Making His Stand Read online

  Making His Stand

  Elan Isle, Book Two

  By

  Thianna Durston

  Copyright 2017 Thianna D.

  Smashwords Edition

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  Words Copyright © 2017 Thianna Durston

  Cover Design: © 2017 Thianna Durston

  Model Image: © Can Stock Photo / PawelSierakowski

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead, or places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to offer a sincere thank you to my betas, Ruth & Angela. Your help is invaluable!

  Table of Contents

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Author’s Note

  Coming Soon

  Have you read…?

  About the Book

  James Kaden-Scott’s method of coping with fear is escape and when his father tries to force him to do something that could kill him, he takes a job on Elan Isle as their accountant. While he knows the town is kinky, he has no idea what that means. Until the day he arrives.

  Alec Rowland has been in the BDSM lifestyle for seventeen years and loves it. For the first time in his life, he craves having a sub of his own. From the moment he meets James, he feels a pull toward him. When James asks him to teach him about kink, he’s thrilled.

  Between having his eyes opened to the kink world and trying to find his footing on Elan Isle, James finds himself torn between the old him and the new. When his worst fears come calling, history says to run, but for the first time in his life, he has something… someone to fight for. But those fears are strong, and some of them are real. If he makes a misstep, he could lose everything. If that happens, running may be his only recourse.

  Chapter One

  Alec Rowland poured out of bed and stretched, his arms reaching high toward the ceiling as he strode toward the bathroom. Today was a big day and he looked forward to it. What was so big about it? The sun was rumored to come out. After months of rain, wind, and the constant omnipresent cover of clouds, he almost didn’t believe sun existed anymore. He had vague memories of it from the summer before and looked forward to seeing it again.

  Especially as not only was it the first day of spring, but it was also the first push toward getting Ye Olde Kinke Faire ready for its June opening. Up until the summer before, Alec lived in Twin Falls, Idaho in a home he’d inherited from his grandmother. Technically he’d only lived there during the winter months. From April through October, he hit the kink fairs and conventions around the United States, giving lessons and selling his unique kink equipment. A well-known speaker on CBT, flogging, and all the wonderful ways to fuck with a sub’s mind, he was known for his sense of humor and his ability to get a sub to do almost anything with seeming ease.

  He’d be the first one to say there was no ease about it, but that he had worked with enough subs over the last seventeen years to be able to pinpoint which emotional strings to pull depending on what kind of sub they were.

  This year, for the first time since he graduated from college, he would not be travelling. Instead, he was a full-fledged member of the Elan Township Cooperative, and a shopkeeper for Ye Olde Kinke Faire. So while he did do specialized orders, he didn’t have to go out to find new clients or share his knowledge. They now came to him.

  Living close to where he would work at the Faire was a wonderful thing. The year previous the Faire was just getting started, so they had been given housing during its duration in cabins close to it. But this year, things were different. As of the end of the previous season, the Elan Township officially became a co-op and he and several others bought into it. He now owned a 1200 square foot, two-bedroom, two-story cabin on the northwest shore of Elan Isle. Technically he owned shares in the co-op, but he still considered the cabin his.

  Whistling softly under his breath, he turned on the shower and stepped in. Except for the two weeks they were without power due to an ice storm in January, there hadn’t been a problem with hot water. The cold turned to hot within thirty seconds and while it was true he never took long showers, he had never lost the heat yet.

  After a quick wash and a shave, he got out, dressed, and went downstairs to get some breakfast. While the top floor of the cabin was separated into two bedrooms and a bathroom, the bottom floor was one large space with a living room, kitchen, dining room, and a large hearth that had kept him warm, especially when the power went out. His cupboard was almost bare. Alec figured once he found out where they were at with the rebuild that he would take one of the three shared boats owned by the co-op over to the peninsula and do some shopping. They had a small grocery store, and he’d relied on it during the winter months, but now that the weather was improving, it would be nice to hit a real store where he could pick up things like a gas barbecue and big, thick steaks.

  He combined the dregs of three boxes of cereal and after adding the last of his milk, grabbed a spoon and opened the back door. The weatherman hadn’t lied. He could see blue sky through the leaves overhead. Pleased, he grabbed one of his dining room chairs and dragged it onto the back porch. It might be a cool forty-nine degrees, but after the winter they’d had, it was spring to him.

  Wind rustled through the trees and the waves lapped softly at the beach just out of sight. He leaned back and ate his breakfast, enjoying the outside of his new place for the first time since he took residence. While he bought into it right before the Faire ended at the beginning of September, he’d had to leave the moment the Faire closed its gates to attend several conventions he’d already signed up for. During the hell that was autumn, he also took trips to Twin Falls to clear out his house, send his items to Elan Isle, and get the old place ready for sale.

  So he never got to e
njoy fall, but he would this year. In fact, he couldn’t wait to see what they’d done with the Faire grounds. The land designated for it was large, but they’d only had a few buildings the year before. Kendrick, the head of the co-op and one of the owners of the Faire, had plans to expand it to three times its former size. Alec had arrived in late November during one of the storms that plagued the area as the winds coming off the Strait of Juan de Fuca could be quite intense. It had never even occurred to him to glance toward the grounds as he ran from the docks along the edge of the island until he reached the co-op’s business building. There he’d received the key to his house. One addition they’d added while he’d been gone was a herd of electric carts to get around in. The cabins were in sets of ten and each set, or pod as they were called, had three carts plugged into a station nearby and if you needed one, you used it.

  It was a blessing not to have to run along the thin gravel lane to the opposite side of the island when it was pouring outside.

  Laughter from somewhere to his right made him smile. Becca Hesse was a sweet sub and a highly intelligent woman. He’d gotten to know her quite well the previous summer. Kendrick’s girl, she had an unassuming air about her he appreciated. And from the way she was laughing, she and Kendrick were playing some sort of game.

  When they first told him about the co-op, he’d been intrigued but skeptical. After all, they were marketing it as a kink community where the members could be out about who they were. How out could they be if there were children nearby? As it turned out, they separated the pods into children-friendly and adults-only. The children-friendly pods were on the southwest corner of the island and had their own dock so they could go to and from the peninsula without going past the Faire if needed. The majority of the pods, though, were adult-only for which Alec was grateful.

  Children were fine, but buying into the co-op had not been cheap. If he was investing that kind of money, he wanted to live his life as out as he could be. Of course, that argument was somewhat nil as he didn’t have a sub of his own and never had. He loved to train and play with subs, but the thought of having one permanently had only been a brief thought that he could just brush away and go back to torturing a cute little twink. Over the last year or two he’d started feeling there had to be more. The problem was that he had no idea how to go from a trainer Dom to a Dom with a full-time sub and boyfriend.

  He had the nasty feeling it included dating. He hated dating.

  “Get back here,” Kendrick shouted and Becca’s squeal precipitated her running around the corner of his home, completely naked except for the tail sticking out of her ass.

  Alec smirked. Kendrick had mentioned that Becca was interested in pony play. Looked like she was getting a taste. She cut close, probably not realizing he was seated right outside his door. In one move, he pulled the bowl out of the way. With his other hand, he grasped her and toppled her over his lap.

  “No,” she said in complaint, though her laugh killed the whine.

  “Unruly ponies,” he tsked. “Kendrick, your pony needs more training.”

  “Agreed,” Kendrick said as he rounded the corner. His dark blond hair had grown over the winter and was pulled back at his neck. He looked somewhat like the pirate persona he took on at the Faire. “Good thing I’ve got a crop with her name on it.”

  They helped the out-of-breath pony back to her feet and Kendrick smacked her ass hard. “I see you’re enjoying the morning as well,” Kendrick said as he pulled Becca close to him.

  “After the winter we’ve had? Damn straight.” Alec gave a sigh of contentment. “What’s on the docket for today? I want to head over to the peninsula and stock up.”

  “We’re meeting down by the gate at eight,” Kendrick said, appearing as though he was trying not to laugh as Becca strained to run away and he caught her by grasping onto the tail. By her squeak, which reminded Alec more of an oink than a whinny, the plug holding the tail on must be a locking one. “Chandler got a lot done last fall. The flood basements are set for the large buildings and the cement for fifteen shops and twelve eateries are in.”

  Surprised, Alec forgot about his breakfast for a moment. “That’s more than you thought.”

  “A lot more,” Kendrick agreed, tugging lightly on Becca’s tail. “The outside of your shop isn’t up yet, but we decided on prefabs for the permanent ones and those are set to arrive in the next week. I’ll be able to give everyone the timeline of expected completion once my bratty little pony stops fighting me and we can go home and print it off.”

  Becca pouted and stopped trying to get away.

  Alec chuckled. Becca was a good sub for Kendrick. Sweet, but she also kept him on his toes. He didn’t see Kendrick getting bored any time soon.

  “Are you just going over to Sequim? Or on to Port Angeles?” Kendrick asked.

  “Port Angeles. Anything you need?”

  “Yes, there is. Our store will get restocked tomorrow, but our accountant starts today and I’d like to get his computer system and the software we need for it. I’ll buy it and if you’d pick it up, that would be perfect.”

  “Not a problem. I’m also hoping to pick up a barbecue while I’m there. Thought during spring we could have a few old-fashioned get-togethers.”

  Becca’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that would be wonderful.”

  “Ponies don’t talk,” Kendrick reminded her with a loud slap to her ass.

  She didn’t say anything but she winked at Alec. He coughed through a chuckle. Yes, no doubt she kept Kendrick on his toes.

  Once they left to go back to their cabin, which was two doors down from his, Alec finished his breakfast and went back inside. If they were having a meeting at eight, he’d have everything ready so he could leave directly from there.

  Whistling under his breath again, he packed his shoulder bag with his wallet, a list of items he needed, and his camera. As a maker of fine BDSM toys, he was always looking for inspiration. If he saw something that drew his eye, he took a picture of it. Sometimes inspiration came right away. Other times it took a few weeks or months to percolate before he knew exactly what he needed to create.

  One glance in the mirror before he left the cabin told him he needed a haircut. For years, he’d worn his hair long, but on a whim, the previous fall, he’d had it buzzed to the scalp. And loved it. However, it had been months since he’d been to a barber. His hair somewhat resembled a bowl cut with a few stragglers here and there. There was no fucking way he was going around like that. He quickly wrapped a bandana around his head and headed toward the Faire grounds.

  Adult members of the township milled around the gate and he nodded to those he knew. The coffee shop, Penny University, which used to be right inside the gates was gone and when he looked to see where it was, he almost gawked. While the smaller shops weren’t up yet, the stages and a few larger buildings were. The grounds were huge. He would have to put pictures up on his blog.

  His followers on social media had asked about the Faire several times and he looked forward to sharing with them the sheer size of the place. Those who visited the Faire the year before had left with mostly fantastic ratings and planned to return this season.

  “Good morning.” Kendrick strode toward them, Becca at his side. While her tail was gone, she was completely naked except for sandals. By the look of embarrassment on her face, Alec assumed she was being punished. After Kendrick dropped a small pillow on the ground and Becca knelt on it, he waved toward the large expanse. “How do you like the look of the expanded Ye Olde Kinke Faire?”

  Excitement rose in the group and questions popped out about who would be where and when their shops would go up. “Chandler will be here on Monday to make sure everything’s in place,” Kendrick assured them. “We went with prefab buildings for the permanent shops and eateries. They have the look we want, and will be hardier through the winter months.” He handed out a sheet of paper to everyone.

  Alec looked down at it and smiled. A map of the expanded faire along with
the buildings. His eyes darted around until he spotted where Alec’s Cock & Bull Shop would be. The far southeast corner. He glanced in that direction and settled back on his heels. Very nice. If he wanted to do outdoor demos, he’d practically be right on the beach.

  “Oh good,” Alice said, “permanent bathrooms. I was getting tired of the porta potties.”

  “Oh we’ll still have tons of those,” Kendrick said with a chuckle. “But they’ll be by the docks. On the grounds, we’ll have three types of permanent bathrooms. For Doms, subs, and a uni bathroom for anyone.”

  “Nice touch,” Alec said. “Takes the whole gender/sex thing out of the equation.”

  “Exactly. Now, as far as I know, the prefabs are arriving in a specified order. They’ll be putting the buildings furthest away up first and then working this way because of the fact they’re using huge equipment and once the nearby buildings are done, it’s going to be hell for them to get over there.”

  “What about housing the summer workers?” Bonnie Bretham asked. A mystery writer, she hadn’t been involved in the Faire the year before, but he’d heard rumors she was involved with the stages this coming season. An accomplished domme, she would make a good show.

  “We’ve got that covered,” Kendrick said. “We’ve contracted with three houses a few miles south of Sequim. It’s going to be close-quarters and dorm-style living, but all of our actors who don’t live on the island will be offered housing there. They will contract directly with the housing agent so we don’t have to be involved. However, I’m also making it part of their contract with us that if they live in one of those houses, they are acting as a representative for the Faire and to make sure they leave the place exactly how they found it. And that any damages will come out of their final paychecks if they don’t.”

  Kendrick’s partners filled them in on everything else going on and when the meeting broke up just before nine, Alec headed toward the co-op’s boats. He was glad Kendrick had purchased them. It would be a pain in the ass if they had to use the ferry system that came to the island twice a day.