Page 21 of Echoes of Desire

“Come on,” Blaze laughs. “Let us walk you home while you tell us the reason you got fired. We’re going to have to run a background check on you if you decide to work for us, but I’d rather hear some things from those pretty lips of yours.”

“You are not going to believe this,” she says, standing from the couch. “I got fired for missing three days of work. In six years. Which reminds me. Where’s my ice cream?”

Chapter Seven

Raven

What am I doing? This is so stupid. I can’t work here.

“Your mind is running wild, sweetheart,” Jaxon tells me as he and Jasper guide me to the main room of the club. “I know some of these stations look scary, but you must remember that everyone here is vetted, and any Sub strapped to any of these stations are all there of their own free will.”

“You will hear Subs yelling out in pleasure and pain,” Jasper continues as he stops next to astation.“You will hear some beg their Doms to stop. You will hear some scream as they are struck with a whip or a paddle. You will watch as the Dom ignores them and continues to inflict their torment. You will witness some being humiliated. At this station alone, you will watch them bleed. However, you must, under no circumstance, interfere in any of the scenes, no matter how scary it seems.”

“What?”

“Steel and I are always on the floor the entire night,” Jaxon says. “Everyone has a safe word they share with the Dom they’re playing with. And, unless that word is used, the Dom will not stop.”

“Stopis not a safe word,” Jasper continues. “Ouchis not a safe word.Pleaseis not a safe word.You’re hurting meis not a safe word. You will hear all of these throughout the night. Ignore them.”

“I’m so confused.”

“Every person who becomes a member of this club is required to fill out an extensive questionnaire,” Jaxon says. “On it, we ask several questions about their preferences, limits, and boundaries. We take this very seriously. Consent is the foundation of everything we do here.”

Jasper nods in agreement, his expression firm but not unkind. “If a Dom pushes a Sub past their boundaries without consent or ignores a safe word, they’re immediately expelled from the club. There’s zero tolerance for breaking the rules.”

I glance nervously at the station Jasper just pointed out, my stomach churning. “But why would anyone want to be hurt like that? Or humiliated?”

Jaxon tilts his head, studying me with a faint smile. “Not everyone understands it right away, Raven. For some, it’s about trust, surrender, and exploring parts of themselves they can’t access anywhere else. For others, it’s a release. Pain can be pleasure, and humiliation can be freedom when it’s consensual and controlled.”

Jasper steps closer, his voice gentler now. “It’s okay if it doesn’t make sense to you. You’re not here to participate, only to observe and manage the bar. No one will expect anything from you beyond that. But if you want to understand, keep an open mind. Watch and listen.”

I chew on my lower lip, glancing around the dimly lit room. There’s a strange energy here. Charged and alive, yet oddly safe. It doesn’t make sense to me, but maybe that’s the point.

“Okay,” I say softly, my voice trembling. “I’ll try.”

Jaxon’s smile widens, and Jasper places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Good. Now, let’s show you the bar setup. That’s where you’ll spend most of your time. Just remember, you don’t have to figure everything out tonight. Take it one step at a time.”

“The dress code is all black,” Jasper reminds me.

It’s only been two days since our last conversation. I didn’t hear from them at all that first day, so yesterday, I made the decision to call them and accept their job offer. I didn’t bring up the other offer.

“Never wear shirts that cover your wrists,” Jasper says.

“My wrists? Why?”

He holds out his hand, and, for some reason I don’t quite understand, I immediately place my right hand in his.

“Good girl,” he smiles. “Because of this.”

In his other hand is a black band. Not the kind you would get at the fair or a concert. But one of good, solid quality. On the band, in white embroidered letters, it simply says, Oasis.

“All Dom’s will have a similar band indicating their Dom status,” he explains. “But it will be a deep red. Subs will all have different colors depending on their personal needs.”

“What about the Little’s?” I ask, knowing my friend will be joining soon. “What color are their bands?”

“They don’t have one,” Jaxon says. “The Little’s are not permitted to come into the dungeon while they are regressed. The age-play room is here for a reason. This area is unsafe for Little’s.”

“When regressed, a lot of our Littles are just that, Little,” Jasper says, still holding my hand. “If they wish to come out and play, they have to be Big and they will have a colored band appropriate to their desires. All Dom’s know what each color means.”

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