Part I here

It was a very long time before Alice realised that neither John nor Adam were coming back. After getting the mother and father of all spankings from John they had sent her to the corner, teasing her that she would stay there for an hour unless she wanted to get the switch in front of everyone. She had felt variously silly, aroused and humble at her treatment and had wondered if another spanking from Adam would have been so bad. Not that she wanted the promised belt, but maybe that was just part of the general teasing.

At first they had talked about her as if she wasn’t there, unless it was to comment on her sore bottom or how well she had taken her spanking. As time went on it dawned on her that perhaps according to their code she had deserved a spanking and now thoroughly put in her place she was forgiven.

It irked her that she was so accepting of this, but confronting the alternative meant that her cowardice and recklessness might have cost lives. Also she so wanted to rub her sore bottom, but kind of liked that she was too scared to. It was almost as if even such a trivial act by her mattered.

Then they had fallen to serious chatter about the hunters and had taken the conversation outside. She heard enough to know that she was seriously out of her depth and probably always would be.

Then as time went by she began to feel cold and even the burn in her bottom had eased. At least 40 minutes had gone by since they had gone outside and then got it. They had either finished with her or events had over taken them. They had just left her there standing in the corner like inconsequential brat. Well, compared to them in this world she was, she supposed.

It was hard to get mad and with a sigh she lowered her arms. The mirror revealed that her tail end was far from recovered and she turned this way and that to take in the view. Both the recent memory and some enthusiastic medicinal massaging left her breathless and when the door opened after a cursory knock she snatched away errant hands and all but leapt away from the mirror.

“Stacy,” she gasped and relaxed her grip on the towel hastily used to cover herself. “Are you okay?” she said, seeing that the young writer had been crying.

Stacy nodded vigorously and smiled despite the red rimmed eyes. “Are you?”

“I am not altogether sure,” Alice sighed. “You look like you have been crying?”

Stacy flopped down to sit on the bed and then jumped up again with an ‘ow.’ “This time Garrick spanked me,” she admitted, “What is it with these people?” She was rubbing her butt.

Alice offered Stacy a fixed grin as she slowly turned around and dropped her towel. “Snap,” she said with a wince.

“Wow, that looks almost as sore as my behind,” Stacy sounded genuinely impressed. “Who did that?” She leaned in for a closer look.

“The twins figured I needed taking down a peg for our little escape attempt,” Alice said ruefully.

“That was pretty much why Garrick spanked me,” Stacy lied.

Alice stooped to recover the towel and recovered herself. “Figures,” she said sounding unconvinced.

There was a long, long silence and Stacy moved over to a shelf and picked up a stray ornament as if it was fascinating.

“Stacy,” Alice took a deep breath. “Did Garrick say anything about… well, Stacy I saw, I saw what happened. You are one of them.”

“Yah,” Stacy sighed. “That’s what Garrick thinks too.” She put the ornament down and with a sudden wail she rushed forward and hugged Alice. She was crying.

*

Both brothers were not far away. In the days when they smoked they would have paused of a drag or two and watched the world go by. Instead they stood in companionable silence watching the to and fro in the compound and wondered if they should go help.

“You didn’t get to spank Alice,” John told his brother as if just remembering.

“You got it done,” Adam shrugged, “Besides, I figure she was cooked.”

“She looked more like she was going the other way to me,” John shot back. “I mean… I bet she is mad that we left her even if us staying did mean another spanking. Did you see her eyes? Talk about hungry like a wolf.”

“That’s what I mean. She is off balance, so are we for that matter,” Adam said sagely. “We have bigger fish to fry than… well to tell the truth I am stuck on the girl and I think you are too.”

John stuffed his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and looked to the heavens with a heavy sigh. His brother was right.

“I don’t think either of us is thinking straight, I know I’m not. Think about it. She is new to all of this before we start fighting over her. Her head must be a whirl.” Adam sounded glum.

“We are not fighting over her, are we?” John folded his arms and met his brother’s gaze.

“No, for the first time,” Adam agreed. “For the first time I care more what she thinks than what you think.”

“We let her choose?” John said and closed his eyes, in a contest he had to lose.

Adam reached out and came close to hugging his younger brother. Instead his hand settled on his shoulder. “We have to let her go. She ran once but her timing was off. Next time…” He swallowed hard. This was new territory for him. Next time she goes I will never see her again.

Just then Jared lumbered across the yard and saw his brother’s deep in conversation. He knew why too.

“Hey, stop mooning over that damn woman and get with the programme,” He bellowed.

Adam’s hackles rose and for a moment he took a warrior stance. It was all instinct and for a moment the air smelled dangerous.

John moved to cover his twin, just catching Jared’s eye to warn him her had his twin brother’s back. But Jared was brother too and the elder. One day he would be Alpha and any confrontation would have been a short one. “We hear you bro,” John answered.

Jared grinned. He knew when not to push. “I need you at my back,” he said.

Adam relaxed and nodded. “You got it boss man.”

Satisfied, Jared jogged away.

The twins exchanged glances. Nothing came between them, nothing would.

*

“So which of those boys are you dating anyway?” Stacy giggled. She was happy to change the subject. It was good to know that she wasn’t the only one getting spanked.

“Dating?” Alice shrugged, “So far both of them, not that that was my plan,” she added.

“I mean…” Stacy grinned.

“I know what you mean,” Alice said quickly, “Since you ask…” she blushed and her mouth formed a smirk, “So far both of them.”

Stacy gaped and her eyes opened wide. “No way,” she gasped and then she grinned, “Way to go girl.”

Alice rubbed her behind. “More fun in the contemplation than the execution I would say,” she said ruefully.

“I have never been with two guys at once,” Stacy bit her lower lip; a famous pop was imminent.

“Stacy,” Alice tried to sound shocked, “I haven’t either.”

Stacy grinned. The idea was there and Alice knew it. The lawyer was blushing.

“Which one do you prefer?” Stacy broke the awkward pause.

Alice shrugged. “I don’t know,” she sighed. “I used to think Adam. I have a thing about bad boys. But John is nice and as it turns out he can hold his own in the bad boy stakes.”

“So you like John?” Stacy asked.

“Adam is more vulnerable than he likes to think and all that go-for-it-first think-about-it-later crap is a front.” Alice told her.

“So you do like Adam?” Stacy accused.

Alice screwed up her face and with her teeth on points groaned, “Oh I don’t know.”

To be continued…