THE EAGER AUDIENCE
“Do you have someone picked out yet?" Ronan whispered in my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder as we waited in the wings.
"Hunter ought to be here tonight," I whispered back.
It was opening night of Fragile Dominance, and so far my theme had been a hit with our audience. In our first scene, Ronan's capture in my nets had drawn a collective gasp from the crowd, the introduction of the feather duster had brought out laughter, and by the time Ronan's body was thrashing in the trap and spurting cum down his own chest, I'd spotted no fewer than four audience members with their hands very much occupied. Self-pleasuring was always considered a good start to a show at the Company of Fiends.
My time with Con and Antin had been equally successful and a wonderful excuse to shower more touch onto Constantine, who soaked up every brush of fingers and lick of a tongue like a sponge.
In fact, every act had been met with enthusiastic applause, more so than usual, and a few patrons had snuck downstairs during intermissions to beg for humans to spank or demean them. Perhaps it was because the change in dynamics was so surprising, so out of the norm for our company, but the humans as masters was a hit. Reddy was prowling around behind the curtains with a bright gleam in his eye, and I knew he'd be mining for donations and funding from the audience at the end of the night.
"Did you see who else was out there?" Ronan asked.
"I didn't really look," I admitted, shrugging.
"Mmm…well, there's a surprise for you in the fifth row, stage left, near the aisle," Ronan said.
On the other side of the curtains, the audience was settling in their seats, the lights dimming from the end of intermission.
"What surprise?"
"Can't tell you a surprise. That's the point of one," Ronan said, lips twitching.
"That's a secret, not a surprise," I hissed, but Billy was whispering orders to us. Ronan kissed my throat and slipped away before I could grab at him. This scene was only for the humans—and our audience, of course.
And Ronan would have plenty of time with me later, since Hunter was…well, hunting this evening. I missed my orc, and as the lights rose gently on the stage and we tiptoed into the small doorways that led down to the audience, I knew I would find him in the crowd and bring him up to the stage with me. I'd already considered what I might like to make him do—bend over and let me play with his ass for a change.
Except Ronan's teasing was echoing in my head, and as I followed Alexa out of the shadows and into the audience, I couldn't help but count the rows.
One, two—oh, there was Hunter to the right, with a burly and shaggy redhead at his side—three, four…
My steps down the short staircase paused as my eye landed on my "surprise," as Ronan had put it. Jude Piper, just a couple seats left of the aisle, without his usual bowler hat to obscure those beautiful cheekbones and ice blue eyes.
Hugh nudged my back gently, and I nearly slid off the edge of the last stair, gathering myself at the last moment by luck.
Jude was here. In the audience. He'd watched me tickle Ronan with a feather duster, for Christ's sake, and command Con and Antin, and spread my legs for Constantine's mouth, my breasts nearly spilling out of my leather and lace-trimmed corset. The one I was still wearing, the one Jude's gaze glanced over, down to my stockinged legs and back up again, those eyes as sharp as a hook catching in my throat, calling me closer.
I stopped at Hunter's side and settled on his lap as Hugh passed me, following after Alexa, hunting through the crowd along to Nireas's playful and plodding musical guidance. Hunter's lap was warm under my bare thighs, and his hands helped themselves to a gentle grip of my hips as my arms circled his neck.
I pulled my stare from Jude at the last moment and smiled at Hunter, lowering my lips to hover over his. "I've missed you," I murmured.
"And I you, little one," Hunter answered, smiling.
"You ought to introduce me, Hunt," the jovial man at Hunter's side said, leaning close enough to brush his shoulder against my back.
"I certainly won't, Conall," Hunter growled, leaning in and grazing his tusks against my throat, breathing me in up to my ears.
Conall the Red Wolf, of course—the monster who'd introduced Hunter to the human world. I offered him a brief smile of acknowledgement and tried to shake off the gentle tugging still lingering in my belly, calling me across the aisle and up a few more rows.
"Will you be here tomorrow night?" I whispered to Hunter.
My orc grinned. "Yes, and I'll ferry you back to my bed after too," he answered. I kissed him, and one hand slid up to my ass, squeezing gently as he pulled away. "Go have fun, pet."
Not just permission, but encouragement.
I wiggled on his lap and grinned as Hunter's gaze brightened, his cock twitching with interest against my ass.
"Pick me," Conall whispered, grinning as Hunter shot him a glare.
"But sir, you don't strike me as one to kneel and obey," I said, batting my eyelashes.
Conall was handsome, remarkably hairy with wild auburn waves of hair, and charmingly roguish, with scratches across his cheek and through the opposite eyebrow. He reminded me of all the monsters who'd passed through my bed in the years past—interested in a mutually pleasurable fuck, but not in staying. I was spoiled now, and he didn't suit me.
"Clever girl," Conall said with a grin, a pair of bright, sharp canines winking at me from that feral smile. He was by far the most obvious werewolf I'd ever met in my life, and the only one I'd heard of with a title for himself.
I kissed Hunter again and lingered, brushing my nose against his, and then stood with his hands guiding me, helping themselves to a final pat and squeeze before I slipped away.
Jude was still watching me. Hugh was already escorting a giggling female troll—head and shoulders taller than him and blushing like a school girl—up to the stage, and Alexa had a hoard of monsters at the back begging for her favor. Christine, Evie, and Isabel on the other side of the room were in the middle of choosing their own guests for the scene, coaxing and flirting and teasing the monsters.
Jude looked human enough on the street, in daylight, but here, surrounded by other monsters, he glowed. He might not be the most obvious example of a monster, but his beauty was too remarkable to be mistaken.
The gentlemen at his side, a pair of feathered incubi, reached for me as I slid in front of them, but their touch paused as I tutted and shook my head.
I stopped in front of Jude and he scooted forward in his seat, his hands reaching out and wrapping around the backs of my thighs, balancing me as I straddled his lap and bent over him. The row in front of him twisted to watch, their murmurs of appreciation and jealousy covering the sound of my whisper.