Shadowborn

Chapter Eighty – The Great Bed of House Nocht

By the time we reach the manor, my head is still spinning. It felt like every time we got a few answers we earned a shitload of questions to balance things out. Poor Katerina looked like she wasn’t having any better of a time. I almost envied the simplicity of Jayme’s role. Protect Katerina, that’s it.

Her reaction when we’d entered the lower quarter had been one of surprise. Not that we’d entered the lower quarter, but rather how different this part of the city was compared to the royal quarter. Rolar, bless his heart, had a tendency to lean towards overprotective, which meant this was probably her first time so far from home. She certainly drank in our surroundings easily enough, clinging to Jayme so she didn’t have to worry as much about where she was walking.

I’d chuckled at her reaction to the manor itself. I’d always cared more for form than function, so the exterior of the building still left a lot to be desired. That was honestly preferable for me though, since that meant all the lovely spies that had been peeking in on my affairs over the last few weeks would report to their masters that I was weaker than I seemed.

But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little pleased when her skeptical expression fell away to be replaced by one of impressed curiosity. It was well lit with enchanted sconces, the walls were no longer decrepit and dust covered, the floor was either polished or covered in plush carpet, and the temperature inside was warm and pleasant compared to the cool, early spring weather outside.

Servants beamed at me, and I was pretty sure I saw Sani, the Nekomata we’d freed from the bandits, vanish deeper into the house. No doubt informing one of my women about my return. Serena and I led our charges past the entry hall and into the main hall. Karina chewed her lip viciously, searching the face of every servant we came across carefully, no doubt trying to figure out what exactly her future held as a part of my household.

And, for the most part, I couldn’t have asked for a better reception. Most of the servants we came across gave me warm, if not timid, smiles and courteous bows. A few had a bit more skittish reactions, but nothing that indicated I was at all similar to what seemed to be the norm in this city when it came to Patrons. Some of our newest arrivals treated me with thinly veiled hostility or mistrust, but it was my opinion that those were the ones to seal the deal. That they felt comfortable enough to react in such a way meant I wasn’t forcing the others to smile warmly at Karina, welcoming her to the household like it was a good thing her freedoms had been taken away from her.

Though she did jump half a foot in the air and duck behind Jayme when the library doors exploded open and a wolf that stood nearly as tall as me burst into the hall.

“Zaren!” Rhallani shouted, riding Fang sidesaddle as he skidded to a stop next to us. Before I could even formulate a response, she’d hurled herself off Fang’s back and straight onto me. Legs wrapped around my waist and fingers sank into my hair an instand before lips crashed into mine. After she’d gotten a quick taste of every part of my mouth, she pulled back. “You owe me so many orgasms.”

Since my brain was still quite exhausted, I didn’t even come close to managing a response before Safina came jogging over from out of the library with a wide grin on her face. “Easy, girl, let’s not go giving the newbies the wrong idea,” she said as she grabbed Rhallani under the arms. Rhallani resisted, latched onto me stubbornly, until Safina stepped close enough that Rhallani was sandwiched between us.

A full body shudder passed through Rhallani. Then, like a cat grabbed by its nape, her limbs went limp and she allowed Safina to pull her off me and set her on her feet. I couldn’t help but notice neither made any move to separate after, or that Safina’s grin widened as she stood with her hands on Rhallani’s shoulders.
I ran my hand through my hair with a chuckle, trying to tame it a little after Rhallani made a mess of it.

“Rhallani, Safina, this is Karina and Jayme. Karina, Jayme, meet Rhallani and Safina. Rhallani is one of my partners, and Safina is quickly becoming one of my most trusted members of the household.”

Safina’s cheeks darkened, her tail sweeping behind her hard enough to elicit a yelp from Fang when it smacked one of his legs. Karina made a sputtering sound. “Partners? As in—” Then she clamped a hand over her mouth.

Rhallani, shocking nobody, immediately zeroed in on the gorgeous, blushing Seelie. I fought a groan as fire lit behind her eyes. She leaned back into Safina, placing a hand on one of the Half-dragon’s massive ones. “Yep, been with him since he saved my life and made most of my dreams come true. One of five. Three humans, two demi-humans. For now, at least. We all agree there’s more than enough room for more.”

With a sigh, Safina tossed Rhallani over her shoulder. “Sorry, boss, she’s in a mood.”

“Safina!” Rhallani said, kicking for everything she was worth (and barely even affecting Safina’s balance in the process). “Put me down! I’m not done yet!”

“Hush, you,” Safina said, swatting Rhallani’s rear. Immediately the Arelim’s legs locked and she went completely still. Safina glanced at her hand like she was just as surprised as the rest of us, but recovered quickly. “I’ll take her back to the library, but you should definitely come speak with her as soon as you’re able.”

She turned and strode off with a limp Rhallani still draped over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but I was pretty sure I heard Rhallani mumble something about doing it again. Fang gave me a sloppy lick that left my hair sticking up and plodded after them.

I ran a hand over my face, pointing a finger at Serena’s bemused expression. “Don’t you start,” I warned.

“I wasn’t going to say a thing,” she lied through her perfect teeth.

“Is that,” Karina squeaked from behind Jayme, “normal?”

“Not much around here is normal,” I admitted, wiping Fang’s slobber from my face. “Unfortunately, my tastes seem to lean towards the more…” I looked pointedly at Serena, “eccentric.”

She elbowed me, though she was smiling. Then, like she’d just been waiting for us to finish, Liana practically materialized at my elbow. “Welcome home, sir. I take it we have a new arrival, then?”

“Katerina, yes. And Jayme is one of the king’s guard, but she’s been assigned to us for now. Katerina, Liana is the head servant around here.”

Liana bowed deeply. “Anything you need, I’ll do my best to acquire. Lord Zaren gives me plenty of leeway to make sure everyone is happy and healthy, so if there are ever any issues please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Katerina straightened. “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’d like to get to my sleeping quarters, wherever they might be. It’s been a day.”

I could see the truth of her words in her face. The tightness around her eyes and the way she was expertly hiding her hands from view tipped me off. I pursed my lips, then came to a quick decision. “Put her up in our wing, Liana. Karina here is a bit of a special case.”

Karina’s eyes flicked to me. “Keeping me close?”

I nodded. “I very much doubt anything would happen, but in the event it does I’d rather you be sleeping near the more combat ready members of my household.”

Liana clasped her hands in front of her. “I can give her the room opposite Safina and Valith. She’d have Nariko as a neighbor, and we both know nothing gets past her.”

“Will I be sharing?” Karina asked.

Liana flashed a warm smile. “If you’d like, I’m sure we could find someone. If you’d prefer a room to yourself, then we have the space for that as well.”

“Can Jayme room with me?” she blurted.

Liana’s eyes flicked to the warrior, then to me. I inclined my head slightly, and she said, “That shouldn’t be a problem in the slightest. I’ll have a second bed brought up by the time dinner’s ready. You can both get settled in, then I can give you the tour and explain how things work around here.”

Karina’s shoulders sagged with relief and she leaned on her friend. “Then lead the way.” She took a few steps and paused, then turned to me almost reluctantly. “Thanks,” she mumbled, “for not selling me. Or handing me over to that dickweed Serrick.” She wrapped her arms around her middle. “You’re not a complete prick so far, so yeah.”

I chuckled, something in me settling. “Thanks for trusting me back there. I get that this whole situation isn’t anywhere close to what you wanted, but hopefully we can work out an arrangement that doesn’t leave you miserable.”

She nodded. “I’ll see you around then, sir.”

“Just Zaren is fine,” I said before I could stop myself. Her silver eyes searched mine, then she nodded. “Zaren, then.” Then she smirked. “You’d better go. Apparently you’ve got orgasms to dish out.”

Roaring laughter took me by surprise. She jumped slightly, but her lips curved upward ever so slightly. “Story of my life,” I told her once I’d gotten my laughter under control.

She blushed, then turned to follow Liana. I watched her go, both surprised and oddly pleased when she looked back over her shoulder before they were out of sight completely. After they were gone, I rubbed my face with both hands.

“So, what are the odds Rhallani actually makes it to anything sex-related before she gets distracted by your tattoo?” I asked Serena.

She chuckled, linking her arm in mine. “Even enough that I wouldn’t feel confident placing bets.” She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed my cheek. “I’ll go find Jack, Tiana, and Noelle and bring them up to speed, you go see what our Arelim needs.”

I smirked. “Our Arelim, huh? I like the sound of that.” I tipped her chin up to claim her lips, then we split up.
The library still had a sadly small amount of books, but I knew Rhallani was planning to take a sack of coin into town tomorrow to remedy that. She’d bought more than a few on her shopping trips, but I knew it was still nowhere near enough for her. She craved a giant room with books stretching as far as the eye could see, and I wanted nothing more than to satisfy that craving for her.

I entered the library, half expecting Rhallani to already be nude, only to stop in surprise. Rhallani had her nose predictably buried in a book where she sat crosslegged on the ground surrounded by thick tomes. She sat between Safina’s legs while the Half-dragon braided her hair, a book out on her lap and her tongue trapped between her teeth in an expression of concentration that was far too adorable for a massive, badass woman like herself.

She looked up when the door closed behind me and smiled wide. “I’m learning to braid!”

I chuckled, picking my way over scattered books to look over her work. “Looks like you’re a quick study.” She hid her face again in a way that made me want to absolutely heap more praise on her, but judging from Rhallani’s outburst we had bigger fish to fry. “So, Angel, orgasms?”

I knew she was in her focused state when she didn’t immediately jump my bones. Her glazed eyes snapped shut and a small groan slipped past her lips. She swayed slightly, but before she could topple Safina pulled Rhallani back into her lap like this wasn’t the first time it had happened.

“Oh good, now that Zaren is here you can take a much needed break,” Safina said pointedly, shifting away from the books and bringing Rhallani with her.

Rhallani blinked for several seconds, pulling her new braid over her shoulder and running her fingers along it in a daze, then finally focused on me and grinned. “I hit twenty-five!”

I grinned right back. “Congratulations! Sounds like we have reason to celebrate then. Don’t leave me hanging, I need details.”

She beamed, but then her expression fell. “One of my options was Smutty Scholar,” she said with a huff.
“How can a Scholar be smutty?” I mused.

She threw her hands up. “I don’t know! I was so excited to find out, too,” she said with a pout, sticking her bottom lip out.

My brows raised in surprise. “You didn’t take it?”

“Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p’. She tried to reach for a book covertly, but Safina slapped her hand without looking. “My other option was Zaverrian Runeweaver.”

I leaned forward. “I’ve heard of Runesmiths and Runeforgers, but never a Runeweaver. And what the fuck does Zaverrian mean?”

She threw her hands up dramatically. “I don’t know!” she cried, slumping against a far-too-amused Safina. “I’ve poured through the Compendium, I’ve searched all the books we have, and I’ve used my focused state to try and come up with something. Anything. I’ve got fuck all.”

I pursed my lips. “Your new core skill?”

“[Weaver of Runes],” she rattles off, her eyes going unfocused. “‘My understanding of the runic language makes it easier to craft complex arrays from runes of differing purpose.’ Super fucking cool, but doesn’t give me a lot to work with here.” She rubbed her temples with a wince. “Gotta say, after my level twenty-four skill, [Master of Tongues], had nothing to do with actual tongues and everything to do with languages, I was really hoping for a bone this time.”

She pushed herself to her feet, somewhat unsteadily, and reached for her skirt. “Now that you’re here, you can fuck my ass and I can see if I can come up with something I haven’t thought of.”

Before I could so much as respond, Safina’s arms wrapped around Rhallani’s waist and yanked her back down into her lap with a squeak. “No!” she snarled. “Rhallani’s pushed herself too hard with too many focused states. She needs rest.”

Rhallani’s mouth hung open in surprise, and I couldn’t stifle a laugh. “You heard the woman, you’re on a mandated break from using your [Filled Focus] skill.”

“But—” Rhallani protested.

“No buts!” Safina cut her off. Then, in one fluid movement, Safina had flipped Rhallani so that she was face down over the Half-dragon’s knees. Rhallani let out another surprised squeak that turned into a guttural moan as Safina’s hand disappeared under her skirt, coming away with a sizable buttplug with a pop. “And you can fill yours again after dinner, not a second sooner!”

From the way her eyes rolled back, I was pretty sure Rhallani was in the middle of an orgasm, but the point was driven home. Safina, her protective instincts now sated, looked to the plug in her hands. Her eyes turned to saucers and her cheeks and neck turned darker than I’d ever seen it.

She only grew more flustered when Rhallani managed to pick her head up. “F-fine,” she ground out, “but you gotta put it back later.”

Safina just gaped, clearly unsure what to do with the plug in her hand. Finally, she pocketed it and stood with a limp Rhallani tucked under her arm, her rear pointed towards me. “I’ll take her to your room so she can get some rest. She’s convinced she’s on the cusp of a breakthrough, so she’s been shirking sleep in favor of her studies.” She patted Rhallani’s ass a few times to punctuate her point, then froze when she realized what she was doing.

I stifled another laugh. “Probably a good idea. And she’s a wily one. I’ve found the only surefire way to keep her from sneaking off to study is to make sure I’m holding onto her when I fall asleep. She’s a clinger when she’s out, so she won’t go anywhere.”

Rhallani’s limbs locked again and Safina’s eyes went wide. “I’m sure she wouldn’t want me taking up all the bed space. I can’t imagine it would be all that comfortable.”

I stood and put a hand on her arm. “Safina, I can promise Rhallani isn’t going to complain.”

Safina shifted from foot to foot. “Miss Wan did say dragons often slept piled together with their clutches…”
“There, see?” I said, giving her another pat. “You can make sure Rhallani’s getting good sleep and satisfy those draconic instincts in the process. Two birds, one stone, right?”

Something flashed in her cobalt eyes and she nodded, more to herself than to me. “Right. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I’ll make sure she gets rest, then bring her down for dinner. Thank you, sir.”

She spun around and marched out with a spring in her step, and as she left Rhallani mouthed a silent I love you so fucking much at me behind her back. I shot a wink at her, then they were gone. The second they were out of sight, all my exhaustion hit me at once.

Suddenly the thought of standing seemed like too much. I wanted to seek out my girls, but I wanted to just sit even more. I stumbled my way over to one of the plush armchairs we’d drug into the corner of the library and sank into it, letting the chair devour my form. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, just letting the craziness of the day wash over me.

After spending a month and a half just traveling to the capital and spending every day since then just trying to get something so simple as a home base squared away, I was pooped. My spies had made plenty of progress, which meant they weren’t spending all their time away from the manor. We had beds in all the rooms, enough servants to keep the house operating without running anyone ragged, and all the little things like food and supplies taken care of. Not only that, but both of the encounters I’d been dreading were out of the way and done with.

I let the frankly ridiculous events of the day flow through my mind, going over each one and filing away everything that might have been important. At some point I must have started to doze, because I was suddenly aware of hands gently unbuckling my belt. Still half-asleep, I left my eyes closed and my head tipped back as small, callused hands fished my cock out of my pants. With one working the shaft and the other reaching down to fondle my balls, I was hard in no time.

A soft groan slipped out of me when lips closed around my erection, followed by a louder one when my mysterious cocksucker took me all the way to the base in one go. One hand gently kneaded the sac while the owner of the soft, plump lips and slick fiery tongue started bobbing up and down. They slurped and sucked at my length, and it wasn’t long before I heard the unmistakable sound of fingers vigorously plunging into a dripping pussy.

“Fuck,” I moaned, reaching out to sink my hands in their hair. I knew the second I touched long locks it was too long to be Noelle, and I doubted Rhallani had voluntarily escaped Safina’s clutches. The hands were too small to be Serena or Tiana, and since I didn’t feel like my cock was about to be seared off my body I figured it wasn’t Jack quickly sending me hurtling towards bliss.

Then my questing hands hit something I didn’t understand at first. Something on my partner’s head covered in soft fur. They moaned when I squeezed the fluffy protrusion, and I recognized the voice. My eyes shot open to see Tsuki, her own golden gaze locked on mine as she stilled, waiting to see my reaction. Her face was flushed and she was panting even with the head of my cock resting on her tongue, her other hand planted firmly between her legs while her tail flicked behind her.

I shifted my hand down to palm her cheek and she leaned into my touch without letting me slip free of her lips. Then I curved my fingers around the back of her head and gently pushed her further down my length. It was all the encouragement she needed as she resumed her sloppy, needy blowjob. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her lids drifted closed, but she just slammed me further down her throat as climax rolled through her.

“Fuck, Tsuki, I’m gonna—”

That was all I got out before she started slamming her head down even harder than before, a choked noise slipping out of her every time my cock head hit the back of her throat, but she was determined to take the entirety of my length with every stroke even as tears streamed down her face. My head fell back and my hips bucked as I came. My first shot filled her mouth, then she shoved me as far down her throat as she could manage. Fuck, I felt like I was cumming straight into her stomach with how hard she pressed her face into my pelvis.

Just when I was certain I’d have to pull her off for fear she’d pass out, she finally slid my cock free and sat back on her haunches, heaving as she stared at the line of drool that connected her lips to the head of my softening erection.

She stared at me, her chest heaving in nothing but one of my shirts, uncertainty in her eyes. I cupped her cheek again and her eyes fluttered closed, pressing into my palm. I used the hand to guide her up my body. Her hands slid under my shirt, pushing it up so she could run her palms across the flesh of my chest. She dragged her face close enough that her nose was touching, inhaling deeply the entire time.

When she finally reached me, her legs on either side of my lap, her knees sinking into the armchair below me, she sank her nose into my neck, letting out a whimper. I ran my hands down her sides then back up, pressing the back of her head into me. She melted in my lap, pressing every inch of her body to mine. My half-hard erection scraped against bare pussy lips that dripped with arousal, telling me she was only wearing my shirt.

“Tsuki?” I asked.

She moaned, rubbing her body against mine. “I thought I had another week or two, but it seems my heat started early,” she panted.

I slid a hand down to cup her ass and she groaned, grinding her lower lips along my shaft. I angled her hips so that the head scraped across her clit and she bucked into me. “I told you before that I’d rather you come to me than be forced to find someone else by your urges. Say the word and I’ll take care of you.”

She whimpered again. “It’s not as bad this time, so I was just going to ride it out, but then I figured if I took care of things this time then next time wouldn’t be bad either.”

“Not a bad plan,” I said directly into her ear, sending a shiver down her body. I slid a hand under the shirt, running it up her smooth flesh I’d seen so many times since she’d taken to sleeping naked on the last leg of our journey. I was already hard enough for a round two, something she was very aware of judging by the way she ground against me. “And my shirt?”

She lifted herself, bucking her hips every time my cock pressed against her clit. “I thought your scent might take the edge off. I was wrong. So very wrong. Please, Zaren. Please help me.”

First I slid the shirt upward. She whimpered, but I just leaned forward to nibble where her jaw met her neck. “Surely the scent is better straight from the source?” She nodded eagerly, and I helped her line up properly at last.

I’d barely slipped past her outer lips before her hips were slamming down, burying the entirety of my length inside her in one single move. Fuck she was ready for me. Hot and slick and already clenching around me deliciously. Another whimper slipped past her throat as she started riding me as hard as her limbs would allow. Her head fell back and I captured her nipple between my teeth, earning a loud cry of pleasure.

I slid my hands up her thighs, one thumb covering her clit while my other hand grabbed her ass and used the toned muscle there to guide her, tilting her hips so that I hit all her most sensitive spots while I thrust up into her. It wasn’t long before climax was ripping through her. She screamed, her head thrown back, then collapsed forward. Her head fell to my shoulder, her body convulsing, but I tilted her chin up and gently pressed my lips to hers.

Her eyes went wide and her body went rigid. I pulled away, afraid I’d crossed a line, but then she was on me. The library was filled with the sounds of our flesh meeting as her tongue slipped past my lips, eagerly exploring my mouth. I cupped a hand behind her head while the other continued to guide her hips up and down.

She whimpered again as her hands pulled at my shirt. I chuckled when she made small sounds of protest as I pulled away enough to remove the article. “Hard to remove a shirt when our lips are locked like that.”

An angry growl slipped past her lips, but it was replaced by a pleased sound as her lips fell to my chest, kissing and nipping flesh wherever she could reach without slowing down her hips. She picked up speed, and I felt her walls starting to flutter right about the time she fell forward onto my chest, her nails digging into my skin and her eyes closed. I wrapped my arms around her and started slamming into her with all the force our positions allowed me, fucking her right through her orgasm until I was spilling inside her with a groan.

I held her tight to my chest until the aftershocks were done with her, then gently lifted her off my cock. I tucked her into me, stroking her hair and letting her curl into my arms. She pressed herself against me, moaning. “More,” she groaned. “I need more. I need you to breed me.”

Fuck me if my cock didn’t leap to attention at those words, but that was something to unpack at a way later date. I turned her face towards me again and gave her a quick kiss. “Do you trust me?” She nodded. “Do you want me to make you feel good?”

She hooked a hand around my neck and dragged herself into a sitting position, looking at me with fire in her golden eyes. “I want you to fuck me until I can’t walk any more.”

“I think I can manage that.”

I stood, then dropped her into the chair I’d vacated, her body sideways and one leg hitched over the armrest.

She looked up at me with heated eyes and her tail swishing happily. I grabbed her tail, pulling her hips towards me, and she let out a throaty moan. One that melded into a cry of ecstasy as I plunged into her once again.

When Jack and Tiana finally came looking for us, I had Tsuki bent over the back of the chair with her knees in the seat and was fucking her from behind. I’d filled her up half a dozen times, and I’d long stopped counting her own orgasms. She’d lost the ability to form words a while ago, but if I stopped fucking her she growled at me. Always eager to please, I kept slamming into her dripping pussy and drawing out the most delicious sounds each time our hips met.

Both of my other women paused with open mouths, and I made the mistake of stilling my hips. Tsuki growled again, lifting her head and looking at me over her shoulder. Biting back a chuckle, I resumed pounding her while the other two approached with knowing grins.

“Definitely don’t let us interrupt,” Jack said, throwing her arm over my shoulder and caressing Tsuki’s ass.

Tiana gathered Tsuki’s hair, pulling it over one shoulder. “How long have you two been at it?”

“A while,” I answered between thrusts. Tiana looked appreciatively at my front, coated in a sheen of sweat, and licked her lips. “Tsuki’s in heat.”

Both girls made sounds of understanding. Jack leaned over. “How about it, Foxy? Want me to play with your ass a bit? Squeeze out a few more orgasms before dinner?”

Tsuki made a feral sound that was pretty close to an agreement, followed by a howl when Jack plunged two fingers soaked in Tsuki’s juices past her rim. She clenched down on my cock and I groaned. “She’s cumming.”
Tiana knelt behind the chair, face to face with Tsuki. “Hells, Zaren. She’s definitely enjoying herself.” She pressed a kiss to Tsuki’s forehead. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll make sure you aren’t sleeping alone tonight.”

Tsuki made a noise in her throat, and I felt something thrum through the Link between us. Following its urging, I lifted her so that her back was pressed to my front. Jack wasted no time in fingering her clit while I captured Tsuki’s lips once more. When Tiana leaned down and locked her lips over Tsuki’s clit, Tsuki came. She clenched around me, going boneless in my arms. At the same time, Jack leaned forward and bit my ear, grabbing a handful of my ass and giving it a squeeze that bordered on painful.

With a curse, I deposited a final load into Tsuki while Jack licked her way up the side of my neck. I pulled out, letting my last orgasm drip out of Tsuki’s pussy and join the mess already coating her inner thighs. Tsuki’s head lolled, but I managed to keep her from toppling. Even when Jack reared back and smacked my ass hard enough to leave a nice red handprint.

“How was that, Foxy?” Jack asked.

Tsuki let out a garbled sound that might have had a “fucking great” buried somewhere in it, and Tiana smiled. I laid Tsuki down and conjured a couple rags. Tiana helped me clean her up, then her and Jack helped clean me up. Tiana like a seductress, Jack like she just wanted to see how many of my buttons she could push with a shit eating grin on her face. She cackled when I realized she’d used my shirt to clean me up, and she was so delighted with herself that I didn’t mention I had a storage full of extras.

“As fun as that was,” Jack said, giving my cock one last squeeze through the slightly smoking rag in her hand, “We were sent to retrieve you. Apparently, the bedroom is done.”

“Thank fuck, the wait was killing me,” I mumbled, hunting for my pants. Then I paused and looked at Tsuki, who was lying in a heap in the armchair.

She waved a hand weakly. “Seen it. It’s amazing. I’ll be sleeping there for the next…forever. Go, I’ll catch up. Or not. Maybe come find me if I’m not at dinner.” By the end she was slurring so badly I figured she’d fallen asleep, so I tucked the shirt I’d pulled off her around her shoulders and covered her with a blanket. She snuggled into the chair with a smile and some happy incoherent mumbling, so I figured she’d be alright.

“Lead the way,” I told them.

We made it to the top of the main stairwell before Jack pulled out a blindfold, looking far too pleased with herself. It was a bit disorienting being blinded without the added benefit of [Dark Sense] since I was still in a well-lit part of the house, but Serena appeared to take one of my arms while Tiana took the other.

I heard more than a few voices talking in hushed tones and I wondered just how much of the household was present for the grand reveal. The master bedroom was at the end of a hall of bedrooms that the girls had all claimed, though they’d all on more than one occasion indicated they didn’t see themselves getting much use out of the individual rooms.

I could feel the moment I walked through what I assumed were ornate double doors. From the way the air moved I knew I was in a wide open space, but the sound was being absorbed by something I could only assume was furniture. My time in the dark before I’d earned my class told me that much.

Then I felt fingers under my blindfold. “I present to you,” Rhallani said, “the great bed of house Nocht!”

She yanked my blindfold off, and once my eyes had adjusted my jaw dropped. I’d seen houses that could fit in this room that must have taken up both the second and third floor of this part of the manor. Furniture in all shapes and sizes dotted the edges of the room, making various seating areas for eating, socializing, or (and I only say this because Rhallani designed it) fucking. I spotted a reading nook with a lockable bookshelf that would be handy for any of the more sensitive tomes we acquired, and I could see the door that would lead towards the private bathing area. Glass doors led to a balcony area that overlooked the gardens as well as a good portion of the quarter.

But, while a dozen other people started exploring the room, my eyes were drawn to the feature that dominated the room. I wasn’t sure what kind of bed I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. It was less of a bed and more of a giant cushioned pit. Rhallani, practically bubbling with excitement, led me closer. Three cushioned steps wrapped around the entire area, which was filled to the brim with pillows and blankets galore. It was the size of a dozen of the largest beds I’ve ever seen all pushed together.

Four posts rose from the four corners, and four more rose from the halfway points on each side. They went all the way to the ceiling, and between all of them were supports that had curtains hanging from them. Rhallani saw me looking and bounded over, grabbing one of the curtains and pulling.

“Look, it’s on rails! So you could use them for privacy if you wanted to rail someone without putting on a show! And check this out!” she bounced across the bed to one of the posts. “Each one has a silencing rune I designed you can activate so you don’t have to worry about your partner’s screams waking up the whole bed! Isn’t this fucking awesome?”

Speechless, I kicked off my shoes and stepped down into the pit. It was even softer than I’d anticipated, yet firm enough to still be comfortable. I walked into the center of the bed, trailing my hand on the curtains, then spun in a slow circle. I fixed my Arelim—who was practically vibrating with excitement—with an arched brow. “Big bed for a harem of five.”

She beamed. “It’s not just for the harem. I mean, if that’s alright with you, of course. I figured anyone who wants to spend the night here could. I mean, this way Noelle can have Alice and the twins over all the time, and if they want privacy they can just take a different corner and activate the runes and pull the curtains.”

Tiana threw an arm around her shoulder. “Tell him the other thing. The rules.”

Rhallani flushed. “Ti! I wasn’t being serious! That was literally sleep deprived ramblings!”

“I’ve got a rule,” I said, approaching her with crossed arms. “What happens in the pit stays in the pit. Judgment free zone. From kinks to secrets to embarrassing sleep deprived fantasies. Spill.”

She hunched her shoulders, but Tiana gave her a squeeze. “Well, it’s dumb, but I just though that if we wanted to we could maybe have the different areas be for different things. We could change the colors of the curtains super easily. We could have one corner for people who’re just here to sleep, a cuddle corner, a corner for people looking to get it on, and…” she mumbled the last one.

I stepped closer. “I didn’t quite catch that last one. I can’t greenlight it if I don’t have the whole picture, Angel.”

She huffed, then took a step towards me. “We could have an ‘anything goes’ corner. Y’know, if you’re there you’re…um…up for anything. Getting fucked awake, getting felt up, just having anyone in the mood have their way with you, but consensually.” She blushed. “Like I said before, it’s stupid. Just something I came up with when I was really horny.”

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. “We can workshop it, come up with specifics, but I don’t see why not. I think at the very least having a ‘hands off’ corner would be a good idea for anyone not in the mood. It’s a good idea, Angel.” I leaned close enough that I could grab her ass and pull her hips to mine. “All of it.”

She bit her lip, pressing into me. “Wonder if we can get Karina to give it a try,” she said playfully.

I flicked her on the nose. “I’m gonna institute another new rule at this point. No trying to seduce new arrivals until they’ve been here a month. Maybe longer.”

“A month!?” Rhallani stuck her bottom lip out, but I just crossed my arms. Her pout faded quickly and she grinned. “A week.”

I shook my head. “A month for now, we can haggle later. We’ve got bigger fish to fry, like figuring out the divine marker a goddess slapped on Serena.”

Rhallani’s eyes went wide. “Serena!” She turned and stormed off. Well, she tried to, at least. Turns out storming is a tough ask when the ground is so soft and springy you bounce.

More than a few of us got a chuckle out of it, but my eyes fell quickly on Jack. She was leaning on a wall, watching everyone checking out the new room with a bittersweet smile. I picked my way over to her. “Why are you over here brooding?”

“Because it adds to the whole ‘mysterious stranger’ vibe I’ve got going, duh.” She grinned, but her expression didn’t last long. She sighed. “It’s fucking awesome, and I’ll never get to experience it. Not without burning it all down or setting someone on fire. Probably both.”

I stepped in close and put a hand on either side of her head, pinning her to the wall without either of us actually touching. “Never say never.” I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. She chased my lips with a moan, but she knew as well as I did that nothing good would come from an extended makeout session. Especially not if she was still running hot from helping me finish off Tsuki.

Speaking of. “Want to come with me to collect a horny Kitsune?”

She grinned. “Depends, can I join in?”

I conjured a tendril and sent it to tease her backdoor. She gasped, heat flashing in her eyes, and shot me a grin that promised retribution. “I don’t see why not.”

She licked her lips. “One day, Zaren, payback is going to be soooo sweet.” Then she pushed off the wall and headed towards the door.

I took the chance to get her back, smacking her ass hard enough to turn heads. “I look forward to the day.”