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 methods 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 find out 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 methods. 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 methods 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 all the time surprising me. It was one only I would know, another piece of her Cole could never have. I waited for her to discover her rhythm, all the time 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, endless 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

***

Gemma

***

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 eager 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 discover 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–“

I wrapped my arms around her, stopping her scattered words. “I promise I’ll still be here when you get home.”

She nodded into my chest before pulling away, glancing at the empty curb as she made her way to her car.

I waited. For over an hour I waited, watching from the living room window, but I knew he would come. The black car pulled to the curb, the front windows cracking as it idled. I strolled out of the house, envisioning him staring at me through the darkened windows. I stopped halfway down the walkway, hunting for movement. “She’s not here.”

No signs of life came from the car, infuriating me further. I moved closer, pausing outside the driver’s side door. “I think it’s time for you and me to have a chat.”

The door unlocked before opening, the man I had envisioned him to be not that dissimilar from the man who stepped out of the car. Dark hair, muscular, most likely more brawn than brain. He shut the door, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against it.

“She isn’t going to leave me.”

“What if I kill you?” His voice was flat, calm in its threat.

“And spend your life in prison? How is that helpful to your cause?”

“Didn’t she tell you?” He smiled, his teeth flashing in the darkness. “I’m beyond your laws.”

I paused, trying to comprehend the pieces before giving up and shrugging. “Then go ahead. She’ll never forgive you, and I’ll laugh at you from the afterlife when she slams the door in your face again.”

He pressed his lips together, his gaze tearing through me.

“Feel free to keep going but I should warn you, I’ve never lost a big dick contest.”

***

Gemma

***

I stood outside Miranda’s house convincing myself I had regained control until her door swung open and I burst into tears. I threw my hands in the air, waiting for words to come from my mouth, but all that came was an incoherent slur of agony.

Her mouth fell open, her hand immediately grabbing mine, pulling me into her house. “What happened?”

“Arlo’s back!” Another wave burst from my eyes, my breath catching in my throat.

She stared at me in silence, her mouth hanging open before she lead me into the living room.

“He showed up at my door a few days ago.” I sat on her couch, wiping the sleeves of my coat over my cheeks.

She took a seat on the coffee table in front of me, her arms crossing over her chest. “What an asshole.”

Her words cut into me, a truth I didn’t want to accept. “I don’t think he wanted to disappear.”

“Then why did he?”

I shook my head, grabbing a pillow and holding it in my lap.

“Same old bullshit. Liars never change–“

“He didn’t lie.” I bit into my lip, squeezing into the pillow. “He told me what he was and what came with it. I just didn’t care.”

“And you paid for your blindness. Don’t you dare put the blame on yourself. He knew he could never give you everything you wanted, but he kept coming back and pretending he could.”

“I think he wanted to–“

“Stop making excuses for him! I’ve known men like him. I was raised by men like him- the one’s who want to make us weak. Steal our voices. Our souls.” She stood up, her voice harsh. “And what about Cole? You’re just going to throw him away–“

“Never!” Cole was every piece and every part of me. My strength and my salvation, the wondered of him leaving like a knife in my chest. “He’s my soul…” I shoved my face into the pillow, screaming into it, trying to release some of the emotions that were burning me alive. “But my heart, Miranda! My fucked up heart!”

Her arms wrapped around me, holding me to her.

“Why don’t we get a safe word?” I mumbled into the pillow, my tears soaking into the fabric.

“We’re dommes,” she whispered, rocking me as I shattered. “We’re supposed to be strong enough to withstand the pain.”

***

Cole

***

He rubbed his hands over his face, his confidence diminishing as he stared at me from across her kitchen table. “Where is she?”

I shrugged.

“Château?”

I shrugged again, enjoying watching him squirm.

“Are you… from there?”

“I’m from Orange County.”

“You know what I mean.”

The smile pulled at my lips as I stifled the laugh lurking behind it. “I’m actually quite confused right now.”

His eyes narrowed, his body tensing. “Are you one of those men from the Château?”

“Does it matter?” I sat back, assessing him. “What’s your plan, Arlo? From my understanding, your relationship with my mistress was short, filled with resistance, and ended with you leaving her.”

“Your mistress?” His hands tightened into fists before releasing, folding onto the table in front of him. “I had no choice.”

I raised my brow sarcastically. “A life or death situation?”

“My life and my death have never been relevant.”

My fingers tapped the table, buying time to try and discover the missing pieces. I could keep fishing, but I doubted he would bite. I would have to stick to what I knew, and there was nothing I knew better than her. “She’s a domme. That hasn’t changed.”

“And I serve her in my own way.”

“It isn’t about your way. That isn’t what this lifestyle is about.”

“I’m not putting my cock in a cage and crawling around like a fucking dog–“

“Then why are you here?” I cut him off, my contempt for him rising. “Why are you begging a domme to take you back if you think the lifestyle is so demeaning?”

“I don’t have to justify myself or my needs to you.”

I inhaled, the rage seething in my chest beginning to twist into something more sinister. “She’s in love with me. Very, very in love with me.” I paused, contemplating the truth I was about to offer. “Unfortunately, she’s also still in love with you.”

A light of hope flashed across his face, taunting me.

“I’m a lot of things, Arlo. I’m a slave to her, and only her, but we all have our kinks, and I’m far from vanilla.” I slid back into my seat, staring at him from across the table. I wanted to see him kneel. See him beg. See how far he would go to win her back. I wanted to savor every moment of his discomfort, a discomfort he would suffer for her, as it should be. As it should have all the time been. “If you want a chance here, a sliver of hope for the feel of her skin, I’ll offer you an opportunity.”

His brow raised, his stare hunting mine.

“You will kneel to her. Serve her. Protect her. Be the perfect slave behind these walls, living solely for her pleasure, for as long as she finds you pleasurable. You will follow her rules, and mine–“

“Absolutely not.” He stood up, towering over me. “I’m not a cuck.”

“This isn’t about you and what you are and what you’re not.” I ignored his attempt at intimidation, shaking my head. “When it comes to you and me, there would be no purposeful physical contact of any kind. You would be here for her pleasure, not your own, which you’ll have to prove, even if it makes you uncomfortable. You’ll probably end up in a lot of positions which will make you uncomfortable, but you’ll put her needs above your discomfort.” I stood up, smiling as I mocked his stance. “Those are my terms. Let me know when you’re ready to prove you accept them.”

***

Arlo

***

I stared into the darkness, leaning back against the hood of my car on the desolate road. How could a year seem like a lifetime? A lifetime alone, longing for a life that never belonged to me. I had disappeared underground, giving up the sunrise and the warmth of her skin to keep the monsters from breaking down her door. But now the snake was dead, the one who had slithered through the hallways of the Maze, entwining himself around all our secrets, his camouflage disintegrating with a single mumbled sentence.

I shivered in the rising chill, climbing back into my car. I’d chosen my path. It was unfair to expect her to follow. It was time to give up. Go back to what I had done before her- one night stands to temporarily soothe an ache. But the ache had become endless, the warmth they offered not enough to penetrate the deaths haunting my soul. Gemma had offered more than a body, more than a moment quickly forgotten.

I pulled off the road, the barren land leading me back to the Maze, reminding me I had to stop pretending I could belong to another. My soul had already been claimed, the goddess of the underground calling me back to her.

A shadow shifted in the darkness, seated on a rock in the distance. I reached under my shirt, my hand grasping the cool metal of my gun. I pressed on the gas pedal, my pulse rising until the shadow’s arm raised towards the sky, waving at me. JJ’s face illuminated in my headlights, his smile flashing towards me as I rolled to a stop.

“You look like you need a beer.” He pulled one out of the pack as I climbed out of my car, handing it to me.

I sat down next to him, popping open the can.

“Gemma troubles?”

“Siren troubles?”

He laughed, nodding. “Don’t get it twisted. The two are not the same.”

I rubbed my hand over the back of my neck, contemplating treading dangerous territory. “Are you sure they–“

“I’ve known her longer than almost anyone in the Maze. I’m one of the few people who knows her real name, her favorite color, her favorite movie, and I can’t imagine anything more terrifying than the man brave enough to try and sleep with her.” He paused, taking a sip of his beer. “So no, the two are not the same.”

I held up my can, tapping my fingers against it to fill the lingering silence.

“You going to keep ruining my peace, or are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“The Eyes and Ears haven’t kept the Maze up on the gossip?”

“Never believe what you hear and only half of what you see.”

I chewed into my lip, the words trying to escape my mouth too surreal. “He offered a truce, but I can’t share her.”