Dom Wars - Round One (7 page)

"
At the moment, Team Five is in last place." She quickly went through the scores and placings, in reverse. "And in first place, Mr. Burt and Catherine."

Tara and I
'd made third. What a miracle. We were doing something right, maybe the creativity part.

Silence fell as everyone stared at the screen, each no doubt assessing their chances to gain enough points to win.

The blonde turned to go, but paused. "I would suggest you all try to get a good night's rest. Tomorrow is the group event and auction. You'll know details when you arrive." She took a half dozen steps. "Oh, and remember," she raised her finger in the air, "you're being judged
at all times.
" Heels clicked on the tile floor as she left the room.

Chapter
Eight

I sat next to Tara, holding her hand. Because that would hopefully ensure more respect if they thought we were an actual item. I hoped. I didn't know any of these people except the one I wished I didn't, so it was anyone's guess if it'd do a damn bit of good or not.

The dining room from last night had been cleared except for chairs grouped at one end. The tiled floor had been covered with utility carpet, and large covered crates sat against one wall. The blonde announcer stood before the group, all seated in the chairs.
"The numbers you each wear represents your team. After you mingle for thirty minutes, we'll begin the group play. Basically, you'll each be required to perform, for the group, whatever you find in the envelope with your team's number on it. From the beginning, we deliberately withheld the standards we're using to judge you by, except for the general information you were given at dinner last night. We can't allow anyone to play to the judges."

Somewhere to my left, a female cleared her throat as if to speak, but the announcer didn
't stop for her.

"
And remember, the natural Dom is being judged. That means we don't want it to be merely a role you play when it's convenient, but who you truly are. A true Dom. The game begins on announcement via the PA system. Good luck."

Tara tugged me with her to the waiting envelopes on an elegantly engraved silver tray that rested atop a small, heavily carved table that stood in the exact center of the room, directly under the magnificent crystal chandelier.

She led the way to a secluded corner while I discreetly watched our opponents' faces, searching for some hint that might give us a competitive edge. Standing so that my body shielded her from the others, she opened the envelope. "Shit, flogging? Fifty lashes?"

My heart lurched as I peeked over her shoulder at the dreaded word on the page.
"You'll flog me."

"
What? No, I can't."

"
You can't? No, I can't."

She grabbed my arm and pulled me closer and began hissing.
"What do you mean you
can't?
You're a
Dom
!"

"
So what?" I hissed back. "Did you think all Doms have to like making women hurt?"

Forehead scrunched up, she appeared to think about it.
"Kind of."

"
Maybe some do. Maybe even a lot. But that's not me."

"
You cut me pretty good." Her voice betrayed her disbelief.

"
Because
I had
to."

"You didn't seem to be too bothered."

"
Dead
wrong again." I shook my head. "You didn't notice I did everything I could to reduce the pain? To keep the cuts small and shallow? To keep your mind occupied?"

She glared at me, then rolled her eyes.
"I don't want to beat you with a flogger! I'm not violent."

I raised my brows.

"Unless somebody pulls my hair." She looked over my shoulder, then back to my eyes. "Can't you pretend? One more time? It's only fifty lashes."

"
Only
fifty
?" I wiped my hand over my mouth and shook my head.

"
You spanked me. How's that different?"

"
That was with my hand. And I can soothe you when I spank you." My mouth had gone dry with the desperation of my need to convince her.

"
I'll let you soothe me after, I promise, you can… do whatever you want."

I raked my hand through my hair wanting to pull. Not being able to soothe her flesh with my tongue and lips after every lash would unravel my fucking mind and soul. Fifty times over.
"You need to do it."

"
I can't!" Her hiss had become a faint squeal and I worried she would draw unwanted attention.

"
Why not? Just give me one good reason."

She stared at me, biting her lower lip.
"I… I just don't want to hurt you."

Oh God. I turned away from the look in her eyes. Her words made it more impossible. I stood there fuming. Fuming with needs I didn
't get. She moved to stand right in front of me.

"
Just do it fast. I can take it. I promise. It's just pain. I have a very high tolerance as a woman, women do. We…have giant humans out of our vaginas. Think of the money."

I couldn
't speak. I'd say something really weird and stupid that made no sense. "Fine. But if I do this…" She looked at me, tenderness in her gaze. "I…"

"
Anything you want. It's yours."

"
I know it is."

She quirked her brow.
"I'm trying to be nice here, you don't need to be a dick."

"
I'm just being honest."

"
You're being cocky," she murmured, then looked around. "Interesting crowd."

I caught Duff looking my way and turned my back toward him, hiding Tara again. Sicko.
"Remember what I said about that dude. Don't look at him. Don't look near him."

"
I feel sorry for that girl with him." She leaned, trying to see.

I yanked her around.
"I just said don't look!"

She grimaced.
"Sorry." Her face remained pained as she held my gaze. She reached and patted my arm several times, the movements jerky. "You uh. Gonna be okay? We're number four, so, at least you won't have to wait so long to soothe me."

I could only glare at her while wanting to kiss her.
"I know what I want for this."

She got serious.
"Okay. What?"

"
I want to know what happened to you that made you not like sex."

She looked around then swiveled her eyes back to mine with raised happy brows.
"Okay."

"
And no more not looking in my eyes after I suck your pussy."

"
Oh geeze." She turned away a little, her cheeks going red.

"
I need… to hold you a second."

She faced me, concern back in her eyes.
"Okay. Like… a hug?"

I stepped up to her and put my arms around her. She embraced me back and I pulled her closer, rubbing along her back and butt, feeling her.

"Ooookay, public."

I tilted her chin up to me and stared into her eyes.
"Can I kiss you?"

Her brows furrowed.
"You're asking?"

I thought about that, realizing how odd it was.
"I need to kiss you, but…" I closed my eyes, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on with me. "I don't want to
take
anything right now."

She held my gaze, seeming to hear me, understand me. She reached up and pulled my face to her lips and pecked them. I put my hand behind her head and really kissed her. God, the softness of her mouth… I
'd been aching to feel it again. I wanted to do so much more with her, if only she'd allow me.

She pushed out of my arms and patted my chest.
"That's quite enough public display of affection."

Is that what she thought I was doing it for?

A female voice came over the speaker. "Take your seats. The games begin in one minute."

The chairs had been replaced with small wicker loveseats with upholstered cushions. We made our way to the one marked number four. Tara leaned her head toward me.
"Sounds like your girlfriend."

I wished I could enjoy her little remark, but every muscle in my body was in knots. Not just over the flogging, but the stupid auction. God help me if Tara were chosen to be auctioned. Of course, she wanted one of us to be picked. I prayed it would be me or neither of us. I didn
't even want to think about Duff in that equation.

A large staged bedroom had been set up against the wall across from where we all sat, and was no doubt stocked with everything needed for the event. The first couple went up and a bondage assignment became apparent. I put my arm around Tara and pulled her closer.

"What are they doing?" Tara asked.

I took her hand in mine, aware of the dark sneer from Duff.
"Looks like bondage."

The woman sat on the bed as the man worked quickly, looping a thin, dark rope about her body, knotting and looping more. As he worked, she began to look deformed, the rigging pulling tightly into her skin.

Tara made a small choked sound. "What the hell? Why?"

"They like it?"

"
Why?"

I shrugged.
"For the one being tied, it can be many things. She wants to demonstrate trust. She wants to feel controlled. She likes the excitement of danger that comes with being vulnerable. I'm sure there are many more reasons."

"
And the… tier?"

"
He can like the exact control. He can like the power. He can like knowing she's scared. He can like knowing he's trusted. He can like being creative with it." I nodded to the stage. "He clearly likes the artistic aspects."

"
I'll say. She looks like a frickn human waffle."

"
And many like the marks it leaves after the rigging is removed. You don't want to meet a third degree Sadist who likes the artistic flare of bondage."

"
Third degree sadist. A man who likes to hurt unwilling victims but not kill them."

I nodded.

She watched the demonstration a few seconds more. "Ew, right."

The little show lasted half an hour while the man bound her arms and torso. At the announcer
's prompt that his allotted time was up, the man nodded and helped the woman off the stage to a seat at the side. There, he proceeded to remove the binding, taking care to rub circulation back into the skin as he went.

Team two made their way to the stage. The woman was flung against the bed where she began to struggle. At the first scream, Tara
's nails bit into my palm, jolting me with shock. She hid her face in my arm and put her finger in her ear.

"
Shhh, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and made humming noises like she was trying not to hear. I glanced around and caught that monster bastard with a huge grin on his face.

I pulled her closer and made soft noises to her. "They're only pretending, it's not real. It's not real."

God she was fucking trembling. Was this the reason for her frigidity? A past assault? Fuck. And I
'd been so fucking insensitive and forward.

The tormenting act ended in a screaming orgasm. By then, the rest of the contestants were grinning and giggling at the little Dom lamb nearly in my lap. I wanted this fucking thing to be over so she could go back to her small town and forget this ever happened. And get her through this event without getting auctioned. She wouldn
't quit, I was pretty sure. And I couldn't stand it if she got picked by that monster. Never.

"
It's over?" She popped up and looked around. At the expressions on everyone's faces, she looked at me, regret filling her brow. "Shit, I'm sorry. I had a bad experience and I don't…" She shook her hands the way she sometimes did when extremely agitated. "I'm fine, I got therapy and-and everything, but sometimes it hits me, you know?" She nodded at me, her eyes full of worry.

I grabbed her face and kissed her lips repeatedly.
"I get it. Stop. I get it. Don't fucking apologize for that. You're beautiful."

She took several calming breaths like it was a familiar routine she
'd practiced. "I'm fine. I'm good."

The idea that she dealt with that alone for however long made me ache inside. Made me sick. Made me want to walk out of there with her, out of this life, this world and run away with her. Take care of her. Keep her safe.

The last bit would be a tad difficult with my past hunting me. I'd likely just get her killed, that's what I'd get.

I fucking needed to win this. But already we were so far from first place.

The second couple went into the little triage aftercare area and the third couple went up. If I wasn't careful, I'd vomit. We were next. 

Tara hid her face on my shoulder.
"Tell me what they're doing. I have triggers."

I placed my hand on her head, helping shield her as I watched the couple preparing.
"It's… it's not bad. They're…acting out AB/DL."

She sucked in her breath and looked at the stage.
"Adult baby…"

"
Diaper love."

"
Ohhhh my God."

The man got on the bed in his giant cloth diaper and began his act as a newborn infant, wailing and flailing his lanky limbs.