I had to wonder how things could possibly work with Dementor, though. Bears aren’t monogamous and swans are. The last thing I wanted was get into another relationship where the man I love is free to fuck whoever he wants. Able hadn’t wanted to settle down, so he didn’t. There were times he had other girls in his bed for weeks at a time before he tired of them and brought me back to it. There were even times Able called me in to service his friends while his girlfriend-du-jour serviced him. I’d loved him, but now that I was away from him, I was much healthier emotionally.
“Oh goodness. Dementor warned you, didn’t he?”
I turned to Velvet. “Yeah, I’m good.” She’d likely smelled my conflict and didn’t understand. I took a deep breath and explained. “If you don’t know my history now, you probably will at some point. I used to belong to the Owl King. The former one, before he was killed. As far as the public knew, I was his girlfriend, but behind closed doors, I was given to him by the Swan King before Sophia took the crown.” I shrugged. “It’s been a while since I was in that position, and I both miss it and don’t.”
“Given to him?”
“There were negotiations. I was part of what got traded. I probably brought it on myself. I never really fit into swan society. Sophia — Her Majesty — has done so much for me, so I do my best to fit in when she needs me close, but otherwise, I’m happy with my independence.” I glanced at Frost fucking Daffodil and looked back. “I have both good memories and bad. This reminds me of the good.”
She looked confused. “Swans are monogamous. Like wolves.”
“Yeah. Someday I’ll want to settle down. Or so I’m told.”
She shook her head. “This’ll need lots of communication with Dementor. He’s a grizzly, and they aren’t even a little bit monogamous. Ya’ll will have to figure that out.”
“I think this is just a fling. We’re having fun. It can’t possibly work long term between a bear and a swan.”
“There’s a couple in Chattanooga. Rabbit and Bear. Neither are monogamous, which makes it a little easier, but they’ve been happy together for years.”
I nodded. “Horse and Gabby. I’ve met them, and they make a great couple, but that doesn’t mean things will work with D.”
“Does he know you feel this way?’
“We haven’t talked about it too much. I guess we need to.”
“Yeah. You do.”
I drank the rest of my margarita and poured another. We’d brought our little assembly line station inside with us.
Chapter Nine
Dementor
We didn’t make it back to my apartment until nearly midnight. The party was still in full swing, but Ember had school the next day. It’d been important to do this on the day Frost came home, and it’s also easier for most of us to get away from our posts during the week. Most of our businesses are busier on the weekend.
My little swan was beyond buzzed, but not sloppy drunk. Still, in the parking lot on the way back across the complex, she asked, “Do you have toys here? I mean, your belt will do, but a nice fat paddle would be awesome.”
“My antique ping pong paddle’s going to be great friends with your ass. I removed the textured stuff, sanded it smooth, and varnished it. It’s the perfect size and weight to tan someone’s hide.”
I had some questions for her, but I hadn’t been sure how to ask them. A paddling would be a great time for a little interrogation. She seemed to enjoy bondage, so I put wrist and ankle cuffs on her and bent her over the back of my sofa. I keep a set of three-foot bungee cords under it, separated by the sofa’s legs so the girl can’t bring her feet together. One end of a cord connects to the right wrist, the other end to the left wrist, and it’s threaded under the sofa so my victim isn’t going anywhere.
I connected Ember’s right and left sides to the two bungee cords, and she was spread wide with just enough wiggle room to squirm around real pretty while I spanked her little ass.
I sat and took my time removing my boots once I had her naked and in place.
“The little old lady in the apartment to the left is mostly deaf. Once she takes her hearing aids out, she can’t hear shit. My upstairs neighbor beats off while my girls scream and beg. The one on the right works third shift and isn’t home. Try not to scream so loud that people two apartments away can hear you.”
“You’ve got it all worked out.”
“I do. What did you think of your evening?”
“I expected to spend more time with you.”
“Yeah. Some parties, couples stay together, but for a coop-flying party, we kind of break up into men and women. You get along with Velvet okay, right?”
“Yeah, and with the other women who stopped by, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.”
“The club is family. Give it a few more tries.”
She changed the subject, and that worried me, but I didn’t force us back to it.
“There seemed to be unlimited liquor and beer. I saw the huge Jack Daniels bottle get emptied, tossed, and a new one magically appear several times. Does the club provide the food and drink?”
“Yeah. When we have a bunch of ol’ladies, they bring side dishes. Without them, we’ve resorted to having that part catered, but it works out okay, I guess. We aren’t hurtin’ for money, but we lost so many people, we’re still off balance. We’d never admit that, of course, but it means I won’t be able to take off in the evenings to spend time with you as much as I’d like.”
With my boots off, I stood, stripped, and stalked my way behind her. “Gonna have fun turning your white little ass red.” The paddle was on a table beside the sofa, and I leaned over to retrieve it. “You seem chatty. What shall we talk about while I paddle you?”
She didn’t respond, and I gave her ten not-so-hard pops on her right cheek. She whined and wiggled, and I gave her ten to her left cheek.
“Cat got your tongue?” I popped her right cheek a little harder. Ten strikes again. “You sure seemed interested in watching the sweetbutts get passed around.”
When she didn’t respond, I popped her right cheek another ten times.
“It wasn’t a question! I don’t know what to say!” She stopped yelling and brought her voice under control. “I could agree with you, I guess.”
“Mmm. Tell me what you were thinking.”
“I usually enjoyed it when it was me being passed around, but now that I’m away from it, I don’t want to do it again. It was a grand adventure, but it’s time for me to move forward.”
I popped her left cheek ten times, and she breathed in relief. Being off-balance is apparently a bitch.
“So, you never again want two people to go at you at the same time?”
“I don’t know. I mean, the swan wants monogamy, eventually — once I’ve graduated and established myself and settled down. The woman wants that, too.”
She needed a reward, so I gave her five on the right side and five on the left. I stepped forward and rubbed her ass. “Thanks for being honest and not just saying something that’s true.”