Blue (Darkness Falls #3) (3 page)

Blue spent more of the show watching Noelle than the stage, but even he had to admit that
the performance was really well done. He’d never seen anything quite like it before. The dancers he was impressed by, but it was the magicians that really stole the show.  Time and again he watched Noelle’s lips part in surprise as she made small gasps of delight at the story. When the swan king leapt into the air with balletic grace and appeared to actually float off the stage, she made the cutest squeaking sound of delight.

At dinner afterwards she was bubbling over with excitement and enthusiasm, begging him to let her know where he got the tickets so that she could go and see it again. Blue felt like the biggest dork on the planet, but he just couldn’t stop grinning. It was great to see her so happy. Eventually
, on the way home, he compromised and said he’d buy more tickets and they’d go again together.

He was sad when they pulled up outside her house. It had been an amazing night. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her so full of laughter.

It seemed like she’d had the same thought. “Come in.” She’d begged. “We’ll have liqueur and dessert and I’ll trounce you at board
games. We’re having so much fun it seems silly to end it now.” He hesitated and she took his hand. “Please, Blue. It’s not like either of us has to be up in the morning.”

He looked up at the house, wondering how to play it. In the end he went with honesty. “Little one, if I come in that house tonight
, in this mood, I’m going to end up fucking you.” He shrugged without apology. “That’s what happens when we’re both buzzed like this.”

Her lips rounded with surprise and then she burst out laughing. “Oh Blue! Always the honest man. Promise me you’ll never change!”

“You have my solemn word.” He pressed a hand to his heart, trying to keep a straight face. “If I ever feel at danger of ravaging you, I shall warn you forthwith!”

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” She too looked up at the house. “How easily I forget my freedom.”  He wasn’t sure if she was speaking to him or just musing aloud, so he remained silent. The taxi driver was watching them impatiently in the
rearview mirror until Blue’s level gaze forced him to look away. “If I ask you still to come in, it won’t be a promise.” Noelle turned to face him again.

“I understand.” He wanted to punch the air in triumph, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate it. Instead, he paid the taxi driver and helped his little one out into the night air.

“Thomas is still here.” She warned as she moved up the steps, rummaging in her small clutch for the keys. “He stays over a couple of nights a week.”

“Where does he sleep?” He asked, his curiosity loosening his tongue.

“Usually at the foot of my bed.” She smirked over her shoulder at him. “Where all faithful servants should sleep. Sometimes I even get a foot rub out of it.” She handed him the keys and he locked the door behind them, just as Thomas appeared to take their coats. He looked sleepy and Noelle ruffled his hair, a gesture so full of affection that Blue felt a pang of longing. “We’ve been talking about getting you a special bed, haven’t we?” She said to the sub.

“Yes
, Mistress.” He smiled and it was cute, under his sleepy expression.

“I’m designing it myself.” She kissed the sub’s cheek. “Run on up to bed, Thomas. You look like we woke you up.”

“I was waiting for the dishwasher, Mistress.” He admitted. “I must have drifted off.”

“Are all your other chores done?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“Then go on up. We’ll discuss this infraction in the morning.”

“Yes, Mistress. Thank you.” He shuffled up the stairs and Noelle sighed, heading towards the kitchen for a drink.

“Now I’ll have to think of some way to punish him that won’t make the carpets messy.” She grouched, more teasing than serious.

“Do you have to punish him often?” He nodded when she held up a bottle of fine port and she poured them both a glass.

“Very rarely, actually.” Her chuckle was wicked. “After the first time, he’s tried his very hardest not to fail me again.”

“What did you do the first time?” He sipped the rich, sweet liquid she handed him.

“It was about two days after I put him in chastity. He was still struggling to keep himself under control so I made him find me a porn video that showcased his ultimate fantasy and then he had to stand and explain why while I watched it.”

Blue almost spat his drink all over her as he snorted with laughter. “That’s so cruel!”

“I know.” She grinned. “It took him almost two hours of watching porn to find the perfect video, too. I wasn’t sure his cock was ever going to recover.”

“You’re a bad, bad woman, little monkey.” He shook his head in frank appreciation and amusement.

“And a fucking good mistress.” She winked at him. “It’s actually not the worst punishment I’ve ever given him.”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not.”
She smiled and took a long swallow of port, walking through to the living room to sit on one of the comfortable seats. Kicking off her shoes, she stretched out on the sofa and smiled at Blue when he lifted her legs and slipped under them.

“You have such tiny feet.” He teased, pressing a strong thumb into the arch of her foot, which was no doubt aching after an evening in heels. She made a sound somewhere halfway between a moan and a sigh and closed her eyes, her features softening with bliss.

“All the better for dancing with.” She said happily. “Thank you for tonight, Blue. It’s been amazing. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” The confession came far too easily and he tried to cover it up. “Storm isn’t half as much fun to wind up.”

“She also doesn’t let you choose her clothes.” She reminded him, her lips tilting in affectionate amusement. “I’m glad my ineptitude amuses you.”

“You’re far from inept.” His hands slid from her foot to her ankle, gently rotating the joint
. “You’re still relatively new at this. It takes a long time to learn the ropes and find your place.”

“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved with Thomas.” She admitted. “Sometimes it feels like the way I can read him is bordering on telepathic.”

“It’s something special when that happens.” He agreed, his hands sliding up to her calves. “The more experienced you are, the more likely it is to happen, but even then the magic doesn’t always come together. There are some subs that are so hard to read it takes a long time to figure out which buttons to push, and there are some that you just don’t ever work well with.”

“It’s been almost a year now.” She wriggled her toes with happiness when he moved to her other foot. “Seems like hardly any time at all.”

“It’s been a year?” He stopped what he was doing and stared at her.

“Yeah.” She opened one eye and squinted at him, amu
sed. “Don’t sound so horrified. We’ve come a long way!”

“It’s more that I can’t believe it’s that long since…” He trailed off.

“Since that day in your dungeon?” She teased. “I hope you treasure that memory, Blue. It’s never going to happen again.”

“Oh I treasure it, all right
.” His grin was fiendish. “I treasure it often. Usually alone. Mostly in bed, but sometimes in the shower too.” Her shocked giggle made him smile. “You can’t tell me you don’t think about it.”

“I think about it.”
She admitted.

“In bed? While playing with yourself?” It was his turn to tease and she blushed.

“Not really.”

He narrowed his eyes, unsure if she was telling him the truth.
“Why not?”

“Because it raises all kinds of uncomfortable feelings, not pleasant ones.” She shrugged. “As much as I’m grateful for the reclamation, I don’t want to open that
Pandora’s box again.”

“You know, it would probably help if we had sex again outside of the play room.” He said, with absolute seriousness. “It’s when you leave things to stand alone that your psyche builds them up. If we were to go back to the way we were before Sean, it would just be that one time we messed around together
instead of that big emotional event in the dungeon that changed everything.”

“We did have some fun before Sean.” Her voice was soft and warm. “You were a terror, you know?”

“I still am. You’ve just been blind to it for a while.” Hooking one hand under her thigh and the other under her waist, he lifted her upright to straddle him on the sofa. “I could make you forget everything, Red.”

“I know.” Breathless from the sudden shift in position, she steadied herself against his broad chest and looked down into his eyes. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to forget yet.”

“You want to find out?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Her eyes were wide with humour and he could see the lust stirring in their depths. She didn’t need to suppress her emotions with the time it would take her to think up a response. He caught her face and crushed it to his, claiming her mouth with a fierce hunger that had been too many months in the building.

She gave in with little resistance, allowing him to plunder her mouth with wild abandon. She tasted just the way he remembered and her sweet, gasped moans as he dragged her across his thighs were like rocket fuel to his cock. He ached for her.

“Blue.” She dragged her lips from his. “Phone.”

“Huh?” Glazed with lust, he reached for her again but she pulled back further.

“My phone is ringing.” Her breath was uneven and a smile of pride spread on his face before he could stop it. He’d done that to her. The tinny and persistent music was finally starting to register on his consciousness.

“Ignore it.” He squeezed her hips.

“I can’t. It’s Cal’s ringtone.” He didn’t need telling twice, releasing her as she pushed herself upright and rushed to find her phone. No-one ignored the master or kept him waiting. They might be the alphas of their own worlds, but they were definitely betas in his. Blue shifted uncomfortably in his seat as she answered the call. His trousers were so constricted they were almost painful. If she didn’t stop biting her lip, he wouldn’t be able to last the length of time it took to get her upstairs. “Yeah, he’s here.” She was saying and something about the way she looked at him doused his ardour. “Okay, we’ll be there as soon as we can.” She hung up.

“We’ll be where?” He asked, trying to ignore the fact that she was wriggling out of her dress as she made for the door.

“The Manor. There’s an emergency and Cal needs us there. I’m just going to change.”

“I can see that.” He said to the empty room as she rushed upstairs.

Half an hour later they were pulling into the driveway of The Manor. Despite the late hour, the place was lit up like a Christmas tree and there were several cars parked outside the front door. Blue frowned, assessing the vehicles.

“That’s Doc Hardy’s car.”
He said as they got out of Noelle’s vehicle. She’d had less to drink over dinner so she’d driven them, breaking just about every speed limit ever set.

“What’s he doing here?” She frowned and he shrugged, wondering what was going on. They ran up the steps into the building, where they found Chloe looking tearstained and shaken at the foot of the stairs. They asked her what had happened, but she just pointed mutely upstairs so they rushed up, following the commotion.

“Is that blood?” Blue’s gaze was snagged by dark red streaks on the floors and walls as they headed into the first floor of the east wing.

“Looks like it.” Noelle’s face was grim as she followed him towards a guest room. They could hear several people inside the open door and they pulled level just as Cal was heading out.

“Good, you’re here.” As per usual he was calm, but they’d both known him long enough to know that he was seething underneath the surface. He radiated cold like a wintry blast. If he’d raised his hand and lightning had arced from his fingertips, Blue didn’t think he’d have been surprised. He’d never seen the master so angry.

“What’s happened?” Concern laced every note of
Noelle’s question as she looked up at Cal.

“James was abducted from the club earlier this evening. He was severely beaten and then deposited on the doorstep here.” Cal bit the words out and, as if on cue, they were punctuated by a howl of agony from within the guest room.

“James!” Noelle ran, leaving Blue and Cal alone in the hall.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Blue frowned. “Why kidnap a known sub from the club and then leave him here?
Was it one of the picketers? Did they finally cross the line into a physical assault?”

“She had a very good reason
for leaving him on the doorstep. There’s something you’ll want to see.” Torn, Blue hesitated. His need to be with Noelle as she fretted over her charge was almost overwhelming, but some sort of premonition had him wavering in Cal’s direction. Reading him like a book, Cal unclenched his jaw. “Satisfy yourself that Noelle is well and then meet me in my office.” He spun on his heel and walked away, anger almost vibrating the air around him.

Blue took a deep breath to steel himself. Whatever was in that room, it was bad. He’d seen the blood everywhere and it would take a lot to anger Cal so. He was a master of control, of himself and all around him. He’d been close enough to losing it to scare the
living daylights out of Blue, but Noelle was in there and he had to know that she was okay. He knew she was extremely fond of the young sub, almost as much as she adored Thomas.

Cu
rsing himself for being every kind of ninny under the sun, he forced his feet to move and pushed through the crowd of anxious people standing just inside the door. At first he couldn’t see anything because Noelle was leaning over the bed talking to James in a soft voice, but then she shifted and Blue couldn’t help the grimace that took up residence on his face.

It was hard to tell that what was lying in the bed was human. James’ face was so swollen and covered in blood that it just looked like so much minced meat. Blood spatter around the bed showed he’d clearly been thrashing about in agony. He was still writhing, anguished moans ripping through his vocal chords like rusted nails on piano wire. Noelle alread
y had blood all over her front and hands, but she was hiding her distress so well that Blue only saw flickers of it here and there.

As she spoke calmly and quietly, her hand snaked beneath his waistband and slowly, so slowly, James began to still.

“This is neither the time, nor the place-…” The doctor began indignantly and Blue almost lifted him up by the throat, pressing him to the wall in clear threat.

“If you want him to lie still, you will allow her to put him into subspace.” He hissed.

Comprehension dawned on the doctor’s purpling features and he managed a strangled assent. Blue released him and turned back to the bed. Whatever she was saying, it was working. He envied her the skill. She’d picked it up so fast, it seemed almost effortless. The subs that had been in her care on a regular basis only had to hear a few lines before they were drifting away from reality.

They all watched in silence as she spoke for another few minutes. James whispered something in return and she nodded, leaning down to press a careful kiss to his bloodied forehead. “I will return soon, my love.” She whispered. “Be good for the doctor.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Vocal chords raw from shrieking, a whisper was the best James could manage.

Straightening, Noelle turned to
Blue, fury vibrating through every pore. “Does Cal know who did this?” She demanded, the colour in her cheeks almost matching the blood staining her lips.

“He requested my presence in his study.” Blue answered, deliberating over his words with care.

“Then we go.” She didn’t wait for assent, turning to the onlookers. “Get out. All of you.” She snapped. “Send Chloe up to assist the doctor. We will return shortly.”

“Yes
, Mistress.” They scattered before the ice of her rage, leaving the doctor alone to tend to his patient. Doc Hardy swallowed nervously as he approached, but neither had any intention of threatening him. They just wanted answers.

They didn’t speak as they headed down to Cal’
s office, filing in through his door in silence to find him gazing out into the night. Still they said nothing, just waiting for an explanation.

“Did you know that Alexandra was out of prison?” Cal asked quietly after a few moments and Blue froze.

“No, sir. I did not.” He choked out. Alexandra had done this? Fear mixed with rage, flooding his veins, suffusing him in a seething, turbulent maelstrom of emotion. “When? When did she get out?”

“Three days ago.” Cal turned back to his desk. “We weren’t notified.”

“How did you find out?” Blue just couldn’t believe this was happening.

“She made no bones about getting herself identified on the CCTV, both here and at the club.” Cal brought his screen to life and turned it around to show them. A statuesque woman with midnight tresses looked almost gleeful as she pursed her lips at the camera in a sick parody of a blown kiss.
“I made a few discreet enquiries.”

“Why hasn’t somebody called the goddamn police?” Noelle finally asked,
her rage past the point of shouting and into icy and still fury.

“To say what?” Cal faced her directly. “That a known sub who likes it hard left a club with a known dominatrix and ended up getting hurt? Believe me, Red. They won’t pay it any attention.”

“She hurt my sub.” Something dark and dangerous lurked beneath her veneer of civility.

“And we will deal with it.” Cal promised her. “But we will not find justice under the arm of the law, that’s for certain. What’s more interesting to me is why she chose this sub in particular.”

“It was a warning.” Blue was shaking, although he couldn’t tell if it was fear or shock. “She knew he was Noelle’s. It was a warning for her to back off. She’s coming for me.”

Cal came around his desk and grasped Blue’s shoulder, forcing him to look up. “She’ll have to go through me first.” The anger had leached from his tone, replaced by reassurance.

“And me.” Cal may have softened, but Noelle was all hard edges and fire. “No-one does that to someone I care about and gets away with it.”

“Until such time as she makes her next move, neither you nor your subs are safe.” Cal released Blue and turned to Noelle. “You will remain at The Manor until we’ve got her cornered.”

“Yes, sir.” There was no arguing with the flat command. “I’ll call Thomas and make sure he locks up the house and sets the alarm. I can collect him in the morning. Who is she, this Alexandra? Why do you know of her?” She turned to Blue. “What is this woman to you?”

His inner turmoil was slowly burning into old hurts, tearing open forgotten wounds. “I can’t talk about it right now.” He swallowed. “Go and be with James, Noelle. I’ll tell you in the morning.”

He lay in the darkness, unable to sleep. He’d heard Noelle come up the stairs almost ten minutes before and he was torn between gratitude and disappointment that she’d gone to her own room. Right then, disappointment was
winning out. After her talk of Pandora’s box, it felt like the lid had been ripped from his by the hinges and he didn’t know what to do about it.

He stilled as a door opened in the hallway and a few seconds later his cracked open. Noelle slipped in and pushed it closed behind her. Tiptoeing in case he was asleep, she crept across the room and slid into his bed. Wordlessly, he pulled her close and breathed in her unique scent.

“I thought you were asleep.” She whispered.

“I was waiting for you.” He lied. Her skin was warm and he realised she’d showered before coming to him. The thought reminded him that she’d been covered in blood
and he felt stupid for wishing she’d come straight to his room. “How’s James?”

“He’s stable. Doc Hardy is going to come back in the morning. Most of the damage was superficial.”

“Will he scar?” He heard her swallowing thickly in the darkness and realised from the juddering of her chest that she was fighting tears. “It’s okay.” He soothed. “I’m sorry I asked. Try and get some sleep. This will all seem better in the morning.”

With her in his arms, it seemed easier
for them both to let it all go into the night and he finally drifted off a few moments after she did.

She was gone when he woke up and the pillow was cold. For a moment he thought he’d maybe dreamt her coming to him, but then a strand of copper glimmered on the coverlet in the morning light and he smiled. It hadn’t been a dream. She’d come to comfort him without even knowing what his part in the mess was. He wondered where she was and then realised she was probably with James. Her devotion to her subs was more than commendable. He’d rolled over to faceplant into the warm sweet fragrance of her still lingering on the sheets before he could tell himself off for being an idiot. It was too good an opportunity to waste. It had been a long time since they’d shared a bed.

When
he arrived at breakfast, Storm was sat at the table with Noelle and Cal and he tried not to flinch when they all turned to stare at him. Unlike the others, Storm had no qualms about politeness.

“Who the fuck is Alexandra?” She demanded before he could even sit down.

“Morning to you too.” He ruffled his hair, still not even sure how to approach it.

“Am I in danger?” Noelle asked quietly and, for the first time, he realised how pale she was.

“Why would you be in danger?”

They all looked at him like he was an idiot, but she answered anyway. “James was my sub. He has no link to you. Clearly he was attacked and left as a message to both of us, presumably because our outing yesterday was so public and visible. So I’ll ask again, am I in danger?”

He hadn’t thought of that, and the realisation magnified his fear tenfold. He leaned heavily against the wall beside the door. “I don’t know.” He whispered. “I don’t know what she’ll do. I’ve never been able to predict her.”

“Who is she?” Noelle asked, more gently than Storm had but no less determined. “Who is this Alexandra? Why is she threatened by me?”

“She is…or was…my mistress.”