Brei Betzold - Tribal

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Cris

“So I hear that you’re leaving soon; have a tour to finish?”

Sam took a drink of his beer and nodded.  “Yep.”

“What after that?” I asked Sam.

“We’re taking a break, working on a new album.”

“My Misery Muse, you and Max have some family stuff to deal with.”

Sam jerked his head to look at me.  “You know about that?”

“Yeah, Max told me, he wanted me to know so if he needed to take some time off, he could.”

“Yeah,” Sam said running his hand through his hair, “that makes sense.”

“I take it you haven’t told them?”

He shook his head.  “Don’t know how.”

“Well if you need anything, even someone to talk to.”

“Thanks,” he said softly.

“You’ll be gone six weeks?”

“Yeah, we have to finish the last leg of the tour we canceled after Drake’s accident.  None of us really want to, but it’s in our contract.  Once we finish this though, we’re done with that label.”

“I heard about that, congrats on buying your own label.”

“It should be interesting,” he murmured.  “Seth and I have wanted this from the beginning.  More control over our music, closer to home, it should be good.”

“So is it just you and Seth?”

“That’s the way it was planned but X wanted in also.  Eli wasn’t interested.  He just wants to beat on his drums, hang out, and not have any kind of real responsibility.”

“Yeah, but you can’t blame the guy.  His dad had been riding him since birth, all he’s known is responsibility.”

“That is true.  So what’s new with you and the shop?”

“Devi bought in as a silent partner in the shop.  We’re hiring a body modifier as well as some new tattoo artists.”  Sam nodded so I went on.  “And I’ve been dating Ash.”

Sam smirked at me.  “I know, how’s that going for you?”

“Ash or Devi?”

“Both,” he said grinning.

“Devi’s always been there, this doesn’t change anything.  She and I have been partners since the place opened; it’s just official now.  Ash and I are… I don’t know what we are but its good.”

“Good for you,” Sam said looking at the floor frowning.

“You okay?”

He nodded but was looking off in a different direction.  “Yeah, I’m okay just thinking.”

I cocked my head to the side and looked at my longtime friend.  “What’s her name?”

“Whose?”

“The girl you’re thinking about.”

He shook his head.  “No one, at least not how you think.”

“Then how is it?”

“A friend who needs help.”

“Someone I know?”

He nodded. “Yeah you know her, but she doesn’t want you or anyone else to know, hell,, she doesn’t want me to know.”

“Then how do you?”

“Would you believe by accident?”

I nodded slowly getting a bad feeling.  “If you need anything…” I began but he looked up at me and I could see the pain etched in his eyes.

“I can’t,” he said softly, “though I want to.”

I nodded reluctantly feeling like we were having two very different conversations right then.

“So how did Ash take you and Devi’s history?” Sam asked slyly.

It was my turn to look away.  “Haven’t told her.”

Sam stared at me, I could feel it even though I hadn’t looked back at him.

“Are you crazy or stupid?”

“A little of both?”

“Oh I would say a lot of both, you know she will find out.  Don’t you think it would be better if it came from you that you proposed to her not only boss but friend?”

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked at him.  “Yeah?”

“Then why haven’t you?”

“Haven’t gotten around to it?”

He shook his head taking a drink of his beer.  “You are a dead man,” he said then walked way still shaking his head.

I sighed and silently agreed with him.  This is why since Ash told me she needed to talk to me I had been avoiding both her and Devi.  Though if someone would have told her, especially Devi, I think my balls would have already been detached from my body.  Both women were scary when angry, though Devi’s moods had been all over the place lately.  That alone should scare me into telling Ash my history, as innocent as it was, with Devi.  I still couldn’t; I had tried more than once then stopped for some reason.

Max waved towards the door and I nodded following him out the front door and to our bikes.  I left without saying bye to anyone, something I knew I would pay for later.  Only I didn’t want to deal with my bubble being popped yet if that’s what was going to happen.  I had already been dealt that blow once when Seth came back.  I couldn’t handle losing Ash, even though it would be my fault for not being honest with her.  A few more days I told myself, then I’d tell her everything. 

Ashlen

I let myself into Cris’s house using the key he had given me a few months ago.  I wasn’t sure how this evening would go, I was still pissed at him for ditching me last weekend.  We hadn’t talked much, every time I texted or called he would claim he was busy; I wanted to finally pin him down.  I wanted, no, I needed to know what was going on with us.  Devi hadn’t said anything about the shop being any busier than normal and I was scared to ask about Cris.  I didn’t want to come across like that, be that girl.  So I left it, and let it fester.

I found him sitting on the couch playing Xbox.  He glanced up at me then back to the TV where he was trying to shoot something.  I didn’t know and didn’t really care.

“Didn’t know if you would be coming over tonight,” he murmured.

“I texted and said I would be,” I told him bitingly.  “Devi and Seth took the kids out.”

He nodded and kept playing his game.

“Cris, want to maybe tell me what’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on, why?”

“You’ve been ignoring me for almost a week, and that’s nothing?”

“I’ve been working,” he said after taking a drink from his beer.

“That’s never stopped you before.”

“It was busier than normal.  I’ve had interviews this week.”

I glared at him. “Cris, what the fuck is going on?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled cursing under his breath when he died on his game.

I nodded.  “Fine maybe tonight’s a mistake, I’ll just go home.” I turned towards to head back out the door when a hand clamped around my arm.

“I didn’t say you could leave,” he murmured.

“Cris, I may be submissive in the bedroom, but that does not pertain to outside life.  I will not let you treat me like this.  If you want this to work, if you want us, then you need to talk to me.  If you want a plaything then go get one, but it won’t be me.  We left that place already.”  I pulled my arm from his hold.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Not really,” he murmured kissing the back of my neck.

“This isn’t how it’s going to work, Cris,” I said a sounding a little breathless, “you’re not going to ignore me all week, then expect to fuck me.”

“Fuck Ash, I said I’m sorry.”

“They’re just words, Cris, without you telling me what’s going on,” I whispered.

“I told you, I’ve been busy, had a lot on my mind,” he yelled.

I froze, this wasn’t the Cris I knew, he didn’t yell, at least not at me.

“I’m sorry, Ashlen.”

I nodded but didn’t look back at him. “I’m not Ashlen right now, I’m Ash, your girlfriend.”

“I think I need you to be Ashlen right now,” he said quietly.

“I am not a punching bag.”

“I know that, I just I need to forget for a while.  I need you.”

I stood there and thought about that, he wouldn’t hurt me, do more than I could take.  I trusted him, he wouldn’t do anything to ruin that, but on the other hand, I needed to trust him in more than just as a Dom.  I needed him to trust me also.

“Cris,” I hedged.

“What do you want from me?” he yelled.

“I want for you to tell me what the fuck your problem is!” I screamed back.

“My problem is my girlfriend’s being a frigid bitch!” he shouts.

“Then it seems to me you need a new god damn girlfriend,” I said quietly, too quietly.

“Fuck!” he screams. “I didn’t mean that Ash, god damn it, why can’t I do anything right?” he yells then throws his beer across the wall where it shatters against the wall.

I stand stock still not sure what to expect from him.

“I keep fucking everything up, first my shop, now with you,” he says while yanking at his hair.  “Why for once can I not keep my shit together?”

I blink then I walk towards him and wrap my arms around him.  “Shh,” I whisper in his ear and rock him side to side while he holds me tightly against him.

“Please, Ash please let me have some control tonight, please I need it.  I won’t hurt you, god I’d never hurt you.”

I nod once then stand before him and watch as he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

“Ashlen, take your clothes off then get on the wall,” he murmured behind me.

I quickly took off and folded my clothes placing them on the coffee table, then walked over to where he had removed the pictures.  The three pictures that usually hung here hid the various D-rings he had installed into the wall.  I stood there facing the wall, my breathing picking up at what we were about to do.

I felt a finger slide down my spine and I shivered.  “So very cooperative tonight, Ashlen.”

I took a deep breath.  “Yes, Sir.”

“You want this as much as I do, don’t you?” he asked quietly.

“Yes, Sir.”

He licked the base of my neck and hummed. “Turn around slowly and face me.”

“Yes, Sir,” I whispered turning around to face him.  He looked gorgeous, his dark eyes on fire.  The tattoos that covered his body looked alive while they strained against his body.

“Hands up, Ashlen.”

I placed my arms up over my head, he grabbed a wrist and encircled it with a leather cuff then quickly did the same with a second.  He pulled a chain from his back pocket and clicked it onto the left cuff.  I heard the chain slide through one of the D-rings before clipping onto the other cuff.  I sighed, I loved being restrained, the cool wall quickly heating with my body heat.  Feeling stretched out for his taking and perusal, giving him permission to do what we both wanted, him being in control.

He slid a finger from the hollow of my throat, between my breasts, down my stomach until he reached my pubic bone.  “You ready, Ashlen?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“What are your safe words?”

“Mercy and halt.”

“Comfortable?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“No tingling?” he asked taking my right hand in his looking over the nail beds then doing the same with the left hand.

“No, Sir.”

“You are to remain quiet,” he said softly, “if you can’t then I will gag you.”

I nodded my affirmative.

He kissed me softly, running his tongue over my bottom lip before nipping it then stepping away.  I could feel my pussy getting wet in anticipation for what was to come.

He pulled something out of his back pocket and showed it to me.  “Do you know what this is, Ashlen?”

I nodded, I did.  It was an ordinary clothespin.

“There are so many uses for these,” he murmured looking it over.

He walked back towards me and pulled a nipple into his mouth, slowly circling it with his tongue before sucking hard.  I bit my lip to keep from crying out.  He ran his tongue back around the nipple before sucking again even harder before letting it go with a pop.  He looked over his work before pinching the clothespin open and clamping it around my nipple, I gasped.  I couldn’t help it, he gave me a warning look before repeating the same action on my other nipple.  I was panting by the time he had the second clothespin secured.

“You look lovely like that, Ashlen,” he said while stepping back and looking over his work before flicking one of the clothespins.  My knees nearly buckled at the pain pleasure of it.

He stepped back towards me checking my hands again.  “You doing okay?” he asked quietly and I nodded.

He stepped back smiling then dropped down to his knees and looked up at me.  “No coming, Ashlen” he demanded before pushing my legs apart.  His eyes locked with mine he swept his tongue against the lips of my pussy before pulling one into his mouth and sucking on it.  Never breaking eye contact with me, he released it then sucked in the other one, running his tongue along it.  I shivered, and he released me from his mouth and eyes.  His eyes fastening on my sensitive cunt, before leaning in and sliding his tongue from clit to opening.  My eyes rolled back in my head and the only thing holding me up was the hands he placed on my hips.  His tongue did the same torturous treatment again and again until I wasn’t sure if I was breathing or not any longer.  He ran his tongue around my clit before sucking it into his mouth hard.  I fought for control of my body.  I wanted to come so badly I was shaking with it.  He continued to pull and lave the sensitive nub before biting it.  I couldn’t help it, I screamed and he pulled back producing a smaller clothespin.