The Thaumaturge Ch. 32

Your presence is requested as an honored guest of the pride for our Midsummer Rites, which begin at sunset on June 21.

Join us at dusk, in the place where bonds are forged and broken.

Where standing is earned and lost. Where loyalty is tested.

Where the young prove themselves, and the weak are sent away.

Lauren read it twice, lips moving slightly. I knew she liked a good puzzle, so I'd brought the werelion invitation to run past her.

She tapped her fingers thoughtfully. "Hm... Where the young prove themselves... the library?"

I considered it. "I don't think so. The 'weak are sent away' part doesn't fit. And 'standing is earned and lost'? It feels like a stretch."

"Then... the admissions office?" Lauren suggested, eyes brightening. "Bonds forged -- acceptance letters. Broken -- rejections. Standing earned and lost -- scholarships, that sort of stuff. The weak are sent away -- denied admission."

I nodded, slowly. That felt right. The university's admissions building was a big, stately old thing on the edge of campus with a lawn that backed up against the woods. You could probably hold a ceremony there after hours without much trouble.

I texted Brooke.

Matt: The admissions building?

Then I set my phone down and looked at Lauren more closely.

We were in her apartment. It was early in the morning.

Her cat, Luna, had jumped up into her lap. It was looking at me -- sitting in an chair across the coffee table from her -- a little reproachfully, I thought.

Maybe I was in the cat's usual spot. Or maybe it could detect that things were weird, between Lauren and I.

But weird or not, I needed advice. Advice on a million different things. I needed to run a few things past someone who was clever and smart and analytical and good at thinking things through.

That meant Lauren. And I needed it badly enough that I wanted to talk to her even if things were weird.

"So," I said. "Um. There are a few other things I want to talk about. The succubus."

Lauren's demeanor instantly shifted to one of concern. "What's up?"

"She... she's kept visiting me in my dreams, to, y'know, feed." I took a breath. "She's, um... been pretty talkative while she does it. She... she told me why she made the deal for thirteen feedings."

Lauren was silent. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"She wasn't sure exactly how it works, but it sounds like she'll... be here. Without... without needing to be summoned."

"Fuck." She breathed the word out, and her face paled. "If she isn't summoned, isn't possessing someone, she might not end up ever going back."

"I-I figured."

"How many times has she fed on you at this point?"

"Five." I hesitated. "And she... she kind of threatened me if I deliberately withhold the feedings too much. Like she'd be pissed off, and she'll get here eventually, and..."

Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fuck. Eight more. Okay."

There was a long, silent stretch between us.

"I don't know what to tell you to do, Matt." Lauren's voice was small. "She's dangerous. I think that would be really bad."

"All I can think to do is to drag it out as long as I can without upsetting her too badly, Lauren. Give us as much time as I can. I'll get more powerful, maybe you can do some research..." I shrugged, helplessly.

"Research. Sure." There was a long beat of silence. She didn't say anything else; just sat there, quiet and small and overwhelmed.

Eventually, I spoke again. "How are you doing? Really."

She shrugged, one shoulder lifting and dropping. "It's been a lot."

"Yeah." God, there were just so many silences between me and her, now. So much we weren't discussing, so much that made us stop and say nothing. "It has."

She fiddled with the edge of a book cover, not meeting my eyes.

"Lauren, Viv-"

She cut me off. "Matt, I appreciate that you keep checking in. I do." Her voice was measured, careful. "But I think the right thing to do is focus on Stephanie and Vincent. There'll be time for unpacking feelings once we're all out of danger. We just... don't have that luxury right now. I'll be okay until we all sort it out."

I didn't think that was healthy. Compartmentalizing this hard, this long, was the kind of thing that built pressure until something cracked.

But I couldn't make her talk about it. And she wasn't wrong about the danger.

"Okay," I said, reluctantly. "But the offer's open. Whenever you want to talk."

The relief on her face was immediate and visible, like I'd just told her she didn't have to take an exam she'd been dreading. Her shoulders relaxed a half-inch, and her expression shifted from guarded to engaged.

"Good. Great. So: tell me everything about the new powers. You said you tested with Viv yesterday. Walk me through it."

The transition was so abrupt it gave me whiplash, but I rolled with it. This was more like Lauren being herself, back in research mode: sharp, incisive.

I recapped everything for her: making Viv faster, stronger, healing a cut on her arm. How it burned through power faster than with Diana, but was still more efficient than Viv casting spells on herself. How I didn't need words or gestures.

"And it feels different in each of you," I added, watching her face carefully. "In Diana, it's like a bonfire. Viv is... electric. Crackling."

"And me?" Lauren asked. Her voice was quieter.

"Stars," I said. "Little pinpoints of light. Like a constellation."

"Huh." Something shifted in her expression. She looked down at her hands, and for a moment I thought I'd said the wrong thing.

"Are... you okay?"

When she spoke, her voice was subdued. "I don't even know what my Affinity is, yet. It's like you're telling me about a part of myself I haven't met." A pause.

I opened my mouth to speak, but -- visibly rallying -- she redirected: "Okay. So you can make people faster and stronger. You can heal minor injuries. Have you tried anything more subtle or complex?"

I blinked. "Like what?"

"Reaction time. Cognitive speed. Sensory acuity." She was ticking things off on her fingers, that analytical energy back in force. "Diana's Affinity is physical enhancement, right? But 'physical' is broad. Your brain is physical. Your nervous system is physical. Can you make someone think faster? Process information more quickly? Improve their vision or hearing temporarily?"

I stared at her. "I... haven't tried any of that."

Lauren gave me a look: fond exasperation, the kind a tutor gives a bright student who hasn't done the reading. "Matt. You've had these powers for two full days, and you've only tested the most obvious applications?"

"I've been busy!" I protested. "There have been gorgons. Werelions. Succubi. PowerPoint presentations."

She snorted at that last one, but pressed on. "You need to test these things. Systematically. Which means you need to give me power so I can be a test subject. Today, ideally."

I sighed. "I can't today. I need to give some to Brooke -- I promised -- and the Midsummer Rites are tonight and I don't know what to expect. I want to make sure I've got some in the tank."

"We've got to get your well deeper. Have you figured out how to... make more conquests?"

I shook my head, slowly, suddenly feeling defensive. "Not in a way I can count on, no. I've... tried practicing a bit, but... um..."

"Have you tried to..." Lauren's face went a little pink. "Y'know, use your mouth, or hands, or..."

I'd considered it, here and there. Like the toy Diana had used. "I mean, I can. Obviously." I said the words, defensively. "But... but I don't think it'd feel like a conquest. Not if I know in my own head that I'm only using my mouth because my cock wouldn't..."

I trailed off. Because my cock wouldn't get the job done.

Lauren tilted her head to the side. "If that's true... isn't it really just about how you think about it? Couldn't you frame it differently in your own head? We really need as much power as possible."

I thought about that. Ran a hand through my hair. "I'll... I'll try. But... I'm booked up today, Lauren. Sorry."

Lauren's mouth thinned with displeasure, but she nodded slowly. "Fine. But Matt-" and here her voice took on an edge I wasn't used to hearing from her, something uncharacteristically firm, "-I need you to give me power tomorrow. First thing. I'm not asking."

I looked at her, surprised by the steel in it.

"We're going to Michelle's home on Friday," she said. "I need to build protections against Stephanie's mind magic. For all of us. I need power to do it; I can't keep running on fumes while you're... filling up werelions and attending orgies or whatever."

"It's not an orgy," I said, automatically.

"How do you know?"

"Uh..."

She waved her hand. "Never mind. It doesn't really matter. Tomorrow, Matt." Her green eyes were locked on mine. "Promise me."

"I promise. You... you can have my undivided attention tomorrow, okay? As much power as you need." I meant it. She was right -- we couldn't fuck around with Stephanie.

Lauren relaxed, fractionally. "Good. Thank you. Now go handle your werelion stuff. And for god's sake, try to actually test things with your new powers when you get a chance."

I was halfway to the werelion house when my phone buzzed.

Brooke: Better than your first guess, but no

Damn. I'd thought Lauren had made a pretty good case. Back to square one.

Matt: Okay. I'll keep thinking.

Brooke: If you don't figure it out by an hour before sunset, I'll just plan to pick you up at your place. Carry you there by the scruff of your neck like a little cub. Anyway, see you in a few!

Brooke was, clearly, enjoying lording it over me.

I pocketed my phone and kept walking.

The closer I got to fraternity row and the grassy expanse in front of the werelion house, the more I could feel a knot of tension developing between my shoulder blades. I hadn't seen Serena since Elana's, yesterday. I wasn't sure what her response to that was going to be, exactly, but I had to imagine she was either going to try to kill me, or to fuck me.

Neither prospect was especially appealing.

I didn't see Serena. Instead, I saw Lily.

Same red bikini. Same glossy black hair fanned out beneath her on a towel. Same tawny skin gleaming with some kind of oil that caught the afternoon sun.

She was lying on her back, one knee bent, eyes closed behind oversized sunglasses. A few frat guys on the sidewalk across the street had slowed their pace to a shuffle, openly staring at her.

Not that I could blame them; my body reacted before my brain had a chance to weigh in. She was just... absurdly beautiful. The red bikini did exactly what it was designed to do: made you imagine what was underneath it, while simultaneously making it clear that what was underneath it was spectacular.

I was halfway across the lawn before she lifted her sunglasses, as if she'd sensed me coming.

"Matt." That radiant smile. "Heading inside?"

"Yeah. Brooke's expecting me."

"Aw." Lily sat up, smoothly, drawing her knees toward her chest. The movement made her breasts shift appealingly in the bikini. "Are you joining the Rites tonight?"

"I am, yeah."

Something flickered across her features. "Interesting. Guests are unusual, you know. You're going with Brooke?"

"I am."

"I figured. She gets to have all the fun." She pouted.

"The Rites sounds like they're a big deal." I said, carefully ignoring not engaging on the topic of Brooke. "You're going too?"

"Oh yes. Another honored guest of the pride." There was something slightly acerbic in her tone. She stretched languidly -- another movement that made it impossible to look away from her -- and those rose to her feet, gathered her towel. "I should head inside anyway; I'll walk with you."

We fell into step together across the lawn. The frat guys across the street watched, looking aggrieved, like they were holding me personally responsible for her departure.

"So," she said, conversationally, "what do you know about the Rites?"

"Almost nothing, honestly. Brooke's been pretty tight-lipped."

"Mm. Well, this is her first. She wouldn't know much more than what anyone in the pride would tell her." Lily's eyes were thoughtful.

"Do you know what to expect?"

"I do." She smiled sideways at me. "I've attended them before; though not with this pride. Each pride handles things a little differently, but there are some commonalities. Gathering information. I could tell you everything I know."

I filed that away as one more data point about Lily: she'd been to other Rites, with other werelions. "That would be great..." I waited for the request.

"In exchange for some power," she finished, lightly. "I could use a boost before tonight. Brooke isn't the only one hoping to make a splash, you know."

"Sorry, Lily." I shook my head. "I need to make sure Brooke's ready."

Lily stopped walking, and I stopped too. She was close, close enough that I could smell that tropical-fruity scent from the oil again. She leaned toward me, rising onto her tiptoes, and her lips brushed the shell of my ear.

"You know," she whispered, her voice a warm breath, "Brooke doesn't own you. And I'm sure you could always use more... friends."

As she said it, she pressed forward just slightly. The full, soft weight of one breast compressed against my upper arm through the thin fabric of the bikini top.

My cock twitched. I was suddenly, uncomfortably hard.

Lily pulled back, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Matt."

I turned. Brooke was standing in the front doorway of the house. Arms: folded. Expression: murderous.

"Uh, hey," I said.

"Hey." Her green eyes flicked to Lily, then back to me. The word was flat.

Lily, however, was entirely unfazed. She just stretched, languidly, like a cat who'd found a sunbeam. "Hi, Brooke. Perfect timing. I was just offering to share what I know about the Rites. With both of you."

"Why would we want your help?" Brooke's voice was taut.

"Because everyone in this house knows that tonight is going to come down to you and Serena in the tournament." Lily's voice was pleasant, practical. "And Serena's gunning for you. She wants to humiliate you publicly. You'd benefit from knowing what's coming."

I watched Brooke's expression cycle through several stages: suspicion, irritation, reluctant interest.

"What's the cost?" Brooke asked, guardedly.

"Same thing I asked Matt for. A little power from him before tonight." Lily's smile was easy. "I'm hoping to make a mark tonight as well, y'know. It'd be good for me if I had more to contribute."

"Absolutely not." Brooke's voice was immediate.

Lily arched one dark eyebrow. "Matt doesn't even have to touch me. You can help him."

"How would that-" Brooke looked confused for half a second, and then her face reddened as understanding arrived. "I'm not -- no, we're not doing that."

Lily shrugged, elegant and unbothered. "That's fine. But you can't be upset when Serena's ready and you're not. Trust me when I say she's doing everything she can to make sure you lose."

The words hung in the warm afternoon air. I could see the calculation happening behind Brooke's eyes: pride warring with ambition, jealousy warring with pragmatism.

She looked at me. "What do you think?"

I studied both of them. Lily, expectant, a little impish, but mostly just looking earnest and helpful.

Brooke, jaw clenched, a territorial look simmering in her eye.

This manifestly seemed like a bad idea.

But underneath it, I could see something more important.

She wanted what Lily knew. Wanted an edge on the competition. Anything that would help her be ready, help her beat Serena in front of an audience. Improve her standing in the pride.

She wanted to win.

And this might help. Lily could help me understand whether using my new powers to help Brooke would be viewed as cheating or not.

I gave Brooke a slow, reluctant nod. "If you want, I'm game."

"Okay," Brooke said. She was tense. "But your information first, Lily."

Lily's lips curved up. "Of course. Maybe let's find somewhere private. Your room?"

"So. Spill. What do you know about the Rites?" Brooke leaned against her dresser, arms still folded, watching Lily like a hawk.

Lily was perched on the edge of Brooke's bed with casual familiarity, still in her bikini. "It starts off as a big party. Clint will welcome everyone. Guests are all introduced at the beginning, Matt-"

"I know all that," Brooke said, clearly irritated.

I didn't, but I didn't point that out.

"Alright." Lily just inclined her head patiently. "After the opening observances -- introducing the guests, honoring the pride's ancestors, acknowledging the longest day -- the combat tournament starts. It's the central event of the evening."

"What are the rules?" There was more eagerness in Brooke's question than I expected; it must be the sort of thing the pride didn't discuss openly.

"It's one-on-one, single elimination, hand-to-hand only. Elimination rules vary, but I would assume it's fought until submission or knockout. No weapons allowed."

Brooke nodded. I saw her clench one of her fists.

I thought about what I knew about knockouts and submissions in hand-to-hand combat. About Lauren's advice, about more nuanced applications of the mastery I now had over Diana's Affinity.

Would I get in trouble for using my powers, though?

"No weapons, but what about... magic?" I asked.

Lily nodded, tapped a finger against her lips. "Allowed. Some werelions are proficient with ritual hunting magic, for example; they can use that to help themselves during the combat. And obviously any power you've given Brooke is hers to use."

I hesitated. Me using my magic to enhance Brooke during the actual fights sounded like a grey area, and the last thing I wanted to do was something that pissed off Clint.

"What about help from others? Like, if, um..." I tried to formulate my thought without giving away what I could do. "Let's say Brooke got a spell from a witch that transferred any injuries she takes during her fight onto the witch."

Lily looked confused, glanced at Brooke. "Is that... something you have?"

"No." Brooke was just as nonplussed as Lily. "Why're you asking so many questions about this, Matt?"

I kept my expression neutral. "Just... trying to think of things Serena might have up her sleeve, that's all."

Lily cocked her head, turning her attention back on me. "Well, most lions wouldn't have anything like that set up for this... but I think it would be allowed. It's meant to test your mettle in single combat, but... no lion exists without a pride. Your allies contribute to your prowess, your preparation, your power -- they just can't fight your battles for you."

Brooke nodded, like that made sense to her.

Good enough, I decided. If I could, I'd find Clint for a moment, ask him more directly. If not? It sounded like this wouldn't be viewed as out-and-out cheating, more of an edge case.

"After the tournament there's a final opportunity to issue formal challenges: personal grievances, disputes over standing. These are rarer and more serious. The whole pride witnesses."

"... Can anyone issue a challenge to anyone present?" I asked.

"Yes. It's considered bad form to challenge someone who participated in the tournament, though." She gave me a playful look. "Why, looking to settle a score?"

I snorted. "No thanks. More concerned with who might challenge me."

She shrugged. "I doubt it'll be on anybody's list to pick a fight with the one thaumaturge helping the pride. Seems like a good way to get on Clint's bad side, if you ask me."

"Anything else?" I asked.

"It'll get..." Lily considered her words. "Primal, toward the end of the night, once the challenges are done. Celebratory. There's drinking, feasting. Sex. A lot of it." She gave me an even look. "It's not as structured as the fighting. Just sort of happens organically. Only consensually, obviously."

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Lily."

"One more thing." She turned her dark eyes on Brooke. "Serena pulled some of her old-money, family strings. She's got an anklet she's been showing to a few of the other girls. Inscribed silver. Magical. It sounds powerful, like it won't count as a weapon; it just makes her stronger."

"Shit," Brooke muttered. I could see it threw her off. She got a faraway, concerned look in her eyes -- like she was mentally reassessing how tonight would go, and she didn't much like how the numbers were adding up.

"You're welcome," Lily said. Then, after a beat: "Now, payment?"

Brooke shook her head like she was clearing it, pursed her lips. "Fine."

Brooke positioned herself in front of me, kneeling between my legs where I sat on the edge of her bed. Lily settled close, next to her.

"No touching him," Brooke said, voice tight. She was looking up at me, green eyes fierce with jealousy. "Like we agreed. I'll do the work, you just get some of the power."

"Right." Lily's voice was honey-smooth, innocent. "I'll just... provide some visual stimulation."

She reached behind her own back, unclasped her bikini top, and let it fall away.

I'd seen Lily's tits before -- pressed around my cock, in fact -- but the sight still hit me like a punch. Full, heavy, perfectly shaped, with golden-brown skin. Her nipples were dark, already stiff in the air-conditioned room.

Brooke's jaw tightened. She reached up, slipped both hands with shorts, and tugged them down with a practiced efficiency that said let's get this over with.

My cock sprang free, already hard. Brooke's hand closed around it immediately -- possessive, familiar.

"Wow," Lily murmured, staring. "It really is as nice as I remember."

"When did you get to see this?" Brooke's grip tightened. Not painfully, but pointedly.

I tensed up. Lily had helped me practice, once... but Brooke didn't know that. I'd tell her if she asked, probably -- but this wasn't how I wanted her to find out.

"When you showed him off in the common room the other day, remember? God, the look on Serena's face." Lily giggled. "The girl is jealous."

"Oh. Right. You were there too." Brooke relaxed. I tried to do the same.

Lily brought her hands up to her own breasts, cupping them, kneading them slowly. Not for me, exactly -- more like it felt nice, like she getting comfortable. "So lucky to have him all to yourself. You must know just what to do."

Brooke lips pursed, like she was already regretting doing this with Lily, but wasn't about to stop. "Yeah, I do."

Her hand started moving. Long, loose, fondling strokes, base to tip -- I wasn't lubricated yet, not really, so she was taking her time. After a moment, she added a second hand.

"Here, this'll help," Lily said, producing her tanning oil. Before Brooke could object, she tipped the bottle and drizzled a stream of it directly onto my shaft and Brooke's hands, the oil warm and slick and fragrant.

The effect was instantaneous. Brooke's two-fisted pumps on my big cock became something silky and obscene.

"Oh, fuck." I groaned it out before I could stop myself.

Brooke narrowed her eyes at Lily. "I would've finished him quickly without that."

"I'm sure you would have." Lily smiled blithely. "Just thought it might feel nice for him, that's all."

It felt incredible. The oil was warm -- body-temperature from sitting in the sun -- and the tropical scent of it filled the space between us. I looked down, watching as Brooke's small hands slid over me with zero resistance now; every pump felt like it was pulling me toward the edge with terrifying efficiency.

"I mean..." Lily arched her back, and with one hand, she drizzled oil onto her tits, rubbing it in. "... I love the way it feels on my body." She kneaded her breasts with both hands. I stared at the shine of her skin, the way her hands slid over them.

Jesus.

Brook growled. Actually growled, in irritation.

"So..." Lily's voice was all innocent curiosity, but I could see the glint of mischief in her eye. "I've heard thaumaturges finish pretty quick. Has that been your experience, Brooke?"

Brooke looked up at me. She tracked where I was looking: at Lily, playing with her oil-covered tits. She frowned, slightly.

"I mean, he's fast for me, yeah," Brooke said. Trying to sound authoritative -- like she was the expert on my arousal -- and a little dismissive of Lily. "But this situation is kind of weird. With you here, he might take longer."

Brooke had slowed down her strokes somewhat, like she was okay making this last longer to prove a point.

I wasn't sure that was going to help much. Not with the oil, not with Lily kneeling right there.

"Mmm. I guess it is a little unusual... am I making you uncomfortable, Matt?" Lily mused. Her dark eyes met mine.

She winked.

Fuck me. I was going to be some battleground for competition between the two of them.

I tried to think about how to take Brooke's side. "Uh... this is a bit different, yeah," I managed, neutrally.

... But I didn't sound weirded out. My voice was tight with arousal. I sounded like you'd expect a man to sound with two hot women in front of him, one who was jerking him off while the other one played with her big tits.

Brooke's frown deepened into a scowl.

Jesus Christ. Between how things had gone with Lauren and Viv, and now this -- I was swearing off doing anything with more than one woman at a time going forward, I decided. My life was complicated enough as it was.

All three of us were silent for a moment. The only sound were Brooke's hands on me, moving in slow strokes.

Then Lily giggled, again; the sound was loud in the silence. "Oh wow, he's just staring like he's dumbstruck. Do you think he's a tit man, Brooke? He seems to like mine." She glanced down at her own tits, lifting them slightly, as if presenting them. Her dark nipples were stiff, prominent.

I flushed, looked away, to Brooke.

"I don't care what he likes about you." Brooke's voice was clipped. But her eyes flicked -- just once, involuntarily -- to Lily's chest. The envy in her eyes was clear. Brooke was gorgeous. Sporty, petite, lightly muscled but perfectly proportioned...

But Lily's tits were big. Way bigger than Brooke's.

I tried to focus on anything else. The ceiling. The sound of the air conditioner. Literally anything besides the visual of Lily's perfect tits being squeezed together a foot away from my cock while Brooke's oil-slick hands worked me.

It wasn't working. The oil had made everything worse -- or better, depending on your perspective. The shine on the skin of her breasts drew my gaze, and every wet, gliding pump of Brooke's hands sent a surge through me that I could feel building toward something inevitable.

"Matt?" Lily's voice was soft, almost innocent. "You're breathing pretty hard. Are you close already?"

"He's fine," Brooke said, firmly. "He's not going to cum just from looking at your tits, okay?"

"Hm. Okay." Lily's voice was nonchalant, but her mouth curved up, amused.

I was most emphatically not fine. I was right on the edge, the pressure building in my balls, my cock throbbing in Brooke's fist. I could feel it coming -- that inevitable, building wave -- and I clenched every muscle I could think of, trying to hold it back.

Not yet. Not this fast. It'll piss Brooke off.

"You know, if you want her to stop for a second, you should just say so, Matt. No shame." Lily's voice was all friendly concern. "It must be a lot, her pumping you while my big tits are right here."

"Uh, maybe-" I got the word out, strangled. I could feel the orgasm getting closer. Her hands, slick on my cock, just felt so good. I wasn't going to last much longer.

Brooke glared, like she was daring me to continue talking. I shut up. Arguing with her in front of Lily was obviously a losing proposition.

"He doesn't need a break," Brooke snapped.

But just cumming all over the place -- which was what was about to happen -- wasn't going to serve me any better, I suspected.

"Oookay, if you're sure. I mean, you know him better. Obviously." Lily smiled. Angelically.

Then she bounced her tits.

The movement was casual, like she was adjusting her posture. Just enough motion to make them lift and fall, jiggling softly. The physics of it made it clear just how heavy and soft they were.

My cock twitched so hard at the sight that it practically jumped in Brooke's hands.

Mischief crept into Lily's smile, like she'd noticed my reaction.

She inched her body just a little bit closer... and then did it again.

She started bouncing them more rhythmically, using her hands, rocking her body, the movement's timed to Brooke's slow, steady strokes. It evoked exactly the mental image I had -- a mental image that was suddenly all I could think about -- of what it would be like to fuck Lily's curvy little body. A steady, pronounced wobble, over and over, those big tits moving each time I-

"Fuck, um, Brooke-" I looked at her, slightly panicked, trying to communicate that if she wanted this to take longer, she needed to stop, slow down, change something.

"Come on, Matt." She looked disappointed and jealous all at once. "Are you serious? Not yet-"

But she hadn't stopped. Two more pumps, both her hands running up and down my cock, and I was done.

"Fuck-" The word ripped out of me.

I came.

It happened so fast that Brooke barely had time to react. My cock erupted in her oil-slick hand.

But Lily had been expecting it; the first thick rope sprayed up between them, catching Lily square across the chest, painting a white streak between her breasts. The second went the same direction, splashing across one nipple. By the third Brooke had realized what was happening, and got her hands further up my cock, milking the rest out of me onto her.

"Oh!" Lily looked down at her chest, where my cum was slowly sliding between her tits, mingling with the sheen of tanning oil. But she didn't sound surprised; she just looked pleased. "I guess he was closer than you expected, huh?"

The magic flowed out of me into the two of them -- I could feel it splitting, some of it swirling into Brooke, some of it being absorbed by Lily.

Brooke's hands were still wrapped around me, squeezing out the last pulses. Her expression was complicated. Disappointed. Angry. Trying not to show it.

"That was fast," Lily said. "Wow, he gives a lot of power. I can feel it."

"Shut up," Brooke said, quietly.

Lily shut up. She looked between the two of us -- Brooke, all fury; me, trying to gather my composure -- and gave a small nod.

"Okay. I'll clean up in the bathroom. See you guys tonight, I suppose." She rose gracefully, grabbed her bikini top, and padded out of the room without another word. The door clicked shut behind her.

Silence.

Brooke was still kneeling, my softening cock in her cum-slick hands. She wasn't looking at me.

"Brooke-"

"Don't." The word was small. She let go of me, wiped her hands on a towel from her gym bag, stood up. Turned away.

I tucked myself back in, giving her a moment. The stab of shame that I felt was familiar -- an old companion, at this point -- but it was worse when I could see that Brooke had wanted that to be different.

"She was trying to set me off on purpose," I said, a little defensively.

"Yeah, obviously." Brooke still wasn't looking at me. "It would've been nice if you hadn't let it work."

Brooke looked hurt, maybe even a little confused, and it softened the reaction I was having. After a moment, I spoke again, more gently.

"I wouldn't have done it at all, if you hadn't wanted to."

"I know that," she snapped. "A-and I know it's not your fault you cum so fast, it's your magic. I just..."

She undid her ponytail, then gathered her hair back up and redid it, tighter than before, like that would help.

Then she took a breath. "Look, I... I just wish things were different. For once I just want something to work out for me. To come out on top. To not be the one who's new, who's a little small, who made the wrong call, who's the fucking underdog."

I could hear the raw edge of vulnerability in her voice.

"But this is how it always is for me," she muttered. "Serena's got a magical fucking anklet, and she's going to kick my ass tonight. Just like always."

I could hear the bitterness in her voice.

"I can give you more help, Brooke." I said it quietly.

She turned her attention on me. "I appreciate the offer, Matt. But I can't handle any more power," she admitted, grudgingly. "So I think you've done what you can."

I inspected Brooke. Not with my eyes; magically.

She was, indeed, brimming with my power now, full-up, to the point of it almost spilling over. That sense of a caged beast, just out of site, full of rage and violence, barely contained -- was stronger than ever.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I silently reached out with my will, and touched the magic I'd given her.

She shivered. "W-what is-"

I manipulated the power. The feeling was odd, in her -- not the feeling of stoking the flames higher in Diana, or the current running through Viv. More like... coaxing a wild animal closer.

I thought about what Lauren had said. Brooke didn't have any obvious injuries, but she was working out constantly, trained gymnastics; even with whatever supernatural constitution werelions had, if it was anything like jiu jitsu, she had to have lots of little niggling scrapes and bruises, ankles she'd tweaked, knees that twinged.

I focused on making her well. Whole. I felt the power in her diminish, very slightly.

Her eyes went wide. "Holy shit. That... that feels great. I feel great. How are you..."

"A new trick I picked up. I'll tell you how another time, it's... a long story." This, I figured, was not the moment to tell her that Diana loved me. "But the upshot is that if I'm there, watching, I can do more. I can make you stronger. Faster. I'll help you win."

Brooke stared at me.

Then she kissed me, hard. Her mouth against mine.

"Maybe I can do this. Thank you," she breathed. "Matt. Thank you."

I nodded, a little off balance from the sudden shift in her attitude.

It was more than just that, though. There was something new in her eyes, something in the way she was looking at me that made me nervous. A kind of possessive adoration. Like I was hers, in a way that went well beyond our deal, beyond the Midsummer Rites, beyond me helping her with her standing in the pride.

And I could feel it through the magic, too. That caged beast inside her wasn't calmer, exactly. But it was oriented differently now. Pointed at me. Hungry.

I hadn't gone looking for this, hadn't been trying for it. But here it was anyway: a woman looking at me like I was the center of her world. Maybe it was just gratitude from someone who didn't receive much from others, who was on the bottom rung of the pride's totem pole and nobody else had ever reached out to give her a hand up.

But maybe it was something that could become love.

Which brought to mind Diana's voice. Quiet, intense, absolute.

If you tell somebody else that you love them before you say it to me, it will fucking destroy me.

I wasn't in love with Brooke. I knew that much.

But if Diana saw the expression on Brooke's face right now, I wasn't sure how much that would matter.

"I... should go take care of a few things before tonight, Brooke."

"Okay," she agreed, readily. "I'll... I'll see you later on. Text me if you have other guesses on where it's happening; if you can't figure out the location, I'll come pick you up." There was no teasing in her voice when she said it. She was vibrating now, the barely-contained excitement of a competitor looking forward to what was ahead.

I left.

As I walked away from the house, Elana's voice drifted through my head, unbidden: the thaumaturges who grow to power and last a while appreciate how delicate this is; they tread carefully and thoughtfully, knowing that every new relationship, each step further down a path, adds complexity to their lives.

I was starting to get worried that I hadn't been treading carefully enough.