Thank you all for the amazing feedback. We crossed the 500 review mark! 3
As always, big 'thank you' to CoppertopJ for all the help. Mwah! All mistakes are still mine, because I can't help and change/add stuff in the chapter before posting it.
Bella wrapped the trench coat closer to her body, tugging the collar up, before braving the sheets of rain as she dashed from her car to Black Velvet's front door. She was impressed by her equilibrium, not embarrassing her when she had to run in her five inches heels.
She untied her coat, looking around for her friends, as she ran her hands through her hair. She'd spent twenty minutes curling it, but the rain had drenched it in a matter of minutes. She spotted Rosalie talking to one of the men preparing the stage where she was going to perform.
Bella normally wouldn't have attended this Halloween party, but she hadn't attended a party to perform a scene since her time with Benjamin. She missed that thrill of showing everyone what a wonderful Sub she had.
On her way to Rosalie, Jake intercepted her. "Hey, hon. Where are our boys?"
"Last I talked to Edward, they were ready to leave Seth's show at the gallery. They'll be here, don't worry."
Bella was happy for Edward to have found a job he liked. He was playing the piano for the art gallery where Seth had his shows. It wasn't often they needed Edward, but they paid him handsomely for the few hours he entertained the art lovers.
"Are you naked under this?" Jake pushed at the lapel of her coat.
She slapped his hand away. "I had no idea you were into tits."
"Just curious."
"I'm already dressed for the show. I knew I wouldn't have time for it here. I'll have to get Edward ready when he arrives."
"Stage three is yours," Rose said, joining them. "I suggest you check if everything is ready. These people can't follow simple requests."
"Find me a towel, please," Bella told Jake, as she went to check her stage.
It had taken long hours of discussion with Edward for them to decide what scene would be spectacular and yet show his obedience. At first, Edward had been surprised to be asked about his opinion, but Bella reminded him he'd be involved in their playtime and his opinion always mattered.
The spanking bench was waiting in the middle of her stage. A rolling cart stood near with rope, handcuffs, and an assortment of whips.
"This sturdy enough, dude?" Jacob's loud voice grabbed Bella's attention to his stage next to hers.
There was a sex swing dangling precautiously from the structure beams high above.
"Yeah, man. It can hold up to 130 pounds."
Jacob cursed loudly. "Well, my man is 170. You'll pay his hospital bills if he breaks his back!"
The organizer ran toward his team, gesticulating to the system holding the sex swing.
"Incompetents," Jacob muttered. "It's always like this if we do scenes at the club."
"You know, these people don't actually know what's going on here," Bella said soothingly.
"Yes, they do, Bella. Rosalie went to get you a towel."
"Oh, yeah." She patted her hair, which had started drying.
Soon, the club was packed and Aro was ready to start the shows. It was then that Edward and Seth finally arrived. Bella seized Edward's wrist, pulling him toward the changing room.
"What held you?" she asked urgently.
"Traffic. If it weren't for Seth's hold on me, I'd have taken over the cabbie's job and run over an asshole who was driving under the speed limit in front of us on a narrow side street, where we couldn't overtake him. It's the last time I'm taking a cab in this fucking city. I always end up late when I don't drive myself."
"You have to relax." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Calm down."
His eyes dropped. "I'm sorry, Mistress."
"It's not your fault. We're scheduled for ten o'clock. At least two hours for you to get in the correct mindset." She caressed his cheek. "Tell me about the show while you undress."
Edward relaxed gradually as he spoke about the songs he'd played and how everyone appreciated Seth's paintings.
Out of her purse Bella pulled a pair of leather jockstraps. "Step in them. Hold onto my shoulders for balance." Once his dick was covered, Bella took his right hand, making Edward tense up.
"Yellow, Mistress."
Her breath caught. She caught his anxious green eyes. "I have a collar for you."
Edward chewed on his bottom lip. "Can I please keep the cuff? Please, Mistress."
"No collar, then?"
"I don't mind the collar, Mistress. Just don't…I want to keep the cuff."
"Okay. Relax." She rubbed his arm slowly, before digging in her purse for the simple leather collar with a metal circle that went over his Adam's apple. That hole was meant as a spot where to link a leash, but Bella would never do that to Edward. "Bend closer." Even though she was wearing heels, she still couldn't reach well to snap the collar in place.
"Thank you, Mistress," he murmured when she was done.
"Help me out of the coat." She turned around. It had taken a while for her to be able to pull the zipper of her leather corset all the way up across her spine, but Edward's gasp was worth her struggle. She could have waited and had him help her get dressed in this room, but they would have cut it too close to the start of the event.
"So beautiful, Mistress. Can I kiss you?"
"Don't smear my lipstick," she warned. "I forgot it at home."
Edward bent to press his lips to the top of her breasts, grabbing her waist. "I don't know how you do it, but I'm already feeling a lot better."
She stroked his hair. "That's what I'm here for – to ground you. Let's go."
For this event, they couldn't sit with her friends. Each pair who'd be on the stage had their own table near their stage. For each of these tables, there was only one chair, which implied the Sub had to kneel. Thankfully, there were cushions under the table for them.
Bella took a seat at the table with the number 3 near the candle burning in the center. She dragged the cushion for Edward to kneel at her side. There was a tray with a cocktail and several bottles of water. Bella wasn't going to drink anything alcoholic tonight.
"Thirsty?" she checked, opening a bottle.
"Thank you, Mistress." Edward accepted it, gulping half of it. She petted his hair, catching Jake's eye. He gave her a smile, before returning his eyes to the pulley system that was supposed to hold Seth.
"Welcome, my friends!" Aro's voice came from behind them, a spotlight followed him as he walked toward the bar area. "I've selected some of our most valuable members of the community to perform for us tonight. As we all know, the theme is 'Trick or Treat'. I wonder how many of the little pets will get a treat." His eyes roamed the pairs before him. "We also have invited some international friends. A couple of them are going to put on a show at the end of our performances. Please, do stay and welcome them."
A round of copious applause exploded around the room, and Bella touched her palms unenthusiastically, when she saw Aro looking at her.
"Without further introduction, let the fun begin!" he declared loudly, and the spotlight moved to the first square of raised stage.
She didn't recognize the pair, but they both looked inexperienced. It took the Dom an embarrassingly long amount of time to tie his Sub to the cross, then she flinched and thrashed while he whipped her stomach.
"Shh," Bella hissed, yanking at the back of Edward's hair, when his shoulders shook in silent laughter.
That terrible first act was soon forgotten when Jacob pulled Seth onto their stage by his short leash. Jacob, being a seasoned Dom, like Bella, took the time to greet the crowd and introduce them to his pup. He helped Seth into the swing, and Bella felt like she was the only one seeing anxiety radiating from Jacob. She caught him shaking the ties to make sure the thing wouldn't collapse.
There was no specific amount of time for each act, but everyone usually kept it around thirty minutes.
Jacob worked Seth's hole with various toys, growing in length and width, ending with him fucking him so hard the whole swing shook. Thankfully, it didn't collapse.
As Jacob helped Seth down from their stage, wrapping a soft bathrobe around him, Bella stood. She felt like she was about to have a panic attack, or what some might call stage fright.
"Stand," she told Edward. She hooked a finger in the side of his jockstrap, pulling him alongside. They stopped near the spanking bench, and Edward sank to his knees instantly. Bella wet her lips, looking around, relaxing instantly when she couldn't see faces in the dark room.
"Hello! As some of you may know, I'm Lady Isabella. This is my Sub. I'm calling him Stud." She stepped in front of him, tilting Edward's head up. "I haven't decided yet whether I should treat him with an orgasm or trick him and ruin it for him." Of course, everyone was for ruining it, but they had no idea how well-behaved Edward was. "We'll start with a little discipline. On the bench, Stud."
Edward complied instantly, pressing his chest to the bench, grabbing the handles with his hands and keeping his knees on the soft pads on either side of the bench.
Bella strapped his ankles in place, admiring Edward's white ass on display. "Keep your hands where they are and I won't tie them."
"Yes, Mistress."
"Not a peep, unless it's a safe word," she warned him, running a hand down his back, over his tattoos.
"Yes, Mistress."
Bella rubbed her palm over his ass, before picking the riding crop from all the whips provided to her. Edward had mentioned it was his favorite, and she'd never gotten around to using it on him.
"Ten of them," she said loudly.
She watched Edward tensing in anticipation, but she waited until his body was lax again. She brought her hand back, then let it fall on his ass. The crop's head made a loud slapping sound when it connected with Edward's skin. He inhaled sharply, his fingers curling harder around the handles.
"Color?" she checked.
"Green, Mistress."
Bella covered his cheeks in the crop's marks, turning them red. When the ten strikes were over, she rubbed a hand over his heated skin, digging her nails into the flesh. Edward choked on his spit, but stayed quiet. She started slapping him with her hand, until he was whimpering, his back arching and his legs shaking.
"I feel generous tonight. I'll make him come without touching his dick," Bella declared loudly, grabbing a short flogger.
She stroked the tails over his balls, gently slapping them until Edward was panting, making keening sounds. He even breathed out a very low, "Fuck", heard only by Bella. She made sure to whip his ass with the flogger for that slip.
Edward's knees shook violently as he pushed his ass back, groaning loudly the closer he got to his release. It took another few minutes for Bella to bring him over the edge. He slumped over the bench, thanking her softly, while she thanked the audience.
After untying him, Bella helped him off the stage and back to their table. She handed him a towel.
"Go and clean up," she advised.
Edward hurried in the bathroom direction, while Alec stepped on his stage with his Sub. Thankfully, he wasn't a sadist, like his sister. Or maybe, Aro had warned his children about embarrassing him in front of the community again.
Edward was back before Alec started his show. He sank at Bella's feet, pressing his cheek against her thigh. Bella played with his hair, pleased with how their show had gone.
She only turned her attention to the displays in front of them when it was Rosalie and Emmett's turn. Rosalie took her time to edge Emmett, and when it looked like his dick was about to explode, she stepped back, smirking.
"It's trick for you, Sweet Cheeks."
Emmett groaned loudly, his hips pumping into the air, as cum bubbled out of his dick due to his ruined orgasm.
Once the last couple left their stage, the spotlight returned on Aro, who clapped loudly with everyone else.
"Wonderful shows, my dear friends. Simply terrific. One of my friends will need a minute to get his scene ready, so please, do mingle in the meantime."
Jacob brought his chair to Bella's table. Seth followed him, but sat on Jacob's lap now, instead of at his feet.
"Wanna bet it's that creepy Italian dude he'd brought over two years ago?" Jake shuddered.
Bella winced. "If I see a knife in sight, I'm leaving." Her eyes wandered to the center stage which was coincidentally in front of her. Edward tensed up at her side, and she stroked his hair slowly. "Let's hope it won't come to that."
"How many friends does this old fart have anyway?" Jake continued.
"Many, probably," Bella answered, amused. "He's pretty well known across the world, it's the reason he was voted the leader of our Chicago community."
"I still think Whitlock would have been a better choice," he muttered.
"You, me, and everyone with half a brain in this room. But Jasper doesn't have Aro's money or influence."
Edward rubbed his cheek against her thigh, glancing up at her shyly.
"What, Stud?" she asked, amused at his behavior.
"I'd like a soda, Mistress."
Bella rolled her eyes at Jacob, who snorted, mumbling about the organizers being fuckwits. That was true. They had placed water and cocktails on the tables, but not sodas.
"Stand. Come." She took Edward's hand, leading him to the bar.
"I apologize for interrupting your conversation, Mistress."
"You didn't. How's your ass?"
Edward took a moment, while Bella ordered his drink. "A little sore, Mistress."
She pushed him to sit against one of the high bar stools. He hissed, but didn't complain. "I'll rub soothing cream over it when we get home." Bella trailed a hand over his chest, smiling when he shivered under her touch.
"You're too kind, Mistress."
"It's my job to take care of you." She handed him the glass of Cola when it arrived. "Drink." Her hands moved to rub his thighs.
Edward bit back a moan, his muscles straining under her hands. Bella nudged his legs apart with her knee, before stepping between them. She picked his glass and placed it on the counter behind him. His breathing became ragged as she rubbed against his erection confined in the small pouch. Bella expected to see the glorious tip adorned by the piercing any moment, peaking out at the top of the jockstrap.
"Fuck," Edward gasped, pulling her closer.
"Not here, Stud. Home," she promised against his lips, before claiming them into a bruising kiss.
Aro's voice announcing his friend was ready to start his scene, pulled them apart. Bella kept Edward where he was. She had no desire to return to her seat.
"Maybe we should return to our table, Mistress," Edward said timidly. Bella noticed Aro looking at them, and wanted to protest, but pulled Edward and his Cola back to their table.
Edward drank a little more from his glass, before handing it back to Bella. She was busy putting it on the table, without spilling it, so she didn't see who walked on the stage. Until she turned around to face Aro's friend.
Her world tilted, and she felt sick to her stomach. She hadn't even eaten much during the day because of nerves.
She stared with horror in her eyes at the person she'd hoped to never see again. Bella could feel her heart thudding against her ribcage and pounding into her ears when Liam looked at her. The shock on his face was the last thing Bella saw.
See you on Friday. *goes into hiding*
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