Arlo & Cole Ch. 11: Sacrifice

PRESENT DAY

***

Arlo

***

I knew there would be a penance to pay for all I had done. A debt I owed her for all the ways I had failed her, tonight only adding to the list. Her hair hung in dark waves over the foot of the bed, her hands teasing over her breasts, her moans calling me closer as I hovered in the darkness of the hallway. The payment was clear, God’s sense of humor forever taunting me as Cole glanced up from between her legs. His lips curved, her body arching from the bed when his fingers slid inside her. A whimper slipped from her upside down lips, her eyes fluttering open briefly, widening when they spotted me. Her head pressed back farther, her arm reaching over it towards me.

I grasped the bottom of my shirt, stripping it off as I moved closer to her call. I didn’t know if she’d forgiven me. She’d never spoken the words, not that she owed them to me. I reached for her upside down hand, bending down to kiss her palm, her fingers teasing against my chin. I bent down farther, her arm wrapping around my neck when I pressed my lips to her upside down smile. Her fingertips trailed over my back, teasing my spine before slipping under the waist of my pants. “Strip.”

I straightened, unbuckling my belt then unbuttoning my pants, my length bobbing above her face when they fell to the floor. Her hand wrapped around it, her tongue teasing the tip as she stroked. Her eyes flashed when they caught mine, reminding me the part of her I didn’t understand hadn’t disappeared.

Her hand locked in Cole’s hair, taking back whatever free rein she had allowed him. He sat up, jealousy rocking through me at the sight of her arousal glistening over his face. I hadn’t completed my required responsibilities, my reward lost for the night regardless of my submission. His gaze briefly found mine, filled with warnings and reminders as if our agreements would somehow slip my mind in the heat of passion. No crossing paths, tongues or swords in our devil’s threesomes, a hard limit she respected.

Her tongue twisted over me, teasing as she readied me for her use, disappearing when she sat up. She shoved Cole back, climbing on top of him. My hand wrapped around myself, stroking as I watched her ride him. She was more reserved in her movement than the times she mounted me, a reminder that Cole wasn’t her perfect fit in all ways. His teeth bit into his lip, his eyes focused on her but I knew he wished he could fuck her like I could fuck her. He wished he could thrust all of himself inside her, be lost in her wet heat and watch the way her breasts bounced every time his hips collided with hers. He didn’t have to admit it, he could maintain self control and put her pleasure above his own, but he was a man just like me.

She rocked forward, grinding her clit down his cock before glancing over her shoulder towards me. “What’s wrong, my love?”

I dodged Cole’s outstretched legs as I climbed in behind her, desire overriding all else. I wanted to be part of her pleasure. I wanted to hear her moan, watch her body tremble, see her squirm in all the ways only Cole and I together could make her. I dragged my lips down her back, tracing the bumps of her spine, her body shivering when my tongue found her ass. She froze as I teased, rimming and fingering her until her body was ready to accept my own.

She inhaled when I pressed against her, exhaling slowly when I slid inside her. It was a strange sensation compared to the warmth of her womanhood, the feel always surprising me. It was one only I would know, another piece of her Cole could never have. I waited for her to find her rhythm, always amazed at how much a woman’s body could adjust to all that was asked of it.

The sound of my phone shattered the air, her body tensing around mine. I waited, frozen inside her, until the sound disappeared. The silence was brief, the ring cutting through the air once again, forcing me away from her warmth. Cole’s arms wrapped around her, drawing her in as I was forced farther away. I picked my clothes up piece by piece, refusing to look back.

Jealousy lurked, infinite as it lingered. I wished I could be the one to sleep in the cage, no worries of needing to escape because there was nowhere I needed to be. I wished it was me who never failed, never faltered, never questioned. I wished Lexa wasn’t right that even if I walked away from the Maze, it would never again be just Gemma and me. Gemma would chose Cole. Every moment, every breath, every taste would be his.

**********

2 YEARS PRIOR

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Gemma

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The black car sat at the curb, the windows tinted too dark to see him inside. It had been three days of the car appearing each morning before disappearing each night. I stared out my living room window wondering how long the cycle would continue, and how much longer until I could force myself to move from where I stood.

“I think you should go talk to him.” Cole stood behind me, his voice low and calm. “Maybe it will give you some closure.”

“What if I don’t want the answers?”

“Maybe you don’t want them, but maybe you need them.” He grabbed my hand, kissing my palm. “I’ll be right here.”

I pressed my lips to his, my heart pounding when I broke away. He had already fixed my shattered soul once, and he would stay right there, ready to piece me back together again.

I opened the door, pulling my shoulders back and raising my chin. I wasn’t broken anymore, and Arlo would never see how broken I had been. I stormed towards the car, ready to take even if he wasn’t willing to give. I stopped by the driver’s side window, pounding on the glass when he didn’t roll it down.

The sound of the doors unlocking brought my hand to a halt. “I’m not getting in the car, Arlo!” I shouted through the window.

It rolled down a crack, revealing the tips of his dark hair. “Please, Mistress.”

“You don’t get to call me that,” I hissed. “Go call your siren Mistress.”

The door flew open, his face taut when he stepped out. “You’re the only one I will ever call Mistress.” He got to his knees, his body shaking. “Please, red. Please, red. Please, red.”

“Enough!” I warned, looking at the houses surrounding me. “Get up, Arlo.”

“Red, Mistress. Red. Red–”

“Stop before my neighbors see you!”

“Red… Red… Please, Mistress…” he crawled closer, his hands reaching for my legs.

I stepped away, glancing over my shoulder. Cole stared from the window, unmoving from where he promised to be. I stormed around the car, pulling open the door and getting into the passenger seat.

Arlo slid into the driver’s seat, shutting the door. “Thank you, Mistress.”

I tensed, hating the feeling the title still stirred within me when spoken from his lips. “Don’t call me that.”

“All I’ve thought about the past year is getting to call you that again.”

“You’re not a slave, remember? You’re not submissive, remember? You have no right or reason to call me that.”

“I will always be submissive to you in my own way.”

“And what about your siren? In what way are you submissive to her?”

“She isn’t my siren. Siren belongs to no one.”

I hated hearing him speak the word as if it was her name. “Were you in one of the concrete rooms?” I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t want the answer and wished I hadn’t asked. If he said yes, it would mean he was kept from me. If he said no, it would mean he stayed away from me.

“How did you know about those?”

“They talked about it on the news. Said they had reason to believe captives were held there.” I looked towards him, surprised to find his face pale and drawn. “Were you held captive there?”

He shook his head, his gaze distant. “No, Mistress.”

“Why did you disappear?” Tears burned in my eyes, threatening to steal my show of strength. “Why did you leave me?”

He shook his head again, rubbing his hands over his face.

“You shouldn’t have come back. You should’ve stayed gone.” I grabbed the door handle, hoping to escape before my heart betrayed my soul. “You’re still the same– locked behind all these walls. I’m not interested in trying to break through them anymore.”

***

Cole

***

The curb was empty when I pulled into her driveway. No black car waiting as it had been for the past five days, my disdain rising each time I saw it. I didn’t know what was delaying him, but I was certain whatever it was wouldn’t be for long. I glanced around the neighborhood before unlocking her front door, pausing when I stepped into the dark house.

“Mistress?” I called into the silence, loosening my tie as I walked towards the only light I saw.

“Bedroom,” her voice drifted from the glow. The door was ajar, light drifting through the cracks, her gaze finding mine when I pushed it open.

I exhaled quietly when I found her seated on the floor at the foot of the bed.

“Is he out there?” Her voice was flat, the darkness I loved gone from her eyes.

“Not yet.”

She buried her head in her hands, pulling her knees to her chest.

I exhaled again as I sat down next to her. “Are you still in love with him?”

Sobs fell through her fingers. “Yes.”

“Are you in love with me?”

The sobs became louder, her body beginning to tremble. “Yes.”

Anger and frustration burned through me. He didn’t deserve any part of her. Hadn’t earned or fought for whatever part of her he felt he was entitled to. She was mine. She may have been a domme, but she was mine. I wrapped my hand around hers, pressing my lips to her palm. “Maybe you should go to Miranda’s for a little bit. Maybe talking to her will help.”

“Will you still be here when I get back?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Arlo would return, and I would be waiting for him. I pulled her to her feet, praying the black car wouldn’t be there as I walked with her down the hallway.

She paused at the doorway, her lips trembling when she turned towards me. “Promise you’ll still be here when I get back.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Mistress.”

She wiped the moisture from her cheeks, shaking her head as if she didn’t believe me. “I do love him, but I’ve lived without him. I can’t live without you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“He needs to leave– Disappear again– Go back to his siren–“