Grizzly
Averie sat up from the table and held my gaze. Goosebumps coated her entire body in an attempt to stay warm in the rapidly cooling room. We hadn’t used the cabin in months; the last time being mid-spring when the weather was warmer through the night.
I ran my hand down my face and over my beard. I was in for a show. My members were restless and needed the challenge that no other had brought. They had all been too willing. This one… she was not willing in any sense and there was a strength to her that said she would fight, but not in a way we would expect. I didn’t have an explanation for my thoughts, but sometimes, you just knew who would crumble and who would prevail. Averie was the latter.
Even so, they—specifically the men who would take part in her torment tonight—would push her limits and test her, and we would have a new sow for the club. Breeding wasn’t the plan for Averie, not yet. We wanted a fierce woman by our sides to rule the club and care for its members just as any female bear would in the wild.
“It’s time we went over the rules,” I started. I would not divulge any more information than necessary. Shock and surprise were a big part of breaking a spirit after all. But there were some things she did need to know: the structure and my position for the events of tonight.
Her face stayed calm as her eyes glared into mine, but the slight heaving of her chest and the almost hidden deep breaths she was taking told a different story.
“Come here.” I crooked my finger and patted the edge of the table closest to me. I needed her to understand that we weren’t doing this because of who she was. This wasn’t some revenge plot, and the point was not to hurt her—not in the way she was thinking.
She paused for a moment, calculating my words and deciding if obeying was the better course of action. Being a smart girl, Averie scooted to me, letting her legs and the chain fall over the side.
My hand lifted and swept the hair in her face behind her ears. I cupped her cheeks and held eye contact that she refused to break. This was a release for my inner circle, a way to bond, and if all went well, this wouldn’t be the only night their new plaything found herself in this cabin. The difference was that those nights would be by her own volition.
And that was why I played my part. Well, one reason why. I never participated. I did not touch, prod, use, none of it until I was asked by the woman. Even then, they had to have earned the right to my fucking. No one had in far too long. I let hope fill my eyes and watched as confusion washed over hers. Averie might finally put an end to my celibacy, but she had to make it through the others first.
“This is your payment to us, the inner circle of the Grizzly Skulls, for the information you received earlier. Part of the payment is for general knowledge, our names, how the club is run, and so on.” I paused to let it sink in. This might be the way we took payment, but she was the one that was naïve enough to not think of what we would require before asking her questions. Or maybe she did and said, “Fuck the consequences.”
Averie refused to move, her breaths long and deep. She was forcing herself to stay calm. I smiled, knowing she would crack so beautifully. My waiting was nearly over.
“But that’s not all you learned, now is it?” I waited for an answer but none came. “Answer me,” I demanded and stepped closer to her, forcing her legs to part and our hips to crash together. She was taller than average for a female, but with the table’s positioning, I towered over her, making her head lean back to maintain eye contact.
Her head shook from side to side and eyes flared with worry.
“Good girl,” I soothed. “You were given information about the past of a few members, Kodiak, Honey, Sonny, and Ursus. Correct?” Averie nodded with each name and double timed it when the question left my lips.
“Our rule, no one gains information on us without permission. If it is personal, the club member receives direct payment. If it is general, sometimes we let the women pick; other times, it is whoever I think needs the most release. Now, with you, you got both, so you get special treatment from each member you received information from. All four will take payment from you in their own special ways, but you’ll have to wait and see what they ask of you.
“I will warn you, however, that our payments only come in a sexual nature, as I am sure you’ve deciphered from the sex dungeon you have found yourself in.”
Her stance held firm, and the small glint in her eyes told me I was correct. She had snooped and came to that conclusion. Though, not that much snooping was needed given the state of the walls.
Letting go of her head, I turned to the corner across from the door. It held a large reading chair in a dark red velvet. This was the chair I sat in to enjoy the show the boys put on. Next to it was a small leather bag that held small round and polished wooden pieces with initials carved into them.
I shook the bag, showing Averie what I had picked up. “Just as we draw for our names, so shall you draw for their turn with you.” I made my way back across the room, opening the bag and presenting it to Averie. “You will be picking the order. Take one.”
Her eyes darted from the open bag to me, over and over until I finally had enough. “Averie, pick one,” I growled out. Her hand flew up to the bag and shook as it hovered near the entrance. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and shoved her hand in.
Pulling it out, she let the wooden piece sit in the palm of her hand as she presented it to me. My left hand raised and patted her head, stroking the dark purple strands that were unnaturally soft against my calloused fingers. “Good girl, you’ll learn how we do things here. Don’t worry, you’ll fit in just fine.”
I enjoyed this part far too much. So much anticipation hung in the air. The order was always different and held many advantages depending on who went first. I pitied anyone who drew Honey and Sonny for round one, though. After Honey, they were always far too damaged to carry on with the night in a decent capacity, but we had our traditions and we stuck with them. Truthfully, I preferred when the duo went last but didn’t care whether Ursus or Kodiak went first.
However, the smoothest nights occurred when Ursus went first followed by Kodiak, then Honey and Sonny.
I smiled at Averie as my hand left her luxurious hair and found its way to the piece sitting in her waiting palm. Picking it up, I twisted it in my fingers to see the initials. “This is either a very lucky or a very poor choice.” It was all up to how she reacted to what they had in store.
I patted her on the cheek, letting my fingers slide across her jaw and taking in her frightened expression before making my way to the chair where I would wait and watch. I picked up the walkie talkie that sat next to the chair and informed the boys of who would be taking round one. “Kodiak.”