8. Bellamira
Chapter eight
Bellamira
Hazelle was bringing out my soft side, but she would find out soon enough that it wasn’t always this way. I wanted her to be comfortable with me, but she also needed to learn to follow my commands with less prompting. When it was just the three of us, I was more lenient, but out in the world, I could never be that way, and even here, this wasn’t what she should expect.
Tonight would prove many things, to her and to me. She’d see things and do things that she would dislike, but the hope would be she only felt that way at first.
The party would go as it always did when we went to Catalina’s. Drinks and conversation, dinner with my pets by my side, then a little fun. Only Elera would partake, but I had something special planned for Hazelle.
She sat in front of me on the vanity chair, eyes downcast as I held a pair of shears in my hand.
“Watch, my pet.” She would want to see this, the moment her hair vanished, and with it, so did the past she had with that shitstain of an Alpha, Oros. If I ever saw him, Brant would have his hands full. Speaking of, he was locked away for now, caged in more ways than one until I forgave him. Watching my pets wasn’t in his job description specifically, but he knew better than to let Elera out of his sight at the auction house.
Hazelle lifted her gaze, glancing at me, then staring at the braid I held in my hand. Her hair was as long as mine currently. It was a pain to deal with most days, but I loved the look of it and refused to have it much shorter. Her past Alpha’s view of beauty was skewed and incorrect. Hazelle deserved the right to choose her hairstyle. It was one of the freedoms I believed everyone should have.
Elera sat on the bed, watching as I raised the shears and placed them right above the ponytail, allowing for a longer cut to start with.
Without any hesitation, I began cutting, snipping through her thick hair. Before we knew it, the weight was off her shoulders, literally and metaphorically. I stepped around the chair and placed the length on the vanity before looking at Hazelle who had tears in her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled, but she didn’t say a word.
I got to work trimming her hair and shaping it into a pixie cut that fit her features. I learned how to do this long ago, and it was one of the first ways I bonded with Elera as well. A new haircut can bring a lot more change than just looks. It symbolizes a fresh start, and that’s what Hazelle had.
Pulling out shears, I cut the sides short and left some length on the top. The front flopped down over her forehead like bangs, and she was a whole new person with a lightness she didn’t have before.
“What do you think, my pet? Will that do?” I set aside the clippers and dusted some of the hair away as Hazelle took her new look in.
Elera came up beside us but didn’t say anything. If she was refusing to comment on it like I was, then she was also waiting for Hazelle to make the choice to like it for herself. If she hated it, well, we had never had a wig collection before, but that would be an easy enough fix.
Tears streamed out of her eyes, but a bright smile creased her lips as she jumped up to get a closer look. She played with it while looking in the mirror, bits of hair falling here and there as she went, but she didn’t seem to mind. Hazelle would need another shower before we left to clean up, but that would give me some time with Elera, and I had missed her today.
Hazelle finished perusing and spun, throwing herself in my arms. With my heels on, I was over a foot taller than her, so her face hit perfectly at my chest. She either didn’t care or didn’t notice where she was shoving her face, but I didn’t mind.
“Thank you, Mistress Belle,” she sobbed out. “Thank you so much. I love it!” Her arms tightened around me, and I wrapped her in mine, holding her close and giving her the affirmation she needed that she was safe and welcomed here.
“Of course, my pet. It suits you, and you look so much happier with the hair gone. Keep it whatever length you’d like. I cut Elera’s every two months, but we will need to be more proactive with yours.” I’d have Simon, my assistant, ensure we cut it once a month. I would never forget about Hazelle, but my life was hectic, and sometimes weeks flew by, and it felt like days instead. This would ensure we never forgot, and her hair remained short as she liked it.
Hazelle’s tears stopped, and she pulled away to look at me. “I can’t—I can’t thank you enough,
Mistress Belle. Um, can I go—” Hazelle trailed off, then took a deep breath. “Can I shower?”
I smiled down at her, cupping her face. “Go shower while Elera and I get ready. I’ll get your clothes picked out.” I leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. I felt her lean into it, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she stood on her tiptoes as well.
“Thank—Oh, Elera! Do you like it?” Hazelle whirled around to our Beta with the giddiness of a child, and my hopes of her fitting in were no longer simply hopes. She would do well here as long as she got through tonight.
It couldn’t be helped. This was our life, and Hazelle had to fit into every piece of it to be mine. I would never throw her back into the auctions, but I knew of some kinder Alphas that might take her if she didn’t accept her place here.
“It’s cute, Hazelle. We can find some clips that will work with it too.” Elera ruffled her hair, and I loved the smile she had. It was free and happy, and that’s when I knew that even if Hazelle didn’t work for me, she would always be in our lives in some way. Elera deserved a friend even if she wasn’t my pet as well. “Go shower. I want the outfit to be a surprise!” Elera gently pushed Hazelle toward the bathroom, and she went along easily, leaving the door open behind her.
I chuckled, knowing she wanted to be a part of whatever we were doing in here even if she couldn’t be.
“How are things going, pet?” I had kept myself scarce until now in hopes Hazelle would settle in with Elera and things would go more smoothly tonight. Forcing my rule so soon wouldn’t have gone well with her past. I wanted an obedient pet, not a mindless blob of a person sitting next to me doing nothing but looking somber and pretty.
“Better than I expected, My Mistress. Her last Alpha was horrible to her, so it will take some time for her to fully feel at ease here.” I sensed a but coming, so I grabbed Elera and pulled her onto my lap as I sat down on the edge of the bed.
“But?” I prompted.
“But I am worried about tonight, My Mistress. Hazelle shuts down when I mention it. I explained that I enjoy it and that it’s always nice people that you let use me, but it didn’t matter. Oros let others use her, but they were harsh and awful. I think tonight will be good, but can I make a request?”
I looked down at her, brushing her hair behind her ear as she chewed on her bottom lip. Elera was never nervous when it came to asking me things in private, and even in the presence of others, she knew how to form it in a way that was allowable. “Ask.”
“Can it be Perrin tonight? If he’s there. I think he’d handle the situation best and show Hazelle that it’s not what she thinks.” I mulled it over. I hadn’t thought about who would be using Elera tonight as I didn’t know the guest list. It was the same people with a few outliers, but we didn’t all go every single time.
If Perrin was there, I didn’t have a problem with her request, but I wouldn’t push her on him. He had to be invested and request it himself.
“If he requests time with you tonight, then yes. If not, I will pick the softest option available.” She nodded, a tinge of sadness in her green eyes. Elera wouldn’t go against me, but I knew she wanted what was best for Hazelle. Luckily, so did I. I wouldn’t allow a rough Alpha to be with Elera unless she felt like rough play that night. Usually, there were multiple requests, and unless I needed to bargain something from someone, Elera got to choose.
“I understand. Thank you, My Mistress.” Elera maneuvered herself to straddling my legs and flung her arms over my shoulders. “Having Hazelle is nice. I wasn’t as lonely as I usually am, but I still missed you today.”
I didn’t say anything as I wrapped my hand in her hair and crashed her lips to mine. My tongue worked its way in, and Elera gladly let me. My other hand worked up her barely-there dress, wrapping around her waist and pulling her into me. Elera moaned, and my cock grew beneath my skirt, but we didn’t have time for this. We were already going to be late as is.
Pulling her dress over her head, I trailed kisses down her neck and undid the pink bralette she wore, revealing her small breasts.
I sucked one of her nipples in my mouth, making her cry out before I pulled away. Her skin was flushed and smeared with lipstick, and her heartbeat was rapid beneath my touch.
“It’s time to get dressed,” I said with a devilish grin. Elera would certainly enjoy tonight if this was how she reacted with so little from me.
“Yes, My Mistress.” Elera had a slight pout on her lips, but she slid off of me and waited like a good pet.
I stood and made my way to the closet to pick outfits for Elera and Hazelle. I knew what I was wearing, and as always, I wanted them to compliment me. I had chosen a skintight blush dress in silk with a corseted top. The shoes were a chunky, black platform.
“Pale colors tonight.” For the auction, I went with similar textures and overall feel. Tonight, I decided on a similar palette. “Mint or sage for you, and lilac or lavender for Hazelle.” I flipped through the abundance of clothing she had and realized how much more must be on the way for Hazelle. Perhaps a renovation was needed, their rooms joined by a bathroom and extra-large shared closet.
I would have Collin look into it.
Finally, I found what I had been looking for. I pulled a pale green dress that was reminiscent of what I wore last night. It had a high halter neck that would work well with the right collar. The back dipped low with the silk bunching perfectly. It would hang beautifully on Elera.
“Elera, find a collar to go with this while I find something for Hazelle.” She did as instructed, pulling the dress on and testing different collars in the mirror.
Light purple seemed to be the least available color, but there had to be something in here that would do. Otherwise, my entire plan would be thrown off, and I truly didn’t feel like starting over.
“How about this one, My Mistress?” I paused my search to look at Elera who had placed a white collar with a heart-shaped moonstone in front around her neck. It covered the high neck and looked as if it was part of the dress itself.
“It’s perfect, my pet.” I stepped over to her and kissed her once again. The smears of red here and there were a lovely addition and stood out against her pale skin and dress. She’d have on white flats to ensure no harm came to her feet as well.
I sighed, realizing we hadn’t procured any in Hazelle’s size. Maybe somewhere in this mess… We really needed to sort through her clothes.
“Can you find some shoes that will work for Hazelle? Did you order any today?” Her eyes grew wide, and I knew the answer. “Add it to whatever you order tomorrow. If Marley needs to carry her inside tonight, then so be it.”
I groaned as I went back to my search, and Elera attempted to find a smaller pair of shoes. They weren’t that far off in size, but flats were unforgiving when it came to sizing.
Finding an outfit for Hazelle made my mood slightly better. It wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but it would work well enough.
Not having found a dress in the colors I wanted, I settled for a pale lavender corset top with cups and lacing across the front and back along with a baby blue midi skirt with a high slit. It would be a loose fit for now, but the colors would go well with her complexion and eyes.
Hazelle came into the closet just as I laid out the outfit on the bench by the mirror, and Elera found a slightly smaller pair of white sandals. If I remembered correctly, her sister bought the wrong size a few years ago. I thought we had gotten rid of them, but I was thankful we hadn’t.
“This is your outfit, my pet. Elera will help you get dressed and dry your hair while I get ready. I will meet you downstairs in twenty minutes.” I needed to freshen up my makeup, specifically my lipstick, but other than that, I had to change, which never took that long. I only kept clothes I
loved and enjoyed wearing. Nothing else deserved to be in my closet.
I got ready and was irritated by the nerves that ran through me. If Hazelle didn’t cooperate, that would leave me in a horrible situation, not only with Elera but with the other attendees. Tonight had to go well, or we would all pay in some way.