one bigger than the next. Next to those, there was a similar set of whips. Apparently Richmond’s belt was only a substitute for what he actually liked to use.
And that was only the start. I had no idea of the names of half the things in here, and I couldn’t even begin to guess their functions.
At first I wondered what kind of person would want to use all of these things. Then, becoming aware of the throbbing between my legs, I wondered if they might have a wider appeal than I would’ve thought.
Okay, maybe I could get into some of this. Being thrashed with the belt had certainly turned me on. I might have a kinkier side than I’d ever realized. But I wasn’t that kind of girl, not at my core. I wanted to lose my virginity eventually, with someone I loved and cared about. I didn’t want whips and chains with someone I couldn’t even stand.
“You like what you see, don’t you?” Richmond said, his breath hot on my ear.
I jumped. “Fuck no. I’m not a weirdo like you.”
“The blush on your skin makes me think you’re lying. The pink goes all down your neck and chest.”
Oakley moved around me, his eyes scorching through my clothes. “I bet that blush goes lower, don’t you think, Rich?”
“I think we’d better find out.”
Richmond grabbed a pair of scissors, and my eyes went huge. “You can’t cut my clothes off. I won’t let you.” I hugged my arms in front of my chest, fully conscious that my defense wouldn’t last long against their alpha strength. “I don’t consent to this. I don’t give you consent.”
“Too bad you didn’t ask Richmond for consent when you broke into his house.” Oakley jerked my hands behind my back.
I reared back, working up a ball of saliva in my mouth. Instinct was driving me – I didn’t even think about what I was doing. I was almost as surprised as Richmond when the glob of spit landed on his cheek, dripping into his thick beard.
He wiped himself off with the back of his hand, looking terrifyingly calm. “Nice one, omega. You just made things that much worse for yourself.”
I braced myself, turning my head away as he pulled the hem of my shirt up to slide the scissors underneath. Even so, I couldn’t miss the sound of him cutting through the fabric. He took his time with it, practically cutting one thread at a time. I could feel the air cooling my bellybutton, then my rib cage, and finally my chest. When the shirt was cut up to the collar, Richmond tossed the scissors aside and ripped it open with his hands.
My bra was still on, though, for which I was grateful. It was the unsexy kind of sports bra, the practical type that held everything tightly in place. I liked it because it actually flattened me out a little, keeping the girls down and out of my face. If they were going to leave it on, I would preserve at least a little of my modesty.
The men yanked my tank top off my body. “Looks like you forgot something, Rich,” Jacob said.
“Yeah,” Trey added. “How could you have been so forgetful?”
“No,” I breathed, trying to cover myself as Richmond picked up the scissors again. I was no match for the alphas, though, and with the collar on I couldn’t shift to get away from them.
“Oh, yes,” Richmond said with a diabolical smile.
The sports bra was tight enough that the metal of the scissors had to touch my skin. I shivered, squeezing my eyes shut and praying that they’d let me go after this. But I had a feeling my prayer would go unanswered, since some deeper part of me didn’t want this to be over just yet.
When my bra hung in two pieces, all of the alphas went silent. I glanced down to see what had rendered them speechless. My breasts looked like they always did, medium-sized and perky with tiny pink buds. I knew I had a decent body – a lot of boys had told me that – but the alphas looked at me as if I had the most ravishing figure they’d ever seen.
“She looks incredible,” Oakley said.
“I know I do,” I spat. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”
“She still hasn’t learned how to not be a smart aleck,” Trey mused quietly.
“And the four of you haven’t learned to stop referring to me in third person. I’m right here, you know!”
“Her idea wasn’t bad, though,” Jacob said, stroking his chin as he ignored my outburst. “I think we do need to make this moment last longer. We need to put her somewhere that we can admire her.”
“Good idea,” Trey said. “Perhaps somewhere like your St. Andrew’s cross.”
Ah, yes. That was what they were called.
My body tensed as two of them grabbed me and forced me into the restraints. As hard as I fought, my resistance didn’t do much good. Within seconds, I was pinned to the wall, my arms and legs in shackles.
“I get it,” I said through gritted teeth. “You need to tie me up to feel safe. Four big men, and you’re scared of one little bat omega.”
“Why yes, you caught us,” Richmond said mildly. “We’re absolutely terrified.” He grabbed my right breast and squeezed hard. My breath caught in my throat. My ex had never handed me so roughly – and he’d never gotten me as turned on as I was right now, either.
“I think she likes that,” Oakley said, giving my left breast the same treatment. My already-hard nipple hardened even further under his palm.
I shook my head fiercely. “I would never like anything any of you do to me. You’re all a bunch of perverts. You can’t get laid normally, so you kidnap women under false pretenses and assault them.”
Jacob stuck his hands down the front of my shorts, instantly finding my wetness. “Yeah,” he drawled. “It really feels like we’re assaulting you.” He pulled his hand out, and a long string of my arousal followed his fingers.
“Oh,” Oakley said. “Looks like she’s enjoying this a little too much. Did you forget we were supposed to be punishing her?”
“You’re right.”
All the hands that were on me left abruptly, leaving me sucking in ragged breaths, my chest heaving. I stayed motionless, wondering what humiliation the alphas would inflict on me next. It only took a moment for them to decide. Apparently stroking my nipples with the tips of their fingers was a better punishment.
My body tensed up, and I hissed. “Leave me alone. I don’t want any of this.”
“Funny,” Richmond said. “That’s exactly what I said when you showed up here tonight.”
He pulled his hands away, then returned with a new instrument – a tool that looked like something a doctor might use, a metal stick with a rotating circle at the end, embedded with small spikes.
“Pulling out the big guns already?” Oakley asked. “Are you sure you she can handle that?”
“What’s the worst that could happen? She goes crazy from lust?” Richmond chuckled. “She’ll be all right.”
“You think I’m turned on?” I sneered. “Sure, the human body has certain uncontrollable reactions, but you think I’m honestly aroused by being kidnapped and manhandled by four savages? Get over yourselves. I always knew alphas had huge egos, but this is taking it to an extreme.”
“Sure, we believe you.” Jacob rolled his eyes. “You’ll be singing a different tune once Richmond gets the Wartenberg wheel on you.”
“This tool is used in neuroscience to test nerve reactions,” Richmond said. “Today, we’ll use it to make you surrender. You’re getting close already.”
I braced myself again as Richmond brought the metal close to my stomach. He skimmed it lightly over my skin, just enough to make the fine hairs there prickle up in goosebumps.
Clenching my teeth, I sucked in a breath. Richmond grazed me again, this time closer to the hem of my shorts. My hips jutted toward him of their own accord. My body craved some kind of sensation – a finger on my clit or in my pussy. As much as I hated it, I couldn’t pretend to myself that it wasn’t so.
As the wheel rolled, it left what felt like pinpricks on my skin. They didn’t hurt exactly – they were more like sharp nips that made my nerves stand up and sing.
Richmond brought the wheel up to my rib cage, then ran it along the underside of my breast. I bit down hard on my lip, trying not to take pleasure in the pain. When I looked at his face, his handsome features were taken over by concentration. He seemed completely focused on what he was doing to me, and he looked about as aroused as I was.
I felt more exposed than I ever had in my life. The other three alphas leered at me from behind him. And yet being naked before them turned me on as much as it humiliated me.
My body cried out for more. I needed one of them to touch me. My pussy felt like a gaping chasm that desperately needed to be filled.
After what felt like hours, Richmond slid the tool back onto the shelf. “I think that’s a good enough lesson for now.”
“What do you mean? You’re going to let me go home?”
“Yes, omega. You’ve earned the right to go home.”
FIVE
The alphas had definitely gotten underneath my skin. My apartment felt like a whole different world. Something about me had changed, and that was why my surroundings looked different to me now.
I took a deep breath as my hand moved to the back of my neck. The alphas had taken off the collar, and I’d been able to shift to fly back. I’d never been so grateful for my abilities until they’d been taken away from me.
I was grateful for everything in my life – my apartment, my plants, my job… I was never going to take any of it for granted again.
I slept uneasily that night, waking up in a haze, unsure if I was in a dream or not – and if what I’d experienced the night before was a dream.
In the morning, I woke up in my bed by myself. It was the same as every morning… but not. I wondered what Richmond was doing right now – if he was planning to bring any other girls down into his dungeon anytime soon. I wondered if he’d break out the handcuffs and paddles for them.
I’d definitely found some sort of unexpected kinky side within myself. The more I thought about last night’s events, the more they turned me on. I couldn’t stop thinking about the four of them ogling me, or Richmond running the wheel over my breasts. When I closed my eyes, I could practically feel the lash of his belt coming down on my skin.
Had all of that really happened? And how had it happened so fast? With the amount of new things I’d felt and experienced, it felt like weeks or months had passed rather than just one night.
It felt odd to go to work after having been kidnapped like that, but I couldn’t just lie in bed all day, either. I wasn’t sick enough to call in, and part of me actually wanted to go. Maybe a return to routine would help me feel normal.
I got dressed and headed to the office, where my coworkers avoided looking at me. It took me a moment to remember I was persona non grata after how badly I’d fucked up my big article. Still, someone would’ve noticed if I was a total mess, so I guessed the changes in me weren’t too obvious. Warden was the only one who seemed to realize anything was different.
“Everything alright?” he asked. “You look a little pale.”
“Just tired,” I said. “I was up late thinking about…” What story was I working on, again? It took me a minute to even remember the answer. “The kitten story.”
Although he looked unconvinced, he nodded. “Great! I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.” He started to leave, then paused and patted my back. “Don’t let the other thing get you down too much. We all make mistakes.”
I was going to be the laughingstock of town when the public realized how wrong I’d gotten my article about the alphas, but right now, I didn’t even care. I was just glad to be here, and to still have a job. I could have been fired.
I sat in front of my computer and tried my best to dedicate myself to my work, no matter how ridiculous and fluffy it might’ve been.
And for the next few weeks, I continued to do that. I went to work early every morning and left late every night. I wrote an article about a recently revamped shifter park, and then the obituary of an alpha’s mother. I spent my evenings quietly, making elaborate dinners only for myself and then eating them in front of the TV. I ignored all the notifications from my phone until they got on my nerves and I turned it off completely.
I was going to keep my nose clean and stay out of trouble, even if that meant boring myself to death.
Every day, I remembered what I had gone through – what I’d suffered at the alphas’ hands. Little flashes from that night went through my mind at random times, and I couldn’t get rid of them no matter how hard I tried not to think about it. Sometimes I stayed up late, googling different aspects of BDSM, trying to figure out what else they might have done to me if they’d kept me there. I still wasn’t sure why they’d let me leave.
Some of it was terrifying… and some of it was tantalizing. When I looked at pictures on the Internet, I could imagine all too clearly how the same things would feel with one or another of the alphas.
The way they spoke, it was as if they came as a package deal. Even though Richmond had been the only one to actually touch me for more than a moment, he had clearly shared everything telepathically with the others, and I was sure he wouldn’t be jealous if they wanted to punish me, too.
The idea of being sexual with all four of them should have disturbed me, but it just turned me on. I’d occasionally wondered what it might be like to be with multiple men, and my experience that night had hinted at it enough to give me a taste for more.
When I’d ignored my friends’ texts for three or four weeks, one of them showed up at my apartment. Lydia and I had known each other since the ninth grade, and we’d always shared everything. Even though we’d taken different career paths, with her going into sales and marketing, we’d always remained close. She knew every detail about what had happened between me and my ex, and I knew far more than I actually wanted to about her and her boyfriend.
When
she saw me, she threw her arms around me. “Cassidy, you’re alive! I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for ages.”
I let her into my place. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been hard to reach. I didn’t mean to fall off the face of the earth. I’ve just been trying to process… something.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
I bit my lip. Part of the reason that I hadn’t been talking to anyone was that I didn’t know how to explain what had happened.
“Never mind,” I said. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”
“Okay, you’ve got me seriously curious now.” She opened my fridge and peered in, then gave up when she saw there was nothing to drink but Coke. “Since when do we not tell each other things?”
“I know, but for real, you’re going to think I’m making it up.”
“Why? Were you abducted by aliens or something?”
“You’re not too far off.”
Plopping into a chair, she tilted her head at me. She looked a little hurt that I wasn’t being open with her, and I felt terrible for not sharing, but how could I? The events that had happened were just too bizarre.
“What, then, you were abducted by vampires?”
I chuckled. “Try something that exists.”
She frowned at me. “What, humans?”
“No! Never mind. It’s not a guessing game. I can’t tell you. What about you, how have you been?”
“Oh no, you’re not deflecting like that. Something crazy happened to you, and I’m not going to stop until I find out. What happened?”
I popped open a Coke and let the sugary sweetness slide down my throat. “I’m not telling you. How’s Kyle?”
“What happened? What happened?”
“How’s work going? Did you hear about the new season of Chilled Passions?”
“What happened? You know I can do this all day. Tell me what happened!”
Sitting across from her, I threw my face into my hands. “You’re really not going to give up?”
Surrender to the Alphas (Waxing Crescent Book 5) Page 3
