Chapter Nineteen
The crowd”s roar of gratification resonated through the hall at Paige’s visible surrender. They seemed to enjoy the sight of their leader defiling her as much as he did. She was a spectacle to be devoured by their lecherous eyes, a trophy for their leader. And she was simply stunning hung there for our pleasure and at our mercy.
I ran my hand up the back of her neck, marvelling at the softness of her skin and hair, before sliding my hand around to her throat and tightening my grip. Her eyes widened as I cut off some of her airflow, but I felt the tiniest relaxation as she realised she could still breath. Below me, Tristan kneeled before our queen, ready for his own trial. The crowd murmured, enjoying the spectacle. This ritual was always one of the most anticipated of the year, and those who had been here last year knew their own sexual diversions waited above. Once the debasement of Persephone was complete, the party would start and the hall would turn into a veritable orgy.
Paige”s breath hitched in her throat and I felt it constrict under my hand as Tristan began to lick her pussy. Bast lounged on his throne, turned so he had the best view of our girl, a small smile of satisfaction on his face as she squirmed in her restraints. Although they were leather, her skin was soft, and she’d probably be marked for days from them. My cock stiffened at the thought of angry red marks over her pale golden skin and I looked down past her luscious breasts to where my friend was eating her out with enthusiasm.
Tristan seemed to be cherishing his task, his tongue a leisurely stroke against Paige”s skin, eliciting soft moans that reverberated through the room. The crowd watched every moment, but it was easy to see from our position the amount of guys stroking their own cocks under the table. Let them. Let them come all over their fucking pants. They could watch, but they couldn’t ever touch. Paige was ours. If anyone else laid a hand on her, I’d cut their fucking hand off and feed it to them.
I watched, my heart racing, my body coiled tight like a spring. The sight of her—wrapped in pleasure, her body arching under Tristan”s touch—it was torture and bliss intertwined. I could almost taste the sweetness of her, my tongue aching for a turn.
Paige”s body buckled and twisted as Tristan worked his magic, her eyes shut tight against the spectacle. Her moans grew louder, her breaths coming harder until finally, a high pitched sob broke from her throat. The audience erupted in cheers but Paige was too consumed by the crashing waves of her orgasm, the pleasure making her insensible to everything else.
”Your turn,” Tristan said as he pulled away, his dark eyes glinting with satisfaction. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and moved aside for me. I didn”t waste any time in dropping to my knees as he had.
Paige looked down at me, and though the golden mask hid her face completely, I could see the glint of her eyes in their depths. She shook her head, whimpering, but there would be no denial. Not now. Not when we”d all waited for this moment.
I looked at her pussy, her slick folds only inches from my face. Her arousal coated her inner thighs and I breathed in her scent. Sweet. Headier than any drug. Stronger than the best alcohol. My cock throbbed at the sight and I fought the urge to bury myself within her. I ran a finger along her swollen folds, eliciting a gasped moan. She was so wet, so ready, and I wanted to fuck her till she screamed.
I licked my lips in anticipation and lowered my mouth to her pussy. I began to lick her, taking my time with each stroke, savouring the taste of her. I wanted her to come undone for me too, just like she had for Tristan. Her hips jerked at my first stroke and I held her down tightly, wanting her to fight me. She was sensitive, but I didn”t care. It was my turn, and I took what I wanted. I found her clit, and sucked hard on it. She twisted and buckled beneath me. Low sobs echoed in her throat, her body trembling violently as pleasure gripped her. Her hands clenched and unclenched, yearning to touch, to take control but the chains kept her pinned. It was a sight that sent a jolt of satisfaction coursing through me.
I savoured every sound she made, every twitch of her body beneath my hands and mouth. But despite the gratification the act brought me, it wasn”t enough. I wanted more. And by the way Paige writhed and moaned under me, she did too. I brought one hand up between her legs, dragging my finger through her wetness until I could push it inside her. The feeling nearly had me coming in my pants like a fucking kid. She was so fucking tight as I pushed deeper inside, savouring the untouched velvet heat of her, and she cried out at the intrusion. It was satisfaction, a confirmation of her purity, the proof that made my own body respond with a fierce and almost feral hunger.
Her skin glistened with a fine layer of sweat, highlighting the dips and curves, making her even more enticing. I started to move my finger in and out of her, and her breathing hitched, becoming laboured and heavy as she neared another peak. The sight of this beautiful girl unravelling under my touch was pure rapture.
I added another finger, thrusting them slowly in and out of her, and felt her body tense with each move. I continued feasting on her as my fingers delved deeper, relishing the mewls she made every time they brushed against some sensitive spot within her.
I felt the unmistakable tightening around my fingers that signalled her impending release and I flicked my tongue harder over her clit. The tightness around my fingers sent a surge of power straight to my groin, an urge so primal it bordered on possession. Paige’s cries grew louder, more desperate and her thighs quivered against the sides of my head, muscles tensing with every lash of my tongue. She was close; I could feel the telltale signs of her body giving in to the onslaught of sensation. My fingers curled inside her, craving the sweet rush of her release over my tongue as I lapped at her pussy. Unable to fight it any longer, my hand dropped to the front of my robes. Facing away from the crowd, no one except Bast and Tristan could see as I rubbed at my hard cock beneath the fabric.
I thought back to the club two weeks ago when I’d been assigned to watch her, and that dickhead that had tried to lay his hands on her. I’d scared him off, and danced with her, feeling her small body against mine and had the strangest desire to protect her. To kill anyone who dared touch her or cause her harm. I’d found him afterwards of course. I closed my eyes, revelling in her taste as I remembered the glorious feeling of his blood spilling over my hand as I knifed the bastard over and over again. My cock strained against my pants, and I reached out, grabbing her thigh to bring her pussy hard against my mouth as I thrust my fingers harder inside her.
A scream tore from her throat as she came undone under my touch, her body shaking violently with the intensity of her orgasm. The sweet taste of her release coated my tongue, intoxicating me even more than before. Her body bucked under my touch and her back arched, her body jerking against her restraints.
Paige”s cry echoed through the room, a raw sound that had every man in the room stiffening in their seats and the sound was enough to send me over the edge. The audience exploded into cheers and applause, their raucous celebration mirroring the savage satisfaction coursing through me. Paige sagged limply against the chains, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
A rush of heat surged through my veins, and without warning, my control shattered. My own orgasm ripped through me, silent, violent, a secret shared only with the darkness of my trousers. I watched, transfixed, as she fell apart before me. The sight—a brutal, beautiful undoing.
”God,” I gasped under my breath, half cursing the warm wetness in my pants. This woman had undone me like no other. I got to my feet, wiping my mouth, then turned and half bowed to Bast, who grinned, his eyes flicking to Paige’s body behind me. I looked back too.
Tristan had let Paige’s skirt fall back into place. Although she might have felt on show, we had made sure that her pussy was always concealed by our heads or by her skirt, and the Reapers below us had only been granted the sight of her gorgeous breasts. Her body surrendered, all the fight draining from her limbs, and she hung limply on the wall, whimpering quietly.
Bast got to his feet, raising his glass in Paige”s direction. “To Persephone,” he said. “The future queen of the Underworld.”
“Persephone.” The toast rang out across the room and she lifted her head at the name, but barely. She must be exhausted. Her role was done for the night now, so as Bast gave orders for more food and drink as well as the whores, both male and female, to be brought in, I crossed back over to the wall and unclipped one wrist, wrapping her arms around my neck. Tristan knelt to unfasten her ankles, and I did the other wrist, catching her in my arms as her legs gave out from under her.
”Easy now,” I murmured.
”We’ve got you,” Tristan said, his tone softer than I”d ever heard it.
The leather restraints slipped off with ease, baring delicious marks on her delicate wrists and I pressed my lips to the nearest, making her wince. My cock, although spent, twitched at her whimper, and I sucked in my breath.
“I’ll take it from here,” I told Tristan. He narrowed his eyes, but then nodded.
“I’ll stay with Bast for the time being. Take care of our girl.”
I scooped Paige up, her body a delicate weight in my arms and headed for a nearby doorway. The club had plenty of bedrooms and meeting rooms, and other kinds of rooms, but right now, we needed one that was private and equipped for what Paige needed, and Bast had made sure this one was ready. I closed the door to the bedroom behind us, creating a quiet sanctuary from the chaos of the feasting hall.
”Easy,” I murmured, laying her on the sprawling bed. She didn’t move, but her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, the only sign she was still with me. I hovered over her, hands hesitant as I reached for her mask. I slid it away from her face, casting it on the bed, and looked down at the girl beneath it. Wide blue eyes looked up at me full of fear, and I could see the red tracks of tears on her cheeks.
“Paige?” I asked quietly.
She said nothing, just continued to stare at me with wide eyes like I was a wolf about to eat her or something. I sighed.
“I’ll run you a bath,”” I said. I walked into the bathroom and turned on the taps of the free standing claw footed bath that stood in the centre. The sound of filling water played a soothing rhythm as I poured fragrant oils into the rising warmth, watching the surface shimmer and dance with liquid golds and ambers. I took a moment to clean myself up, before heading back into the bedroom. Paige still lay there, staring blindly at the ceiling and I frowned.
”Paige,” I murmured, my voice barely above the hum of running water. ”Can you stand?”
She didn’t respond, so I moved back over to the bed. ”Come on, let”s get you cleaned up,” I coaxed, slipping an arm beneath her shoulders, guiding her up to sit. She didn’t resist, letting me pull her to standing, though she wobbled a little on her feet. Sheer exhaustion, I told myself. And probably alcohol too. I took her hand and led her into the bathroom. She followed meekly, but just stood there watching me warily.
“Do you want me to leave you to get undressed?”” I asked. She didn’t answer, so I shook my head and sighed. “Ok, then.” I lifted her dress up over her head, revealing her whole body to me in all its golden glory. My cock started to wake up properly at the sight of her full breasts, tiny waist and luscious curved hips, but I figured she’d probably had enough for tonight. Especially as she was new to any of this.
I turned to check the tub. It was almost full, so I turned off the water and tested the temperature to make sure it was right. I held out my hand to her and she just looked at it, like it was some kind of snake.
“I’m not going to do anything,” I said gently. “I just want to make sure you get taken care of. This will help you feel better, I promise.”
Paige narrowed her eyes, but still didn’t say anything. She did however take my hand and let me help her into the bath. I kept hold as she sank down into the water, not wanting her to slip. She laid back, her head tilting back to rest against the edge of the tub, and winced as she closed her eyes, her lashes casting delicate shadows across her cheeks.
”Better?” I asked, searching her face for any sign of easing distress.
”Thank you,” she whispered.
I reached for a soft sponge, moving it in gentle circles across her skin, watching as the lather shimmered with the oils” iridescence. She stiffened, and I sighed.
”Does that feel good?” I asked, seeking affirmation that I was doing this right, that I could be gentle, could be what she needed in this moment.
”Y-yes,” she stammered, her eyes fluttering open to look at me, but I caught the tremble in her lips, the way her hands gripped the edges of the tub.
”Paige...” I started, but the words lodged in my throat when I saw it—a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. Then another, and another, until they were a silent cascade that made my chest ache at the sight. Don’t get me wrong, I’d dreamed of making this girl cry, of seeing those tears fall down her face as I fucked her mouth hard, but not like this. These tears hurt, and I didn’t want her to hurt this way.
“Paige? What’s wrong? Did it hurt too much? Why are you crying?” Confusion filled me. I didn’t think we’d been too rough, even I’d held back because of her innocence.
She looked up at me, blue eyes full of pain and fear looking up at me in confusion that mirrored my own.
”You”re seriously asking me that?”
“Yes of course. You seem upset.”
”Is this...” She took a deep breath, struggling to regain some semblance of control. ”Do you think what you did... What all of you did to me is acceptable?”
The question slammed into me like a physical blow, leaving me reeling. Acceptable? We had followed the script, played our parts in the ritual she”d agreed to. But her question, laced with accusation, made something cold slither down my spine.
I blinked. ”Yes,” I said. It wasn”t supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be prepared, to want it as much as we did. She’d volunteered, for fuck’s sake.
She stared at me. “You’re a fucking monster,” she hissed. “All of you. Cold fucking psychos.”
”Monster?” My hands balled into fists, the knuckles whitening. ”You don”t even know what that word means. Paige, you knew exactly what you were signing up for. We’re pretty clear, we have to be, to protect us all and to protect the girls who volunteer.”
“Volunteer? You’d think I’d volunteer for that? For what happened back there?” She snapped at me, sitting up and glaring at me.
“No,” I slung back. “I think you’d sign a contract to be paid for services rendered.”
She jerked back like I’d hit her. “Do you think I’m some kind of whore?”
“No, that’s not what I…” I took a breath, trying to control my temper. ”Paige...” I began again, trying to keep my voice even. ”You knew what this was when you signed the contract.”
”Contract?” Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and confusion. ”What contract?”
I rolled my eyes. ”Come on, Paige. The contract for Persephone. Everyone who steps into the role of Persephone does so willingly. You signed it when you applied for the role. You agreed to this. To all of this.”
She shook her head slowly.
”I... I never signed anything, Nate. What are you talking about?”
I stared at her, my eyes locked on those sapphire blue ones that held nothing but confusion and pain. Could she truly not know? How could she not know? Bast would never have forced anyone into something they wanted, none of us would. I’d seen her signature on the contract in Bast’s office. Something felt wrong here.
She shook her head. “I’ve never applied for anything, except the university masters program, Nate. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you saying you…” she swallowed. “You all thought back there… you thought I wanted this? That I’d agreed to it?”
I nodded, my words locked in my throat. If what Paige was saying was true, she was right. We had forced her, exposed her to a roomful of men, and actually assaulted her repeatedly in front of them. We were fucking monsters. I felt the familiar cold grip of panic tighten around my chest like iron bands and the tips of my fingers began to tingle. Fuck, I was going to have a fucking panic attack. I needed to get out of here now.
This wasn”t how it was supposed to go. The contract, the consent—it was all part of the control, the power play that made the darkness exquisite, not vile.
”Paige,” I breathed out. ”You really didn”t sign anything?”
She shook her head. “I swear, I have no idea about any of this. I just went to the ball…”
“Fuck!” I shouted, turning and slamming my fist into the wooden door. Pain exploded through my knuckles, but I regretted it more at the way she cringed at my display of frustration.
I sucked in a breath, trying to calm myself, but the panic was building higher.
“Look, here,” I said. I reached into a concealed cupboard, bringing out a soft black towel and laying it on the vanity. “There’s some pyjamas in the top drawer in the bedroom. Underwear too. All brand new and never worn. Are you ok getting out of there by yourself?”
She nodded.
“Ok, I’m going to go and talk to the other two, see if I can figure out what the fuck is going on.”
“You’re going to leave me here alone?” Her hand shot out, grabbing mine, damp and small, with no strength at all, except for the somersault it somehow caused in my belly. If what she was saying was true, how could she even be in the same room as me. The thought that I felt like the safer alternative, because I’d given her a fucking bubble bath, turned my insides to ice. I swallowed, and tried to keep it together for her.
”I won”t be long, but I think we need to get this sorted as soon as possible.” I promised, prying her fingers from mine. ”And you”re safe here. Nobody will come in unless you want them to.” Her eyes were huge in her face, the fear in them making me feel like an utter bastard. She let go of my hand reluctantly.
”I”ll be right back,” I told her, opening the door and stepping out into the bedroom, closing the door softly behind me.
I leaned against it for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest. What the fuck had we done? The panic rose higher and my breaths came shorter and sharper. The thought of Paige chained up on that wall, not having any idea what was happening and we’d all… I had… fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. My vision swayed as the thought chewed at my insides like a rabid animal. We’d hurt her. We”d forced her into something horrifying. I stumbled forward and through the bedroom door as the panic attack took full hold, managing to close the door behind me as I slid down onto the floor, gasping for breath.
I was a monster. I”d become the very thing I vowed never to be. I’d become my father.