Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Maureen

Despite Derek's comments to Trent, I wasn't a regular player at the Dungeon, although it was true that I was sought after when I was there. While I very much enjoyed being a Domme, it wasn't sexual for me. I didn't get off on it in that way. I enjoyed the control, yes, but mostly I enjoyed giving submissives something they needed in a safe environment.

There were so many people in the world, both inside the BDSM community and outside of it, who would see a sweet, submissive person and care only about their own personal needs. They would take the gentlest spirit and break it, and not in an empowering way, not in the way they were meant to. Fake Dominants were a real problem, and despite all sorts of educational resources, so many still fell prey to them. I'd heard far too many horror stories in my time here at the Ranch.

Not that there were any here; the vetting process was far too thorough. But before coming here… far too many of the sweet subs and Littles here had been victims of fake Dominants, just trusting too easily and wanting someone who could give them what they craved.

There were still a lot of unattached submissives and Littles here, and I'd become a favorite to many for play sessions because I could fulfill their needs, whatever they may be at the time.

Tonight, I'd been the one to reach out, contacting a favorite sub to play with. It was rare that I was the one who needed to take the edge off, but with Trent's arrival, here we were.

Luna was a service sub who worked on the Ranch and was someone I'd developed somewhat of a friendship with. We met for coffee occasionally, sometimes ate together in the cafeteria and had gotten to the point where we were comfortable texting each other if one of us wanted to play, with no real strings attached.

When I'd sent her the eight word text, "Need to work some shit out. You available?" she'd agreed to meet me in the Dungeon ten minutes later, mentioning she'd been in serious need herself.

All I'd had to do was avoid Trent until she got there.

"Mission accomplished," I thought as she finally walked through the door of the Dungeon. My shoulders sagged with relief as she made her way over to me wearing a mesh crop-top, her hips swaying in a barely there thong. Luna wouldn't admit it, but I was pretty sure she had a thing for Drake, the on-duty Dungeon security officer.

I rolled my eyes as she cast him a glance over her shoulder, and he let his eyes linger on her ass a little too long. I wasn't sure how Drake felt but Luna clearly wanted more, even if she wouldn't admit it yet. The skimpy outfit was clearly for Drake's benefit, not mine. I never really knew what was going on with them and their warm/cold on-again/off-again friends-with-benefits arrangement. It seemed like it was off at the moment.

I didn't comment on it though; I didn't really have time, and I already knew she loved to torment him. No use calling her out on it now.

She smiled when she reached me and raised her brows. "Hey, chica . You okay?"

Slipping into my Domme persona, and out of the friend box she was trying to put me in, I corrected her. "It's Mistress Maureen to you."

Her eyebrows raised to her hairline, and she let out a low whistle. I understood, I wasn't one to insist on protocol straight out of the gate. At least not with her. We'd usually chat like friends while I set the scene up.

But as quickly as I'd slipped into my role, Luna slipped into hers. With a curt nod that told me she needed this level of severity as much as I did, she lowered her gaze to the floor. "Yes, Mistress Maureen. I'm sorry."

The contrite look on her face fed the need I had low in my belly, a need I mostly kept quelled. A yearning for a level of control I wasn't comfortable exhibiting on a regular basis. I was with Luna though, and she knew just how to bring it out of me.

Stepping forward to close the space between us, I grabbed her chin between my fingers and pulled her face upward until her eyes met mine. We only had a short time, but I had a need deep inside me to make this a "real" scene.

When Luna's gaze met mine, I held her attention, letting my gaze roam over her face in silent scrutiny before I spoke. Finally, I said, "What are your needs this afternoon? How are you feeling? Any boundaries I should know about?" I, of course, already knew all her hard boundaries, but I was asking for what she wanted and/or couldn't handle today because those things were fluid and could change daily, or even hourly.

Luna let her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug and I clicked my tongue. "I see you're in a bit of a bratty mood today, Miss Luna, aren't you?"

Again, she shrugged, and I let a wicked smile spread slowly across my face. "Well, that's just fine, then. Because as it turns out, I'm in the mood to tame a brat."

Her eyes widened, quickly and I could tell my response had surprised her. Moving my grasp from her chin to her shoulders, I whirled her around until she was facing away from me and laid down a volley of hard smacks against her perfectly round backside, holding tight and not letting her wiggle away. I spanked until she was whimpering, and her ass cheeks were a pale pink.

Then I turned her again and forced her onto her knees in front of me. Luna was one of the few I was comfortable being this harsh and demanding with because she never expected more than I was willing to give, and she always let me lead the scene. Over the years of playing together, we'd developed a nice rhythm and learned to anticipate each other's needs.

Which was why, when I put her on her knees in front of me, something I rarely did, Luna looked up with wide eyes and gave a slight tremble. It wasn't fear, though, it was excitement. "Address your Mistress properly," I scolded, "and when she asks you a question, answer with words."

Luna gave another nod of understanding, and followed it with, "Yes, Mistress Maureen. I'm extremely sorry for my brattiness. Please punish me for my mistakes."

Her words had me heaving a sigh of relief as I exhaled a breath I hadn't known I was holding. I truly needed this. Not just the control, and the fa?ade of who I was in my Domme role, but the back and forth, the give and take, the deep submission and trust, and yes, even the bratting. But more than that, I'd needed this to not just be a scene. I needed to punish, and Luna had probably realized that.

"I will punish you," I agreed sharply. "On your feet."

Luna quickly did as she was told, and jumped to her feet in front of me, her perky tits straining the mesh of her top. She preferred to be naked with most Dominants. But it wasn't something I required, or even wanted, but she'd chosen to wear as little as possible already, so taking it off seemed a natural next step. "Strip," I commanded.

Again, I could see the shock in her wide eyes, but again, she quickly obeyed, until she was standing in front of me, shaved pussy exposed, perky tits out, timid smile on her face.

"Come." I grabbed her hand and pulled her across the room to a sturdy spanking bench that just so happened to face the door where Drake was standing guard.

I saw on her face the moment she realized what bench I'd chosen and why. The little gasp of surprise puffing between her pink painted lips, the way her pupils dilated, and the way her gaze bounced between me and the doorway as if to ask, "Is this really what you require?" all titillated. Yes, it really was what I required. I patted the leather center and held her hand as I helped her into position, ass out, arms and legs secured.

Drake would have gotten more of a show if I'd had her ass facing the door, but I wanted her to see him watching her, so I made her face it instead.

He turned just as I finished securing the restraints that would hold her in place, and I saw her scrunch her eyes closed when she noticed him looking.

A sharp smack across the center of her ass had her eyes popping open again, and I walked in front of her, admonishing with a shake of my head. "Eyes straight ahead. Keep them open. If I see them closing…"

Instead of finishing my sentence, I walked behind her, cupped my hand, and smacked between her legs, one hard slap against her bare pussy. The action shocked me as much as it shocked her.

Who was I tonight?

"Do you understand?" I asked, my hand pulled back, still cupped, ready to strike again if she decided to be sassy or glib with her answers.

"Yes, Mistress!" she squeaked. "I understand!"

"Good." I flattened my hand, and rubbed it across the center of her globes, feeling every inch of the soft, still-cool skin, knowing that all too soon, it would be red and hot to the touch.

"I wonder," I mused… "what kind of implement of ass destruction should I use on this naughty bottom tonight?"

Her only response was a whimper. No surprise there. Though she had a bratty streak, Luna was a sub through and through. She did not like being asked questions about things like implement choice. She did not want to be in charge. That was fine, though, because I did.

Glancing at the implement armoire nearby, knowing exactly what it would be stocked with, I considered my options.

A cane was easy to wield and packed a punch. A strap was fun. Subs like Luna always enjoyed the delicious burn of leather. But for a seasoned sub such as Luna, those things could take longer to make an impact. I didn't have a long time, and I wanted to make a lasting impression in a short amount of time. I wanted her to really need to be restrained, to fight against them, to whimper and cry and eventually beg for mercy, so we would both get the releases we desperately needed.

With those needs in mind, I walked over to the cabinet and flung it open. My gaze flicked over the choices for just a moment before I quickly made my selections, a soft tailed flogger to give the skin a short warm-up, and a heavy wooden paddle. Luna hated wood. She craved it sometimes, but she still hated it, even more so when she was restrained like this, when she had no choice but to take it, to feel every hard thud of the paddle against her shapely ass.

On my end, there was nothing like delivering a hard paddling to a naughty, sassy bottom. Not only was it exhilarating to take in all the little whimpers and whines, to watch the skin bounce under the weight of the paddle, each thwack leaving it redder than before, but it was also a physical workout to wield such a heavy implement so relentlessly. And I needed that.

Closing the cabinet, I walked in front of Luna to show her my choices. She winced at the paddle, her steady gaze shuttering before she met my eyes and answered with a resolute nod. She needed this too.

When I took up my position behind her, it was hard to miss Drake's careful gaze watching us with a satisfied smirk.

I winked at him before I flicked my wrist, sending the falls of the flogger splaying across her bottom and thighs. Luna gave no indication that she'd even felt it, but that was okay. This was just the warm-up.

I flicked my wrist several more times, watching the falls land, watching the tiny spots of pink spring up across her milky white skin.

When it was a faint pale pink and Luna was starting to respond to my ministrations with soft whimpers, I knew it was time to truly begin.

Laying the flogger across her back, I picked up the paddle and positioned the cool wood flush across the fleshiest part of her cheeks.

Her back tensed, then her bottom. "Relax," I scolded, waiting until the knots of tension fell away.

Closing my eyes for a brief second, I centered myself. I loved topping, especially a needy, willing sub like Luna, but there was a part of me that always needed a pep talk before I started a scene because, though I could admit I liked it, there was something about causing pain to another that still felt somewhat unnatural, even if only for a moment. And cause pain, I planned to. She needed it and so did I, like I needed my next breath.

Seeing Trent again, here on my turf, had done a number on me. So many feelings, most of them way more than uncomfortable, had crept back up and I channeled every single one of them as I pulled my arm back and prepared to strike.

"Whap!" The sound of the first blow of the paddle, and the shocked cry of pain it elicited was always satisfying. And Luna didn't disappoint.

"Holy mother—!" she cried, rearing up as much as the restraints allowed.

I laid the paddle across her ass again before she'd even finished crying out. Again and again and again. I gave her no time to breathe between swats. I paddled until my arm ached, and until she was visibly crying.

I paused only long enough to rub the rapidly reddening globes and acknowledge the look of concern Drake shot me. I nodded curtly in his direction, saying "we're good, and she can take it". He relaxed, but only slightly. I had a feeling he'd been about to come over and intervene, but he stayed put, keeping a steady gaze on the scene unfolding in front of him.

I noticed a shift in Luna's body language and saw that she'd put her head down, no longer keeping her gaze straight ahead. Her inability to follow a simple instruction gave me the incentive I needed to continue, and I brought the paddle down hard again.

"Ow!" she cried. From the way her body jerked, it was clear she hadn't been expecting it.

Again, I let the paddle fall relentlessly, giving her only a moment between swats to gather a breath.

Thwack, thwack, thwack! I kept my gaze trained on her back, watching her closely for any sign of distress beyond the expected.

Her back heaved with labored breaths. Her shoulders shook with soft sobs, but everything about her was saying "green".

Still, with my urge to wreak havoc satisfied, I slowed down, laying the last dozen or so swats with far more precision and control than I had the first few dozen. I paid attention to her skin, noticing it growing roughened from the wood. It was bright pink with mottled bruising already starting to pop up in the fleshiest areas.

"Color?" I demanded.

Luna's response was a half-laugh, half cry, that escaped in a puff of air. "Green," she huffed. "Still green. But are we almost done?"

"Almost, sweet girl."

I rubbed the cool wood against her heated backside and watched when it seemed to bring relief. Luna was tough, she played regularly and had painslut tendencies. The fact she was asking if we were almost done already was a testament to how hard the paddling had been and how stressed I'd been.

Just as I'd taken stock of Luna, I paused briefly to take stock of myself. The tension and lack of control I'd felt after my interaction with Trent was gone. My arms ached, but my shoulders felt looser. My breathing seemed to be coming easier, though the tough paddling I'd given thus far had worn me out and made my heart race.

I drew in a couple of deep, centering breaths, pulled the paddle back again, redirected my aim so that I'd catch her sit-spots and, with the way the bench had her legs open, the curve of her pussy. Knowing where it would land, I dialed back my strength to a minimum, and gave a dozen more swats, with just enough force to pinken the tops of her thighs and leave a delicious sting in her nether regions. She'd likely be needy and achy afterward, but that was a problem for her battery-operated boyfriend, or, if she was feeling brave, Drake.

Finally finished, I placed both items into the sanitization bin inside the cabinet, so they could be cleaned before further use. When the area was cleaned up, I picked up Luna's discarded clothing, what there was of it, and held both items in one balled-up fist while I rubbed her shoulders, back and bottom with the other.

"Good girl. You took that so well."

"Thank you, Mistress. It hurt, but…" I heard the grin in her voice when she continued, "It felt good. I think I needed that."

"Good." I walked around and knelt down in front of her to uncuff her hands. Before I did though, I wiped the sheen of sweat from her brow, and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Thank you, sweet girl. I needed that too." I pressed a soft friendly kiss to her forehead then went to work on the restraints.

"If it's not too forward, Mistress…" Luna's voice was a soft whisper, and her gaze sought mine, looking for permission, which I granted with a nod.

"Go ahead."

"I could tell, you were in a rare form tonight. Are you okay? Do you feel better? Did you get what you needed? Because if not, I could probably go again, after a bathroom break and some water."

I shook my head with a soft chuckle. "You can have both of those things, as well as some arnica for your bottom. You may not be feeling it right now, you're probably numb, but trust me, you will be soon."

Her eyes clouded with evident relief, Luna nodded. "Yes, Mistress."

"And to answer your questions, yes I do feel better. And yes, I think I'll be okay. Today was just…" I pursed my lips, not quite ready to talk about Trent or our history yet. "It's a long story." The kind that needed to be told over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, with a shared meal or a decadent dessert, not the kind of story you told while one was strapped to a spanking bench. Unloading my problems was not a form of aftercare.

I went around to both sides, undoing her ankle restraints, then came back around and helped her to stand on shaky legs. "One I might share another time."

I walked her over to the aftercare station and handed her a bottle of cold water and a small bar of chocolate, then grabbed a tube of arnica. Lowering to my haunches behind her, I massaged it into her torn up skin.

When I was finished, I helped her back into her outfit, if it could even be called that, and gave her a hug. I was feeling so much better already, and almost ready to face Trent.

"Thank you," I whispered, pressing my face close to hers.

"Anytime. You sure you're good?"

Pulling away, I nodded. "Let's get coffee in a couple days. I'll tell you all about it."

She nodded, gave me one more squeeze and skipped away, giving an extra sway of her ass when she passed Drake on her way out of the Dungeon. I finished cleaning up the station, then left, shooting Drake a knowing grin when I walked out. Someday those two needed to get together, and I hoped I'd be around to see it. The fireworks would be epic.

For now, I had to go deal with some fireworks of my own.