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“The moment you stepped into the building; your birth name no longer mattered. I am only interested in the name you will be known as a sub in here. Again,” she blinked once. “Names.”
“I’m Cotton,” Delia quickly said.
“Ember.” Lilith forced the name from her lips. Every time she thought of the sub-name Master Crow had given her, his words resonated through her mind, setting her loins afire just as he had on stage.
“I chose the name since it’s how you glow after the fire of lust is satiated inside you.”
“So, you’re Ember,” Mistress Ruby stared at her for long moments, her eyes flicking up and down Lilith’s body once before she moved her attention to the tablet in her hand.
Lilith shifted her weight, uncomfortably concerned about the thorough inspection.
“Cotton, since you’re classified as experienced, you will be evaluated within the first two sessions in the Advanced BDSM 102 group, then Master Crow will decide whether you are ready to move onto the BDSM Gold group. You will wear a green wristband every time you arrive at class. Ember, you are allocated to the 101 group and will wear a white wristband. Each band is tagged specifically to an individual and is how you will gain access through every door in the building.” Mistress Ruby gestured to the revolving front door. “Even through the main door. Swipe the band over the scanners on the side of each door to gain access.” Her fingernails tap-tap-tap on the desk again.
“Let me give you a fair warning. If you arrive without the wristband, you will be left standing outside. No one will open for you. This is how we keep track of who attends their sessions and where everyone is at any given time inside the building. Any questions?”
“No, Ma’am.” With a sideways glance at Delia, Lilith followed her lead and secured the thin leather band on her wrist.
“Good.” Mistress Ruby handed each of them a thick gray leather organizer with their names engraved on it in silver. “This is a welcome package that you need to study, which has adequate pages for notes. Carry it with you at all times. It contains introductions to each of your trainers, a detailed map of each area, class schedules, and dress code requirements for each session. I suggest you familiarize yourself with the content. Training Masters don’t accept excuses for getting lost in the building.” Her gaze swept between them, urging a unified nod from both.
“Follow that hallway,”—she gestured toward a wide arch behind them—“to the gathering chamber, where the welcoming and rules discussion will take place once everyone has arrived.” She smiled briefly. “Welcome to Sensations Sub Academy, trainees.”
“Thank you, Mistress Ruby,” they said in a choir before quickly walking in the direction she had pointed.
“Good Lord, that woman makes my ass cheeks clench. Can you imagine her with a crop in her hand?” Delia glanced back. “I think she’s definitely one of the trainers we should tread lightly around.”
“I agree. She’s a fierce Domme, no doubt about that.”
Lilith was surprised at the number of people already assembled in the massive gathering room. Coffee, tea, and refreshments were laid out on a table against one wall, with rows of chairs lined up in front of a raised platform. Like with the reception area, the front wall of the room faced the back of the building with the same floor-to-ceiling tinted windows.
“Liquid energy! Yes. Come. I won’t be able to concentrate without my much-needed dose.”
Delia made a beeline toward the refreshments table with Lilith close on her heels. She most definitely needed a dose herself. If for no other reason than to kickstart her brain, which was gunning into overdrive with curiosity about Master Crow. He must be loaded to be able to own a building that’s worth millions. Club Sensations was exclusive, yes, and he owned numerous ones across the country with training academies attached to each. Since finance was her line of expertise, she would bet the income from that alone couldn’t fund the luxury and expense associated with both entities.
And where did Hunter Sutton come into all of this? Not that it mattered. Her aim was to get inside his head for a completely different reason. His level of kink or extracurricular interests were irrelevant.
If only she knew what he looked like. As a self-made billionaire and entrepreneur who made waves with his achievements as a software engineer at the young age of twenty, one would think his photo would be blazoned across the tabloids. It wasn’t. The man was an enigma and very protective of his personal life. No newspaper, tabloid, or magazine had ever managed to obtain one picture of him, except as a very young teenager. There were always photos of his team and the success of the companies he was associated with, but not a single one of him.
How the hell am I supposed to seduce the man if I don’t even know which of these men is him?
Sitting down with a plate of snacks and a latte, Lilith unobtrusively studied the men and women who were seated at the front of the room. She recognized Masters Scrooge, Adonis, and a couple of the others she had met on parade night. Those she hadn’t seen before appeared equally as powerful and confident. Hunter Sutton could be any of them, since most of them seemed to be in the above forty age group.
“I don’t see Master Crow. Do you think he’ll be here today?” Delia eagerly looked around and waved at some of the trainees.
“I have no idea.”
Lilith was of two minds. On the one hand, she desperately wanted to see him again to verify if the emotional attraction was still there. On the other hand, she was scared he already knew she was a fraud. Rocco was very vague about how he had managed to get her an invitation to the parade. No doubt, it involved something underhanded, which, if detected, would blow up in her face.
“Where did all these people come from? I thought only twelve trainees were selected,” Lilith muttered around a bite of a decadent pastry.
“Yes, a new group is selected after each graduation. Some of these present today are trainees moving on to the advanced levels. Also, apparently, Master Crow has an arrangement with a couple of exclusive BDSM clubs in and around Seattle. He allows each club two trainee spots to fill. If I recall correctly, the 101 course never has more than twenty trainees at a time. Master Crow believes in quality training and prefers to keep the classes small.”
“Since everyone has arrived, we will begin.” Master Scrooge’s guttural voice boomed through the acoustics of the room, immediately silencing the twittering from the trainees. The eagerness to start training was palpable in the atmosphere. “I am Master Scrooge, the Training Director of the Academy. This warning is only going to be given once. Inside this building and when we have sessions at Club Sensations, you will address each of your trainers in the appropriate manner. Ignore this instruction and you will be punished accordingly. Since this is a training academy to learn the skills to tap into your inner submissive, continued misconduct will not be tolerated. You have three chances to correct your attitude. Step out of a line a fourth time, and you will be expelled.” He waited until the muttering disintegrated under his warning glare.
“Please remember that every time a trainer needs to attend to punishment is time stolen from the rest of you who are here to soak up as much knowledge as you can in the short time the courses run. Expelling doesn’t happen haphazardly. It’s a matter we take seriously and an action we hate, but we will first and foremost always take what is best for the group into consideration.”
“Wow, this is worse than being at school,” Lilith said under her breath.
“Shh!” Delia slapped her on the thigh. “Do you want to be shown the door before your first lesson?”
