Chapter 3
DEVIN
The sounds and sighs of pleasure fall muted upon my ears. There’s a hush throughout the room that shouldn’t exist, but somehow does. It’s what makes La Petite Douleur worth every bit of the notoriety it possesses.
But then they dilute that magic by allowing in newbies twice a year. It’s not always bad, though. Most times, there’s at least a handful of people who know what they’re doing. They just hadn’t had the chance to join yet. Perhaps they were new in town or missed an open house before.
Either way, they mingle in with the others as if they belong.
Tonight, however, it’s a far different story.
The newbies stick out like a sore thumb, standing around gawking and pointing.
Even without their pale bracelets, I'd be able to pick them out of a crowd.
They wander aimlessly as if they've never been to a club like this before.
There should be a BDSM course they have to take before even thinking of stepping foot into this place. Though I’ve voiced this concern, I’ve been shot down. Elitist is the word they used. Gatekeeper was another .
So what if it is? There are other clubs who I’m sure can cater to people so inexperienced.
La Petite Douleur should be a haven, a place of refinement and class.
And I’m not just talking about the clothes people wear as they do their scenes.
I couldn't care less about the diamonds dripping from someone’s throat.
What I’m more interested in is the graceful submission of someone who knows their place—be it Alpha, beta, or omega. The trappings of fineries are just window dressing. I yearn to find the willing submissive underneath all of that.
Exasperation travels down my spine as I adjust my mask. Whoever thought of making this a masked gathering was out of their mind. How are we supposed to engage with the newcomers if we can’t even see their faces?
It makes sense when everyone already knows who they’re playing with, but this just seems downright dangerous.
For once, I’m grateful not to be a dungeon monitor.
It still doesn’t stop the itching in my palm when I see some pink-bracelet buffoon doing something reckless or stepping out of line, though.
Shaking my head, I glance around at the people playing, my teeth grinding as I watch the affair, desperate to detach myself. After tonight, it will go back to the regular crew, and I can allow myself to play without worrying about everyone else. Unfortunately, that’s not tonight.
I’m not even sure why I came in the first place. Rising, I dust my hands off on my pants and move to leave when a bit of movement catches my eye. Justin wields his whip, his movements fluid, like lightning arcing. It's always a pleasure to watch a master work.
Off to the side, a small woman, an omega by the looks of her, inches forward, her eyes trained toward the movement. Her pink bracelet stands out like a beacon, nearly glowing in the light. Fucking newb.
Any moment now, she’ll stop. She has to. But she doesn’t. I look around for a dungeon monitor, but they seem fully engrossed in a conversation with someone else. Not my circus. And yet, I can’t just let her get into harm’s way.
Justin rears back, not realizing someone is so close behind him. But I know his movements. I have just a few moments to get this stupid girl to safety. With a growl on my lips, I stomp forward and wrap my fingers around her arm, hauling her away.
A surprised squeak drifts up from underneath the mask and goes straight to my balls. They shouldn’t tighten from her reactions. Not when she’s being this stupid. For a moment, she follows me, allowing me to take charge of this situation.
However, that show of submission is short-lived. Like a live wire, she explodes into movement, jerking her arm out of my grasp. Electric blue eyes snap at me as her full, lush mouth turns down into a frown.
“I didn’t consent for you to touch me,” she bites out. “Let me see your bracelet.”
My jaw drops as I stand there, stunned. The omega beneath me is a quiver of fury, a mass of indignation…
as if she has the right to be upset at me .
Refusing to answer, I cross my arms and pin her with a glare.
Only, after a few moments, I realize she probably can’t see the damn thing because of the ridiculous mask.
“Who are you to demand anything of me?” I inquire, wishing to know just where she gets the hubris to be so demanding .
“Kessily said-”
“Kessily,” I sputter. “You know Kessily?”
Her shoulders drop a touch. “Well, yes. She’s my… My… Um… I’m her plus one?” The omega before me searches for the words, again showing just how na?ve and unknowledgeable she is.
“She’s your handler?”
“Well, that’s not how she put it, exactly. She vouched for me.”
“I see. And did she realize she was vouching for a moron?”
“Hey now,” she snaps out, her eyes flashing in the lights. “That’s very rude.”
“No.” My lips twist into a sneer as I lower myself to her level. “You making demands of me after I kept you from harm is rude. Where is she, anyway? If she vouched for you, she needs to be keeping you safe.”
The omega gives a helpless shrug as she looks around the space. “She took off with a schoolgirl. Something about good girl spankings. I don’t really understand it. She said to only interact with people who have dark red, black, or blue bands. I promised her.”
A heavy-laden sigh flits from my lips. No doubt Kessily is deep in her scene. It wouldn’t be fair to her or Little Amelia for me to interrupt. I guess it’s up to me to keep this newbie safe. Holding out my wrist, I show her my solid black band.
“Satisfied?” The growl in my voice seems to travel over her skin, making her shiver.
“I suppose you’ll have to do.” There’s a mournful note in her voice as she looks over at the whipping scene.
Justin is wrapping up by the looks of it, and soon, he’ll be in the aftercare room with his submissive. A twinge of jealousy trips through my heart as I watch him lean down and kiss his bound mate. If only I could be so lucky.
All around me, Alphas become paired left and right. Most of the time, it’s with people they know. It makes sense. They just fit. So far, no one has been found for me, and no one feels right.
Keeping myself distant night after night, playing with omegas but not allowing my heart or cock to get involved is starting to take its toll.
But it wouldn’t be fair to them to toy with their bodies and their emotions only to have the Governing Body rip me away.
The Alphas who do, in my opinion, are worse than scum.
“What does it feel like?” the omega asks next to me, interrupting my thoughts. “Does she really like it? Or is she just trying to make him happy?”
A soft smile tilts my lips as I look down at her, noting the inquisitive look in her gaze. “I mean, I could have let you walk face-first into the tail and let you see for yourself.”
The scowl she gives me makes a chuckle well up deep inside. When was the last time an omega made me laugh like this? Perhaps newbies aren’t all bad. But then, perhaps I shouldn’t allow myself to think this way.
“And here to think I was this close to asking you to fuck me.”
Those happy feelings disperse like a bit of fog disappearing into the bright sun. “And who’s to say I would have obliged you?”
“I mean…” She waves her hand around toward the others engaging in all manner of carnal display. “Isn’t that what the point is?”
In the dim lighting, I can’t tell if she’s blushing or not under her mask, but with the way she shuffles from side to side, she seems uneasy.
“No,” I grind out. “Not always. For some, yes. Sex is the end goal, but not for everyone.”
“You mean, not for you.”
Her words seem more like a statement than a question. It’s almost as if there’s a hint of accusation in her voice. But that doesn’t make sense.
“Look. I don’t know what Kessily told you would happen here, but I’m pretty sure she didn’t guarantee sex. That’s not like her.”
“Figures,” the omega mutters, kicking her toe against the floor. “She only said those things to get me to come. I would have been so much happier at home getting stuffed in a far different way.”
Without even stopping to clarify what she means, she whips her head back and forth, aggravation wafting off of her like acrid smoke pouring off a doused fire.
Again, I look around for Kessily, but she’s nowhere to be found.
That must mean she’s off tending to Little Amelia in the aftercare room.
I can’t begrudge her, but babysitting her newb is grating on my last nerve.
As if she makes up her mind, she throws her hands in the air. “Ugh. Fine. I’ll just go find someone else. There’s got to be some other Alpha here willing to fuck me.”
Fear stabs me for a moment as I once more grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks. Though I trust most people here, I cannot in good conscience allow her to come to harm. She’s not my responsibility, but I somehow feel beholden to her.
Anger flits through my gut as I haul her closer, drinking in her intoxicating scent. “You’re being stupid and careless. You don’t know the first thing that happens here in clubs like these. I can’t just let you wander off. Not until your handler comes back to collect you.”
Again, she wriggles out of my grasp, annoyed that I’m trying to keep her safe. “Kessily is my best friend. She’s not my handler. She only brought me here to cheer me up. To… To…” she trails off and crosses her arms, turning her head.
Unfortunately, it’s not before I see the pain shining in her depths. This omega hurts and hurts badly. It’s a dangerous combination to throw together a submissive looking to purge themselves and a Dominant who drinks in pain like a drug.
Though I can’t speak for the other Dominants here, I know my resolve. I can give this omega what she needs without losing myself completely. It’s a skill I’ve trained for out of necessity. Running my hand over my beard, I watch as she peers at the other couples.
There’s a desperation there I hadn’t felt before. Or is it that I didn’t want to feel it? With a sigh, I roll my head on my neck and groan as the bones pop. “I’ll give you what you need, little omega. But you’ll have to trust me.”
I half expect her to laugh in my face, to shove me further away as she cackles. Worse than that, she stands there, looking me up and down as if measuring me as the man I am. No, not merely a man—an Alpha. A Dominant.
Meeting her gaze, I glower down at her, silently demanding her to say what’s hovering on her tongue. I can see the words forming on her lips, but still, she remains silent. With a sigh, I shake my head.
“Kessily won’t mind if you’re a little preoccupied when she’s done. If that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Well, I wasn’t. But thank you for adding that to the list.”
“Then what is it? What are you so concerned about? You were so willing to have me fuck you, and now you just stand there with nothing to say?”
This time, the blush is evident as it creeps up her neck and flushes her face, disappearing under the mask. “I’m still okay with that.”
“So that means you trust me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Again, irritation niggles its way up my spine, but underneath that, there’s this persistent endearment. She’d be so cute if she weren’t so stubborn. If only I found her before whatever made her so callous and jaded. But then… that’s the realm of fairy tales and not reality.
“Care to allow me to show you this new world?” I ask, a lump forming in my throat. I shouldn’t care about her response, and yet, I cling to the silence, waiting for it to break.
“You mean the kinky stuff?” Her nose wrinkles as if she smells something foul.
“Well… Yes, the kinky stuff, as you put it. That’s the point of being here.”
Her lips purse as an annoyed sigh flits on the air. “I just wanted-”
“Sex. I know. You’ve made that abundantly clear. I won’t fuck you, but I promise it will be just as good.”
“I highly doubt that.” This time, her voice doesn’t sound so sure.
Little by little, I seem to chip away at whatever wall she erected around her. Normally, I don’t care. Normally, I’d just shrug and let her get into trouble. For some reason, with this little omega, I find myself inexplicably drawn, making this game even more dangerous.
“I ask again. Will you trust me?” I hold my hand out to hers and keep the excitement at bay as she slides her much smaller palm across mine.
“I guess I have no choice.”
“With me, you will always have a choice.”
“Does that mean you’ll actually allow me to choose to have you fuck me?”
A grin slides up my face as I look at the little brat in front of me. “Loopholer with the best of them, I see. No. In that regard, you will not have a choice.”
Silence hovers between us for a moment before she eventually gives in. “I trust you.”