Chapter 12
I stood in the centre of the three men, my world crashing around me. How could I even comprehend what was happening to me? Logan continued the stroking of his hand down my arm like some perverse version of comfort.
"What's it going to be, Princess?" he whispered in my ear. Like I could even decide. He already knew what my answer was, what my only response could be. How could I choose differently? How could I put my grandparents' livelihood at risk? I could never go home and tell them that I was the reason that they lost their home, not after all that they gave up for me. No, even as it felt like I didn't have a choice in the matter, Logan had been right. I was the one to choose. After all, it was only for a year. How bad could it be? I had the awful feeling I was going to find out. I knew that by doing this, there would be no way to fight the contract or the notion that this was some mistake, that I was a victim of an error in the system, or whatever it was that caused me to be here in the woods right now.
I shook my head as I resigned myself to my fate, closing my eyes as I dropped to my knees on the cold hard ground below me. A contented ripple ran through the men, as if they were waiting with bated breath, unsure if I would follow through or not. As I hung my head in shame, tears carved hot trails down my cheeks, blurring my vision until all I could see was the darkened ground beneath me. I had no idea what was to happen next, but I wanted it over with quickly.
I flinched as I felt Logon move in close behind me, his hands firmly on my shoulders. He worked his thumbs in circles in an almost absent-minded motion as one of the other cloaked figures stepped forward to stand in front of me. I heard a rustle of fabric and then my eyes widened as I heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper.
"Wait, what?" I gasped as I saw movement under the fabric of the cloak that made it blatantly obvious, that whoever it was currently had his dick in his hand, and was jacking off under there. A thousand thoughts rushed through my head, some of them terrifyingly worse than others, and I attempted to get away from what was happening. But it was no use. The second I struggled, Logan's hands painfully clamped down on my shoulders like a vice.
"Fucking stay still," he growled behind me, squeezing my shoulders extra hard just to show me who had the control here.
I felt frozen as I watched with an almost perverse fascination as whoever was under the cloak in front of me continued to run his hand swiftly up and down his dick. Thankfully it all happened under the cloak, but while I was spared the visual, I certainly wasn't immune to the sounds, the pants and the grunts as he worked himself harder and faster. More to my shame, and despite everything that was happening to me, I couldn't deny the feelings that the sounds of the man pleasuring himself in front of me were creating within me. Something deep inside of me was reacting to the movement, to the grunts, and I was horrified to realise that I was getting wet at this whole horrific event. The man seemed to push harder as his ragged breathing hollowed out and he pushed the heavy cloak aside, revealing his intent and the ugly truth of the ritual that I was now a willing victim of. A strangled gasp escaped me as I realised what was about to happen; what the claiming would entail. I turned my head, trying to escape the depraved act, but Logan's hand left my shoulder and fisted in my hair, forcing me to face forward.
"Accept his offering, Princess," he growled, "It's all for you." I opened my mouth to beg them to stop, to tell them I had changed my mind when the man in front of me let out a loud groan as hot sticky ropes of cum splattered over my face and my body. I tried to snap my mouth shut, but it was too late, and the salty taste of hot cum exploded all over my tongue.
"Fuuuuccck," the man groaned gutturally as he continued to jerk himself, chasing his high until there was nothing left. Finally, he stopped his strokes and let his cloak fall back in place, still panting from his release.
I didn't have time to process the sticky mess on me before the second man stepped forward into the first one's place. His hands were already working furiously under his cloak, his grunts already rising into guttural moans of pleasure, and I realised that he had been watching the first man's debased act and was preparing himself for his turn.
As soon as he moved the fabric aside, his release flew over my face. I tried to pull away, but Logan still had a firm hold in my hair, and I was immobile as I felt the sensation of more hot cum covering my body and face. Just like the other man, he stepped away when he was done and covered away the evidence of his act. In all this, I still saw nothing.
The cloaks not only hid their faces from me, but they also concealed their lower halves, as if the only one who was to be exposed tonight was me. Logan finally let go of my shoulder and hair and I fell forward, my hands hitting the ground as a sob let loose from my mouth. Fresh tears welled up in my eyes, trailing down my cheeks and falling to the floor, mixing with the quickly drying disgusting mess that coated my face and body. But I already knew that this trial wasn't over. Three Regents, which meant three claims. Even as the thought entered my mind, I could hear as the men moved around until who I assumed was Logan stood in front of me.
I looked up to see him towering over me, the cloak still concealing his features. He seemed to look down at me for a moment and I wondered if he was going to spare me a third humiliation, but with a sharp nod behind me, I felt arms circle my waist, and my body being pulled back up to my kneeling position. A hand, surprisingly gentle despite the circumstances, began to massage my shoulders. The touch was meant to soothe, to lull me into a false sense of security, but I was not so easily swayed. I didn't want to feel comfort or at ease. I needed to stay strong to survive this, and then get my head clear so I could find a way to get back at the men who took joy in my misery. I tried to pull away, to assert some semblance of control, but my wrists were captured and held behind my back, pushing out my breasts like an offering. The other figure knelt down beside me as I watched the quickening movements beneath the cloak in front of me with morbid curiosity.
"I wonder…" the man beside me whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. He ran his fingers down my stretched back arms and onto my back, before curving them round to my hip. I tensed as his fingers seemed to dance off my hips and down to my clenched legs. "If I was to pry open these beautiful milky thighs and push my fingers deep into your pussy, would I find it wet for us?" His every word, combined with the growing grunts coming from Logan only heightened the fire that I was trying not to feed. But I was losing control, and I couldn't stop my breaths coming out in my own shameful pants. The man next to me pushed against the line of my closed thighs slightly, and an involuntary moan slipped from my lips. He chuckled at my obvious struggle, and moved to run his finger over the edge of my panties while leaning in to whisper again.
"Oh, I bet you are already soaking for us, aren't you? I can't wait to find out how you taste, my sweet sweet poison." I whimpered beneath his words, already knowing that it wasn't just words. A grunt sounded above us, and the man moved back slightly, his hand leaving its teasing touch as he reached up and grabbed my hair and yanked it painfully, pulling my head back up to see the sky. I cried out as pain shot through my scalp, only to make him chuckle.
"I hope you like a little pain, Poison. Because I fucking love to deliver it." I cried out again as he tugged harder, pulling me at an impossible angle, just as the first stream of hot sticky stuff hit my face again, this time more going into my mouth; as if it was planned. I tried to pull away, to spit it out but I couldn't help but to swallow some as I was held firm and Logan grunted loudly through his climax. Finally, what felt like the never ending stream of cum stopped and I was once again released from the binding grip that the men had on me. I fell to the forest floor again, strangely feeling exhausted, both emotionally and physically. I didn't even try to catch myself this time and let the ground dirt coat my cum soaked body as I wept silently.
I barely even stirred as I heard Logan's smug voice call out into the night. "The ritual is final, and the Consort of the Covenant has been claimed." The blast of the air horn was a knife in my heart, a brutal end to the illusion that had been my autonomy. The one sound I wanted to hear, only it had come too late for me. The responding double blast was a chilling reminder that this was no mere game, it was a sanctioned tradition, endorsed by the very institution that was supposed to nurture and educate.
I looked up just as their hoods fell away, revealing the faces of my tormentors. Logan Bale, Ryder Purcell, and Cole Bowers. Their expressions were a mix of satisfaction and something darker, a hunger that I feared would never be sated. I flinched as Cole stepped towards me, but he reached out with a gentle shush and hooked his arms under my body and lifted me from the ground.
"Shhh now," he murmured against my head. "You can rest now. You did so good, beautiful girl." Logan appeared beside us, draping his cloak around my trembling form. Even though they had humiliated me, claimed me and as far as that damn contract was concerned, now owned me, I still felt a rush of comfort as I settled in Cole’s arms, my body relaxing into his hold. Logan watched as I gave in and nodded to Cole before turning and heading out of the clearing. With a quick wink and a smile, Ryder followed and Cole carrying me brought up the rear.
As they carried me away, the warm weight of the cloak covering me was a tangible reminder of my new reality. I was their new Consort, a title that felt like a death sentence. My heart was heavy with dread, but amidst the turmoil, a small, shameful part of me stirred, awakened by the darkness that had enveloped me. It was a spark that I would need to smother, as it was as dangerous as the men who now claimed to own me.
The hunt might have been over, but even as I might try to kid myself, as I might take comfort in the strength and care right now, I didn't need telling what the role of the Consort really was. I knew what was going to be expected of me over the next year, what I would have to do to protect the ones I loved. What was happening now was only the beginning of my breaking. The start of the moulding into the Consort they expected. They may have claimed my body, the tingle in me told me that they may even claim my mind. But I knew I had to fight hard if I was going to stop them from claiming my soul.