I glanced at Luke, who nodded and smiled.
“Okay.”
“I’ll be in the dining room like I said,” Luke reminded me, then left us.
Lila and Alyssa moved further away too, giving us space.
“Come, let’s talk in the next room.” Master Allen turned to walk back to the front hall.
I followed him, but I had to glance over my shoulder at where Sir had gone, just in case. He was already gone into the dining room.
Master Allen gestured at me to enter a room across the hall, kind of under the stairs. The house had to be massive, and I had no idea what exactly we were walking into. To my surprise, it was almost like an old-timey cigar room. There was even a fireplace!
“Here, let’s sit, boy,” he said and took a seat at one of the Chesterfield armchairs by the unlit fireplace.
I sat on the edge of the couch, marveling at how well this place did what Master Carl had tried his best to do. I knew Carl’s Chesterfields were fake as fuck, as I was starting to realize, was his personality.
“So, Bear. I know we only met at Carl’s, but I feel like you know about me?” he said in a kind, almost fatherly tone. Which kind of made sense, since he was old enough to be my dad.
“Uh, yes, Master.” Then I winced. “Master Carl wasn’t… kind, when he spoke of you.”
Master Allen let out a belly laugh. “I am not surprised in the least. But you know my reputation, right?”
I nodded quickly. “Yes, and Sir—I mean Luke—has told me more.”
Something sparkled in his eyes when I called Luke Sir. “And how has Luukas treated you?”
I beamed without meaning to. “Oh, he’s been so wonderful, Master. Just… so kind.”
Allen chuckled warmly. “He is. He truly is.” He tilted his head a little. “He can have a bit of a temper, so—”
“No, he’s only been nice!” I almost snapped at him. “I mean, he has shown that he’s angry at Carl, but I know it’s on my behalf, so….”
Master Allen seemed pleased. “That’s good.”
I thought at Luke’s place and how homey it seemed. But then I remembered the picture on his dresser and the way that Domme upstairs had talked about Elio, I guess his name was.
“What’s wrong, boy?”
I shook my head a little. I didn’t want to answer.
“Bear, if something is wrong, you need to tell me.” I guess I seemed more upset than I thought I was, because he leaned forward and peered at me seriously. “Bear?”
Swallowing hard, I avoided eye contact and asked, “W-who was Elio?”
“Ah….” He leaned back again, sighing. “Elio was Luukas’s husband, but you already knew that.”
I nodded, but stayed silent.
“Elio was Italian-American, he was a marine biologist who was guest lecturing at the University of Washington when they met. Elio had come to one of our kink events and the rest was history.”
“He… I mean someone said today he was basically the golden boy.” I couldn’t help how I twisted those words I’d heard, how I felt a stab of jealousy.
There was a beat of silence, then Master Allen sighed again. “He was the perfect submissive for Luukas, yes. He was a handsome, intelligent man who was well loved in this community.”
For some reason, a tear rolled down my cheek. Then another one.
Allen made a small sound I couldn’t interpret. “Bear, you need to understand that what people on the outside see can be very different to what happens on the inside of a relationship.”
