Harem House Chapter 41 (Patreon)

Lynn knelt in the dirt, facing the doused fire pit and Mindy in her minuscule red bikini. For Lynn, today had been one disaster after another, and she couldn’t take any more. This facade of an apology dinner had turned into a brawl, which she lost. Now, she couldn’t even use her phone footage of the gathering because Kat had seen her scheme coming. It didn’t matter whether Lynn had knocked it out of her hand or Kat had tossed it. Her phone, in its elegant white case, was nothing but a pile of warped plastic dripping over a metal frame buried beneath a thick layer of extinguisher goop. She had no phone. 

Kelly’s constant bullying had driven Lynn to tears, and she’d cried in front of the others, something she swore to herself she’d never do. She was on her knees in her designer swimsuit, apologizing to a nobody. A cute, big-titted, dim-witted college freshman obsessed with Arty and the sex cult he was forming. The whole thing made her sick. Yet, she had no options. None she could seize tonight, anyway. Oh, she’d make them pay for this, for sure. Her campaign to reach out to their families? She’d redouble her efforts. She’d ruin their lives and bring them as low as she felt right now, with her knees in the dirt. 

Until then, she had to play along. She had to let them think they’d won. Lynn had to get them off her back. Apologizing to Mindy was the only way to do it and keep her apartment. 

It wasn’t fair. There were too many of them. Where was this camaraderie from the women Lynn met over the years? Why didn’t they fall in line around her the way these women did with Kelly? The foxy redhead had been calling the shots tonight, and now Lynn was facing Mindy like Mindy was a superior being. 

Lynn breathed through her nose, trying to hide her rage, but she was too tired to hold onto it for long. She wanted to curl up, cry, and let the night pass. Yet, her rage and indignation would return in the morning. She knew that. 

For now, she had to swallow her pride and play their game. She walked on her knees, keeping her back straight and rigid, which pushed her breasts forward. They heaved with annoyance as she came to a stop and faced Mindy. She took a deep breath, preparing to speak the most painful words she’d ever spoken. 

“I’m sorry,” Lynn said. 

Mindy looked at Kelly, who shook her head no. 

“Not good enough,” Kelly said. 

Lynn slid her eyes toward Kelly without turning her head, then returned them to Mindy. She sighed in frustration and bowed her head, staring at Mindy’s feet. “Mindy, I’m sorry that I outed you to your parents and that I tried to do it as vengeance against you, your girlfriend, who seems to have disappeared, and Arty.”

“Arthur,” Kelly corrected. 

Lynn rolled her eyes. “And Arthur.” 

Mindy glanced at Kelly, who looked just as annoyed as Lynn did. Katelyn and Kat stood close together, but Kat was recording the apology on her phone with Lynn in profile. The camera was on her. She had to sell what she said. She couldn’t edit it later to make herself seem more apologetic than she was. 

Lynn wondered if she looked pitiful enough, or if the camera even caught her expressions. The group was in shadow, with patio torchlights, lights from the pool house, pool, and house illuminating the area and casting their spare rays toward the dark firepit and its chairs. 

“I’m not sure how to prove that I won’t do it again,” Lynn said, balling her hands into fists. Her tight throat choked her voice as she spoke, and after a few words, her hands shook. “I’m not a homophobe. Sexuality is a spectrum, or whatever. Women can be into women; it’s not a problem. So don’t call me that again. I don’t hate you because you’re bi, or pan, or whatever. I was angry at you because you laughed at me, mocked me, and called me stupid.” 

“You are stupid,” Kelly said, cutting in again. “You’ve proven that time and time again. Why are you trying to justify–” 

“I’m not justifying,” Lynn said, cutting Kelly off for once. “I’m explaining. Yeah, I probed your cult or whatever–” 

“We’re not a cult.” Kat cut in, but Lynn ignored her. 

“–and I started making plans to get you away from Arty,” Lynn said. 

“Arthur.” Kat and Kelly said together. 

“Why did you want to get us away from Arthur?” Mindy asked, crossing her arms under her ample chest as she glared at Lynn. 

Lynn grimaced and gritted her teeth. “You’re corrupting and manipulating him.” 

Kelly laughed. 

Lynn cast her eyes to the ground and took the laughter. “I’m just–I’m sorry, okay? I was wrong, and I give up. He’s all yours. We can call a truce. Please. Truce?” 

The girls glanced at each other, each weighing the others’ expressions to determine whether they believed Lynn. No one seemed convinced. She didn’t blame them. It’d be classic politicking to declare a truce to lull her enemies into doing nothing while she continued making moves. No, they wouldn’t fall for that. 

“If you want a truce, you need to prove it,” Mindy said. 

“How?” Lynn asked, curious. “Kelly mentioned making it up to you, but I don’t know how. I hope buying you and the others dinner counts for something, especially since Kat ruined my phone–” 

Kelly cleared her throat, and Lynn fell silent. The indignity of remaining on her knees while the others stood around her made her tense with shame. The glorious Lynn Barrera brought low with shame, regret, and fury. No other recourse presented itself, though. 

Her pride reared its ugly head, making her want to stand and slap the grin off Kelly’s face. Instead, Lynn swallowed her pride because otherwise, she would have choked on it. Her loneliness struck her in the gut as the others shared glances of silent communication. It’d been plaguing her all day, with being locked outside an embarrassing reminder. She’d intended to isolate Arthur, and instead she’d isolated herself. Even Deb, her surrogate mother, had abandoned her because of Arthur. She had nothing and no one, while Mindy had the others on her side. They even had Deb. 

She kept the tears in check, her palms flat against her thighs now as she rubbed her legs for warmth in the bitter breeze. The emptiness inside her grew. 

“It’ll cost money to replace, and I don’t expect that Kat has that kind of cash,” Lynn said. “So she can’t replace it.” 

“Do you even have a job?” Kat asked. Annoyance weighed heavily in her voice, and she took a combative stance with her phone’s camera still aimed at Lynn. 

“I’m working on a few different–” 

“No, you’re going to ask your parents for a new phone, right?” Kat asked. “I might be poor, but at least I’m working. You’re just a freeloader.” 

Katelyn put her arm around Kat’s middle, hugging her with her one good arm, not in a sling. Kat seemed to calm down after that. 

“I just meant I can’t buy you anything else since my phone fell into the fire pit,” Lynn said through gritted teeth. 

“So, how can she prove it to you, Mindy?” Kelly asked. “What would you tell her to do?” 

“I’d have her apologize to Arthur for assaulting him,” Mindy said immediately. “And move out.” 

“Assaulting him?” Lynn asked, surprised. “What are you talking about? I just tackled him at homecoming. It was playful, and he didn’t complain. I didn’t assault him.” 

The entire energy in the surrounding women shifted like the shoulders of a lioness ready to pounce. The anger and hatred around her turned murderous, and Lynn balked at Mindy’s expression. Fear suddenly flickered in her heart. Scheming and plotting, playing the part of the broken-spirited for a dinner was one thing. Surviving a beating from the women surrounding her was another. Lynn tensed, closing her eyes and turning her cheek to brace for the slap, but it never came. 

“Senior year,” Mindy said, waving her finger in Lynn’s face. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what we’re talking about.” She said something in Korean that Lynn didn’t understand, but the tone sufficed to convey her meaning. Whatever she said, it wasn’t nice. 

“I think apologizing to Arthur is a great start,” Kelly said. “But I don’t want to ruin his guys’ night with her. Maybe on Sunday? After she’s had time to draft a proper apology? Not a half-assed one like she’s trying to give Mindy.” 

“AN APOLOGY?” Kat bellowed. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I agree with Rani. She deserves jail time; that’s the only penance I’ll accept.” 

The only assault that came to mind was the beating the football players gave Arthur. Lynn wouldn’t take the blame for what the football team did. They could fuck off if they thought she’d fall on that sword. Besides, she’d already apologized for everything in high school, hadn’t she? All the teasing and bullying she’d done? She’d known she was a bitch, and she owned that. She’d apologized for it.

“I’ve apologized,” Lynn said, “and he won’t face me. I’ll try again, though, if it’ll get the rest of you off my back. You said he’s inside?” Lynn asked, looking up at Mindy. 

“Uh,” Mindy hesitated, looking at Kelly again. 

“Are you willing to apologize to him?” Kelly asked. “For everything you did? For what you did to him in his senior year? I’ll get him, but only if you’re dead-ass serious right now. If this is a ploy, plot, or scheme, I’ll–I swear I’ll–” 

Lynn’s head snapped to Kelly. “What the fuck do you know about it anyway? There’s no way he told everyone what really happened.” 

“He did,” Kelly said, her mouth set in a line. “I have it from multiple sources. You crossed the line that night.” 

“But you’d apologize? You’re sorry for what you did?” Mindy asked. 

Lynn wondered if they were talking about the same thing. “For not stopping the football team? Or for trying to give him what he wanted? What he spent years begging me for?” Lynn asked, rolling her eyes. “He wanted it, but was so pathetic that he couldn’t even get it up on the–” 

Lynn’s words cut off as the back of Mindy’s hand slapped her across the face so hard she fell sideways from her knees, catching herself with her hands. The smack cracked through the patio like a whip, and Lynn’s red blush covered her face as tears filled her eyes in pure biological reaction to the pain. 

“I’m sorry!” Mindy shouted, reaching for Lynn, then drawing her hands back. “I mean, I’m not! I didn’t mean to, I just–” 

“FUCK YOU!” Lynn spat, rising to her feet, or trying to rise. Kelly’s hand gripped her collarbone hard, and she fell to her knees, holding her face with one hand and trying to pry Kelly’s fingers from her collarbone with the other. “Ow!”

“You deserved that,” Kelly said, her voice as cold as Hades. “And now you can count you and Mindy even.” 

“Oh, is that all it takes? I apologize to each of you in line. You take your turns slapping me in the face, and we’re square?” Lynn spat into the dirt and checked her mouth with the back of her hand to see if she was bleeding. She wasn’t. Her cheek still stung, and the open air wasn’t helping. 

“I’m okay with trying that,” Kelly said. “But it’ll take more than that for some of us.” She glanced at Kat, who appeared ready to kick Lynn in the face. 

“Like what?” Lynn asked, tears falling from her eyes. Usually, such a sight would bring sympathy and empathy from the people surrounding her, but even Mindy had none to spare. “What more do you want? I have no car, and nowhere to go. No phone, and no one to call,” Lynn said. Her voice was small and broken. “My parents don’t want me living with them, and you were right: I have no friends. I admit it, alright? I’m nothing but a stupid, pathetic, worthless cunt.” 

“Don’t forget disgusting,” Kelly said. 

“A stupid, pathetic, worthless, and disgusting cunt.” Lynn said, her tears darkening the earth between her dirt-dusted hands. 

“I can’t tell if you’re being genuine,” Mindy said. Confusion crept along the edges of her fury as she circled Lynn, wary and cautious. “Are you apologizing? Or just playing games again? You keep swinging between groveling and saying nasty things about Arthur. Are you just waiting until you figure out a way to gain the upper hand and attack us again?” 

“I don’t know how to prove it,” Lynn said, sniffling. “But I’ll do anything. I’ll march inside and apologize to Arthur, or I’ll stay on my knees the rest of the night. I don’t care anymore; I just want it to end.” 

“Anything?” Kelly asked. 

Lynn nodded. 

“I want to hear you say it,” Kelly said. 

“I said I’ll do anything,” Lynn repeated. “Just tell me what to do.” 

Kelly, Katelyn, Mindy, and Kat looked at each other, reading each other’s faces for ideas or confirmation of ideas, when Rani interrupted their silent counsel. 

“Food’s here!” Rani cried, clutching a bag of food as she emerged from the side yard onto the patio. “What’d I miss?” 

~~~

Arthur and Selene sat at the bottom of the square sofa nest, its U-shaped couch and interior square section forming a nest of cushions on which to recline. Having planned for a guys’ night, he wore his typical attire: slacks and a buttoned shirt. To surprise him, Selene wore a tight, black latex minidress, black wrist and ankle cuffs, a black BDSM collar with a steel O-ring, and her narrow brown leather choker. Arthur had his arm around her, and she cuddled against him with her hand in his lap, stroking his length beneath his slacks as they watched Selene dance naked in the green room on the big-screen TV. 

To their left, Brad and Jen were in a similar arrangement. They’d stopped watching to make out with Jen on her side, facing Brad, her back to Arthur and Selene. Brad had his typical jeans-and-t-shirt look going, but Jen had dressed herself to fit Selene’s theme. Her wrist cuffs, ankle cuffs, and collar matched Selene’s and Maria’s, while her black miniskirt and tube top were a style of her own. Her fishnet top covered her tube top, and her fishnet stockings covered her legs. She’d abandoned her high heels behind the sofa. 

To their right, Mark and Maria mirrored Brad and Jen. Maria reclined on her side between Mark and the TV, making out while she grabbed his junk and he rubbed her crotch under her pleated skirt. She’d disheveled her black dress, but she didn’t seem to care as she swallowed Mark’s tongue. 

The video played on loop, though only Arthur watched it with any interest. He was hard in Selene’s hand, but she was keeping herself in check, following orders and not pushing him to take things further. Fear he might utter his safeword again or call the whole thing off kept her from asking to suck his cock, even as her mouth watered for it. 

Arthur rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. It’d been a long day in a long week. The awkward make-out session with his friends had grown out of his desire to reconnect with his guy friends, Mark and Brad. Selene had brought their girlfriends along in her attempt to surprise Arthur with three submissive and eager waitresses ready to wait on them hand and foot. 

Dinner was over, and they’d lost interest in the movie, A Knight’s Tale, much to Arthur’s disappointment. For all their eagerness, Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen waited for Arthur to set the pace. Unexpected leadership became a burden he didn’t know how to handle. He’d warned them he and Selene were kinkier than they expected, that they weren’t required to follow in their footsteps. Yet his friends seemed to want to experiment with kink and use him as their guide. 

When Selene fed him his dinner, Maria and Jen fed their boyfriends. Selene knelt across his lap, so Maria knelt across Mark’s, and Jen laid across Brad’s. Selene fetched his drinks, and Maria and Jen did the same for Mark and Brad. Now that everyone was settled, they waited for whatever came next. 

Arthur’s mind played out scenarios as he struggled to decide. Whatever he told Selene to do, Maria and Jen would try to recreate with Mark and Brad. While that wasn’t a terrible idea, their inexperience and lack of awareness meant he had to keep things simple. Minimal gear helped in that regard, while his lack of preparation and resources limited his options. Part of him wanted to punish Selene for taking away his guys’ night, but that wouldn’t help. The miscommunication was a larger problem, and they wouldn’t solve that with a spanking. 

Hopefully, the couple’s therapy he suggested would help steer Selene away from her addiction to being his sex slave, which was a strange problem to have. Arthur breathed through his nose. 

“Master, are you okay?” Selene whispered with her lips an inch from his ear. “Are you still mad at me?” 

No, he wasn’t, but the frustration still buzzed in his brain. He wasn’t sure if he was in the right headspace or if he’d end up crossing the line. Then again, she was never uncomfortable with pushing the boundaries. Her limits were further away than his. 

“I’m just trying to figure out what to do next,” Arthur said, telling the truth. He spoke in whispers, just like she did, doing his best not to disturb the others, despite the glances that came his way. “I’ve never had to lead a multi-couple session before with total improvisation. I haven’t had time to prepare.” 

Selene’s shoulders curled forward, crumpling her posture against his side as she stared at his thigh. “I’m sorry.” 

Guilt at her remorse nagged at Arthur. He squeezed her in a one-arm hug. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. We’ll have our guys’ night another time.” 

They were quiet for a while, cuddling and squeezing each other in tender caresses. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen let them be, making out with each other in growing passion that ended with the girls straddling the guys. Selene bit her lip as she watched Jen grind on Brad, her miniskirt riding up to show her ass and the black thong beneath. Maria’s pleated skirt fell more modestly, but Mark’s hands were all over her round ass, lifting it and flashing her cheeks and white thong to their audience. Between that and Selene’s video strip dance to “I’m a Slave 4 U” looping on the TV, Selene squirmed while Arthur’s stiff erection threatened to tear open his slacks. 

“Slut…” Arthur whispered. 

“Yes, Master?” Selene asked. 

“I want you to kneel between my legs and suck my cock.” Arthur said, spreading his legs so that Selene could crawl between them. 

“Thank you, Master,” Selene said as she crawled over his thigh and turned to face him. She lowered his zipper and pulled him out of his slacks, sucking and bobbing her head along the upper half of his shaft.

The way they were situated, the others only got a fleeting glance of his dick before Selene’s body and head obscured it. Still, it was enough for Maria to break off her kiss and remark on it. 

“You were right,” Maria said in a stage whisper loud enough for everyone to hear. “He’s huge.” 

Mark grinned. “Told you.” 

Brad and Jen didn’t seem to notice; they continued making out as Jen rubbed herself against Brad’s length, still in his jeans. 

“Sugartits, suck my dick,” Mark said, commanding Maria with the name he’d given her for tonight. 

Maria smiled. “Yes, Master,” she said as she slid to the side, still facing Arthur and Selene as she put her head on Mark’s lap, and opened his jeans. She sucked his tip into her mouth, running her tongue around the head. He was much smaller than Arthur, but not an embarrassing size, merely average. Arthur hadn’t seen his friend hard before; it was a strange experience. 

A certain locker-room mentality prevailed, and the instinct of embarrassment was difficult to indulge with Selene choking on his cock. He didn’t have time to contemplate further as Mark pulled Maria’s dress off her shoulders and pulled her tits out of the top. He started playing with them, squeezing her nipple and teasing her as his arm trapped her head against his thigh and kept her mouth on his dick. 

Jen didn’t wait for Brad to command her to follow the pattern. She slid backward along his thighs and lay between his legs, crossing her legs despite the miniskirt’s riding up to expose her. Brad unbuttoned his jeans and opened his fly, pulling himself out. Jen guided his shaft into her mouth, sucking on him as Brad sucked in a long breath.

The three men had seen each other naked in the locker rooms, and changing backstage through their theater endeavors, but never hard and in this context. It was strange, but not as awkward as Arthur had imagined it might be. It was like watching a porno, but live, and only a few feet away. Brad seemed the most nervous, but even he stole glances toward Selene whenever she made a gagging sound. 

Jen used her hands at the base of Brad’s dick to form a diamond. She squeezed him between her hands as she sucked him, the noises she made mirroring Selene’s while she worked to take him into her throat. 

Selene stretched her neck, pushing her head forward and keeping her throat straight to sheath Arthur’s cock inside her. She swallowed, using her muscles to massage him in her throat, then raised her head to pull partway off him so she could breathe. She repeated the process, working her way to the base of his dick as she went. 

Arthur relaxed, stretching out and putting his hands behind his head, his elbows to either side as he closed his eyes and lounged. Selene’s efforts continued at a languid, regular pace while he watched or ignored her dance on the television. 

Brad sipped his drink, relaxing into his chair and toasting Mark across from him. Mark mirrored the gesture with his root beer, holding Maria’s face against his crotch with his other hand. She gulped as he did, and Mark let out an “Ah” of satisfaction as he spread his arms along the sofa cushions behind him. 

“This is the life,” Mark said. 

“You said it,” Brad agreed. 

“It’s enough to make me jealous of Arthur,” Mark said. “This is his life every night? With his pick of six of the eight hottest women on campus?” Mark glared at Arthur. “Fuck you, man.” 

“Yeah, fuck you.” Brad joined in the joke. 

Arthur shrugged. “And to think tonight I was looking forward to taking a break and hanging out with the guys.” 

“We’ll reschedule,” Brad said quickly. “Tonight? Let’s enjoy our girlfriends’ brief lapse in judgment and give Mark and me a glimpse into the high life.” 

Arthur chuckled, which was an odd feeling with Selene’s throat sheathing his cock. “Okay. You want to know what it’s like to have your girlfriend be your slave for a night?” 

“Duh,” Mark said, shaking his head. “Let’s go, man. Show us how to dominate like the best of them.” 

“Okay.” Arthur agreed. “You want to finish first, or get right to it?” 

“Finish first,” Brad said, his hands on Jen’s head as she sucked his cock, bobbing her head to the rhythm of a song only she could hear. 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “Whichever slave gets her master to finish first earns a reward. The slave whose master finishes last earns a punishment. Thumbs-up if you agree.” 

Mark and Maria gave their thumbs-up. Jen followed their example, and Brad gave his approval once Jen had given hers. Selene locked eyes with Arthur, continuing his blowjob and giving both thumbs-up as she ratcheted into high gear. She wanted her reward.

“On your mark, get set, blow,” Arthur said, restraining his laughter as he stretched out on the giant sofa. 

Maria, Jen, and Selene each went to work on their boyfriends, Mark, Brad, and Arthur. They clung to their legs as their heads bobbed, and the wet sucking noises became a chorus of arousing ambiance. 

Maria’s plan seemed to be going hard and fast. She knew what Mark enjoyed, and his expression of pure bliss made it clear to everyone. 

Brad and Jen didn’t know each other as well, but she compensated with eye contact and enthusiasm. 

“Tell me what to do, Master. Tell me what you enjoy,” Jen said, her voice low and sultry in a way that made Arthur’s dick twitch. 

Selene gave a cheerful hum, keeping her eyes on him as she worked his shaft. Of the three women, she was the most talented cocksucker. She’d studied it and put effort into learning her techniques. Beyond that, she’d either sucked Arthur’s dick or seen the others do it enough times to know how to please him. Unfortunately for her, she’d paired herself with the man with the highest sexual endurance out of the lot, and he didn’t want to make it an easy competition for her. 

Arthur held his pleasure in check, holding his release at bay even as Selene pressed her nose against his pelvis and her tongue against his balls. She choked on his cock, but didn’t pull away, holding him there until her face turned so red he worried she might asphyxiate. He pulled her off his cock by her braid, despite her attempts to cling to him. Arthur gave her a second to catch her breath as she pumped him with her hands. Then he pushed her head back onto his cock for another go, using her face as a fleshlight. 

He was rough and did nothing to please her in return, but Selene’s eyes glazed over with pleasure as she surrendered to being his toy. This was what she wanted, after all. She relaxed, trembling as Arthur planted his feet. He lifted his hips in quick thrusts to meet her face as he pulled and pushed her along his cock, sliding in and out of her throat. 

Their efforts distracted Jen and Maria. Brad and Mark watched with wide eyes as Selene and Arthur went at it full-force. 

Arthur focused on Selene’s eyes as he fucked her face. “Such a slut.” He said, his voice dark and deep. 

Selene might’ve tried to answer him, but her words came out as little more than happy noises of acceptance. She gleefully sucked and gagged as he pumped his shaft into her throat. 

Brad and Mark didn’t mimic his intensity. Neither of their slaves seemed ready for it and were more actively working on pleasing them to the point of distraction. Jen used her hands and mouth to pump Brad, following his cues as he expressed his preferences with little gasps, moans, and sharp breaths. Maria used her tongue more than the others, twisting her head as she bounced her face on Mark’s lap. 

Arthur was holding back his release, but Brad and Mark were racing toward theirs, encouraging their girlfriend-slaves as they continued their competition. 

Mark came first, spasming and tensing as he stiffened and shook with the sudden burst of release that emptied his balls into Maria’s mouth. She swallowed, gulping several times before releasing his dick and wiping her lips with her thumb.

“I win!” Maria said, raising her hand in a fist. 

Mark patted her head. “Good girl, Sugartits.” 

Maria gave him a sly expression, smiling as she kissed the tip of his dick. She didn’t return to sucking it, but played with it while the two of them cuddled. “What did I win?” she asked. 

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Mark said when Arthur didn’t volunteer an answer. He was busy, and Mark wasn’t brave enough to interrupt. 

Brad came next, grunting and holding Jen still as his legs twitched beneath her. He curled forward and collapsed against the back of the sofa when he finished. 

Jen made more of a mess than the tidy Maria, but cleaned it up immediately, embarrassed. 

Brad motioned for her to sit next to him. She did, though her hand wandered to his crotch and stroked him in slow and steady motions as Arthur and Selene reached toward their inevitable conclusion. 

“That’s enough, Slut,” Arthur said, slowing to a stop and lifting Selene’s head off his lap. The result was to expose his stiff, throbbing cock to the room. A strange sense of confidence and satisfaction settled on his shoulders for being the largest man in the room, even as Selene caught her breath beside him. 

“But Master, you didn’t cum.” Selene protested, reaching for his cock, gripping the base, and stroking him as they talked. 

“Maybe I will later,” Arthur said. “For now, you’ve earned a punishment, and Sugartits has earned a reward.” 

Arthur looked at Mark and Maria. “What would you prefer for a reward?” 

Maria’s eyes didn’t leave his dick. 

“You had nothing planned? What if Selene won?” Mark asked. 

“Her name tonight is Slut,” Arthur corrected him. “And if she’d won, I’d have let her orgasm.” 

“So the winner gets an orgasm? From you?” Mark asked. 

“Doesn’t have to be from me. Can be with her partner, or a partner of their choice, if your slave wants to test Slut’s pussy-eating skills.” Arthur kept his hand on Selene’s cheek, stroking his thumb along her face, but discussing her as if she weren’t in the room. 

“That’d be hot,” Mark agreed. “What do you think, Sugartits?” 

“It’s your decision, Master,” Maria answered, though her eyes still hadn’t left Arthur’s lap. 

“You want Arthur to give you one with that massive dick of his?” Mark asked, half-teasing his girlfriend. “Look at it. It’s huge. He’s half satyr or something.” 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “It’s not that much bigger than Brad’s.” 

Brad shrugged. “It’s still bigger. Congrats, dude.” 

Arthur shook his head. “This conversation took a weird turn.” 

“It’d be weirder not to discuss it,” Mark said. “What do you think, Arthur? You down to give it to Sugartits?” 

Arthur glanced at Selene, who nodded her encouragement. He looked at Maria. It was hard not to think of her as the stage manager, actress, scene partner, and dedicated theater-lover from the club. Her comedic timing was superb, and her confidence rivaled Rani’s sometimes. He respected her as a friend, and he’d never thought of her in a sexual frame before, which made tonight weird. He’d watched her suck Mark’s dick, but watching two of his friends fuck didn’t seem as odd as joining them, or fucking Maria in front of her boyfriend. 

“Is it my weight?” Maria asked. “I’m–” 

“It’s not that,” Arthur said, shaking his head. Maria wasn’t obese; she just had a rounder build than the other girls, especially Selene and Jen. She was short, top-heavy, and wide-hipped. With effort at the gym, she could be a knockout. Still, her lack of exercise and effort has made her soft and curvy in enticing places. She was a different cute and attractive than Arthur’s girlfriends. Kat was the closest. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t find Maria sexy, and he was a man who enjoyed variety, which was evident in the differences between his girlfriends. 

“You don’t like my dress?” Maria asked, her tone defiant rather than curious. She believed it was about her weight, and Arthur wouldn’t convince her otherwise without a solid argument that he didn’t hesitate to produce. 

“The dress is very sexy. I like the pleats, though it’d look better on the floor,” Arthur said. His eyes wandered over the shiny curves of Selene’s dress as he considered ripping it off her. “I’m just not sure that I’m comfortable crossing that line with you.” 

“Would it help if I told you I hate your guts, and we weren’t friends anymore?” Maria asked. “Then you’d fuck me? I saw how rough you were with Selene. That was hot as fuck. I can only imagine what a real hatefuck from you would do to me. Fuck. It’d wreck me.” 

Arthur laughed. “I’d be worried about hurting you.” 

“Hurt me,” Maria said. “I can take it. You won’t break me. I’m tougher than Slut is.” 

“Damn,” Brad said, interrupting as he eyed Maria like he was seeing her for the first time. “Is every woman on campus in lust with Arthur?” 

“I’m not,” Jen said, kissing Brad. “You’re the only man for me, Master. If I need someone to wreck me, I’ve got him right here.” She squeezed his shaft in her hand, which was hard again in seconds. 

“Let’s punish first,” Arthur said. “Then we’ll see what the reward should be.” 

Maria frowned, but didn’t protest before Selene answered. 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. “What will my punishment be?” 

“I’m going to strip your clothes off,” Arthur said, hooking his finger through the O-ring on the black collar she wore above her brown one. “Then I’m going to use you to give a proper spanking demonstration so Mark and Brad can punish their slaves if they misbehave.” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said without protest. He could discern the eagerness in her voice as she pushed herself into a kneeling position and lowered her eyes. “Where would you like me? Across your lap?” 

“Stand up, between the sofa and the TV. Display position.” Arthur said, nodding toward the TV. 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said, and crawled away from him on her hands and knees, giving him a view up her skirt. She stepped off the sofa, turned to face Arthur, widened her stance to expose her thong-clad pussy, and interlaced her fingers behind her head. Her braid dangled behind her, and Arthur smirked at the exposed but still not-nude position that provided just enough embarrassment to tint Selene’s pale face pink. 

Her breathing hitched, and her pink glow of arousal became deeper as Arthur kicked off his slacks and tucked himself away in his boxer briefs. He walked around the sofa, letting the others keep their eyes on Selene as his steady steps lent the room the gravitas it needed. 

Arthur stepped behind her and lowered the zipper on her dress in one long, slow pull. The latex dress peeled open from the back of her neck, along her back, over her bubble butt, to the hem at the top of her thighs. It popped open when it reached the end, but with her arms raised, it hung from her like an apron. 

“Lower your arms, slave,” Arthur said, and Selene obeyed. 

He pulled the dress from her front, letting it fall. Undressing her left Selene’s breasts exposed to the room. She stood in her thong, high heels, collar, and cuffs. Her supple B-cup breasts and slender ballerina build had slight curves at her hips and chest. Arthur palmed her backside, running his hand over her cheek and squeezing her cute bubble butt hard enough to make her squeak. 

Arthur patted her butt and repressed his instinct to cover her chest from the four gazes locked onto her tits. The blush on Selene’s face crept onto her chest, her breathing making her breasts rise and fall an inch with every inhale and exhale. 

“Display,” Arthur said, and Selene snapped back into the position. “Now we can get started.” 

~~~

“You missed a terrible apology from a worthless cunt,” Kelly told Rani. “Is that all the food?” 

“No, there’s a box full of more food on the front steps,” Rani said, hooking her thumb over her shoulder. “This was what wouldn’t fit. Should I put it inside, or in the pool house? It’s brisk out here.” 

“Set it up inside,” Kelly said. “We’ll eat in Lynn’s apartment.” 

Lynn didn’t protest her lack of consultation, but it made sense. She was the hostess tonight, after all. Without the fire pit roaring its flames, the night air had made it too frigid for swimsuits outside the heated pool or hot tub. The pool house would be too cramped, and her apartment was nicer. Besides, she’d get footage of the party that way. Lynn nodded, but Rani didn’t seem to notice as she slipped into Lynn’s apartment through the sliding glass door and put the bag on the kitchen counter. 

“Lynn, go grab the rest of the food,” Kelly said. “Kat, you go with her, make sure she doesn’t spit in it.” 

Kat nodded.

Lynn struggled to her feet, but no one came to her aid. Kat followed her, phone still in hand, as the others gathered their things, cleaned their feet, and entered Lynn’s apartment. 

For her part, Lynn wouldn’t spit in their food. For one, her food was in there, too. They’d gotten appetizers to share, besides everyone’s entrees. Moreover, she was ignorant of what the dishes were on sight. So, she didn’t know what was hers, what they’d share, or what belonged to anyone else. That, and she could only imagine what Kelly might do if she messed with the food for this apology dinner. 

Instead, she pondered what they’d said about Arthur as she and Kat circled the house. In her senior year of high school, when she and Arthur were eighteen, they had that talk, and she attempted to change. It hadn’t worked out. She’d tried apologizing for it multiple times, but Arthur wouldn’t hear her out. He refused to go to prom with her even after she'd told him she wanted to go with him. 

She assumed he was still hung up on his impotency at the time. That was his problem, not hers. Clearly, whatever he'd done to compensate for it had worked if he could satisfy half a dozen women. She could apologize for the football team beating him up, but that misunderstanding was on him for acting creepy. 

Lynn found the box on the front steps, and Kat took a bag, leaving the rest for Lynn to carry. She rolled her eyes and hefted the box. Manual labor was humiliating. She just had to get through tonight. Then she’d make them pay. For now, she carried the box through the basement apartment’s front door. 

Kat followed her the entire way. 

The temperature inside was warmer than outside, sheltered from the breeze that swept its chill across the leaf-strewn grass. The mood in her apartment was bitter ice. Kelly, Katelyn, Rani, and Mindy stood around the island counter in her open kitchen, catching Rani up on what she’d missed, no doubt. She and Kelly looked gleeful as they read something off Rani’s phone. 

The group of women in their swimsuits looked ridiculous indoors, given the weather. If it were spring or summer, they might’ve fit better, but in the October autumn, they should’ve been wearing sweaters and boots, not bikinis and flip-flops. 

“So, we should sit at the counters?” Mindy asked. “Do you have a dining room?” 

“Oh, uh,” Lynn hesitated, looking around. “Yeah. My plan was to clear out the other room and have a table, but I haven’t bought one yet. So, we’ll eat in the kitchen.” 

The girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Annoyance at their constant silent conversations between themselves grew in Lynn, but she tamped it down and pushed forward.

Katelyn gestured at the dirt on Lynn’s knees, legs, and hands. “Well, you need to get a shower or something. You’re tracking dirt everywhere.” 

Lynn glanced behind her to see a foot-shaped print of dirt on her carpet. She frowned and checked her feet, noticing dirt still clinging to her soles. 

“I have a better idea,” Kelly said, giving Rani a sly look. “Come on, Cunt, follow me.” 

Lynn glanced at the others, but none of them moved as Kelly strode toward the patio. Lynn followed, and only then did Katelyn and Kat follow. Mindy and Rani remained in the kitchen, doling out the food since Mindy knew what everything was. 

Kelly marched as she led the procession out to the patio and around the pool. Her tight athletic shorts hugged the curve of her peach-shaped ass as she walked. Lynn found her eyes following the contours of Kelly’s back muscles along her spine to her well-formed cheeks. Her attraction to this woman was dangerous and stupid. She knew that. Still, the meaner Kelly was to her, the more she wanted Kelly’s passion. Lynn knew it was fucked up, but she blamed Angie; it was her fault. Lynn’s friendships in high school had revolved around cruelty, and passion was passion, whether it was hatred or love. 

And there was no question; Kelly hated Lynn. She despised her. The passion with which she spat in Lynn’s face or held her in a chokehold left no doubt in Lynn’s mind regarding Kelly’s fervor. Lynn’s body warmed at the imagery, and she wondered what Kelly had in mind. A dip in the pool might clean her off, but it’d make a mess. 

They reached the end of the patio, then turned to the other side of the house, and continued walking. Lynn’s confusion grew as she glanced at the three-season room, finding it dark with the blinds closed on the windows. Now they stood in the side yard between the house and the garden. The motion-sensor lights from the house turned on, illuminating them in cold, white light. 

Kelly revealed her plan as she stooped over the garden hose and turned the valve. 

“Arms out,” Kelly said. “Stand like a starfish.” 

Lynn laughed. “You must be out of your goddamn mind.” 

“It’s the quickest way to clean you off,” Kelly said. “Now be a good little cunt and put your arms out.” 

The tone and the words struck Lynn across the face. She couldn’t explain how much she wanted to obey, while a simultaneous instinct drove her to tell Kelly off. 

“I’m not doing that,” Lynn said. “So you can–” 

Kelly cut her off by squeezing the nozzle. The spray fired a straight beam of water that splashed against Lynn’s face, making her sputter and turn away, trying to block the water with her hands. Kelly wagged the nozzle and sent the torrent lower.

It splashed against her neck and chest, dousing her cleavage as the water ran into her suit more than over it. The tiny beads of water pelted her in a beam no bigger than a quarter, wandering over flesh and indenting where it struck. Kelly took her time, letting the water splash over Lynn’s arms. 

Kat and Katelyn stepped back, avoiding any of the misting spray as it created its aura around Lynn. 

Lynn staggered forward, trying to block the icy water, move away from it, or out of its beam, and reach Kelly. The result was a faltering stagger and sputtering. Kelly flicked the water at her face and made her back away. 

Cold water massaged her, despite its chill, and her nipples threatened to tear through the flimsy fabric of her suit. The panel that covered her front and exposed her sides did nothing to keep the water from going under it or tickling her as Kelly lowered the beam. She squirmed, and Kelly laughed. 

Something in that laugh drove Lynn to blush harder. She wanted to drop to her knees and thrust her face into Kelly’s crotch, but she held herself in check. No, Kelly would never learn of Lynn’s growing desire for her. She couldn’t. It wouldn’t matter, anyway. She wasn’t doing this to arouse Lynn; she was trying to humiliate her. It just so happened that Lynn was a deranged freak, and the two results were synonymous. 

Lynn would never admit that to Kelly. She couldn’t face the shame of it. Having Kat and Katelyn witness her humiliation was bad enough. 

Kelly continued lowering the spray, hitting her directly in the crotch, and Lynn’s eyes fluttered as the water pressure struck against her pussy lips. A soft, involuntary moan escaped her, which made her clamp both hands over her mouth in mortification. 

The water continued its journey along her thighs, spending extra time on her knees, calves, and feet, where most of the dirt was. It proved effective, blasting away what was there. 

The spray of the water striking between her thighs made her shiver. Lynn clasped her arms across her chest. She tried to press her nipples down, but the pressure only made them stiffen further. She bit her lip as the sudden halt of water left her drenched in the chilly breeze. 

“There,” Kelly said, dropping the garden hose and turning off the valve. “Now you’re clean enough to serve us dinner.”

~~~

“This is the display position. It’s one of several you should teach your slaves.” Arthur said to Mark and Brad. 

Mark looked at Maria and pointed to a space at the end of the sofa. “Go stand next to Slut.” 

“Yes, Master,” Maria said as she slid away from Mark. She crawled to the end of the sofa and stood beside Selene with enough room for Arthur to stand between them. She mimicked Selene’s pose, raising her hands behind her head and flaring her elbows out. 

Jen did the same without Brad telling her to, but he didn’t stop her as she crawled away. She stood beside Selene and took the display position. 

“Should I undress, Master?” Jen asked Brad, raising an eyebrow at him as he stammered his response. 

“Uh, uh, I mean–” Brad looked at Arthur. 

“It’s up to you,” Arthur said. “If you’d like, I could always order Slut to help Sugartits and Sweetcheeks to undress.” 

“Oh, yeah, do that,” Mark said, stroking himself in Maria’s absence.

Brad had covered himself with his hands after Jen moved away, but he nodded. “Yeah, that works for me.”  

“Very well,” Arthur said. “But let’s make it interesting.” He took the rope he’d pulled from his backpack and tied a short loop between Selene’s wrist cuffs. He made a bight, looped the rope’s ends through it, then tied one end to her right ankle cuff, and the other to her left. This pose left her hands behind her head, cuffed together, and restrained their vertical movement by her ankles. She couldn’t raise her hands or break the display position unless she knelt. 

“Slut, remove Sweetcheek’s clothes,” Arthur instructed. “Then remove Sugartit’s clothes. Do not use your hands. Keep them behind your head. When you’re finished, you may return to the display position.” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene answered, and turned toward Jen. 

“May I help her, Master Arthur?” Jen asked, not looking at him but keeping her eyes on the sofa. 

“Only by moving. You may not remove any article of clothing yourself,” Arthur said. “Oh, and Slut? I want you to deliver each piece of clothing to that slave’s master as you remove it.”

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. 

Arthur strolled around the sofa, standing behind it, opposite the girls, in his boxers and shirt. He removed his shirt, leaving him in his boxers. Maria licked her lips, but Arthur kept his eyes on Selene as she knelt behind Jen and tried to bite the zipper on the back of Jen’s miniskirt. 

It took her three tries, but she got a hold of it between her teeth and pulled it halfway over Jen’s ass. Her butt was pert and round, making it difficult. Once unzipped, the skirt didn’t fall to the ground. Selene had to bite the hem and tug to lower them, revealing Jen in her fishnet stockings and thong, tug by tug. The straps of her thong looped high on her hips, rising out of the thong on either side beneath the fishnets. 

Eventually, the skirt hit the floor, and Jen stepped out of it. Selene pressed her nose to the carpet as she bit the waistband of the skirt and stood. She stepped forward, walking on her knees over the sofa cushions until she reached Brad. She bent forward, lowering the skirt onto his lap. 

“Uh, thanks, Selene,” Brad said. 

“Her name is Slut,” Arthur corrected. 

“Right. Uh, thanks, Slut.” Brad said, amending his gratitude.

The fishnets proved easier to bite once Selene scraped her teeth over Jen’s stomach and hooked them over the waistband. They were more challenging to lower, though. They clung to Jen and didn’t want to release her thighs as Selene alternated between one leg and the other until she reached Jen’s calves. Meanwhile, Jen blushed and squirmed at every press of Selene’s mouth against her skin. 

“You remember your safewords?” Arthur asked, looking at Jen. 

“Yes, Master Arthur. Thanks for checking.” Jen responded. 

Brad was a tad distracted, covering his lap with Jen’s miniskirt and rubbing himself the way Mark was in the open. They remained silent as they watched the show Selene put on for them. 

Finally, Selene tugged the fishnets low enough that Jen could step out of them. One leg at a time pulled free from the clinging fishnet hose. Selene picked them up from the floor in her mouth and tread the sofa on her knees once more. She dropped the fishnet stockings onto Brad’s lap, and he caught them with his hand, having stopped stroking himself when Selene approached. His eyes lingered on her breasts until she turned around for her return trip. Her bubble butt shifted as she walked, framed by rope and her black thong. 

“Thanks, Slut.” Brad said. Her distracting nudity delayed his response, but he wasn’t as hesitant as before.

“Should I take Sweetcheek’s thong next?” Selene asked. “Or her top, Master Brad?” 

Arthur had to quell the flare of jealousy that kindled at her referring to someone else as Master. In casual conversation, it was one thing, but hearing her say it in a more playful situation made his lips press together. He climbed over the sofa and reclined as he had been. 

“Uh…” Brad hesitated. “The top.” 

Selene nodded and scooped the hem of the fishnet top into her mouth. Jen raised her arms overhead and dropped to her knees, letting the top slide over her. Kneeling with Selene standing behind her, she lowered her arms to pull out of the sleeves, then returned to a standing display position while Selene made the trek to Brad. 

“Thanks, Slut,” Brad said, taking the fishnet top from her before she dropped it in his lap. 

Selene returned to Jen and this time went for the material of her tube top between her breasts. She bit into it and pulled up. Her bite lifted the material from the center in a slow pull. Jen’s C-cup breasts dropped as her top lifted free, dancing between them as they came face to face. Jen tilted and backed away, letting her arms move so that the top pulled free, bringing her closer to the TV than before. 

Arthur chose that moment to turn the TV off, showing Jen and Maria’s backsides in the dim reflection. 

Selene knee-walked to Brad once more, dropping the tube top in his lap. 

“Thanks, Slut,” Brad said as he watched her return to Jen, knowing what was to come next. 

“You’re welcome, Master Brad,” Selene said. 

“Sweetcheeks, why don’t you turn around?” Brad asked. “I want to see your ass as Slut removes your thong.” 

Arousal boosted Brad’s confidence. Arthur was the same way. He knew he wasn’t perfect as a dom, but he had more experience than Brad or Mark. That was plain to see. As awkward as sex could be in front of people who were not his girlfriends, watching Selene strip Jen of her clothing piece by piece had made Arthur ready for another round. 

He didn’t stroke himself like Mark was, or cover his lap and rub himself like Brad. Arthur let his erection grow in his boxer-briefs as he reclined with his hands behind his head, enjoying the show. Watching his girlfriend kiss Jen’s hip as she bit the strap of her thong made him want to tear it off himself. Selene knew what she was doing, making eye contact with Arthur whenever she could, as if daring him to find this boring or not arousing. 

She lowered one strap of Jen’s thong, slicing the rest of it across Jen’s cute butt. Selene walked to the other side,  knelt, and repeated the process. The thong dropped, but Selene didn’t release it. She lowered her head instead, letting Jen step out of it, but keeping the thong between her teeth. Then she came to her knees and hooked it with her tongue, pulling the thong into her mouth until it formed a loose ball gag. Only then did she trudge her way to Brad, walking on her knees across the sofa to bend over, pushing her face into his crotch, and releasing the thong. 

“Th–thanks, Slut.” Brad said, nervous but twitching from arousal more than nerves. 

“You’re welcome, Master Brad,” Selene said, making eye contact with Arthur. 

“Brad,” Arthur said, his voice stern. 

Brad swallowed and looked over at Arthur, more fearful than anything else. “Have your slave undress Sugartits. I need mine for something else.” 

“Oh, uh, sure. Sweetcheeks, I want you to undress Sugartits the way Slut undressed you.” Brad said, gesturing to Maria. 

Maria and Jen shared a look, and Maria nodded. Jen returned the nod and stepped closer. 

“Slut, come here, but walk around the sofa,” Arthur said, gesturing to indicate the path she was supposed to take. 

“Of course, Master,” Selene said, and began her journey as Arthur stood and hopped over the sofa’s back. Standing opposite Jen and Maria, he had a good view as Jen did her best to bite the zipper on Maria’s dress.

When Selene reached him, he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. Selene melted into the kiss before he roughly grabbed her hips and turned her to the side, making her face Maria. 

Maria’s dress fell to the floor with a whoosh, leaving her in a soaked white thong and a black bra. Jen struggled to unhook the bra with her teeth, giving Arthur time. 

Arthur untied Selene’s ankles and wrists, then pulled her thong off, letting her step out of it before he shoved it into her mouth as a gag. Selene accepted it with eagerness, her face rosy with arousal as she tasted herself. He moved her hands behind her back, making each hand clasp the opposite arm above the elbow. After retying her wrist cuffs in that position, he removed her high-heeled shoes, leaving her barefoot on the carpet. Arthur pushed her toward the sofa, her lower half hidden by its back until she folded over it, her torso parallel with the seat cushions below. 

He looped the end of the rope from her wrists through her collar’s ring and pulled it back to him. He held it in one hand and kept her braid in the other. Then he kicked her feet apart. “On your toes, Slut.” 

Selene stretched onto the balls of her feet. She pointed her toes as much as possible from her ballerina training and widened her legs to let her pelvis rest on the sofa cushion. With her bubble butt, asshole, and pussy exposed, Arthur let himself out of his boxer-briefs. 

Maria’s eyes went wide. “You’re not going to stick that thing in her ass, are you, Master Arthur?” She asked as Jen popped the final latch on her bra. 

“Is that jealousy or concern?” Mark asked, grinning as he looked between Maria and Arthur. “Sugartits loves anal. She gets off on it all the time.” 

“Yeah, with your dick, not with that monster between his legs,” Maria said. 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. On the one hand, it was an ego boost. On the other hand, having friends objectify him and his dick came across as strange. He realized the position he was putting himself and Selene in, and shame crept into his mind. 

But wasn’t that the law of the harem? No shame. What would Rani say? She’d call him out on his yielding to shame just because his friends were here. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen weren’t members of the harem. They were guests. Selene invited them to play tonight, and they had discussed their rules for guests, or one-night stands. If one of his girlfriends was present and willing to let him play, any woman was fair game if eager to fuck. Mindy and Beth, Kat and Beth, and Rani and Thalia were good examples of that in practice.  

In theory, he was okay with that, but Beth and Thalia didn’t have significant others. Jen had the extra complication of Brad, who was Arthur’s best male friend. He’d never do anything to cross a line with Brad. That included even flirting with his girlfriend. Same with Mark. For Jen’s part, even without considering Brad, she didn’t appear enthusiastic about doing anything with Arthur. So, he wasn’t interested in doing anything with her. 

Maria proved enthusiastic. She’d made her desire for Arthur plain, and Mark was keen to watch. So why was he letting their friendship make it weird?

Shame dug its claws into Arthur. It frightened him to let his friends see him in any way that might lead to judgment, despite their own participation and mimicry. That’s all shame was when he boiled it down: fear of judgment. Yet they didn’t allow that here. His constant yielding to it had hindered things and made the situation awkward. It was time for him to shed his fear and embrace the side of himself he had kept hidden from his friends. After all, they wanted him to play the role of Master tonight, so he might as well make it his best performance yet. 

“If I want to ass-fuck my slave raw, then that’s what I’ll do, Sugartits, and I don’t need your permission.” Arthur’s voice was deep and firm, unyielding to any inquiry or concern.  

Maria’s eyes flew wide, and she trembled as she swallowed. Mark, Brad, and Jen looked nervously at each other. Selene closed her eyes as goosebumps spread across her thighs from her dripping pussy. 

“But to answer your question, no,” Arthur said. “I pride myself on following the rules of safe, sane, and consensual. While it might be the latter, it wouldn’t be safe for her to fuck her ass raw. Even though she keeps herself prepped for it, like a good slave.” 

Selene nodded. 

“The truth is, my slut has only uttered her safeword during our attempts to do anal. She needs to play with a sizable plug and stretch her asshole out before she can take me. I imagine that’s why she brought them in the briefcase she left in your car.”  

Selene nodded, and Arthur smiled as he notched himself against Selene’s pussy. 

He bent over her, making sure she heard him. “You don’t have permission to cum.” Arthur told her. “I’m going to use you for my pleasure. If you cum without permission, I’ll lock you in a chastity belt for the rest of your slave time, spank you with my belt, and make you wear the biggest butt plug while I do it. Do you understand?” 

Selene nodded furiously, even saying “Yeth Thir” through her thong panty gag. 

Arthur returned his attention to Maria, who stood in her thong. Jen had paused in her undressing of Maria, watching Selene with curious, lust-filled eyes. 

“Do you want me to fetch the briefcase?” Maria asked. 

“After Sweetcheeks finishes undressing you, if your master is agreeable to accompanying you, you can run to your car and fetch the briefcase. I didn’t reach my release from the blowjobs, so I thought I’d try to satisfy myself with my slave’s pussy. You can watch and imagine it’s you bent over in her place.” 

Maria glanced at Mark, who nodded. Maria nodded. “Yes, Master Arthur.” 

The room gasped as Arthur pushed into Selene’s pussy, her rosy face turning red as her upper half strained to maintain its composure. Arthur’s grip on her braid and makeshift leash kept her bent over the sofa. He moved both hands to her hips, holding her in place and making her eyelids flutter as he drove into her. 

Arthur pushed himself in as far as she could take him, then he backed out and started pumping. He was neither gentle nor kind, slamming into her cheeks with his hips, fucking her pussy with ruthless abandon. Any pleasure she received from her clit smashing against the rigid beam on the back of the couch was incidental. 

Pleasure bloomed inside her from multiple sources. Tension strained against her scalp from his pulling her braid. The slight grip of her collars clasped around her throat. The snug binding hugged her wrists. Her embarrassment spilled out from the lewd spreading of her legs. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen’s eyes remained on her. Her fucking aroused them. Her tits hung toward the couch, bouncing roughly with every thrust. Arthur’s deep rumbling growl of effort covered her skin in goosebumps. Each component joined the pleasure his dick and the sofa gave her, slamming Selene against her orgasm after less than two minutes of effort. 

She quivered and shook, squeezing and tightening against Arthur inside her with every ounce of her core muscles. Her stomach contracted, squeezing his dick as she undulated the muscles there, a trick she’d practiced. Yet Arthur wasn’t ready to blow his load, and he didn’t cum to the shock of his friends.  

“You fucking slut,” Arthur said, shaking his head as he slowed and then stopped. “Didn’t I tell you not to cum? This was for my pleasure, not yours.” 

Selene spat out the thong. “I’m sorry, Master! I couldn’t help it!” 

“You need to learn self-control, Slut,” Arthur growled as he pulled to an upright position by her braid and resumed fucking her. “I’ll have to teach you.” 

Arthur turned to see if Jen had finished stripping Maria yet, but both women had remained frozen, watching him fuck Selene from behind. Mark and Brad stared at him, with Mark’s hand no longer moving. Were they judging him? No, but he’d shocked them with his brutality. They’d never seen him fuck. 

“Looks like your slaves are trying to earn a punishment of their own,” Arthur said, nodding toward Jen and Maria. “Or did you tell Sweetcheeks to stop undressing Sugartits?” 

Brad and Mark swiveled their heads to look at Jen and Maria, who snapped back into action as if Arthur had whipped them.

Jen pulled Maria’s thong to the floor in record time, walking on her knees around the woman as she struggled and nearly tore the tiny white g-string in her efforts. With both of them naked except for their high heels, wrist and ankle cuffs, and collars, they made a seductive sight in their display positions. Maria’s heavy breasts hung like thick slabs on her short, thicc frame; her pale thighs made for grabbing. 

Jen’s more petite frame still had curves by her hips and breasts. Her toned body showcased her efforts at the gym, which she used to maintain a heroic physique without sacrificing her soft femininity.

Selene dropped to her knees, her arms still bound behind her as she opened her mouth and waited for Arthur to face-fuck her to his completion. 

“Oh, you want to suck my cock?” Arthur asked, shaking his head at Selene. “It’s too late for that, Slut. You’re going to take your punishment for losing the contest. As soon as we get home tonight, that chastity belt is going on. Until then…” He turned his attention to Mark. “Would you still be willing to run to the car with Sugartits?” 

Mark hopped up from the couch, closing his pants as he moved, and stumbled in the complex effort. Maria caught him, grinning as he took her by the wrist. “Come on, Sugartits.” He said as he picked up her purse. “Lead the way.” 

Maria eyed him, knowing what was coming as she stepped in front of him. Sure enough, Mark swatted her behind as she walked, a light tap that made her clench and hustle as his fascination with her huge, round ass grew with every jiggle. 

“Be right back,” Mark assured Arthur. “Unless I decide to fuck her on the way there.” 

Arthur chuckled. “There are people in the basement, so maybe don’t spend too much time outside. We’re isolated, but keep your eyes open so she’s safe. That’s why you’re going with her, to keep her safe as she gets the thrill of walking naked outdoors.”

Mark saluted. “Aye, Captain.” He held the door for Maria to slip through the laundry room and leave through the garage.

Arthur chuckled and turned toward Selene as the door closed. “Stand up and turn around.” 

Selene stood, and Arthur untied her wrists, letting her drop her hands. He left the rope on the sofa. Jen crawled across the couch to reach Brad, cuddling against his side as he gestured for her. She snaked her hand under the pile of her clothes on his lap and started stroking him as they kissed. They went at it with five times the speed and passion they’d done before. Brad took his cue to reach between Jen’s legs and finger her as she pumped him. 

“See the effect you have on our friends?” Arthur asked, turning Selene’s face toward Brad and Jen. She kept her blue eyes on the pair, only fueled more by an audience. 

“Think she’ll make him cum twice before you get me off once?” Arthur asked. “I wonder what your punishment should be then.” 

“Please, Master, I’ll do whatever you want me to,” Selene said. “You didn’t have to stop fucking me just because I came. Use me. Or let me go to work. I’ll get you off before Jen gets Brad off a second time, I promise.” 

“Alright, Slut,” Arthur said. “You have my permission to get me off. If Brad cums before I do, you’ll earn a third punishment.” 

Selene grabbed his dick, pumping it with her hand wrapped tight around his girth as she moved to her toes to kiss him. Arthur kissed her in return until she pulled away by dropping to her heels and moving toward the sofa with her hand still on his dick. He followed. 

Selene tilted sideways, doing a vertical split. She kept one foot planted on the floor. The other she raised straight to the ceiling, opening herself to him. She kept one hand on his dick and braced the other against the sofa. With her elbows bent and legs straight, the sheer acrobatic nature of the pose was exotic and enticing. 

She guided him to her entrance and had to move to her toes to get the proper alignment. Even then, Arthur had to bend his knees a touch to make it work. Once he aligned with her, Selene pulled him forward, and he entered her, sheathing himself inside her as she moaned at the sensation. He held her leg as her thigh pressed vertically against his torso, and she sucked her stomach in, undulating her core muscles in a move that sucked him inside her. His vision blurred at the sensation, but he held firm, shifting his stance to pump himself through the slick resistance. 

Instead, she pushed against him, moving from her heel to her toes and using her arms to pump herself on his cock. If Arthur hadn’t held himself back, he would’ve cum immediately. Instead, he withstood the onslaught even as the ridiculously complex motion made him lose his mind. His grip on her thigh tightened, indenting her taut flesh with his fingertips. 

“Please, Master,” Selene begged. “Please. Fill me with your cum, fill your slave, and let her fulfill her purpose.” 

Arthur checked on Brad and Jen, noticing that they’d stopped. Not because Brad had cum, but because they were watching Selene and Arthur with astonishment. 

“I can’t do that,” Jen said, shaking her head as she looked at Brad. “I’m not that flexible.” 

“That’s okay,” Brad said. “But damn. That’s hot.”

~~~

Mark closed the door behind Maria. They passed through the laundry room to reach the garage. The garage door took its time opening, so Mark groped Maria’s ass while waiting. 

“I know this was your idea, but how are you doing with it?” Mark asked. “You okay? You’ve never shown much interest in bondage and kink before.” 

“I’m more than okay, Master,” Maria said in a sultry voice. “Our attempt with handcuffs didn’t do it for either of us, but this is a whole ‘nother level. It’s hot, right? I’m dripping here.” She looked down, checking the step she stood on to see if she had dripped onto the floor. 

“It’s the hottest thing we’ve ever done.” Mark agreed. “Not sure I make a good Master, but I’m digging the scenery.” 

Maria gave him a flirty smile over her shoulder and stepped away, reaching the garage door as it passed her head. “And it wasn’t my idea. It was Selene’s. I mean, Slut’s.” 

“Yeah,” Mark said, nodding. “Geez. I knew they were kinky, but this is something else entirely. It’s AP Kink-ulus. I could never be as rough and wild as they are.” 

“We just need practice,” Maria said, shrugging as she looked around. “Did you hear that?” She asked. They were halfway to her car, but she hid behind someone else’s. 

Mark raised his head, looking around in a pale imitation of a prairie dog over the car roof. “What’d you hear?” 

“It sounded like voices, around the side of the house,” Maria said, pointing toward the wall. They’d parked at the head of the small line of cars in the circle, on the other side of the front steps from the garage. 

“I’ll check,” Mark said, creeping ahead. He stopped and peeked around the corner. He stayed there for a few seconds, then dashed back to Maria. “Kelly is spraying a girl with a hose.” He said. “I didn’t see her face, but Kelly, Kat, and that Katelyn woman were in bikinis.” 

“I guess everybody’s playing tonight,” Maria said, shaking her head. “Oh, shit, I forgot my–” She stopped when Mark held up her purse in his hand. “Aw, I totally forgot it.” 

“I know,” Mark said, kissing her cheek. “I figured, how are we going to get into your car if you’re naked? So, I just grabbed it and hoped your keys were in here.” 

“Thanks, Master,” Maria said, kissing him. 

Mark kissed her in return and would’ve gotten distracted if Maria hadn’t backed against her car, making her squeak at the touch of chilly fiberglass against her backside. He chuckled as he stepped away, leaving her purse in her hands. She didn’t need to open it for the key fob to work. The small clutch purse let her access the backseat. She pulled out a sizeable briefcase and held it in front of her with her purse under her arm. 

Mark took the briefcase from her and nodded toward the garage. “Come on.” He said, hooking his finger through the ring of her collar and leading her as he walked. “I can’t wait to see what’s in the case.” 

Maria gave him a knowing look and followed his lead through the garage to the family room. They left the garage door open behind them, though neither realized it. 

~~~

Mindy turned her attention to the food after the other girls left, leaving Rani on her phone, leaning against the counter. She’d chosen each dish based on the comments and answers the others had given her about what they enjoyed, and Mindy was excited to share her favorite dishes with them. Korean food was her family’s specialty, though her father dabbled in multiple Asian and American cuisines. 

The rice and noodles provided a decent central course for the unadventurous, but she hoped they loved the bibimbap, kimchi fried rice, bulgogi, japchae, kan poong gi, and kun-mandu. She hummed ‘Kiss the Girl’ to herself as she unpacked the bags. She spread the dishes on the counter so everyone could have a taste of everything, with backups in case people wanted more of one thing and less of another. 

“What were you showing Kelly on your phone earlier?” Mindy asked when she glanced over at Rani, who was reading her phone and shaking her head. 

“I snapped shots of Lynn’s diary,” Rani said, pointing at her phone. “That bitch is crazy and fantasizes about Kelly humiliating her on the regular.” 

“Oh my God, really?” Mindy asked. “Can I read?” 

Rani passed her the phone, and Mindy devoured it as Rani surveyed the food. 

“By the way, your delivery guy was a little male-gazey,” Rani said. 

“Who was it?” Mindy asked. 

“Yu-Jun?” Rani said, pronouncing it as correctly as she could. 

“Yu-Jun,” Mindy repeated in a different cadence. “Did he make you uncomfortable? He’s pretty friendly and works with my appa. He’s his unofficial apprentice.” 

“Not uncomfortable,” Rani said, shrugging. “He was cute, just awkward. Honestly, if it’d been two or three weeks ago, I would’ve offered him a blowjob for a tip.” 

Mindy giggled. “I used to have such a crush on him.” 

“Really?” Rani asked, surprised. 

“Sure,” Mindy said. “I was younger when he started working for my dad. He was this hot older guy who paid attention to me, taught me things in the kitchen, and treated me more like an adult than my parents did. He’s not that much older either. I think he’s twenty-six?” 

“Do you still have a crush?” Rani asked. 

Mindy giggled and shook her head. “No, I outgrew it years ago. Please let me know if he did anything suspicious or creepy. I can talk to him.” 

“Nah, he seemed harmless, but awkward, and he lingered so that he could get a view of my ass in this bikini.” Rani smacked her hip. 

“It’s a good ass.” Mindy nodded, agreeing. 

“Fuck you, it’s a great ass,” Rani said, smacking Mindy’s ass, which made Mindy squeal and raise her foot behind her as if to block Rani’s access with no threat of doing so. 

“Was he better or worse than the pizza delivery guy? Because that guy seemed pretty pissed we had a boyfriend and weren’t going to pull him into the pool for a porno. Major creep vibes.” Mindy said. 

“Oh, that might have been my fault,” Rani said, wincing. “When we ordered food after the photoshoot, I dared Thalia to answer the door naked.”

“Ah,” Mindy said, nodding. “Yeah, that’s what he said. Something about a naked Amazon.” 

“Yeah, sorry.” Rani patted Mindy’s ass where she’d slapped it before. 

Mindy wriggled, but didn’t try to get away.  

“This stuff smells amazing,” Rani said, coming up behind Mindy and hooking her arms around her middle. 

Mindy giggled, pressing back against Rani’s soft flesh and stiff piercings. “I hope you enjoy it.” She said. “My appa’s cooking is delicious, but these are my favorite recipes. It’s not the same as if I cooked for you, but it’s kinda the same. I rarely get to share my culture with my friends.” 

“You don’t?” Rani asked, kissing Mindy’s cheek. “Didn’t you have any white friends growing up?” 

“My church friends are Korean,” Mindy said. “And my school friends rarely came over to my place. I went to theirs. They didn’t want to make a big deal about race or culture. Most of them just pretended I was like them, or they said some very incorrect things. I had one friend, who I was close with until freshman year of high school, ask me if it was okay for her to wear a kimono for Halloween.” 

Rani winced. “Race and culture can be uncomfortable subjects for white people.” She shrugged. “White guilt runs deep.” 

“I guess,” Mindy said. “But I enjoy sharing my culture. I wouldn’t be mad if people wore a hanbok for Halloween, so long as they were celebrating Korean culture and not mocking it, you know?” 

“I get it,” Rani said. “It’s just a tricky subject. A lot of white people are uncomfortable discussing race, but that’s because historically they’ve been pretty shit to other cultures. Not just slavery, either. Honestly, though, I prefer they do their own research rather than making me tell them everything I know about India. I grew up in the States, and it’s not my job to educate people about my culture—I’m over it.”

“I guess I haven’t had the time to tire of it,” Mindy said, shrugging. “Though I’d prefer people do their research instead of just assuming I’m Japanese or that Korean culture is the same as Japanese or Chinese. If one more person assumes Mulan is my favorite Disney princess, I’mma slap a bitch.” 

Rani chuckled. “She’s not even a princess, right? And pretty famously Chinese.” 

“Exactly!” Mindy said. 

“Besides, your favorite’s Ariel,” Rani said, patting Mindy’s butt. 

Mindy stopped, looking over her shoulder at Rani. “How did you know that?” 

“You told me? I’m pretty sure you mentioned it and your love of mermaids in the same breath.” Rani said, kissing Mindy’s shoulder. “And you were just humming Kiss the Girl, which you do a lot when you’re not thinking about it.”

Mindy relaxed in Rani’s arms, closing her eyes and squeezing her hands over Rani’s as they rested across her stomach. It was the closest she could get to a hug without turning around. 

“At least Arthur and the others don’t treat us differently for our ethnicity,” Rani said, reverting the subject of conversation to its original topic. 

“Even when we tell him it’s okay,” Mindy said, shaking her head. 

Rani chuckled, running her hands along Mindy’s hips as she finished setting out the dishes and stood still. “Yeah, poor guy didn’t know what to do when we asked for spicy race play.” 

“Yeah, I still don’t know if I enjoyed that,” Mindy said, frowning as she contemplated that evening. 

“For me, it’s no different from any other form of degradation play. It’s not my de facto favorite, but when the mood strikes? I see no difference between Arthur calling me a slave or a Desi slave, you know? It can be hot under the right circumstances. Besides, it’s fun to objectify him and his big white cock.”  

Mindy giggled. “I guess so.” She turned to face Rani, spinning around in her arms and wrapping hers around Rani’s middle.

Rani kissed her, making out with her as they stood in Lynn’s kitchen with their arms around each other. “Baghwan, you’re so hot in that bikini. I just want to tear it off you.” 

“So what’s stopping you?” Mindy asked, winking at Rani. “We can fool around while the others are off doing whatever, right?” 

Rani grinned. She kissed Mindy, sliding her hands into Mindy’s bikini to find her dry but warming. She rubbed her fingers on the outside in a slow circle, making Mindy bite Rani’s bottom lip. Mindy returned the slip-in, finding Rani wet and rubbing against her hand more than her hand rubbing her. 

Rani’s other hand reached behind Mindy, untying her paltry bikini top in one smooth pull. The halter tie behind her neck opened, and the small triangles of fabric indenting her breasts fell away. Pale white lines on Mindy’s flesh were the only evidence they’d ever been there. With one tug on the string in the center of her back, the bikini top fell to the kitchen floor. 

“I think I’m going to have a Korean appetizer before dinner,” Rani said, licking her lips as she pulled away to admire Mindy’s tits. 

Mindy stepped back, her butt against the island counter as she squeezed her breasts together. “Whatever you wish, my Queen.” 

Rani lowered her lips to Mindy’s breasts, sucking more than kissing as she made her way around the soft, squishy flesh surrounding her nipple. When she reached Mindy’s nipple, it was stiff and firm for her, and her tongue flicked the underside as she sucked. 

“Oh, fuck!” Mindy said, grabbing Rani’s head and holding it in place against her with both hands. 

Rani reached below, tugging at the strings of Mindy’s bottoms with both hands until they fell to the floor. The tiny red bikini was laundry now, and Mindy was naked in the kitchen with the food behind her and Rani before her, sucking her nipple and spreading her pussy lips with her fingers as she rubbed pleasure into Mindy with every passing stroke. 

Rani switched breasts as Mindy spread her legs. Mindy reached behind herself, releasing Rani and supporting herself on the counter behind her as she bent her knees. Rani sucked her breast and flicked her nipple, making Mindy’s breathing shift into high gear as her fingers spread her labia. 

“Hm… If this were my apartment, I’d strap a dildo on and fuck you right here on the counter.” Rani said as she kissed her way from Mindy’s stomach to her groin until she arrived at her destination. Kneeling between Mindy’s open thighs, she licked Mindy’s pussy from bottom to top in several quick strokes, working her tongue deeper each time until her folds unfolded and dripped her arousal onto Rani’s lips. 

“That’s a good whore,” Rani said, grinning at Mindy’s blushing face and closed eyes. She pressed a finger against Mindy’s entrance, but didn’t slide it in yet. She let her tongue explore first, knowing she had found a sensitive spot when Mindy grabbed her head. 

“Gah.” Mindy gasped. “First Kelly and now you. Is everyone in the harem good at eating pussy?” 

“Kelly ate you out earlier?” Rani asked, keeping her finger notched at Mindy’s entrance. 

“Yeah,” Mindy said, squirming. “Before everyone else got here, when it was just her and me in the study upstairs.” 

“Mmm…” Rani sucked on Mindy’s clit, making her grip the counter tighter and scrunch her face in the most adorable attempt to hold back the overwhelming pleasure. “Who’s better?” 

“What?” Mindy asked, confused. 

“Who’s better at eating your pussy?” Rani asked. “Me or Kelly?” 

“Oh… uh… I don’t know. I’m just not as good at it as either of you.” Mindy said, holding on for dear life as Rani sucked, licked, and nibbled. 

“You just need practice,” Rani assured her. “I can help with that.” She pulled Mindy down as she laid on the kitchen floor between the counters. She sucked in a breath as the tiles chilled her back. 

Mindy realized what Rani was suggesting, and giggled as she placed her knees beside Rani’s head. She bent over her and untied her bikini bottoms, pulling them away and tossing them toward her own. That left Rani in her gold bikini top and her jewelry, as Mindy sat on her face and bent over her for sixty-nine. 

Mindy opened her mouth over Rani’s pussy, tasting the savory woman’s skin as she licked and ate her from above. Rani returned the favor, ravaging Mindy as she gripped her thighs and held her in place so that she could feast. 

Mindy did her best to mirror Rani, trying to hold her release back despite the pleasure until Rani was closer to hers. They feasted together, enjoying each other’s bodies, knowing the others could interrupt them by returning at any moment, which made it even hotter. 

Unfortunately, the sound of the door didn’t interrupt them, nor was it the trudging return of the others from wherever they’d gone - Mindy assumed the pool house. Instead, a scream pierced the air outside and clattered against the window, reaching Mindy’s ears more easily than Rani’s. 

Mindy spread her thighs and sat up, scurrying off Rani’s face, but struggling to stand as sudden dizziness struck from the effort. 

“What’s wrong?” Rani asked, blinking at the sudden influx of light from above. 

“Didn’t you hear that?” Mindy asked, looking out the window above the kitchen sink to the patio. “Oh my God! Come on!” She reached for Rani to help her up, and a confused Rani took her hand and followed her outside.

~~~

Minutes before, Kat and Katelyn glanced at one another. Their silent conversation expressed worry, concern, and timidity, but not regarding Lynn. It was Kelly they wanted to address, but neither possessed the courage. 

Lynn could tell they didn’t enjoy what Kelly had done, or was doing. The constant harassment and bullying pressed further and further. She knew how impossible that slope was to escape. She wondered if, years from now, Kelly might beg her forgiveness for everything she had done tonight. 

“Kelly,” Katelyn said, as timid as a bunny rabbit. “Can I talk to you?” 

Uh-oh, dissension in the ranks? Was the humble worker bee about to question its queen? 

Lynn shivered, rubbing her arms for warmth as Kelly walked back toward the basement apartment. The spray-down had been humiliating, sure, but it hadn’t hurt. It was the chilly breeze that swept through, cutting through her wet skin like a row of needles piercing straight to the bone. She shuddered, longing for a soft towel and a warm apartment, but stopped to witness the argument between Kelly and her sycophants. 

“I get you hate her. You have every right to be upset about what she did to Arthur. You’re punishing her, I get that, but I’m worried you’re taking it too far,” Katelyn said. 

“Don’t worry,” Kelly said. “She’ll live. I’m just giving her a taste of her own medicine. She bullied others for years. Now she’s the one getting picked on, and she knows she deserves it.” 

Lynn didn’t enjoy their discussing her as if she weren’t there, but she didn’t protest it either. Something snapped in her earlier, and her conflicting desires distracted her under the pressure of the hose. She floated more than walked, going through the motions while her mind felt far away. She staggered after them, and her eyes felt heavy. Goosebumps covered her flesh from the cool air against her wet skin, and her nipples were hard and prominent under her swimsuit. She dripped water everywhere, shedding it as they walked. 

“You’re going to serve us dinner?” Kat asked, addressing Lynn as they crossed the patio. 

Her question surprised Lynn, but she steeled herself. Snapping back to reality and drawing her gaze away from Kelly’s bare torso between her shorts and bikini top. She met Kat’s icy gray eyes and narrowed her own. “Fuck no, I’m not your waitress. I bought it, I apologized, and I put up with Kelly’s hosing me down for her own sick amusement. I’m not serving your food to you like I’m the goddamn help.” 

“Sure you are,” Kelly said. She stopped by the side of the pool to turn and face Lynn. Her words were ironclad as she leveled her glare at Lynn. “You’re hosting the dinner, right? The least you can do is play hostess.” 

Kat gave Kelly a look that was somewhere between disbelief, confusion, and suspicion. She looked at Lynn, who stared into Kelly’s eyes as Kelly stared into Lynn’s. The intense heat between them grew tangible. 

“Are you okay?” Kat asked Kelly. “This is getting weird.” 

“Getting?” Katelyn asked. “Kelly, I’m worried. You’re going to give Lynn hypothermia or something.” 

“I’m fine,” Lynn said. “Fuck off.” 

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Kelly agreed. “Besides, I have it from a reliable source that she enjoys this kind of thing. Don’t you, Cunt?”

“What?” Kat asked, confused. 

Lynn’s eyes searched Kelly’s face. No, she couldn’t know that for sure. It was a bluff, like her teasing earlier. She was trying to trick Lynn into revealing something mortifying. Fuck that. 

“Isn’t that right, Cunt?” Kelly asked, lifting Lynn’s chin to face her. 

Lynn looked away from Kelly’s piercing green eyes, but Kelly grabbed her chin and tried to catch her gaze. Lynn’s body answered for her. Her nipples stretched the bathing suit now. Kat and Katelyn noticed the awkward way Lynn shifted her legs, pushing her knees together. Even her breathing joined the traitorous signs of arousal blossoming in her core. 

“No,” Kat said, shaking her head. “I don’t care. If she enjoys it, that’s one more reason not to do it. We’re not playing with her as if she’s a one-night stand. She’s not part of the harem, and Arthur would be so mad if we crossed that line.” 

“She’s a cunt,” Kelly said. “Isn’t that right?” She brought her face closer to Lynn’s, and Lynn gulped. 

“I–” Lynn stammered. “I–” Admitting her fantasies to Kelly would be tantamount to surrendering the war. She could handle losing a battle and apologizing to Mindy. She still had weapons in reserve, and she could fight another day. Telling Kelly the truth? That she wanted Kelly to use and abuse her in every filthy manner they could imagine? That’d be giving up, even if it pissed Arthur off, which was a victory in itself. 

Kelly laughed and clamped her hand around Lynn’s face, making her lips pucker. “Admit it, Cunt. Admit that you fingered yourself into oblivion earlier today just thinking of me. That wasn’t the first time either.” 

Lynn gulped, squirming as she clamped her hands around Kelly’s wrist, but not forcing her hand away. 

“Kelly,” Kat said, her voice full of warning. “This isn’t cool or funny.” 

Kelly ignored Kat, her gaze boring into Lynn’s eyes. “If I told you to call me Mistress, would you do it? Would you be the group’s bitch tonight and serve us like a good cunt?” 

“I–” Lynn stammered again, unsure of whether she was dreaming or if this was happening. Her imagination had been cruel and hot over the last few days. Her desire for that exact scenario roared within her, matching the volume of her roar of rage. The wish to punch Kelly in the face matched her desire to press her lips against Kelly’s soft, parted lips. “I–” 

“The safe word is red light,” Kelly said, grinning. “If you say red light, the game will stop, and we’ll leave. Do you want the game to stop?” 

Lynn didn’t answer; she couldn’t. Paralysis took her brain. 

“Do you want to see how far you’ll go to please your mistress, you cunt?” Kelly asked. 

Lynn didn’t answer, but the blush on her face turned scarlet, and she surged forward. Even she didn’t know if she was supposed to kiss Kelly or knock her away, but her desire was irrelevant. Neither motivation had a chance of becoming reality. 

Kelly pulled away as if shit were flying at her face. She slapped Lynn away. Her open palm struck Lynn’s cheek, causing the woman to stumble as the person she’d been attempting to seize disappeared from reach. 

“Oh my God,” Katelyn said, her voice carrying the disbelief inherent in shock. “Did she just try to kiss you?” 

“This is so fucked up!” Kat yelled. “I’m telling Arthur!” 

“Fuck you!” Lynn spat, holding her cheek, though it wasn’t clear whether she meant it for Kelly or Kat. She muttered something in Spanish, of which Kat only caught a word, “I was trying to push her, not kiss her. Puta.”

Kat threw her hands in the air. “Kelly! Stop fucking around with Lynn and let’s just eat dinner. Hell, let’s take it to go and leave. We got what we came for. You, Rani, Katelyn, Mindy, and I can eat at my place. We’ll watch a movie or something!”

“Our place is closer,” Katelyn said, supporting Kat’s suggestion. “Should we tell Arthur we’re leaving?” 

“We should definitely tell him what’s happened before we go,” Kat said, nodding.  

“No need to get Arthur involved,” Kelly said, her voice firm and trying to appear calm. “I won’t let Lynn ruin his night tonight. She’s done enough damage to him. We can handle this between us girls. Right, Cunt?” 

“You’re enjoying this too much,” Kat argued. “It’s going too far.” 

“No, I’m not, and no, it isn’t,” Kelly said. “Besides, Lynn wants this. Don’t you, Cunt?” 

Lynn swallowed, the heat on her face matching the heat from Kelly’s palm. “Fuck you and your whores.” 

“Oh, you’d love to fuck me and my girlfriends, wouldn’t you, Cunt?” Kelly asked. “Admit it.” 

Kat’s eyes flared wide. 

“Kat, maybe we should–” Katelyn tried to say something, but Kat cut her off by accident. Katelyn was far too timid. Kat was too bold.

“Come on, Kelly!” Kat demanded. “How would Arthur feel about this? He’d hate this! There’s no way he’d trust Lynn groveling and submitting to whatever you ask. He wouldn’t want you dominating her. It doesn’t matter what she wants.” 

“Should we ask him?” Katelyn asked, backing Kat’s protest. “He’s inside, right? We could go ask him.” 

“And if this gets sexual, that’s a massive violation of his trust.” Kat pressed. “It’s against the rules!” 

“This doesn’t break the harem rules,” Kelly said. “We’re allowed to play with each other, remember?” 

“Yeah, but Lynn’s not one of us. She’s a monster! She’ll turn on us the first chance she gets. Hell, even now she’s probably plotting how to ruin your life for this.” Kat said. “This is why Arthur wanted us to avoid her. You’re letting your anger get in the way of the plan, and it’s going to end up fucking us! We’ve built our relationship on trust. How can we ever trust her?” 

“We can’t.” Katelyn agreed.

“Stay out of it! It isn’t any of your business! This is between your queen bee and me!” Lynn barked at Kat, surprising even herself. However, Kat let slip something that piqued her interest. An unintentional word Lynn’s brain took a second to process. “What plan?” She asked Kat. “What was your little plan? Tricking me into fighting Kelly and recording it to show to Deb?”  

“Shut up, Puta,” Kat said, tossing the insult back at her. “I’m not talking to you!” 

Lynn’s face contorted. “You shut up. I don’t take orders from an average-at-best chica who can’t get any love without her sister pimping for her.” 

Katelyn gasped, clasping Kat’s shoulder. Kat didn’t seem to need the encouragement, though. 

“I might be less hot than you, but I can fuck Arthur any time I want,” Kat said. “He’s my boyfriend. Hell, if I were into girls, Kelly would even be my girlfriend, not yours. Meanwhile, the only lover you’ll ever have is battery-powered because no one will ever love you. Not even your parents want you around them. You’re a monster who will live and die alone, and you fuckin’ deserve it, Puta.” 

Lynn’s anger boiled. Rage bubbled with every word Kat spoke. When Lynn opened her mouth to spit back a witty retort, all that left her lips was a cry of rage. Last time, Kelly had intervened; this time, Kat didn’t give her the chance. The short woman in the red one-piece bathing suit grabbed for Lynn as Lynn grabbed for her, and the two of them clashed. Hands flew, cries rose, and they both fell sideways into the pool.

The splash tossed water everywhere, making Katelyn shriek as she raised her hands to block the splash. Kelly yelled as well, trying to catch Kat before she fell. A naked Mindy ran out of the basement to see what was happening. A bottomless Rani ran after her.

Lynn rose from the water, sputtering and gasping as she clawed at Kat. Kat clawed her in return until Lynn struck her hard in the face with her elbow. Kat released Lynn to float away, holding her nose. Blood poured into the water, creating a red liquid cloud that darkened the pool. 

“Kat!” Katelyn yelled. 

“I’ll get Arthur!” Mindy cried and ran across the patio toward the kitchen. 

Lynn clawed her way to the edge, pushing herself out of the pool. 

Rani jumped into the pool, ignoring Lynn, and waded straight to Kat to help her stand upright and check if Lynn had broken her nose.

The water was only waist-deep. Once Kat got her legs under her, she was fine, but she’d gone under, and her nose was bleeding on her hands, suit, and the surrounding water. She had her hands clamped over it, trying to stem the tide. 

Kelly tried to stop Lynn from entering the house by force, facing her with her hands raised. This time, however, Lynn knew better than to fight fair. She spat out the mouthful of pool water she’d been saving. The chlorine water jettisoned in a direct line for Kelly’s eyes and hit. 

Kelly ducked and wiped at her eyes, but it was too late. Her cry of stinging pain cut off a moment later as Lynn kneed her in the stomach and pushed her aside. Katelyn grasped for Lynn’s arm to stop her, but with only one good arm and weighing far less, Lynn sent Katelyn sailing into the deep end with one strong kick. 

With her enemies defeated, Lynn stormed into the house, following Mindy’s path. The entire night was Arthur’s fault. Now Mindy was running to him like he was their knight in shining armor? No, he was nothing but a pathetic waste. His days of telling the sob story about how she was mean to him and deserved this shit were over. The vitriol from Kelly, the hatred of the others, the loneliness, the isolation, the uncertain future, the expulsion, her parents putting her on a budget  — she didn’t deserve any of it. Fuck them for making her feel like she did. 

She’d talk to Arthur, and he was going to listen. She didn’t care if she had to scream in his face until her throat burned. 

Her wet footsteps in the kitchen smacked as she stomped through the room. She heard raised voices in what must have been the movie room. Lynn entered the hallway and ran through it, stopping in surprise when she reached the scene. The shock stopped her accelerating anger in the same way a windshield stops a fly. What she saw scattered her brain until it caught up with what her eyes were seeing.

~~~

Mark and Maria returned from their time outside to discover Selene in her standing split. She panted, fucking herself against Arthur, who stood with one arm hugging her leg against his chest and the other groping her breast. He squeezed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and she moaned like a whore. She pushed against the couch, and Arthur thrust into her, meeting her efforts with his own. What had started as slow and steady had grown into furious effort, with Selene’s cries of pleasure punctuating every thrust. Brad and Jen cuddled on the sofa, gently masturbating each other while they watched Selene and Arthur, distracted by their intensity and Mark and Maria’s arrival. 

“Fuck that’s hot,” Maria said, clutching Mark’s hand as he dropped it from her collar. 

Arthur grunted, his leg muscles flexing as Selene strained in the effort of tightening her core muscles. They watched him explode inside of her, emptying himself into her until she overflowed, their mingled juices spreading across her thighs as he withdrew from her. 

Selene dropped to her knees and swallowed his cock. He’d already finished inside her, but she cleaned him, sucking her juices from his length and licking him clean in the spots she might’ve missed. Brad and Jen shifted to peer over the sofa to get a better view. 

“Wow,” Maria said, looking at Arthur as she licked her lips. “Sploosh.” 

Arthur laughed at the reference, which broke the spell in its way. His sharp bark of laughter made the others register what Maria had said. They chuckled, shaking their heads as they recovered from the scene. 

“Can I call next?” Maria asked, raising her eyebrow as she lowered her eyes to Arthur’s cock stuffed into Selene’s throat. Still hard, and ready for the next pussy in line. 

Arthur ignored her. He gestured toward Mark, who looked confused for a second, and then realized he was holding the briefcase. 

“Oh, right,” Mark said, stepping forward and offering Arthur the briefcase over Selene’s head. She remained on her knees, sucking Arthur like she was trying to save his life. Arthur opened the briefcase, holding it with one arm while his other hand picked through the contents. He pulled out a long, black leather paddle and offered the briefcase back to Mark, who took it and set it against the couch. 

“Are you ready for your punishment, Slut?” Arthur asked, looking past the paddle to Selene as her blue eyes gazed up at him with eager anticipation. 

Selene released his cock and sat back between her heels, pressing her palms flat to the floor between her thighs. He’d have to clean the carpet. Oh well, he’d punish Selene for it later, but maybe that was why she’d pressed her sex-slick pussy against the floor. 

“Yes, please, Master,” Selene said, bowing her head. “How do you want me?” 

“Nadu, slave,” Arthur said, much to the others’ confusion. The confusion didn’t end when Selene took the pose, bringing her legs under her. She knelt, spreading her legs wide as she did so, straightening her spine, bowing her head, and setting her hands on the middle of her thighs, palms up. It was an extremely explicit position when she was naked.  

“This is the Nadu pose,” Arthur said, turning to Brad and Mark. “It’s an excellent position for slaves to take when they’re naked. It’s visually appealing, and it gives you access to whatever part of them you might need.” 

Maria gulped. “Hotter and hotter.” 

“I know, right?” Mark agreed. “Arthur, you really get into character, huh? The whole role of the Master thing?” 

The comment brought Arthur out of his headspace, but he nodded. “I do my best.” He said, shrugging. “Everyone still okay? Is anyone too uncomfortable to continue, or do they need a break?” 

“Are you kidding?” Maria scoffed. “I want you, Mark, and/or Brad, to do that to me. Let’s go!” 

Arthur chuckled, recognizing Maria’s behavior as so similar to Selene’s when she led from the bottom, which he realized he let her do more than he should. 

“I’m good,” Jen said, jumping in. “Do you want me to take that pose, Master?” She asked Brad and kissed his neck. 

Brad gulped. “The kneeling?” 

“I’ll kneel for you,” Jen whispered breathily in his ear, loud enough for everyone to hear it. 

“Uh…” Brad hesitated, not from lack of desire, but from her words, breath on his neck, and hand on his cock short-circuiting his brain.

“Nadu is a perfect transitional pose,” Arthur said, interrupting. “Slut, take the ready stance.”

Selene shifted, flattening her hands on the floor, leaning forward, and closing her legs against her wrists. The result was that she bent forward, with her head hanging in front of Arthur’s crotch, her mouth open, and her tongue out, waiting for his cock. 

“You should learn that one,” Mark said, nudging Maria. 

Maria dropped to her knees, mimicking the pose with her back to Selene so that Mark could watch her and Arthur while she sucked his dick. “Yes, Master.” 

“Well, damn,” Mark said. “Best guys’ night ever.” 

Brad chuckled. 

“Why don’t you and Jen come watch, too?” Arthur said. “You should know how to spank your slave.” 

Brad looked at Jen, who nodded, and the two untangled themselves. Jen, naked except for her heels, cuffs, and collar, had an easy enough time climbing over the sofa. She moved to the space that gave her a decent view of the hallway and dropped into the ‘Ready’ pose. 

Brad followed, hiding his erection at first, then relenting. Arthur was hard and in the wind, and he didn’t seem bothered by it, so Brad followed his lead. 

He didn’t like the placement Jen chose, though. He moved behind Selene, standing in the empty area on the other half of the room. It gave him a better view of her ass and whatever Arthur was about to do to it. Jen crawled over to him on all fours, then resumed the ready position with her mouth an inch away from the tip of Brad’s cock. 

“Stand up, Slut,” Arthur said.

Selene stood, and Arthur rubbed her ass, then reached over the sofa and pulled his belt from his slacks. 

The others turned to look at Selene, whose face was as red as her ass was about to be.

“Legs together, bend over, and spread your cheeks,” Arthur said. 

Selene turned toward the sofa. She bent over and pulled her cheeks apart without question. Arthur laid the paddle on the edge of the couch before her and offered her the belt to bite. She clamped it between her teeth, her eyes widening as Arthur returned to the briefcase, withdrawing the largest of the jeweled butt plugs and the accompanying lube. He lubed the plug, wiping his hands on Selene’s backside and running his lubed fingers over her hole. 

Selene tensed, shifting her leg muscles and doing her best to relax as he pressed the tip of the plug against her hole. Arthur waited until she finished her exhale and nudged it in. Her bite tightened on the belt, and she groaned. 

Arthur withdrew the plug, depositing the lube into her hole and spreading it with his finger. 

Selene gulped, whimpering in pleasure as Arthur teased her. He worked the plug in, pushing and pulling it with regular twisting as if trying to fit a too-large object into a too-small hole by forcing it open. 

Selene moaned when it slid home, a noise as base as it was arousing. Arthur patted the jeweled butt plug base lodged between her cheeks, sending shockwaves through her body. He left her standing there, cheeks spread, plug inserted, bent toward the couch. Brad and Mark looked at her ass while Jen and Maria sheathed their cocks in their mouths. 

“I didn’t think that’d fit,” Mark said, looking at Brad. 

Brad nodded. “Weirdly enough, this whole night is making me respect Selene more, not less. She’s really good at what she loves.” 

“And she loves crazy bondage sex,” Mark said. “Who knew?” 

Selene’s blush turned from pink to crimson. Her face burned hot enough to boil an egg, even though no one could see it.  

Arthur returned after washing his hands. He picked up the paddle. “Hands on the couch.” He told Selene. 

Selene released her cheeks and braced herself against the back of the sofa. 

“Spanking is a common punishment for slaves who fail to please their masters,” Arthur said as he pressed the paddle against Selene’s ass. He used the paddle to indent Selene’s cheek. “You want to strike here, and here, with the flat of the paddle or hand.” He said, designating the fattest parts of Selene’s bubble butt with each press. 

“The backs of the thighs are useful for variety,” Arthur continued. “But avoid the lower back. Never hit the kidney zone in spankings or whippings. Upper back, butt, and thighs only.” 

“Upper back, butt, and thighs only,” Mark repeated. “Got it.” 

“I prefer to warm them up before getting to the hard stuff,” Arthur said, laying the paddle across Selene’s upper back. “So I’m going to start with the hand. Then I’ll use the paddle, the belt, and the hand again, if she needs a cool down.”

“Master,” Maria said, pulling away from Mark’s cock enough to ask her question. “Can we turn so I can watch too?”  

“Sure thing, Sugartits,” Mark said. He turned to the side so he and Maria both had a view. She pumped him one-handed toward her face and tits as they watched. 

Jen continued sucking Brad’s cock, making no request to change her angle. 

“I’m going to give you ten strikes,” Arthur said to Selene as he pulled his belt from her mouth. “To start.” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. “Thank you, Master.” 

“You’re going to say ‘Thank you, Master’ after each one, as usual,” Arthur instructed as he draped his belt across Selene’s back.

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. 

“And this will be the first of several spankings. The hand, the paddle, and the belt. Each set will be ten strikes.” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. 

“And maybe I’ll let one or both of the other slaves spank you,” Arthur said. “Putting your total number of spankings tonight up to fifty. They will be hard and intense, especially with the plug inside you. Do you understand, Slut? You remember your safewords?” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said, blushing and not daring to look behind her. 

Jen glugged away at Brad’s cock, bracing herself as he rocked his hips. 

“You understand why I’m spanking you?” Arthur asked as he caressed Selene’s ass.

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. “Besides losing the competition, and cumming without permission, it’s because you want to, and to demonstrate to Master Brad and Master Mark how to punish their slaves.” 

Arthur checked the others’ expressions. Everyone looked nervous, but excited. Mark appeared to be in a lust-fueled haze, both eyes on Selene as Maria jerked him off. Brad appeared more concerned with what Jen was doing, checking on her as she blew him. 

“Good girl,” Arthur said, moving to Selene’s side. He took her face in his hand, cupping her chin with his fingers and thumb on either side of her jaw. He turned her head and kissed her, rewarding her insight with pleasure. Then, even as they kissed, he landed the first spank across her right cheek. 

Selene mewed her pleasure into the kiss, then broke it to say, “One. Thank you, Master.” 

Arthur released her jaw and turned to face the others, standing next to Selene with her hip against his. He wrapped one arm over her back, holding her in place, and with his other, he started her spanking in earnest. The loud slaps filled the room, echoing, as Selene’s cries of delight mingled with her repetitive mantra at each impact. 

“Two, thank you, Master!” Selene said after he spanked her right cheek. 

“Three, thank you, Master!” Selene said after he spanked her left cheek. 

He continued alternating between cheeks, her ass bouncing with every clap and a very faint red mark blooming on her pale behind. 

“Four, thank you, Master!” 

With the plug inside her, every impact sent ripples through her entire body, making her drip with arousal between her legs as she scrunched her face. 

“Five, thank you, Master!” 

Her voice was tight, straining against the mingled sense of pain and pleasure that threatened to overwhelm her and reduce her to a befuddled mess. 

“Six, thank you, Master!” 

Counting became more difficult after every blow, her mind drifting toward that blissful state of pure submission.

“Seven, thank you, Master!” 

They could hear the change in her voice, the lightness, as if he were fingering her and driving her toward orgasm instead of spanking her before her friends. 

“Eight, thank you, Master!” 

Brad, Mark, and Maria watched in awe, their eyes not leaving the faint red bloom on Selene’s pale cheeks. 

“Nine, thank you, Master!” 

Arthur landed the final blow across both cheeks, flicking his wrist just enough to let it sting. 

Her scream at the sting was loud enough that it echoed through the hallway. Arthur raised his head and looked toward the kitchen, sure he’d heard something overlapping, but he returned his focus to Selene to check on her.  

Selene drew her breath in with a sharp hiss, then exhaled with relief. “Ten. Thank you. Master.” She panted between each word.  

Maria’s eyes focused on Selene’s ass, as if he’d written the number of spanks written there. She bit her lip, tucking the corner of her bottom lip behind her canine. Spellbound. 

Brad was breathing more heavily than Jen’s blowjob required. Jen increased her efforts, eager to please her master with the slapping sounds of spankings barking through the air. 

“Thank you, Master,” Selene said again as Arthur lifted the paddle from her back. 

He caressed her ass, stroking it. “Good girl. You took that spanking like a proper slut.”

“I’m your slut, Master,” Selene said, her voice far away. “Your slave. Punish me.” 

“This one, though, is going to hurt.” Arthur flattened the paddle against both cheeks, the plug in the middle of the strike zone. He pulled his arm back and swung. 

Selene’s legs gave out, and she stumbled as she closed her legs and danced on her toes. The belt draped over her fell to the floor, and Arthur picked it up even as she said, “Eleven, thank you, Master.” 

Arthur folded his belt and offered it to Selene again. “But, Master, I won’t be able to count with this in my mouth.” 

“Sugartits will count for you,” Arthur said. “If you trust her to keep count.” 

“Of course, Master,” Selene said. “Thank you.” And she bit the folded belt. 

Arthur nodded toward Maria and struck Selene with the paddle again, making her scream through her gritted teeth and the belt. She danced again as Maria counted. 

“Twelve, Master Arthur,” Maria said. 

Arthur raised his arm for a third strike with the paddle and stopped mid-swing. 

“ARTHUR!” 

He looked up at the thunderous noise of footsteps to see a naked Mindy barreling into the hallway. All play forgotten as the panic on Mindy’s face had him moving toward her even as she barreled into the room like an express train. 

“Get outside!” Mindy said, her breathing making her chest heave. Arthur’s many questions flew aside as the directive “Get outside” overrode any other thoughts. 

But it was too late. Thunderous, slapping footsteps sounded from the kitchen, and Lynn barreled into the hallway in a scanty designer swimsuit. She charged through the hallway, having seen Arthur’s face, and stopped at the archway as if she’d slammed into a wall. It took her that long to realize what she was seeing.

~~~

“Oh. My. God,” Lynn said, her eyes wide as a naked Arthur stared at her while calming a hysterical, pointing Mindy. Her eyes fell to his crotch, where his thick, rock-hard dick stood in plain view. His naked body was hot enough, but a girthy dick that size? “Jesus fucking Christ. If I’d known you were packing that, I’d have been a lot nicer to you in high school.” 

The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. The time it took her to say them was too much. The thunder of cries and footsteps behind her announced the approach of Kelly, Katelyn, Rani, and Kat, or at least some of that number. 

In the family room, four people she recognized from homecoming were standing around. A hot guy was balls deep in a black-haired woman’s mouth. A skinny guy had just shot his load over a thick young woman on her knees in front of him, her hand wrapped around his softening cock. 

Lynn wondered where Arthur and Selene had fit into that orgy. Had the others been watching them fuck? The paddle in Arthur’s hand and the red glow of Selene’s ass suggested something else. The ruby-red faux-jewel at the end of a butt plug matched the shade of her cheeks. Selene straightened, dropping a belt from her mouth. Fuck, they were even kinkier than Lynn had thought. Was that what it took to put steel into Arthur’s sword? What the fuck had these sluts done to Arthur to turn him into a dominant?  

Arthur’s expression toward Lynn shifted from one of shock to pure rage. His bright eyes looked like they might fire lasers at her if they could. He hadn’t taken her comment regarding his dick well. Her joke must have pissed him off. Like her, though, his rage gave way to surprise, and then concern as a shoulder drove into Lynn’s back, knocking her forward. She threw her hands out, catching the carpet as she collided with the ground. 

Kelly grabbed her wrist, wrenching it behind her back, but Lynn rolled, throwing Kelly off her. Lynn clawed toward Arthur, but Kelly grabbed her. They rolled, fighting with every bit of fury they had. Nails, teeth, fists, palms  — it didn’t matter. Lynn’s only goal was to cause Kelly as much pain as possible. 

Kelly, likewise, had devolved into a furious, rampaging flurry of violence. There was no calm head or well-timed strike, but a barbarian rage that nearly broke Lynn’s ribs as she pummeled the woman’s torso. 

Then suddenly, Kelly was gone. Lynn gasped, sucking in a painful breath as she sat up. 

Arthur had Kelly aloft with his arm around her waist, hoisting her away from the fray. She looked ridiculous, hanging from Arthur’s arm with her arms and legs swinging. Kat stood off to the side with Katelyn, with Kat holding her blood-covered face and Katelyn digging a tampon out of her purse. Arthur gave Kelly to Rani and Mindy, who hugged the redhead and wouldn’t let her go, while Rani tried to talk sense into her. 

“Arty,” Lynn said, moving toward him. “We need to talk.” 

“You’re not getting near him,” Selene said, putting herself between Lynn and Arthur with both hands raised in caution. 

“Selene, stand down,” Arthur said, holding a hand up to stop her. She glared at him for a moment, then grimaced, stepping aside but keeping her eyes on Lynn. 

“You would not believe what your girlfriends have been doing tonight,” Lynn said. “Can we talk somewhere private? Upstairs, maybe?” 

“Absolutely not!” Kelly said, striding forward, but stopping when Rani and Mindy both pulled her back by her arms. 

“No,” Arthur said, pulling his boxers on as the people with him gathered their clothes. “If you have something to say to me, say it here, but honestly, Lynn, it’s better if you and I don’t speak. Go back to your basement and leave me alone.” 

“Oh yeah, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Lynn asked. The annoyance in her voice crept toward anger again. “You won’t even give me the time of day. They destroyed my phone!” 

“You destroyed your phone,” Mindy said, piping up for Kat, who tried to say the same thing but was busy keeping her nose from bleeding out. Lynn hadn’t broken it, but she didn’t have to for Kat to bleed like a stuck pig. 

Lynn wiped water from her chest and fixed her top, which had come askew in the tussle. She and the others from outside dripped pool water onto the carpet. 

“Yeah, that’s right. You want nothing to do with me, right? So does Auntie Deb, because of something you told her. Whatever it was, you told your girlfriends, too? That’s why they hate me so much? What the fuck have you been telling people, huh?” Lynn asked, striding forward to stare into Arthur’s eyes because his dick was too distracting. “Why do your girlfriends hate me for no reason?” 

“No reason?” Rani asked, incredulous. 

“I’m not talking to you!” Lynn screamed. “EVERYONE SHUT UP BUT ARTY! I WANT TO HEAR IT FROM HIM!” 

Lynn thrust her finger into his chest and glared up at the tall, broad, naked, muscular man standing before her. A far cry from the “Arty” she knew. She hadn’t even recognized him in the hot tub when they’d reunited. “Is this because of the football team?” 

Arthur held her gaze as if shocked at her question. His eyes blazed with fury, but also looked like he was on the verge of tears. He might have the body of a god now, but he was still a softy. 

“It’s because of what happened before the football team,” Arthur said, his voice tight. 

“Before the football team? In the motel room? When you couldn’t get it up?” Lynn asked. 

Arthur didn’t react, but a sudden shriek of fury from her right made Lynn turn to see a naked blonde woman pouncing toward her like a cat, claws extended. 

Selene landed on Lynn and bit hard on the soft flesh of her ear. Lynn screamed from the shock and pain of Selene scratching her face, biting her ear, slamming her in the stomach, and knocking her to the ground. 

“Selene!” Arthur’s voice boomed, and he tried to scoop Selene off Lynn the way he had Kelly, but she wasn’t having it. She clung to Lynn as if her life depended on it, and Arthur’s yanking at her only caused Lynn more pain. Lynn fought back, pulling Selene’s braid and jerking her head back. Selene released Lynn’s ear in the motion, though it was a wonder she didn’t take a chunk with her.

With Selene’s throat exposed, Lynn clawed at the collars she wore to fend off Selene. She missed the steel ring and the black collar attached to it, but her fingers snagged the lower, brown choker. Her finger hooked behind it, and she wrenched it away as Arthur finally pulled Selene off her. There was momentary resistance, then a snap as the clasp broke, and everything went still. 

Every member of the harem sucked in a breath at the same time. Then, a sudden silence filled the room as Lynn examined the narrow brown leather choker in her hand.

Selene’s earlier shriek had been piercing, furious, and emotional. It had nothing on the noise she made now. The absolute primal fury in Selene’s cry was the first sound since the snap that made everyone but Lynn freeze in place. 

Selene spun in Arthur’s grip and wrenched free. 

Lynn clenched her fingers over the broken choker in her hand as Selene dug her nails into Lynn’s fist to free it. She bit Lynn’s finger hard enough to make Lynn scream, and Lynn kicked at her, trying to push her off and away. 

Selene abandoned Lynn’s hand and went for her throat instead, clasping her fingers around Lynn’s neck and shaking her with a surprising amount of strength for someone so small. The lithe muscles in Selene’s body worked for all their worth as Lynn gasped for air for the second time that night. 

“Brad! Help me!” Arthur cried, and Lynn realized he was trying to pull Selene away from her. The blonde’s legs clung to her, squeezing her like she could break bones with her thighs. 

Lynn rolled to her side when Selene left her. She coughed, choking on the air as it filled her lungs. Selene kicked, clawed, and roared her fury as she hung from her arms, suspended by Arthur and Brad, who hauled her away from Lynn. Tears fled Selene’s eyes like rain, and Lynn had no idea what the fuck was happening. 

Lynn sat up with her hand on her throat, rubbing her esophagus as she tried to catch her breath. The others stared at her as if she’d transformed into a werewolf, when Selene was the one who’d become a monster. 

“What the fuck?” Lynn gasped, looking down at her hand. Was that it? “You’re pissed about the choker?” Lynn asked. “Bitch, I did you a favor. This broken old piece of shit is ugly as fuck.” Getting pissed at Lynn for harassing Arthur was one thing, but Blondie was insane. She’d gone feral over a pathetic necklace anyone could buy at the mall. 

Selene redoubled her struggle to break free of Arthur and Brad’s grips on her arms, even clawing and kicking them in her furious scramble. They held her fast, and Arthur whispered something in her ear, soothing her, calming her, and changing her furious cries of fury into sobs of anguish. She was having a complete mental breakdown, and Lynn knew she’d caused it. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t care, unless she could repeat it at the store where Selene worked. 

Somehow confident that Selene wouldn’t twist free of Arthur again, Brad stepped away. Arthur held Selene in his arms, holding her tight. Lynn could see his muscles flexing, not to restrain her, but to hug her, to squeeze every ounce of assurance into her. The girls surrounded them, and Lynn witnessed them coming together to comfort and calm Selene. None of them checked on Lynn. No one cared whether she was injured. Even the strangers in the room were concerned with Selene’s well-being rather than worrying over Lynn. 

The scratches on Lynn’s face weren’t deep, but they stung. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you people?!?” Lynn cried. “She attacked me! I should be the one you’re checking on, not that crazy bitch!” 

“Lynn,” Arthur said after a deep breath. “You need to leave.” 

“No,” Lynn said. “I want my answers. What the fuck did you say to Auntie Deb?” 

Arthur looked at the others, then sighed. He left Selene in Kat and Kelly’s care. Kat, Katelyn, Rani, Mindy, and Kelly each had a hand on her, rubbing her arms and shoulders, telling her it was okay, that she was alright. 

Arthur stepped away from the mass of his girlfriends and stepped toward Lynn, his hand outstretched. “Give me the choker.” He said, his voice calm but firm, which was telling. He wanted what Lynn had. Fine. Then he’d answer her questions. 

“What did you say to your mother to turn her against me?” Lynn asked, challenging him. 

“I told her the truth about what happened at that party senior year,” Arthur said. “When you–when you–” 

“When you assaulted him.” Rani finished his sentence. 

Lynn laughed. “When I what?” 

“The night of the party. The motel room.” Arthur said. “I’ve told everyone what happened.” 

“You told everyone we were going to fuck, but you couldn’t get it up, so I had to hold you down and use your limp dick to get myself off?” Lynn asked. 

Arthur closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His hands were fists now, and his arms flexed. Kelly shifted, but Arthur turned his hand into a stop motion, and she obeyed. Every eye in the room was on Arthur.

“The reason I couldn’t get it up is that I wasn’t into it. I didn’t want to be there, and I begged you to stop,” Arthur said. He opened his eyes to stare at Lynn. His face held no anger, no fury, but it was clear to Lynn he was attempting to explain things to her. “Remember?” 

“And even if he had been hard, that’s not the same as consent,” Rani added. 

Lynn froze at the word consent. She stared at Arthur. 

He stared back. 

She shook her head. “No.” She said. “You’re twisting it. That was your thing  — the begging, the pretending to hate it. You got off on the cruelty and bullying as much as I did. That’s why you kept coming back for it.” 

“No, I kept coming back to you because I loved you. I was twisted up in my head about what that meant,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “You solved that problem for me that night.” 

“That’s not what happened,” Lynn said. “You loved being my bitch throughout high school. You did. You were always hanging around, doing things for me. You had to get off on it, right? Or why do it?” 

“I wasn’t getting off on your being mean to me,” Arthur said.

“I planned that night for us because of it,” Lynn said. “Angie told me the things she did with her boyfriend. Guys love that shit. The–the whole emasculation thing. They’re freaks who just want to be humiliated. You were supposed to love it. You should have loved it.” 

“That’s nowhere near true,” Arthur said. “Angie was wrong. You were wrong, and what you did was wrong.” 

“Don’t you dare,” Lynn said, shaking her finger at him. “Don’t you dare. You love me. You know you do. That’s what this is about, right? You love me, but you can’t have me, and you’re just scared that if you admit it, I’ll turn you down or something, right?” 

“What?” Arthur asked, genuine confusion covering his face. “No, Lynn. I don’t love you. I hate you, and I want you out of my life, my family’s lives, and my girlfriends’ lives. You disgust me as a person. You’re vile, evil, and cruel. If I could forget that you exist, I would.” 

“No, I’m not,” Lynn said, defending herself even though her words felt hollow in her mouth. “No, no! You’re twisting it! You’re spinning it around on me! It wasn’t my fault the football players beat you up!” 

“That has nothing to do with it,” Arthur said, doing his best to keep his calm. His calculated words remained even and devoid of the anger boiling in his shaking fists at his sides. “I know what it looked like to them, and I don’t hate them for it. I’d have done the same thing in their shoes, except I don’t react to situations with violence like a Neanderthal.”

Kelly flinched. 

“But what you did?” Arthur asked. “That’s on you.” 

“Shut up!” Lynn said, her anger raging inside her as she shook her head back and forth. “Just shut up!” She lifted her gaze to stare at Arthur, who dared to look at her with a mixture of disgust and pity. He hated her and pitied her because she couldn’t handle what was happening right now. 

Her memories of that night flooded her mind. She knew how it appeared, but it couldn’t be true. She was the one doing it, right? She wasn’t that evil a person. She did bad things, sure, but only to protect herself and further her goals. Ambition wasn’t a crime. Cruelty wasn’t either. He’d been into it. He had to be. 

“Lynn, give me the choker,” Arthur said, repeating himself as he held out his hand for it. It must’ve taken every ounce of effort he had to make his anger sound that calm and determined. 

Something in Lynn snapped. She stared at the choker in her hand as she turned her palm over and opened her fingers. It hung in her palm, its broken clasp on either end dangling toward the floor. A piece of it fell to the carpet without a sound, and she lifted her rage and tear-filled eyes to Arthur. 

“You want it, you little bitch?” Lynn asked, her voice breaking as she asked it. “Take it!” She hurled it into Arthur’s face like a baseball. It spun through the air, and he tried to catch it, missing by an inch. He hissed as it slapped his cheek and stung, making his eyes water. “And this!” Lynn rushed forward, slapping him across the face. 

Arthur froze at the slap, his face turned to the side as Lynn continued her assault. 

“And this!” She slapped him with her other hand, repeating herself and her blows as she cried. “And this! And this!” 

Everyone watched in frozen awe and horror, disbelieving the sight before them. The smacks echoed through the room. Rani, Kelly, and Mindy rushed forward to haul Lynn and Arthur away from one another. 

The brawl started again, with Lynn screaming a wordless cry as she slapped and pummeled her fists against a frozen Arthur. 

The room erupted in a chaotic tumble of partially naked people. A drenched Katelyn held a drenched Kat back from doing something stupid, her bloody nose still running onto her face as she tried to join the fray. Naked Selene was crying in the fetal position, with Maria and Jen checking on her. A boxer-clad Brad tried to put himself between Lynn and Arthur, while pants-clad Mark was smart enough to stand back and record the event on his phone. Kelly and Rani, one topless and one bottomless, did their best to hold Lynn back, with Kelly punching her and kneeing her in the gut more than once. 

Naked Mindy hugged Arthur, trying to soothe him as she checked his face and kissed his cheek where Lynn had struck. 

Rani and Kelly held an arm each of Lynn’s as she struggled and kicked in the air. 

Wriggling, Lynn headbutted Kelly in the face and smacked Rani’s nipple piercing with her flailing hand. She broke free during their momentary cries of pain, faked Brad out, and tackled Arthur, knocking him and Mindy to the ground in their surprise. Lynn pummeled him, smacking him rapid-fire with her open palms.

No one heard the knock or noticed when the door opened. The laundry room door swung to reveal the head of a cautious George Clarke, leading his entrance as he arrived carrying a case of Oktoberfest Beer. “Hey, guys! I hope it’s okay that we’re late! I brought–” His voice cut off as his eyes took in the scene. 

Everyone but Lynn and Arthur froze in surprise. George’s searching eyes scanned the scantily clad and the naked and landed on Lynn as she wrapped her claws around Arthur’s throat and squeezed. She shook him with all her might as he and a very naked Mindy grabbed her wrists to stop her. 

His shock at the scene evaporated in the face of parental instinct. “What the fuck is going on here?!” George bellowed, startling the group, except for Mindy, who continued pulling Lynn off of Arthur by her hair. 

“Stop that this instant!” George barked at Lynn, but Mindy froze too, her eyes welling up with tears. 

Rani was the only one who kept moving. She crossed the room and stopped only when she had Lynn several feet away from Arthur. Lynn sat, reaching for a target that kept out of reach. Rani twisted her grip on Lynn’s hair to keep her in place. Lynn elbowed Rani in the side, forcing her to release her grip, and crawled back to Arthur. She wrapped her hands around his throat and choked him, crying even as he grabbed her wrists to pull her arms apart. 

“Mija!” The man following George hollered. The word struck Lynn like a stone from a catapult, and she released Arthur, putting her hands up in surrender. “Get off him!” 

Lynn sat back, shifting away from Arthur with wary eyes toward the other girls. 

Some of them recognized the other man, having met him once at homecoming: Lynn’s father, Gabriel Barrera.

~~~

“What the heck is going on here?” George asked, looking around and then looking away. He used his right hand to block his view of everything. Looking down, all he could see was a long black paddle. His cheeks heated, and he looked to the left, finding a patch of empty carpet. “The gate and garage door were open. We thought maybe your guys’ night had turned into a full party or something with the number of cars, but this… Thank God your mothers aren’t here.” 

“Arty said I–” Lynn struggled to get the sentence out. Her accusatory tone faded as she analyzed her memories, as if her own brain were trying to convince her she was in the wrong. “That I–” 

“I told her what I told Mom and the others,” Arthur said, as he collected himself and stood. He spoke to George, but he stared at Lynn as he said it. 

George and Gabriel looked at each other, then back at the pair, doing their best to ignore everyone else. “And she reacted by choking you?” George asked. 

“And slapping, and tackling,” Rani added from behind Lynn. 

“He deserved it!” Lynn said, stamping her foot on the floor. “Arty told everyone that I–that I—” She refused to state what she’d done. “He lied!” 

Arthur stepped forward, and Lynn stepped back. 

“I didn’t lie!” Arthur said, raising his voice into a furious boom that thundered through the room. He pointed his finger at Lynn’s face as he spoke. “You even admitted what you did in front of everyone here! So stop acting like I’m twisting what happened. You were wrong, and you did something wrong, on top of your many, many, other issues!” 

“But–” Lynn hesitated, clinging to her delusional denial even as it slipped from her. “I guess, maybe from your perspective, but–” 

“No buts,” Arthur said, cutting her off as he sliced his hand through the air. “That’s what happened. You can accept it, or deny it, but whatever you decide doesn’t matter. It’s still what happened.” 

Lynn’s defiance broke. She broke. She crumpled in on herself, crying. “What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry?” 

“I don’t want you to say anything,” Arthur said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re sorry. I want you to get out and leave me alone.” 

Lynn’s tears, whether real or theatrical, fell in a stream of droplets to the floor. 

Rani and Mindy moved away from Lynn and hugged Arthur, pulling him away from Lynn as she cried. Gabe and George stood by the door, and George cleared his throat to grab everyone’s attention.  

Gabriel wasn’t as shy as George. He passed George and moved toward Arthur and Lynn, barely registering the women hugging Arthur. To Arthur’s surprise, he stopped in his trek when he reached Arthur, and didn’t continue to Lynn. “Are you okay, Mijo?” 

Arthur looked confused, staring into Gabe’s face. 

“Your madre told us everything,” Gabe said, his voice soft. “I came to have a difficult conversation with my daughter.” He glared at Lynn, his voice steel when he spoke again. “Go wait for me in the car.” 

“But–” Lynn continued crying, her voice breaking as she protested. 

The flurry of Spanish out of Gabriel’s mouth flew too fast for Arthur to follow. The tone, however, was one of fury. Her own father held no compassion for her tears, and his rebuke was plain, even for those who didn’t understand what he was saying. Kat’s eyes went wide, even with her hand over her nose to stop herself from bleeding on the furniture. 

Lynn stood, tears streaming from her eyes, and rushed out of the room. She nearly knocked George over in her bawling flight. 

Arthur, for his part, swallowed. His throat felt tight, but loosened as he patted the girls’ backs for them to release him. They released him with reluctance, and Arthur stepped out from the huddle with Rani and Mindy. Mindy stepped behind him, hugging Rani in his place. 

“I forgot how tall you’ve gotten,” Gabe said, smiling softly at Arthur. “Nothing makes me feel older than all this young flesh.” 

At his words, the girls in the room realized how many of them were naked. They covered themselves with the sofa, its cushions, scraps of clothing on the floor, and other clothed people as best they could. Except for Rani, who stood with her hand on her hip, wearing nothing but jewelry and a gold bikini top. Mindy ducked behind the sofa. 

“Uh… why don’t we talk to Arthur upstairs?” George suggested. “Unless the office would be better? Or the kitchen? Are there more naked people here?” 

“The kitchen’s fine,” Arthur said, still processing what just happened. His brain felt sluggish, churning through mud. “Uh… I’ll be right back, I guess. Girls, you should get dressed. Guys, I’m sorry, but I think this is the end of guys’ night.” 

Selene rushed to Arthur’s side, holding him, not seeming to care that she was naked. George and Gabriel looked away, coughing. She was crying, sobbing, apologizing, and genuinely a mess. Arthur guided her away from the center, bringing her to Kelly, who stood covering her chest with what was once Selene’s latex dress. She and many of the others glanced at George and Gabriel in the center of the room. 

“Good to see you all again,” George said, trying to reduce the awkwardness. He winced, realizing they might easily mistake his words for innuendo or a terrible pun. 

“Hi, Mister Clarke!” Mindy’s hand rose and waved from the other side of the sofa, where her crouched position kept her hidden from view.

“Hello, Mindy,” George said, waving back, though she couldn’t see him. “Uh… yeah. Here’s the beer, assuming you’re of legal drinking age. I didn’t know Mindy would be here, obviously, or any of you ladies. We knocked, but when no one answered, well, yeah.” 

“Uh… thanks,” Brad said, unsure of how to respond to the awkward conversation. “For the beer, I mean.” 

“It’s Brad, right?” George asked. “You used to room with Arthur?” 

“Yeah,” Brad said, shaking his hand. “Good to see you, Mister Clarke.” 

“You can call me George.” He said. 

“Cool.” Brad nodded. “Thanks.” 

George nodded, still waiting for Arthur to finish calming Selene. 

“Is anyone dressed and coherent enough to tell us what happened?” Gabriel asked, looking around the room as little as possible. 

Rani raised her hand, despite not qualifying as ‘dressed.’ “Yeah. The TLDR is pretty straightforward if you know what happened between Arthur and Lynn. Earlier this week, Lynn tried to out Mindy and me to Mindy’s parents. It didn’t work. Well, it worked, but Mindy’s parents didn’t disown her. She still outed Mindy, so Deb thought it was worth an apology because she’s a decent human being. Not to mention hot as fuck, so congrats, George.” She gave him a wink. 

“Uh, thanks,” George said, his brow furrowing as he did his darndest to keep eye contact with Rani despite her being bottomless. 

“Anyway, she made Lynn invite us to an apology dinner. We came, and things got out of hand once or twice. She wasn’t sorry, and we knew that, but we came anyway. Well, she and Kelly–” 

Kelly shook her head and pointed at Kat. 

“She and Kat–” Rani said, surprised. “Got into a fight by the pool, apparently. Hence, Kat’s bloody nose, I guess.” 

Kat raised her hand when George and Gabriel’s gazes swept between her and Katelyn. It was obvious which one had a bloody nose between the wounded, drenched pair. Arthur’s concerned gaze turned to Kat, who gestured that she was okay. 

“Lynn came running in here to confront Arthur about his telling Deb what happened. Apparently, Deb disowned Lynn over it, which is another reason she’s my favorite. Arthur told her the truth, even though not everyone in the room had heard the story.” 

Arthur’s head snapped up at that, meeting Brad’s apologetic gaze. 

“Lynn didn’t react well and freaked the fuck out. She attacked Arthur, which led to a brawl as everyone tried to stop her. Lynn broke a precious memento of Selene’s, which is why Selene is fuckin’ inconsolable right now, not to mention how sympathetic she is to Arthur’s emotions. She loves him, we all do, so we’re pretty upset. That was when you walked in. You saw Lynn attacking him, choking him, and because of his trauma, he has a freeze-response where she’s concerned. So, as big and strong as he is, which is a hell of a lot, he’s useless against Lynn.”

“Rani,” Arthur said, his tone a rebuke without the words. 

“What?” Rani asked, glancing over at Arthur. “You freeze whenever Lynn attacks you. This isn’t the first time she tackled you, right? She did it at homecoming, and you froze until Kelly came along to save you. There’s no shame in it. It’s a natural response to traumatic assault. It’s an instinct in some people. Hell, I’m proud of you for facing her and talking as calmly as you did without violence.” 

“Okay,” Gabriel said, nodding. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he pulled his hand away. “My talk with my daughter just got longer.” 

“Phht.” Rani shook her head. “Your daughter doesn’t need you reprimanding her; she needs a professional. She’s a bitch, sure, but she’s also fucking insane.” 

“Rani,” Arthur said again as Gabriel’s expression stiffened at her bluntness. 

“I don’t mean normal crazy-girl shit,” Rani said. “She’s unhinged and in need of professional psychiatric help, a danger to others. She belongs in jail, and if not jail, then a fuckin’ psychiatric ward. Every person in this room can corroborate what I just told you.” 

“I have video,” Mark said, holding up his phone. “But, uh, there are a lot of tits, so it’s not safe for work.” 

Gabriel’s gaze wandered over the faces of the others, who nodded. 

“Okay…” George said, swallowing before he continued. “So that’s what happened. But why are people naked? What kind of party were you throwing?” 

“Well, the dinner party was downstairs,” Rani said, pointing with her thumb toward the hallway. “It was supposed to be a pool party to enjoy the hot tub, fire pit, and heated pool. It didn’t work out that way, but that’s why some of us are in swimwear. Mindy’s naked, and my bottoms are missing because we were in the middle of a sixty-nine when the fight by the pool broke out. That’s why I wasn’t sure if it was between Kelly and Lynn or Kat and Lynn.” 

“Oh my God,” George said, covering his eyes as if that could block out the unbidden mental image. 

“I’m guessing Kelly lost her top in the fight?” Rani asked, and Kelly nodded. Her black bikini top was on the floor a few paces away from George. “Kat’s a prude, so you wouldn’t see her naked even if the rest of us were.” 

“Hey!” Kat protested. 

“Same with Katelyn, I guess.” Rani shrugged. “And the others are Arthur’s friends. I’m guessing they were fucking since Selene wanted to give their guys’ night a sexy surprise with their girlfriends. You remember what it’s like to be young and horny, right?” 

George laughed, which shook Gabe out of his shock at the question. The others stood around, waiting for someone to break the silence that fell as everyone processed everything. 

“Okay, well,” George looked at Gabriel. “What do we do from here?” 

“I guess we accelerate the plan,” Gabe said, facing George. “I’ll take Lynn home. If you’re still willing to forgive the lease, we’ll move her out of here as soon as we can.” 

“Of course,” George said, nodding. “I think that’s for the best.” 

“That’s it?” Rani asked, breaking into their conversation as she crossed her arms over her chest. “She’s going home and moving out? She just assaulted him in front of witnesses. What if Arthur presses charges?”

Gabriel looked at Arthur. The sorrow and pity in his gaze proved more painful to Arthur than Lynn’s slaps. “I’ll do what I can to get Lynn the help she needs,” Gabe said. “I’d ask Arthur not to press charges, but, Mijo, if you do, her madre and I intend to cooperate with any investigation. If you don’t, we still intend to pursue therapy and counseling. She needs more help than we can give her. If she won’t accept help from professionals, we might ask you to press charges so she can get the help by court order.” 

Arthur swallowed and nodded. “I’ll let you know.” 

Rani looked in surprise at Arthur. “I know a brilliant lawyer if you–” 

“Not now, Rani,” Arthur said, holding his hand up to stop her. “But thank you.” 

Rani crossed the room and hugged him. He returned the hug and soon found himself in a huddle of semi-naked women as George and Gabe turned their backs toward the immodesty. 

“I’d better go,” Gabriel said. “At this point, I just hope Lynn’s in the car. Can you Uber, or do you want to ride back with us?” 

“I’ll Uber,” George nodded. “But I’ll walk you out.” The two exited the way they entered, through the laundry room and garage to Gabriel’s car.

~~~

With their exit, the girls compressed Arthur, squeezing him from every angle. Brad and Jen dressed in the corner, though Jen didn’t bother with her fishnets. Maria grabbed her dress, slipping it on without her underwear. Mark pulled his clothes on. The girls were still hugging Arthur when they’d finished. Arthur had his eyes closed, his chin resting on Kat’s head. 

Mark and Brad exchanged a glance, unsure how to respond to everything that had just happened. 

“Hey uh…” Brad said, “Maybe some of you should get dressed before George comes back?” 

Arthur nodded, and only then did his girlfriends release him. He checked on Kat before she left, making sure her nose was okay. Then Kat, Katelyn, Kelly, Mindy, and Rani left the room, checking on Arthur as they left to retrieve their clothes. Selene didn’t release him, though. She clung to him as if letting go meant losing him forever. 

“It’s okay,” he assured her as he stroked her back. 

“Did you bring normal clothes by any chance?” Mark asked Maria. 

Maria nodded. “In the trunk. As well as our stuff for tomorrow, in case we spent the night.” 

“I think we should head out,” Brad said, frowning. “I’m sorry to end the night this way, though.” 

“Wait,” Mark said, watching Arthur for a moment as he soothed Selene. Mark gestured for Brad, Jen, and Maria to come closer. They huddled around him after he moved to the far side of the long room. “Let’s not leave yet,” he whispered. “Arthur just went through some heavy shit. What he needs now is support from his friends, right?” 

“Honestly?” Jen asked, glancing toward Arthur and Selene in the corner. “We might be intruding? He probably wants to be alone with his girlfriends.” 

“After that? Sex has to be the last thing on his mind.” Brad said. “I know Arthur; he’s the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had. Him and you.” Brad included Mark, which made Mark smile. “Dude needs cheering up.” 

“And what always cheers him up?” Mark asked the leading question. 

“If you say Godspell, I’m going to smack you,” Maria said, bumping Mark with her hip. 

“No, that’s my feel-good musical,” Mark said, shaking his head. 

Brad chuckled. “Terrible show.” He said to Jen. 

“It’s a great show, and I stand by it,” Mark said. “But no. Arthur’s feel-good musical is She Loves Me, or just any old movie musical, especially the romantic ones. He’s the one who told me about She Loves Me. He’s a big fan of the Jimmy Stewart movie it’s based on.”

“Which Jimmy Stewart movie?” Jen asked. 

“Shop Around the Corner,” Mark said. “Well, they’re both based on the same play. It’s a whole thing. He introduced me and Caleb to the show, like, two years ago.”  

“Corny, romantic, and definitely Arthur-coded. He’s passionate about his old movies.” Brad agreed. 

“Corny and romantic?” Jen asked, surprised. “The dominant kink master with the monster-dick who fucks like a goddamn beast?” 

Maria nodded. “You don’t know him that well. That side of him was way more surprising than you realize.”  

“Yeah, we get it, he’s hot,” Mark said, bumping Maria with his hip. He didn’t sound jealous, ribbing her more than chiding her. “I’ve got a subscription to BroadwayHD and can pull it up. You put on your normal clothes and see if you can help Selene.” 

Maria and Jen nodded. 

The huddle broke apart, and Arthur lifted his gaze as Jen and Maria approached. 

Selene curled tighter against him, fearing their approach meant separation. 

“It’s okay,” Arthur said. “I told you when I gave it to you that the collar was just a training collar. You’ve deserved a better one for a while. We’ll pick one out for you together, and we’ll make it one of those infinity collars. Stainless steel, durable, and with a matching necklace you can wear in vanilla situations. That way, you’ll never be without one. Is that something you’d like?” 

Selene nodded, not answering as Arthur wiped her tears from her cheek. 

“You were a good girl tonight,” Arthur said. “I appreciate everything you did, even if you know I disapprove of violence. I’m not going to punish you for it.” 

Selene gulped, squeezing Arthur tight. She said something only he could decipher. 

“I’m okay,” Arthur assured her. “I promise I’m okay.” 

“I’m going to run out to the car and grab our clothes,” Maria said to Selene. “Jen is going to help you clean up, okay? Is there a bathroom nearby?” 

“There’s a hall bathroom,” Arthur said, pointing. “Half bath, and another half bath off the laundry room. Full bathrooms are upstairs.” 

“We’ll see what the lighting’s like,” Jen said, offering Selene her hand to help her to her feet. 

Selene took it hesitantly and followed Jen as she half-carried, half-led her through the hallway. 

Brad offered Arthur his hand and helped him to his feet. 

“Sorry you had to witness that,” Arthur said, fetching his pants from the sofa. 

“Bro,” Brad said, staring at Arthur. “You don’t have to talk about it, but if you ever want to, you can talk to me about anything, okay?” 

“Me too,” Mark said, raising his hand. “We’re bros. If you can’t talk about your shit with your bros, what’s the point of having bros? Am I saying bros too much? Sorry, bro.” 

Arthur appreciated the attempt at humor, even if he didn’t smile. “Thanks,” he said, stepping into his pants. “I appreciate it. I do, but honestly, I’ve talked about it enough this week. So, I don’t want to discuss it again for years if I don’t have to.”

“That’s okay, too,” Brad said, nodding. “We’re here if you need us.” 

“Same goes for you two,” Arthur said. “If you ever need anything, you know I’ll do what I can.” 

“Can you give me sex lessons?” Mark asked, laughing with Brad and Arthur as they broke into delayed rounds of chuckles at the sudden shift in topic and the ridiculous question. 

A knock at the opening door presented Maria and George to the room. Three bags hung in Maria’s hands as she looked around and disappeared into the hallway. 

George looked confused as he approached. “You’re laughing sooner than I thought. What’s the joke? Must’ve been a killer.” 

“Oh, uh…” Mark swallowed. “Inside theater joke.” 

“Ah,” George said, glancing at Arthur as he put his shirt on. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Physically, I mean. She didn’t crush your windpipe or anything, did she?” 

“I’ll be alright,” Arthur said. “My face stings, but I’ve had worse.” 

George nodded. “I was going to apologize for being late, but it’s good I wasn’t here when the orgy started.” 

Brad and Mark laughed awkwardly. “We’re going to, uh, clean up,” Brad said. “We’ll be back soon.” 

They nodded at Arthur, who nodded his thanks as they left him and his father alone. 

“I’m going to call an Uber to head home.” George said, “So whatever your plans are for the night, I won’t be in the way.” 

“Oh, we’re not–” 

“Don’t tell me what your plans are,” George said, raising his hands. “Please don’t. I can’t handle any more excitement tonight, and your mother’s in no state to handle a randy husband when I get home.” 

“I didn’t need that,” Arthur said, shaking his head to dislodge the mental image of father propositioning his mother for sex. 

“Ha! Turnabout’s fair play,” George said. “I’ve seen more of your girlfriends than is proper, and your uh, lifestyle. I feel like I should apologize, but I’m afraid to face them at the moment.” 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Arthur said. “They know that.” 

“Yeah, well…” George scratched the back of his neck. “Just tell them I’m sorry, will you?” 

“Sure.” Arthur nodded. 

“And, son, I had planned this whole speech, but, well, your mother didn’t mean to betray your trust by telling Gabe and Mari what happened. You know that, right?” George asked. 

“Hm?” Arthur asked, realizing what his father was asking. In the chaos of everything, he hadn’t had time to process the implications. However, it was a betrayal of his trust to share his story with people he hadn’t consented to share it with.

Was he angry? No. It could’ve gone horribly, but the fallout would have had far worse consequences for his mother than for himself. She would have lost her best friend over something Lynn had done years ago, and Lynn had already caused enough damage to everyone involved. 

“No, I know.” He agreed. “I’m glad it worked out with Gabe and Mari. You think they’ll follow through?”

George nodded. “Your mother called out of work today. She’s processing, grieving, going through it in her way. Mari and Gabe dropped in to check on her because I stayed home to take care of her, and it came tumbling out. She didn’t mean to, but once she started telling Mari what had happened, the result was that Gabe and Mari believed us. They see what Lynn’s become, and frankly, they’re out of their depth trying to sort her out. They have been for a while. Asking for our parenting advice can only do so much.”

Arthur nodded.

“I intended to tell you about that tonight. I was hoping to talk to you in private during the guys’ night while Gabe went downstairs to talk to Lynn about moving out,” George explained. “But that became moot when we walked in on Lynn trying to choke the life out of you.” 

Arthur nodded. 

“And you’re okay?” George asked. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “Just… exhausted.” 

“Makes sense,” George said. “Your mother’s been beside herself, too. I don’t know how she’ll react to this news, but I don’t think she’ll be working from home tomorrow like she planned. She spent the day on the sofa, crying and sleeping.” 

“But it’s your busy season,” Arthur said, confused. His parents never called out of work at the end of their company’s fiscal year. He’d assumed his mother had been working from home today. Something she sometimes did because of the nature of her work, but to use PTO? Never during the busy season. They’d missed parent-teacher conferences over it. For his entire life, it had been an insurmountable calendar event. “Is she okay?” 

“She will be,” George said. “But no, she’s not.” 

“It’s my fault,” Arthur said, sitting on the back of the sofa to steady himself. 

George clasped him on the shoulder, now that it was at an easy height. “No, son. It’s Lynn’s fault. Not yours. She and your mother had a run-in last night, and, well, in a way, your mother lost someone she loved. That same someone betrayed her when she hurt you, and she feels like she failed you as a mother when you needed her–” 

“She didn’t–” Arthur protested. 

“I know,” George said, soothing Arthur with his calm tone and understanding gaze. “Like I said, she’s grieving.” 

Arthur nodded. “Is there anything I can do?” 

“Text her,” George said. “Let her know you’re thinking of her, but don’t wallow. Live your life, and show her you’re happy, loved, and cared for by these girlfriends of yours. Seeing you thrive will help pull her out of her funk. Oh, and cut her some slack in the next few weeks if she gets nosy or tries to adopt one or all of your girlfriends.” 

Arthur chuckled. “She and Lori were always close.” 

“Yeah,” George agreed. “Your mother didn’t take losing her well either, but that wasn’t your fault.”  

“As far as I know, the girls love her. I’m sure they’d love to get coffee or something with her after fall break.” Arthur said. 

“Best let one of them suggest it to her,” George said. “I’m sure she’d love that, though. She used to take Lori on coffee dates all the time, didn’t she?” 

“Yeah,” Arthur nodded. “At that little international cafe off campus.” 

“Sounds like a good time,” George said. “And any time you need someone to talk to, I might not be your first choice, but, well, we can always go to the club and play a round of golf to take your mind off things. Or you can try teaching me one of those board games you love so much.” 

“Thanks, Dad,” Arthur said, clasping his father’s hand on his shoulder. “I appreciate it.” 

George squeezed his shoulder, then patted it twice when Arthur released his hand and let go. “Okay, well, I’ll get out of your hair. You don’t need this old geezer cramping your style.” He nodded toward the hallway, where Brad and Mark approached. “I’ll see you guys later. Enjoy the beer! Don’t drink too much, don’t drink and drive, and for God’s sake, I hope you’re using condoms.” 

“Dad!” Arthur said, mortified. 

His father chuckled and waved goodbye, disappearing through the door to the garage. 

~~~

The girls gathered their clothes, bags, and purses and dressed in the pool house. No one laughed, no one joked, and no one knew what to say. Even Rani was quiet as she collected the discarded swimwear from Lynn’s kitchen floor and joined the others in the pool house to change. A pall hung over them like the plague. 

“First at the hotel, and now here,” Rani said, breaking the silence. “One of these days I’m going to go hot tubbing with y’all.” As if that was why everyone looked depressed. 

Mindy cracked a small smile, squeezing Rani’s hand. 

The girls returned to their dutiful, silent routines of drying, dressing, and touching up their makeup in the bathroom mirror. 

Rani huffed as she removed her bikini top and put on her oversized yellow hoodie. She didn’t bother with her panties but slid into her soft gray sweatpants. She wore her pajamas and stared at the others while they took much longer than necessary to get ready. Everyone was moving slowly, processing what’d happened, nursing their wounds, and acting as if they’d just lost a twelve-round fight. 

“Oh, come on!” Rani shouted to no one in particular. “Enough with the moping! Tonight was a victory! We won! Lynn’s moving out! Deb brought her parents onto our side! Arthur’s even considering legal action! Granted, it’s not like we planned it, but it’s better than Operation Clone, which was successful, by the way, so we might have evidence if we need it! She’s moving out! Yaaay!” Rani shook Mindy’s arms, holding them in the air and shaking them in celebratory muppet fashion. 

Mindy chuckled. 

“But she hurt Arthur,” Kelly said. “I couldn’t stop her from hurting him, no matter what I tried.” 

Rani considered that perspective, then tossed it aside as garbage. “He confronted his trauma, and the person who assaulted him, and he emerged from that confrontation victorious.” 

“Only because George and her father walked in when they did,” Kelly said, shaking her head.

“Sure,” Rani said. “But George and Mister Salt-and-Pepper wouldn’t have come tonight if we hadn’t stuck by Arthur and convinced him to talk to his mom, right? And if he hadn’t stuck it out and told his parents, things would’ve been different. That’s the real victory! We did this together, and with everything we got tonight, we have enough insurance to make sure Lynn never bothers Arthur again. You’re acting like we lost or something! We won! We never have to see that bitch again!” She danced, rocking her shoulders and wiggling with her hands at chest level. 

Kelly shook her head, neither arguing with Rani nor listening to her. “Tonight was a fiasco. All of our planning, and it went to shit, and it’s my fault.” 

“The best-laid plans always go to shit. Universal law.” Rani said, trying to cheer Kelly up, but failing. “Why are you blaming yourself for what Lynn did? She’s the one who fucked up.” 

“Because I got carried away,” Kelly said. The tears flowed from her eyes. “Lynn never would’ve ruined Arthur’s night if I hadn’t been so angry. Kat was right. It turned me on to treat her that way. I don’t–I don’t like who I was tonight. I know everyone wants me to be the leader of our little club, but I shouldn’t be a Mistress. It makes me too cruel. If I’d listened to Kat, none of that would have happened. Arthur wouldn’t have had to deal with her. She wouldn’t have been able to hurt him like she did.” Kelly sniffled, wiping her eye as she stopped touching up her makeup and balled her hands into fists. “I fucked everything up. I’m so stupid.” 

Silence fell as the girls listened to Kelly, looking at each other to see who would comfort her. Mindy stepped forward, reaching for Kelly.

“Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they,” Mindy said, patting Kelly on the back. 

Kelly looked at her, confused. 

“It’s Star Wars,” Mindy said. “Master Yoda?” As if everyone should be able to quote movies she’d watched hundreds of times. 

Kelly shrugged, unsure of how to respond to the reference. 

“But hey, it’s not just on you,” Rani said to Kelly. She patted Mindy’s back, consoling Mindy over her failure to console Kelly. “You had every reason to be angry, and it’s not surprising you went after her the way you did. Mistress, you were amazing at keeping her distracted, and if you got carried away, it’s okay. It worked out.” 

“No, I—” Kelly hesitated. “Looking back on it, I’m so ashamed. I feel like I should tell Arthur, but I don’t want to burden him even more tonight.” 

“You did a lot right, but yeah, you fucked up,” Kat agreed. Her sudden contribution to the conversation caused the others to look at her. “But that’s okay.” She added before the looks in her direction could turn accusatory at her worsening Kelly’s mood. “I’ve fucked up before, and Arthur forgave me for it. He’ll forgive you, too. We forgive you. Things went too far, but at least you didn’t cross the line and fuck Lynn or something.” 

Kelly cried. 

Rani gestured for everyone to come in, and they pulled in, hugging Kelly like they had Arthur. 

“I’m so sorry,” Kelly said, blubbering in Kat’s direction as she, Katelyn, Rani, and Mindy hugged her. 

“It’s okay,” Kat said. “You learned your lesson, right? You’ll do better next time.” 

“We love you,” Mindy said, squeezing Kelly’s arm and back from behind. “You’re still our mistress.” 

“I shouldn’t be,” Kelly said. 

“We won’t force you to be, but even with your fuckup tonight, you’ve done a fucking amazing job at it,” Rani said. “And honestly, no one blames you for losing your moral compass when the villain is that hot,” Rani said. 

“And you learned your lesson, right?” Kat asked, repeating her unanswered question. 

Kelly nodded, wiping her tears with her hand. “Yeah, I learned not to get carried away again. What should we tell Arthur, though?” 

“We’ll give him the recap of tonight when he’s ready for it,” Rani said. “We’ll put it on the agenda for the next harem meeting.” 

Kelly gave a mirthless laugh. “Ha. Yeah, okay.” 

“In the meantime, Kelly, fuckups aside, you were awesome tonight,” Rani said as the hug broke apart. “Brat, from what Kelly told me, you were perfect tonight with the phone grab. Good work.” Rani said, nudging Kat with her fist. “You’re fearless when you need to be.” 

“Thanks?” Kat said, confused but accepting the compliment. 

Rani moved on to Katelyn. “Pet, I know you didn’t have much to do tonight, but I saw the way you tried to stop Lynn, and got kicked into the pool for it. My opinion of you rises every day.” 

“Aw, thanks,” Katelyn said, bumping her fist with her good hand. 

“To be fair, it started pretty low with your drunken shenanigans and all the vomiting,” Rani said, shrugging as she moved on to Mindy. 

“Oh,” Katelyn said, crestfallen as Kat chuckled and rubbed Katelyn’s back. 

“And Whore, I’m glad you got your apology, even if Lynn didn’t mean it. I’m only sorry I missed it.” Rani hugged Mindy. She looked over at Kat. “Brat, I will want to watch that footage, but not tonight.” She returned her attention to Mindy. “And I’m sorry the food is cold as fuck now. I know how important it was to you. Can we reheat it in the oven?” 

“Oh yeah,” Kelly said, realizing none of them had eaten dinner. “We still have all that food.” 

“Well, it’s in her apartment,” Mindy said. “Can we still get it?” 

“Yeah, I checked on it while I was picking these up,” Rani said, handing Mindy her too-small bikini. “Food’s still there, untouched. Lynn ran straight to her dad’s car.” 

“Good,” Kelly said, mopping her tears with a tissue and cleaning herself up as she pulled herself together and moved into hostess mode. “We’ll heat it up, but we’ll do it upstairs. That way, we can still have dinner. We’ll just stay in the dining room and kitchen, in case Arthur wants to get back to what they were doing.” 

“Fuck that,” Rani said, snaking her arm around Mindy. “If they’re fucking, I want in. I could use a good fuck after that fiasco ruined my orgasm.” 

Mindy giggled, looping her arm over Rani’s hips. “Come on.” She said. “Let’s eat.” 

“Food or pussy?” Rani asked. 

“Food, then pussy.” Mindy assured her. 

“Food, brushing our teeth, and then pussy?” Rani asked. 

Mindy rolled her eyes. “Fine, be practical.” 

Rani laughed with her, and the others followed them from the pool house and into the main house through Lynn’s apartment. Everyone grabbed something from the counter and carried it up the stairs.

~~~

Selene stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Jen used wipes from her purse to help clean her makeup. Her mascara had run in tears from her eyes. The blonde woman staring back at her looked nothing like the sexy beast she’d been an hour ago. Instead, a haunted expression stared back at her. The whites around her blue irises were vein-filled and red. Her eyelids puffed out from tears. The pale line around the base of her neck was barren. 

Jen unclasped the black collar above it, setting it on the counter. The wrist restraints and ankle restraints came off one by one. Numbness spread over her from her core. She went through the motions of cleaning herself, washing her face, and even using the toilet without a care that Jen was in there with her. She was washing her hands when a knock sounded at the door. 

“Jen? Selene? I’ve got clothes.” Maria’s voice sounded far away. 

Jen opened the door, but there wasn’t room for three. Maria took her clothes from the bag and left to change in an upstairs bathroom. Jen placed Selene’s clothes on the counter and dressed while Selene stared at the thong on top. 

Master hadn’t approved this outfit. She’d brought it just in case, but she hadn’t planned to wear it unless he asked her to. Selene lifted her gaze to her reflection once more. Did it even matter? She wasn’t his slave anymore. The choker was gone, broken, and she hadn’t been strong enough to stop Lynn from hurting him. 

Selene stood with her hands flat against the counter, tears streaming down her face. 

Behind her, Jen placed her hand on her shoulder, trying to console her without speaking. Solidarity meant more than words, but Selene didn’t react. Her tears fell onto the clothes below her, what few she had left to shed. Tiny drops became tiny darkened patches of color on the vibrant skirt. 

Another knock at the door. This time, it wasn’t Maria, but Kat. She wore a pink hoodie and a pair of comfortable jeans, looking somewhat comical with pieces of a tampon in her nose. Kat said nothing as she relieved Jen from comfort duty. Jen slipped out of the bathroom, and Kat put her arms around Selene, hugging her tight. 

The velvety fabric of the sweatshirt material was impossibly soft. Selene cried, and Kat held her, though it wasn’t long until she ran out of tears. 

“That Puta is lucky she still has her ear,” Kat said, rubbing Selene’s back. 

Selene didn’t smile. 

“I know you’re upset, and I’m not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t be,” Kat said. “It’s upsetting, and you came out of whatever you and Arthur were doing without the usual aftercare or consideration. Are you okay? Do you need anything? You’ve still got a plug up your butt.” 

Selene nodded. “She broke my collar.” 

“I know,” Kat said. 

“Master gave it to me when we started. It’s what started this whole thing  — me being his slave, the harem, all of it.” 

“What? No,” Kat said, shaking her head. “That collar didn’t do anything. You did. Remember? You asked Arthur to be your master. You’re the one who convinced me to give Arthur a chance, to see if there was any romance there, and to share him with you. Selene, you convinced him to go on dates with Kelly and Mindy, and convinced us to form a harem. Kelly might be our team leader, Arthur’s our coach, but you’re our founder. Everything happened because of you and your efforts, not because of the collar. You know that, right?” 

Selene sniffed. “Yeah.” She wiped her nose as Kat handed her a tissue. “I guess.” 

“No, not good enough.” Kat shook her head. “Look at yourself.” She turned Selene around to look at her reflection in the mirror. Kat hugged her from behind, holding her and resting her chin on Selene’s shoulder as Selene rested her head against Kat’s head. 

“Arthur loves us,” Kat said. “He loves you. Not because of your willingness to be his slut, or slave, or whatever. Not because you’re freakishly flexible or spend every night studying how to fuck when you should be doing your homework. It’s not conditional on your submission. You know that. He loves you for you.” 

“You’re more his type,” Selene said, squeezing herself in Kat’s embrace. 

“Knock it off with that,” Kat said, rolling her eyes. “Arthur doesn’t have a type. Look at everyone in the harem. We’re so different, and yet it works. Right? And not just physically. It works because we care for each other. We take care of each other, and we’re there for each other. Rani’s a blunt bitch sometimes, but we love her for it. Kelly can be scary, but we couldn’t ask for a better team captain. Mindy’s young, but she’s less annoying every day. Katelyn’s a mess, but we’re helping her figure things out. I’m a brat, but everyone puts up with me well enough.” 

“And me?” Selene asked. 

“You’re an obsessive pain in the ass,” Kat said, hugging her. “But we love you, and so does Arthur, with or without your collar.”

Selene turned around and hugged her in return. 

“It has nothing to do with the roles we play in the harem, our collars, or our submission,” Kat said. “It’s more than that. You know that. Wifey, Queenie, Whore, Brat, Slut, and Pet are fun nicknames, terms of endearment between us, not our singular definitions.” 

Selene nodded, listening, hugging, and processing. 

“Now come on,” Kat said, patting Selene’s back to end the hug. “Mindy ordered a bunch of Korean food; it smells incredible, and I’m starving. Get dressed, grab a plate, and let’s be there for Arthur to help him recover. Okay? I’m not sure if he’ll want sex tonight, but you can have first dibs, okay?” 

Selene perked up at the last piece of the plan, nodding as she wiped her face. “I’ll be right out. I just need to fix my makeup.” 

“Okay.” Kat nodded. “But if you’re not out in five minutes, I’m eating your plate.” 

Selene smiled. “Okay. Sounds fair.” 

Kat stuck her tongue out at Selene. Selene returned the gesture as Kat closed the door behind her. 

~~~

Brad and Mark hovered nearby, but Arthur left them in the family room. He stepped out to the bathroom connected to the laundry room. He locked the door, sat on the closed toilet, put his head in his hands, and disassociated. Arthur didn’t know how long he spent floating, not thinking, but it was not a short amount of time. 

Outside, the girls ate dinner. Mark, Brad, Jen, and Maria cleaned up the movie room. The world moved ever onward. 

When his mind started thinking again, it relived the night.  

He replayed the events of the night in his head, analyzing everything from a hundred different angles, experiencing a thousand emotions. He’d fucked up so many times, between handling Selene’s surprise and dealing with Lynn’s sudden intrusion. The total fiasco was his fault, and now his mom was down for the count, putting herself on the chopping block with her bosses. 

His friends had seen more of him tonight than he ever expected to share  — not just his nudity, but his lovemaking, and his trauma. Brad and Mark cared about him, but he wouldn’t have shared that with them if he’d been thinking straight. He didn’t know how he could look Maria in the eyes. 

And Selene. She was obsessed with that choker, and now Lynn had broken it. Arthur could try to repair it, but it might be better that it had broken. 

What did all of this mean for their future? Were Gabe and Mari really moving Lynn out of the basement? It seemed too good to be true. They’d always been an extra set of parents to him, but to side with him over their own daughter? 

Then again, they knew their daughter. Better than his parents did. She couldn’t keep her mask on all the time at home, right? And her college troubles had been plain enough. Still, he didn’t trust it, and then he felt guilty for not trusting them. Gabe was like a second father to him, and Mari a second mother. 

The violence had been too much tonight. Kelly’s punches must not have broken any of Lynn’s ribs. He’d never seen Kelly or Selene that angry. The violence seemed so surreal to Arthur. He didn’t know whether to feel proud or ashamed for not answering Lynn’s violence himself. Part of him thought it was a victory to confront her and claim victory his way. It was better than giving in to that primal urge to slap her across the face.

As it was, he worried about Kelly facing repercussions. Arthur could only imagine the havoc Lynn might wreak if she had any hairline fractures. Not to mention the scratches Selene left on her face. He’d been worried about ripping Lynn’s ear off if he pulled too hard to remove Selene. Not for Lynn’s vanity, but to keep Selene out of prison. 

Arthur might not be the type to press charges against Sanjay or his friends, or anyone who tried to fight him, but Lynn? Even without her parents’ support, she was an adult. She could hire a lawyer or go to the police. Did he have to worry about the cops coming for Kelly or Selene? 

Come to think of it, Lynn was an adult. How could her parents make her move out? Had they co-signed the lease? She didn’t have a job, so they must have. What if Lynn got a job and tried to pay her rent herself? No, he couldn’t spiral into what-if scenarios. He had to hold it together, for his girlfriend’s sake if not for his own. Selene was especially inconsolable. If he spiraled, she’d follow him into the abyss. 

“Arthur?” A knock at the bathroom door made him lift his head. It was Selene’s voice. 

“Yeah, uh, one second,” Arthur said. He flushed the toilet, even though he’d been sitting on the closed lid. He washed his hands and emerged into the laundry room to see Selene wearing something he hadn’t expected. A long, multicolored, layered skirt covered her legs. An autumnal red cami-top covered her torso, with a gray cardigan over it, covering her arms, shoulders, and bra straps. 

“We said master and slave until the end of Fall break, but with everything, I thought maybe you’d prefer this,” Selene said. She searched his face for any signs of approval, disapproval, or damage from the chaos. 

Arthur cupped her face in his hand and kissed her. 

“And we can go back to master and slave in the morning?” Selene asked, her voice hopeful. “Can we stop at the adult store and buy a new collar?” 

Arthur smiled. “Okay.” He said. “Are you ready to go home?” 

“We can. Whatever you want or need is okay by me. However, Mark and Brad have She Loves Me cued up on the TV, if you want to stay and watch it,” Selene said. “Brad said it’s one of your favorites?” 

That surprised Arthur. It was one of his favorites. To be fair, he had a lot of favorites, but romantic comedies were often his go-to movies and musicals when he was feeling sick or needed a pick-me-up. He supposed Brad and Mark knew that. Singing in the Rain would have also worked, or anything with Gene Kelly, but he’d seen those more often. Everyone had. She Loves Me was more niche. 

“Besides, we’re doing it for the spring musical, so we should watch it, right?” Selene said, smiling up at him as she slipped her dainty hand into his. “Come on, everyone’s waiting.” 

“Everyone?” Arthur asked, following her gentle tug into the movie room. 

Everyone. Brad and Jen cuddled on the sofa’s left branch, with Rani and Mindy cuddled in the corner. Kelly sat in the middle of the nest, Katelyn on the edge, Kat in the right corner. Mark and Maria sat on the right side, waiting as Arthur took his spot at the bottom of the U, and Selene cuddled beside him. 

Everyone was fully dressed, wearing regular clothes, which made the experience surreal after the evening they’d been through. 

Arthur spread his legs as Kelly gestured, and she scooted toward him, laying her head on his chest and using him as a pillow. Mindy cuddled into his left side, and Selene curled under his right arm. Katelyn scooted back, using Kelly as a pillow the way Kelly was using Arthur. Kat put her arm around Selene and her hand on Arthur’s shoulder. Rani put her arm around Mindy and her hand on Arthur’s other shoulder. 

“I know it’s early for Christmas-themed stuff, but it’s more of a romantic comedy than a holiday piece,” Mark said, aiming the remote at the TV. 

“Which is good, because we’re doing it in the spring thanks to Caleb,” Maria added. 

“Oh, that’s why it’s been in my head,” Mark said, tapping his noggin. 

“Already know which part you’re auditioning for?” Brad asked the room. 

“Of course, Mister Sipos,” Mark said. “Bumbling, lovable, and not a part I’ll have to fight Caleb or Arthur for, it’s perfect.” 

Arthur chuckled, but didn’t comment as Mark started the movie. It wasn’t A Knight’s Tale, and far from the evening he’d planned, but damn if he didn’t feel more loved than he ever had in his life. Whatever life threw at him, whatever anxieties he may have had, melted away. His tribe was here, his chosen family and friends, and whatever came their way, they’d face it together. 

~~~

Lynn sat in the backseat of her father’s car. She stared out the window into the darkness, seeing only her translucent reflection. Its haunted expression made it appear even more ghostly than its transparency. Her makeup? Ruined. Her hair? Drying, but wet and flat, thin and brittle from the chlorine. Her suit? Gorgeous, sexy, ripped, and ruined. Her life? Over. 

Her father had gotten into the car and started the engine. He’d started talking, but Lynn heard nothing he had to say. He spoke of disappointment, consequences, the future, and how things would be. She’d heard the speech before. This time, his words bore a finality. The unspoken ‘or else’ was as loud as nearby thunder. His words were adamant, and she could either go along with what her parents wanted or live in a box off the road they drove on toward the city. 

She was lost in her own world, staring out into the darkness. Her mind relived her life with Arty — those moments in high school, their various interactions over the last few weeks, and their final confrontation. 

She’d fucked up. Years ago, she’d chosen to cut loose the one person who cared about her and find new friends. She’d thought growing up was the mature option. To reinvent herself in high school and leave behind the childish fancies she’d clung to for so many years. Her love of theater? That was silly. Theater wasn’t cool, and she couldn’t spend her high school years as a theater kid. Fantasy? No, that was for nerds, and she refused to be an outcast. Music? That was fine, as long as it was popular artists and nothing ethnic. Old movies? Those were gross, and black and white was unwatchable. 

Layer by layer, piece by piece, she’d abandoned who she was to become someone more like the person she wanted to be. She’d done it. She’d become popular, a carbon copy of the ‘cool girl’ she idolized. To do so, she had to become someone cruel. Lynn transformed into a hateful manipulator, a bully, and a bitch. She’d fucked up and kept fucking up ever since, leaving countless wounded in her wake. She’d done the unspeakable to the only person who’d ever loved her.

Now, she would suffer for it.

Alone.