Shadows in the Dark (Dark Lotus #1)

19. Adrian

Staring down at the screen, I had been on this one for over an hour. Olympus had members from all the world, and as such, it was often a tedious job to keep everything up to date. I didn’t have as active of a social life as other administrators did, so I usually took it upon myself to handle this unpleasantness. From the looks of it, I had been slacking in those duties because there were a lot of inactive members with profiles still present. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to guess why I had been stuck on a particular one.

Blair Carter.

My finger had hovered over the delete button a few times, but I had been unable to bring myself to press it. I finally just tore my hand away, then leaned back in my chair. A myriad of emotions filled me, and unlike others, these weren’t the kind so easily swallowed down.

“Why did you have to do it?” I asked aloud to what could only be the ghost of the dark-haired beauty.

I closed my eyes as I remembered the first time I had ever laid eyes upon her. Blair had been gorgeous. Those long, chocolate locks of hers had been wrapped around my fists more times than I could even count. One of the most submissive women I had ever been with, she was always a sight to behold when on her knees.

A slight groan escaped as I vividly remembered the first time I had gotten her in that position. Blair had looked up at me with those wide, dark eyes as I slowly fucked her luscious mouth. Those bee stung lips of hers were bruised and cut, a drop of blood mingling with her own saliva as it dropped to the floor below.

The scene had been memorable because it had been my first one with her. Blair was experienced in the lifestyle, so I was able to proceed as usual, unlike the last time I had scened with someone at Lotus. There was no need to think about Brynn right now, though. The woman who was occupying my thoughts was a different brunette.

I hadn’t even known exactly what I had planned to do to her until I saw her face to face. Her eyes held secrets, or maybe it was pain. Hell, it was likely a combination of both. My decision had been at that moment, so I had bound her with rope attached to a hook and pully system. The spreader bar had been next, and I had been unable to resist her lure and after nibbling my way up her inner thigh, I attacked her clit until she had nearly come all over my stubbled chin.

My cock was hardening as the memories of that night continued rushing back to me. She’d been flippant online, and my guess had been at a lack of a Lotus invite. Her demeanor had changed once I finally extended one to her, but the damage had already been done. A small hint of a smile quirked my lip upward as I remembered arching a brow at her.

“I’m sure you didn’t think I would let you come so easily now, did you? Do you not remember the lip you gave me during our last conversation?” I had asked after observing the irritation in her posture.

Defiantly, she had straightened up, then shook her head as she spoke softly. “ Yes, Sir. I’m sorry for acting like a brat.”

“I’m sorry, too. I had planned to play with you more first, but since you were so eager to scene then and now, we’ll skip any rewards and go straight for the punishment.”

Blair had trembled at that, and I could even recall the way her eyes had widened when I produced a single tail whip. She had been strung out for me, and I wasted no time in delivering about a half dozen strikes against her back and ass. Her body bowed with each one, and it wasn’t long before the coppery scent of her blood could be smelled.

“Why have you been such a brat to me lately?” I had asked using her own word.

“I-I have a lot going on. I need something to make me forget.”

I delivered another few strikes, eventually stopping at the sound of her tears. It hadn’t been because I was regretful for causing her to cry, but rather because her pain had my cock so fucking hard that I had to unbutton my pants and lower the zipper to relieve the pressure on it. When done, I laid another one.

“Continue,” I’d barked out to her.

“In my life, I’m doubted by everyone around me. They all just see me as a pretty face with no mind of my own. I’m constantly overlooked at work, in my social life, and I feel practically invisible when with my own family. It’s all so hard to deal with.” Two more strikes came, these actually wrapping around her body to strike her breasts. “Fuck! I’m so tired of being the one who has to hide behind the veil of who I really am.”

Even now, I actually felt a lot of what she did. Maybe it was the reason I continued to see Blair, even when my own brain screamed for me to stop. Ignoring that voice, I went back to that night.

“You never have to hide who you are in here.” I had stepped up behind Blair, molding my body to her welted backside. My free hand wrapped around her throat as I jerked her head back. “ Yell, cry, scream... Do whatever you need to right now.” She had started off whimpering until I had resumed my earlier position. “Good girl. Let it all out.”

I had then landed a few strikes to her hip which had her sobbing openly. Her sounds were like music to my ears, and wanting to pull everything out from her, I’d struck her again, only this time, the tail curved around her.

“Fuck!” she screamed out as it’d hit its mark. “Fuck, that hurts so badly.” She’d never uttered her safe word, so I didn’t let up, striking her again and again. I didn’t get the same spot, though. Needing to keep her off guard and in the moment, I landed the tail with precision, alternating between her ass, clit, and nipples. “Fuck... Fuck... Fuck... Them... You... Everything...”

After I landed a final one, her entire body bowed forward, and I dropped the whip. Those dark orbs of molten chocolate were completely glazed over at that point, so I’d moved back in front of her, then held her head upright. My mouth came down savagely on hers, and I didn’t stop until those full lips of hers were cut and bruised. It was then I had removed the spreader, and lowered her entire body via the pully system.

Once I had Blair on her knees, I had forced my hard cock between her lips, then slowly started to fuck her mouth until she had nearly made me come. I’d pulled out and put on a condom because our scene hadn’t ended there. After raising her back up to her feet, I had moved back behind her and pressed a wand to her clit, at the exact moment I slammed into her from behind.

She’d needed this release as much as I had, but I had sensed that she was still somewhat holding back from me. Blair had mentioned secrets, and I would not allow her to keep any from me, especially when in the sanctity of my private room.

“Stop fighting it, or I will stay balls deep inside of you while this toy breaks your resolve down. I won’t let you hold anything back from me, so stop fighting the inevitable. Give me what we both came here for.”

She had, and I had even felt lighter after my own orgasm for a change. While she had been verbally emoting her own pain, I had released mine with each brutal thrust. It had been a cathartic experience for us both. I’d known in that moment that she would be a submissive I would seek out again and again.

Until she wasn’t.

My eyes flew open, and I stared down at my cock. It had been hard as hell remembering the good times I’d had with her, but even they didn’t last. The fights that ensued during our chats and interactions just resulted in punishments I suspected she baited me into purposely.

It became almost like a game to her, but it was never to me. Watching her become more unhinged had unnerved me in a way that very little else did. I was an obsession to her, until I’d finally reached my breaking point.

Our last encounter at Lotus had been terrible, and it was likely one of the only times the other Dominants there had ever seen me blow my cool. I had always been calm and collected, but something had snapped inside of me. I wasn’t proud of what I had said to her, but there was no way to take those words back now.

I sat back up, then scrubbed my hands down my face. Blair Carter was dead and gone, literally, so there was no need to remember times that could never happen again, or even the woman herself. I placed my finger back over the delete button, then pressed it firmly until her entire account disappeared.

“You can’t mean that. You’re going to miss me when I’m gone. I’ll make sure of it. You’re going to be sorry,” she had warned me that last night, but she had been wrong. What she had hoped would change my mind had the opposite effect.

After letting out a growl, I spent the next several minutes cleaning up other inactive accounts. There seemed to be more than usual in San Francisco alone, which made me more thankful that I had stumbled upon Karma. I had been her very first scene, and as such, I knew she would likely remember me as I did her. Eventually, she would meet with other Dominants, including whichever one invited her to the server to begin with.

A small bit of curiosity filled me, and after locating her name, I was about to look into who it had been. Before I could, however, my cellphone began to ring. I looked down and realized it was one of the researchers in Singapore. This call had been one I had been waiting for, so I quickly grabbed and answered it, then closed my laptop and rose to my feet.