Harem House - Selene Pt. 36

Author's Note: This chapter has the potential to be more emotionally heavy. I try to lighten things up where I can, and of course, there's plenty of sex. However, there is some mention and discussion of past sexual trauma and abuse, a survivor's story, that may upset some readers. I do not depict the scene, but more detail is given here than in chapter 30, and the discussion may be heavy for sensitive readers. I wanted to warn you so as not to surprise anyone with it. Don't let that discourage you, though. As usual, plenty of spice and story here! Even some comedy. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Arthur took a deep breath as his gaze wandered over his girls. The sofa he sat on was comfortable. The pressure of his girls, Kelly on his left and Selene on his right, comforted and calmed him. Kat, Katelyn, Mindy, and Rani sat around the coffee table, waiting for him to speak.

He needed to tell them his history with Lynn. The entire story. The story he'd told Rani, more or less. According to her, Kelly already heard it, or part of it, through Lori. So maybe it wasn't news to everyone. Still, after two orgasms, Arthur couldn't think with everyone else wearing only the bottom half of Princess Leia's slave costume and their collars.

They were having a fun night of sex. Did he have to ruin everything by dumping his trauma on them? He was their master and their dom. They looked up to him and respected him, but what if they knew how weak he'd been? Would it change how they saw him or whether they loved him? Plus, telling them the story now would only burden them. Arthur didn't want that. He was their boyfriend. He should be the one carrying their burdens, not vice versa.

"Hey." Rani said, her voice soft but smashing through the silence like a hammer. "It's okay. Remember? We're here for you."

Kelly's eyes glanced toward Rani, but she returned them to Arthur, watching his mouth as if she might see the words coming.

"Uh... yeah." Arthur nodded. He swallowed. "Um... Just some business stuff, first." He wasn't chickening out, he told himself. He had legitimate ideas to clear with them, and it was better to do it before everything got emotional. "I, uh... I had an idea after having lunch with Katelyn." He gestured across the table. "Lunch dates. I was thinking we could do some non-sexual one-on-one time on a rotation during the weekdays, depending on when people are available. Is that something you'd be interested in?"

Rani frowned and sat back in the office chair after crossing her legs. Arthur saw the word 'coward' in her eyes, but she didn't say it, which surprised him.

"What about group lunches?" Mindy asked. "I always enjoy lunching with everyone."

"And non-sexual?" Selene asked. "Wouldn't it be better to take the opportunity for one-on-one sex?"

"Except we need to eat lunch." Arthur said, squeezing Selene.

"You eat lunch, I'll take a liquid lunch." She squeezed his sack, and Arthur cleared his throat. Selene giggled.

"Behave, Slut." Arthur said, his tone full of warning.

"Yes, Master." Selene rolled her eyes.

"I'm down for lunch dates." Rani said. "I think it sounds kinda cute, which isn't normally my thing, but fuck it. I'll try anything twice. No promises I won't get handsy, though. A girl has needs, and we agreed to take one-on-one time as we can get it."

"Get it, get it!" Mindy said, bopping her head.

"A no-sex, no-pressure lunch date sounds nice." Kat said. "I wouldn't mind having an intelligent conversation with you without the distraction of sex."

"Yeah, I'm in." Kelly said.

"I had mine yesterday." Katelyn said. "So I'm good with it. I think it's a great idea."

"Who would you have lunch with tomorrow?" Kelly asked.

"Well, that's--this would have to start on Friday. Tomorrow's lunch is something else I need to discuss with you. Saturday would be a group lunch. Sunday will be whoever's here. Monday, because of the break--"

"I'll take Monday." Selene said.

"I'll take Tuesday!" Kat said before anyone else jumped in to take it.

"I'll return in time for lunch on Wednesday, but you eat late on Wednesdays, right?" Kelly asked.

"I'll take Wednesday, then." Mindy said.

"I'll take Thursday." Kelly said.

"I'll take Friday. Late lunch works for me." Rani said. "I eat a late breakfast anyway."

"That Saturday is Halloween, so... I guess I'll take the following Monday?" Katelyn asked. "Wow, that's... so far away."

"Well, it doesn't have to match date night, right?" Kelly asked.

"Probably better if it doesn't." Rani agreed.

"So, who's getting what date nights?" Katelyn asked, looking between the girls.

"We're supposed to go in order." Kelly reminded everyone. "That means it's Mindy's turn next."

"I think Selene--"

Selene cut Arthur off mid-sentence. "No, it works better if Mindy takes the next one. We have the Ren Faire on Saturday as a big group date. Sunday can be Mindy's date."

"Would Monday work?" Mindy asked. "I don't mind if someone else goes on Sunday, but uh..." Mindy held up her phone. "My parents want to meet you and Rani. So my Umma texted while we were--" She pointed to the other half of the room, where they'd been enjoying their orgy, then cleared her throat. "She wants Arthur and Rani to join me and them for dinner on Monday night."

"Oh." Rani said, surprised. "Shit."

"Is that okay?" Mindy asked.

"Yeah. I'm just surprised, is all." Rani said. "I was hoping to have time to figure out how to convince your mom to let you move in." She shrugged. "I'll figure it out."

"Yeah..." Arthur nodded. "That could be good."

"I'll take Sunday." Kat said, interjecting. "If Master can get me that lesson plan asap."

Arthur smiled softly. "I'll see what I can do."

"What about Tuesday night?" Katelyn asked. "If Kelly and I return from the cabin on Tuesday evening, can you and I have a date? Like a real one?"

"Sure." Arthur nodded after looking at the others.

"Then Friday before Halloween is Kelly's turn?" Rani asked.

"I might have to work that night." Arthur said, wincing. "I mentioned it to Mindy, but she didn't seem keen on the idea given the parties. From what I can tell, the house parties are happening on Saturday since that's Halloween."

"Oh, this is your stripping work?" Selene asked, laughing. "I'll have to teach you more dance moves by then."

"Yeah, I guess so." Arthur said. "Are you sure you're all okay with me doing that kind of work?"

"It's just dancing? You're not whoring yourself out to these women or doing anything illegal, right?" Kat asked.

"Definitely not." Arthur said. "It's just dancing."

"It's weird, but so is everything else we do." Kelly pointed out.

That made Mindy and the others giggle.

"Okay." Arthur said, taking a deep breath. "I'll tell Diane I can do it."

"Wait, is the whole lunch date thing why you asked me to lunch today?" Selene asked, taking the conversation back a few steps in her epiphany.

Arthur nodded. "Yeah."

"Who did you end up eating with?" Selene asked.

"I ate in my car on the way to the house. I changed the house locks this afternoon between work and class." Arthur said. "I have new keys for you guys in my bag." He pointed to his bookbag on the floor.

"So, no more Lynn in the house?" Kat asked, her voice sounded hopeful.

"No more Lynn in the house." Arthur said, relieved.

"And speaking of Lynn..." Rani said, staring at Arthur.

"She is on the warpath." Kelly said, interrupting. "She outed Mindy to her mom and showed up at Selene's work today."

"Yeah, what happened with that?" Arthur asked.

Selene caught Arthur up on Lynn's brief visit to her store. He didn't interrupt, letting her give the blow-by-blow account. When she finished, Selene sighed. "She didn't get me fired but made it clear she could."

The girls glanced at each other. None looked at Arthur until Kat spoke.

"Is that true?" Kat asked, looking at Arthur. "What she said to your mom on the phone, that she was your first time? Is that why you two have such a--?"

"No." Arthur said, far harsher than he meant. He took a deep, steadying breath and squeezed Kelly's and Selene's breasts in his hands. He didn't squeeze hard. They weren't stress balls, but damn if they didn't reduce his stress. Both girls blushed at the gesture, but everyone waited for Arthur to continue.

"I think I may need to confront Lynn." Arthur said.

"Yes!" Selene said. "Finally!"

A chorus of general agreement went up from everyone except Kelly and Rani.

"Or." Rani said, clearing her throat. "You know the fastest way to kick her out of the house already." She looked at Arthur. "Tell Deb what happened."

"What happened?" Selene asked. "Did Lynn say something to you we missed?"

"No." Arthur said, glancing at Rani. He couldn't be mad at her, but the deep breath he took didn't stop his heart from pounding in his chest, either. She pushed him. She wouldn't let him get away without telling the others the story, as planned. "Okay, look, I uh..." He glanced around the group. The girls watched him. Somehow, their toplessness in the sexiest fantasy costumes in pop culture didn't lighten the burden of what he was about to say.

"Rani and I had a conversation on Sunday." He said. "I told her what happened between Lynn and me in high school. Specifics that I haven't shared with the rest of you."

Kelly and Selene straightened, turning to look at him. Selene put her hand on his thigh, comforting him. Mindy leaned closer, and Kat held Katelyn's hand beside her.

"You talked to Rani about it, but not me?" Kelly asked as she glanced between the two. Try as she might, she couldn't hide the hurt in her voice.

"It wasn't like that." Rani said, trying to diffuse Kelly who looked like she was about to cry. "He didn't trust me more than you or anything. I was a pushy bitch, and our conversation had the right circumstances where he needed to unload. Right, Arthur?"

"I trust all of you to an extreme degree." Arthur said, assuring them as best as he could. "I wouldn't do the things we do without trusting you, just like you wouldn't do them with me if you didn't trust me."

Kelly sniffled, and Rani twitched.

"Do you already know what I'm going to tell them?" Arthur asked, looking at Kelly. "How much did Lori tell you?"

"She didn't go into explicit detail, but I know enough to hate Lynn." Kelly said. "Lori said that Lynn..." She glanced at the others, then bowed her head and looked at her hand on Arthur's thigh. "She said that Lynn sexually assaulted you."

The reaction to the phrase Kelly used rippled through the others. Only Rani seemed unsurprised.

"And I did some stalking." Kelly added. "I tracked down some of your high school classmates, and some have their own horror stories. She left a bloodbath of ex-friends at her old college."

"Okay." Arthur nodded, raising his hand for Kelly to stop. He took another deep breath. "I'm not sure what happened, but that sounds right for her."

"From what I found, she had a... situation with a Dean." Kelly said. "Kind of. They couldn't prove anything ever happened between them. They caught him tampering with her grades and launched an investigation."

"And they expelled her?" Kat asked.

"Apparently, there was enough shady business involved that they didn't feel it was appropriate for her to continue her education there." Kelly said. "With her grades unchanged, she flunked out. From what people said, the rumor around campus was that she seduced him and promised to sleep with him in exchange for the grades changing. He held up his end of the bargain but got caught." Kelly said. "She spun her defense as he was doing it to pressure her into sex, and... yeah. I don't know what happened in the hearings, but they fired him and expelled her."

The girls were quiet for a moment. The details of the situation aside, Lynn could use the murkiness to her advantage. Kelly's version fit with what they knew of Lynn, though.

"So now she's coming to Pendleton, but she's just going to flunk out again?" Kat asked. "No way the faculty here falls for that if she has a history of it. All the professors and deans will be on their guard with her."

"That's why she's after Arthur." Rani said, deducing the obvious before glancing at Arthur. "Right?"

The others looked confused, unable to connect the dots without the information Rani had.

Arthur sighed. "Okay, look. This will be a heavy conversation. Does everyone have the bandwidth for it? Are you okay if I unload?"

"Master... what happened?" Selene asked, sliding her hand onto his other thigh and holding on tight.

"Before we discuss this, I need you to promise you won't do anything rash. The rules haven't changed. I don't want anyone going after Lynn unless we have a plan." Arthur said. "Anger aside, I'm the coach, right? Let me call the plays on this. Follow my lead."

"Of course, Master." Selene said, nodding. Everyone else agreed, nodding and assenting in a chorus. Selene agreed readily, given the pain aching across her back reminding her of the cost of disobedience. She enjoyed the ache, and her arousal remained intense from the scene, but everyone was coming down from the high, and she was no exception. Still, her heartbeat pulsed steady and calm. She wasn't about to fly off the sofa and kill Lynn in a rage. Was that post-orgasm clarity? Or post-funishment tranquility? Arthur couldn't tell. He only hoped it lasted.

Arthur sighed. "Okay. As you know, Lynn and I used to be friends." He said. "Best friends. Things soured in high school. She started hanging out with the popular girls who had cruel senses of humor, and I was an easy target. I didn't have the best hygiene, ate my feelings, and didn't exercise. Besides that, she knew everything about me. Everything. Meanwhile, I never said two words against her. She could roast me all she wanted, but I loved her, so I never put up a fight."

Selene's grip on his thigh tightened at that. They understood, in some measure, that he loved Lynn once. Still, hearing it from his lips made it real.

Kelly stroked Arthur's arm, trying to encourage him, but he fell quiet instead, unable to look to either side for fear of making eye contact with Selene or Kelly. He kept his eyes on his knees. They each moved their hands from his thighs to his hands and held tight. He swept his thumbs over their knuckles. The calluses on Kelly's knuckles and the smooth skin on Selene's struck a striking contrast.

"It started our freshman year." Arthur said. "Lynn started hanging out with this popular girl, Angie. Looking back on it, I'm not sure what Angie's problem with me was, but she had one. So Lynn took issue with me, too. She started acting weird, avoiding me at school, but as soon as we came home, she'd be back to her old self. It was a very confusing time for me."

The girls remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"So one day, we're in algebra class, and I sat next to Lynn. Someone, I never learned who, but someone other than me farted. Loud and stinky."

Mindy giggled, and everyone looked at her. "Sorry." She covered her mouth, and they returned to listening to Arthur.

"Lynn blamed me for it, called me Farty Arty, and the name stuck with me through high school. That was the start of four years of hell." Arthur said.

"Is that why you hate it when someone calls you Arty?" Selene asked.

Arthur nodded. "Eventually, the name just got shortened to Farty, and that's all they called me. Even my science teacher screwed up and called me that once by accident."

"Okay, that's not funny, and I'm very sorry that happened to you, but..." Katelyn bit her lip as if going to say she found the name amusing. Until she noticed the glares shooting her way from Kelly, Rani, and Selene. Katelyn withered, shrinking into her chair and bowing her head without finishing her thought. "Sorry."

"Maybe one day I'll be able to tell that story as an amusing little anecdote." Arthur said, shrugging. "And it was far from the worst name they used, but it was the default. Like I said, the beginning of my hell. Every day from then on brought a fresh torment, public humiliation, joke, insult, prank, or..." He swallowed, not finishing his sentence.

Selene hugged him from the side, her breasts pressing against his arm. Kelly repeated the embrace from the other side, their arms crossing over his chest and holding onto one another, with Arthur caught between them. He rested his cheek on Kelly's head, then Selene's, in silent gratitude.

"I tried working things out with her several times." Arthur said. "Whenever I approached her, Angie, or the popular kids at school, I became a target. But after school? After school, she'd act like she needed me, like I was her rock or knight in shining armor. Her parents lived right across the hall from mine. We'd go to each other's apartments after school. Our families were still friends, after all. Her mom and my mom are still best friends. There's no escaping that."

Rani frowned.

"After school, stuff started out innocent enough." Arthur said. "She'd ask for help with every subject. Doing our homework together turned into tutoring her after school. That kind of thing. Until it turned into me doing her homework for her, helping her cheat on tests, and all kinds of things." Arthur said, swallowing his guilt.

"Why would you do that?" Kelly asked, surprised but not judging him. "You're so..." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "You're such a moral man, Arthur. You'd never break the rules unless she made you."

"Did she offer you sex to help her cheat? Like the Dean?" Katelyn asked more bluntly than she meant to. She blushed when the others turned their gazes to her but left the question in the air.

"No." Arthur said, shaking his head. "She blackmailed me. We spent enough time alone together after school. She said she'd tell people I--that we--did things we didn't do if I didn't help her. So I had to help her cheat or be called a rapist and have no way to prove my innocence. Even if I didn't go to jail for the rest of my life, the entire school believed her over me any day of the week. She was a sexy, popular girl who flirted and flaunted while they called me a creep, watching her every day, trying to get her to like me again."

"And we can't kill her?" Selene asked. "With seven of us, if we get our story straight, we can have alibis and--"

"I appreciate the instinct." Arthur said. "But I'm not finished yet."

"Sorry, Master." Selene said, quieting herself by burying her face in his bicep.

"Why did you help her in the first place?" Kat asked. "If she treated you like shit, why put up with it? Because she was hot?"

"Because I was in love with her." Arthur stated flatly as he lifted his eyes to Kat. Her expression churned anger and sorrow into tears. Whether they fell for his sake, he couldn't tell, but he suspected he'd offended Kat by admitting he had feelings for Lynn once upon a time.

"I'm not still." He said, trying to assure the others. "Everything I've ever felt for Lynn has soured to hate, hate I've been working through and releasing, or trying to release. Seeing her again has brought that hatred and anger back. Anger I thought I'd worked through in therapy."

"You have every right to be furious." Rani said, speaking up. "It's natural. And you haven't acted out of anger. You haven't hit her, which is more than I can say for what I'd do in your place."

Arthur nodded. "Thanks."

He cleared his throat and returned to the story. "So, yeah. I helped her because I thought she'd forgive me for being a fat, ugly piece of shit and love me back."

Katelyn looked the most confused out of the group but said nothing. The others' expressions hardened into something dark and grim. Their hatred for Lynn already burned, and he added fuel to their fires with each revelation. That wasn't his intention, though. He wasn't trying to give them reasons to be angry with Lynn. No, he'd opened up to give them insight into who Lynn was and why he was the way he was. To share himself with them in a vulnerable but genuine way. They would see him at his weakest by the time he finished the story.

"By the end of the fall semester of our senior year, we were both eighteen, and things had gotten really bad." Arthur said. "We planned on going to different colleges, and I wanted out of our arrangement after writing her application essays. Our last semester of high school, after school, we talked about our futures, where we were going, and what college might be like." When he said it that way, it sounded like a friendly conversation, but it was a confrontation. He'd stood up to her, in words if not in deeds.

"Lynn seemed to finally have this change of heart I'd been hoping for." Arthur said, remembering how the conversation ended as if it were fresh. "She broke down in tears, let me hold her, and apologized for... for everything. Lynn told me things would be different and that this was a new beginning for us."

Arthur nearly cried but held back his emotion. Memories pressed against his mind, playing out the way they had before. In some ways, that night was the cruelest memory he had of Lynn because every ounce of hope she gave him wilted into lies. He'd lingered on those memories for years and drilled them into his head through sheer repetition. Yet, he had no desire to relive them again. Not tonight. He did his best to stay in the present, surrounded by love and tits.

"Some people from our class rented a motel for a pool party during our spring break." Arthur said, moving on in his story.

Rani silently slid from her seat and moved between his legs. She laid herself over his lap, turning her head so her cheek pressed against his thigh. The position was more comforting than sexual, and Arthur played with her braid in his fingers as he told the story. Selene and Kelly returned their hands to his legs instead of holding his hands in theirs.

"I wasn't going to go." Arthur said. "I was an outcast in high school, and nobody wanted me there. But Lynn demanded I go with her. She made promises based on everything that I'd done for her over the years. She wanted to say goodbye since this was our last semester together and promised we could be together until summer. This would be the start of that. Lynn said she had something special planned for us, and I believed her."

"Oh no." Kat said, her voice a whisper.

"Is this a Carrie situation?" Katelyn asked.

Arthur shook his head, even as Mindy shushed both of them.

"I met her in the room, but when I got there, something felt wrong. She was still fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt over her bathing suit and everything. I tried to kiss her, but she wouldn't let me. Instead, she sat in the chair by the bed and had me stand at the foot of it..."

Arthur dove into more detail than he had with Rani, but he wasn't driving this time. He opened his heart and let it pour out of him as he retold the story. Anger had fueled him when he told Rani the story last Sunday. But he had no energy for fury. This retelling plunged a knife into his old scars. Anger fled in the face of pain, and wrath drowned in the flood of sorrow. That flood washed everything away word by word until he had nothing left.

"She told me to take my shirt off." Arthur said. "It felt weird and... not right. I found out later that she recorded the whole thing."

Mindy's eyes went wide. The panel skirt in her fists crumpled as she squeezed it in her lap.

"I tried to say no, but she pushed and pushed, and I gave in. I took off my clothes while she mocked everything she could about my body. She held nothing back. It was cruel, and I cried by the end. I expected a romantic evening together. Not even sex, just being together. She could tell people at school I wasn't a creep, and we'd be a couple, finally."

"Keep going, Master." Rani said, hugging his lap. "You're doing great. We're here for you."

Arthur swallowed. "I tried to back out, but eventually, I stood there in my underwear. I begged her to stop, and I refused to take off my briefs. She stood up, pushed me back onto the bed, straddled me, held me down, and..."

The looks of horror on their faces meant they could fill in the blank, but he pushed through.

"She ground herself on me. She stayed clothed, and I was still in my briefs. I wasn't even hard, but she didn't stop. She just kept grinding, insulting me, my body, and saying the cruelest things she could."

Silence filled the room at every breath Arthur took. Even the wind outside held still.

Kelly cried, hugging him and soaking his shoulder. Selene wasn't in much better shape. Her eyes had turned red from crying during her flogging. Her steaming tears dripped along his arm and fell from his elbow to the cushions below.

Rani didn't cry, but her eyelashes brushed his thigh as she held her head in his lap and hugged his waist.

Kat and Katelyn held each other's hands. Kat didn't look at Arthur. Her bowed head turned her gaze to her knees. Katelyn looked uncomfortable, which didn't surprise him. This was too much, too soon. She hadn't signed on for the fun and sexy kink club just to drown in trauma and angst from the man supposed to protect and guide her.

Mindy didn't look away from him. The tears in her eyes as she hugged herself in the chair broke him. This was too much for her, but the story wasn't over yet.

"I didn't have the physique I do now. You've seen the pics of me from high school." Arthur said, changing the subject. "Or I would have pushed her off. I was big but not as tall and had no muscle tone. She was stronger than me, and I... I couldn't bring myself to hurt her. Even as she--." He stopped. "I couldn't hurt her. My whole life, my parents and hers charged me to look out for her, help her, and keep her safe. So I did nothing. I froze."

"That's a natural response to--"

"I know." Arthur cut Rani off. "I know. But... still." He released a long, ragged exhale.

"She got annoyed with me and my not getting hard. Annoyed enough that she left." Arthur said. "I, being a dumb fuck, chased after her. In my underwear. The motel pool was full of our classmates, but our room was around the corner. So, all they saw was Lynn turn the corner. Then, a few seconds later, the school creep came running after her in his tighty-whities. Everyone freaked out."

"Oh my god." The phrase passed through the girls surrounding him.

"Lynn turned, saw me, and screamed like we hadn't just left the same room. The entire football team came to the party, and she was popular, so... yeah. She went back on everything. I asked her to tell them we were together, but... she lied. They didn't even hesitate. They beat the shit out of me."

"Were you okay?" Mindy asked as if he wasn't sitting across from her telling the story.

"Not really." Arthur said. "I fought back out of instinct but didn't have a chance. I didn't get a single hit in. One guy shoved me, I tumbled into another guy, I fell, and they kicked the crap out of me until I blacked out from the pain. I woke up in a dumpster the next morning."

"Those assholes." Katelyn said.

"They thought they were defending Lynn from a creeper." Arthur said. "Not their fault."

"And none of them got in trouble?" Kat asked.

"They became the heroes of the story." Arthur said. "At least, the story Lynn told everyone while I was out. My version of the story didn't matter. And the guy I tumbled into? He had a worse fall than I did and ended up in the hospital with a messed-up back. I became public enemy number one at the school after that, even though it wasn't my fault."

"I saw the video." Kelly said, her voice quiet. "Someone posted a shaky video of the 'fight' online. I found it when searching for dirt on Lynn. She stood by and watched it happen."

"Yeah." Arthur said. "Pictures and videos of the beating, and select pictures Lynn took, made the rounds at school. The mockery and hatred were worse than ever. Lynn was the saint for not pressing charges."

"Did that follow you during your freshman year at Pendleton?" Katelyn asked.

"No." He almost laughed. "We went to a private prep academy in Crofton. The rest of my class went to Ivy League schools. Most of their graduates do, and they're snobby enough to never consider Pendleton unless it's a last resort. Like Lynn is now, I guess."

"And your parents never found out?" Mindy asked, sniffling.

"Tissues are in my purse." Kelly said. "To whoever needs them."

Kat fished them from the oversized bag Kelly called a purse. She passed them around.

Arthur shook his head. "They found out about the fight, but I said I got drunk at the party and fought a few guys. They grounded me."

"But you didn't start it." Selene said.

"I didn't fight them on it." Arthur said. "I didn't want to see anyone, anyway. The rest of the semester was a dark time for me. Eventually, I realized things had to change if I wanted to have a future. I channeled my anger into my workouts, and... well, it paid off. Then I came to college, met Lori, and now things are... six times better than the best they've ever been."

Some of them smiled at that. Most didn't.

Katelyn was still in shock, but she raised her hand as if asking permission to speak.

"Yes, Pet?" Arthur asked, hoping the haremnym would lighten the mood.

"I know I've apologized for it before." Katelyn started and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "But... Arthur. I am so sorry for grabbing your towel. I--"

"Katelyn." Arthur said, cutting off her apology. "It's okay. I forgave you. Everyone forgave you. And it was a very different situation. What you did was not the same. Not at all."

"Okay, but--" Katelyn said but stopped when Arthur held up his hand.

"No buts." Arthur said. "You have nothing you deserve to be punished for and trust me, I'd take the excuse if I could."

He'd meant it as a joke, but no one laughed. Katelyn nodded and bowed her head once more.

This was what he'd been worried about. They couldn't look at him. He'd caused them pain by telling them this, and there was nothing any of them could do. Katelyn could apologize until her face turned blue, but she bore no guilt in this situation. It did nothing, even if he wished it'd make her feel better. Everyone had to digest the information their own way, even those who'd known.

Kat didn't seem as sad as the others. Anger proved her primary response. Her fists gripped her panel skirt so tightly she might claw through it. "Sir... Do you... do you still have feelings for Lynn?"

"No." Arthur answered. "I've said already that any love I might have had for Lynn has soured to hatred long ago."

"But hate and love are both passion, right?" Kat asked. "Do you think--"

"No." Arthur sighed. "I have no passion for Lynn. No desire. The very idea of her in a sexual context is triggering to me. It disgusts me. Even if she wanted to seduce me for real, which she doesn't, I'd never look at her and not remember what she did. That's not to say she can't piss me off. Hell, the first time I saw her again, I was in a pair of swim trunks in my parent's hot tub, and it was all too similar. I kinda exploded at her and my mom and ran away."

"So, why do you protect her?" Kat asked. "Why not let Kelly punch her face in or Selene claw her eyes out? She fucking deserves it! And worse!"

"Kat." Arthur said, his voice calmer than hers. "I appreciate the sentiment, but what would that accomplish? She'd press charges. Lynn's suffering would be temporary, and theirs would be lasting. Violence isn't the answer."

"The real question is why he hasn't told Deb." Rani said, repeating her rallying cry. "If you tell your mom, there's no way she lets Lynn live in the basement."

Almost every face in the room looked at Rani with a chorus of "Yeah!" or "That's right!" echoing her sentiments.

"We've been over this." Arthur said, taking a deep breath. "First, there's no guarantee my mom believes me. I might be her son, but Lynn? Lynn is the daughter she never had. Second, I have no proof. It's Lynn's word against mine. Third, I don't want to dig this up again and again until my entire life becomes about her. This one woman that I've spent years getting past. I don't want anyone to treat me with pity or see me differently. Can any of you understand that? This doesn't define me. I'm still me. I'm your Dom, your Master, Sir, Boss, or whatever you want to call me. Can you still see me that way? With... I don't know, with love and respect in your eyes, not pity?"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Rani asked, scoffing. "Hey Bhagwan, you're so emotionally intelligent that sometimes I forget you're still a dude. Fuck your ego!"

"What?" Arthur asked, surprised. He'd expected a lot of responses from Rani on butting heads with her over telling his mom, but claiming he was an egotist wasn't one of them.

Rani sat on the coffee table, putting herself opposite Arthur and making her face level with his. "Okay, my king. You can get angry with me for this if you want, but listen. Hard truth time."

"Rani." Kelly said, her voice warning.

"No." Rani said, waving her finger at Kelly. "I've had time you haven't to process this. I'm good. He doesn't want pity, so he isn't getting any. He's getting the unfiltered truth."

Arthur sighed but let Rani continue with a nod.

"First. There's no way in hell your mom listens to what we just heard and thinks for even a second that you are making it up or lying to her." Rani said. "That woman would cut her own throat if you needed her blood, so don't for a second think she'd take Lynn's side over yours."

The imagery was unnecessary, but Arthur couldn't argue that point. His mom was supportive and nurturing, and although she loved Lynn like a daughter, it didn't compare to her love for him. Part of him knew that but didn't know if he could count on that. Everyone believed Lynn over him. Why should his mother be any different? Even his girlfriends, sitting here around him, did they only believe him because he'd told them his version first, and they hadn't known Lynn except through him? Who would they listen to if Lynn told them her lies first?

"Second, if this goes to court, you can bet your ass I know at least two fantastic lawyers, and you don't have to worry about a thing." Rani said. "One subpoena for any video or pictures she has from that night, and she goes to jail."

"I'm sure the statute of limitations has--"

"It hasn't." Rani said. "You've got a good eight years left."

"Have you--"

"Yes, I looked it up." Rani said. "Now, Shh."

Arthur almost laughed at being silenced. It flew against his position as their master, sitting among his harem, but he let Rani continue.

"And they call me a brat." Kat muttered, but she didn't sound like she disagreed with Rani.

"Third. You're right. This doesn't define you. But it still helps form you. You might have worked through it, but you're still so hung up on how people see you that that's your biggest concern right now, you doofus."

"Rani." Kelly said as if Rani were being too harsh.

"Shh." Rani shushed Kelly, too. "I can't speak for everyone here, but Arthur, I don't think less of you because of what Lynn did to you. Okay? I think more of you because you faced it not once but twice this week. Because you're a strong, tender man. You care about the people you're with, look out for them, keep them safe, and do your best to play out our most depraved fantasies with us. You're the best boyfriend I've ever had."

"Have you ever had any boyfriends beyond one-night stands?" Mindy asked.

"Shh." Rani said. "You're such a good boyfriend that you have six women here, ready to kill that cunt, but beyond that, willing to share you. You're a good man with a good heart and a great dick. So, whatever self-image you're worried about? Get the fuck over it because we love you for who you are, and the shit you've been through doesn't make us love you any less. You're still my king."

There were tears in Rani's eyes by the time she finished, and she surged forward. Selene and Kelly moved, letting Arthur wrap his arms around Rani as she sank before him. He hugged her as she rested her head on his chest, her ear over his heart.

Mindy was in tears, hiding her face in a tissue, her head in her hands.

Likewise, Kelly had transformed from a stern, defensive mistress to a puddle of tears over Rani's monologue. She hugged Arthur's side, her head on his shoulder, and tears dripped along his arm as if trying to wash away the pain.

Selene's eyes were red around the edges from tears that turned to steam before they left her eyes. He saw anger mixing with the impulse for violence behind her eyes and hoped her promise kept her from harm. If not for that, she'd be on the rampage.

Rani's words sounded angry, but that was one of the sweetest sentiments anyone had ever expressed to him. He, Rani, and Mindy had traded "I love you's" last night. It was fresh and probably too soon, but none of them cared. Rani, infamously, gave no fucks about other people's opinions. For her part, Mindy's infatuation and enthusiasm for the romantic ride swept her away weeks before Arthur realized she liked him. Arthur felt closer to her and the others every day, and Rani was right. He cared for them. He loved them. Selene and Arthur said it often now. The others might not be ready to say it, but that was okay. He knew his heart.

He hugged Rani, then expanded his arms and brought Kelly and Selene into the hug. Neither of them protested.

"I don't see you any differently either." Kelly whispered, holding him tightly. "You're a different person than in high school. We all are, but you're one of the strongest people I know. I've seen you grow from who you were freshman year, when you were dating Lori, and who you've become. You're the best man I know. I'm proud to call you my boyfriend. My hubby."

Arthur kissed the top of her head.

"I..." Selene hesitated, looking up at Arthur as she pulled away from him. "You're still my master. Nothing's changed. I love you."

"I love you too." Arthur said before kissing Selene.

"But--" Selene winced as she pulled away from the kiss, crying again. "I'm so sorry for making you do the consensual non-consent stuff with me, Master. You never have to do that again. I can't believe you did that for me after--"

"Hush." Arthur said, stroking her cheek and wiping her tears away with his thumb. "It's not the same, it's... I don't know. Maybe because I'm in control or so focused on the role, I'm not doing it as myself? It's performing in a horror movie or playing a villain. It's fun, exciting, and even arousing if you're into it. And that's okay. I'm not banning something you enjoy because of her."

"But--" Selene protested.

"If anything, it was cathartic. It helped me work through things and grow to become a better Dom." Arthur said. "And some things we do are because you enjoy them, and that's okay. Besides, we do what I enjoy whenever I want."

"But--" Selene said again.

"Let me know if you want to add it to your limits." Arthur said. "But don't change your preferences on my account. If it was a hard limit for me, we wouldn't do it. I'm still the Master here, right?"

Selene looked like she wanted to protest again, but she folded instead. "Right, Master." Selene said, nodding her head. She kissed him, and he held her. "Thank you."

Arthur nodded.

"Hey." Rani said, drawing Arthur's attention to her. "I'm proud of you, my King."

Arthur's tears pushed forward, but Selene squeezed him, holding him tight before the first one fell. Kelly did the same from the other side. Then, everyone was in a pile on top of him, hugging him and each other. Those who couldn't throw their arms around him made contact in other ways, with hands on his exposed arms, chest, or thighs.

He closed his eyes, letting the weight of their bodies push against his nervous system and soothe him. They were a weighted blanket, an inescapable comfort. Every touch became a caress and a transfer of strength. Silent solidarity that whatever he was suffering right now, he didn't have to suffer alone. He'd been alone the first time, unable to tell his parents or anyone else. Now, his girls were there to share the burden. They stayed that way for a while. Arthur didn't know how long. When they pulled away, he wiped tears away from each of them.

"Is that why you didn't want to tell me when I asked?" Kelly asked Arthur. "You worried I'd think less of you? Or that I wouldn't be able to see you as my dominant?"

Arthur shrugged. "That might have been part of it." He admitted. "I also hate making you cry." He wiped a tear away from Kelly's cheek.

"Not all tears are evil." Selene said, smiling through her tears when Arthur turned to face her.

"How dare you quote Tolkien against me." Arthur said. "Ten more floggings." He tried to put humor into his voice, but it was too soon, and the words sounded flat.

Kelly flicked her gaze toward Katelyn as she connected the dots between Katelyn's late-night movie-watching and her new boyfriend. They frequently discussed Arthur's love for the material.

Selene laughed at Arthur's suggestion of more punishment but bowed her head in submission. "Yes, Master."

"I'm just kidding." Arthur assured her.

"Even if you weren't, that's okay. You're still my master. Nothing you share with me will make me see you differently." Selene said, doing her best to sound steady despite the tears warbling her voice. "I love you."

"I love you too." Arthur said, lowering his forehead to hers.

Kat, Katelyn, and Mindy shifted backward, sitting on the coffee table behind Rani, who knelt between Arthur and Katelyn's intermingled legs. Each had a palm on Arthur's knee or thigh, while Kelly and Selene held his hands on either side.

"I love you." Mindy said. She surged forward and kissed Arthur.

Everyone but Rani and Arthur seemed surprised. Mindy bent over Rani to kiss Arthur, who met her partway. Kelly's eyes dipped to Rani for an explanation.

"Oh, we uh... we crossed that milestone last night." Rani said. "She said it, I said it, he said it, we--"

Selene hugged the three of them, Arthur, Mindy, and Rani, crushing them together as she squealed in happiness. The whiplash silenced the room. Selene's journey from crying to joyful squealing in a few seconds left everyone somewhat stunned.

Kelly looked shocked. Kat looked annoyed, then schooled her expression into something more neutral. She sighed, crossing her legs and putting her hands behind her for support as she reclined on the coffee table.

"So what's the plan?" Kat asked, changing the subject. "How do we get rid of Lynn once and for all?"

"Vengeance." Selene said, forming a fist before her face. "Justice."

They looked at her.

"You need to humiliate her like she did you." Selene said. "Or make her think you will. A prank. Something that will humiliate her in front of everyone."

Arthur shook his head. "Absolutely not."

"You need to tell your mom what happened." Rani said, exasperated.

Mindy nodded as she returned to sit on the coffee table. The girls seemed in agreement as they nodded at Rani's words. Only Arthur dissented.

"I've told you, I've tried." Arthur said. "I can't do it. I can't have this conversation with my mom."

"Why not?" Mindy asked. Meanwhile, her tear-stained face and the pity in her eyes provided the answer she couldn't see. "Your mom rode to my rescue last night and barely knows me. Imagine what she'd do if she found out you needed her? Or how angry she'd be that we hid this from her?"

"Another reason not to tell her. No matter how things shook out in the end, it'd only hurt her. She's better off not knowing." Arthur said. "I don't want to cause her any pain, even if it's my pain I'm sharing. I feel guilty enough sharing it with you and causing these tears. I didn't want to be a burden or--"

"Shut the fuck up with that. You're not a burden on us, asshole. We love you." Rani said.

"What Rani means is, we're your girlfriends." Kelly said. "We're here for you, just like you're here for us."

"Master, we love you. When you hurt, we hurt, and that's okay. That's not a problem. That's how it's supposed to work. I'd take your pain if I could." Selene said. She kissed his arm. "Spank it into me. Kelly hit my back the most, so my ass is still available for spanking or fucking, whatever you want."

Arthur chuckled, but the laugh was dry and insincere. "I appreciate the offer."

"We'd all take your pain." Rani said. "So thank you for sharing it with us."

"Yeah." Kat said.

"Me too." Kelly said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"Master..." Mindy said, her voice a whisper. "Look, I don't know how to say this, so bear with me. But... I was afraid to share who I was with my parents."

The others turned to listen to her.

"And I didn't." Mindy said. "I wasn't brave enough, like you or Rani. You're brave. Telling us what happened? That took guts. And you were worried about it hurting your relationship with us or that we'd see you differently, but we don't. We see more of you, that's all. It doesn't change our feelings for you. Lynn can't take us from you. You're still my hot, older boss and the master of this harem. You can still drag me to the storage room and fuck me whenever you want. We still love you. Now, we know you better, and it's good. I feel so much closer to you now."

Mindy swallowed, struggling through her words as if they might make her cry. "You owe your mom that. The unmasked version of yourself. You shouldn't lock her out. She should know who you are. That includes sharing your traumas with her like you did with us." She swallowed and squeezed Ran's hand. "And it's better if it comes from you instead of someone else. Trust me. I learned my lesson, and you should learn from it, too. You're supposed to be older and wiser, right? So... act like it."

Arthur frowned, but he appreciated her words. She had a point. While he didn't believe that this trauma defined him as much as Mindy's sexuality, the experience was formative, like Rani said.

Deb had always wondered where his drive for working out came from and why he'd changed so much after high school. Given the many conversations she'd had with Lori, she had to sense something was wrong. She'd begged him to tell her that Saturday he'd seen Lynn again for the first time and at homecoming.

Rani was right. He should, but he didn't know if he could.

And what would the repercussions be? If he told Deb, and she kicked Lynn out of the house, what havoc would Lynn wreck their lives? She had to have a contingency plan, and just outing the polycule to their families could damage their lives. Not their relationship, no, their bonds were stronger than that. But what if Kat and Selene's mom cut them off? Or Mindy's parents? Kelly was pretty independent, or was she? Would Katelyn's parents care? Maybe explaining their relationship to their families was a step they should take before he tried speaking with Deb. That way, they robbed Lynn of any chance she had of taking them down with her.

Arthur's thoughts raced through his mind as the girls comforted Mindy in the aftermath of her verbal deluge. Rani put one arm around her and rubbed Mindy's thigh as she spoke, keeping her from imploding. Mindy hadn't been able to look Arthur in the eye while she spoke, and she was nervous, folding into herself, but she spoke her mind.

"Oh, my god, that BITCH." Selene's eyes widened, recalling something Lynn had said in her phone conversation with Deb. "Lynn referenced that spring break when she told your mom you were each other's first time."

Sorrow overtook Arthur's expression. "I know, but we weren't. There was no penetration, it wasn't--" He cut himself off. "Lori was my first time. Not Lynn."

"We don't have to argue about that now." Rani said.

"She fucking admitted it." Selene said. "She used it to defend her behavior, acting like she was jealous of us, but said you were special to each other because of it."

"That cunt." Kelly said, wiping her face.

"Language." Katelyn said automatically, then covered her mouth in surprise. "Sorry." The others flinging curse words around was common enough, but Kelly never swore, partially due to her understanding with Katelyn. Their training to become educators included learning to curb their colorful language.

A dry, lone chuckle escaped Arthur's lips. "Oh, that was something else we changed." He looked at Kelly, like he wasn't changing the subject. "We're changing Katelyn's penalty for cursing from money to spankings. Ten spanks for each word."

"Ten?" Katelyn asked, surprised. "Was it ten? Maybe two?

"Ten will add up fast." Kat said, smiling. "Good luck."

"And I trust you all to keep her honest." Arthur said, pointing at Katelyn.

Katelyn blushed and looked away, not protesting. The distraction, however paltry, wasn't something she drew attention to despite Selene and Rani both fuming.

"That's what, three, tonight alone? So, thirty spanks? Enjoy." Kat said, chuckling as she wiped her eyes.

"I'll get in on that." Kelly said, nodding. "Since I was in on the swear jar, too. Selene should, too."

"What?" Selene asked, confused more than objecting. She'd lost her train of thought somewhere in a mountain of vengeance plans.

"You're an elementary ed major like Katelyn, right? You should curb your colorful language." Kelly said.

"I'm not worried about that." Selene shook her head. "I'm still on what to do about Lynn if murder's off the table."

"Is it off the table?" Kat asked.

"It's off the table." Arthur said. "No one goes to jail for her."

"Just checking." Kat said.

"What if we're secretly great at it?" Rani asked. "I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts and--"

"No." Arthur said. "Antagonizing her will only make things worse. She will sue the crap out of anyone for anything."

"And you still won't report her to the police?" Rani asked. She sounded hopeful, but her eyes didn't shine with it.

"Rani." Arthur said, his voice soft. "We've been over this a thousand times tonight."

"Okay." Rani said, frowning but not fighting. She couldn't make Arthur press charges. "But you need to tell Deb."

The girls nodded.

"Rani's right. No way she lets Lynn live in the basement once you tell her." Mindy said. "Your mom loves you. We've seen it. We love you, too. The biggest danger is you can't order your mom not to kill her, and she might."

Kelly chuckled. "Don't mess with Momma bears." She flexed her fingers. "What if we just beat her up a little?"

"No." Arthur said, repeating his refrain.

Kelly swallowed and nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "For you. I won't kill her for your sake."

"I still need time to think of a plan. In the meantime, we should consider explaining our relationship to your families to reduce any potential backlash from her." Arthur said. "If we kick her out, she won't go without a fight, and she'll go nuclear. We need to circumvent her destroying your lives as best we can."

"She tried to destroy mine." Mindy said. "It backfired on her big time. She's like... terrible at it."

"She's a clown, but she just doesn't know it yet." Selene said.

"Or we got lucky." Arthur said. "If Mindy's parents were more typical, or if her mom hadn't been bi, it could have been a huge problem. They still might try to block her from moving into the house, and if she tracked down Mindy's parents, she might track yours down, too."

The girls had nothing to say to that. Arthur was correct, and if Mindy's parents had been more typical of Lynn's expectations, she'd have upended Mindy's entire life for the crime of insulting Lynn at brunch. Kat and Selene shared a look between them that carried a silent conversation. Katelyn hugged her arm, contemplating how her family might react to the news. Kelly couldn't be certain how her brothers would react. Mindy's parents were cautiously open to the idea but still might not let her move in with them.

"Think about what we can do, and let me know your suggestions." Arthur said, reclining with Selene and Kelly against him. "Not murder." He said as Kat opened her mouth. She closed it, stuck her tongue out at him, and shrugged.

"TELL YOUR MOM." Rani said. "Motherfucker, have you not been listening?"

"I hear you." He said. "But call me that again, and I'll have to make an example of you."

Rani smirked. "Nice try, but you can't distract me with threats of a good time."

"Worth a shot." Arthur shrugged or tried to; a girl on each arm and a head on each shoulder made movement difficult.

"We'll ponder." Kelly said, glancing around at the group. "In the meantime, is there anything else we need to discuss? Anyone else want to share the darkest tragedy of their life?"

"I have one more item for the agenda." Arthur said, sighing. "Hopefully, somewhat lighter." He wasn't sure how they might respond. Most wouldn't care. Selene would, though. "My lunch tomorrow is with Yvonne."

Selene jerked back like he'd struck her in the face.

"What?" She asked, blinking.

"She was waiting for me after class tonight." Arthur explained. "She's very upset and confused, and I can tell she regrets quitting the Theater Club. I want to convince her to make amends and come back."

"So? She's a diva, and the only reason she was even in the Theater Club was her crush on you." Selene said. "After everything she tried to pull, like kicking you out, you want to reinstate her?"

Arthur wasn't sure where to start with that comment, but Yvonne's love for theater had to pre-date any interest she might have in him. "She lashed out and made a mistake." Arthur said. "She knows that."

"Talking things out with her is a good idea, my King." Rani said, rubbing his thigh.

Selene glared at Rani like she'd stabbed her in the back. Rani didn't blink. She looked at Selene in resignation and looked at Arthur. "I ran into Yvonne by accident Monday night. She has a huge crush on you but is not the type to share."

Arthur wasn't sure how to handle that information. "Okay. Well, even if she has a crush on me, I don't feel the same way about her."

"Really?" Selene asked, her tone equal parts surprised and derisive. "She's totally your type. The dark hair, the curves..."

"The tits." Rani added, groping Mindy for illustrative purposes, which made Mindy laugh. "The love of musical theater. You two have a lot in common. She's into you, and Selene's right. If you have a type, she fits."

"Are you pitching her for the harem?" Arthur asked, surprised. He didn't want to add anyone else. He was at his limit. But especially not Yvonne. Welcoming her back to the Theater Club was one thing but into his love life? That was far too much stress to contemplate.

"Absolutely not." Selene said, turning her frown into a steadfast grimace.

"No." Rani said, shaking her head. "Even if you were into her, she's not into sharing you with anyone. She's not polyamorous. It's okay for her not to be but not to join us. And she's way too into you to be a one-night stand or a fling."

"I agree." Arthur said, nodding. "I'll be careful during our conversation tomorrow, but honestly, I'm not into Yvonne. She's very pretty. Sexy, even. But her personality and mine don't mesh romantically, and she reminds me far too much of Lynn. I realized that tonight as I was talking to her. Even when I was single, I didn't think dating Yvonne was a good idea. Now that I'm taken again? I'm not interested."

"You are straight up took." Mindy said, nodding.

The others smiled more than laughed, but the enthusiastic declaration lightened the mood.

"My plan tomorrow is to let her down easy but to help her reconcile with Caleb and bring her back into the Theater Club as a friend." Arthur explained. "So I'll be having lunch with her tomorrow in the cafe, alone."

"Sure you are, and we're going with you." Selene said.

"I don't want to gang up on her." Arthur said. "She and I have things to discuss, and it'll be better one-on-one. However, I'm not opposed if you want to have a table in the cafe nearby, out of earshot."

Selene frowned. "Is that an order?"

"That I talk to Yvonne one-on-one?" Arthur asked. "Yes."

Selene sighed but curled into her hug around Arthur's arm. "Fine."

"You mean yes, Master?" Kelly asked, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Yes, Master." Selene said, though her tone suggested the agreement was more automatic than authentic.

"Okay." Arthur said, sighing. "Then I guess we're done."

"Great." Kat said, sitting forward and putting her elbows just above her knees. "Can we drag you to bed now?"

"Are you all sleeping here?" Arthur asked, surprised.

"I packed an overnight bag, just in case." Mindy said, smiling.

"I wasn't planning to given my... uh..." Kelly gestured to her lower stomach. "But I changed my mind. We can, if Katelyn's okay with it."

"I have a pair of panties and a toothbrush in my purse." Katelyn said, blushing.

"For the girl on the go." Rani said, nodding as if she knew how practical such things could be.

"Before we go to bed..." Selene said, stroking Arthur's abs. "The harem talked, and we want you to take Friday night for a guy's night. We've been monopolizing you, so you should spend some time with your guy friends. Should I tell Brad and Mark the good news?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Sure." Arthur said. "I'll talk to Brad in the morning. We'll see if he has any ideas on what to do."

Selene smiled. "You should invite them to the house, hang out, drink, and play video games in the home theater."

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked. He'd been considering getting Selene to drop the slave role for a night and hang out like they used to. A guys' night would be fun. Caleb would be out with his band, but Brad, Mark, and Arthur could enjoy a night of good food, terrible movies, or something fun. Or should they go to whatever bar Caleb was playing and cheer him on? That could be fun, too, but guilt needled Arthur. They were Selene's friends, too. It felt wrong to exclude her when they didn't before she and Arthur started dating.

"Do you want to join us as one of the guys?" He asked.

Selene put his hand on her breast and squeezed his fingers around it. "I'm not one of the guys, Master. I'm your slut, and I want you to have fun with your friends."

Arthur considered the offer. A night away from dom duties sounded fantastic to his ears. Not that he had any right to complain, given his situation. Still, tons of effort and energy went into every performance. He had to be in character every night, every session with his girlfriends. A night off sounded like bliss, even if it meant a night without sex. Besides, Brad was right; he hadn't had much time to spare for his non-sex friends, and guilt gnawed at him for that. He should make time for them. Even if a night of solitude and sleep sounded almost as good.

"Okay." Arthur said, looking at the others. "And the rest of you are okay with this?"

They nodded. "We discussed it." Kelly said, stroking his thigh.

"And there's one more one last thing." Mindy said. "In the interest of sharing, being vulnerable, and stuff..." She glanced at Rani for reassurance. "I have a confession to make."

Everyone turned to see Mindy.

"Uh..." Mindy hesitated. "I need to apologize to you, Kelly, especially, and to you, Arthur. Mistress and Master." She said, smiling nervously. "I might have... no, I definitely misrepresented how much I knew about football to flirt with you. I lied. The truth is, I love football. My Appa and I watched Monday Night Football every week. I know a lot about it. I was a cheerleader in high school."

"Oh." Kelly said, surprise clear in her voice. "I thought..."

"I know." Mindy said, holding her hands out toward Kelly. "I pretended I didn't, to flirt with Arthur, and then you stepped in, and I just kind of went with it." Mindy said. "It got out of hand. But I didn't want to hurt or lie to either of you."

Arthur looked confused, but he let Kelly speak first.

Kelly sniffled and wiped her face with a tissue. "Oh. So... you weren't trying to flirt with me at all. Okay."

"No, Mistress, I... I wanted to flirt with you. I just... I didn't know what to do or say about it." Mindy tried to explain herself. "You know how girls sometimes act dumb to flirt with a guy?"

Kelly shook her head.

"I didn't get it either." Rani said, shrugging.

"I get it." Selene said. "It sucks, and it shouldn't be a thing, but... I've done it."

"With me?" Arthur asked.

"No, my ex." Selene said. "You remember Dave? He thought he was God's gift to theater. He'd explain all kinds of stuff I already understood, but I was trying to get into bed with him to get over you and pretended it was new and super interesting information."

"To get over me?" Arthur asked, confused.

"You were dating Lori, and I was crushing on you. So, Kat recommended I move on to someone else, and--" Selene shrugged, then winced from the pain that flickered through her, reminding her of the red marks on her upper back.

"In my defense, we weren't doing polyamory yet." Kat said, speaking up. "And I didn't know you or Dave. I just suggested she stop moping over the taken himbo, who didn't notice she was in love with him, and try to find someone who returned her feelings. No offense, Sir."

Arthur laughed, hugged Selene, and kissed her forehead. Selene smiled and brought her lips to his, kissing him.

"So..." Mindy said after a period of silence. "Do you forgive me?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes." He said. "Though, I'd appreciate it if you were honest with me in the future. I need to trust you to tell me the truth if we're doing the things we're doing. Don't lie and say something is okay when it's not because you want to make me happy or impress me. Okay?"

"Yes, Boss." Mindy said. "And Kelly?"

Kelly sniffled. "Yeah. Sure. It's not a big deal."

Arthur looked at Kelly.

Kelly sniffled. "I'm just mixed up tonight. It's a lot. And I have no right to be angry or upset."

"But..." Katelyn said, pressing the issue out of recognition of Kelly's moods and self-restraint. "It sounds like there's a 'but' coming."

Kelly sighed. "But I am." She wiped her nose and turned to face Arthur. The words tumbled out of her in a rush of rage and pain. "There's a lot that's been bothering me! Like missing out on what you, Rani, Mindy, and Thalia did, and not being kept in the loop about Lynn outing Mindy. I would have dropped everything to help, but Mindy didn't call me; she called Deb! Now I find out Mindy was lying to me, making a fool of me. And you've all crossed the 'I love you' milestone without me! And on top of that, I'm hurt that you opened up to Rani about what happened with Lynn and not me, even after I offered to be there for you!"

Arthur swallowed. He hadn't realized those issues were building on each other. He couldn't have known, but he had to accept those for which he bore responsibility. She'd offered to be there for him before the hotel trip. Kelly even hinted she knew something about him and Lynn. Unfortunately, he hadn't wanted to deal with it at the time.

"And I know that's fucked up." Kelly said. "I should be glad you shared it with us, but... I don't know. It made me feel like you gave Rani special treatment and that you and I weren't as close as I thought if you and Rani were closer. We've known each other for years! You just met her earlier this month!"

Arthur frowned but didn't launch into a defense either. He took a moment, wrestling with his gut instinct to contradict and deny, which wouldn't help. Her words held truth. Were he and Rani closer than he and Kelly? He didn't think so. Then again, each relationship had different levels of closeness, and he couldn't make them homogenous if he tried. He'd met Rani last semester but didn't remember it even if Rani did. Bringing that up wouldn't help.

Was the imbalance a problem? It was for Kelly, but their relationships weren't a race. They weren't competing with one another for a finish line. They were growing like flowers in a garden, intertwining. One branch being taller didn't make it more beautiful than a flower lower on the stalk.

"And now I find out you love her?" Kelly asked. "You've all passed that milestone, leaving the rest of us in the dust, and I shouldn't be upset or jealous. I mean, I'm not even jealous about the sex stuff. This morning, when Thalia said you had sex--"

"Thalia and I didn't--" Arthur couldn't help the impulse to correct that misconception.

"I know." Kelly said. "But she said something that made me think you did, and I didn't care! I wasn't jealous! Okay, I was annoyed I'd missed out, but not outraged that you had sex with someone else like I expected. Even with Beth I was more annoyed about not being told than you sleeping with her. I knew it wasn't anything like what you and I or the harem have, but now I feel like I'm outside the club. I should be leading it, right? As the Mistress. Your wifey. I should be the one saying I love you first and hearing you say it back. Instead, I'm the last one you say it to? And I've known you the longest!"

Arthur moved to hug Kelly, but she shook her head and held her hand up to keep him at bay, which stung. She blew her nose, which was the real reason for the rejection or an excuse.

"I'm sorry." Kelly said. "It's just... it sucks. I shouldn't be upset, but I am."

"You have every right to be upset." Arthur said, nodding. He knew better than to blame her hormones. Her period didn't cause these problems. It'd simply worn her down to the point she no longer had the strength to hold her tongue. Besides, she made good points. "Your feelings are valid. I'm not saying they aren't. But... if you want me to, I can address some of the points you raised."

Kelly wiped her nose with a tissue and nodded.

"I'm sorry I wasn't ready to discuss Lynn when you offered." Arthur said. "I didn't mean to hurt you by withholding it." He squeezed Kelly's hand. "If I had my way, I'd never have told any of you any of it and spared you the pain."

Kelly squeezed his hand, crying as she did. "I don't want you to spare me the pain! Let me help you carry it. I'm your partner. Your wifey. I can't stand by your side if you treat me like I'm weak. I'm not weak!"

"You're not weak." Arthur said, wrapping his arm around her. "You're one of the strongest people I know, Kelly. Not just physically, either. I was weak, not strong enough to share what happened. I'll work harder to share more with you. I promise. But please be patient with me. As your Hubby, my first instinct is to protect you, even if you don't need it. As your master and dom, I look out for your safety and happiness in every way I can. But I'll try to remember the difference between causing you pain and sharing my pain."

Kelly cried, letting Arthur hold her. Katelyn moved to her other side, squatting by the sofa and holding her hand as she broke down.

Mindy moved to hold her hand, but Kelly moved her hand away, taking Arthur's. Trying not to look hurt, Mindy returned her hand to her lap. Rani joined the coffee table, sitting next to Mindy with one arm around her, the other holding her hand over their thighs.

They let Kelly cry, holding her as she apologized repeatedly to Arthur, who held her and kissed her tears away.

"As for saying 'I love you' first, that might be on me." Arthur said. "I have powerful feelings for all of you. It's hard not to when we've done so much together. But I want to keep those feelings in check, not love bomb or overwhelm anyone. You made it clear you wanted to keep things casual until after graduation, so I didn't want to pressure you. I won't bully you to say something you might not genuinely feel."

"That's not... I mean, okay, but--" Kelly tried to gather her words, but Arthur silenced her with a finger pressing against her lips.

"Let me tell you that when you're ready, my feelings for you are not weaker than they are for anyone else in the harem. If we're not ready to say things that others are, that's okay. I asked you out, remember? My feelings are real and strong, and while this isn't the right moment to say it, they're there." Arthur said, explaining himself. It would cheapen the words if he said 'I love you,' now. No one wanted him to recite them to calm her or to apologize for hurt feelings. No. When he told Kelly he loved her, it'd be when she was ready to say it and when it would be a happy memory.

"I'll do my best to make sure you aren't left behind." Arthur said, hugging her. "I'm not leaving any of you behind. Naturally, my closeness with each of you is different, but you're still my wifey. Okay?"

Kelly nodded and pushed her forehead into Arthur's chest as he hugged her. She recovered herself as time ticked on. The others waited with them, each of them respecting the silence.

"I really am sorry for lying, Mistress." Mindy said. "Are you mad at me?"

"No." Kelly said. "I... I think you just compounded my feelings of being left out and worth less than others." She glanced at Rani, then returned her gaze to Mindy. "You made me feel foolish like you were laughing at me the whole time I thought I was introducing you to a passion of mine."

"I'm so sorry." Mindy said. "I wasn't laughing at you. I was learning about you, more than the game, and growing closer to you. We have an interest in common! And while you might not be the one to introduce me to the game, I'll definitely watch them with you and cheer beside you. Even if you sometimes cheer for the wrong team."

"Yeah." Kelly said, her voice soft. "I'd like that."

"Are we okay?" Mindy asked.

"Yeah." Kelly nodded. "We're okay."

"And we're okay?" Arthur asked, gesturing between himself and each of the girls, who smiled and nodded at him. Kelly and Selene kissed him, each taking a cheek.

"Okay." Arthur said. "That's enough heavy shit for tonight. If anyone else has an emotional payload they'd like to drop, can it wait until tomorrow?"

No one spoke up, but no one laughed either. The last few conversations had been heavy, and everyone was still recovering.

"Good, then we can move on to something fun. Who is sleeping here tonight?" Arthur asked.

Selene, Kat, Mindy, and Rani raised their hands. Katelyn and Kelly shared a glance and a silent conversation through the subtle shifts in their familiar expressions. Spend the night? Or go home and get a good night's sleep? Katelyn's arm might be a liability in a group bed, and as much as she wanted to stay, Kelly's current state required careful sleeping arrangements. However, going home wouldn't help with Kelly's fear of missing out. Polyamory and FOMO were bitter enemies.

"I want to stay." Kelly said. "But it might be best if I go back to my apartment tonight. Besides, is there even room in your bed for everyone?"

Arthur's queen-sized bed could sleep three, sometimes four, but seven was well beyond its capacity.

"We can grab my mattress." Selene said. "And I can sleep on my slave bed."

"Slave bed?" Katelyn asked.

"A pile of blankets at the foot of Master's bed." Selene explained.

"You do you." Katelyn said, upturning her hand to replace a shrug. "But I need sofa cushions at the very least."

"Such a precious princess." Rani teased.

"If we bring over our mattresses, pull Arthur's mattress out here, and move the coffee table, there should be room for all of us." Kat gestured to the empty space in the other half of the living room. "It'd be like a camp-out."

"I can bring them over." Arthur said, nodding.

"I can help." Kelly said. "I should put down a towel, I think. Or I'll take the sofa?"

"Is your flow that heavy?" Rani asked, surprised.

Kelly nodded. "I get a heavy flow the first two days, then a trickle for two, and spotting for a day. Give or take. Most of the time. Sometimes, it likes to mix things up and surprise me!"

"Uterus, you bitch." Rani spat.

Mindy giggled, her volume soft, but the normalcy of it helped the atmosphere more than she realized.

"It's not always the same?" Arthur asked, looking at Kelly. His face was a mixture of curiosity and disgust.

The girls laughed. Arthur laughed with them.

It would take time for Kelly to recover from her hurt feelings, but she was mending. Arthur also needed time to recover from the conversations, so he let the girls discuss the sleeping arrangements.

He stood and moved into the kitchen while they gestured, sizing up how to fit three mattresses together. There was enough space, and it'd be better than the blankets they used last time, but it was more work and less maneuverable.

Out of sight in the kitchen, Arthur poured himself a glass of water and leaned against the counter as he drank it. A deep breath or two later, and he felt much better.

He set his glass down and stood straight as Kat entered the kitchen. She looked at him but said nothing.

"Is everything okay--" Arthur asked, but Kat cut him off by going for a hug. She threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight. He held her and patted her back.

She remained silent, but they embraced for half a minute before she let him go. The endorphins were a nice reset.

"I need your advice on a Ren Faire costume." Kat said, ignoring the heavier conversations from before.

"Oh?" Arthur asked, surprised. "I thought you had one?"

"I do." Kat said. "Kinda. It's an Elizabethan dress, but the others are going sexy with their costumes. I'll be the odd woman out. What are you wearing?"

"Oh, uh, I promised Rani I'd wear my Tarzan costume, so I guess I'm going to be a barbarian." Arthur said, shrugging.

"A Tarzan costume?" Kat asked.

"It's... part of a couple's costume Lori and I bought from a costume shop in the city. We were going to wear it for Halloween this year, but--" He shrugged.

"Can I see it?" Kat asked, curious.

"Sure." Arthur nodded. He gestured for her to follow, and she did as he exited the kitchen and moved along the wall toward the second bedroom. A few of the girls' eyes followed him, but seeing Kat behind him, they let them be and continued talking. Their discussion on mattress arrangements had jumped from mattresses to boxing arenas, WWE wrestling, and pillow fights, of which only Selene and Rani had any genuine experience.

In the bedroom/study, Arthur showed Kat the Tarzan loincloth and held it in front of his crotch to show how little it left to the imagination.

"Wow." Kat said, eying him. "Are you sure that's long enough to cover you? Or wide enough? It tapers an awful lot."

Arthur laughed, showing her the briefs inside the loincloth. It wasn't a lot of material, but the loincloth was essentially a speedo and two flaps of jagged, tapered faux leather. He might purchase a few pieces to make it a proper Barbarian costume at the Faire. He hadn't decided yet. At least it might be a fun excuse to buy a sword.

"And is this the Jane costume?" Kat asked, pulling out the faux leather bikini. It was more modest than the loincloth, but not by much. The bikini bottoms attached to a wrapped mini-skirt with a small slit. The cropped tank top was jagged on the bottom and had only one shoulder strap, giving it a wild appearance. It wouldn't show much cleavage, but plenty of skin would be on display.

"Yeah." Arthur nodded.

"Can I wear this?" Kat asked, holding it up against her. Her figure was more of a match for Lori's than Rani's.

"Try it on." Arthur said, nodding his approval.

Kat pulled the top on first since she was already topless. The compression from the built-in bra helped, but Lori's breasts had been bigger than Kat's. She'd need padding, but that wasn't the end of the world. "If I wear a push-up under it, it might just work. It'll be loose, but nothing too bad."

Kat stepped out of the Leia bikini bottoms and pulled on the Jane bikini bottoms with their attached skirt. She brushed its backside and turned to show Arthur. The bottoms fit flawlessly. The skirt was low enough that it didn't show her butt, but the shape of her ass lifted it above mid-thigh.

It was outside Kat's comfort zone, given how she dressed, but Arthur loved it on her.

"You look great in that." Arthur said.

"Good enough to fuck?" Kat asked, glancing at his growing cock. "Well, Excalibur likes it."

"You look so good I want to tear it off you." Arthur said, smiling. "Take it off."

"Yes, Sir." Kat said. She returned his smile, which didn't help deflate his cock.

"Would you like me to take care of that for you?" She asked, pointing at his cock. "You've cum what, twice tonight? Think you're good for one more?"

"Probably." Arthur answered honestly. "But we should get the beds set up. I think a third might knock me out for the night."

Kat laughed and put her hand on his chest. "Poor, poor, Master. We run you so ragged."

"I'll run you ragged, Brat." Arthur said. "I have a nice leash. If you don't behave, I'll take you with me on my morning run."

"Good luck." Kat said, laughing. "You'd have to drag me out on that leash to get me up in the morning."

Arthur smiled, but Kat didn't rise to the challenge. She stripped off the top and the bottoms but didn't put her purple and gold bikini bottoms on again. She wiggled her butt at him as she strode into the living room. He almost smacked it, but the dark marks on her behind warned him to let her heal.

He put the costumes back in his closet and did his best not to remark on the piles of clothes littered over the floor. He supposed the girls had to put their things somewhere, but would it have killed them to fold their clothes?

Arthur returned to the living room.

"If not on the sofa, I need to sleep on the edge." Katelyn said. "On my right side."

"Just don't kick in your sleep." Kat said, warning. "There won't be room for you to sprawl, and I will push you off the bed if I have to."

"Don't be mean, I'm injured." Katelyn said, pouting.

"Milk that injury all you want. It's self-inflicted. I have no sympathy left for you." Kat said, shaking her head.

"Don't listen to her. She's a big softie, really." Rani said, throwing her arm around Kat and squeezing her. "She loves us!"

"Maybe I should sleep in my own bed tonight..." Kat said, rolling her eyes as Rani kissed her cheek.

"Don't be a Brat." Selene said. "Be a good girl. Master needs you tonight. He needs all of us."

Kat glanced at Arthur, and her expression softened.

Katelyn, missing the exchange, rolled her eyes. The group on the sofa stood, and the others moved away in a wave of people dispersing from the couch.

Selene came in for a hug, then Mindy, Kelly, Rani, and Katelyn took their turns.

"You're sure you're okay if we crash here tonight?" Katelyn asked.

Arthur nodded.

"Well, let's fetch the mattresses." Kelly said, standing up and cleaning off her face. Most of their makeup had run from their tears, but they'd fixed it and wiped it away with supplies from Kelly's purse.

Arthur trekked into his bedroom and pulled his clothes on, grabbing his keys from his dresser. The gray sweatpants and white T-shirt were comfortable. The zip-up hoodie he pulled from the hall closet matched the sweatpants.

Kelly pulled a longer coat from the closet, an old trench coat Arthur had worn as part of a costume at one point. She wrapped it around herself, over her Leia bikini bottoms, the panel skirt still visible beneath the trench coat, as she put on her shoes.

"I'll help too. Let me grab my clothes." Kat said, going into the second bedroom.

"Just put on a coat." Arthur said. "There should be a dress coat in my bedroom closet. No clothes under it."

Kat exited the second bedroom and went into his bedroom with a huff. She returned wearing a gray wool coat, tied off with a belt to keep it closed. The coat would have come to Arthur's mid-thigh and fit him well. On Kat, it was oversized and came to below her knees. Still, the buttons ended at her hips, and the belt did nothing to prevent the wind from grabbing the front flap.

"Ready?" Arthur asked.

Kat slipped her shoes on first, glaring at him but not disobeying. "If the neighbors are out there waiting for us and find out I'm naked under this, I will murder you."

"Fair." Arthur shrugged. "But you should add an honorific before Kelly spanks that too-well-spanked ass of yours."

"I will murder you, Master." Kat said. "Better?"

"The attitude could use work." Arthur shrugged. "We'll figure something out." He pointed at the door, and Kelly and Kat moved to it, waiting for him. "The rest of you behave." Arthur told them. "We'll be right back."

"I'll keep them in line, my King." Rani said, saluting, then dropping to the sofa and reclining. "Slut, fetch me some water."

Arthur chuckled, then slipped through the front door with Kat and Kelly in tow. He stepped toward the landing when Kelly stopped him and pressed something into his hand.

Arthur looked at the thin gold chain and up to Kelly to see that she'd attached the gold costume collar to her neck. Kat wore her pink collar instead of the costume's, but Kelly clipped the thin gold chain to its o-ring and offered Arthur that one, too.

Arthur looked at Kat to verify she was okay with it. She bowed her head and waited. Arthur nodded.

"Okay..." Arthur said. "Down we go."

Arthur descended the stairs from the third-floor landing to the mid-floor landing ahead. Behind him, shoulder-to-shoulder, Kelly and Kat followed in their coats with their hands in their pockets. The thin golden chains started in Arthur's right hand and ended at the collars around their throats.

Kelly's costume collar was broad and gold, matching the slave bikini bottoms she wore under her coat. Above it, her three-strand pearl choker looked regal and polished under the fluorescent lights. Kat wore her pink BDSM collar, which seemed a bolder declaration, besides her being nude under her coat. The leashes bore an arch of slack as they kept pace with their master, who checked around the corner before proceeding.

Step by step, they descended the stairs, landing by landing, with special swiftness on the second floor to avoid Arthur's downstairs neighbors. They wouldn't be a problem much longer. Still, the last thing Arthur wanted was for them to holler at him for the noise they made tonight.

It wasn't until they were on the ground floor that Kat's shoulders relaxed, even though their leashed walk was far from over.

Arthur kept his pace slow and even so as not to tug them by their leashes on the stairs. Kelly walked with her shoulders back, her hands in her pockets, her stride steady despite her heels. Kat's gate was more halting, with rapid steps to compensate as she kept beside Kelly.

Arthur opened the door and pulled it aside, passing it to Kelly as he stepped through. The October night had chilled to crisp and blustering in the sun's absence. The clouds overhead blocked the stars and moon, but the artificial lights buzzed their illumination over the asphalt parking lot, dividing the apartment buildings bordered by cars. Empty cars filled nearly every spot at this time of night.

The windows behind them were a menagerie of life and slumber. A handful were dark, others were lit behind their blinds, and a few had their blinds open to show the dioramas of apartment furniture and people. Still, others flickered with the lights of a television broadcasting its images into a dim room as inhabitants watched their evening shows or movies.

Arthur turned his gaze to his apartment windows and saw Selene and Mindy waving at them, both crouched so they didn't expose their toplessness to the world. That was, until Mindy stood, followed by Selene. Both flashed Arthur, Kat, and Kelly. They squeezed their breasts in their hands from either side, rubbed them against the windows, realized the glass was cold, and dropped out of sight, laughing.

Arthur shrugged his laugh, jostling the chain leashes in his hand, which caught Kat and Kelly's attention. They turned to see what he saw and chuckled with him. Kat raised her eyes as if trying to roll them into the back of her head. Kelly smiled a tight, restrained smile that appeared more resigned than cheerful. Arthur understood she was more focused on their walk and exposure.

Their walk through the parking lot was direct. Arthur kept them on the sidewalk between the cars and the building until it was time to cross. They watched his heels to match his pace and crossed behind him.

The night was quiet, but they'd have meager warning if someone pulled in from the road. If someone exited their building or peered out their window, they'd have no warning at all. They might not even know. Fortunately, there wasn't much to observe. Any witnesses would see a man leading two women in coats on thin golden leashes. Strange, sure, but not as embarrassing as if they weren't wearing those coats.

Kat quickened her steps behind Arthur, keeping close to him as they moved to the sidewalk once more. They approached her building's door, and Arthur opened it for them. They descended the steps to Kat's apartment, and Kat pulled her keys from her coat pocket. She turned them quickly in the handle and deadbolt before opening her door and slipping inside.

Arthur unhooked their leashes, and Kelly gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She hadn't been here before but got her bearings as the apartment layout mirrored Arthur's. His apartment was on the left of the landing, and Kat and Selene's was on the right. The bedrooms were the same, but the smaller bedroom was on the left instead of the right. Selene's bedroom door was unmistakable, with its glow-in-the-dark stars scattered on it. Kat's was blank.

Arthur stepped into Selene's room, ignoring the strange feeling of being in her room without her there. The mixture of heavy metal, anime, and nerdy posters always made him smile. The standing thrift-store mirror reflected him as he cleared her bed. He pulled the mattress off and carried it under his arm into the room. It wasn't heavy so much as unwieldy but light enough to move easily.

Kat and Kelly met him in the living room with Kat's mattress carried by the two women, who had to give the mattress more attention than their buttoned coats. Kat's coat lifted behind her like a short skirt but didn't show more than ample thigh. Still, it made Arthur's eyes linger.

He paused at the exit and put his mattress against the wall. Kelly, confused, motioned with her head for her and Kat to do the same. Kat lowered her corner first, followed by Kelly as they leaned the queen-sized mattress against the double.

Arthur hooked his finger through the O-ring on Kat's collar and pulled her to him. Surprised, she gave a soft squeak as he kissed her and wrapped her arms around him.

Kelly stepped into his embrace, holding onto his left side while Kat stood to his right. He left his hands on the small of their backs and alternated between kissing Kelly and kissing Kat. No one spoke, but they enjoyed the shared tender moment of kissing in silent seconds between them. Kat and Kelly wrapped their arms around him, layering their forearms behind him as each spread their fingers over his opposite hip.

Arthur stirred and considered removing their coats. He wanted to push further, but they had others waiting for them. As blissful as the connections felt after the heavy emotions of the evening, now wasn't the time.

Kelly kissed his neck, and Kat followed her mistress' lead. She kissed his neck on the other side, moving to her toes and pulling his shoulder down to reach.

Arthur laughed, the height differences between them making him lopsided. He squeezed them both and stopped their kisses with a hug. He held them; they held him, and silence embraced them in the empty apartment.

Arthur released his hug, and both turned their faces to him. Kelly's expression was checking to make sure he was alright. Kat's face displayed her confusion over whether they were doing something here or returning to his apartment.

Arthur assured Kelly with a kiss on her forehead, then kissed Kat's forehead and flexed his arms to give them a quick squeeze signal to end the embrace. He dropped his arms, and the girls stepped away. They tucked their leashes into their coats, putting the ends in the inside pockets. Their collars were still visible, and so was part of the chain, but they were no longer attached to Arthur. Arthur's eyes followed the chains as they disappeared into hidden cleavage.

Arthur nodded toward the mattresses, and they nodded with him. He gestured for them to take the smaller mattress, but Kat shook her head. Kat and Kelly took up the queen-sized mattress, and Arthur took the double by himself.

They paused at the landing so Kat could lock the apartment behind them. Arthur led the way up the stairs.

Carrying the mattresses out of Kat's building was the simple part. One turn, ascending one flight of stairs, and they stood in the parking lot once more. Traveling with their bounty was more difficult, but they had an easier time once they entered the lot between the cars. No more hiding behind cars. Arthur became an ant carrying a crumb, holding the mattress above his head with both hands. The girls followed his example and found it protected them from view and was easier to manage, even if theirs was far more lopsided than Arthur's.

The door to Arthur's apartment building proved difficult to open while Arthur carried a mattress, but he managed it. He propped it open so the girls walked ahead of him on the stairs. They did so, grunting at the turn on the first landing. Luckily, the mattress was bendable. It was much more difficult with a box spring or frame. He had that to look forward to during the move-out next week.

Arthur remembered how arduous moving the sofa in had been and contemplated leaving it behind when he moved out, but there was a fee attached to that. His parents furnished the house they were moving into, after all. Would they even need these beds? Should they throw them away? How much did storage cost? He made a mental note to discuss that with his mother. She had a storage unit somewhere nearby. Maybe he could stash his furniture there. Or Arthur and the harem could get a unit together. They'd need their stuff one day, right?

He hadn't thought that far ahead. Moving into the house with his girlfriends was a reality now, and soon, they'd be living together. Then Kelly graduated in the spring. Would she get a job nearby? Would she drop the facade of being together casually and want more? She wouldn't want him to give up the harem, right? No. She enjoyed the others, too. But what would she do after graduation? If she left, they could break up or try long distance.

Lori hadn't wanted to try long distance. Arthur didn't know what he'd do if Kelly didn't want a long distance relationship. Distance wouldn't help her fear of missing out or her sense of being left behind by the others. The rift would only grow as she missed out on daily experiences and life.

Arthur watched her as she led the haul of the mattress, lifting and doing most of the work while Kat helped in the ascent. Kelly smiled at him and winked. His heart skipped as she puckered her lips at him in a kiss, and his fears for the future fluttered away. They had more immediate concerns, like Lynn. She was probing for weaknesses, showing up at Selene's job. What if she appeared at Kelly's?

He wasn't worried about Lynn getting Kelly fired. He worried Kelly would beat the living shit out of Lynn and lose her job for it.

He'd stop anyone going after Kelly. Lynn had gone after Mindy, and it worked out okay. Yet guilt still gnawed at him. Arthur never should have let it get that far. Lynn had to be stopped. Rani thought Deb was the only way, but the easiest way to stop her was something he hadn't suggested to the harem. Lynn would leave them alone if Arthur gave her what she wanted. She'd back off if he promised to help her pass her classes. She'd keep her leverage, gather more, and use it, but she wouldn't cost them their jobs, parents, or social lives if he kept in line. He could make that deal: offer his help for leaving the others alone.

Or he could take the nuclear option and tell his mother the truth. Rani's frequent suggestion for the direct mother-ex-machina route made it seem simple, but there would be heavy collateral damage from such a course. It would rid the house of Lynn, but she'd still be in their lives on campus next semester. She'd take as much from them as possible. He had to figure out a way to minimize that damage. To protect his girls.

And he had to do that without giving Lynn what she wanted. As much as they loved or cared about him, they'd never forgive him for giving in to her. Besides, she wasn't telling the truth. Her remorse wasn't genuine. It couldn't be. She didn't want to be a better person or want his help and tutoring. She'd go to a tutoring center if she wanted to put the work in. No, she wanted the easy way out. And even if he wanted to do her work for her, he didn't have the time. He barely had the time to do his own homework nowadays.

Kelly stopped at the top floor landing and shifted aside. Arthur rested Selene's mattress against the railing to pull out his keys, but his door opened before he could. Kelly and Kat carried the queen inside first, and Arthur followed with the double. The girls had pushed the coffee table aside and turned it so it rested against the wall beneath the windows on the left outer wall.

A bottoms-clad Selene closed the door behind them and locked it. Rani lounged on the sofa, and Mindy stood between the living room and dining room, waiting for instructions. They'd closed the blinds. Arthur looked confused, but the flush told him where Katelyn was. They'd pulled his mattress out of the bedroom and set it in the empty section of the living room. Selene's "slave-bed" blankets rested between his mattress and the near wall.

Kat and Kelly placed her mattress beside Arthur's in front of the door. They pushed them together, so they made one gigantic bed. Arthur set Selene's double beside that, growing the length of the bed to take up the entire space of his apartment.

"We need pillows." Arthur said, surveying the scene. He had extras, but not enough. The harem had officially grown beyond his limits. "I'll be right back. Kat, give me your keys?"

She tossed her keys to him, and he caught the flying bundle of metal death with quicker reflexes than he thought he had. Not to be flashy but because he genuinely feared for his safety as the mass of spiked metal hurtled across the room.

"Sorry!" Kat said, blushing. "I didn't mean to throw it so hard."

"How many keys do you have?" Arthur asked in disbelief. He'd noticed the size before, but the weight in his hand surprised him.

"Really? You're gonna give me guff over my keys?" Kat asked, annoyed.

"That's not a keyring. That's a collection. Girl, you're a hoarder." Rani said, eyeing the mass. "You're like a dragon that collects small shiny keys."

"I just never throw any away." Kat said, frowning.

"She hoards books, too." Selene said. "Boxes and boxes of them under her bed."

"Library dragon." Rani said, nodding.

"Shut up." Kat said, rolling her eyes in her mock annoyance.

Arthur smiled. The heaviness had shifted to an undercurrent rather than a dominant atmosphere, and their banter brought a semblance of normalcy that no longer felt forced. He relaxed slightly.

"I'll be right back." He said, holding up Kat's keys.

"I'll come with you." Kelly said, trotting over to him. She'd ditched her costume collar and leash, but her three-strand pearl choker was tight against her throat. Arthur expected Kat or Selene to volunteer, but Kat shed her coat and kicked off her shoes instead.

"Pillows are in our rooms. Don't go through my stuff." Kat said, not expecting them to but making the declaration based on Rani's earlier threats.

"Oh, wait, can I come?" Rani asked, sitting up.

"We got it." Kelly said, gesturing for Rani to stay. Whatever silent conversation happened between them, Rani didn't protest. She fell back against the sofa and kicked her toes toward Arthur and Kelly at the foot of the couch as if shooing them away. Arthur didn't mind the intentional view her kick gave him up her purple panel skirt, which caused Rani to wink at him.

Kelly slipped her hand into his and squeezed. He followed her onto the landing, holding her hand as he shut the door. They descended the stairs together, comfortable in each other's presence. She stopped as they approached the ground floor, and voices drifted from the mailboxes.

The girl Arthur had spoken to before held hands with a young man as they came in from outside. They'd stopped at the mailboxes while she opened hers, and the pair turned to spot Kelly and Arthur in their descent.

The purple fabric of Kelly's panel skirt was visible below the trench coat, which otherwise covered her from shoulders to calves. She'd ditched the cuffs on her wrists and ankles before they left to retrieve the mattresses. Without knowing what it was, it looked like she was wearing a coat over a sexy dress.

The girl smiled and waved to Arthur. "Hey, neighbor."

The guy with her bucked his chin in a greeting, as one does while passing others in a hallway.

Arthur returned the gesture. "Hey."

"On your way out? It's pretty late." The girl said, noticing their coats, but whatever dress or skirt Kelly wore didn't match Arthur's sweatpants and hoodie ensemble.

Kelly shrugged. "Do we... know you?"

"Oh, sorry, I guess I never introduced myself. I'm Olivia. This is my boyfriend, Ricky." She said, gesturing to herself and the young man beside her.

"I'm Arthur." Arthur said, taking up the introductions. "This is Kelly."

"Nice to meet you." The young man said.

Kelly looked confused but nodded at the introductions.

"We had a brief run-in in the laundry room last Friday?" Olivia said, reminding Kelly of where she'd seen her before. "And Arthur and I ran into each other earlier tonight." She said, then turned to her boyfriend. "They're the ones I told you about."

"Oh." Ricky said as if understanding. Then, understanding dawned, and he gave them an open-mouthed expression. "Oh!"

Arthur didn't appreciate how his eyes lingered on Kelly and shifted his stance.

"Hey, uh..." The guy, Ricky, looked over his shoulder at Olivia, who nodded toward Arthur. "Can I, uh... talk to you sometime? When you get a chance?"

Now Arthur took his turn to appear confused. "Sure."

"Soon." Olivia said, nodding her encouragement.

"How's tonight?" Ricky asked. "We're about to go downstairs. We could put on some coffee and--"

"We're a little busy tonight." Arthur said, shaking his head.

"Oh, of course." Ricky said, his demeanor apologetic. "You guys are probably off to a rave or something."

Arthur didn't know many Wednesday night raves, but the local munch at the adult store popped into his mind. It was well over by now, though. Not that it was any of Ricky's business.

"Here, uh..." Ricky pulled his phone from his pocket, pulled up a contact page, and passed it to Arthur. "Just throw your number in there. We'll set something up. Maybe a double date or some shit."

Arthur wasn't sure what to say, but he put his number in to be polite. In the worst-case scenario, he would be moving away next week. He could always block the number and never see this guy again.

"Cool." Ricky said, as he took his phone back. "Have a good night!"

"You too..." Arthur said, still confused as he retook Kelly's hand. He and Kelly left through the door while Olivia and Ricky traipsed downstairs to her apartment.

"That was weird." Kelly said, frowning.

"Yeah." Arthur said, nodding. "They didn't give off creeper vibes or anything, right?"

"No, they seemed normal. Just... it was weird that he got your number. Weird vibes. Not creepy, but... weird." Kelly said, shrugging. "Oh well."

Arthur shrugged it off and returned his attention to the task at hand. Kat's keys hung heavy in his hoodie pocket, and crossing the parking lot was a slower experience without the thrill of the leashes to hurry them. Kelly and Arthur crossed hand-in-hand, with Kelly keeping his arm close beside and before her, her free hand hooked above his elbow, curling her fingers around his bicep.

"Think she wants to bang you?" Kelly asked, startling Arthur with the question as they approached Kat and Selene's apartment building door.

"God, I hope not." Arthur said, surprising himself with the response.

Kelly looked at him quizzically. "She wasn't ugly or anything."

Arthur shook his head. No, Olivia wasn't ugly. She was pretty average-looking. Not curvy, but not gym fit or even busty. She was college age, but Arthur didn't recognize her from campus, so she might not go to college or might attend the community college instead of Pendleton. She probably didn't live alone in the downstairs apartment, not that it mattered. Her oak-colored hair was a rich woody brown, and her eyes were a dark green hazel. Nothing about her appeared particularly striking or alluring. She might as well be the female protagonist of a young adult novel. Yet, unlike every guy in her sphere if she were that protagonist, Arthur wasn't interested.

"It's not that." Arthur said, shaking his head. "Honestly? I'm at capacity as far as girlfriends are concerned."

He had a genuine embarrassment of riches in his love life, but he was glad no one had mentioned more candidates. No more long-term girlfriends. Discussing date nights and lunch dates was enough to show him he could barely give each of them once-a-week time together, and that was without making time for himself.

"What about one-night stands, like Thalia?" Kelly asked as she followed Arthur inside.

Arthur shrugged. "I don't mind if you, Rani, or the others want to bring a girl in for a night or something. But I don't think I'm going to seek other casual partners. I prefer caring about the people I'm with, and you're enough for me."

"So you don't want to be casual?" Kelly asked as they came to the bottom of the stairs.

"It's..." Arthur hesitated as he withdrew Kat's keys. "Are you talking about you and me?" He asked, flipping through Kat's keys to find the one that looked the most like his apartment key in the hopes it was her apartment key.

"Yeah." Kelly said, not elaborating further.

"That was your stipulation, remember?" Arthur said, trying the first key and failing.

"Yeah." Kelly said as if admitting defeat. "I was worried about scaring you away, and I tried to rush things with Thalia last semester and scared her away before we even started dating."

Thalia's involvement was news to Arthur, but he didn't push for the story. It didn't matter. What mattered was why Kelly mentioned this to him. He tried the second key and unlocked the door handle. The fourth key unlocked the deadbolt, and he let them inside.

Kelly closed the door behind them.

"Do you regret being casual?" Arthur asked, pausing in Kat and Selene's living room after Kelly flipped on the lights.

"No." Kelly said, shaking her head. "Not really. If we hadn't started that way, the harem would never have happened, right? And I love those girls."

Arthur nodded, trying to catch Kelly's eyes, but she wasn't looking at him.

"I don't want to rush things." Kelly said. "And I don't want you to feel obligated to say it to me just because you said it to them. But... I have feelings for you, Arthur. Feelings beyond sex. You know?"

"I know." Arthur said, nodding. "I have them for you, too."

"Is that enough?" Kelly asked. "Can you promise you won't leave me behind or... I don't know what I'm asking."

Arthur stepped into Kelly's space and lifted her chin so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. Red veins colored the whites of her bright green eyes from crying earlier. She'd wiped her makeup away in the cleanup from her mascara tears, revealing fresh, pale skin more naked than her usual face. She was skilled with her makeup, applying it in ways that made it appear she wasn't wearing any. Her natural beauty was just as entrancing, though. The freckles on her cheeks were more prominent than ever, and Arthur's eyes dipped as he followed the constellations of her face.

He lifted his gaze to hers again, and found her staring at him. She searched his face for fear that his pause meant he didn't understand, or couldn't give her the answer she wanted.

"I promise I won't leave you behind." Arthur said. "You mean so much to me, Kelly. We're more than lovers and more than friends. We'll be living together soon, and I imagine we'll only grow closer when that happens. I won't leave you or abandon you. You're mine. My wifey. Never forget that."

Kelly threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She squeezed his ribs, and he embraced her in return. She rested her head against his collarbone, and he lifted his chin to rest it on her head. Kelly closed her eyes, and the pair swayed as if dancing to slow, gentle music.

"I'm never leaving you." Kelly said, holding him. "I'll fight your fights, and you'll fight mine. Lori really fucked up when she abandoned you, Mister."

Arthur swallowed his emotions at the words. The end of their three-year-plus-long relationship was a harsh memory to layer onto tonight. Their "mutual" breakup had been Lori's idea. She wasn't willing to deal with long distance. Her life was a series of cuts and runs, moving on from one location to the next. She preferred to cut ties. It was easier than dragging things out through a long-distance death. Those were her words bubbling in his mind.

Yet, without that pain, he wouldn't have Kelly or the others. Every piece of pain made him who he was, and honestly? He had a pretty good life on this side of things, even if he didn't know what pain might await him in the future. He couldn't worry about tomorrow, not when he had Kelly in his arms tonight.

"Yeah." Arthur said, agreeing with Kelly. "But... I'm glad she did. It brought us together, after all."

Kelly lifted her head and brought her lips to his. They kissed, and Kelly's soft lips broke apart as his lips pressed against hers. The open-mouthed kiss allowed her tongue to slide against his, and she licked with it, letting the gentle kiss blossom into something passionate. Words weren't the only method of expression available to feelings. Whatever Kelly wasn't ready to say with words, she expressed with her mouth in other ways.

Arthur held firm in the kiss, holding Kelly in his arms. She shed her coat, dropping it to the floor behind her as the heat between them flushed their faces. She didn't move to undress Arthur. They both knew sex was off the table, and they didn't have time for much anyway, but kissing? Kissing they could do.

Arthur led her by the hand to the sofa and sat. She straddled him without question, kissing him, but not grinding or rubbing herself on him the way she might have. Instead, they kissed until she lifted and slipped between his open legs. She knelt on the floor and reached for his waistband.

"We should--"

"Shh." Kelly hushed him. "Let me take care of you, Mister. Let me show you how much I care about you, and I'll help you feel so much better."

Arthur stared into her pleading eyes. The others were waiting for them and their pillows in his apartment across the lot. This was Kat and Selene's space. Kat's decision to stay behind would probably piss her off if Kelly told her what she missed. Selene would be hot and bothered when they told her. Yet he couldn't help but appreciate Kelly's desire to soothe him. He didn't have it in him to deny her, if she wanted this. Not that he wanted to deny her. The temptation of pleasure was always present, and one look at Kelly in that costume could stir a dead man to life.

Kelly's fingertips lingered in his waistband, hooked and waiting for his answer.

"Okay." Arthur said, knowing that his brain hadn't made that decision. His body wanted what she offered, and a moment alone with Kelly sounded blissful. He relaxed as she pulled his sweatpants down. She tugged, and he lifted his ass. His legs hugged her with help from the elastic waistband. Still, she didn't pull his pants off or even lower them further than she needed to for access to his manhood.

It rose to meet her, and she stroked it gently, lovingly, nestling her nose and face against the underside. She licked and kissed the tip, pushing her red lips against it. Her breasts swelled with her inhale, and her tongue widened and pressed flat against the bottom of his cockhead.

She licked, rocking her head with the motion as her wet tongue pleasured him. Her right hand grasped his cock, pumping him in slow, steady strokes. Her left hand trailed along his thigh, her fingers brushing his balls until she slid her forearm under his sweats and played with them in her hand. She squeezed his balls as she sucked the tip into her mouth, denting her cheeks with the suction. Kelly kept her head movement to a minimum as her tongue swirled over him.

"Wow." Arthur gasped. "Kelly, you're amazing."

Kelly pushed her face forward, sliding a quarter of his cock past her lips and putting him well into her mouth. She sucked, stroked, and played with him.

Arthur tightened his grip on the sofa cushions beside him and moaned. "Kelly..."

Kelly redoubled her efforts, bobbing her head in steady strokes along his cock as she moved her hand to support herself in the leaning position. Her left still played with his balls while her right hand's fingers spread over his thigh, her manicured nails making soft white dents in his flesh.

"You're so gorgeous." Arthur said, smiling at her. He put his hand on the side of her face, brushing a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. He realized most of his girlfriends proved themselves talented at blowjobs, but they each had different methods. Or maybe he just really enjoyed blowjobs. Rani was probably the worst at it, but even she improved each time. Selene and Kat seemed to have a lot of practice. Kelly had the least experience with it, but her enthusiasm and eagerness to please compensated. "Have you been practicing?"

Kelly blushed, pulling her lips off his cock to answer. Still, she kept her lips close so that her warm breath washed over his pink mushroom head with every word. "I've been watching the others whenever they blow you." She answered. She pitched her voice low and turned it sultry. The breathy voice added to the gust against his flesh, sending shivers along his spine. "They seemed so good at it, and I didn't want to fall behind."

There it was. Her fear of failure or being left behind again. It amazed Arthur he hadn't recognized it sooner, but he supposed he wouldn't have known if she hadn't mentioned it. She always seemed so tough and confident. He couldn't have known that was despite her fears rather than the absence of them. Her anxieties were unwarranted, but no one profited from being told their worries were silly. No, her concerns were valid, if not to Arthur, then to her. That was all that mattered.

"You're outpacing." Arthur said, stroking her cheek.

She nuzzled into his hand. "I enjoy my wifely duties, Sir." She said, smiling. "Do you think you have another load in you tonight?"

"It won't be a big one, but probably." Arthur answered. He didn't sound confident, but after multiple earlier orgasms, he knew if he came, it wouldn't be anything spectacular.

"That's okay." Kelly said. "I just want you to relax and finish." She kissed his dick again, guided it to her mouth with her hand, and licked it. Kelly moved her left hand, pulling his sweatpants away. She stroked him with her right hand and moved her face over his lap to suckle his balls. Kelly's tongue curled against them, licking and sucking as she played with them and pumped him. She tightened her grip on his cock as it hardened even further in her hand. Arthur's pleasure grew and contracted, but he didn't fight it. The clock hurried them. He had no shame in cumming quickly when necessary. Besides, if she kept this smoke-show of a blow job up, he wouldn't last much longer.

Arthur's world blurred at the edges, and he took a deep breath to adjust to the sensations overloading his brain.

"Cum for me, Sir." Kelly said, kissing his cock as she pumped it toward her mouth. "Be a good hubby and give me what I want." Her low, sultry voice had a heavy weight to it, confident in her desire for his cum. She licked him again, stroking the tip of his cock with her tongue pushing out of her open mouth while her fist pumped him.

Arthur's balls tightened against his body, and he felt the muscles in his legs clench as he approached the edge. "I'm about to--" His warning came too late. A shot of white hot jizz arched from the tip of his cock and overshot Kelly's open and waiting mouth. It splashed against her cheek, just beneath her eye and covered her freckles. The second shot lanced even farther, landing in the center of her forehead. The third fell short of the mark as she tried to adjust and landed on her upturned nose.

Kelly laughed, bright and melodic, as Arthur rested his head behind him and his body relaxed.

"Thank you, Sir." Kelly said. Her sultry voice made Arthur's dick twitch even as it relaxed in her hand. She closed her eyes but remained on her knees below him.

Arthur shifted, pulling his pants on. He'd fall asleep if he remained on the sofa, and they needed to return to his apartment.

"Do you want me to get you some tissues?" Arthur asked, noticing how Kelly wasn't wiping her face or moving.

"No." Kelly said. "I want to keep it."

Arthur tilted his head. "What?"

"I want to walk into the apartment with your cum on my face." Kelly said, explaining herself. "They'll go nuts." She winked at Arthur, then shifted as the cum glistened across her skin. She caught a trail of it with her finger as it slid away and sucked on her finger.

Arthur would have gone from zero to sixty-nine at the sight if he hadn't just blown again so recently. Instead, he could only shrug and let her do as she wished. If nothing else, it would add some risque fun to the journey home.

She released her finger from her lips and shifted her stance so she rocked back on her heels and stood. Stepping aside, she allowed Arthur to rise from the sofa, and waited while he fetched the pillows from the bedrooms. Two in Kat's room and one in Selene's. He checked their linen closet but found only towels and sheets. No extra pillows.

Kelly waited for him by the door, and Arthur returned within moments. He set the pillows aside, helped her put her coat on, and grabbed them again. Meanwhile, Kelly kept her head tilted, letting his seed dry.

"How does it look?" Kelly asked. "Do you like me this way?"

"Eh, you were sexier on your knees." Arthur shrugged.

Kelly laughed as she punched at his arm and missed. He stepped aside and swatted her butt with a pillow. "I'll get on my knees for you again later, Mister. Just you wait."

"I look forward to it." Arthur said. "Are you sure you're okay to walk back like that? What if we run into Olivia and Ricky again?"

Kelly shrugged. "I'm covered up in a coat and everything... Olivia's seen me in the maid outfit with your face up my skirt... worst-case scenario, she learns I returned the favor."

Arthur laughed. "Okay." He said. "But just say your safeword, and I can cover your face with something."

Kelly let that sentence hang in the air, then laughed.

Arthur laughed with her, and they left the apartment for the landing. Arthur locked up with the pillows tucked under his arms, then scooted ahead of Kelly. She followed, keeping her face tilted upward to stop his cum from running off.

He didn't know why she wanted to do this. Perhaps the evidence or declaration of their intimacy was 'marking her territory' with the girls. Or she just wanted to try something risky and fun with low stakes. It wasn't as if she were returning without her coat or strolling naked through the parking lot. Her coat covered her, but the cum on her face was a visible mark of her slutty nature, even more than her pearl choker. Selene or Mindy would love this, but Kelly was doing it first.

Setting the precedent might have more to do with her initiative than personal kink. Whatever her reasons, Arthur didn't protest. He held the door for her and carried the pillows. He walked ahead of her, keeping an eye out since she couldn't twist her head. She kept her eyes and ears open, though. Most people were home for the night. The number of lit apartments shrank every time they made this trip. Even Arthur's apartment looked dimly lit with the blinds closed.

Olivia and Ricky weren't waiting for them in the apartment building. Arthur held Kelly's hand in his left and guided her up the stairs. He clutched the three pillows under his right arm, holding them against himself as they climbed. They reached the landing, and the door opened for them as they approached.

Selene locked it behind them before rejoining Mindy on the mattresses. "Welcome back, Master and Mistress."

The others were in the living room. Selene and Mindy were on their stomachs on the mattresses, huddled over TikTok reels on Mindy's phone. Rani sat on the far end of the sofa, her laptop on her lap. Katelyn sat on the nearby corner, near Kat. Kat laid back on the mattress, her legs crossed, and a book in her hand hovered over her face. Kelly turned toward the sofa.

"What's on your--" Realization interrupted Katelyn's question, and she flinched. "Ew!" Her reaction was more automatic than genuine disgust, and it made Rani laugh.

"Did he unload on you in the bushes or something?" Rani asked, getting a good look.

"Can I lick it off?" Mindy asked, rising from the mattress and running over to see.

"You two were gone a while, but not that long." Kat said before returning her attention to her book. "Did he cum that quickly?"

"I'll lick it off if you want, Mistress." Selene said, moving into the Nadu position behind them.

Arthur tossed the pillows to the mattresses. The girls had set most of their phones charging to different outlets throughout the apartment.

"I'm going to wash it off and get ready for bed." Kelly said. "Is the bathroom free?"

"Yes, Mistress." Selene said, her head still bowed. "The rest of us have prepared ourselves for bed."

She spoke the truth. They'd removed their makeup and spruced up the place. They'd put a few things away incorrectly, but he'd fix that. They still wore the bottoms of their costumes and the cuffs, but otherwise, they seemed ready for bed. With no second bathroom, he had to wait his turn. He put the candles away properly, found his phone in the bedroom, and checked his messages.

Unknown: Hey! This is Ricky!

Unknown: I know this is a weird ask, but my girl says that your girl told her you know what you're doing with oral.

Unknown: Do you have a book you learned from or something? Or any tips? It's super gross, but now Olivia is refusing BJs until I learn.

Unknown: It's okay if not, and we're still up for a double date and shit, but that's the real reason I asked for your number.

Unknown: If this is the wrong number, please ignore.

Arthur chuckled. He wasn't sure what to make of Ricky and Olivia. They were weird, but as a proud member of the glass house community, he couldn't give them any grief for that. Still, asking a stranger for tips on how to please his girlfriend? Did this guy not know how to Google? Olivia's report must have been something impressive, even though she'd only seen a few seconds of his and Kelly's activities.

It had only been a few seconds, right?

Arthur sighed and texted him back. He was still doing that when he spotted another older notification on his phone. He jumped into his messages to see a new one from a chat he'd closed months ago. "No contact" was her request, after all.

Lori: Hey.

Arthur stared at his screen. That was it. A single message of a single word, and far too complicated to contemplate. An imaginary scream boiled in him. He wanted to freak out or crumble under the pressure. Arthur did neither. He had no spoons remaining, and was running on empty. He took a breath.

It was too much. Between his girlfriends, work, school, the Theater Club drama with Yvonne, Beth, and all the pressures of life, with Lynn sitting on top, he had no energy remaining. There was nothing left for dealing with his ex-girlfriend and whatever she wanted.

Arthur backed out of the chat and his messages app, removing the notification. He'd think of something and text her back later. Maybe. It was probably best if he didn't. He wondered what circumstances made Lori reach out, but she'd asked him not to contact her. She requested space to let them heal after their breakup. She'd made her choice. He wouldn't answer a generic greeting. If she wanted something specific, she could damn well ask him.

Arthur heard the bathroom door open, returned his phone to the charger, and took Kelly's place. His skincare routine, teeth brushing, and general wind down relaxed him for bed. The sight that greeted him when he stepped out of the bathroom woke him up again.

Kelly, Rani, Mindy, Selene, Kat, and Katelyn knelt in a semi-circle facing the door, waiting for him. They each did their best to hold the Nadu pose, which was more difficult on their mattresses.

"We wanted to get ready for bed, Master, but we thought you might want to undress us." Kelly said, explaining herself. She wasn't wearing much, but removing what she had on appealed to him. He supposed she could keep the shorts, but those costumes weren't for sleeping.

"And we had one last idea for play, if you're willing and able, my King." Rani said.

Arthur sighed. "Girls, I'm beat. I have to be up early tomorrow for my run, and it's been a long night. I've got nothing left in the tank for another session or more play."

Rani accepted his answer, but Mindy and Selene shared a frown. "You wouldn't need to do anything, Master." Mindy said. "Just lie back and enjoy."

That sounded promising. Another pick-me-up sounded enjoyable after the emotions of the evening, but Kelly had given him that. He had no expectation of another release, but they could try. Besides, it'd help take his mind off things. At the worst, it'd make Mindy and Selene happy. "Tell me the idea." Arthur said.

"We want you to wear this, Master." Selene said, lifting her hands to present a leather blindfold.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, waiting for someone to explain. Usually, he was the one putting them in blindfolds.

"Then we'll take turns sucking your uh... giving you blowjobs." Katelyn said, diverting her sentence to avoid any word Kelly might consider a cuss. "Sir."

"And you tell us who you think it is." Kat explained. Though her expression turned sharp as she continued. "If you can."

"And... what do I get if I guess correctly?" Arthur asked. The offer of the game intrigued him, but he had to know the stakes.

"A point?" Mindy asked though it sounded more like a cautious suggestion.

"You get blowjobs and, uh... whatever you want?" Rani shrugged. "We just wanna see if you can do it."

Arthur looked between them and shook his head. "And what happens if I get it wrong?"

"We didn't think this through." Mindy admitted. "We thought it'd be fun and didn't expect you to ask what the rules were!"

"We should have known better." Rani agreed. "Last girl standing, or kneeling, I suppose, gets to sleep next to you." Rani said, seizing on an idea that entered her mind.

"I'll take it." Arthur said, nodding.

"Oh, and if you get it right, that person is eliminated from the game!" Katelyn said, adding a suggestion. "Like blind man's bluff?"

"I haven't played that since I was a kid." Selene said, giggling.

"I'm okay with those rules." Kelly said, looking at the others. "Is everyone?"

They nodded, except for Arthur. His distracted attention had zoned out, imagining a game of naked blind man's bluff. Maybe they'd have a harem-only housewarming party after they moved in.

"Master?" Selene asked, catching his attention. "Do those rules work for you?"

Arthur looked at her as though he had heard nothing they'd just said.

Kat rolled her eyes. "Just put the mask on and let us blow you."

Arthur sighed with exaggerated weariness and shuffled forward. "Fiiiiine." He groaned and flopped onto the mattress.

Selene and Kat gave cries of surprise and jumped as he landed between them. He rolled over. "See? I can be a brat, too." Arthur said, poking Kat in the rib.

Selene giggled, but Kat didn't look so amused. "Such a dick." Kat said.

"That's 'you're such a dick, Sir'." Katelyn corrected her.

That made Kat laugh, and the others joined her. Arthur took the blindfold from Selene, grabbed a pillow for his head, and relaxed.

"If I fall asleep, don't take it personally." Arthur said. "I'm kinda spent."

"I won't take it personally if you fall asleep on someone else's turn." Rani assured him. "But if you fall asleep on my turn, I'm biting you awake, my King."

"Fine, fine." Arthur waved away her concern and pulled the blindfold over his eyes. "Just be gentle."

~~~

Katelyn had a sense of what she was in for when she agreed to join the harem. Saturday's test run had been eye-opening and horizon-expanding on mind-breaking levels. Then lunch with Arthur had normalized him in her eyes. He'd always been handsome. Over the years, she'd known him as the hot guy Kelly crushed on.

Then he'd distracted her from her pain over Sean, even if she'd gone about it the wrong way. He hadn't been like Sean, though. Even with Katelyn throwing herself at him, he'd been faithful to Kelly, even when he didn't have to be, and their relationship allowed him to sleep around.

Then he'd been her knight in shining armor, riding to Katelyn's rescue despite the interruption it put into Kelly's date. He'd carried her, comforted her, and been a rock with no expectations of her whatsoever. Arthur didn't brag or even mention it again. He did it because that was who he was. Not because she might reward him for his efforts.

Arthur even took care of Kat's car when Katelyn was the one who'd messed it up. That was one of the many small deeds that made him different in Katelyn's eyes.

Guys like that? They didn't exist. Men always had expectations, or if not expectations, hopes. Sean had been kind at first. Looking back on it, though, she saw the unspoken expectations for his 'good boyfriend behavior' in his gaze. Seeing her now would cause Sean's head to explode. Not only was she with another man, but she was sharing him. He'd throw a tantrum when he discovered her new relationship.

No doubt he wouldn't understand the difference between being polyamorous and cheating in a monogamous relationship. Katelyn entered this relationship with Arthur with her eyes wide open. They'd discussed everything, not only between her and him but with the others as well. Their relationship was an open book from the start, and Arthur would never lie or hide the others from her. He'd never break her trust. That was the difference between what Sean had done and what Arthur was doing now as Rani sucked his cock.

Arthur laid on the queen mattress in the center of the room with his legs spread. Kelly, Katelyn, and Kat knelt on his left. Selene and Mindy knelt on his right. Rani was on all fours between his legs, sucking his cock as though it were her favorite candy.

Katelyn's face held a nearly constant blush of pink lust tonight. Arthur was hot. His sculpted physique had lines like someone carved him from stone. He had muscles she didn't even know existed in the human physique. And his dick? It was more than she could handle.

The girls were attractive, too, in different ways. She didn't know what Arthur saw in her, but she supposed being a plus one to Kat or Kelly didn't hurt. She came with the territory as Kat's best friend and Kelly's roommate. Katelyn didn't mind if that was what it took or how it started. What mattered was what they made of it.

The blindfold across Arthur's eyes hid the upper half of his face, but his smile was ever-present. No matter how genuine his protests of exhaustion were, and Katelyn had every reason to believe him, he enjoyed this. His girls, kneeling around him, most of them wearing their Slave Leia bikinis with nothing under them and with the bras long since discarded. The toplessness didn't bother Katelyn. Her breasts were tiny compared to the others. Mindy must have been uncomfortable, though. She kept her arms under her chest as the night ticked toward the inevitable morning.

If they added hanging silks around the mattresses or hung sheets in true blanket-fort style, this might look like an actual harem. Sheets and blankets surrounded them on the floor, as did the pillows. The dimmed lights filled the room with a soft glow. Arthur hummed a pleasant tune as Rani drove her face further down his cock. She made it just past the halfway mark and choked.

She whipped her head off his cock, turned her face into the crook of her elbow, and coughed as she tried to subdue her gag reflex.

Arthur's smile flicked wider. He raised his hand from behind his head and lifted his chin. "That was Rani." He said. "Right?"

Rani looked annoyed but sighed in resignation. "Yes, my King." She lifted off the mattresses and gestured for someone to take her place.

Kelly pointed at Mindy, who smiled and crawled behind the others until she settled between Arthur's legs. She rested on her elbows and knees, putting her hands on the inside of his thighs, and swallowed his cock to the root with one forceful surge. She froze afterward, keeping her nose against his bush and holding his rigid cock in her throat.

"Show off." Rani complained, standing behind now and drinking a bottle of water.

"Mindy." Arthur said almost immediately. "Am I right?"

Mindy pulled off him and pouted. "How did you know it was me?"

"You keep trying to beat your record." Arthur said, almost laughing as he said it. "You need to vary your technique if you want to throw me off."

"Aw." Mindy's pout remained as she stepped away and took a water bottle from Rani. "Fine, I'm out." She huffed.

Kelly pointed at Kat next, and Kat crawled forward between Arthur's legs. Unlike the others, she kept her lips wrapped around the head of his cock, sucking so hard she dented her cheeks with the effort. Behind her lips, her tongue flicked at the underside of his cockhead in a motion Katelyn could only assume tickled. Arthur groaned and arched his back instead of laughing.

"Selene." Arthur said.

"Nope." Rani said. "Ha, ha."

Kat stopped what she was doing and moved aside.

"Wait, I don't get a second guess?" Arthur asked. The girls shrugged, which he couldn't see.

"Well, Mindy and I took ourselves out. So, I guess if you guess wrong, that person gets to stay in, right? Last girl standing gets to sleep with you?" Rani asked, looking between the girls. They shrugged and nodded their approval.

"We should have planned this better. We suck." Mindy said, frowning.

"Well, they do." Rani said, gesturing to those on the mattresses. The girls stifled their laughter as Arthur sighed. "Wanna make out while they keep going?"

Mindy giggled and pulled Rani into a kiss by the panel of her skirt.

Kelly pointed to Katelyn next, and she did her best. Unlike the others, her left arm was in a sling, so she had to prop herself up with one arm, which she placed at Arthur's waist. Except last weekend, her experience was with a shorter, narrower cock, so she stretched her jaw before she lowered her face toward Arthur's crotch.

She licked first, treating Arthur's cock like an ice cream cone as she tilted her head, widened her tongue, and licked from base to tip in one long stroke. She kept doing that, licking his balls after the first stroke, then pushing up and bringing her face the length of his manhood. He tasted interesting, with different flavors mingling over his skin.

"Interesting technique." Rani said as if commentating while she and Mindy took a breath.

"I admire how she includes the balls." Mindy said, cuddling into Rani as they watched. Mindy's hand drifted between Rani's legs, under her skirt.

Katelyn glanced over her shoulder at them, and Rani waved her on.

"Don't worry about us. We're just providing commentary. Think of us as ESPN or something." Rani said, grabbing an imaginary microphone. "Welcome, ladies! To the first weekly dick-sucking competition! Here we have our mystery contestant, who's focusing on an external technique, licking, more than sucking."

Selene giggled at the 'announcer voice' Rani used, making her sound like a cheesy sports commentator.

"She must be getting tired." Mindy said. "She's slowing her pace. One-armed push-ups are tough."

"Katelyn." Arthur said.

"Aw, come on!" Katelyn protested as she sat on her heels. "She gave it away."

"No, I didn't!" Mindy argued.

"You kinda did." Arthur agreed with Katelyn. "I thought it might be her, but as soon as you said one-armed, it was confirmation."

"Oh, and there's a foul on the play!" Rani said. "Excessive commentary on one of the expelled players. Let's see what the Master of the harem sentences her to for punishment."

"I hate this game." Mindy pouted, crossing her arms.

Rani laughed, and Katelyn joined her. "It's okay." Katelyn assured her. "I'm not mad."

"We should punish her, though..." Arthur said. "What do you think, Katelyn?"

"Me?" Katelyn asked, unsure how to answer. Her earlier punishment had been corner time, so... "Corner time?"

"Perfect." Rani said. "The penalty for excessive commentary. You don't get to watch the next contestant!" She pointed to the corner, and Mindy's pout puckered into something sour. Rani helped Katelyn to her feet.

Katelyn gave Mindy her best apology face. "Would you prefer something else?"

"It's a punishment! She doesn't get to choose." Rani protested. "Get in the corner now, Whore. I may not be Mistress, but I'm still the queen of Master's concubines. Don't make me look bad."

Mindy rolled her eyes but obeyed. She stepped over the mattress and stood in the corner with her hands behind her, protecting her butt in case Rani tried something.

Rani nodded at Katelyn. "Okay, you join me in the commentary. We'll give Mindy a blow-by-blow report of the next blowjob."

"Hilarious." Mindy said, though her tone didn't suggest it was.

Kelly went next, sucking Arthur's cock the same way Katelyn had before, at least to start. After a few seconds, she took more of him into her mouth before pushing him into her throat and swallowing against his length several times.

Katelyn's eyes widened. "Wow. She's going at this like a pro." Katelyn said, admiring the view as she and Rani stood behind Kelly, who covered Arthur's naked crotch with her face. Her red-haired head made a charming covering for Arthur's cock.

"Yeah, she's definitely using an advanced technique, swallowing him to the hilt. That's farther than I can usually manage, for sure." Rani said.

"Well, we've seen you choke when the going gets tough." Katelyn said, which caused Rani to snort.

"You know." Rani said in her more normal voice. "If this was a real sport, I'd watch the fuck out of it."

"Language!" Katelyn said, still teasing. "We're on the air!"

Rani laughed with her, but both fell silent as Arthur announced his next best guess.

"Kat?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, another wrong guess means we still have three contestants in this round." Rani said, returning to her announcer's voice as she skipped away. She returned with two kitchen chairs, one for her and one for Katelyn. She sat and crossed her legs as Kelly and Selene finished switching places.

Mindy remained in her corner but turned to watch now that the round had ended.

Katelyn sat beside Rani, watching intently as Selene tried an alternate technique. She bobbed her head on Arthur's cock, stroking him with her face and dipping lower inch by inch with every stroke until she had him in her throat. Selene timed her breathing well, and by the time she reached the bottom of his cock, her strokes might as well have been coming from a pistoned machine. The muscles in her back stretched as she arched her back at the bottom of the stroke, and she moaned. The red stripes from her flogging must have flushed her with the ghost of pain she enjoyed.

"That's Selene." Arthur said, his breath ragged from the onslaught of pleasure.

Selene popped off his cock with a smile and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "Yes, Master." She said, sliding away from her spot between his legs. "But... is there a reason you're not using our harem names?"

"Oh, uh... because I'm not being very dominant right now." Arthur said, shrugging as he propped himself on his elbows. He didn't remove his blindfold but looked up at a forty-five-degree angle as if looking at Selene. His eyeline flew over her head.

"That makes sense to me." Rani said, shrugging.

"I guess." Selene said, sounding defeated. Her preference for the official harem names and calling Arthur Master was clear to everyone. Selene preferred the reminder of her role and took it more seriously than Katelyn did. They each had their own tastes for it.

Kelly was less comfortable in command, but she learned. Her preference was to help Arthur and play the role of his submissive housewife. Katelyn wondered if that was her real-life end goal or just part of the game they played. Would she give up being a teacher and marry Arthur for real? What would the others say?

Rani was the most confident woman Katelyn had ever met. She was also the most brazenly sexual person, regardless of gender. Even Sean, who could be a complete pig, wasn't as explicit as Rani. She reveled in being the queen of the concubines and played up her own submission for the fun of it.

Mindy was young, naïve from what Katelyn had seen, and down for anything anyone suggested. Katelyn wondered where Mindy's need for others to like her came from and how it had led her to sexual deviancy. Her enthusiasm for the perverse was downright contagious, which was dangerous. Rani might be the most confident and sexual, but Mindy was the most aroused and eager of them. Even standing in the corner, Katelyn could tell Mindy wanted more.

Arthur returned to his stretched-out position on the mattress. He folded his hands behind his head as a pillow while Kat crawled between his legs again.

Her technique was the same one Selene used, and Katelyn watched, impressed. She knew Kat well. Possibly even better than she knew Kelly. The girl had always had a romantic and sexual streak, but here, with everyone's eyes surrounding and watching her pleasure Arthur? She gave each blow job her best effort, and damn if she wasn't good at it. Katelyn wondered how she'd learned and how often she practiced. She could have made the school team if she put half that effort into volleyball.

"Kelly?" Arthur guessed.

Rani made a buzzer noise, cupping her hands over her mouth to amplify her volume. "Wrong!" She chimed in.

Kat shuffled to change places with Kelly, but Kelly shook her head, and they stepped off the mattresses together. After a brief whispered conversation, Kelly dropped to the mattress and repeated her performance from earlier.

"Okay, that's..." Arthur hesitated, and Katelyn saw him trying to puzzle it out. They might have faked him out, having the same person go twice with a different technique, but his odds were fifty-fifty. Katelyn wasn't sure if he'd change his guess or keep it the same. "That's Kelly." Arthur decided.

"Ding ding ding!" Rani said, jumping to her feet. "That means Brat's our winner!" She grabbed Kat's wrist and raised it like a champion as she and Mindy mimicked the faint cheers of a crowd.

Selene laughed, kneeling beside them on the mattress.

A familiar knock came from below them, and everyone broke into giggles as the downstairs neighbors complained about their noise at the late hour. The broomstick against the ceiling stopped, and after no explosive stomps on the stairs followed, they relaxed.

"What do I win?" Kat asked, looking around.

Rani shrugged. "You get to sleep next to Master tonight."

"Oh, I like that." Kat said, nodding. "Yeah. I'll take that prize."

Arthur picked himself off the mattress once Kelly slid away. He stood, his cock still erect, and whipped off the blindfold. Blinking, even in the dim light of the apartment, he looked around at the girls.

"Okay girls." Arthur said. "Line up at the edge of the mattresses."

Katelyn watched as the others fell into line and then realized she was supposed to do it, too. She hopped to her feet and scrambled, moving for the end. Arthur took her hand and walked her to the far end so she stood on Kelly's left.

Arthur stood and faced them. Mindy, Rani, Selene, Kat, Kelly, and Katelyn stood left to right between him and the mattresses. He hooked his finger through Kat's collar ring and pulled her away from the lineup. They couldn't step far with the chairs. Arthur spun the chair so the back faced the mattresses. He gestured, and Kat knelt on it, her hands on the back, her knees on the seat, her legs spread to either side. She arched her back, sticking her ass toward him, and Arthur slid his hand between her legs. He rubbed her, and she closed her eyes rather than stare at Selene and Kelly.

Arthur gestured, and Selene and Kelly closed the gap that Kat left without a word. The others shuffled to keep beside them. Arthur stepped away and entered his bedroom. He returned in under a minute with a bundle of vibrators, cuffs, and ropes. He threaded ropes under the mattresses, laid out the cuffs, then walked down the line and handed a vibrator to each girl.

"Lie back." Arthur instructed, and the girls obeyed. He hopped to the other side and walked the line again. He fastened wrist cuffs together or put them on if the girls had taken them off and then fastened them. He tied Katelyn's right wrist to Kelly's left, Kelly's right wrist to Selene's left, Selene's right wrist to Rani's left, and Rani's right wrist to Mindy's left. With their arms stretched out above them, each woman formed a Y until Arthur kicked their feet apart and repeated the process, turning each of them into an X. The ropes held them in that position, forming a vertical loop that ran from the wrist cuffs, under the mattress, to their ankles.

"You remember your safe words?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, Sir!" The girls answered in chorus, and Arthur paced around them. This time, he fastened the vibrators in place, using their bottoms as necessary. Kelly's remained on the outside of her shorts but under the bikini bottoms. He slid the panel skirts aside to show the connection of each vibe against them, nestled against their lower lips and clits.

The vibrations shook through Katelyn as Arthur turned the wand on to what she assumed was its highest setting. She was wrong. She bucked her hips, humping the air as the vibrations increased with a twist at the bottom of the wand.

"Oh, fuuuuuck." Katelyn said, drawing the expletive into her moan as the vibrations broke her conscious thoughts apart.

"Language." Kelly whispered beside her as Arthur turned hers on, too.

"Sorry, Mistress." Katelyn whimpered.

Katelyn didn't have to see Arthur turn the others on. She heard the chorus of buzzing grow louder one by one as he walked the line. One by one, the others joined the chorus of pleasurable gasps, moans, and straining limbs as the vibrations pushed past their initial shock and drove them toward the edge. Katelyn squeezed her thighs together, hoping to brace against the onslaught. It forced the vibrations deeper, making her shiver and clench, driving her ponytail into the pillow behind her.

Katelyn, Kelly, Selene, Rani, and Mindy stretched out on the mattresses, breathing hard under the vibrators that pleasured them, while Arthur walked away, taking his place behind Kat. He placed his hand on her shoulder and rubbed her back. She nodded at him, and he notched himself against her.

She moaned, and her grip on the chair turned her knuckles white.

"Sir..." Kat moaned.

"Yes, Brat?" Arthur asked.

"Gags." Kat said quickly. "We need gags, or the neighbors will complain."

"What a good idea." Arthur said, pulling out of Kat and stroking the small of her back. "Go fetch them. I'll help you put them on the others."

Kat swallowed but nodded and raced to the bedroom. The different gags weren't the best for muffling noise, but she did her best to pick ones that did. Katelyn received a small pink bone-shaped gag, which she appreciated. Kat buckled it behind her head as she bent over from behind. Arthur started at the other end and kept a large red ball gag for Kat's mouth.

Katelyn and Kat made eye contact as she stood between Katelyn's feet, standing on the mattress as Arthur fastened her ball gag.

"Come on." Arthur said, pulling her away and leading her to the chair. Kat climbed onto it again. She took a deep breath, swelling her chest with air. Arthur pushed her knees apart and rubbed her from behind in slow, gentle strokes. He pleasured her as the others suffered through their pleasure below them.

Katelyn didn't mind the vibrator. The lewdness might have been strange, open, and exposed to Arthur and Kat with the others, but it was similar to things she'd done Saturday. Last Saturday had been such a wild night, but that was life in the harem. They stripped off their inhibitions at the door. Modesty? No one remembered it once the collar closed around their neck. Her body pulsed against the vibrator every time she locked eyes with Arthur. She couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips to see the lust in his eyes.

Katelyn wouldn't have minded being in Kat's place, but Kat earned her reward. It struck Katelyn as odd that she thought of Arthur's dick that way, a reward, but nothing about this situation was normal. When presented with this perverse community, she had two choices: run away or run toward it. No matter how experienced she was, they always found a new mountain to climb. She was Don Quixote, tilting at the windmills of kink with little hope of victory but hope, nonetheless.

She enjoyed herself regardless of whether she'd ever find victory over the feeling of perverse weirdness. The buzz between her legs drove her arousal into her as she opened for it. She bit the gag between her teeth and found the pressure helped to give her relief from the intensity.

That was probably the strangest aspect of it. Before Arthur, sex with Sean had been okay and even pleasurable. Yet even at the height of their pleasure, the intensity had been low. She'd thought it had been high, but she knew better now. If this was a ten, sex with Sean was a three. If this wasn't a ten, there would be more intense pleasure waiting for her in the future. She wasn't sure how to handle that.

The intensity of the vibrator between her legs threatened to shake her body apart, and her body reacted to it with no conscious effort on her part. Her closed lips opened for him, and the noise shifted as her arousal coated the vibrator.

The others took each hurdle at face value and enjoyed their challenges. She could too. She'd fit in here; she was sure of it. Katelyn turned her head to see Kelly's face turned toward her. Her forehead glistened with sweat, her red hair splayed loose behind her head. Her braid had come undone, and her hands clenched into fists above their heads. Katelyn twisted her wrist, finding Kelly's hand and grasping it. Kelly squeezed her hand, and Katelyn squeezed Kelly's in return.

Kelly moaned and shuddered. Katelyn realized it wasn't a shudder against her orgasm but through it. Kelly was cumming, and however intense the pleasure was for Katelyn, it seemed multiplied for Kelly. Maybe Arthur had made her vibe harder since it was outside her shorts? Or perhaps she was feeling everything more than Katelyn was.

Beyond her, Selene bucked as though she were fucking Arthur on the mattress above her. She moaned into her gag without restraint, and unless Katelyn was mistaken, she could make out the slick moisture of Selene's arousal coating her thighs and exposed pussy.

Above them, Kat watched them, her eyes hooded and half-open as Arthur switched from fingers to his dick, which he drove into her from behind. She braced herself against the chair, her chest flattening against its back with every thrust. She pushed back against Arthur, who had to hold the chair to keep her from rocking it as they fucked.

Mindy's high-pitched whine turned into a muffled scream as she came. She let the pleasure course through her and kept going. Katelyn's pleasure-fogged mind turned toward her safeword, not because she wanted to say it, but because she realized she had a gag in her mouth. A three-grunt signal. Right. Katelyn had to grunt three times if her mouth was full. Then he'd let her out of this.

Only, she didn't want out. She could endure more. She'd cum earlier tonight, but she was close to doing it again, and again, and again. The sporty, competitive streak in her rose to the challenge. She'd lost the blow job game, but she might win this. Honestly, she wanted to see how many high-vibration orgasms she could take. Kelly was a champion, but Katelyn? Her waifish figure and lack of endurance meant she was everyone's first bet to quit a physical challenge. Still, she wouldn't be first. She refused to be the weakest.

Katelyn lost track of who was cumming and when. Some were bigger than others. Plenty rippled through her in flutters that felt fantastic, small breaking waves between larger ones that sent her tumbling in a sea of pleasure and arousal.

The room smelled strange, but the fleeting realization left her at the next orgasm. She wondered how big the wet spot on the mattress was. Even Kelly's grip on her hand loosened, and Kelly had to be the toughest of them.

Katelyn didn't know for sure how long they lay there, enduring their pleasure. For her, the pleasure came in waves. The aftermath felt as though something was punching her in the pussy until she rode it to the next orgasm. The wand pushed each release from her without mercy or afterthought. It was a machine, and she'd surrendered herself to it at Arthur's command.

Arthur, who stood above her, fucking her best friend from behind. He had one hand on her chair and the other on the back of Kat's head. His grip kept her face pointed toward the girls spread out below them. Kat grunted and moaned. The ball gag muffled her noises as Arthur became her machine. He fucked her with as much mercy as the wand between Katelyn's legs. His own release? Arthur didn't seem capable of it, but that didn't soften him.

He was relentless, and Katelyn wondered if he was going to keep going until one of them gave the signal. Who would be first? Who would be the first to signal or beg for a break? How much pleasure could they endure?

Kelly surrendered first. She whipped her head from side to side and gave the three-beat signal with muffled screams through her gag. Arthur appeared between her legs faster than Katelyn thought possible. He turned off her vibrator and uncuffed her wrists and ankles with confusing precision.

The haze of lust still lingered over Katelyn as she came again, seeing Arthur come to her roommate's rescue. He comforted Kelly, holding her as she curled up. He looked at Katelyn and Selene, checking in on them. The ropes kept Katelyn's wrists and ankles in place after Kelly unhooked, but she had more lateral movement than before. Not that she needed it. There was nowhere to go, and he'd only restrained three of her limbs unless she counted the sling.

"Shh." Arthur comforted Kelly as he unbound her gag, and she apologized. "It's okay. You're a good girl. Good wifey." He squeezed her, letting her rock in his arms. "You did very well." He kissed her head. "I'm very proud of you."

Katelyn thought he might pull her away, but no. He laid Kelly against the mattress and pulled the pillow beneath her head. He undid her costume, pulling it away. Arthur unfastened her cuffs and pulled off the bikini bottoms, leaving her in the matching shorts she'd worn beneath the panel skirt and gold plate bikini.

He kissed her, kneeling between her and Selene, then kissed her forehead as if tucking her into bed. Arthur unclipped her choker and assured her she'd find it on the coffee table in the morning. "Good girl. Lay back. Enjoy your rest. You've earned it."

Was that what Katelyn had to look forward to? Well shit. Why was she pushing so hard to endure? Kelly had been the first to give up, and she was the most fit. Her physical endurance should have been the longest, but she wasn't feeling one hundred percent. Besides that, they'd played earlier, and it had grown late. There was no shame in admitting it was too much and putting an end to the unrelenting, intense pleasure shaking her bones.

Mindy relented next, crying out in three high-pitched whines that brought Arthur to her side. He repeated the process, turning off her vibrator and unfastening her restraints. "Such a good little whore." Arthur assured her. "Good girl." Arthur rubbed her back and wrists. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, Boss." Mindy whispered, her energy spent and gone. Arthur cared for her, brushing her hair from her face, pulling the pillow behind her, and kissing her forehead.

Rani gave in next, surprising even Katelyn. With the girls dropping off and relenting from their pleasure, Katelyn found herself distracted from her own core-quivering releases. Katelyn wanted to sleep, but she wanted to hold on if it was down to her and Selene. She wanted to surprise everyone and be the last to give in. Selene was the slut of the group, the sexual savant, and Katelyn was the newbie. The underdog. Could she defeat the champion in a test of sexual endurance?

Katelyn wouldn't have thought so when they started. She'd have bet against herself. But now? She was close to winning, even if this wasn't a stated competition. Katelyn's sense of sportsmanship didn't believe in forfeit or surrender. She squeezed her thighs again, closing her eyes at the flush of pleasure that shot through her.

Arthur waited for her or Selene to give in next. He hesitated to return to Kat, but after neither showed any sign of relenting, he did. Kat had kept herself ready for him by rubbing herself between her legs, and she moaned as he plowed into her again. He held her by her hips and rocked her back on her knees, fucking her hard and fast.

Katelyn gushed at the thought, her vibrator's noise changing at the rush of her arousal. She moaned, her eyes fluttering as her limbs twitched and spasmed through another body-wrenching orgasm. She panted, trying to catch her breath but rolling into a second orgasm without pause. Her eyes shot wide in surprise as that orgasm fluttered into a smaller third one. Then, an earth-shattering fourth surged up behind it and sent her soul to heaven. Her mind left her body, and bliss tore through every corner of her world. She screamed through the gag, but it sounded as if the noise came from someone else.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and the next thing she knew, her head rested in Arthur's lap, with him and Kat looking down at her from above. She smiled weakly at them, barely able to move her mouth enough to form words. The gag had vanished. The vibrations were gone. Her entire body floated, relaxed but battered, like she was underwater, and her eyes proved no exception. She couldn't focus. She was drunk, but she'd tasted no alcohol tonight.

"Good girl." Arthur said. "But next time, use your signal. Okay? Don't let it get that far again."

Katelyn understood he was talking to her, but she didn't know what he meant. She focused on his first two words and smiled. "Good girl," she understood. She was a good girl--his good girl--and that was all that mattered.

"Thanks." She said. "Thank you, Sir."

And that was the last thing she said before sleep took her.

~~~

"Is she okay?" Kat asked, concerned.

Arthur nodded. Katelyn was okay but down for the count. She'd fallen asleep from exhaustion, or at least, he thought she might have. He didn't blame her. He was tired, too. Falling asleep in subspace wasn't the strangest reaction to the experience, but the wake-up and recovery tomorrow would require extra care and attention.

He'd need to watch her. She was new to this, and his instincts told him to protect her. With Kelly and the others, the primal part of his brain said: Sex! With Katelyn? Primal brain said: protect. She was more fragile, as her arm in its sling confirmed. He'd check in before he went to sleep, but the snore that left her told them she was fine, if congested.

"What about you, Slut?" Arthur asked after he laid Katelyn down and adjusted her pillow. "How are you holding up?"

"I--gu--" Selene tried to speak through her gag, but both hands turned into thumbs up, and Arthur took matters into his own hands. He turned, moving into a 69 position with Selene, and knelt behind her head. Arthur pulled the ball gag from her mouth, and she groped for his cock with her tongue until she found it. He bent over her again, sliding into her throat until he brought his lips to her pussy. He removed the vibrator and let his tongue take its place.

Arthur hadn't cleaned himself off. Selene arched her back and moaned her pleasure, vibrating her throat against Arthur's cock. He grunted but shook his head. Arthur pulled his hips back, but Selene slipped her hands from her cuffs and grabbed his thighs, trying to keep him inside her mouth.

He smacked her pussy, and she released him. He spun, twisting around on one hand and landing between Selene's legs. Arthur uncuffed her ankles, and she spread wide for him. He pulled her closer to him as he stood on his knees and lifted her by her ass. His cock pushed into her, and his hands grabbed her hips.

Selene reached overhead behind her, grabbing the mattress's edge to brace herself against the movement. Arthur moved her with his hands on her ass and hips, squeezing her and fucking himself with her like she was a fleshlight.

She shivered, quivering as she came, and Arthur slowed to a stop, grunting as he fired the absolute last of his release into her. His breathing shifted, turning heavy as she clamped around him from every side, shaking as her orgasm tore through her.

"Fuck." Arthur gasped, causing a few eyes to open and look at him through their exhaustion.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Master." Selene said, smiling as he lowered her to the mattress.

"You should, Slut." Arthur said, hugging her. "You're a good girl."

"Thank you, Master." Selene said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Slut." Arthur said, wiping her hair away from her face. "Lie back."

"Yes, Master." Selene said, and relaxed against the mattress. Arthur pulled a pillow under her head. He left the brown leather choker on her throat because she grabbed his wrist when he reached for it.

She shook her head. She could sleep in it. Arthur didn't recommend it, but it was safe and he didn't have the energy to fight her.

He massaged her, rubbing her, soothing her, offering her water, and tucking her in as he had the others. Arthur kissed her forehead before he pulled the blanket over Selene.

Confusion overtook her exhaustion. "But, my slave bed." She said, pointing.

"Shh." Arthur said. "Sleep here. Sleep where I tell you, Slut."

"Yes, Master." Selene said, not protesting further. "I hear, and I obey."

"Good girl." Arthur said. He sighed and looked at Kat, the only other person awake. She sat backward in the chair behind him, exhausted. "If only it's always that easy." He said to Kat, who laughed in motion only, making no noise.

Arthur laid the collars and chokers on the table and straightened up because he couldn't help it. He checked the door locks and turned the lights to their lowest setting. Then he patted Kat's back, rousing her.

"Wait." Kat said, surveying the girls under their blankets across the three mattresses side by side. "Where do we sleep? I'm supposed to sleep next to you, remember? That's my prize."

Arthur took the last blanket and offered Kat his hand. She took it, standing from her chair with uncertainty plain on her face. He led her to the sofa and laid down. He closed his legs and patted his stomach. Kat got the hint. She didn't seem confident but lowered herself, spreading her legs around his. Her arms hugged him, and his pec acted as her pillow while the sofa arm became his headrest.

Arthur kissed the top of her head. "Good girl." He said. "You were a very good girl tonight, Kat."

Kat smiled softly and kissed his pec. "Thank you, Sir." She snuggled in as Arthur threw the blanket over them, enclosing their naked bodies together.

Silence swept over the apartment, interrupted only by the gentle sleeping noises of the women on the mattresses.

At least until Kat spoke again. "Master?"

"Yes, Brat?" Arthur asked, both of them speaking as quietly as possible.

"I know it's not the right time, but... thank you for sharing earlier about Lynn." Kat said. "With me, I mean. Even if it was with the group too, I mean... I know you wouldn't have done it if you weren't comfortable sharing it with any of us."

Arthur wasn't sure how to respond to that. So he kissed Kat's head and closed his eyes again. He might have gone overboard tonight after their blowjob game, but he felt much better. The impromptu session had been an overcorrection. Yet tying them down and making them cum until they couldn't take it anymore soothed his anxiety. The fear they wouldn't see him the same way or submit to him again faded with every muffled cry of pleasure.

He felt dominant. In control. He'd fucked Kat and brought the others pleasure until they had no energy left. The girls wanted to cheer him up, so he figured out a way and let their surrender soothe him. They'd been there for him and proved their words. They still saw him as their master. Even Kat, who usually gave him such a hard time.

His mood was lighter. He could let go of his trauma and not have to think about it again for a few days at least.

"And Master?" Kat whispered.

"Yes, Brat?" Arthur asked.

"I'm sorry she did that to you." Kat said.

Arthur froze. It wasn't an emotional statement driven from her in tears or during an intense emotional moment. No. She said it in her sleepy whispers as she drifted off to dreamland. She wanted to let him know she was there for him and supported him on a subconscious level.

That tender confession struck his heart harder than any tearful declaration of hatred toward Lynn. His determination and brave facade crumbled. The tears pressed against the corner of his eyes and slid past, trailing down his cheeks. He kissed Kat's head a third time, not trusting his voice to express his gratitude for her support and presence. Her body on his soothed and comforted him, even as his sorrow bled from him.

"Master?" Kat asked, her whisper breaking the silence once more.

"Yeah?" Arthur asked, barely able to hold himself together as Kat squeezed him in a gentle hug even as she laid on top of him.

"I--" Kat hesitated. Clearly, she wanted to say something but stopped herself when she reached to touch his hair and felt the hot tear against his cheek. She crawled forward, bringing her head to his shoulder instead of his pec, curling against Arthur as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm here for you. Whenever you need me."

Warmth seeped over Arthur under their blanket, and comfort came with it, washing him in lilting waves toward the shores of slumber. Whatever the future held, Arthur wouldn't have to face it alone. Despite his reluctance, he was beginning to agree with Rani. Perhaps sharing what he'd told them with his mother was the best course of action. And he didn't have to do it solo. If his harem supported him, he'd be strong enough to do anything.

Arthur didn't answer Kat with words. He held her, and in the safety of the dark, he cried as they held each other. They stayed that way as they fell asleep, and sleep brought him the peace only a true break from reality could. He might have had nightmares, but not with Kat there. Her defiant attitude could have frightened away any bad dream that came for him.

Instead, he dreamed of her walking hand in hand with him through a library laid out like a forest, its cylindrical bookcases standing in for the tree trunks. He had no idea what it meant, but it was a pleasant dream as she took him by the hand and showed him her favorite bookshelf trees. He didn't remember them when he woke, but book by book, she showed him her favorites, staying with him until he rejoined the waking world.