Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Eris
“I’m on my way there now.”
“Do I get some details this time?” Tara asked, the interest in her voice unavoidable. Eris had told Tara and Vivian about her plans to go back to Montana, leaving her home in Virginia to travel back to Rawhide.
After receiving Master Derek’s response, she’d gotten all too giddy and had packed everything she would need the following day.
Her invitation had still been two weeks out at the time, and according to their correspondence, they would integrate her primal desires into her experience this time right from the start.
What did that entail exactly? Eris wasn’t entirely sure, but she knew Master Derek and Rawhide Ranch would never lead her astray. Now that she was actually en route to the Ranch, all that joy and giddiness was making her a little dizzy with excitement.
“I’ll keep you updated,” Eris replied, studying the back of her driver’s head.
She’d missed his name, but she didn’t recognize him previously from her visit.
At least he was okay with her chatting on the phone during their drive from the airport, so she wasn’t trying to push.
“It sounds like I have a busy few days ahead.”
“Girl,” Tara said, her laughter drifting through the phone. “I hope you are so busy you don’t call me until you’re back home.”
Smiling to herself, Eris disconnected the call once the Ranch came into view.
She hadn’t forgotten the sprawling landscape, or the large lodge where most of the activities occurred.
She had divided her time pretty well between the main building and the stables, escaping to the great outdoors whenever she could in the harsh January air.
Now that it was the middle of summer, she hoped the weather would be more agreeable and allow her to spend extra time with the horses.
She remembered all of them, spending time grooming them when she was allowed and giving them treats whenever she could.
Magic was still her preferred steed, and she could not wait for the opportunity to ride him again. One of her inquiries had included asking about the horses, and Master Derek had assured her there would be ample time for that during her stay.
As Eris stepped out of the car, eyeing the porch where a few people were sitting in the large basket chairs in the midmorning light, she felt like she was stepping back into a piece of herself.
Rawhide Ranch had given her an escape from the everyday hustle last time, letting her explore in the safest environment around.
Now it would let her explore a new side of herself.
Primal play. CNC. She had convinced herself back at her house that she didn’t want the CNC aspect, but now, presented with the opportunity, she wasn’t sure if that was still true or if she was just used to denying herself.
“Hello! You must be Eris. Nice to see you again.”
Surprised, she stopped studying the Ranch to eye the men walking towards her. She recognized them from last time, but it took a few moments for their names to slide into place. “Oh! Hello, Dax, Moses.”
Moses smiled as he grabbed the single checked bag she’d brought with her, the contents loaded down with some sex toys she brought from home.
She didn’t need to do that with the luxuries the Ranch could offer, but there were a few things that were her favorites, and on the off chance that things went horribly wrong, she wanted the opportunity to be able to still chase her pleasure herself.
“Welcome back to the Ranch,” Dax continued.
Her carry-on doubled as her purse, which was already slung over her shoulder.
Moses' friendly smile reminded her of her previous visit, and she found her eyes tracking the gentle sway of his long braid as the three of them wandered across the threshold.
She recalled admiring his long hair during her last visit too, and Dax was plenty friendly as well.
That was part of what she loved about the Ranch the most; everyone was open and willing to talk about themselves, about kink, and just about anything.
Eris followed along quietly, waving to the people who sat on the porch. It looked like a few Littles, though she didn’t see a Dominant with them until they crossed into the lobby. Then she spotted someone heading out with what appeared to be a tray holding glasses and a pitcher of orange juice.
“Master Derek is expecting you,” Dax continued conversationally, stopping beside the desk and distracting her. Eris smiled again when she recognized Erika, the same person who had checked her in the last time.
“Thank you,” Eris replied, smiling as Moses set down the bag he carried before nodding and hurrying off. He moved back towards the doors, and she wondered if there was another guest arriving today. She turned and focused her attention on Erika, who gave her a wide grin.
“Welcome back.” Erika said, her friendly eyes easing Eris’ jumpy nerves. She wore a smart business-casual suit in a deep green that offset her short, brown hair. It looked amazing on her. Erika nodded towards the doorway to Master Derek’s office.
The door was already open, and Eris realized that things were moving at lightning speed this time around.
“We’ve been getting things in order, and Master Derek is expecting you. He should be available now to talk. He set aside some time for your arrival.”
Eyeing her bag, Eris noticed that it hadn’t yet been taken up to a room. “What about—”
“We’ll take care of everything,” Erika interrupted, winking when Eris looked back. “Your bag, and your purse, will be in your accommodation once you arrive.”
Eris thought that sounded odd. Last time she was here as a visitor she stayed in the guest rooms, but her bag had been taken directly upstairs before she’d ever gone into Master Derek’s office.
This was a little different. And previously, there had been no issue with her keeping her purse as she spoke with Master Derek before going upstairs to settle in.
“Don’t overthink it,” Erika continued, meeting Eris’ gaze once more. “Go on. He can answer any questions you have.”
That sounded more like it. Master Derek had been very direct when they’d spoken last time, and he’d openly answered anything she asked. A small detail about her check-in shouldn’t affect the rest of her stay.
Smiling, she set her carry-on with her suitcase and nodded to Erika. She moved towards the office door, ready to get her Rawhide Ranch experience underway.
It wasn’t that different of a check-in from the previous year. Master Derek went over things at the Ranch, just like last time, although this time they had a whole discussion on primal play and CNC.
She was surprised, after seeing no CNC during her previous stay, how diverse the options were. Master Derek gave her a breakdown of what could and couldn’t be expected, and assured her, just as the email had, that she would be seeing Gabriel again.
When was now the question. Instead of ending their conversation and offering for her to settle in, he suggested she go to the stables and revisit her favorite spot. Primal play, especially ongoing for a full five days during her stay, required different accommodations.
“The cabins allow easy access to our outdoor play area,” Master Derek explained, and Eris found herself bouncing on the balls of her feet, eager to go exploring.
She never considered herself a Little before, but right now, she had the energy of one just thinking about what awaited her once she left the office.
“During your visit, you are always allowed here in the main lodge, and we expect that you use any and all facilities that you like. For this particular visit though, we thought the cabins would be the most beneficial.”
Eris remembered seeing the guest cabins sprinkled around the property when she’d gone out riding.
She’d briefly mentioned to Gabriel during one of their rides that she would love to see the inside of one, but it hadn’t happened during her last visit.
They’d really only managed to go out once with the weather last time, and most of her riding had been done in the indoor arena to keep both herself and Magic safe.
Now though, someone had thought ahead and decided if Eris and Gabriel were planning on some primal play, the privacy of the cabins for aftercare might be the right idea.
She was well aware that witnessing primal play might be triggering to some of the other people on the Ranch, and she didn’t want to push anyone’s boundaries.
Her own boundaries on the other hand? She couldn’t wait to see what she could handle.
“Thank you for letting us use the cabins,” Eris said, smiling up at Master Derek.
During their first meeting the last time he’d predominantly stayed seated, and she hadn’t really gotten to take in his full size until a few days into her stay.
Now they stood together, her head nowhere near his shoulder, and she was reminded of how powerful and strong the Ranch owner really was.
“The cabins are there to be used,” Master Derek replied easily, giving her a grin. “We believe they will help you live out your fantasy to its full effect. I read the details of your email, and we’ve taken into account your limits. I’ve shared the specifics with Gabriel ahead of time.”
Gabriel. Just thinking about him made tingles shoot through her from her head to toe.
She had yet to see him, which wasn’t much of a surprise since speaking with Master Derek always happened first. But her mind drifted back to light blond hair, muscular shoulders, and those deep, dark eyes that drew her into their depths.
She missed the way his bulging arms could circle around her, or hold her down, depending on the moment.
When she’d first stepped into Master Derek’s office, after some brief chatter, he laid out the plans to enact her primal fantasy.
She’d always had a dream of being hunted, going out on a horseback ride and exploring the areas around her just to be hunted and chased before her Dominant fucked her into the ground.
It was a fantasy she couldn’t imagine with just anyone.
It took too much trust to try something like this with a perfect stranger.
But according to Master Derek, they already had things worked out for her first experience and she had nothing to worry about.
The riding trails wound around all over the property, even close to some of the cabins.
She would take a specific route, something already planned out by Gabriel, and that trail would be off limits for the rest of the members for an allotted time.
There was even some sort of discussion about using the outdoor play areas, but Eris didn’t know very much about that.
To start, they intended to use the land itself.
It was all planned out, but there were still elements left to the unknown between her and Gabriel. Rawhide Ranch could help set the scene, but it was up to them to play. Eris got to choose when she got off her horse and where she tied off, when she wanted to run, and all the other juicy details.
The biggest thing was, to enact her real fantasy, she wouldn’t be talking to Gabriel first. Not until after he caught her, and even then, she had no idea what they would be feeling in the moment.
“If you’re ready”—Master Derek gestured to the lobby—“I think it’s time for you to go out for a ride.”
It sent her heart hammering at the implication. Eris remembered the route through the main building out to the stables by heart.
“I’ve already spoken with Travis, and we have Magic ready—”
“Magic!” Eris squealed, interrupting the Dominant. Immediately she bit her lip, blushing. “Uh, sorry, Sir.”
Master Derek chuckled. “Your excitement is infectious, Eris. Everything is set and ready to go. Please, go and have fun. If there’s anything we need to do to make the experience better, you’ll have to let us know. And remember your word.”
Grinning, Eris nodded. She’d picked a different safe word from the standard, and she knew it would be relayed to Gabriel before their play even started. “I remember my safe word. Ride.”
“Good. Off you go then. I expect that someone’s outside looking for you.”
Fighting down the urge to squeal a second time, Eris nodded and pivoted on her heel. Finally, finally, she was going to get to really live out her fantasy. The one that, until today, she denied even herself.