Harem House Chapter 42 (Patreon)

After the movie last night, everyone helped clean the movie room and kitchen. They said their goodbyes, hugged farewell in the driveway, and split into their separate cars. No one in the harem wanted to leave Arthur’s side, but not everyone brought their luggage for the weekend. So, with reluctance, they parted ways. 

Mindy and Rani returned to campus for the evening. Katelyn and Kelly drove to their apartment. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen went to Mark and Brad’s apartment. Kat and Selene offered to sleep in their apartment, but Arthur invited them to crash at his place. 

He and Kat made out on the sofa while Selene used the bathroom to wash her face and prepare for bed. Then, she and Kat switched places, and finally, Arthur brushed his teeth and prepared for sleep. The nighttime routine was a surprising comfort.

They undressed and slept naked. The skin-to-skin contact with Arthur left Selene feeling electric, warm, and aroused as she fell asleep. Her dreams had been pleasant imaginings of Arthur taking her, having his way with her, and letting her recover as she watched him with the others. Her arousal grew in the night, making her hot enough to roast Arthur’s thigh between her legs. She’d been just about to orgasm in her dream. 

Then four o’clock in the morning arrived. 

Selene’s phone alarm buzzed in the darkness. Her screen lit the room like a beacon from Arthur’s nightstand behind her. She rubbed Arthur’s chest by happenstance, untangling her limbs from Kat’s. 

Kat hugged Arthur from the other side. Their arms wreathed his torso until Selene slipped hers away. Arthur was on his back with his arms around them, the cradle of his shoulder a firm but comforting pillow. 

The plan was for everyone to meet at five-thirty in the parking lot at Arthur, Kat, and Selene’s apartment complex. Everyone included Arthur, his harem (Selene, Kat, Kelly, Katelyn, Rani, and Mindy), their theater friends (Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen), and Caleb and Logan. Kelly wanted to leave by six and caravan to the Renaissance Faire.

However, a late night and an early morning made for a sleepy Selene. Closing her eyes and holding Arthur until someone forced her from the bed sounded like a good plan. 

Unfortunately, Arthur stirred beneath her. Her movement, the alarm, and its light woke him. 

Selene twisted beneath the covers and pressed the ‘off’ button on the alarm to silence her phone. She twisted toward Arthur, stroking his chest again as she stretched to bring her lips as close to his ear as she could. She kissed his cheek, unable to resist the urge as his peaceful, handsome face lifted into view. 

“Arthur, it’s time to get up,” Selene whispered. She didn’t think they could, or should, avoid waking Kat, but she had every intention of letting Arthur be the one to disturb her. If Selene woke Kat, she’d be grumpy and miserable. If Arthur woke her, Kat would limit her fury. 

She kissed his cheek again, shifting when he moved his arm beneath her. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. 

“What time is it?” Arthur asked, whispering on the same instinct of letting Kat sleep. 

“Four o’clock,” Selene said. “Kelly wants to leave by six.” 

Arthur nodded. “Think I have time for a run?” 

The question surprised Selene, though she wasn’t sure why. It was routine for Arthur to run in the early mornings when he wasn’t going to the gym. She knew he found it meditative, but she’d hoped for a different physical exertion before the others arrived. Yet nothing was so dependable as Arthur and his habits.

“If you want to,” Selene said softly. “I can cook breakfast while you run, and Kat can get ready. My costume pieces for the Faire are in our apartment, so she or I will have to grab those before we leave.” 

“That’d be great,” Arthur said, stretching his arm behind her, then hugging her with it. He kissed her forehead, and Selene blushed, nestling into him. “Thanks, Slut.” 

Selene’s smile erupted onto her face as she looked up at him. “Are we back to master and slave?” She couldn't hide the hope in her voice. “I can wear a different choker until we get my new collar.” 

The memory of Lynn breaking her old one was still fresh, but she’d cried her tears over the violation the night before. She was looking forward to receiving her new official collar, but she was even more eager to submit to Arthur again. They were supposed to be 24/7 master/slave until the end of fall break, but they’d taken a brief reprieve to recover from last night’s confrontation with Lynn.

“I’m okay to go back to it, so long as you listen to me when I talk, okay? If I break character and check in with you, don’t get angry. Be patient with me,” Arthur said. 

Selene nodded. “Of course, Master.” 

“Are you okay to go back to it?” Arthur asked. “Or do you want to wait until you get a new collar?” 

“I’m ready when you are,” Selene said, stroking his chest. “Master.” 

“Kneel, Slut,” Arthur whispered. 

Selene bit her bottom lip and slid away from him beneath the covers. She slipped out of the bed, kneeling beside it on the soft bedroom carpet. The heated air in the apartment was still colder than the thermal bath of their bodies beneath the blankets. A chill swept over her and goose-pimpled her flesh, stiffening her nipples at the peaks of her round B-cup breasts. 

Arthur followed her, slipping from Kat’s embrace. Kat grumbled and rolled over as he lifted the covers and sat on the edge of the bed with his feet on either side of Selene. Even in the darkness, she made out the silhouette of his stiff morning wood. It bobbed before her, but she waited as Arthur unplugged his phone and used its screen light to illuminate her. 

His hard cock throbbed, and he pulled her closer to him by the top of her head, letting his cockhead press against her soft, parted lips. She inhaled through her nose, taking in his masculine scent and closing her eyes in bliss. She wanted to take him into her mouth, to suck him until she drained him dry, but she waited for his permission or command.

Arthur slid his dick along her cheek, and she rubbed her face against it. First on one side, then the other. She stroked him with the outside of her cheek, then her forehead as he pressed his balls to her lips. She couldn’t help herself and kissed them. 

“Are you waiting for permission before sucking my cock?” Arthur asked, whispering. 

“Yes, Master,” Selene answered, her lips barely parted from his balls. 

“Good girl,” Arthur said, sliding back so that her lips were less than an inch from his tip. “Nadu.” 

Selene shifted into her Nadu pose, spreading her legs as she knelt, sitting on her heels with her toes on the floor. She rested her hands on her thighs, turning her palms toward the ceiling. She straightened her spine and bowed her head, putting the tip of his dick between her eyes. 

“Recite your mantra,” Arthur said, sliding his dick against her forehead. 

Selene licked her lips. “I am your slave, and you are my Master.” 

Arthur placed his hand on her head, pinning his cock to her forehead with his thumb. He slid his hips in gentle motions, using her face to masturbate while she recited the words he’d taught her when they started. 

“I am yours to play with and yours to control,” Selene tilted her head, trying to nuzzle his cock as she spoke, but he kept her in place. 

“I will eagerly see to your needs and serve you with my whole heart.”

Arthur released her head and slid his cock away despite her trying to chase it until she realized what he was doing. 

“I eagerly give you my body and want you to use it, me, as you see fit.” 

Arthur clasped his hand around her throat and squeezed. He didn’t cut off her airflow, but hugged her neck with his hand in an embrace that flooded her core with love and warmth for him. His brawny arm flexed, and she broke the pose to hold his wrist. She didn’t pull him away or deny his grip, but embraced him, returning the gesture of love as she recited the next part of the mantra. 

“I will wear the signs of my submission with pride.” 

Arthur’s hand acted as her collar, and her eyes watered at the gesture as he kept his hold on her firm. 

“I eagerly obey you in all things, and I know you will always care for me, as my master,” Selene recited. She held herself together as her breathing grew heavy. 

“I am your slave, Master. Your plaything, fucktoy, and pet. I am whatever you need me to be to please you in all things.” 

She swallowed, flexing her throat muscles against Arthur’s palm. He loosened his grip. 

“I am owned, cared for, and safe with you, Master. Please, Master, use your slut.” 

“Good girl, Slut,” he said, stroking her cheek as he released her neck. 

“Thank you, Master.” Selene’s eyes fluttered. She had much to thank him for, but now wasn’t the time. Now it was time for her to embrace her role as his slave and prove she meant what she said. At least, she hoped he’d use her, and his imminent command made her smile when it left his lips. 

“Now, suck,” Arthur commanded, and Selene obeyed. 

She tilted her eyes toward his face, but found he was ignoring her, reading his phone as she sealed her lips around his shaft. She sucked and used her tongue to pleasure him. The pressure within her grew as he ignored her. This blowjob wasn’t a tender moment between a boyfriend and girlfriend, nor was it an intimate act between two lovers. Selene was his slave, his slut, and this was her new routine. Her Master gave her what she wanted, the treatment a slave deserved, and prioritized his curiosities as she went to work. Selene swirled her tongue around his tip, lapping at the underside and moving her head back and forth along his cock. 

Meanwhile, he continued reading. The light from his screen illuminated him with a ghostly glow. She didn’t know what he was reading, or whether it was important. He could be admiring pictures of other women, or chatting with one of the other girls. Rani wasn’t a morning person, like Kat, but Kelly was. Wifey, the mistress of the harem, was an early riser and a gym rat like Arthur. She could be chatting him up about the morning plans. 

Or maybe Mindy had woken early, and he was answering questions about coordinating schedules with his personal assistant/secretary. Was Katelyn a morning person? She didn’t know, but she’d learn. They’d be sharing a house soon enough. 

In reality, it didn’t matter who he was texting. He was her master, and it was natural for him to use her this way. Her job was to give him the release he needed. 

His attention being elsewhere wasn’t an insult; it was a challenge. She had to up her game if she wanted him to cum. She sucked him in slow, steady strokes, wagging her tongue with every pull, and flicking the tip of her tongue against him at the end of every push. 

The warmth between her legs bloomed as she watched him struggle to maintain his composure as he pressed against the entrance to her throat. She wanted this every morning: to know that she was his to have, hold, love, fuck, and use. She readied herself, gathered enough spit, and swallowed as she pushed forward, fucking him with her throat. 

The blush of pleasure on his face as he closed his eyes and enjoyed her throat sheathing his cock made her drip. She brought him that pleasure, and that made her powerful in ways far beyond ordinary life. The best feeling in the world, apart from her own orgasm, was the assurance of him filling her throat, pussy, ass, or splashing her bare skin wherever he designated worthy. 

She swallowed again, using her throat to stroke him. Selene pushed forward, holding her breath for as long as she could until her face burned bright red. She pulled back enough to let him slip from her throat. Not enough to release him, but enough to breathe. Then she sheathed his girth once more. 

As quiet as she tried to be, the deep-throat blowjob wasn’t silent, and the regular noises drifted through the room in a slow but steady rhythm. 

Arthur released a moan of pleasure and leaned back with his hands behind him on the mattress to support his torso. Behind him, Kat stirred and wiped the sleep from her eyes with her forearm as she rolled toward them to see what was happening. 

“The fuck?” Kat asked, blinking awake as she took in the scene. The words made Selene giggle while she choked on Arthur’s cock. It reminded her of the first time Kat had walked in on Selene giving Arthur a blowjob. She’d reacted poorly, but now they’d come to a much better arrangement.  

“Well, good morning, Sir,” Kat said, her voice low and husky. 

“Good morning, Brat,” Arthur said, using her harem name. 

Kat pouted, moving the covers to expose her round breasts to Arthur’s view, teasing him as she kept them out of reach. “I’m barely awake; how can I have been a brat already? I have not yet begun to brat!” she protested, slurring her speech with the universal accent of sleep clinging to her words. “I was going to ask if you wanted help, but now I don’t think I will.” She rolled away, turning her back toward Arthur and Selene. 

Selene continued the blowjob, making no effort to silence herself since Kat had woken. She moaned with Arthur’s cock deep inside her, and gagged as she pulled off him, glugging as she plunged onto him again. 

“That’s fine,” Arthur said, his words a challenge. “Slut’s doing a fantastic job on her own; I can’t imagine you’d add anything.” 

Kat rolled to face them again, lifting her head off the pillow to glare at them. Her slumber had turned her blonde curls into wavy locks that fell to her neck and grazed her shoulders. She frowned and peered over him to see Selene’s lips locked around his shaft. 

“I can do that just as well as she can,” Kat said, poking Arthur’s side. “I’ve been working on relaxing my throat.” 

“I’m sure between the two of you, I’d cum in no time. But you said you didn’t want to help. That means Slut will reap the rewards.” Arthur said. 

Kat shuffled, crawling toward him until she was beside him. She threw her arms over his neck, hugging him, and he put his arm around her middle. Their naked bodies melded together, with Arthur’s rugged muscles pressed against Kat’s softer flesh. 

Kat kissed him, letting her hand drift to Selene’s head. Once she gripped Selene’s hair, she set the pace of Selene’s blowjob, changing to an irregular rhythm. Then she pressed Selene’s face against his pelvis and held it there. 

Kat and Arthur made out as Selene’s face turned red, their tongues danced as she stretched hers to lick his balls. Her body burned with arousal so desperate she knew there’d be a stain on the carpet when she moved. If she were lucky, Arthur would punish her for it. She pulsed for him, wanting his cock to fill her other holes, to drive into her until her release seized her, tossed her, and shattered her against the floor. 

Kat pulled Selene off of Arthur’s cock. Taking him away from her. She shifted, then pushed Arthur back, so he was lying on the mattress with his feet on the floor, encasing Selene. Kat climbed on top of him, facing Selene. 

Arthur grabbed Kat’s curvy hips and round ass with both hands as she sat on his face. The smell of her arousal permeated the room to compete with Selene’s. She glistened with anticipation, and Kat’s expression shifted from one of competent challenge to sudden pleasure as his tongue cut along her folds. 

Kat kissed his shaft from the base to the tip, open-mouthed, swirling her tongue in spots along the journey until she came to the tip. Selene did the same to the underside. The two of them moved in sync as best they could. 

When she reached the top, Kat sucked on him, going no further than the tip. She swirled and flicked her tongue, coming at it from the opposite angle as Selene. 

With Kat and Arthur in a six-nine position, Selene sat back on her heels to evaluate the best way to contribute to her master’s pleasure. With his dick inclined into Kat’s mouth, there were only two options. Selene leaned forward, pressing her face against the underside of his shaft. She suckled his balls and massaged them with her tongue. 

Kat moaned as Arthur slipped a finger into her from behind while his tongue circled, lapped, and flicked her clit. She gripped Arthur’s shaft, pumping him with one hand. 

Arthur’s balls tightened, and his leg muscles tensed as they closed around Selene’s face. She moaned, sliding her tongue behind his balls and dragging it toward her as she sucked. Lifting her head, she made eye contact with Kat above her, who smiled around Arthur’s cock, and pressed her face forward. She held herself against the base of his girth, gagging, but enduring. She and Selene hovered with an inch separating their noses. Their eyes locked on one another. Kat’s eyes widened as Arthur’s release struck. 

His hips thrust upward as his pulsing cock surged with release. Kat gave a soft, happy noise as she swallowed, but she wasn’t fast enough to swallow everything. Strands of cum dripped from her lips, and Selene caught them, lapping them up and holding her mouth open to receive the last bits of whatever Kat left for her. They shared her reward — the result of their hard work, skill, and pleasure. 

Kat shifted, releasing his dick, and Selene swallowed it, cleaning every drop of cum and saliva from him. She was nothing if not a dutiful slave. 

Arthur continued eating Kat out, reveling in the exhilarating task before him. Selene rested her head against his thigh and watched as Kat’s face contorted in pleasure. 

Kat rocked her hips as Arthur ate her pussy, letting his tongue do most of the work. Still, he used his lips to massage her and suck on her as he enjoyed himself. 

“Fuck, Sir!” Kat said, tensing. “I’m—I’m so close.” 

Arthur smacked her ass, a loud spank reverberating through the room as Kat gasped. 

“Ah! Thank you, Sir!” Kat said. 

Arthur spanked her again, and again, repeating the strikes in a regular rhythm as Kat twitched, spasmed, and did her best to repeat her gratitude after every strike. Her voice grew louder and louder, building into a final crescendo that became a muffled shriek as she slammed a pillow onto her face and screamed into it, curling forward. 

Selene caught her, holding Kat’s shoulders as she leaned forward, clutching the pillow as she shook with her orgasm atop Arthur, still riding his face through the storm. 

Arthur slowed his efforts, holding Kat in a firm grip against her blooming ass cheeks. The soft pink glow wasn’t visible, but her body flushed with heat as she relaxed and rolled to the side, spreading out as if she’d just run a marathon. 

Arthur chuckled and wiped his face, sitting up. He cupped Kat’s face with one hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. The other hand caressed Selene, who nuzzled against his palm. “Good girls,” he said. “That has to be the best start to any day.” 

Kat took a deep breath, which turned into a yawn partway through. 

Arthur patted her hip, and Kat shifted, crawling back beneath the blanket. “You should get up and get a shower. I’m going to go for a quick run while Slut cooks breakfast.” 

Kat groaned, but rolled to the edge of the mattress. She moved with reluctance, double-checking Arthur’s expression with every inch of progress to verify she had to obey. Arthur nodded his encouragement, and Kat pouted but swung her legs over the side. She sat up and stretched, reaching both hands toward the ceiling and wiggling with happiness in a move Selene hadn’t seen her do in years. Kat was happy, and her joy only multiplied Selene’s. 

The day had just started, and already, Selene was having a great day. 

Arthur turned on the light by the nightstand, and Selene waited patiently, sitting on her heels. 

“Wait, did Selene cum?” Kat asked, looking over her shoulder. 

Selene shook her head. “That’s okay. I enjoyed watching you two, and Master came, that’s what’s important.” 

“She’s supposed to be in a chastity punishment anyway,” Arthur said, stretching as he stood and stepping beside Selene. “We’ll see how long that lasts. I have a chastity belt, but it might be a little big on you. It’s adjustable, so I’ll have to see how far it adjusts.” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said, bowing her head and waiting for further instructions. 

Arthur knelt and hugged Selene, who hugged him in return. Kat joined the embrace, letting the rush of their time together wear itself down. It was time to start the day. 

~~~

Arthur opened his dresser drawers. He withdrew a T-shirt, a pair of boxer briefs, gym shorts, and crew socks. He dressed as Kat brought herself to her feet. Selene kept her head bowed and took the Nadu pose, while Kat frowned to see Arthur’s abs disappear beneath the cotton tee. 

“Are you seriously going for a run?” Kat asked, surprised. “We leave early, and we’ll be walking all day.” 

“I’ll be okay,” Arthur said. It wasn’t any different from the other days he ran; he’d still have plenty of energy for what he needed to do. Still, he didn’t have to exhaust himself before the day started. “I’ll take the shorter run, just a five-k instead of the five-mile.”

Kat huffed. “Oh sure, just an early morning five-k, no big deal.” 

Arthur gripped either side of her chin between his fingers, tilted her face, and kissed her forehead, shutting her up more effectively than any duct tape. She lowered her eyes and hugged him, throwing her arms around his middle as she knelt on the bed and he stood beside it. 

“Get ready for the day. Shower, pack your things for the hotel tonight, and get into your Ren Faire costume,” Arthur said. “I’ll be back in no time.” 

“Are we wearing our costumes there?” Kat asked. 

“I don’t know if there’s a place to change there,” Arthur said, shaking his head. 

“Okay,” Kat said. She yawned again. “We’re stopping for coffee on the way, right, Sir?” 

“Sure,” Arthur said, shrugging. He kissed Kat farewell, then bent and kissed Selene, still on her knees beside the bed, but turned to face him. “Be good.” 

“Yes, Master,” Selene said. 

“Make me,” Kat said as Selene agreed. 

Arthur chuckled and gave Kat a wink before he left the bedroom. He hit the bathroom on the way out, then left the apartment, locking the door behind him.

The run wasn’t for his physical health, but for his mental. Arthur needed a few moments alone, and running always let him process. 

The brisk October morning would warm with sunlight, but the pre-dawn chill clung to the grass, still damp with dew. The predicted high hung in the seventies, but the fifty-degree morning was chilly enough that Arthur considered turning back to change into sweats. Instead, he warmed his body through exertion, setting a pace faster than usual until he grew comfortable. It wouldn’t have been sustainable, but he’d planned on the smaller loop.  

Arthur reflected on the events of the night before as he ran, replaying them in his mind as he navigated the neighborhood on autopilot. It was early with no signs of life. On a weekday, lights might illuminate the houses as people prepared for work. On the weekend, the neighborhood slept for as long as possible.

Last night had been a fiasco. There was no way around it. The upside was that everything looked brighter in the morning, even before dawn. The sun slept under the horizon, ready to wake and roll into the sky. Today was full of possibilities, and anything could happen. The doom of Lynn haunting his anxious thoughts was gone. Her belongings remained in the house’s basement, but Gabe and Mari planned to relocate her. She was out of his life and couldn’t hurt his girls.

The most disturbing aspect of last night was the violence. He recalled Kelly pounding Lynn’s ribs, Lynn smacking him across the face, and the girls wrestling her away. The memories remained surreal, but he supposed he should be thankful they’d ended the confrontation with no broken bones. 

He cringed with embarrassment at the idea of his father walking in on the scene. George and Gabe had to have seen the paddle and the belt on the carpet, not to mention Selene’s state when they arrived. He appreciated their lack of comment, their apologetic attitude toward intruding, and their support. Gabe taking his side against Lynn was not something he expected. Then again, he hadn’t counted on his mother either, and he’d been wrong not to. 

The girls’ nudity bothered them less than he thought it might. They’d covered themselves or had other priorities at the time. 

Rani didn’t give a fuck, as usual. She’d stood brazen and bottomless, conversing with his dad as if clothed. She was ecstatic that Lynn was gone, and everything else was acceptable collateral damage. He didn’t know what he would’ve done without her, and needed to thank her again for stepping up and telling his dad everything that happened.

Selene sounded much better this morning. She’d taken it the worst and snapped after Lynn broke her slave collar. Her feral fury tore free, and Lynn was lucky she only had a few scratches from it. Arthur knew that was his fault. He should have snapped out of it and stopped Lynn himself. Selene suffered because of his paralyzing fear. Apparently, Jen and Kat had helped her recover, which Arthur had thanked them for last night. 

Kat appeared less concerned as the night wore on, and her nose had stopped bleeding before they left the house. Her attempt to stop Lynn outside had earned her the battle wound, and Arthur appreciated her, even if he didn’t always know how to read her. She was quiet but friendly with Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen. 

Kelly was quiet, but she’d spent the movie making out with him. She’d cried, Arthur could tell, but she didn’t shed any tears in his presence. She was as anxious about him as he was about her. They spent as much time assuring each other as they did checking on each other. 

Katelyn had been timid. She was still an outsider to the core group, but proved more concerned about Kat and Kelly than herself. Despite having to dry off, she was undamaged except for her prior injury. Her pulled shoulder was healing, and the medication kept her from wanting to wear the sling until it wore off. He’d need to keep an eye on that. 

Mindy and Rani were cuddly, passionate, and normal by the time She Loves Me hit intermission. Mindy was empathetic, but quick to slide into happiness and joy. She bounced back from the trauma faster than the others, while her bright and bubbly personality lifted every spirit around her. Arthur appreciated her giggle more with every laugh.

Mark and Maria acted tentative around Arthur when they left. He wasn’t sure if it was the revelations of his trauma they witnessed, or the kinky experiences he exposed them to before the night flew off the rails. They were affectionate with each other, though, and Maria reassured Arthur that their offer for him to fuck her stood if and/or when he wanted it. 

The proposition still unsettled Arthur, but he thanked them. Maria was hot with a mile of cleavage, but Arthur still had hangups and lines he drew around his sexual endeavors. He had no intention of crossing that line with Maria. As much fun as the fantasy might be, the reality was messy. He hoped she’d accept that, or it might cause turbulence in their friendship. 

Brad and Jen seemed okay after the drama of the evening. They took solace in each other, and Jen was especially affectionate with Brad. They were in the new-couple phase, where their world barely allowed them to register others. So they spent most of the movie making out on the sofa. 

As the night passed, everyone left the past behind them. They turned toward the bright new day. He’d fallen asleep last night in the arms of two of his girlfriends. Enthusiasm for the adventure of moving into the house filled him now that he was free of Lynn’s burden. Not that the future was free of potential problems. 

He’d have to see how things went, but the text from Caleb came through while he was sleeping. He’d read it while Selene had his cock in her mouth, and did his best not to let his worry show. 

Caleb: Hey, Logan and I are going to drive separately. We’re going with a different group, leaving early for the band gig, but we’ll see you there! 

An hour later, he followed it up with another text. 

Caleb: Okay, fair warning, we’re bringing Yvonne with us. She’s still moping, and I’m not leaving her alone during the break. She needs sunshine and time with friends. Whether she likes it or not.

Caleb: We’ll keep her away from you, though. Don’t worry. 

Arthur wasn’t sure what to do. Yvonne wasn’t an evil person. She’d been his friend for years, but wanted more than friendship. Her methods for encouraging that change were flawed, and she’d done and said terrible things, but Arthur had never wanted to cut her from his life. 

He couldn’t deny the parallels between the plot of She Loves Me and Yvonne’s idea of flirting. Antagonizing banter was Yvonne’s flirtatious method, but it’d gone straight over Arthur’s head. Plenty of flirting did. By default, he didn’t believe that women wanted him. Still, he was learning to accept it one day at a time. Women sometimes responded well to his looks and manners, and he’d figured out how to pick up on specific cues. 

Enemies to lovers was familiar enough, he supposed, and it was just a step past Kat’s bratty flirting. Still, he’d been oblivious and had taken her antagonism at face value. Would their fallout have ended differently if he’d known? Maybe, but it was too late now. Everything that had happened between them was behind them, and they had to move forward. Yvonne couldn’t handle being his friend, so she cut him and his friends out of her life. 

He would’ve preferred their friendship to continue and restore the Theater Club’s status quo. Unfortunately, Yvonne didn’t see that happening. She wanted space, and he gave it to her. So if she wanted to avoid him at the Faire, that was her prerogative. He couldn’t let her attendance prevent him from going when the girls had planned this trip. 

Besides, Yvonne’s drama was nothing compared to the trauma he’d confronted last night. A kitten had nothing on a tiger, even if one reminded him of the other. In the best-case scenario, he and Yvonne patched things up since it had been a few days. In the worst-case scenario, they’d have an awkward encounter and avoid each other — no big deal. 

He’d texted Caleb back from his room. 

Arthur: Okay, thanks for the heads up, I appreciate it. See you there! 

Short, sweet, to the point, and unanswered since Caleb was sleeping. He was the only exception to Yvonne’s purge of friends, but he was closer to her than Arthur. He’d have to be careful not to put Caleb in the middle. It wasn’t his job to referee or run interference. The Faire was big enough that they wouldn’t run into each other. 

Thinking things through without interruption helped. Exercise purged Arthur’s anxieties from his blood as it pumped, and his runner’s high kicked in. Exertion carried endorphins in its wake, and the crisp autumn air fueled his breath as leaves crunched beneath his sneakers. The world opened before him, and the open road urged him onward.

His mind shifted toward his plans for the future, which always loomed ahead. He had to pack his belongings and Selene and Kat’s and move them out by the end of the month. That gave him seven days, which wasn’t much time. Where had the time gone? The days crawled past, yet carried no lack of dramatic events. He had to make time. His parents wanted to pay for movers, which was generous, but he still had to pack everything. 

He and Selene argued over their communication and her 24/7 slavery obsession last night. They were supposed to try it for a few days. Now that he’d cooled off, it seemed harsh to demand a week of no kink from Selene, but he intended to stick to the arrangement. He needed to know she loved him as himself, as Arthur, and not only because he was her master. Couples’ therapy might help, and he had to look into a kink-positive therapist for them to see. 

Kat had been waiting for his next lesson plan, and he was overdue to give her one. If he remembered correctly, Sunday was their next date. Hopefully, she’d accept a lesson plan on Sunday morning for a session in the evening. If not, going on a date without a BDSM session wasn’t the worst idea. He could take her to a local bookstore and let her pick something out. She’d enjoy that. 

Kelly was a rock, and things were going well with her. She and Katelyn were leaving to spend the rest of fall break at Katelyn’s cabin after the Ren Faire. He’d miss her, but she’d be back on Wednesday. He wanted to make sure she was okay, but with Lynn out of the picture, she’d be fine. 

She hated Lynn more than the others, and he was proud of her restraint. Kelly knew Arthur disapproved of violence. That was probably what stopped her from pummeling Lynn to a pulp. 

He had to admit, the idea of watching her beat Lynn bore a cathartic appeal, but imagining it and seeing it were different. Fighting always made him queasy, ever since his experiences on the receiving end in high school. Yet, he bore the shame of not stopping Lynn himself last night. He should have stepped up and prevented anyone else from getting hurt. If he’d been strong enough to do that, Selene would still have her collar. Perhaps Kelly could teach him to box and help him overcome his fear of fighting. 

Rani would love that. She found the primal, barbarian aesthetic very sexy. She’d been instrumental in Operation Clone, as the girls called it, and Arthur wondered if she’d been able to get any evidence from Lynn’s room last night. It didn’t matter now, but he appreciated Rani’s cunning and bravery, even if she had the least to fear from Lynn if her father’s money could protect her. 

Mindy wanted him and Rani to have dinner with her parents on Monday. Arthur thought it was a good idea, but he was also terrified. Meeting his girlfriend’s parents wasn’t something he’d done before. Lori had no parents for him to meet. He hoped they didn’t hold the polyamory and his not being Korean against him. Making a good impression was crucial, but the deck felt stacked against him. He’d need to ask Mindy how to prepare; he hoped to discuss it with her before they met Beth at the office on Monday. The University offices closed for fall break, making it the perfect opportunity to play out their office fantasies. 

Arthur returned to the apartments and lapped the complex to cool down. He ended his jog with a brisk walk, bringing him to his building door an hour before their estimated departure. 

He was careful not to make too much noise around the second-floor apartment beneath his. He didn’t need them yelling at him for making any noise whatsoever while living above them again. The third-floor landing was home, and he entered his apartment after unlocking the door. 

Selene ran around the corner from the kitchen and dropped into the Nadu position as he shut the door. She remained nude, her hair tied into its long, thick braid that dangled to her butt behind her. She knelt with her thighs spread, toes on the floor, head bowed, her hands resting on her thighs with her palms toward the ceiling. 

“Welcome home, Master,” Selene said. “Kelly and Katelyn are on their way. Kat is at our apartment gathering our luggage. No word from Mindy or Rani yet.” 

“Thanks for the update,” Arthur said, patting her on the head. If Kelly and Katelyn were en route, he had a maximum of twenty minutes to get ready. He didn’t smell cooking, but he supposed Selene had shown her smarts by waiting until he returned from his run. “I’m going to hop into the shower. Are you cooking?” 

“Yes, Master. I prepped, but didn’t want to start cooking until you returned from your run. Do you want to eat before your shower?” Selene asked. He could hear the worry in her voice that she’d misjudged his expectations.

He usually ate after, prioritizing his shower even over sex and relief after a decent run. “After,” Arthur confirmed. “I’ll be out in fifteen.” 

“Would you like me to scrub you?” Selene asked. “Kat can cook when she returns.” 

“No, thank you, I can scrub myself. I want breakfast ready when I step out of the bathroom, since we have to prioritize our schedule this morning,” Arthur said. “Make enough food for the others, if you can, but especially for you and Kat.”

“Yes, Master,” Selene said, nodding her acceptance. 

Arthur patted her head on his way to the bathroom, and she waited until he closed the door to move.

His shower was quick without company, even though the warm water invited him to linger in the steamy embrace of dissociation. His routine was simple enough, even with his skincare, shaving, and grooming after his shower. 

He slapped on deodorant and combed his hair back instead of into his usual part. With luck, it’d fall open into a more natural, messy hairdo than his usual clean-cut appearance. Hopefully, that’d offset his otherwise pristine features to sell the ‘wild man’ Tarzan outfit. 

Arthur hung his towel on the hook and stepped out of the bathroom naked. Kat and Katelyn sat on his sofa, looking up from their phones. Katelyn’s mouth fell open. 

“Yum,” Kat said, snapping a photo without thinking, then her eyes flew wide. “I can delete it!” 

“It’s okay,” Arthur said. “Just send me a nude of yours and we’ll call it even.” 

Kat blushed, but nodded as she examined the pic.

“Damn,” Katelyn said, licking her lips. “Sometimes I forget how hot you are, and then it’s like, bam.” 

Arthur chuckled. “You’re pretty hot yourself.” He said, closing the distance and kissing her good morning. “Good morning.” 

“Minty fresh,” Katelyn remarked on his toothpaste. “Good morning to you, too, Sir.” 

Kat pushed her face forward, and Arthur kissed her as well, satisfying her silent demand for attention. 

“Breakfast is almost ready, Mister,” Kelly said, poking her head around the corner. “And I brought a cooler of smoothies and food for lunch, in case we need it.” 

Arthur smiled and walked over to Kelly to kiss her good morning. She met him in the open space between the living room and the kitchen table. Kelly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with surprising passion. 

“Well, good morning.” He said when she let him breathe. 

Kelly blushed. “Sorry, I just… I’m glad you’re okay.” 

Arthur pecked her lips and patted her hip. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, checking her over. Neither she, Kat, nor Katelyn wore their costumes. Katelyn wore leggings, jean shorts, a tank top, and a baggy sweater. Kelly wore a brown sweater dress with a flared skirt and a double row of buttons below the scooped neckline. The knit material was soft and looked warm and inviting. 

“Decided against costumes?” He asked.

“Oh, no, we have our costumes, but Rani told everyone to wait to change. Something about a surprise she rigged for us.” Kelly said, smiling softly. 

“I hope it’s not too expensive,” Kat chimed in. 

Arthur sighed. “We might need to impose a ‘no surprise’ rule,” he said. “It’ll avoid misunderstandings in the future.” 

“I’m sure she’d tell you what it is if you asked,” Kelly said, glancing to her left where Selene stood at the stove. “But not all surprises are unpleasant. We’ve given you a thrill or two before, haven’t we? Last Wednesday? The Slave Leia outfits?” 

Arthur kissed her nose, making her blush beneath her freckles. 

“We’ll find out together when she gets here,” Kelly said. “It’s a surprise for us too.” 

“I guess I’ll wear my costume and throw a bag together for tonight,” Arthur said, scratching the back of his neck. 

“Can we bring the trunk as well, Master?” Selene asked from around the corner. 

The traveler’s trunk with his BDSM gear was heavy, but transportable. They’d be spending the night at the hotel, so it made sense to bring it. 

“Better safe than sorry,” he said, shrugging. Not having it if he needed it later would be annoying. “I’m sure we can fit it in with the luggage somewhere. How many cars are we taking?” 

“I can drive,” Kelly answered. “And Kat volunteered. Two cars should be enough for seven of us. Slut wants you in the back seat. I assume Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen can ride together?” 

That made sense to Arthur. He nodded his approval and gave her a thumbs-up. “I’m going to get dressed before Slut gets any ideas for an orgy before we leave.” 

“Aw.” Katelyn pouted. “No time for a quickie? I’ve been staring at your butt this whole time for nothing?” 

Arthur chuckled at her joke, shaking his head as he headed into the second bedroom.

Slipping into his costume, the Tarzan loincloth, was easier than the shoes he’d chosen. The plain brown loincloth was a triangle of faux-hide fabric on the front and back, attached to briefs that fastened with a belt. 

The strappy Roman sandals from his centurion costume had leather strips that wound around his calves. He tied them, fastening them just below his knees. Moving to tie the second loosened the first enough that he had to retie it, then re-fasten the second. He repeated the ritual after a few steps until they felt secure enough that he could move without them sliding down his legs. 

He checked himself in the loincloth. The tapered triangles of material cutting between his thighs became nothing more than a belt over his hips. His torso remained bare, but adding faux fur to his shoulders and bracers would fix that. He’d shop at the Faire and see what he could find to build a more complete costume.

What he had was a sexy Halloween costume from a posh store in the city. While the production value was high, the amount of material was minimal. The briefs under the cloth proved comfortable, but stiff. A hard-on was going to be rough. Luckily, he had a personal sex slave eager to offer him relief, even if they had to run to the car throughout the day. 

He exited the room and smiled as Kat, Kelly, Katelyn, and Selene took in the sight of him. He ran his hand through his hair and spread his arms wide. “Does it look okay?” 

Kelly nodded without removing her eyes from his chest. Kat and Katelyn were biting their lips. Selene dropped to her knees and licked her lips. None of them answered him. Their eyes studied his torso, wandering over the sharp lines of his muscles as they outlined his pecs, lats, and abs, which disappeared beneath his belt.

“Fuck,” Katelyn said. “Are they going to let you in? Or is that too adult?” 

“That’s five more for the spank jar,” Kelly reminded Katelyn of their deal to limit her cursing, and Katelyn pouted at her. 

“He’s fine,” Kat said, trying to sound unaffected. “Men can show off their legs, and their torsos, and no one cares. I’m more worried about Selene’s costume. That chain mail bikini is lewd.” 

“I can bring a backup just in case, but I think it’ll be okay,” Arthur said, lifting the loincloth to show it covered him underneath. 

“That bulge, though,” Katelyn said, smiling as she lifted her eyes to Arthur’s. “Damn.” 

Arthur winked at her, which made her chuckle as she stood. Kelly helped her to her feet and pointed her toward the kitchen table. 

“Breakfast is ready, Master,” Slut said, gesturing to the table where a circle of three plates waited for them. Wheat cakes, spinach omelets, and sausages filled the plates.

“Katelyn and I ate breakfast,” Kelly said. “But we’ll join you at the table.” 

Arthur nodded and took his seat at the table. That left a single chair for Kat or Selene, a problem Selene presented a solution for as the thought popped into Arthur’s head. 

“Should I sit at the table, Master? Or should I eat as a slave does?” Selene asked. 

Kat rolled her eyes and took her seat beside Arthur. Kelly took the chair opposite him. 

“You mean on the floor?” Arthur asked. 

Selene nodded. “Yes, Master.” 

Arthur considered it, then nodded. He lifted her plate from the table and set it on the floor beside him. Selene crawled to it, eating with her hands on either side flat against the floor. Arthur and Kat used their cutlery, though Kat ate more quickly than Arthur did. 

Katelyn sat between Arthur and Kelly, across from Kat. She picked a piece of egg from Arthur’s plate and ate it, winking at him. Katelyn seemed extra flirty and bold this morning, but Arthur didn’t mind it. She was fitting in with Kat and Kelly. 

They sat in peaceful and comfortable silence, without the compulsion to fill the room with unnecessary words. They exchanged smiles while Arthur and Kat ate, enjoying the moment of peace as the outside world grew brighter with the waking sun. Kelly sipped her coffee, staring out the window to enjoy the pre-dawn twilight. 

Selene finished her food first, then sat back on her knees and looked up at Arthur. She crawled forward and rested her chin on his thigh, as if begging for food. He patted her head and called her a good girl. She wiggled her butt as if wagging a tail, and Arthur laughed. 

When he finished eating, Selene took his plate to the sink. Then she took hers and Kat’s. She loaded the dishwasher as Arthur pulled the trunk from his closet and packed a suitcase. Kelly slipped into the bedroom with him, leaving Katelyn and Kat on the sofa with their phones. 

He packed with Kelly’s help, taking an outfit for tonight, one for tomorrow, and a spare. They added the briefcase, bringing all of Arthur’s collective gear and equipment with them on the trip. 

After packing his backpack with his chargers, homework he wouldn’t have the chance to do, and his laptop, Arthur figured he had everything. Kelly closed the door and hugged him from behind.

Arthur patted her hand, enjoying the hug, but confused as to the cause of the sudden embrace.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” Kelly asked. “This isn’t one of those times you’re pretending you’re okay for our sakes when you actually need to break down?” 

Arthur turned in her arms, lifting his so that he could spin around and return the hug. He held her against him, letting her feel his steady heartbeat, even as she elevated it by kissing him. 

He squeezed her gorgeous hourglass figure in his arms and brushed a strand of her red hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. 

“I’m okay,” Arthur said, confident in his answer. “As rough as last night was, I feel so much better on this side of it.”

Kelly pressed her nose into the crease of his neck. 

“I had time to process last night, and on my run. It was wild, but I’m giddy that Lynn is moving out. Watching the movie with everyone was exactly what I needed. Then I got some love and release from Selene and Kat this morning, took my run, and had breakfast with my stunning Wifey. I’m nowhere near needing to break down. I’m happy.” 

“You’re sure?” Kelly asked, squeezing him. 

“I’m sure,” Arthur assured her. 

“Okay,” Kelly said, taking a deep breath. “I have something to tell you about last night. But I don’t want to ruin your mood or start you off on the wrong foot today. Do you want to hear it now, or later?” 

Arthur considered the question. She was asking if he had the mental and emotional capacity. Taking stock of himself, he had a full charge and stood ready to face the day. Would this drain him before the day began? It might, but he’d prefer to hear it and keep last night behind him than face a surprise later. 

“Tell me,” Arthur said, bringing Kelly to sit on the edge of the bed with him. 

She sat, turning toward him so her knee pressed against his as she held his hands in hers. 

“I crossed a line with Lynn last night,” Kelly said, keeping her back rigid and her eyes on Arthur’s. “I got carried away, and I bullied her more than I meant to. At first, I was just giving her a taste of her own medicine, being mean to her because she was mean to you. Then, I started enjoying it too much. Being a mistress is so intoxicating, the rush of power and control. I don’t know how you keep yourself in check when you have the power to do as you please and have us thank you for it. If I were your Domme, I’d chain you to this bed and ride you like a horse whenever I got the craving.” 

Arthur swallowed. The mental image stirred his loins, though that role was not his cup of tea. He was dominant, and worried Kelly might tell him she didn’t want to be a submissive. That thought made him remember what they had been discussing. Lynn. She’d gone overboard with Lynn the night before.  

“So you enjoy being a mistress?” Arthur asked. 

“Yes, and no,” Kelly said. “Maybe too much. I didn’t like who I was last night, Arthur.” She closed her eyes and took a trembling breath to keep herself from shedding any tears and ruining her well-placed makeup. “I let my hatred for Lynn and my anger override my common sense, and I got off on it. I enjoyed it; I can’t even explain it.” 

Arthur squeezed her hands, holding her without hugging her. If he hugged her, she’d cry, and she was making a furious effort not to crumble. 

“It can be a rush, especially when it’s new,” Arthur said. “I understand the temptation, believe me.”

He hesitated to mention her, but it was part of his story that she needed to know. “When Lori and I first started, I found it so freeing and intoxicating, but I had hang-ups and fears that you don’t, which kept me from going overboard. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her, and discovering that side of myself terrified me. I thought I was a sadistic monster.” 

Kelly frowned as soon as he mentioned Lori’s name, but squeezed his hands when he suggested he might be a monster. “You’re not a monster, Arthur.” 

Arthur nodded. “I know, but high school messed with my head. I didn’t separate everything as well as I do now. Regardless, placing my desires over Lori’s safety was a danger I couldn’t indulge. It took me a while to cut loose and learn to trust myself, and Lori, as much as she trusted me.”

Arthur waited for Kelly to respond, but she didn’t. She was processing. 

“But that was with someone I loved, not someone I wanted to strangle,” Arthur said. “Honestly, I’m just glad I could pull you off her, and that you didn’t kill her,” Arthur said, bringing them back to the topic at hand. 

“I still went too far. Kat called me out on it, and we argued. Lynn was, well, she enjoys being humiliated. Rani found her journal, and it’s a whole thing. I leaned into it, and I aroused myself and her by going too far in the mistress role. Nothing sexual happened — at least, nothing with direct contact — but I hosed her off with the garden hose, Kat and Katelyn watched, and she tried to kiss me.” 

“She kissed you?” Arthur asked, shocked, though that wasn’t the most shocking part of Kelly’s confession. Lynn enjoyed being humiliated? That was news to him. News he didn’t want to hear. 

“No,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “She tried to kiss me. I slapped her so hard she spun.” 

“Good,” Arthur said, gritting his teeth before he sucked in a breath large enough to loosen his jaw. “But you didn’t do anything with her, or force anything, beyond being mean? Nothing sexual?” 

“Spraying her with the hose,” Kelly said. “I’m not sure what might have happened if she hadn’t run into the house after that. I—I wanted to do things to her, Arthur. Sexual things, I wanted to humiliate her, break her, and toss her at your feet for you to do whatever you wanted with her.” 

An intriguing prospect, arousing and disturbing. Yet, Arthur wouldn’t have enjoyed it last night any more than what had happened. 

“Well, I can’t blame you for being attracted to her. She’s hot. If she weren’t her — if her body were on another person, it’d tempt me, too.” Arthur said. “But to be clear, you didn’t do what you wanted to, right? Beyond the fighting and the spraying?” 

Kelly shook her head no. “No, I swear. You can ask Kat and Katelyn.”   

“I believe you,” Arthur said. He fell silent, contemplating the situation, then steadied his hands and squeezed her fingers. “Then it’s okay. Things spun out of control, sure, but everything worked out. We’re on the other side of it now.” 

Kelly held his gaze, her lip quivering. “You forgive me?” 

“For what?” Arthur asked. “You did nothing wrong, other than being meaner than you should have been to her. I can’t fault you for that. If it weren’t for my damn freeze response, I’m not sure she would have survived slapping me in the face the way she did.” 

Kelly cupped his face, running her thumb over the spot Lynn struck. “I’m so sorry she hurt you.” 

“That’s not your fault. That’s on her. Her actions are her own.” Arthur said. “And they had nothing to do with you, even if you disagree with me.” 

Kelly hugged him, holding him close. “I’m just so glad you’re okay.” 

“I’m okay,” Arthur said, hugging her in return. He squeezed her, and she pulled away, wiping her eyes as she straightened her spine. 

“I’m not sure I can be a Domme anymore,” Kelly said, sniffling. “I don’t trust myself not to get carried away.” 

“Okay,” Arthur said, squeezing her in his arms. “If you want to take a break, never do it again, or even drop kink from our relationship altogether, that’s okay. Whatever makes you happiest.” 

Kelly crumbled, crying and holding onto Arthur as if he were a life preserver in a stormy sea. He held her, letting her cry, which didn’t last long. It hadn’t been long since her last cry, and she didn’t have enough tears to keep the stream flowing. She exhaled a ragged breath toward the end and wiped her eyes to check her mascara, which had run. 

“Thank you,” Kelly said. “I don’t want to drop our kink. I enjoy it, I love submitting to you, our roleplays, and I enjoy dominating others. I just don’t know if I trust myself to dominate anyone right now. I’m disgusted with myself over last night.” 

“It’s okay,” Arthur said, rubbing her back with the flat of his palm in a soothing arc of reassurance. “You’re not disgusting, and it’s normal to get worked up. I mean, as crazy as everything was last night, you topless in those shorts fighting someone that hot in that skimpy a swimsuit? If I blur out her face, that’s fantasy fodder for life.” 

Kelly chuckled, shaking her head as she patted his chest. “I’m such a mess.” 

“A gorgeous, hot, sexy mess,” Arthur said, kissing her cheek. 

“How you can find me sexy with my tears washing my makeup away, I’ll never know,” Kelly said. She stood and turned her back to him, wiping her face with a tissue. 

“You’re plenty sexy without your makeup,” Arthur said. 

Kelly scoffed. “Please, with these freckles?” 

“How dare you!” Arthur said, standing as if offended. “I adore your freckles. They’re so cute I can hardly stand it.” 

Kelly laughed, ignoring his assertion. 

“Would throwing you onto the mattress and ruining your makeup even more convince you?” Arthur asked, smiling as he watched her green eyes. 

She grinned and glanced behind her at the closed door. Rani and Mindy would be here any minute, not to mention Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen. “As much as I’d enjoy that right now, we shouldn’t. We don’t have time, Mister.” 

Arthur shrugged and patted her on the butt. “What if I pull the Dom card and tell you to get on your knees?” 

Kelly’s blush answered for her. Her hesitation crumbled in an instant. She stepped back and lowered herself to her knees, staring into Arthur’s eyes as she did it. Lust had crept into her gaze, and he could see the ache in her for him. He wanted it, too, that connection and reassurance between two lovers that only sex could bring.

“Mm,” Arthur grunted as he experienced how tight the briefs under the loincloth could become. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have teased you.” 

Kelly pouted. “You don’t want me to take care of my Hubby before we go? I’m a mess, but I can do my wifely duties before I fix my makeup.” 

Arthur’s voice dropped to a low rumble with the effort of restraint. “I want to, but you’re right, we don’t have time.” 

“Would these help?” Kelly asked, pulling her sleeves to lower her dress to her waist. She unhooked her bra before Arthur could answer. 

He closed his eyes, lifted his chin, took a deep breath, and yielded to temptation. 

Arthur shoved his belt to the floor, taking the loincloth with it, and sprang free. 

Kelly took him in hand, pumping him toward her face with her mouth open, waiting for his seed. The method threatened to ruin her makeup even more, but she looked absolutely gorgeous beneath her mascara tears, staring up at him with her emerald eyes. Her breath warmed the tip of his cock as she pumped him, and she tightened her grip as he stiffened. 

“Cum on me, Hubby,” Kelly said, whispering to his dick. “Claim me. Make me yours.” 

Arthur wanted to be quick, but he’d cum once this morning, so he let Kelly work his shaft until her efforts produced diminishing returns. He offered her his hand, and she took it, confused as he lifted her to his feet. Then he shoved her toward the bed. He gestured for her to lie down, and she laid on her back, letting her head hang off the edge. She stuck her tongue out, welcoming his cock as he entered her, and he pushed into her aligned throat. 

The bulge in her throat was the hottest thing he’d ever seen. She took his hand and brought it to her neck, letting him choke her. He felt the effect of his grip on his dick as he pumped his hips and fucked her face. Kelly slobbered over him, gagging, glugging, and swallowing whatever she could. Her breaths came in quick, timed beats, like an athlete’s. She braced her hands against his firm thighs and moaned, letting her vocal cords vibrate against him. 

Between the sight of her bouncing bell-shaped breasts, her throat, his grip, her moans, the surreal experience, and the ticking clock, Arthur couldn’t last long. He didn’t try to hold himself back. He held her head steady, fucking her throat in rapid thrusts until a tight swallow milked his orgasm from him. 

Arthur grunted, stiffening his legs as he pumped into her throat. He stepped back, letting her breathe and swallow as he filled her mouth. He stepped back again, pulling out from her lips, and a final unexpected jet of cum arced over her and landed on the base of her neck. She coughed as she laughed, wiping at the spot with two fingers, which only spread it across her bare collarbone. 

He’d ruined her makeup, with lines trailing on either side of her face in both directions, since her face had been upside down. 

Arthur checked on her. “You’re okay?” 

“More than okay,” Kelly said, smiling. “That was great.” She caught her breath. “Thank you, Hubby. I needed that.” 

“But you didn’t cum, did you?” Arthur asked. 

Kelly raised one eyebrow. “I didn’t need an orgasm, Mister. I needed to feel wanted and connected to you.” She swallowed. “That was one hell of a connection.”

Arthur grinned, offering her a hand to help her up. She took it and stood from the bed with his help. He hugged her, embracing her as she rested her head against his shoulder and kissed his collarbone. 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Kelly said, squeezing him. “And we’re okay?” 

“We’re more than okay,” Arthur assured her. 

Kelly kissed him. “You’ll let me know if that changes?” 

Arthur nodded. “I hide nothing from you. Couldn’t if I tried.” 

Kelly chuckled. “You got that right.” She stepped away, looking for her purse, which was in the living room. Arthur offered her a tissue from the nightstand. She used it to wipe away the tears and cum. “Especially in that outfit.” She gestured to it as Arthur pulled it back into place. 

Arthur chuckled. “Just wait. You’ll be wearing even less tonight, even if I have to tear your pajamas off you with my bare hands.” 

Kelly chuckled. “I really hope you don’t. I’ve bought some expensive nightgowns over the years.” 

Arthur laughed with her. 

“We’d better get back out there before the others worry,” Kelly said, once she’d done what she could with her appearance.  

“Pretty sure they heard us,” Arthur said. 

“You can’t prove that!” Mindy called from the other room, making Arthur and Kelly break into laughter as they opened the door.

Katelyn and Kat gave them knowing smiles from the sofa as Arthur and Kelly stepped into the room. Selene knelt in the room’s center by the luggage, withdrawing a chastity belt from the trunk. Rani and Mindy had arrived during their one-on-one time and waited for them to finish. Mindy stood by the bedroom door, clearly having listened more intently than the others. 

It was good to have the harem together again. 

“Queenie has brought quite a surprise,” Kat said, gesturing toward the window. “If we can afford it.” 

“Oh, it’s covered,” Rani said. “We don’t even need to chip in for gas, and I’m covering the tip.”  

Rani sat on the coffee table with her legs crossed. She held a Starbucks coffee in each hand and offered one to Kelly, who took it. Kat, Katelyn, Selene, and Mindy had theirs. 

“We got you tea, Boss,” Mindy said to Arthur. 

“Is this the surprise?” Arthur asked as Mindy handed him a Starbucks cup of tea. 

“No.” Rani gestured to the window behind her with her thumb. “Fair warning, it’s a lot, but I thought of it on Wednesday night and wasn’t sure I could pull it together in time. That’s why I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone if it didn’t work out. Mindy mentioned you aren’t into surprises, and I should have told you, so feel free to spank me for it later.” 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. He crossed the room and peered out the window, looking into the parking lot. 

A large black bus sat in the lot between the rows of cars, blocking the space between his and Selene’s building. It looked like a Greyhound bus that bulged after the driver’s section. The horizontal monolith shone under the parking lot lamps, gleaming, shiny, and new compared to the cars beside it. Its black-tinted windows were opaque, so the whole thing looked like one long, bulging black rectangle on wheels. 

It took Arthur a moment to understand what he saw. “You got us a bus?” Arthur asked, confused. 

“A top-of-the-line executive-suite-level party bus,” Rani said, correcting him with a smile. “It’s ours for the weekend, so we can ride in style!” 

Arthur looked at the others, then at Rani. “How?” He knew she had money, but he didn’t think she had that much. He whispered his next question: “How much was it?”  

“Free,” Rani said. She joined him at the window. “Well, not really. It involved a few hundred hours of my labor. My uncle owns the company, and he owes me for tutoring my cousins. So, surprise! It’s like a stretch limo, but roomy, and comes with a driver and everything, so everyone can ride together! Her name’s Manasa, and she’s cute if you want to fuck a second Indian woman, my King.” 

Arthur raised both eyebrows, but Rani laughed at him and kissed his cheek to knock away the surprise. “The back is separate from the driver’s cab, so we can party! We deserve it!” 

Arthur was still too stunned to respond. He assumed Rani was only half-joking. He opposed adding another girlfriend to the harem, but a one-night stand might not be terrible. They’d have to see how the weekend went. 

The others watched him, as if waiting for him to approve or reject the fantastic gift of the bus. Kelly appeared just as surprised as Arthur was, and nearly spat out her coffee when she saw the bus. Katelyn, Kat, Selene, and Mindy had time to adjust and react. Kat’s annoyance faded in time. Katelyn looked eager and excited. Selene’s passive expression meant she’d go along with whatever her master decided. Mindy was bouncing, clapping, and dancing in her excitement. Rani’s self-satisfied smile didn’t leave room for worry; she was as confident and charming as ever. 

“I’ve never been on a party bus before,” Arthur admitted, which was the only thing he could think to say. “I still don’t like surprises, but… fuck it. That looks awesome, and we could use a party.” 

“Woo!” Mindy and Rani lifted their coffees in a toast as the girls gathered their things. 

Rani and Mindy hugged Arthur in turn as the room broke into action. 

Kat, Kelly, Rani, and Mindy took the luggage to the bus while Arthur prepared Selene. She was the only one still naked. Kat had brought her luggage for the overnight stay at the hotel, along with an extra outfit for today, in case Arthur wanted Selene to wear it. 

First, Arthur took her aside, lubed a sizeable butt plug, and had Selene bend over the sofa where Katelyn sat. She watched as Arthur worked the plug into Selene’s asshole. Selene groaned with the effort, closed her eyes as it slid home, breathed, and straightened slowly. 

She took the display position on Arthur’s command and spread her legs. Arthur cleaned the chastity belt and set it around her, tightening it to as comfortable a position as possible on her slender frame. She and Lori had very different builds. He’d prefer to buy her one, but this worked for now. It still functioned, blocking her access to her pussy with a padlock and key, which Arthur kept on a necklace. The hole in the back lined up, more or less, with the butt plug. The grate in the front let her pussy breathe. Still, it was loose enough to knock around on its smallest possible setting. 

Arthur then picked through the clothes Kat brought her and shook his head. He entered his room and returned a moment later with a flannel shirt. Selene raised her eyebrows, but slid into it as Arthur draped it over her. He rolled the sleeves to her elbows, left the top buttons undone, and buttoned the rest. Then he took a narrow belt from her suitcase and cinched it at her waist. 

The result was a red-and-black flannel work shirt dress that ended at the upper half of her thighs. It showed plenty of leg and threatened to show more with the slit at the bottom of the buttons. Its first fastened button hung between her breasts. The warm, soft fabric threatened to spill over her shoulder and expose her naked breast, but held its place as she twisted to test it. 

Arthur tugged at the shirt and made a few adjustments, then admired his work. “That’s your clothing for today, Slut, whenever you’re not naked or in costume.” 

Selene knelt and bowed her head. “Yes, Master. Thank you.” She hugged herself, enjoying the smell of his shirt, with a look of bliss on her face as she sniffed the collar. 

“Aw,” Katelyn whined from the sofa where she watched. “What if I want a shirt?” 

“Be a good girl today, and maybe I’ll give you one,” Arthur said, smiling. 

“Yes, Sir.” Katelyn smiled back at him, shaking her head as she stood and stretched. With one arm still in its sling, the other reaching for the ceiling, showing off her belly button before she fixed her shirt. “Can I take anything?” 

“No, I’ve got the rest,” Arthur said, looking to see what remained. Selene’s luggage and Arthur’s backpack were the only items the others left. Selene picked up her luggage, but Arthur took it from her. “Put your shoes on,” he told Selene as Katelyn left. 

Selene slipped into the silver slipper flats she had planned to wear with her costume. 

Arthur stood by the door and patted his thigh, as if checking his pockets, only to realize he didn’t have any. His palm struck his bare thigh, and he closed his eyes and huffed in realization. Loincloths were notorious for their lack of pockets. 

“Shoot, my phone, wallet, and keys.” He said to Selene. “They’re in the bedroom. Can you carry them for me in your purse?” 

Selene nodded. “Of course, Master.” She trotted, taking only a step before the plug forced her to slow and walk more briskly, with less bouncing. She returned with his phone, keys, and wallet, placing them in her purse and zipping it closed as she slung the bag over her shoulder.  

“Okay,” Arthur said. He did one final sweep of the apartment for anything anyone might have left. Finding nothing, he stopped at the fridge and grabbed a case of the water bottles he stored on the bottom shelf. He put Selene’s luggage on top of that and lifted both with his backpack over his shoulders. 

Selene shut off the lights and locked the door behind them, verifying the lock with a push-and-tug. Returning his keys to her purse, Selene let Arthur descend first and followed a pace behind him with her hands folded behind her back.   

“Master,” Selene asked as they walked. “Are we still planning to stop for a collar at the store?” 

Arthur nodded. “It should be on the way, though I’ve no idea where the bus will park.” 

He didn’t know where it might fit, but it should be a quick jaunt into the store. The bus might have to idle by the sidewalk for a few minutes. Selene smiled as they reached the ground floor, and she slid past Arthur to open the door for him. 

With his arms full, he couldn’t open the door. The bus had one of its underpanels open, and a thirty-something-year-old Indian woman in a chauffeur’s uniform looked at Arthur. She stared, her eyes roaming his body as if she’d never seen anyone so bare. Arthur realized the situation was awkward since everyone else was still wearing regular clothes. 

“Can I just slide these in?” Arthur asked, chilly in his loincloth, but confident with Selene behind him. He was obviously in a costume for a reason, even if no one else was, and the bus driver had to know their destination. 

Manasa nodded. 

Arthur set the water bottles on the ground, then put the suitcase into the hold. Manasa snapped to life as he lifted the water bottles again, and she adjusted the suitcase. Selene giggled from somewhere behind him. 

“Can we take these on the bus?” He asked, hoisting the water bottles onto his shoulder like Atlas. 

Manasa withdrew from the luggage compartment and stared at him again. To her credit, her eyes remained above his waistline until he turned around. The briefs beneath the loincloth meant he wasn’t in danger of flashing anyone, but the scanty bit of coverage showed off every hour in the gym in delicious detail. The material displayed the sides of his legs from his belt to his sandals, and the front and back teased the shape and firmness of his ass and other features. 

“Okay,” Arthur said. “We’re the last ones from upstairs. We’re just waiting for a few others to meet us here.” 

“Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen are here,” Rani said, appearing from around the corner. “They’re aboard! We’re just waiting for you. You ready?” 

“Yep!” Arthur said, smiling as he followed her. 

Manasa’s eyes dipped behind him as she closed the luggage bay, and she shook her head as if trying to shake her thoughts loose. 

Selene smiled, following Arthur as he followed Rani. The bus door on the other side led to a narrow intersection that split between the driver’s cab on the right and the passenger section on the left. The door to the driver’s cab was closed. Arthur followed Rani to the left, through a curtain, and into a large, open cabin with seats facing the internal aisle. 

Blinds and curtains on the outside windows sealed off the outside world. LED lighting illuminated the interior in color-changing waves. The smooth faux-wood floor felt like a stage surrounded by plush black leather seating. Two rows of two-seater couches faced each other, one on each side. Raiseable armrests with two cup holders separated each two-person bench. Toward the back, a stripper pole in the center of the aisle braced the floor and ceiling, shiny and chrome. 

On the right, in the middle, a round bar stocked with beer sat waiting. At the back of the bus, on the left, a bathroom door sealed off a closet-sized restroom. Behind him on the left, a karaoke station hung on the wall. Behind him on the right, an enormous TV screen hung, waiting to be used. Speakers throughout the bus suggested the music could be loud, and the lights were fun, providing a party atmosphere.

The aisle allowed two people to pass each other if they squeezed. Otherwise, it had ample legroom.  

“Wow, this is much nicer than I thought it would be,” Arthur admitted as he set the case of water bottles by the karaoke station. 

“I know, right?” Mark said from a seat halfway down the left bench. He waved hello to Arthur. His costume was much more modest. A baggy white peasant shirt billowed around his skinny frame. A black vest, brown pants, and leather pirate boots. He looked like a pirate without a hat, sword, or pistol.  

“The executive life, baby!” Rani said, raising her hands as she danced her way through the aisle. “Only the best for my man! And my women! And Kat! ” 

Kat huffed. 

“We don’t have to pay for gas?” Maria asked, still unsure. “We don’t mind pitching in.”

Her costume matched Mark’s. She wore a thin white cotton dress, fastened with a broad brown leather belt that cinched her waist and acted as an under-bust corset. Her heavy breasts spilled over it. The neckline of her dress had loose, untied strings that let the wide V of her neckline descend to the top of her belt.

“Not a cent. We’re set,” Rani said, nodding. “It’s still cheaper than my uncle paying my tutoring rates.” She chuckled and took her coffee from the armrest as she sat beside Mindy and kissed her. 

“Wait,” Arthur hesitated as he scanned the faces on the bus. Brad, Jen, Mark, Maria, Katelyn, Kat, Mindy, Rani, himself, and Selene were present and accounted for, but “Where’s Kelly?” 

“Bathroom,” Rani answered. “She had to fix her makeup.” 

Arthur nodded. 

“She was a sight,” Brad said, not gossiping, but sounding nervous. “Everything okay? Did we miss more drama?” 

“No new drama,” Arthur assured him. “We just discussed what happened last night, and there were tears, and, uh, well, yeah, tears, that’s all.” 

“And, from the sound of it, a lot of throat-fucking,” Rani said, toasting Arthur with her coffee. 

Brad’s face turned pale, and Arthur palmed his forehead. 

“What?” Rani asked. “They can watch you spank and fuck the shit out of Selene, but can’t handle the idea of you face-fucking Kelly? Glug-glug-glug?” 

Brad swallowed, hiding his face to keep his blush under control. Jen, sitting beside him and cuddling him, looked confused. “No, it’s fine,” Brad said. “I just wasn’t prepared for the mental image. My fault. I guess I’d better get used to that kind of thing.”

“Fuck yeah, you should,” Rani said. “Hell, you’ll be lucky if we make it twenty minutes before one of us is fucking or sucking him on the way there. Not to mention the depraved shit I intend to do to Mindy, Selene, Kelly, Katelyn, and anyone else Master wants to join us.”  

Arthur lowered his palm from his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t worry,” he told Brad. “Kelly’s not an exhibitionist. Not everyone enjoys an audience.” 

“Some of us prefer our alone time,” Kat said, giving Rani a significant look. 

Rani shrugged. “What? Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen are cool; we can cut loose and be ourselves. Right?” 

“Not everyone’s an exhibitionist, Rani,” Kat said, annoyed. 

Rani raised her hands in surrender. “I know, but that doesn’t mean we have to play pretend in front of them either. If any of my girlfriends or my boyfriend wants to eat me out while we’re on the road, or ride my face,” she gave Jen a wink, “you’re welcome to watch.” 

“Uh, thanks?” Brad said, speaking for the group. 

Rani gave him a thumbs up, and Arthur shook his head as he took a seat on the empty bench. He patted the seat for Selene to sit next to him, and she sat, crossing her legs as they sat across from Brad and Jen. The shirt she wore as a dress rose and fell open, revealing her thighs.  

“Your costume looks awesome, by the way,” Arthur said to Brad, nodding. 

Brad smiled. “Thanks, it’s a Renaissance version of Nightwing.” He wore a dark blue pirate coat with silver-threaded loops and buttons on either side. Beneath it, a pair of black leather boots, black trousers, blue doublet, and a poofy black shirt fastened with lace at the top. Topping it off, a blue domino mask covered his face, and a black tri-corn hat with a blue feather covered his head. 

“Cool, so that would make you… Batgirl?” Arthur asked. 

Jen smiled. “I’m a Ren Faire version of Huntress.” She moved her dark purple cape aside to show the purple leotard beneath a black corset. The leotard matched her purple domino mask, while her corset complemented her tall, thigh-high black boots and gloves. 

“Oh,” Arthur said, nodding. “Cool, well, they look great.” 

“Thanks,” Jen said, replacing the cape to cover her bare thighs. “Someone told me everyone would be in costume, but…” 

“Oh, we’ll change into ours.” Rani said, “Kelly is changing into hers now.”

As if on cue, Kelly stepped out of the bathroom in her costume. The tall boots were knee-length, and the heels looked uncomfortable, but Kelly walked in them like a runway model. She smiled to see Arthur and blushed as everyone’s eyes fell on her. 

Her ruffled purple skirt was asymmetrical, short in the front and long in the back, sweeping behind her. Its frilly hem crossed midway along her thighs, then dipped behind her calves in the back. Her top was a white peasant top, its frilly elastic sweeping low across her breasts and clinging to the small, puffy sleeves. The off-the-shoulder neckline showcased more freckles than she typically allowed others to see, but it looked amazing on her. A small corset acted as her bra, puffing her breasts into two gorgeous mounds as soft and inviting as pillows. 

She’d fixed her hair, and it fell behind her shoulders in cascading waves of lovely red. She’d fixed her makeup too, and her purple eyeshadow matched her skirt now, sharpening her green eyes into an expression that drove Arthur speechless. 

“Wow,” Mindy said, her mouth hanging open. “Mistress, you’re so pretty!” 

Kelly smiled, blushing slightly. “Thanks, but it’s just Kelly for today. Or Wifey.” She glanced at Arthur. 

Mindy looked confused, but accepted the correction without comment. She looked at Rani, who shrugged and snapped a picture with a camera that looked more expensive than the laptop she’d taken out of her backpack. Kelly posed for the second one, smiling at the impromptu photoshoot and proving just how stunning she could be as the surrounding lights changed color. 

It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat at the entrance that everyone came out of the stupor. Arthur and the others turned to see the source, and there stood Manasa. The thirty-something-year-old woman waved. 

“If I could have everyone’s attention, please?” 

She had it, but a few of them shifted in their seats to face her. She kept her chestnut hair tied up tightly beneath a chauffeur’s hat. Her uniform was no different than that of a male chauffeur’s, with black slacks, a black jacket, and a white shirt underneath. It was tailored to fit her, and fit well, showing a slim, but beautiful body in its sharp lines and creases. 

“I need to review the rules before we get moving,” she said. “For those who don’t know, my name is Manasa, and I’ll be your driver this weekend! I’m here to facilitate your travel and ensure everyone has a fun, safe time aboard the bus. As you can see, we have various amenities for you to choose from, including karaoke,” she gestured at the karaoke machine, “movies and video games,” she pointed to the TV, “a bar, and more.” She didn’t gesture at the stripper pole. 

Manasa took a deep breath. “The first rule is to respect your driver, aka me. I reserve the right to remove anyone who doesn’t follow the rules from the bus, so please keep that in mind if you’re considering breaking them. Second, although there are no cameras back here, we keep track of bar inventory and strictly prohibit underage drinking of any kind. So I’ll need to see IDs before giving you the access code to the bar.” 

Several of them pulled out their wallets. It was early, and no one anticipated drinking on the journey to the Faire. However, if they had the bus for the entire weekend, they might dip into the bar. 

“The third rule is no smoking. This includes cigarettes, cigars, vapes, pens, and any other devices. If someone in your group needs to smoke, page me on the intercom to stop so they can do so outside the bus at a safe rest stop. In fact, if anyone needs to stop, for any reason, or if anything goes wrong back here, page me using this intercom.” She pointed to the small panel on the wall. 

The group looked at each other. Arthur wasn’t a smoker, nor were any of his girlfriends, though Rani had mentioned weed before. She nodded along, giving Manasa an encouraging smile. 

“Please do not hang from the ceiling or lighting fixtures. You may move around while the bus is in motion, but you do so at your own risk. I recommend waiting until we’re on the highway, as there will be several stops and starts in the more residential areas. Speaking of residential areas, please be mindful of the music volume; it’s early, and I doubt anyone living nearby wants to wake up to us driving past their house.” 

That seemed reasonable. 

“Please do your best to keep the bus clean. There’s a trash can located toward the back of the bus. Any damage or stain cleaning will result in a fine. Also, and this is the rule I enforce the most: absolutely no confetti or glitter on the bus. Ever. Under any circumstances.” 

Manasa’s expression showed a hatred for the materials that reminded Arthur of Selene’s furious battle cry last night. He nodded, as did the others. Every member of the Theater Club understood the contagious nature of glitter.

“What about um…” Katelyn spoke up, raising her hand. “Like, body glitter? If it’s in our makeup, is that okay?” 

Manasa glared at her. 

“I’ll just, uh, wait to put it on, I guess,” Katelyn said, shrinking. 

Manasa continued. “Final rule is no weapons, and no illegal substances on the bus. If you have prop weapons, given our destination, you can store them in the luggage bay. Questions?” 

Maria raised her hand. “Is the beer extra? I mean, it’s early, but if we have some later, is it super expensive?” 

“The beer, champagne, and everything else are included,” Rani said, answering for Manasa. “Don’t worry.” 

Maria looked satisfied with that. 

“Any other questions?” Manasa asked. 

Arthur raised his hand. “Would it be okay if we made a quick stop on the way to the Faire? There’s something I wanted to pick up for Selene.” 

Selene lifted her hand to greet Manasa. 

“Can you give me the address?” Manasa asked. 

Arthur reached for his thigh, then remembered his phone, keys, and wallet were in Selene’s purse. She handed it to him, and he searched for the store’s street address, only to find his expression falling. 

“What’s the matter, Master?” Selene asked. Her eyes never left his face. Arthur glanced at Manasa, but if she had any reaction to Selene’s calling him ‘Master’, she didn’t show it. 

Arthur swallowed and looked at Selene, bracing himself. “The store’s closed. They don’t open until noon. I’m sorry. I thought they were open twenty-four hours.” 

“Oh,” Selene said, crestfallen. 

“You can find something at the Faire,” Kat said, speaking up as she reached over the armrest and put her hand on Selene’s back. “Right?” She looked at Arthur. 

“That’s not a bad idea,” Arthur said. “They have leatherworkers, blacksmiths, and everything, which means we have our pick of materials, and maybe we can even get it engraved.” 

Selene lifted her eyes to his, shifting at the excitement in his voice. “You want to engrave it?” She asked. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said, nodding. “I have an idea for a Tengwar script engraving that’d look gorgeous, and be something special between the two of us.” 

“YES,” Selene said, nodding. “Let’s do that.” 

Arthur put his phone in the cupholder beside him and nodded. “Never mind,” he said to Manasa. “We’re good.” 

Manasa paused to see if anyone else had a question, but when no one did, she clapped her hands together. “Okay!” She said. “We’ll be starting our journey shortly. Everyone is here and accounted for, Miss Shah?” 

Rani did a quick headcount. The first few seats were empty. Mark and Maria shared a bench beside Brad and Jen. Kat and Katelyn sat across from Mark and Maria; Arthur and Selene sat across from Brad and Jen. Mindy and Rani sat on Arthur’s other side, leaving Kelly her choice of seats. She sat on the other side of Jen, across from Rani and Mindy. 

“Are Caleb and Logan coming?” Brad asked Arthur. 

“They’re driving separately,” Arthur said. “Caleb texted this morning; he, Yvonne, and Logan are going to drive to the Faire on their own.” 

“Yvonne’s coming?” Maria groaned. “Ugh.” 

Mark squeezed her hand. 

“We’re all here, and ready when you are, Manasa,” Rani said. “And you can call me Rani.” 

Manasa nodded, looking toward Rani with a bow of her head. “Thank you. We’ll be on the road soon. I hope you have fun and enjoy the ride!” She backed away, entering the cab beyond the curtain and the door. 

“She seems nice,” Mark said. “Is she your cousin or something?” 

Rani shifted in her seat, leveling an accusatory expression at Mark. 

“You said your uncle owns the company. I was just wondering if it was like a family business,” he explained. 

Rani’s stiff expression cracked into a smile. It was easy to make Mark nervous. “No relation,” she said. “She just works for the company. She reports to one of my older cousins, though, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Must be nice to have a rich uncle,” Maria said, admiring the interior and the high-quality tech. 

Rani shrugged. “Honestly, he’s not my wealthiest relative, but he was the one who owed me the most. Tutoring my younger cousins wasn’t that bad, but he always said I only ever had to ask, so I asked. Still, she had to drive for a long time, so it was nice of him to send her.” 

“What did you tell him?” Maria asked. 

“The truth,” Rani shrugged. “A bunch of friends and I were celebrating fall break by taking a trip to the Ren Faire. I wanted us to go in style, so could I please pick a bus?” 

“And you picked one with a stripper pole?” Brad asked, glancing at the gleaming chrome as the engine rumbled to life. 

“Well, between Arthur and Selene, I figure someone will dance on it this weekend.” She winked at Brad. “Or we’ll just tie someone to it and play with them for a while.” She nudged Mindy, who giggled. 

Brad shifted uncomfortably, using his jacket to cover his lap.

Rani laughed and reached over Mindy to grasp Arthur’s forearm. “What do you think, my King? Did the queen of your concubines do well?” 

“You did very well, Queenie,” Arthur said, leaning toward her. She closed the distance, leaning across Mindy’s lap as Arthur kissed her. 

She smiled as she pulled away. “I’m going to change into my costume,” she said as the bus began to move. “We’re on our way!”

~~~

The drive through Reedville’s suburban neighborhoods proved smoother than Selene expected. The engine’s hum became a dull ambiance. There were no external sounds of traffic in the quiet pre-dawn streets, and the heavy curtains and blinds gave the party bus a sealed-room feeling. The interior lights were bright enough to see well, but not overwhelming or headache-inducing—a delicate balance to strike. 

Manasa set the panel to a dull white light when she entered, which was steadier than the cycling colors.  

Selene smiled to see everyone settling in and getting along. Kat hadn’t even been selfish with Master this morning. Pity from last night probably drove her sensitivity to Selene’s needs today, but Selene was still thankful, no matter the reason. 

The others seemed curious to see what the new day brought. Maria and Jen cast a few shy glances at Arthur, but that might’ve had more to do with his costume than last night. 

Kelly took a selfie, then glanced around the cabin as she put her phone away. With eleven people on the bus, it was difficult for Selene to remember that not everyone knew everyone else. Kelly had met Jen at homecoming, but Mark and Maria were more Arthur and Selene’s friends than anyone else’s. She knew Brad from the gym, though, so they were friends. 

Kelly was gorgeous in her pirate costume and gave Selene a small smile as they locked eyes.  

Selene noticed a small segregation between the theater friends and the harem. Kat, Katelyn, and Mindy didn’t know them very well. Rani and Mark had a bond through tabletop RPGs. Jen remained quiet among so many people. 

Selene wondered how she and Maria felt about last night before the interruption, but she was Arthur’s slave today. She didn’t intend to speak without being spoken to first or without permission. She met Arthur’s gaze and smiled, then bowed her head. Arthur lifted her chin and kissed her. 

The kiss was soft and warm, his lips opening hers with slow and steady movements as his hand gripped either side of her chin. As kisses went, it lacked the heat and passion of many of their kisses, but the tenderness in his touch made her legs weak. She gripped his arm, squeezing her slender fingers around the back of his upper arm. 

Maria wolf-whistled. 

Mark laughed and patted Maria’s thigh. “Is it too early to turn this bus into an orgy?” 

Arthur ended the kiss, but Selene hung in the moment after his lips left hers with her eyes closed. She took a deep breath as she sat back and lowered her head once more. 

“Well, Rani’s getting changed in the bathroom; we should at least wait for her,” Arthur said, teasing Mark. 

“I’m still shocked she fit that backpack in there,” Kelly said. “Head’s up, there’s no wiggle room in there.” 

“Aw, no bathroom sex?” Maria pouted. 

“Is there a bus version of the mile-high club?” Katelyn asked, looking at Kat as if she knew the answer. 

Kat shrugged. “The mile-long club?” 

Everyone had a good chuckle at that. 

“Even Mark would last more than a mile,” Maria said, patting her boyfriend’s thigh. 

Brad clapped his hands. “The sixty-mile-per-hour club!” he suggested, which made everyone laugh again. 

“It doesn’t have to be in the bathroom, though, does it?” Mindy asked. “I mean, don’t get me wrong,” she put her hand on Arthur’s other bicep, “I’m down to get down and dirty, you know that, Boss, but I hate porta-potty smell.” 

“That is an excellent point,” Kelly said. “There’s an air-freshener in there, but there is a faint odor of porta-potty.” 

“Gross.” Kat’s face left no doubt about her disgust. 

“You okay?” Arthur cut through the conversation to address Selene, who’d been busy staring at her knees with a contented smile. 

“Me?” Selene asked, pressing her hand to her chest and raising her eyes to meet his. His eyes smiled at her, bright and content. “Yes, Master, I was just enjoying the conversation. It’s good to see everyone getting along.” 

The others smiled, and Jen scooted forward, leaning closer to Selene across the aisle.

“Hey, Selene,” Jen said. “Would now be a good time for that interview?” 

“Now?” Selene asked. 

“Well, we’ve got time to kill on the drive, right?” Jen asked. 

Selene glanced at Arthur. “Is that okay, Master?” 

Arthur checked the faces of those around him, all of whom waited for his answer. If he said no, Selene had every intention of telling Jen to wait. If he said yes, then Jen could interview her off to the side. 

“Is there anything she needs to prepare for it?” Arthur asked Jen. 

Jen shook her head. “Not really. It’s just a few questions about her and her lifestyle. I promise not to publish any of your real names; that was part of our arrangement.” 

Kelly, Kat, and Mindy relaxed. 

“Just take a moment to consider your answers,” Jen said to Selene. “If you want something to be off the record, say so before you say whatever you’re going to say.” 

“And how much of my personal history will be in this article?” Arthur asked, cautious and glancing at Brad before he met Jen’s gaze. 

“None unless it’s crucial to Selene’s experience, but again, I won’t publish your name, and anything from last night is, well, it’s off limits,” Jen said. “I’m not looking to air your dirty laundry or expose your personal traumas. I’m trying to report on the emerging sexual revolution on campus, and present an example of an ethical slut.”

Everyone took a moment to process what she said and its implications. Being the start of a sexual revolution sounded both exciting and unreal. 

“Thank you. I’m not sure we’ve started a sexual revolution, but your assurance makes me feel a lot better about it,” Arthur said. “I’ve had enough of campus thinking I’m a pervert.” 

“I don’t think most do, but rumors fly when no one knows the true story. That’s why I’m hoping to set the record straight,” Jen said. “I’m a very sex-positive person, and I’m hoping people will see it’s just love, and not freak out so much.” 

“Normalize it,” Kelly said, summarizing in a way that made Jen nod. 

“It’d be nice not to get so many rude stares or crass comments,” Mindy said. 

“Has someone been making crass comments at you?” Arthur asked, his protective instinct plain in the way his body shifted. 

“My roommate has opinions,” Mindy said. “But you’ve met her. Others have said rude things, though, between the condescending office girls and classmates.” 

“Oh,” Arthur said. “Yeah, that makes sense. Hopefully, the article helps your classmates, and therapy helps Rachel.” 

“Are you big on therapy, too? Like Brad?” Jen asked, surprised. 

“Yeah,” Arthur said. “I stopped over the summer and started going again last week.” 

“Wow,” Jen said. “Though that makes sense with your–uh–experiences.” 

Selene cleared her throat, drawing the attention away from Arthur, but he continued the conversation. 

“It was because of Brad’s influence that I started going. It helped me figure things out when I was dating Lori,” Arthur said. 

Kelly frowned and looked at Katelyn, who gave her a soft smile. She returned her attention to Arthur. “I thought you were the one who started Brad going to therapy.” 

Brad shrugged. “We encouraged each other, for sure, just like at the gym. Gyms are for the body. Therapy is for the mind.” 

Arthur tapped his forehead and pointed at Brad to confirm his agreement.

Jen smiled. 

“So is that a yes, Master? Can I give Jen her interview?” Selene asked after a moment’s silence. 

“Yeah, go for it. Sorry if we interrupt you, though. I might want to try out that karaoke machine, and I want to see what video games they have.” Arthur said, gesturing toward the TV. 

“We can move to the back of the bus, if that’s better?” Jen asked. 

Selene nodded, and the two of them relocated as Brad and Arthur shifted toward the front. Kat pulled a book from her bookbag. The well-worn cover of a Heyer novel was a familiar sight in Kat’s hands. Still, Kat moved and sat close enough to Jen and Selene that she could overhear them. Jen was just about to ask her first question when Rani stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed the pole for balance. 

Her costume—or lack thereof—made everyone forget what they were doing. Selene’s mouth fell open, her eyes taking in Rani’s breathtaking beauty.   

A red veil crowned her head over a tikka of gold teardrops. Each gold drop held a ruby that shone in the electric light of the bus. The gold chain traveled over her head as the red veil, with its gold-embroidered edges, spread across her shoulders. It fell behind her like a cape, encasing her velvety black hair and trailing to the bottom of her butt where its sharp corner hung in the air. 

A small nose ring on her left nostril connected to an earring on her left ear with a thin chain. It complemented the ring that pierced her septum and the clustered earrings on her upper ears. A dangling ruby encased in tears of gold hung from each earlobe, matching her tikka. The chain across her cheek had gold beads hanging from it, matching her other piercings on her ears, nose, and eyebrows. A transparent half-face veil lay over the chain and her lower face, obscuring but not hiding her identity. 

Two small triangles of similar fabric covered her breasts in a bikini top, held in place by gold-clasped strings over her shoulders and tied behind her shoulder blades. The two triangles had a thin gold chain between them, suspending a central gold ring between her breasts. The ring hovered away from her sternum, held aloft by the curve at the bottom of her breasts. Her stiff nipples tented the fabric, which was just thick enough to hide them, though it didn’t hide their protrusion or the protrusion of her nipple piercings. 

Another thin gold chain ran from one nipple to the other in an arc beneath her top. The center of its arc connected to a chain that traveled from her flat stomach to her waist. Her waist chain wrapped her waist in gold, with gold and ruby teardrops hanging from it at regular intervals. Her navel piercing was a dangling tear of gold and ruby that caught the light as she posed. 

Gold armbands wrapped each dark arm between her shoulders and elbows. Stacks of jangling gold bracelets covered each wrist in chains and rings of gold halfway up her forearms.

An embroidered skirt of the same red lace material accentuated her wide hips and obscured, but did not hide, her red bikini bottoms. The front of the bottoms was opaque enough to preserve her modesty. The double slit in the skirt showed both thighs, and a slice of her hip joints on each leg, drawing the eye. Her backside was modest enough, though the bikini bottoms showed a generous portion of each cheek through the sheer inability of any bikini to hide Rani’s wide ass. 

More gold adorned each ankle, with a jangling anklet of gold chains and bells matching one bracelet on each wrist. Her wedge sandals bore engraved gold bands over her toes, with straps that rested below her anklets. 

The only noticeable bare spot on her was her throat, which bore no chain or collar despite the heavy jewelry elsewhere. 

Rani raised her hands above her head. “You may profess your adoration and love for me whenever you’re ready, my King. The rest of you, too, but him first.” 

Slight chuckles and giggles rippled through the harem and guests, but none held any derision or mockery in their laughter. She was breathtaking, and if she made them laugh, it was only to start their breathing again. 

“You look–I mean–holy–you–uh–you’re gorgeous, Rani.” Arthur had to stammer through several attempts before he got any coherent words out. “That is incredibly sexy, and, well, very you.” 

“God, girl, you’re so hot that even Kat just turned a little gay,” Katelyn said, prodding Kat to say something with her elbow. 

Kat looked up from her book. She evaluated Rani’s costume and nodded. “You look very nice, Queenie.” 

“Thanks, Brat,” Rani said, smiling beneath her veil. 

“I feel like I need to make my costume sexier now,” Kelly said, looking down at her pirate outfit in disappointment. As hot as she was, Rani had upstaged her.  

“You have to tell me where you get your costume jewelry from,” Maria said with awe. Her eyes roamed the gold and rubies adorning Rani. “Is it in Crofton?” 

“Costume jewelry?” Rani asked, confused for a moment. “Oh, I had this stuff at my dad’s house. Manasa brought something of a care package with her. It’s from a boutique in New Jersey.”

“Nice,” Mark said. “You definitely match Arthur’s sword and sorcery vibes.” 

“Thanks!” Rani said, pointing at Mark. “That’s exactly what I was going for.” 

“No necklaces?” Brad asked, noticing the bare spot. 

Rani shrugged and nodded toward Selene. “I brought necklaces and my collar from Arthur with me, but it didn’t feel right putting them on when Slut doesn’t have hers yet.” 

Kelly, Kat, Katelyn, and Mindy nodded their agreement. Selene realized they all had bare necks. How had she not noticed Kelly was missing her pearls? Her fingers touched her throat, sliding along the smooth, bare skin. 

“Thank you,” Selene said, her voice a whisper. 

“Solidarity, bitch!” Rani said, offering her fist for a fist bump. 

Selene restrained the tears pressing against the corners of her eyes, but Rani must have seen them coming. She stuck her tongue out at Selene in the sisterly expression she’d seen Selene and Kat pass back and forth many times. Kat had even done it to other members of the harem, and Selene nearly laughed at how preposterous it looked on Rani’s face, in her regalia. 

Selene returned the expression and bumped Rani’s fist. 

“Is that okay with you, my King?” Rani asked, looking at Arthur. 

“Of course,” Arthur said, smiling softly. “The solidarity is actually really, really sweet.” 

Selene sniffled, and Jen handed her a tissue from her purse. 

“We’ll get you a collar soon,” Arthur said, nodding his encouragement to Selene. “Don’t worry, you’re still my slave.” 

“Thank you, Master,” Selene said when everyone’s eyes fell on her. “I’m sorry.” 

“Looks like we have our first item on the agenda when we get to the Faire,” Maria said, reclining with her head on Mark’s shoulder. 

“Oh, speaking of, we should go over what everyone wants to do!” Kelly said as she dug into her backpack. She produced a folder with double-sided sheets: one side held the Faire’s schedule, organized by location and time, and the other had a map of the grounds. She passed the stack to Brad, who took one and passed it around. “Everyone, fill in what you want to do. I’ll consolidate and group everyone up.”  

Katelyn rolled her eyes.

Rani strode over to Arthur and sat in his lap, throwing one arm over his shoulders. “I’m sitting here until the next person gets changed,” she announced. “Unless you want me in some other position?” She asked Arthur, and Mindy giggled beside them. 

Selene and Jen took their sheets from the passing stack and set them aside. Mindy went into the next bathroom, ready to change, and the others settled into small groups for conversation. Arthur, Mark, and Rani discussed sword-and-sorcery fantasy and D&D. Maria, Kelly, Brad, and Katelyn discussed which events they most wanted to see at the Faire. Kat read her book. 

That left Selene and Jen in the back of the bus for her interview. 

“So, let’s start with some foundational questions,” Jen said as she started recording on her phone. “You’re a junior at Pendleton University, and you go by the moniker Slut?” 

“Yes to both,” Selene said, nodding. 

“Is that okay for me to use in the article as your name?” Jen asked. 

“Yeah, honestly, that’s perfect,” Selene said. “It’s my title, name, and a point of pride.” 

Jen smiled. “Okay, so how do you define a slut? What does that name mean to you?” 

Selene considered her answer before she spoke. “So, to me it means someone, a woman, I guess, who enjoys sex for pleasure, for recreation.” 

“Okay,” Jen said, nodding. “You realize that’s not the dictionary definition, right?” 

“How does the dictionary define it?” Selene asked. 

“A woman who has many different sexual partners,” Jen explained. “Casual partners.”  

Selene shrugged. “Eh, that’s not how I’ve heard it used. For me, people always used it to refer to women who enjoyed themselves. Go down on your boyfriend, and you’re a slut. Let him fuck your ass? You’re a slut. Want him to fuck you senseless as often as possible?” 

“Slut?” Jen asked when Selene didn’t answer her own question. 

“You guessed it.” Selene snapped her fingers. “Any woman who treated sex like it’s for their enjoyment was a slut. God forbid women enjoy sex as much as men do.”

“So, being a slut is your feminist manifesto?” Jen asked.

“No, it’s not caring what other people think, and doing what I enjoy: Exploring my sexuality with my boyfriend and his harem.”

“So for you, it’s about enjoyment, quality more than quantity,” Jen said.

“Yeah,” Selene said. “I can see how enjoying sex might lead to multiple partners, but I haven’t had many. Master, my ex-boyfriend, and then the others were just foreplay, not actual sex.” 

“Don’t count bodies unless you’re a mortician,” Rani said. “It’s not a score.” 

“If it were, you’d win,” Kat said without looking up from her book. 

Rani giggled and kissed Arthur’s cheek. “Don’t worry. You made a one-man woman out of me, my King.”

She and Arthur kissed, while Mark did his best to find the list of Faire activities to be interesting reading.   

“You mentioned your history with other guys, but what about girls?” Jen asked, “Do you have a romantic or sexual history with women?” 

“Not before the harem,” Selene said, shrugging. “I didn’t explore bisexuality until we came together.” 

“So you have sexual relationships with the other women in your polycule?” 

“Oh, yeah. I go down on them,” Selene said. “I enjoy doing it after Master’s done with them.” 

Jen swallowed. “Okay, so, you uh… you’ve had two men, and five women?” 

“No, three? I think. Pet and I haven’t fucked yet, maybe later, but Brat and I have a firm boundary in place.” Selene said. 

“Why is that?” Jen asked. 

“She’s my sister,” Selene said. “And she’s a prude.” 

Kat, overhearing the conversation, stuck her tongue out at Selene in their familiar gesture. Selene returned the expression, then chuckled as she returned her attention to Jen. 

“Besides, she’s straight, so she doesn’t do anything with women,” Selene said. 

“And you’re bisexual? Or pan?” Jen asked. 

“I’m complicated,” Selene said. “If Arthur’s there, or if others are watching, I’ll do pretty much anything and anyone.” 

“Can confirm!” Rani shouted from the other end of the bus. 

“But if it’s just me on my own, I prefer guys, well, Master,” Selene said, shrugging even as she chuckled at Rani’s interruptions. 

“So, there’s an element of performance in your sexuality?” Jen asked. 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Selene said. “You saw my video last night, right? I love performing for others, and knowing that they get aroused by me without me even touching them.” 

Jen nodded, swallowing and changing the subject. 

“So, back to your sister being in the polycule with you,” Jen said. 

“Yeah, but we have boundaries,” Selene said. 

“But you share a boyfriend? Is that something you’ve done with her before dating Arthur?” Jen asked. 

Selene shook her head. “No, that’s new with Master.” 

“How did that happen?” Jen asked.

“Well, it’s complicated,” Selene said. “We started teasing each other over him my freshman year of college, but it was just teasing,” Selene said. “We teased each other about having the hots for him, and about both dating him. I playfully suggested we share him, because harem romances are a thing in the anime I’d watch. Over time, the jokes became not so much jokes anymore. I pitched that he and I could be fuck buddies, and she could date him. Then, I followed through. Master and I became fuck buddies, and Brat ‘accidentally’ walked in on us and saw Master’s cock, and–after she calmed herself–she took me up on the offer. They had a date of sorts, to check compatibility, and it went so well that Brat passed out from her orgasms, so she decided we could share.”

“Wow,” Jen said, not looking at Kat or Arthur. Her focus on Selene bore the intensity of the next victim in a horror movie when they realize they’ll die if they turn to see the killer standing behind them. 

“That’s veering an awful lot into my story more than Slut’s,” Kat said. She sounded annoyed, but an undercurrent of lust lurked in her voice. The memories of Kat and Arthur’s first time together, weeks ago, were still hot. 

“Okay. Let’s go back to how you came to be a self-titled slut,” Jen said, making notes. “When did you first know you were a slut?”

Selene considered her first time, her first kiss, and the first time she saw someone having sex. 

“So, growing up, my mother was very anti-sex, anti-guys, anti-anything fun,” Selene explained. “My sister was always the perfect daughter–”

“No, I–” Kat’s protest fell silent as Selene shushed her and pointed at Jen’s recording phone. 

“If you want to be part of the interview, stop reading and scoot closer,” Selene said. “Otherwise, go make yourself useful and suck Master’s dick.”

Kat glared, but returned to her book. 

“My sister never voiced her opinion to our mother. She kept quiet and out of the way,” Selene amended. “I didn’t. So, my mom branded me as the rebel pretty early on.”

“Was it just the three of you?” Jen asked. 

“And our grandmother,” Selene said. “She lived with us, or we lived with her, to be more exact.”

“No dad in the picture?” Jen asked.

“Our parents divorced when we were young,” Selene said. “Dad moved out, and our mom said he didn’t want to see us, which was a lie.”

Jen’s eyebrows rose. 

“My mom’s rigid and hypocritical,” Selene said. “The ‘do as I say, not as I do’ type. She’ll lie to her kids without blinking, but tell her a lie? You might as well have killed someone in front of her.” 

Jen nodded. Experiences with parents might not be universal, but most people knew someone who fit that pattern. 

“She had rules around the house that applied to me and Brat, including no boys,” Selene said. “And the sex-ed at our school was a joke. So the sexual drives that came with life waited until college for any independent study.” 

Jen chuckled at that. 

“Sex was this mystery to me. Our youth group and church called it a sin. Guidance counselors warned that sex resulted in STDs and pregnancy, which could ruin your life. To me, it was just one more pleasure that my mother considered ‘evil’ because she wanted to suck the joy from life.” 

“She thought pleasure was evil for religious reasons?” Jen asked. 

“Not entirely,” Selene said. “She agreed that premarital sex was bad, but my mom saw pleasure of any kind as a reward. But the reward was never proportional to the effort. If you did your chores—spending a dozen hours cleaning the house top to bottom after eight hours of school and six hours of homework—you got to play video games for one—just one—hour on Saturday. That was the rule.” 

Jen winced. 

“Yeah, exactly,” Selene said, pointing. “Kat figured out a loophole because she liked to read, and my mom considered reading educational, so she got to do as much of it as she wanted. But if it was something I enjoyed—dancing, going to a concert, downloading a new album, spending time on the internet, watching anime, whatever—I had to earn it. Mouth off? You lost privileges. Watch a movie at a friend’s house? You had your screen time that week.” 

Jen appeared puzzled. 

“What?” Selene asked. 

“It’s just that, well, having seen you with your Master and your submission, it seems like you’d thrive under that system,” Jen said. “You’re so willing to dedicate yourself to obeying someone, but rebelled against your mother’s rules?”

Selene grimaced and pondered that point. Her mother’s rules were cruel for the sake of cruelty, but Arthur’s rules were for her sake. “There might be a certain nostalgia to it, I suppose, but no. There’s a vast difference between Master making rules for my life as his slave, and my mother’s authoritarian dictatorship of my life.” 

“He’s fucking you,” Rani said, which made a few people chuckle. Jen gave her a polite but somewhat annoyed smile. “Sorry, I’ll stop interrupting.”

Jen looked at Selene. “And what is that difference?”

“Consent,” Selene answered. “I have no say in the rules my mother makes, and no escape clause until I get a job and can pay my way without her chipping in for rent. With Master, I’ve chosen my lifestyle and agreed to his rules, and if I disagree, I have a means of arguing, negotiating, and an escape clause in my safewords.” 

Jen nodded. 

“Like the butt plug and chastity belt I’m wearing right now,” Selene said, ignoring the beeline Jen’s eyes made for the hem of her shirt-dress. It’s my penance for not communicating with Master and not listening to him when he tried to tell me he needed time to recover.” Selene said. “It’s a punishment I earned, and one I consent to, but if I used my safeword, Master would take it off me right away.” 

The key was on his keyring, in her purse, but unlocking herself was out of the question without Master’s permission.

“Beyond that, Master often explains his rules. He checks in with me and makes sure that no matter what the rule or punishment is, it’s for my pleasure and benefit. With our mom, I'm the rebel, and Kat's the quiet, submissive woman. With Master, he creates a safe space for us to submit or brat to him. To explore that side of ourselves without fear.” 

The bus had gone quiet while Selene spoke, as if she were giving a PowerPoint presentation.

Kat smiled behind her book, glancing at Arthur, who shifted his tender gaze between Kat and Selene.

“So you feel safe with your Master?” Jen asked.

Selene beamed. “Serving Master, whatever and wherever, is my happy place. It’s where I’m safe, loved, protected, and free to be myself in ways I can’t be anywhere else. It’s why I want to live there twenty-four-seven.”

Jen made more notes as Selene spoke. Despite recording the conversation, her reactions to Selene’s words seemed just as important to her. The ideas that sprang from the innocent dialogue were worth recording and would help her when she drafted the interview.  

“Plus, Master fucks so well that I’d defy anyone to say they wouldn’t do anything for another chance at that dick.” Selene bit her lip and glanced at Arthur as he held Rani in his lap. He and Rani had been on his phone, building his D&D character on an app, but had stopped to listen. He smiled at her, but Jen had another question.

“So you’ve consented to total slavery to your Master?” Jen asked. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she glanced at Brad, who was laughing at something Kelly had pointed out on the schedule. 

Selene nodded. “I begged him for it.” She chuckled. “We’re seeing how things go, and after a few days we’ll try no kink for a week.” 

“A whole week?” Kelly asked, surprised.

Eyes turned toward Arthur, who nodded. An awkward silence fell over the bus, but Jen took the reins once more.

“So how did you go from repressed and clueless about sex to an experienced slut?” Jen asked. 

“Well, it wasn’t until my sister got a boyfriend that I considered myself a slut.”

“When Kat got a boyfriend?” Jen asked for clarification. 

Selene nodded. “Kat spent an extra year at home between high school and college, and she met this guy, George, her senior year.” 

“The same name as Arthur’s dad?” Jen asked, surprised. 

“Yeah, but a different guy, obviously. Kat’s George was her rebellious era. She’d sneak him into the house while Mom was at work, and they’d fool around sometimes,” Selene said, gesturing with her hands as she told the story. “I'd just turned eighteen when this started, and I was finishing up my senior year of high school. I’d gone on a few dates, but the guys at my high school were just… meh. I got plenty of attention, I guess, but none of them were boyfriend material, you know?” 

Jen nodded. “Sure.” 

“So one day–everybody’s eighteen in this story, don’t worry–” Selene said into the mic. “One day, I’m downstairs, and I hear Kat and George going at it. So, I did what any repressed horny slut would do: I snuck upstairs and watched.” 

“You watched your sister and her boyfriend?” Jen asked, surprised. 

Selene nodded. “That’s when I figured out I had a voyeur kink, and, like, a sympathetic pleasure center. If the people I care about enjoy themselves, I enjoy myself; if I see Arthur fucking Kat, for example, I get so turned on. I’ve nearly cum just from watching them cum.” 

“You don’t get jealous?” Jen asked. 

“No. The happier they are, the happier I am.” 

“Okay,” Jen nodded. “And did you and Kat ever share her boyfriend?” 

Selene shook her head. “No. They figured out I was watching. It turned them on, but Kat said if he ever made a move on me, they were over. She was super possessive.” 

“Not wanting my boyfriend to fuck my sister doesn’t make me possessive,” Kat said. “It’s basic fucking decency.” 

“Ummm,” Katelyn hummed, looking between Kat and everyone else. “What?” 

“Ex-boyfriend,” Kat said, explaining herself as she realized everyone on the bus had overheard her. “Arthur’s different, obviously.” 

Jen shook her head. “I’m not sure you’re making sense to me.” 

“Well, George and Kat had an established relationship,” Selene said. “If he’d gone after me after committing to her, especially after she told him not to, that’d be a huge violation of trust. With Arthur, we established a group dynamic from the start, and everything was transparent, with open communication. Though Kat’s interest in him surprised Arthur.” 

Arthur nodded. 

“Really?” Jen asked. “You don’t just assume women want to sleep with you?” 

“He has self-image issues,” Brad said, explaining. 

“Bro,” Arthur protested. 

“What?” Rani said, her hand on Arthur’s sculpted chest. “He’s right, you do. You forget that you’re hot, and you still think of yourself as that pudgy guy you were in high school. You’re so insecure you eat like a fucking bird around everyone, and you worry about your ‘intake’ so much you might as well be a nutritionist. I’ve seen your fridge.”

Kelly chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand. 

Arthur looked taken aback for a second, then accepted Rani’s tirade for what it was worth. He squeezed her and kissed her cheek. “I’m going to make your ass cheeks match your skirt color. You won’t sit for a week without remembering to hold your tongue every once in a while.” 

“Promises, promises, my King,” Rani teased him back. “If you want me to shut up, you just have to stick your tongue in my mouth.” Rani kissed him, moaning as she twisted in his lap to straddle him, and the two of them started making out. 

Jen blushed and looked away. Selene watched with a content expression on her face, biting her lip as Arthur’s erection strained against his briefs beneath the loincloth. 

Rani swept her skirt aside. 

Mindy cracked open the bathroom door. “Mistress? Can I get a hand in here?” 

Kelly hopped out of her chair as if yanked, turning toward the bathroom door and walking over to it. “Everything okay?” 

“I just need an extra set of hands to tighten this,” Mindy said, and Kelly started helping her. She stood in the bathroom doorway, blocking the view, since there wasn’t enough room for both in the bathroom. 

“Okay, uh…” Jen hesitated, reviewing their conversation thus far. “So where were we? Your sister and her ex started you on the road. What was the next step?” 

“College,” Selene said. “Lots of cute guys. I fell hard for one specific guy right away, but he had a girlfriend. So I stopped simping and tried to get over him by dating someone else, Dave.” 

Kat made a face. 

“And Dave was a bad guy?” Jen asked. 

Selene shook her head. “Nothing like that. He was an upperclassman, part of the theater club, and we had a lot in common.” 

“So why did you stop dating him?” Jen asked. 

Selene glanced at Arthur, who was still making out with Rani. “Well, I didn’t really love him, for one, and we weren’t a match sexually. We did it a few times, but it was very vanilla and lacked spark. I suggested new positions, role-plays, and more, but he wasn’t interested. Even with a decent-sized dick, he had no stamina. He’d finger me until I was wet enough, then he’d stick it in, cum, and roll over. I enjoyed myself because I got myself off. Every damn time.” 

Jen winced. 

“I just learned more about Dave than I ever wanted to know,” Brad said, which made Maria crack up with laughter. 

“Okay, ready?” Kelly asked and stepped back. Mindy followed her out, presenting herself to the bus as Kelly sat again. 

“Woo!” Rani said, clapping. “Whore, you look sexy as fuck!”

Mindy blushed, twisting as she showed off her costume. 

A shiny black corset covered her torso from her pinched waist to the bottom of her heavy breasts. The corset’s sweetheart cups covered her nipples, but lifted her boobs and presented them to the world. The cups kept her modest, but the effect made her huge breasts appear even larger. Side boob and cleavage galore drew the eyes, as did the black makeup on her eyes, nails, and lips. Her shoulders remained bare, adorned only by the two low twin pigtails she wore her ebony hair in on either side of her head. 

A wide panel of black cotton extended from beneath the corset and covered her backside, but didn’t wrap around her legs. It was just wide enough to cover her ass. Her black panties underneath the ‘skirt’ were as small as possible while still providing coverage. 

A narrow strip of fabric hung from under the corset’s front, matching the length of the material covering the back. It sliced between Mindy's thighs and fell to her ankles, showing off the lines of her hip joints. Wide-gap fishnet pantyhose covered the flesh of her thighs and hips. The fishnets disappeared into the top of her shiny black boots, covering her from their three-inch heels to the middle of her thighs. 

She placed a bent, conical witch’s hat with its wide brim atop her head to complete the outfit and giggled. “I’m a witch!” 

“You look amazing!” Katelyn said, clapping and nudging Kat. 

“Yeah, you look great.” Kat agreed. 

“I love those boots,” Maria said. “So sexy!” 

“And your tits are huge in that corset,” Kelly said, chuckling as she patted Mindy on the ass.

Mindy blushed. 

“Damn,” Arthur said. “You look so sexy in that.” 

Mindy blushed and stepped over to him and Rani. Rani stood from Arthur’s lap and moved Mindy into her place. She tilted the wide brim of her hat back and kissed Arthur. She giggled when Rani, standing behind her, groped her tits. 

Brad adjusted his coat and looked away, eyeing Jen. She was too busy watching Arthur and Mindy kiss to notice.  

Arthur, Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, Kelly, Rani, and Mindy were in costume. Selene, Kat, and Katelyn had yet to change. They had plenty of time before they got there. 

Brad and Mark turned on the TV, each taking a controller to play a video game. Rani helped Mindy make out with Arthur. She kept her hands on Mindy’s shoulders to steady her, which kept Rani from swaying too much as the bus rolled along. Maria didn’t hide her watching Arthur and Mindy. Kelly collected what few schedules the others had marked up with their preferences and pulled out her laptop to arrange the plan. Kat read her book, and Katelyn pondered which cluster of people to join. 

“I’ll get changed next,” Katelyn said, standing. 

“Do you need help?” Kelly asked, looking up from her computer. 

“I can do it,” Katelyn said. “But I’m taking off this sling for the costume.” 

“But–” 

“I took my meds. I’m good. If it gets sore, I’ll put the sling back on, deal?” Katelyn asked. “If I don’t start using the arm more, it’s going to get lazy.” 

Kelly sighed. “Fine. But you’ll put it on if you need it?”

“Scout’s honor,” Katelyn said. “If I lie to you, may I never eat another Caramel DeLite.” 

“She must mean it,” Kat said. “I’ve seen her unhinge her jaw to swallow the box whole.” 

Katelyn and Kelly met Kat’s deadpan delivery with laughter. Kat relented and cracked a smile before she returned to her work. Katelyn dragged her bag with her into the bathroom and left Mindy’s on the bench beside the door. 

“Where were we?” Jen asked, looking at Selene as the bathroom door shut. 

Selene had to remember where they’d left off in the conversation. Mindy had a way of driving thoughts out of one’s head. Good thing she was part of Master’s harem. She imagined stripping Mindy out of that costume for Master’s enjoyment later, and watching him fuck Mindy after he tied her to a stake. 

“Your ex-boyfriend,” Jen said, checking her notes. 

Jen’s words killed Selene’s mood and snapped her back to reality. Her ex, right, the interview was still happening. She couldn’t ditch and suggest a bus orgy, no matter how badly she wanted to. Her pussy ached at the idea, but she couldn’t offer herself any relief with the chastity belt in place. 

She drew a long breath before speaking. “Dave,” Selene said, nodding. “I think dating him made me realize what I wanted, sexually speaking. I can’t handle boring sex. So, I wanted more, but I didn’t have anyone I trusted.” 

“Plenty of guys on campus would jump at the chance for kinky sex with you,” Jen said, as if Selene might not have considered that before. 

“And how many would you trust to put your safety and welfare above their own pleasure or release?” Selene asked. 

The question caused Jen to bite the back of her pen, considering the words and their logic. Brad might be trustworthy, but anyone who’d spent time on campus had seen plenty of guys they couldn’t trust. 

“Fair point,” Jen said. “So you waited until Arthur was single again, and then approached him?” 

Selene nodded. “I broke up with Dave before he graduated, and then maybe a month later, Lori told me she was transferring, and she and Arthur were breaking up.” 

“How long did you wait before making your move?” Jen asked. 

“A few months,” Selene said. “I kept checking on him, but he wasn’t in the mood for a rebound. So, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that anything happened. Circumstances aligned, I guess. Arthur was ready to date again. He’d gone on a date with Kelly, but she wanted to stay casual, so I suggested we start something casual after Lori called and basically asked me to.” 

“Arthur’s ex asked you to?” Jen asked, surprised. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Kelly asked, louder than she meant to be. 

“Yeah, uh, Lori called, and we were talking. She asked after Arthur. I told her he’d been a recluse and mopey, but he was doing well. She mentioned she knew I had a crush on him and told me to go for it.”

“Really?” Jen asked, surprised. “Was she the type to share her boyfriend, too?”

Kat chuckled. “No, she guarded him like a hawk from any girl who showed an interest.”

“She made it sound like her way of helping Arthur get over her, and vice versa. Maybe it was her way of burning the bridge so she didn’t come running back to him when the semester got tough?” Selene shrugged. “I don’t know. Anyway, I knew they were kinky, and she knew my frustrations with Dave, so she figured it’d be a good fit for a friends-with-benefits arrangement. That’s what I initially pitched Arthur. We’re way past that now.” 

“She called you after his first date with me?” Kelly asked. “When we went to Jimmy’s Diner?”

Selene nodded. “Yeah, from what Arthur told me.” 

“That bitch.” Kelly muttered. 

“Who are we talking about?” Arthur asked, breaking off his kiss with Mindy at Kelly’s choice of words and harsh tone. 

“Sorry,” Kelly said, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about it, Hubby. You enjoy yourself.” 

Arthur looked concerned. “Is it Lynn?” he asked. “It’s okay, you don’t need to handle me with kid gloves.” 

“No,” Kelly said. “That wasn’t it.” She sighed. “They were discussing Lori.” 

“Oh,” Arthur said, as if understanding, but then he paused. “Wait, why did you call her a bitch?” Arthur asked. “Did I miss something? Did she text you?” 

Kelly shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, I just—I’m still sore she ditched everything and moved across the country.” 

Arthur nodded. “I understand that, believe me.” 

“Yeah,” Kelly said, nodding and settling back to looking at her phone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“While we’re talking about being okay mentioning Lynn again, though, you mentioned you might know her passwords?” Rani asked, looking at Arthur. 

Arthur looked confused at the non sequitur, but nodded. “Yeah, she typically used Guinevere, and then whatever the current year was. If she needed a symbol, it was the hashtag sign before the year.” 

“Guinevere?” Rani asked, surprised. 

“As in King Arthur’s wife?” Kelly asked. 

The mood in the bus shifted as Selene, Kat, Mindy, Rani, and Kelly tensed. 

“That was her nickname for a long time. She might’ve changed it since then.” Arthur shrugged. 

“Okay, thanks,” Rani said, sliding away and opening her laptop as she sat across from Kelly on hers. 

Mindy wiggled on Arthur’s lap, shifting back and forth to rub herself against him and recapture his attention. “Can we keep making out until Katelyn’s ready for her turn?” 

Arthur chuckled and returned to kissing Mindy, biting her neck and making her gasp as she clutched his shoulders and ground herself against his lap. 

Selene released a long exhale and returned her attention to Jen as the mood returned to normal. 

“So yeah, that’s how Master and I got started. I asked him to show me the world of BDSM, as friends-with-bondage. Things took off from there.” Selene gestured to the rest of the people in the bus. “Kat asked Arthur on a date to test whether he had what she was looking for, and that went well. Mindy asked Arthur out on a date because she saw her window of opportunity closing. Rani crossed their path, and Mindy invited her along at the end of the night, and she joined them.” 

“And then how did it become one big harem?” Jen asked. 

“We had breakfast and discussed it,” Selene said. “We wanted to experiment and explore, and we all wanted Arthur. So, we chose to work together rather than against each other.” 

“You make it sound so noble,” Jen said. 

Selene shrugged. “It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. Sex and romance aside, I’d die for anyone in the harem. I love them, and I know they have my back.” 

“Sort of like a found family?” Jen asked. 

Selene nodded. “Yeah. We might not always get along. The harem has had our conflicts with each other, but we love each other and work well together.” 

“Can you give me an example of a conflict that’s arisen in the group?” Jen asked. 

“Well, Kat and Rani didn’t get along at first, but that was mostly Kat’s fault because she gets possessive,” Selene said. 

“Hey!” Kat protested. “Don’t throw me under the bus.” 

“She’s not wrong,” Rani said, shrugging. “But we’re good now, right? You love me, even if you’re not ready to fuck about it.” 

Kat rolled her eyes. “You get on my nerves, but you’re okay, I guess.” 

“Love you too, Brat,” Rani said, blowing her a kiss. 

Kat ignored the blown kiss and returned to her book. 

“Oh, and Mindy said she knew nothing about football to flirt with Arthur, but that was a lie, and Kelly got caught in the crossfire,” Selene said. “So that was a minor hiccup between them, but they worked it out.” 

“Yeah, we’re good now,” Kelly said. “It’s just the usual stuff between any couple. There’s just more of us, and we have to figure out how to work through the problems the same way they do.” 

“And it helps that we have a built-in support network,” Selene said, gesturing to the others. “And a Master who’s mature, and emotionally intelligent.” 

“Yeah, honestly, that was the most surprising of Arthur’s features besides his GPA,” Rani added, distracted by whatever she was doing on her laptop. “Dude has an emotional IQ as high as my actual IQ.” 

“Subtle brag,” Kelly said, chuckling. 

Rani shrugged. “I’m smart, and I refuse to apologize for it.” 

“You’re an engineering major, right?” Maria asked. 

Rani nodded. “Yup.” 

“Is everyone in different majors?” Jen asked. 

“Katelyn, Kelly, and I are education majors,” Selene said. “Kat’s an English major. Mindy‘s a business major, which is what Arthur’s in, and Rani’s in engineering.” 

“So how does your role as a slave to your Master and a self-described slut balance with your career goals as a teacher?” Jen asked. “Do codes of conduct or morality clauses worry you?”

Selene shrugged. “Master won’t let me drop out. So, I’m gonna get my degree, but honestly, I have no interest in education as a career if I can be Master’s slave instead.” 

Jen perked up at that. “Really? So why is that your major then?” 

“I’m stuck with it because my mother won’t let me do a theater major, or anything that I’m actually interested in.” Selene shrugged. “If I change majors, she’ll cut me off.”  

“Why does your mom want you to be an education major?” Jen asked. “Is she a teacher?” 

Selene shook her head. “She manages a purchasing department at a manufacturing company — nothing grand.” 

“But she worked her way up,” Kat said, piping up. 

Selene rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t care about me being an education major, but she was adamant that I pick a major that had career options. Ballet, theater, film — none of that counted. She doesn’t think the arts can be a career.” 

“But Kat’s an English major?” Jen asked. “Isn’t that liberal arts?” 

“Kat is the golden child. She can do what she wants,” Selene said, with a note of bitterness in her voice.

“That’s not–” 

“And she made a presentation, selling the idea to our mom. She showed her how she could use the degree to get jobs in marketing, publishing, and a whole host of industries that are always hiring,” Selene said. “I tried the same thing with ballet and theater, but my mom still said no. There’s no money in teaching, but I’m good with kids, so elementary education fit.”

“I’m sorry,” Jen said. “That must put tension on your relationship with her.” 

“Yeah,” Selene agreed. “To put it mildly.” 

Jen offered her a small smile. 

“Can we get back to discussing the sexy stuff?” Selene asked. 

Jen chuckled. “Right, so, as a self-proclaimed slut, do you care how others perceive you and whether they think you’re being ethical?” 

“Sex isn’t unethical,” Selene said, giving Jen a quote she’d use. “And neither is enjoying sex. It’s there for us to enjoy, and I’ve embraced my preferences and tastes. I love my Master, I love being his slut, and I love the women in his harem. There’s nothing wrong with love either. It’s all about consent, doing right by each other, and respecting each other, our limits, desires, and goals.” 

“Do you think you’ll continue to expand the harem with time?” Jen asked. “Are you searching for new members?” 

Selene glanced at Arthur, who was cuddling Mindy in his lap as she kissed his neck. 

“I’d add more women, but the group has closed the door on new members,” Selene said. “Master only has so much time.”

“Would you encourage people to form their own harems or polycules?” Jen asked. 

“Absolutely,” Selene said. “It might not be for everyone. People might not overcome their jealousy, traditionalism, or selfishness. But if they open themselves up to it, figure out what works for them, and find others who mesh with what they want? That’s a recipe for happiness.” 

“So if I were looking to form a polycule, or a harem around Brad, what qualities should I search for in potential partners?” Jen asked. 

“Wait, what?” Brad asked, pausing the Tekken game that he and Mark were playing. He looked behind him to see the girls across Arthur, Mindy, and Rani. 

“It’s a hypothetical question, Brad, don’t worry,” Jen said, grinning at him. 

“Dude, are you getting a harem?” Mark asked, whispering loud enough that everyone could hear. 

Brad shrugged and unpaused the game, wincing as his Yoshimitsu got kicked back by Mark’s Paul. 

“Find people you both like,” Selene said after a moment’s consideration. “Establish your dynamics and communicate what you want. It’s difficult. Even Master and I have had miscommunications, which were entirely my fault, but we figured it out. It’s just like any relationship. It won’t always be paradise, but if you put the work in, you build something together. The harem and Master are my refuge—the people I want to see and hang out with all the time. They’re the ones who make it safe to explore kink, pleasure, and sex.” 

Jen’s smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she checked her phone. “Thank you, Selene; this was great.” 

“Oh, is that it?” Selene asked, tilting her head. “I thought you’d want the really juicy stuff.” 

Jen chuckled. “They wouldn’t let me print the juicy stuff, but I appreciate you being willing to answer my questions. I’ll reach out if I have more, and let you know when I draft the article.” 

“Thanks,” Selene said. “I know I used a bunch of real names in there, but please don’t publish those.” 

“Oh, I won’t,” Jen said, shaking her head. “Are you okay with my using the slave names though? The pet names?” 

Selene shrugged. 

“They’re personal,” Kat said, speaking up for herself. “Maybe use consistent alternate nicknames, but not our actual nicknames, in case anyone overhears us calling each other by those names?” 

“Fair point,” Rani said, surprising Kat with her agreement as she closed her laptop. “If you refer to me in your article, you may call me Empress instead of Queenie.” 

Jen chuckled. “Thanks.” She said as she stopped the recording. “And thanks again, Slut.” 

Selene smiled. “You’re welcome.”

~~~

Katelyn cracked the bathroom door open and “psst” for help. Kat rose before Kelly could remove the laptop from her lap, and she blocked the doorway as she helped Katelyn put the final touches on her costume. It wasn’t elaborate, but it had one extra part she had to unfold from her backpack. She couldn’t put the finishing touches on her makeup until they left the bus. Other than that, she was more or less together by the time she exited the bathroom. 

Kat returned to her seat, and Katelyn stood near the pole, holding onto it for stability as she stepped between the seats. She waited for Arthur to turn and see her. Mindy sat on his lap, making out with him. The others turned to see her first, with Maria, Kelly, Kat, Selene, and Jen smiling in approval. 

Naturally, Rani was the first to draw everyone’s attention to her with a wolf whistle. “Damn, Pet! You look cute as fuck!” 

Katelyn’s cheeks glowed pink with blush as she looked down at her outfit. Her hands fluttered with nerves as she smoothed out the thin fabric of the dress she wore as Arthur turned to see her. She didn’t know Arthur very well yet, but they were dating, and she’d done some kinky stuff with him and the harem. This was one of those nerve-wracking, everyday moments, when she showed off an outfit she loved to her new boyfriend. She hoped he liked it. 

Her entire ensemble bloomed in hues of pink, evoking peonies, with white accents throughout. She’d tied her brunette hair up into a Tinkerbell bun. Pink eye shadow complemented her dress, as did the stud earrings she wore in her lobes. Each was a six-petal flower of pink sapphires surrounding a white sapphire at its core. Silver metal encased each petal, with tiny white sapphires along the edges. 

Her dress began low on her chest, with spaghetti straps over her shoulders. The thin sundress fabric clung to her flat, slender torso, accentuating her feminine features—her tiny waist and small, practically nonexistent breasts. As a college junior, she'd given up hope that they'd get any bigger. The top split open between her breasts to reveal the skin of her flat stomach beneath. String laces crossed the widening gap like shoelaces, tied into a cute bow at the top of her skirt. The off-the-shoulder sleeves were transparent, covering but not hiding her arms from the mid-biceps to the mid-forearms.

The puffy tulle skirt was minuscule, flaring from her waist and ending just below her groin. Her long, coltish legs were bare, disappearing under her skirt and stretching to her low-heeled shoes, which were also pink. Pink flowers wrapped around the dress in embroidered vines, adding a layer of decoration that paled compared to the pink fairy wings strapped to her back. 

“Wow!” Arthur said. “You look like a fairy out of a story.” 

“Ridiculously cute,” Kelly said. 

“Yes!” Mindy said, standing from Arthur’s lap as she offered Katelyn a high five. “Now you’re the cute one! I’ve graduated to sexy.” 

“Cute is sexy, isn’t it?” Mark asked, confused. 

“He doesn’t get it,” Mindy said, defiant as she gestured for Katelyn to take her seat on Arthur’s lap. 

“I’m not sure I do either,” Katelyn said, chuckling. “But thanks.” 

Katelyn stood before Arthur, glancing beside him where Mark and Brad played Tekken, and on his other side, where Rani sat, snapping a picture of Katelyn with her phone. Mindy sat beside Rani, with Selene and Jen a few seats away. 

“Can I sit on your lap?” Katelyn asked. 

“Of course,” Arthur said, patting his thigh. 

There wasn’t room for Katelyn’s legs if she sat sideways. So, she did the most obvious thing and planted a knee on either side of Arthur’s thighs, spreading her legs as she straddled him. She closed her eyes as she nestled herself against him, her arms around his neck. 

“You like my outfit?” Katelyn asked. 

“It’s stunning, and the wings are a nice touch,” Arthur said, sliding the transparent material of her wings between his fingers. 

Katelyn blushed, kissing him as he held her in his lap with his hands holding her hips. Relief at his approval mingled with the pleasure of the kiss, and her heart fluttered like fairy wings. 

The rest of the party bus continued their activities. Mark offered his controller to whoever wanted to play next, and Maria took him up on it. Brad and Maria started their match (Yoshimitsu vs Panda). Rani and Mindy began discussing D&D and what character Mindy might want to make on the app on Rani’s phone. 

“Can I play a witch?” Mindy asked. 

“I think you might enjoy a sorceress,” Rani said. “They’re charismatic, like you.” 

Jen left the back of the bus to sit across from Brad. Selene moved across from Rani and Mindy, joining their conversation. Kelly returned her attention to her laptop, which left Kat with her book. 

Katelyn gave a soft squeak as Excalibur grew beneath her. Arthur’s bulge hardened and pressed against her. The friction and motion of the bus added to the contact to draw heat into her loins, melting her as she rubbed against him. Arthur shifted uncomfortably. 

“Are you okay?” Katelyn whispered. 

“Yeah, there’s just not much stretch in the briefs,” Arthur explained. “Erections are uncomfortable.” 

“Am I turning you on?” Katelyn asked. 

“Well, yeah,” Arthur said, as if it were an obvious answer. “Between the outfit, the skin you’re showing, the cute way you smile when you blush, you straddling me, and our making out, I’m bound to find the briefs uncomfortable.” 

Katelyn glanced around. Everyone in the bus was busy with their own activities. Arthur making out with Katelyn seemed bland and uninteresting compared to the novelty of a party bus, a video game, D&D prep, planning the day’s schedule, or a good book. 

Katelyn leaned forward, pressing her lips as close to Arthur’s ear as she could, her torso pressing against his and exacerbating his discomfort. “Want me to take care of it for you?” Katelyn asked. 

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking to play?” he whispered back. 

Katelyn lifted her face away and pulled back slightly, nodding her approval. 

“You remember your safewords?” Arthur asked, earning them a glance from Rani beside them. 

Katelyn nodded. “Yes, Sir. Red light to stop, yellow to slow down.” 

“Good girl,” Arthur said, and warmth bloomed over Katelyn’s body, squeezing his unyielding thighs with hers in appreciation. 

“Oh, you like it when I call you a good girl?” Arthur asked rhetorically. 

“Yes, Sir,” Katelyn whispered. 

“And how would you take care of this for me?” Arthur asked, issuing both a challenge and his consent. “Should I carry you into the bathroom?” 

Warmth flooded Katelyn’s body at the thought, but no. There was no space in the bathroom, and she didn’t mind showing off with the harem. There was no shame among the girls, and their guests approved of watching Selene and Arthur together. 

Katelyn reached between them, lifting the flap of his loincloth. The bulge beneath was tight, and the leathery fabric wasn’t loose enough to slide, even after she hooked her fingers under it and pulled. Surrendering to the unyielding material, Katelyn’s fingers slid upward, rubbing him on the outside and herself with her wrist. 

Arthur swallowed, and she watched the flex of his jaw tighten. The muscles in his jaw clenched, but he didn’t stop her. 

Katelyn used her other hand to unclasp his belt, letting the loincloth slide down. He lifted his hips without difficulty, raising her. She braced herself on his shoulder, with only a momentary flashback of riding the bull running through her mind.

Selene, seeing what they were doing, pulled a shawl from her backpack and slid it under him. He gave her a wink and lowered his hips again, now free of the loincloth as it settled around his thighs.

Katelyn’s eyes fluttered as he pressed against her beneath her skirt, sliding into the waistband of her dress. The warmth of his cock added to the warmth of her body as she rocked her hips and closed her eyes. 

She raised herself, standing on her knees for a moment as she shifted. Arthur slid into a more reclined position, letting her position herself over him. She lifted the front of her skirt to him, showing him that despite the shortness of the skirt, she wasn’t wearing any panties. Her hairless pussy hovered an inch over his cock. Her pussy lips were slick with arousal, and she wrapped her hand around his shaft as she positioned herself to slide onto him. 

Arthur nodded, and she lowered herself an inch, taking his tip into herself. He split her open, filling her in ways that made her mind go numb as more and more of him impaled her. Another inch, and another. Her tight tunnel was wet enough to take him, but the stretch to accommodate his size threatened to shatter her. She shivered from the pure, overwhelming sensation. She squeezed his shoulder, and he stopped her descent, holding her aloft so she hovered over him. Her eyes clenched shut, and her bottom lip sucked into the corner of her mouth. 

“Take your time,” Arthur said, his voice low, quiet, and steady. “That’s a good girl.” 

Katelyn swallowed and squeezed him inside her, flooding her body with pleasure as the unyielding intrusion pressed every nerve in her body at once. She did it again, and again, loosening herself to take another inch, until the puffy flared hem of her mini skirt tickled his thighs. Their modesty preserved, she paused again, holding onto Arthur for dear life. 

Arthur squeezed her in his hands, but didn’t move or force himself farther into her. He let her grow comfortable with him, even as he clenched his jaw to deal with the overwhelming pleasure her body gave him. “You’re so tight,” Arthur whispered, sliding his hand under her skirt. 

At first, Katelyn didn’t understand what he meant to do, but she soon caught on as his thumb swept over her clit. 

Her body clenched his cock within her at the contact, and Arthur took a deep breath in response, not in frustration or annoyance, but in bracing pleasure. 

Katelyn closed her eyes again, reveling in the bliss of him filling her. She wanted more, of course, but she didn’t want to draw undue attention. Even now, Mindy, Selene, Rani, and Kelly had their eyes on her and Arthur. 

Brad and Maria were too busy playing Tekken to notice. Mark and Jen were being polite and not drawing attention to it. 

She did her best to cut out the outside world, ignoring the sounds of Tekken combat to focus on her and Arthur’s breathing. Their heavy breaths panted in sync with each other. 

“Are they–?” Maria’s question required no answer as she and the others realized what Arthur and Katelyn were doing. She’d passed her controller to Jen, who was beating the pants off Brad in a match. “Damn, right in front of us?” 

Katelyn’s eyes shot open. “Is that not okay? I thought last night you guys–” 

“It’s fine,” Maria said, assuring her. “I was just teasing Arthur. The guy can’t keep it in his loincloth. At least not where any other woman is concerned.” 

“Hey, this wasn’t my idea,” Arthur said. “It was her idea. I’m just the beneficiary of her brilliance.” 

The group had a small laugh at that.

“We can stop if it’s bothering anyone,” Arthur said. “We’re not trying to make anyone uncomfortable.”

“Who’s uncomfortable?” Maria asked, letting the question hang in the air. No one raised their hand or spoke up. 

“Yeah, bro, don’t worry. We know our safewords.” Mark said, which sent another chuckle through the group.

Brad and Jen returned to their game, and Maria kept her eyes on Arthur, watching the gentle, careful way he and Katelyn fucked. Arthur was letting her adjust to him, not plowing into her with a brutality befitting his costume as he and Selene had done the night before. 

“I guess you’re all into exhibitionism?” Mark asked. 

Kelly shook her head. “No, not all of us. I mean, I’m not opposed to it, but it depends on the audience. I’d prefer it to be among the harem, or people I didn’t know.” 

“Not your friends?” Maria asked, surprised. 

“Well, the idea of Brad seeing me naked, or me seeing him naked, is just weird,” Kelly said. “Not to mention him seeing me do the things we’ve done. We’re friends, and it’d be uncomfortable for both of us.” 

“I barely know any of you except for Kat and Kelly,” Katelyn said, gasping as she took more of him. “It’s all the same to me.” 

“Not to make you uncomfortable,” Brad said as he kept his eyes on the game. “But, uh, I saw your boobs last night.” 

Kelly blushed and looked away. 

“Is it weird if I compliment them?” Brad asked. 

Kelly’s face threatened to turn a shade of red reserved for tomatoes, superhero capes, and her own pale Irish skin after two hours in the sun unprotected. 

“Oh, come on, you know you have great tits,” Rani said. “You’re proud of your body and have every right to be. Don’t let shame in here just because it’s somebody you see every day telling you the obvious. No shame in the harem, and no shame on the party bus. It’s not allowed.”

That made a few people chuckle. 

“Even I think you’re hot, Kelly. Objectively speaking,” Kat said, not looking up from her book. 

Kelly coughed, looking down as she said, “Thank you.” 

Katelyn let out a soft, jagged moan as she reached her limit. Heavy, controlled breathing left her lungs as she tightened her grip on Arthur’s shoulder. “Holy fucking shit.”

“That’s ten spanks for the jar,” Kelly said, clicking her tongue at Katelyn. 

“What jar is this again?” Jen asked. 

“Swear jar,” Kelly said. “Katelyn is a potty mouth, or used to be. So, she and I set up a swear jar system to help her be more mindful.” 

“Why? For religious reasons?” Jen asked. 

Kelly laughed, high and melodic, but shook her head. “No, for career aspirations. She’s in elementary education; she can’t be teaching little kids four-letter words before their parents do.” 

“Oh, that makes sense,” Jen said, nodding. 

“We’ve switched from a dollar a swear to five spanks a swear. She’s been racking up debt ever since.” 

“Ooo,” Maria cooed. “How many spanks does she owe? Can we watch? It was super hot watching Master Arthur spank Slut last night.” 

“Sure,” Katelyn said, answering for herself. “I don’t mind. Might be kinda hot.” 

“You want your spankings now?” Arthur asked. “Are you sure?” 

Katelyn nodded, swallowing her fear. “How many do I owe?”

“That puts us up to twelve swears by my count, so sixty,” Kelly said. “Thirty on each cheek?”

Mindy gave a low whistle and giggled. “You’re not gonna do much sittin’ today!” 

Katelyn blushed, but leaned forward and clung to Arthur, letting him move his arm behind her, even as she squeezed his dick lodged inside of her. 

Arthur released a heavy exhale. With his left hand, he lifted her skirt, presenting her cute butt to the others. 

Brad and Jen finished their match and moved to the other side to get a better view. Maria’s hand wandered into Mark’s lap. Jen glanced at Brad’s lap, but didn’t move for it yet. Kelly closed her laptop and put it away. Rani and Mindy switched to the other side of the bus. Selene slid closer to Arthur and Katelyn. Kat continued reading her book. 

“Ready?” Arthur asked, his voice deep and low. It tingled Katelyn’s spine, making her clench around his cock before she turned her head and kissed his cheek.

“Yes, Master.” 

“You know why I’m punishing you, Pet?” Arthur asked. 

“For using naughty words,” Katelyn said, her voice small and fragile. “You’re helping me train myself to be better.” 

Arthur kissed her. “Good girl.” 

“Thank you, Sir.” 

“Let’s begin,” Arthur said, and Katelyn nodded. “Count each one for me, okay?” 

“Yes, Sir,” Katelyn said. 

Arthur patted her ass, sending a dull clap through the bus. 

Katelyn tried to steady her breath. “One.” She shuddered. The impact hadn’t stung as much as she thought it would, but receiving a spanking while he was deep inside her was a fresh experience. The impact reverberated through her. Any attempt to brace her ass cheeks against the impending punishment only tightened her internal grip on his cock, which drove flutters of pleasure through both of them. 

Each strike brought pleasure and pain in equal measure, pain from the impact, and pleasure from the pulse of his dick inside her, vibrating with the blow. She wondered which would last longer, the sting of the spanking or the euphoria of her inevitable orgasm. She didn’t know how many times she’d cum if she had to endure sixty of them. 

Arthur smacked her other cheek, letting his hand linger after the impact to reduce the sting. He rubbed both cheeks, warming them even more than the spanks had. 

“Two,” Katelyn counted. She clung to him for support and to help her endure. She couldn’t cum in front of everyone before he reached ten. That would be embarrassing. The shame of her exposure and her punishment, in front of her friends and her boyfriend’s friends, was nearly too much to bear. Yet, somehow, she felt courageous, and pride bloomed in her chest as her nipples stiffened, tenting the fabric of her pretty dress. No shame on the bus, as Rani said; it wasn’t allowed. 

–smack–“Three…” 

–smack–“Four...” 

–smack–“Five...”

–smack–“Six...” 

–smack–“Seven...” 

–smack–“Eight...” 

–smack–“Nine...” 

–smack–“Ten...” 

Arthur continued spanking her, one cheek at a time. Each strike sent a clap through the bus, with the blows making her squeeze his cock hard enough to snap it off by the time he reached ten. Each impact made her clench, adding to the vibrations of the blow passing through her. Every time, Arthur held his hand in the air, waiting for her to unclench. As soon as she did, the next spank landed. 

“How are you doing, Pet?” Arthur asked, whispering in her ear as he rubbed her cheeks one at a time. 

“Hmm?” Katelyn asked, not expecting a question in place of the next spanking. “I’m good, thank you, sir.”

“Wow, you’re so different with Katelyn than you were with Selene,” Maria said. She had her hands in Mark’s lap, stroking him through his trousers. He had his hand in her lap, returning the favor by rubbing her over her skirt. “You’re so tender. Last night, you were a wild, unbridled storm. This morning, you’re a gentle giant, a cuddly teddy bear she’s humping.” 

“Give the guy a break. He’s exhausted, and it’s super early.” Brad said, cutting in as Jen’s hand disappeared under the cape he had wrapped around him. 

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Pet isn’t Slut,” he explained. “I know Katelyn doesn’t enjoy her spankings the same way. Spanking is a genuine punishment for her, though I’m mitigating that somewhat with my uh…” 

“With your giant cock shoved into her tight little snatch?” Rani supplied.

“Yeah,” Arthur said.

“Well, you’re fucking her gently too; where was this gentle giant stuff with Selene?” Maria asked. 

“Slut prefers brutality,” Arthur said. “And she can take it. Katelyn is much more fragile.”

“Because she’s skinny?” Maria asked. The tone of her question made Katelyn frown. She couldn’t help her metabolism. Not even Kelly’s nutritional expertise had gained her more than a few pounds that went straight to her butt. And couldn’t they shut up and let her play with her boyfriend? She supposed she should be grateful for the reprieve her ass was getting, but she couldn’t help the rising annoyance at Maria’s probing. 

“Because she’s recovering from an injury,” Arthur said. “And don’t hold her physique against her. Now be quiet, or we can stop and continue this later in private.”

“Yes, Master Arthur,” Maria mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key with her free hand. 

Arthur lifted his hips, and Katelyn shuddered and exhaled. She wanted to curse again, not from pain, but from the sudden influx of overwhelming pleasure. He’d defended her without hesitation, and reminded her with one subtle move of his hips that he appreciated her. 

“Thank you, Sir,” Katelyn said. “But, you could go harder, if you wanted to, with the spanks. I’m not that fragile, and I need to learn my lesson, right?”

Arthur smiled at her, and Katelyn’s pulse quickened as he raised his arm behind her for another spanking. 

–Smack–“Oh. Eleven.” 

Starting after the sting from the tenth spank faded meant losing some of the warm-up he’d done to prepare her for more brutal spankings. Despite requesting it, the harder spank came as a surprise. 

–Smack–“F–Twelve.”

–Smack–“Thirteen.” 

–Smack–“Fourteen.” 

–Smack–“Fifteen.” 

–Smack–“Sixteen.” 

–Smack–“Seventeen.” 

–Smack–“Eighteen.” 

–Smack–“Nineteen.” 

–Smack–“Twenty.” 

Her cheeks glowed a healthy pink after the twentieth spanking, where his hand landed sharply with each strike. The balance of impact versus sting shifted as he continued, more impact on eleven, and more sting on twenty.

“Thank you, Sir,” Katelyn said, her breath coming in quick, shuddering gasps between blows. She’d been squeezing him the entire time, holding onto him with her hands on his shoulders, her eyes screwed shut, and her mouth tight as she counted the blows. 

The eyes behind her became a palpable presence on her backside, adding a pink hue of embarrassment to her face as her aroused expression hovered inches from Arthur’s. 

“We’re not done yet,” Arthur said, his words full of warning. 

“Twenty-one.”–SMack–“Oh!” The twenty-first blow was even harder than the others. It drove her forward in his lap, pushing her against his dick impaling her from below, and grinding her clit against him. 

“May I, uh, rub myself, Sir?” Katelyn asked, eager to scratch the itch building in her clit. 

“No,” Arthur answered with patience heavy in his voice. “Absolutely not. This is a punishment, remember, Pet? You do not have permission to cum during this.”

“But–” Katelyn protested. 

“He said no, Pet.” Kelly’s voice was full of lust when she said it, her breathing heavy, and the others noticed it too. “Listen to your master.” 

“Yes, Mistress,” Katelyn said, not seeing Kelly’s momentary frown at her response. 

Arthur interrupted the back and forth by striking again, making Katelyn jerk in surprise. The sudden movement flooded her with arousal as his cock throbbed inside her. She clawed her fingers over his shoulders. Her nails barely dented his flesh but made crisp white arcs on his firm, round shoulders. 

“Twenty-two,” Katelyn said, keeping the count despite her many distractions. 

Arthur followed with another blow, and another, driving her higher as she raised herself with each spank. 

–SMack–“Twenty-three.” 

–SMack–“Twenty-four.” 

–SMack–“Twenty-five.” 

–SMack–“Twenty-six.” 

–SMack–“Twenty-seven.” 

Rising with each spank, she was almost off his cock when Arthur gripped her hips and pulled her down, thrusting himself into her past the point she’d been. 

“OH!” Katelyn yelled, grabbing him. “AH! FFFFFF—” 

The momentary panic on Arthur’s face almost broke the spell, but the overwhelming pleasure of the sudden thrust was enough to ignite her insides. She exploded internally, quivering as her orgasm ripped through her. She tensed, and Arthur grimaced in concentration as her body smashed against his cock from every direction. Katelyn wanted him to explode inside her. As full as she was, she wanted more, all of him, inside her. 

Instead, Arthur caught his breath and held Katelyn by her hips. He let her rest her head on the cushion behind him over his shoulder as she recovered. He rubbed her back, moving his fingertips in light circles that made her feel safe and delicate in his arms. 

“Good job with not cussing and adding to your count,” Arthur said. “But now I’ll have to think of another punishment for cumming without permission.” 

“Sorry, Master,” Katelyn said. “It’s just, with you inside me, I couldn’t not.” She giggled at the double-negative, which made her insides flutter against his rigid length still buried in her. “Oh, that felt weird,” she said, and chuckled again. “I like it.” 

“You still have more to go,” Arthur said. His deep, steady voice soothed her as his hand wandered lower, reaching under her tulle skirt. “Ready?” 

Katelyn nodded. “Yes, Sir.” 

Arthur pinned her skirt to her waist with one hand and spanked her with the other. 

–smack–“Twenty-eight.” 

–smack–“Twenty-nine.” 

–Smack–“Thirty.” 

“Halfway there,” Arthur said, encouraging her. “That’s a good girl.” 

–Smack–“Thirty-one.” 

–SMack–“Thirty-two.” 

–SMack–“Thirty-three.” 

–SMack–“Thirty-four.” 

–SMack–“Thirty-five.” 

–SMAck–“Thirty-six!” 

–SMAck–“Thirty-seven!” 

–SMAck–“Thirty-eight!” 

–SMAck–“Thirty-nine!”

–SMAck–“Forty!”

The world around them faded away somewhere around the halfway mark. She’d started self-conscious and embarrassed that the others were watching her spanking, seeing her ass (her only attractive feature as far as she was concerned) bared to their view. The idea was more arousing as an idea than a reality, but she’d bravely seen it through.

The orgasm helped galvanize her. It didn’t matter if Maria criticized her body, or if Mindy saw cute as somehow worse than sexy. Arthur liked her, and goddamn did he feel good inside of her, so long as he didn’t force himself any further. She couldn’t take all of him today, and he didn’t push her beyond her limits or nag her for things she didn’t want. 

All she cared about was making it through the spanking, showing the others she could take it, and proving that she was stronger than she looked. Then, somewhere along the way, she’d stopped worrying. She thought only about the next number in the count, the next strike of her boyfriend’s hand on her ass, and the next pulse of his cock deep within her. 

“How are you doing, Pet?” Arthur asked. 

“Hm?” Katelyn asked, confusion suffusing her thoughts as she blinked her eyes open to see Arthur staring at her. 

She kissed him, pressing her lips against his and sliding her tongue into his mouth. He responded by meeting her tongue with his and wrestling it, and her, into submission. She moaned into the kiss and rolled her hips, grinding against him as his cock stretched every inch of her insides. Unintelligible moans of pleasure were better than curse words. Mistress and Master couldn’t punish her for those. 

–SMACk–“Forty-one!” she cried, releasing the kiss with a gasp as she clenched and tightened her hold on him. 

Every time he increased the force of his spanking, Katelyn realized how enormous the gulf between their physical strength was. She was riding Hercules, sculpted from stone, with strength enough to break her and tear her apart if he wanted. Instead, he used his strength to hold her, comfort her, guide her, protect her, and look out for her when other men had only looked out for themselves. 

No wonder Kat and Kelly loved this man. She’d been interested in his looks, and the kink, sure, but even in the middle of the harshest spanking she’d received, the butterflies in her stomach took flight. Here was a man who would take care of her. 

–SMACk–“Forty-two!”

–SMACk–“Forty-three!”

–SMACk–“Forty-four!”

–SMACk–“Forty-five!”

–SMACk–“Forty-six!”

–SMACk–“Forty-seven!”

–SMACk–“Forty-eight!”

–SMACk–“Forty-nine!”

–SMACk–“Fifty!”

“Almost there, Pet. You’re doing so well!” Arthur said, though his voice sounded far away. She heard everything he said through a haze of lust and pleasure. 

Her ass burned in the air. The faint pink glow from the early spanks had deepened to a crimson beyond any ordinary blush. She assumed this was old hat to Arthur. To her, this was only the second time, or maybe the third? She had to wonder if it would get old one day. If the feelings of lust and bliss would fade with the handprints on her behind. 

Then Arthur continued his blows, and all thought ceased. Her counting aloud was the only sound in the bus beyond the spanks themselves. Each number cried gave her relief from the impact and the pleasure that had turned her pussy into a trembling, molten flood of arousal. 

–SMACK–“Fifty-one!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-two!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-three!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-four!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-five!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-six!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-seven!” 

–SMACK–“Fifty-eight!”

–SMACK–“Fifty-nine!” 

–SMACK–“Sixty!”

With the final blow, Katelyn’s clenched pussy ground against Arthur’s dick, rolling her hips forward in relief as she threw her arms around him. 

Arthur caught her, holding her against his bare chest as he exploded inside her, and sent her so far over the edge of pleasure she lost track of herself. Her throat burned from the scream that left her lips, but she didn’t care. She jerked and twitched, spasming in different ways as he filled and overflowed her.

Her Sir lifted her from him, letting himself slide free from her. Still, he held her, cradling her in his arms as she caught her breath and curled against him. Below her, Selene swallowed his cock, cleaning it and sucking for the last drops of his cum. 

“Holy shit,” Maria said, breaking the silence after it settled over everyone in the bus. “That was super fucking hot, too!” 

Rani’s laughter floated through the bus. “We can’t help it. Our master knows how to heat things up, that’s for sure.” 

“And the girls in our harem know how to please him,” Mindy said. “And each other.” She sucked her fingers into her mouth, cleaning Rani’s juices from her index and middle fingers. They’d been fingering each other as they watched. 

Jen’s head had disappeared under Brad’s cloak at one point, missing the finale of the spankings but preventing Brad from making a mess over his costume. She slid out from under the cloak and winked at him as she wiped her mouth. He patted her head and kissed her cheek.

Maria had done the same for Mark partway through, and she’d nearly torn his arm off when her orgasm struck. The bus smelled of sex now, but no one complained. Well, almost no one. 

Kat sighed as she stood up and walked toward the bathroom. “I guess I’ll get changed. I’ll see if they have any air freshener spray while I’m in there,” she said before she closed the bathroom door behind her. 

Selene retook her seat after helping Arthur cover himself with his loincloth. He kept Katelyn sideways in his arms, cradling her as she rested her head against his shoulder and pec. She rested her hand against his chest, her eyes open but blissful as he cuddled her. 

Arthur nodded toward the water bottles he’d brought earlier, and Selene dove for them. She plucked one from the case, opened it, and offered it to him. He took a sip, drinking two gulps as Selene tilted the bottle for him. After his sips, he nodded toward Katelyn. 

Katelyn blinked and then accepted a drink. Selene set the bottle against her lips, then tilted it, letting her swallow a gulp of water that breathed life into her veins. It was refreshing despite its bland, room-temperature flavor. 

Katelyn shifted in his lap to get more comfortable and curled tighter, not caring if it gave anyone a view up her skirt. 

“Good girl,” Arthur said, and Katelyn shivered. 

The others recovered from the scene bit by bit in silence until Mindy stood up and started the karaoke machine. Immediate galvanization from every member of the theater club shifted the energy in the bus, and Mindy flipped through the song options. 

Maria, Mark, Brad, and Arthur kept track of which songs they might want to search for or sing as titles floated through their heads. Katelyn could see it in Arthur’s eyes, the brightness and joy of his love for performing shining through. 

She nearly giggled, but moved to stand instead. Arthur stopped her. 

“How’s your butt?” he asked. “Do you need lotion?” 

Katelyn shrugged, then winced as her bad shoulder reminded her not to do that. She stood and turned, lifting her skirt so Arthur could inspect her for himself. A healthy red bloom spread across her buttocks, making her ass stand out in the surrounding pink fabric. 

“No breaks in the skin, and no abrasions,” Arthur said, sweeping his thumb over her cheek, which made her close her eyes. “Do we have any ice packs?” He asked the group at large. 

Kelly shook her head and pointed to the floor, where they’d packed most of their luggage in the luggage compartments. 

“I’m not sitting on an ice pack,” Katelyn said, chuckling. “You go ahead and sing karaoke. I’m gonna stand for a while, or sit with Mistress.”

“It’s just Kelly, or Wifey, for now,” Kelly said, speaking up after Arthur glanced in her direction. “I don’t want to make a big deal of it, but I’m not feeling up to the mistress role right now.” 

“What? Why?” Rani asked. “Because of last night? We already discussed that.” 

“I just need a break,” Kelly said. She didn’t elaborate, and her intentional silence made everyone but Rani back down. 

“Don’t be a coward,” Rani said. “You’re a great mistress, and you love it, don’t deny it because you made one mistake when you were starting.” 

Kelly looked surprised. 

“Rani kinda has a point,” Katelyn said, speaking up to intercede before Kelly and Rani could lock horns. She did her best to walk to the pole without falling over, which proved difficult since Arthur left her with all the steadiness of a newborn fawn. Katelyn made it to the pole and grabbed onto it for dear life, even as several hands rose to help her steady herself. 

“Even I fuck up sometimes. Like when we tried race play,” Arthur said, gesturing toward Rani, who shrugged. 

“That was more Thalia than you.” Rani said, “But he’s right; even our King and Master isn’t perfect. So don’t be so hard on yourself.” 

Kelly sighed. “I need a break from being a mistress, okay? At least for a little while?” 

“Okay,” Rani said. “But if this becomes a thing, that means I’ll have to step up and become the mistress of the harem. Trust me, nobody wants that. I’m a tyrant waiting to happen.” 

“Instead of a dark lord, we shall have a Queenie!” Selene said, unable to restrain her words when the reference sprang to mind. 

Mindy giggled, and the rest of the bus joined in, lifting the mood and dissipating the tension. 

“Okay, I picked my song!” Mindy said, holding a wireless microphone. “Does anyone know the artist Blackpink?” 

Katelyn raised her hand, but no one else did. 

“You know K-Pop?” Mindy asked, excited. 

“Uh, yeah,” Katelyn said. “My parents are in the music business, so I listen to a lot of different artists and genres,” Katelyn said. “I know some of their songs, I think. The English parts, anyway, I don’t speak Korean.”

“I’ve heard of them, and I might’ve heard one or two of their songs before, but I’m not that familiar with them,” Selene said, throwing herself into the mix. 

“Okay, you can sing with me! The chorus for this one is in English!” Mindy said as she pressed play. 

Music filled the bus. Mindy knew the words without needing to look at the Korean subtitles or the English translation on the screen. The music video played behind her, and, much to Katelyn’s surprise, Mindy did most of the choreography, dancing like an amateur but loving every minute. 

Everyone watched, smiling and clapping when the song finished and Mindy entered the final pose. Katelyn joined the applause with one arm looped around the pole. She wondered how many strippers had used this pole, and whether Selene or Arthur would before the weekend was out. 

Mindy offered the mic to Katelyn, who shook her head. Mark took it so that he and Maria could sing a duet. Embarrassing herself was tolerable when she had a dick buried in her to balance things out, but singing on a stage? She’d leave that to the enthusiasts. 

Kat stepped out of the bathroom in her costume, drawing everyone’s attention away from the fun. 

Arthur gave a low whistle of appreciation. The outfit matched his Tarzan costume in its simplicity and sexiness, especially on Kat’s curvy frame. Her short, cropped blonde hair cascaded in waves, framing her face. Her makeup was minimal, but effective at enhancing her natural features. She wore two earrings that dangled from her ears, each in the shape of a bone-white claw. Their conical base sharpened to a fine point as it passed her jaw. 

The top was a brown crop top, not much bigger than a sports bra, with a single shoulder strap. Two inches of cleavage rested above the line of material that slashed across Kat's chest to show off a slice of side boob before it wrapped around her body. Beneath her round, C-cup breasts, the material tattered into sharp points, making it look as if she’d torn it in the jungle. She was, after all, the jungle version of Jane from Jane and Tarzan. 

The bottoms were a mini skirt in the same fashion — a seamless brown faux-animal skin that dipped into tatters over her thighs. She tugged the hemline, but the material didn’t stretch, nor did it budge. It covered her and preserved her modesty, but remained tighter and shorter than her typical clothing. She kept her stride short and didn’t hurry until she grasped the pole with Katelyn for balance. 

“Please tell me you’ve reevaluated your sexuality and you’re ready to get it on because damn, girl! I want to shove my face between those thighs.” Rani licked her lips. 

Kat laughed. “Give it up, Rani. This snack is for Arthur only.” She made a V gesture with her hands, pointing at her vagina. 

The girls laughed, and Arthur smiled at her, which made Kat blush. 

“Better hold on to that pole then,” Arthur said. He stood, adjusted his loincloth, and gave Kat a calculating look. Then he bent his knees and lowered his shoulders, preparing to pounce. 

“No,” Kat said, wagging her finger. “I have to wear this all day. You’ll ruin my makeup! You’ll–Ah!” 

Kat nearly fell backward as Arthur jumped forward like Tarzan and landed before her, startling her. He caught her and held her suspended in the air until he picked her up, scooping her legs, and carried her to a seat. He sat with her across his lap and kissed her. 

Kat kicked and smacked his chest playfully, with no threat of doing any damage, ceasing her movement as they kissed. She relaxed, keeping her arm around Arthur’s shoulders as she sat sideways across his lap, her legs crossed even as her skirt rode up to reveal a matching thong. 

“Tarzan isn’t tired from blasting into Tinkerbell over here?” Maria asked, incredulous as she gestured at Katelyn, who looked offended. 

“I mean, I’m closer to Rosetta, but okay,” Katelyn said as she shifted how she was standing. 

“Who?” Brad asked. 

“Rosetta,” Katelyn said, as if everyone knew the name. “From the Tinkerbell–you know what? Never mind.” She said, shaking her head. “You don’t get the reference, it’s okay.” 

Selene was the last to change, and she headed into the bathroom after a brief, whispered conversation with Rani, who gave Selene her backpack. 

Mark and Maria sang a duet Katelyn didn’t recognize from a Broadway show she’d heard of, but hadn’t seen. It was a lovely song, but the Scarlet Pimpernel wasn’t that familiar a show. She was more familiar with movie musicals. 

Next, Brad performed a song for Jen, singing “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera. 

Rani, at Mindy’s pestering encouragement and insistence, sang the Bradley Cooper part of “Shallow,” while Mindy took over singing the Lady Gaga part and harmonizing. 

“Wow! You can sing!” Maria said. “I mean, the Blackpink song was fun, but you were fantastic at that one, too! Have you ever considered doing theater?” 

Mindy giggled and shook her head. “No, it’s just fun. I’d be no good at the memorizing.” 

Rani chuckled. “You could do it.” She said, kissing Mindy’s cheek and taking her seat. Rani’s singing hadn’t been terrible either, at least Katelyn didn’t think so. Neither she nor Mindy had the professional quality in their voices that Maria possessed, but she wasn’t about to say that. 

Arthur asked Kat if she wanted to sing, and Kat answered by kissing him to shut him up. 

“Come on, it’s your turn!” Maria said, passing the mic to Katelyn. 

Katelyn smiled awkwardly. “I’m not a singer.” 

“No shame on the bus!” Rani yelled. “Screech all you want, we’ll support you!” 

“No, no, thanks,” Katelyn said. She passed the microphone to Kelly. 

“Arthur pulled your skirt up and spanked you while you rode him like a bitch in heat, and you’re worried we’ll judge you for not being a professional singer?” Rani asked, surprised. “Pet, it’s karaoke; being lousy is part of the fun.” 

“I’ll sing something,” Kelly said. “If they have it.” 

Katelyn appreciated Kelly’s coming to her rescue more than she could say. Rani made crude but persuasive arguments. Still, Katelyn didn’t want to sing in front of anyone. Especially Arthur. She knew how much the performing arts meant to him. She’d only embarrass herself and make him realize she had no place among his greatest passions in life. 

Kelly’s choice, “Mambo Italiano” as performed by Rosemary Clooney, had the bus dancing in their seats as she wiggled her hips to the beat. Her voice wasn’t professional either, but the song’s simplicity and Clooney’s vocal range fit her perfectly. 

Everyone applauded, especially Katelyn, who added a two-fingered whistle to her enthusiastic appreciation. 

Kelly bowed and passed the mic back to Mark, and he started flipping through the songs to find something he enjoyed. 

Selene cleared her throat, presenting herself in her costume. Everyone turned to see her, and Rani gave another wolf whistle. 

Her top was a chain mail bikini top, two triangles of chain mail lifted two mounds of breasts with thin, linked rings. Black cloth inserts backed and lined the chain mail, preserving her modesty and keeping it from pinching her. The straps over her shoulders and around her ribs were thin, leaving her shoulders and torso exposed.  

Kat straightened, as if making an unconscious comparison to her stomach, not bulging but lacking the muscular tone of her sister’s. Selene’s lithe dancer’s build was on full display, and the lines framing her stomach dipped low. 

At her waist, strips of white silk wrapped over something hidden by the cloth, well above the start of the chain mail bikini bottoms. The silk windings ended in narrow strips that fell just beyond her bikini bottoms, both in the front and the back. The silk strips brushed the tops of her inner thighs, nowhere near the length or width of Rani or Mindy’s double-split skirts. 

Complementing the white silk wraps and the chain mail bikini, she wore silver chiffon scarves tied around her hips. They covered both of her hips and her butt, but left the front of her bikini revealed whenever the flap of white silk moved. Silver coins dangled from the hip scarves; the cloth dampened their noise until they jingled together when she moved her hips.  

The latex pointed ears were cute, giving her an elven appearance, and she’d tied her long blonde hair into its usual thick braid that fell to her butt. She’d added a crown of braids on either side of her head, which tied into the main braid behind her. 

The aesthetic gave her the appearance of an elven belly dancer, or a harem slave, which was more likely what she hoped to achieve. 

Selene had fixed her hair and makeup, making herself more presentable with silver eyeliner and dangling chain earrings. Chain mail bracelets covered her wrists, and matching anklets covered her ankles. Her shoes were a pair of silver slippers, costume pieces, but with thick enough soles to protect her feet. They almost looked like ballet shoes, but lacked the toes. 

“I think this hides the chastity belt,” Selene said, turning to show her bubble butt. The hip scarves were transparent, but obscured everything beneath them. Her bikini bottoms covered her cheeks. The white strips of silk spun with her, revealing what appeared to be a thong of the same material rising out of the bikini. Katelyn’s eyebrows rose, recognizing what the silk hid by wrapping around it, and she looked at the others, whose shared expressions meant they realized it too. Without context, it appeared to be part of the costume.

“Yes, it does nicely,” Arthur said, smiling. “How is that doing, by the way? Is it too big?” 

Selene shrugged and gave him a thumbs-up. “So far, so good, Master.”

Selene walked over to him and sat beside him and Kat, not dislodging Kat from Arthur’s lap. 

“Want to do some karaoke?” Mark asked Selene, offering her the mic. 

Selene checked Arthur’s expression for permission before nodding and taking the mic. She scrolled through and found one she enjoyed, singing Our Little Town from Beauty and the Beast. She had the others join in singing the villagers’ parts as they popped onto the screen. Everyone had a great laugh at Arthur and Mark singing the parts of Gaston and LeFou, with Arthur taking the role of LeFou.

Katelyn stayed out of the way, trying to observe more than participate, but Arthur and the girls included her, which she appreciated. She could hardly fathom the difference between where she’d been mentally last Saturday and this one, and it was thanks to the harem. 

The group switched karaoke songs and partners, everyone having fun. Mark, Maria, Brad, Jen, Arthur, and Selene stuck to the Broadway songs. Kelly sang crooner songs she seemed to know by heart. Arthur joined her for one and convinced her to sing a number from Guys and Dolls with him. 

Kat didn’t sing, nor did Katelyn, but Katelyn had fun. 

After a while, the bus’s rolling became irregular, instead of the smooth sailing it had been. Sharper turns, starts, stops, and jerking motions grew more frequent, driving most of them to sit. Whoever wasn’t sitting was holding onto the wall or pole when they stood. 

Eventually, the bus came to a complete stop, and the brakes released just before the rumbling motor ceased. 

Rani checked her phone. “We’re here!” She said, holding it up for everyone to see. The GPS tracker placed them at the edge of an enormous field, and the others stood, gathering their things. “You can leave whatever you need to here,” Rani explained. “The bus is ours for the weekend, and pretty damn secure.” 

“Woo!” Maria said. “We should do this every time we come to the Ren Faire.” 

“How many uncles with party bus companies do you have?” Mark asked Maria, who laughed. 

Manasa appeared in the doorway, smiling. “We have arrived! The attendants tell me the gates have not opened yet. However, you’re welcome to join the line before it gets too long.” 

Arthur stood, and everyone began to file out of the bus. Katelyn waited for the line to pass, joining Kelly toward the back, with Rani in front of her. 

“Thank you, Manasa,” Rani said. “We made excellent time, and the ride was smooth as fuck!” 

“Uh, you are welcome, Miss Shah,” Manasa said, rubbing her arm as if to soothe her nerves. 

“You can call me Rani,” Rani reminded her. “Please just call me Rani.” 

“Of course! Sorry, Miss Rani,” Manasa said, nodding as she let them pass. 

Rani, Kelly, and Katelyn were the last ones off the bus. “Hey, Rani, I meant to ask you, that password Arthur gave you, did it work?” Kelly asked before they joined the others at the end of the bus. 

Rani looked over her shoulder and smiled. “You bet your perfect ass it did, and yeah, it’s all there. We got her.” 

Kelly exhaled a sigh of relief. “Thank God,” Kelly said, putting her hand on Rani’s shoulder. 

Rani squeezed Kelly’s hand. “You can call me Rani, too.” 

It took Katelyn a second to get the joke, but she laughed along with them when it clicked. Today would be what everyone needed: fun. Fun, sex, and camaraderie with peasants, vigilantes, fairies, witches, pirates, djinn, elves, and barbarians; the perfect Saturday.