Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
NORTH CAROLINA
T he foyer was well lit with the morning sun. A white glow gently embraced Adria’s back as she climbed the ornate staircase in the west sector. Her hand following the oak banister as she focused on her six-inch heels making it to the top without any mishaps.
Her dark corset was pulled tight on her waist, and her body settled into a shallow breathing pattern. The clothes were her armor. They transformed her. In them she was confident, a Dominatrix that no one would dare defy.
Eric and Loretta were right, she had waited long enough. Running her hands along the seams of her corset, she moved to Seth’s door.
In the west sector, every door was equipped with locks. Punching in her code, the door swung open.
Seth was in bed, above the duvet, fully clothed.
Adria had initially given them full access to the western sector for the first few days, needing time to get ready. As a bonus, she had the time to observe their interactions. Seth stood out as noticeably smaller than the other two, with a boyish appearance. Despite his quiet demeanor, she noticed his assertiveness when he spoke up against Kaydon on multiple occasions .
His blond hair meant he was not Romanian. Which explained many of his tattoos. On the right side of his neck in bold script was ‘OWNED’—no cypher needed. It was exactly the type of blatant, blunt language she had come to expect from the Winters.
His face appeared to have improved in the week since they arrived. Callen had been truthful. Aside from Bryson’s broken rib, there were no lasting physical injuries. Eric had inquired, but not one of the boys was inclined to share where the injuries had come from.
Under normal circumstances, Adria would want to wait until everyone was completely healed prior to starting, but with two unexpected guests and only a year to train, time wasn’t a luxury she had.
“My name is Mistress Adria,” she said, observing his reaction to her presence.
His eyes were clinical. They tracked her movements and assessed her every breath. Eric was in the hall, and while she was able to handle herself, she hoped their initial encounter wouldn’t require violence.
“I want you to know the business I have conducted with the Winters doesn’t include you or your friend?—”
She looked down at the dossier Eric had given her. “Kaydon.”
Of course, she knew Kaydon’s name, but Seth didn’t know that. Adria wanted him as relaxed as possible and, in her experience, people were less relaxed if they felt seen.
“If you or Kaydon would like to leave, I’ll be entertaining that option for the next ten minutes.”
She walked to the adjoining door, typing in another code and the door swung open, revealing Kaydon’s room.
His room was dark, and Seth’s room lit up the space intrusively. Brown eyes under shoulder-length sandy-brown hair blinked up at her.
Awareness came to Kaydon quickly. His broad muscular frame moved in the space. From what Adria had observed, he had a calm, assessing, level-headed temperament. Perfect for a Right Hand.
She stepped out of the doorway, leaving the threshold open.
“I was telling Seth that the two of you are free to go,” she said, watching Kaydon move past her to sit on the bed.
Seth visibly relaxing next to him. Adria hadn’t quite put her finger on the group.
“We aren’t going anywhere.” The gravelly tone came from Kaydon.
She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“We are here to stay,” Kaydon confirmed.
“Stand up.” Her vocal tone shifted, and her posture stiffened.
Kaydon stood. It was casual and without hurry, but he complied. Seth raised his eyes to meet hers. He recognized the command, but he did not stand.
She smiled. “Clearly you are not here to stay.”
She let the words sink in.
“The deal I made with Callen was for Bryson. You two,” she motioned at them dismissively, “are one of two things. A fun bonus,” she paced to the door near the hallway and gestured out, “or dead weight.”
“We will not tolerate the latter here, and therefore you will not remain in this house.”
She usually knew the outcome before starting, but now she wasn’t sure. Kaydon was Bryson’s Right Hand, so she understood his decision to stay. But what was Seth? Kaydon’s partner? A play thing?
Part of her hoped they would leave. She had allowed them time to heal. She would give them money and send them on their way. Less hassle, fewer complications. More time to focus on Bryson .
Seth stared at her. His boyish face was hard, and he gave nothing away.
She waited. They needed to make this decision on their own.
Seth stirred. His movement stiff, mechanical, but he stood.
“Undress.”
If they were going to stay, if they were even considering staying, they might as well understand what they were getting themselves into.
Again, Kaydon complied and Seth stalled. But Adria caught something. Her expert eyes zeroed in on a small pink coloring forming on the tips of Seth’s ears. Small as it was, it could have been easily missed or dismissed. But to Adria, this wasn’t something to be overlooked.
“Kaydon, go back to your room,” she commanded.
Already half undressed, Kaydon stopped, looking between her and Seth. He seemed torn.
“Are we back to the dead weight option?”
Adria watched as the muscles around Kaydon’s jaw flexed, and his body seemed to strain under the command, but he gathered his clothes and walked briskly to the exit. Adria caught little of his muttering, but did pick up the word, Bitch , in Romanian.
Her father insisted she learn all the family dialects. She resented it then, but now it was paying off.
After Adria reengaged the lock to Kaydon’s door, she circled to stand in front of the viper-eyed youngster. “You understand what I do here?”
He nodded.
If Eric’s research was correct, and Seth truly had a history of domestic violence, he was going to be a tough one to crack. In traditional BDSM relationships, trust was paramount, but that was something she could never hope to gain with these three. Instead, she was going to have to strive for coerced respect, if there was such a thing .
She adjusted her energy, shifting it like a current, filling the space with unshakable authority and confidence. Then she tried again.
“Tell me, in your own words, what it is I do.”
Seth’s nostrils flared and his entire body went still.
She didn’t push. She waited.
The energy was there—coiled, electric, waiting to snap. She just needed to see how he would respond to it.
“You train submissives,” he said, his voice measured, his gaze locked on the wall behind her.
The words landed like a stone in the space between them, freezing the air.
Adria could feel it—the simmering danger beneath his skin. His muscles flexed tight, his stillness a warning. Like a snake, poised, waiting to strike.
He was telling her to back off. Trying his absolute hardest to make her feel it.
She took a step.
“Close,” she murmured, her tone controlled, unwavering. “I train service submissives.”
Another step. Then another.
With each deliberate movement, she exuded dominance, let her presence expand to fill every inch of the room.
This was her house.
That bed he had been sprawled across when she walked in? Hers.
The floor beneath his feet? Hers.
If he was going to stay here, he needed to accept that.
“Do you know what a service submissive is?” she asked, now standing directly in front of him.
Seth paled slightly. His body shifted, restless, discomfort creeping into his stance. His eyes refused to meet hers, darting around the room, searching for an anchor.
She didn’t move.
Didn’t let him escape the weight of her presence .
The silence stretched.
He fidgeted, fingers twitching, before finally dropping his gaze to the floor and nodding.
That delicious shade of pink blooming across his ears.
Adria reached out, grasping his chin between her fingers. His breath hitched as she tilted his face upward, forcing him to look at her.
His blue eyes were striking up close, but the resistance in them was just as intoxicating. His blond hair tumbled away from his face, leaving him open, vulnerable.
A slight tremor moved through his frame, the vibrations slipping into her fingers.
“Is that something you think you can take part in?” she asked, voice low, measured.
His body tensed beneath her hold. He struggled for an answer, his throat bobbing as he fought to nod.
“Something you enjoy?”
His flush deepened, creeping down his freckled cheeks, staining his neck.
But he didn’t nod.
He didn’t need to.
His color, the way his muscles locked under her touch, the way he tried and failed to suppress his reaction—it was all the confirmation she needed.
Normally, she would peel back the layers, explore, uncover, work with that resistance until he unraveled beneath her hands.
But this time was different.
This time, she had to handle these three differently .
A new regimen.
She let the moment hang, absorbing every flicker of conflict in him.
“Something that you have been practicing?” she said.
His red color darkened, and he tried to nod but she held his face firmer. “With words this time.”
“Yes.” His voice softened, along with his baby blues. The words came out in a breathy whisper. It was the first time he had spoken directly towards her, and damn if she didn’t feel her gut clench.
“Yes, what?”
He squirmed under her touch, and heat rose in her chest. His innocent demeanor, boyish face, he had all the makings of a perfect submissive, and if there was one thing she loved, it was perfection .
“Yes, I enjoy it.”
Adria was pleased to see that Kaydon was still in a state of undress when she walked into the room. However, based on how he was sprawled out in bed, she suspected part of his nudity was a desire to show off his form.
His muscle and tone left no doubt that he was the strongest of the three. Adria was typically drawn to the softer, leaner body types. But she had to admit there was something to be said about dominating a strong, powerful body.
Kaydon stood upon her entrance, far too pleased with himself, a smug smile plastered across his face.
“Finish undressing.”
She made a deliberate effort not to look below his waist. Her time with Seth had left her turned on, and she wasn’t interested in giving Kaydon the satisfaction of thinking any appendage on his body affected her.
When he stood naked, she continued, “As I just got done explaining to Seth, the two of you are here on a voluntary basis. If at any point you wish to leave, you will tell me. If you choose to stay, you will comply with the household rules. Failure to follow them will result in punishment. Dismissal will be on the table if you harm any person in this house, including yourself.”
These were the same rules she explained to all submissives in her home. She could dismiss people at any time, but she didn’t want them to live in fear of making a mistake.
“And will you be doling out the punishments?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ignoring him, she continued, “The rules are simple: treat all household members with respect, comply with all requests given to you by any and all members of the staff. Take care of yourself. That means showering, eating and adhering to a workout schedule I lay out?—”
“Working out won’t be a problem,” he interrupted.
She took in a breath and continued, “A packet for you to fill out will be delivered to your room, and you will see a therapist.”
“What?”
She blinked. “Was I unclear?”
He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, I just…It’s not what I expected.”
She took a step closer to him.
“Not a lot of experience with Dominant women?” she asked.
She stepped closer, invading his space. A natural submissive would take a step back and give her room, but unlike Seth, she suspected he wasn’t a submissive at all. The question kept nagging at her. Why stay?
She was bound by the contract to return Bryson in one piece. He wasn’t in any danger here. Kaydon could easily protect Bryson on the outside. Seth, after meeting him, she could argue, was staying because he was into it. But even that wasn’t the whole of it.
He enjoyed being a submissive, sure, but many people did. Few people signed up for something like this .
Kaydon replied, “You didn’t answer my question earlier about the punishments.”
“I am not the one in the room required to answer questions,” she said, narrowing her gaze.
His smile broke into an ear-to-ear grin. “Sure, sure, what was your question again?”
She stepped closer still, her chest brushing against his. He was tall—taller than she liked—forcing her to tilt her chin up even with her heels.
The room was silent.
Adria let it stretch.
Kaydon had hazel eyes, much like Bryson’s, but up close, she noticed the golden flecks that danced in them, catching the dim light. A pair of teardrop pendants dangled from his ears, dissonant against the rough stubble that lined his jaw. A scar ran down the side of his neck, an interruption in the otherwise smooth skin.
But that wasn’t what held her attention.
It was his stillness.
His unwavering gaze.
He was testing her.
It was a battle of wills—one she would win.
Show me you’re not a complete waste of time.
She didn’t move. Didn’t blink.
And then—finally, finally —he stepped back.
A hand scrubbed the back of his neck, and he muttered, “Dominant women, no. Not much.”
The admission was simple, but it lodged somewhere unexpected inside her.
Her mind flicked over the possibilities. If not women, then men.
“Ninety percent of the time, it will be me doling out the punishments,” she said evenly.
Kaydon’s head snapped up, as if he hadn’t expected her to answer .
Surprise flickered over his face before it was replaced by something else. Something sharper.
Something that made heat coil low in her stomach.
Adria told herself to leave. She had said what needed to be said.
But Kaydon’s gaze held her there.
The itch in her fingers. The way her chest tightened, heat spreading, twisting, turning into something dangerous.
She wanted to push him.
She wanted to punish him.
“Starting now, in fact.” Her voice was smooth, unwavering. “Turn around.”
His eyes glinted, and he didn’t hesitate.
Fuck.
Her heart fluttered—not just at the win, but at the hunger it created.
It seemed with these two, every time she got a taste, she wanted more.
“Hands on the wall.”
Kaydon moved forward as if to close the gap between himself and the surface.
“Keep your feet where they are,” she ordered.
She couldn’t see his face, but somehow, she knew he was grinning.
And for some reason, it turned her on.
Without breaking form, he leaned forward, reaching for the wall.
Adria inhaled sharply as he bent, his back arching just enough to put his ass on display.
They were not supposed to play today. That was the rule. That was the regimen.
But as she took in the way his tan skin pulled taut, Mistress Adria slipped into place effortlessly.
Her heels clicked against the floor as she bent to retrieve his discarded pants. The fabric still warm from his body, but her attention was on the thick black belt looped through them.
There was already wetness between her thighs as she slid the belt free.
Focus.
Wrapping the buckle around her hand, she stepped behind him.
His shoulders moved with each breath, just slightly quicker than before. A faint flush dusted his skin—not as stark as Seth’s, but noticeable nonetheless.
She let herself settle.
Adria hadn’t expected to have this sort of exchange so early.
But here they were.
Her fingers curled around the leather.
“I believe as you were leaving Seth’s room, you used the word bitch .”
Kaydon remained still, but she didn’t miss the flicker of tension at his jaw.
“Now, I know you weren’t referring to me.” Her tone was light, almost teasing. “Because that would be an incredibly disrespectful thing to say to your Mistress.”
Silence.
“But nonetheless, that word is not permitted.”
The belt cut through the air before cracking against his right cheek.
Kaydon tensed, but he made no sound.
No flinch. No shift.
Either he had a high pain tolerance…
Or he had been belted before.
Considering everything she had learned today, she made space for both.
The next swing landed with a sharp crack, slicing below the initial mark. Adria paced around the room, taking her time before settling on his other side. Two more marks mirrored on the left cheek. She stood back, ensuring his testicles were not protruding behind the legs, and wound up for her last two strokes. Just below where the legs meet the ass, a sensitive spot.
On the first strike, the belt left a bright red line. Kaydon sucked in a breath that Adria felt in her core. By the second, there was a tremble in his legs, and Adria felt the solid ground beneath her feet for the first time in weeks.
Trailing her fingers along each mark, a flush crept up Adria’s neck as Kaydon squirmed under her touch. Welts rose where the thin parts of the leather had struck. Six marks. Six administrations he would feel every time he sat for the next few days. The thought made her warm.
She reached around his waist and took hold of him. He was rock hard and sizable. Adria was glad he was facing away, so he didn’t register her surprise. Kaydon groaned when she gave him firmer pressure, and her legs nearly buckled. Oh, he was submissive all right, maybe not all submissive, but where it counted.
A brat?
If he was, it would be a first for her.
Adria pumped over him with her fist and then stopped.
Whispering into the back of his neck, she said, “Lay down on the bed.”
He moved quicker than before, but his gaze was sluggish. His eyes following her hem as she hiked up her skirt. Adria left it barely covering as she climbed on top of him.
“Hands above your head.”
He moved them. Maybe their submission would be easier than she thought. Leaning over him, breasts in his face, she secured each wrist with padded restraints. Every room in the house contained implements and the means to secure a submissive.
Adria found it was important to always be prepared. Running her finger along the insides of the cuffs, she checked for circulation.
When she was satisfied with his physical safety, she rocked back, her pelvis grinding along the length of him, leaving her wetness behind. He sucked in air and, eyes closed, let out a breathy, “Fuck that’s hot.”
Adria tried her best to ignore how his voice rumbled in her chest.
His eyes flashed open as her body moved off of him, fixing her skirt.
“One rule I forgot to mention, no masturbation or release without my permission.”
His eyebrows pinched together as confusion crossed his face.
“I wasn’t sure if you could follow that one or not, so I helped you out,” she said, pointing to the restraints.
The confusion flashed away, and his golden eyes narrowed, his gaze holding pure fire.
“I believe this is when you thank me for my generosity,” she said, with her sickly sweet voice.
A slew of obscenities flew from his mouth as he tested the restraints.
“My, well, I think someone needs a time out.”
And with that, she turned out the lights and left the room.