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Chapter 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56At Eastern Washington University, Bella found the dull and rainy atmosphere she had hoped for, far from Austin, where she wanted to escape. Although it wasn't as far as Bangkok University, which didn't accept international psych majors, it would have to do. The West Coast humidity was a welcome change from the blistering Texan sun, even though her hair disagreed. She tried to flatten it down, but it seemed pointless.
Her ex-boyfriend, Jeff, had always insisted that it had to be long and smooth, and that she avoid the sun to prevent her tawny skin from darkening. But now that she was free from his controlling ideals, she was open to change. As she looked around the classroom, she realized that she didn't fit in with her pale, hipster classmates who were mostly wearing the latest old-looking outfits. She was used to being an anomaly as a femme twenty-something of Roma blood in Texas, and it looked like it would be the same here.
The professor, who looked more like a model than a teacher, passed out syllabuses to the students, including Bella, a new transfer student. He recognized her and welcomed her to the class, which made her wonder how far Jeff's influence could reach. Maybe he knew the professor too? And might use him to hurt her. The thought left her feeling cold.
"Hey, you're not afraid of winters are you? He's harmless." The girl beside her said. Giving her a small smile.
Bella smiled nervously back. "First day and all."
"Really? I'm Sandra."
"Bella. Nice to meet you."
Professor Winters called the class to order then and the class began. During the class, Sandra passed a note to Bella saying she wanted to buy her coffee. Bella accepted, surprised because she had not really thought she would meet or even dare hope she would meet any friends.
***************
Bella arrived at the cafe fifteen minutes early, hoping to find it without trouble and avoid being late for her meeting with Sandra. She made a quick stop at the campus post office, which was just next door to the cafe, to check her mailbox. Unfortunately, all that awaited her was a coupon and a letter from the campus housing office informing her that her would-be roommate had dropped out of school.
After the disappointing mailbox check, Bella ordered a drink from the bubbly girl at the counter. The girl asked if Bella was waiting for someone, and Bella replied that she was waiting for Sandra.
Arthur arrived a little late, and Bella could see her mouthing her apologies before she could hear them.
Sorry," she wheezed, collapsing in her seat. "Major roommate drama. Total bitch. Clothes and makeup everywhere. Not a good situation. Might have to enter the witness protection program."
Bella couldn't help but laugh. "Why, what happened?"
"Well, she had this smelly shoe rack thing in the middle of the room, so I moved it. Turns out it was a thousand-dollar something, and I may have broken off one of the side pieces," Sandra explained. "I was just at the housing office pleading my case to switch rooms."
"Yikes," Bella said with a wince. "So, what's the final verdict?"
"Apparently, the housing office lady is also a fashion nut, so she's willing to transfer my roommate if she wants, but I can go screw myself," Sandra sighed, letting her head drop on the table.
Bella hesitated. "Well, I just found out my roommate dropped out of school. Looks like we're both having issues."
"Huh?" Sandra looked up like a hopeful puppy. "So that means you have a single room?”
"Looks like it," Bella said carefully. She wasn't sure why she'd divulged that bit of information to him. She barely knew him, never mind whether or not he'd make a good roommate. Then again, her impulsive decisions to move in with strange people always had been her downfall. "If you want—”
"Yes!" Sandra cried, launching out of his chair to grab her hand. "Oh Bella, you're amazing."
"It's not a big deal," Bella assured her.
"Yes it is! Are you sure you want to give up a glorious single room just to be nice?" she asked her new roommate.
"Honestly, I'm not that into the idea of being by myself. I was kind of looking forward to actually living the college experience," she replied.
"Didn't you transfer?"
"Yeah, but I lived off campus. With my ex."
"That explains it. Man, must have ended bad if you came all this way just to get away from him."
"You have no idea," Bella muttered.
Sandra seemed to be pondering something for a moment before her grin returned. "Well, screw him. Now that we're roommates, we'll be an unstoppable team."
Bella smiled.
"Oh yeah," said Sandra, suddenly shifting gears. She flattened the crumpled flier out on the table and leaned over it. "I saw this on the way over, some guy was passing them out at the center. Total hottie, and I'm talking eight-pack, hotter-than- hot.”
"What's... who's that hot?"
"Seriously," Sandra said in earnest. "Check it out." She stabbed the paper with her finger right over the line that read "$10,000 Cash Prize."
The figure certainly drew Bella's attention. She read further and her interest dimmed.
The Lodge Presents the Annual Alpha's Pet Contest
Only Hot Male Subs Ages 18-30 Need Apply
FRIDAY NIGHT ONLY
11 p.m. — ???
Winner receives access to the Alpha's Dungeon, a $10,000 cash prize, and the coveted diamond collar!
"What is this?" Bella asked warily. "It sounds like a cheesy reality show."
“That’s because Brendan handles the marketing and he’s a total cheeseball, but the contest is legit. And it’s cooler than it sounds. The House of Wolf throws a huge party every year with drinks, dancing and lots of hot guys, obviously.”
"What’s the House of Wolf?" Bella asked, rereading the flier for a trace of an explanation.
“It’s kind of a… well… I’m trying to find a way to explain without making it sound weirder than it is.”
“Okay…” Not off to a promising start.
“It’s kind of like a gentleman’s club. There’s a night club and a dungeon where the more fetishy stuff happens.”
“Fetishy?” Bella asked warily. “Like BDSM?”
“Sometimes. They’re not all into that, though. It’s more of a general fetish club, and it’s super exclusive. Everything’s wolf-themed, too, which sounds kind of kitschy, but the place is hella fancy, so they pull it off.”
“So it’s a sex club.”
Sandra laughed. “Well… yeah. When you get right down to the brass tacks, it is. But their events are really fun, and they’re open to the public.”
“I’m sure they are, but I’m about as vanilla as it gets,” Bella admitted. Jeff had enjoyed taking her to his ritzy clubs to show off in the beginning, before he’d turned into a possessive nightmare. She'd had enough experience being objectified by kinky rich jerks for one lifetime.
“Too bad. You’d probably win the contest if you entered.”
Bella choked on her drink at the thought. “Me? Hell, no. Why don’t you enter?”
"Me?" Sandra raised her brows, pointing to her chest with wide eyes. "Oh, no. I'm not entering. Besides, they're usually looking for a straight-up sub and I'm a switch. I'm sure as hell gonna enjoy the free drinks and eye candy, though."
Bella pursed het lips in an attempt to hide her amusement. "Well, maybe the dogs will have a bear cub night soon."
"Wolves,” she reminded her with a wistful sigh. "It's crazy hot. The whole place looks like a big cave."
"That does sound cool, I guess. So, what happens to the winner? Do you have to, you know, get tied up and stuff?"
Sandra thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. You get a free membership to the club, but every sub from here to northern Cali drools over the thought of getting some one-on-one time with the Alphas. I'm not sure anyone has ever tried to turn it down."
"No," Bella chuckled. "I'd imagine not."
"Why?" Her grin widened. "You thinking of entering after all, it's next week ?"
Bella shook her head vehemently and felt a blush creep into her cheeks. "No, just curious. Psych major, remember?"
"Sure," She said in a disbelieving tone. She stood up and stretched. "It's a shame, you'd totally win if you entered. I'll be right back, I'm gonna grab a drink. When I get back, you can tell me more about Texas."
Bella smiled and nodded. That would give her some time to come up with her deflections. Then again, she was a couple thousand miles away from Austin. The chances of anything she told Sandra– the new roommate– getting back to Jeff were close to nil.
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Her first week at school passed smoothly and Sandra turned out to be a great roommate, albeit a loud one. Her snarky sense of humor and abundant energy made the semi-cramped dorm room feel more like home than Jeff's sprawling condo ever had. Bella was happy she had agreed to have her as a roommate. Even though her said roommate had short of bully her into going to the House of Wolf club with her. Bella had stood her ground on not entering the competition, she was going to just to chill. As Bella was going through her phone, she was interrupted by loud clinking sounds coming from the trunk. Pausing, she asked, "What are you doing over there?" "Putting our outfits together for tonight," Sandra replied. "Our outfits?" Bella questioned. "I have my outfit already." Sandra responded, "Yeah, jeans and a hoodie. Or a sweater and a scarf, given what you usually wear to class. Not gonna fly at the Lodge." Realizing her plain clothing wasn'
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"Almost there," Sandra announced, pointing to the right. The outline of what looked to be a massive log cabin came into view. The closer they got, the bigger it looked. The grass lot out front was filled with cars, and more than half of them had the university parking sticker on the windshield. "Told ya it was popular," said Sandra. She wasn't kidding. Men and women were filing into the wooded mansion and warm yellow lights glowed through the many opaque windows on its three stories. It was hard to believe this was a BDSM dungeon rather than a secluded Swiss chalet. "How do you like the Lodge?" Sandra asked smugly. She must have noticed Bella's slack-jawed state. "It's beautiful," she admitted. "Not at all what I expected." She laughed. "Bet you're gonna say that at least ten more times before the night's over." The group in front of them came to an abrupt halt at the door. They were talking to a man Bella could only assume w
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Sandra took Bella to the bartender to get drinks before the went down to where the main events is taking place but even their row was starting to fill out. Bella quickly realized that if the present turnout was a good representation, Sandra was probably the youngest Red Club Member. A few minutes later, the crowd began to buzz restlessly. She looked at her phone and saw that it had just turned eleven. The competition would doubtlessly be starting soon. Some particularly good-looking men began to stand up and head toward the stairway that led up to the stage and behind a heavy blue curtain. She recognized a handful of them from campus. One of the girls in their row stood up, his collar still attached to a leash held by the broad man behind her. Her light brown hair partially covered her otherwise bare chest, accentuating her delicate build. "Are you going to be a good girl, Amber?" the burly man at het side demanded. "Yes, Master," the younger woman purred, leani
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Bella was shocked by Clarence's rudeness. Who did he think he was? The subs in the dressing room were clearly unhappy with her presence, and she felt like an unwanted center of attention. She sat down, feeling out of place, and Amber, the collared sub next to her, tried to reassure her that the obnoxious ones were just trying to run off the real competition. He also revealed that the House of Wolf was serious business around here and that the Alpha ran the entire club. Bella groaned, admitting that she didn't know anything about the scene and that she wasn't even a sub. Amber told her it was more about energy than looks and that she had the energy, making her feel a little better. "At least you're honest." Bella smiled, holding out her hand. "I'm Bella." "Amber," she replied, shaking it. "And don't worry. People can say whatever they want, but you're not actually anyone's submissive until you decide to be." She tilted his head. "What's that on your hand?
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"Are you alright? That was almost bad," he said with what seemed to be genuine concern. If it had been anyone else, Bella would have already been thanking them profusely. Since it was Darian she was a bit wary of his intentions, to say the least. "I'm fine. Thanks for your help, but I could really do without any more of it," Bella muttered, brushing past him. "Wait a second," he said, grabbing the chain dangling from her cuff and jerking it like a leash. The snaps on the cuff popped off, leaving her arm exposed. Bella whirled around and held her forearm to her chest. "Give me that!" she cried fearfully, reaching for the cuff. Darian held it out of her reach and in doing so, pulled her closer. "What the hell was that about?" "I need that," Bella said, grabbing at it while keeping her arm close to her chest. "Not until you tell me why I'm getting the cold shoulder. Usually, you'd at least give a guy the chance to break the ice before t
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Bella had already started to clap for Maverick when he announced her name. Her smile turned into a stiff grimace, and her hands hung limp in mid-air. “What?” she choked out. The announcer came back over to her, holding a coiled leash and collar on a satin pillow. The collar was made of red leather with what she really hoped were just very convincing rhinestones rather than diamonds encrusted along one side. This couldn’t be happening. Bella leaned away in case he planned to put that thing on her, still convinced there was a mistake. Unfortunately, the panic-induced bout of nausea and vertigo she’d been fighting off all night kicked in, and she wobbled. “Whoa, easy there. Can I get a Wolf to come up here and leash this pup before she falls offstage?” the announcer laughed awkwardly. Clearly, this evening wasn’t going according to plan for him, either. Bella’s panic wasn’t helped by the fact that Darian and the Wolf who had been glaring at her st
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It was Bella’s turn to frown in confusion. “What are you talking about?” she asked. Victor cleared his throat, and Darian went silent for a moment. “Never mind,” Darian said in a tone of resignation. “I’m gonna get you something to eat.” “What?” Bella asked. “Why?” “For your blood sugar. That’s like diabetes, right? You need to eat something so you won’t pass out again.” She hesitated. Bella hadn’t eaten lunch that day, mistakenly assuming they would be serving food at the club, and she had been too nervous to keep anything down after throwing up in front of Sandra anyway. “That would be nice, I guess. Thanks.” At least if Darian was this worried about her, as misplaced as his concern was, he probably wasn’t going to kill her. Victor, on the other hand… Darian disappeared, and Bella was left alone with him. She brought her knees to her chest and tried not to look at him for fear that the stran
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"Are all the others out?" Bella asked, noting that the lot was almost empty. "Most of them," he said. "Clara and your dad are still around, as usual. Vic has been holed up in his office all day. Hunter and Clarence are still frolicking in the woods somewhere. Brendan was heading out with Maverick last I heard and uh, I think I saw Sarah with Jason." Anger started to boil inside Bella, but it couldn't take hold for some reason. "Oh, whatever," she muttered. "As long as she's leaving Dad alone." He glanced at her as he turned onto the road that led past campus. "That's a surprisingly zen attitude you got there." "I'm trying out a new approach to life," Bella said, admiring the heavily forested path. He shrugged. "Hey, I'm not complaining as long as you're okay.""I'm okay," Bella said. For the first time in a long time, she meant it.No one said a word for the rest of the ride. Darian took them into the city, or at least what passed for one in their little section o
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A knock at the door jolted Bella awake from the most delightful nap. Despite the dull throbbing in her head, she woke feeling more refreshed and alive than she had in recent memory. “Be right there,” she called, yawning as she sat up. Her head spun a bit once she got to her feet, but it wasn't bad enough to make her stagger.On her way to the door, she noticed something strange about her room. All her stuff was there, but it looked like half of the room had been cleared out. Before the thought could trouble her too much, she remembered that Victor had probably just come for the remainder of his old things. She did have his old room, after all. Strange that he wouldn't have mentioned it, though.She shrugged it off and pulled the door open to find Darian waiting on the other side. At least, she thought it was Darian. The man before her had lightly slicked back hair, a stark contrast from his usual tousled brown locks. He wasn't wearing a suit or anything, but for Darian, a gray b
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When Bella turned around, he was walking toward her calmly. She pressed herself against the door and struggled to slow her fluttering pulse as she looked around the room for escape. The window was too far to reach, and even if she did somehow manage to escape, she would only be prolonging the inevitable. Once Victor set his mind on something, no matter how horrible that something was, he got it. It briefly occurred to her that maybe that was why he was doing this. Maybe he thought his will had been strong enough to conquer her own and that removing all traces of it was the only way she would truly be free to choose. “I'm sorry, pup. I didn't want this to be a traumatic experience,” he murmured. “I was planning on waiting until tomorrow night, but it's just as well that I don't have time to talk myself out of this.” “Please don't do this,” she begged for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I don't want to forget you.” “You won't forget me,” he said softly. “J
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“Of course,” Bella said, startled that he felt like he had to ask. “Well, I know you didn't like him so I just thought...” He trailed off, losing his enthusiasm for a moment. “Thank you. It would mean a lot to have you there. Victor is coming, and he said your dad would probably want to come, too.” He glanced toward the stairs. “I'll let you go; I have to find Brendan.” “He's probably still out with the others celebrating, but I know he was planning on seeing if you wanted to go out later,” Bella said carefully. “Oh, darn. I wanted to invite him, but I'll just have to wait until later. Bye, Bella!” he waved, already halfway down the hall. “Bye, Mav.” Bella waved back, mystified. Barely recovered from the macabre interaction, she knocked on Victor's office door and waited for permission before she entered. “Aren't you supposed to be with him?” was his immediate response. “Hi to you, too,” Bella muttered, walking over to his desk.He gave her an apologetic sm
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“I'm fine,” Bella lied, brushing past her. She grabbed Bella's arm before she could head up the stairs. “You're a terrible liar,” she said, sounding a bit disappointed. “You get that from your father, obviously. Tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help.” “I went out to watch the others shift,” Bella said, leaning on the railing. “Now there's an all-American pastime,” she said, casting a lustful glance in the direction of the forest. “Honey, trust me, if your boy toys are upset about you sneaking a little peek at the competition, they probably don't have the equipment for the job in the first place.” “That's not it!” Bella snapped. “And they both have plenty of equipment for the—they're both well equipped, okay?” Bella stammered. “That's not what this is about.” “No?” She blinked. “Then what?” “I left the Lodge by myself. Months ago, Victor put a mental block up that would keep me from leaving the Lodge without permission,” Bella said. “It was our trade
