Black Light: The Menagerie
Excerpt By Maren Smith
Available at: Amazon (and on Kindle Unlimited!)
“What if they don’t come?” she asked the glass, not wanting to see his expression.
“They will. I spoke with each of their doms and they’re coming. Do you need me to take you into the bathroom?” Even when he was upset with her, he never yelled, never got angry like Ethen used to... not that he sounded upset right now. He’d have every reason to be annoyed by her asking the same question she’d asked over and over for the past week, but his reminder of their first trip to a restaurant when he’d spanked her in the bathroom had her smiling a bit. She could hear the smile in his voice as he asked, “Is that a yes ?”
“It’s tempting... but I don’t want to miss them,” she admitted. “I’m sorry.”
“Understood.” He nodded and pushed himself out of the booth. “No apologies necessary. I’m going to sit down so I can make sure they don’t give the other table away, but I’ll be back over here in a second if you need me.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said, facing him as he leaned down to press a kiss to her hair, which she quickly turned into a real kiss. Carlson’s deep groan sent heat spiraling between her thighs, but he pulled back before it could become indecent.
“Sure you don’t need a trip to the bathroom?” he teased, and she felt the blush heat her cheeks as she bit down on her bottom lip.
“Right, right. You don’t want to miss the girls arriving, I know. The offer stands, though.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She waved to him as he walked toward the table where he and the other doms would sit, but her nervous energy soon had her peeking out the window again. Cynthia checked her watch, her legs bouncing rapidly up and down beneath the table. It was still early. The others had a good ten minutes before the red, digital numbers clicked over to the agreed upon time.
But Menagerie girls were always supposed to arrive early—except that didn’t matter because they weren’t menagerie girls anymore. She had to keep reminding herself of that, but it was difficult to separate herself from the identity that had owned her so completely... and forgetting Ethen’s rules was impossible. He’d etched each of them into her skin with his punishments, and she still thought about them almost every day, even if she ultimately disobeyed Ethen’s rules to obey Carlson.
Of course, she’d likely earn a punishment if Carlson could read her mind and knew just how often his voice warred with Ethen’s inside her mind. Which was exactly why she wanted to see the rest of the menagerie so badly, she wanted to know if they were doing good, if they’d figured out how to turn off his voice—but that might be exactly why they didn’t want to see her.
Rubbing her face with both hands, she struggled to swallow back the rising tidal wave of fear that had, over the last hour, slowly eroded away any lingering excitement for the lunch. She’d been looking forward to this day ever since Carlson agreed that she was progressing well-enough to plan a get-together with the other girls.
It was all she’d talked about for months. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d begged Carlson to let her call her friends. ‘Just so I know they’re okay?’ she’d pleaded. ‘Just so I can hear their voices?’
For almost six months, he’d said no. Not because he didn’t know how important this was to her, but because he was afraid she might backslide. Or maybe because he was afraid one of the others might backslide on their own roads to recovery. Or maybe it was the other girls’ Doms telling him no. She wasn’t sure, although he had once let it slip to her that Pony wasn’t ready. After spending so many years seeing her every day, it felt like Pony had stayed ‘not ready’ for a long, long time. Carlson knew how she was, though, because he kept in contact with Marcus, the Dom that had taken on Pony’s legal guardianship after Ethen shot her and who had, amazingly, drawn the woman out of the abused submissive.
She had rarely seen Piggy at Black Light in the last seven or so months that she’d been working there, but she and Garreth seemed perfectly normal now, like Piggy had somehow managed to leave all of Ethen’s shit in the past... which was probably why Garreth almost always brought Piggy on nights Cynthia wasn’t working. To avoid her.
And why wouldn’t they want to avoid her? She’d been Ethen’s guard dog. She’d been there the night Ethen tormented Piggy during Roulette, and for a while she’d hated her for leaving... but who was doing better now?
Definitely not her.
“They will. I spoke with each of their doms and they’re coming. Do you need me to take you into the bathroom?” Even when he was upset with her, he never yelled, never got angry like Ethen used to... not that he sounded upset right now. He’d have every reason to be annoyed by her asking the same question she’d asked over and over for the past week, but his reminder of their first trip to a restaurant when he’d spanked her in the bathroom had her smiling a bit. She could hear the smile in his voice as he asked, “Is that a yes ?”
“It’s tempting... but I don’t want to miss them,” she admitted. “I’m sorry.”
“Understood.” He nodded and pushed himself out of the booth. “No apologies necessary. I’m going to sit down so I can make sure they don’t give the other table away, but I’ll be back over here in a second if you need me.”
“Yes, Sir,” she said, facing him as he leaned down to press a kiss to her hair, which she quickly turned into a real kiss. Carlson’s deep groan sent heat spiraling between her thighs, but he pulled back before it could become indecent.
“Sure you don’t need a trip to the bathroom?” he teased, and she felt the blush heat her cheeks as she bit down on her bottom lip.
“Right, right. You don’t want to miss the girls arriving, I know. The offer stands, though.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She waved to him as he walked toward the table where he and the other doms would sit, but her nervous energy soon had her peeking out the window again. Cynthia checked her watch, her legs bouncing rapidly up and down beneath the table. It was still early. The others had a good ten minutes before the red, digital numbers clicked over to the agreed upon time.
But Menagerie girls were always supposed to arrive early—except that didn’t matter because they weren’t menagerie girls anymore. She had to keep reminding herself of that, but it was difficult to separate herself from the identity that had owned her so completely... and forgetting Ethen’s rules was impossible. He’d etched each of them into her skin with his punishments, and she still thought about them almost every day, even if she ultimately disobeyed Ethen’s rules to obey Carlson.
Of course, she’d likely earn a punishment if Carlson could read her mind and knew just how often his voice warred with Ethen’s inside her mind. Which was exactly why she wanted to see the rest of the menagerie so badly, she wanted to know if they were doing good, if they’d figured out how to turn off his voice—but that might be exactly why they didn’t want to see her.
Rubbing her face with both hands, she struggled to swallow back the rising tidal wave of fear that had, over the last hour, slowly eroded away any lingering excitement for the lunch. She’d been looking forward to this day ever since Carlson agreed that she was progressing well-enough to plan a get-together with the other girls.
It was all she’d talked about for months. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d begged Carlson to let her call her friends. ‘Just so I know they’re okay?’ she’d pleaded. ‘Just so I can hear their voices?’
For almost six months, he’d said no. Not because he didn’t know how important this was to her, but because he was afraid she might backslide. Or maybe because he was afraid one of the others might backslide on their own roads to recovery. Or maybe it was the other girls’ Doms telling him no. She wasn’t sure, although he had once let it slip to her that Pony wasn’t ready. After spending so many years seeing her every day, it felt like Pony had stayed ‘not ready’ for a long, long time. Carlson knew how she was, though, because he kept in contact with Marcus, the Dom that had taken on Pony’s legal guardianship after Ethen shot her and who had, amazingly, drawn the woman out of the abused submissive.
She had rarely seen Piggy at Black Light in the last seven or so months that she’d been working there, but she and Garreth seemed perfectly normal now, like Piggy had somehow managed to leave all of Ethen’s shit in the past... which was probably why Garreth almost always brought Piggy on nights Cynthia wasn’t working. To avoid her.
And why wouldn’t they want to avoid her? She’d been Ethen’s guard dog. She’d been there the night Ethen tormented Piggy during Roulette, and for a while she’d hated her for leaving... but who was doing better now?
Definitely not her.