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forty-four

Coach still won’t let me back in the game, saying he doesn’t want to risk my brain and needs me for finals. Because we will make it. We’re just that good.

Or Landon will take a club to the knees of our opponents to get there.

Dressed in street clothes, I sit on the bench with my mom, sisters, and girlfriend taking up the row behind me. My bruised ribs are just an annoying ache by now if I stretch the wrong way and my cuts are almost fully healed.

During the first period, I was irritated because all I wanted to do was go in and play.

Now, there are only ten minutes left in the second, and I’m enjoying being a spectator.

Especially knowing this will be part of my future career.

Watching. Observing. Selling agents and management to peak talent. I can do that.

“ Adalantea! ” Pippi exclaims.

“What’s up, buttercup?” I ask, half turning to see her holding up her phone.

“Elina wants me to meet her right now at the Sigma house, along with the officers.” She glances up at me with large, amber eyes. “What do you think she wants?”

Elina . I haven’t thought of her in weeks. Not since I made my choice and got rid of her. Hearing her name, I remember the pressure . The expectations she came with. How heavy everything felt when I was around her.

She was never the one for me. It was always meant to be my P.I.C.

“Better go see.”

“What about the game?”

“I’m not even playing. I can meet you there after.”

With a deep inhale, she glances at my family, who encourage her with a nod.

“Okay.” Her skin pales as she stands and heads out.

Landon and the second year taking my spot do amazing work, scoring three among them. State College Strikers can’t score against our goalie, and we easily win. It makes me proud to see that things will go smoothly for NU after I’m gone.

Once the game is finished, I swiftly kiss my mom on the cheek.

“You two are coming to Sunday dinner again, right?” she asks.

“We’ll be there every week that we’re in town.” Her golden smile fills me with warmth. “Love you, Mom.”

Coach slaps his hand over my shoulders and walks with me to the back hall. “I heard about the new adventure following graduation. It would be amazing if Northview had a pool of talent for you to choose from.”

My eyes crinkle as I grin knowingly. “I have a feeling they will.” I’ll make sure the best of the best come to NU before the NHL unless I pluck them from high school.

The future looks bright, and my heart fills with happiness. It wasn’t too long ago everything seemed bleak. Now, I look forward to the days I can lord over Adal and tell him to clean toilets until they shine.

After the team meeting, I exit the Nighthawk Arena and aim for the shortcut through the park behind the Cathedral.

It’s dark and chilly, but my coat and beanie keep me warm.

The trees are wide apart, dotted with iron benches and streetlamps along the paths.

When I pass one, a dark figure in a hoodie stands and walks beside me.

“I have your info.”

My steps shuffle to a stop, and I face the man in front of me. He’s tall and thin, but built. There’s nothing I can make out behind the black shadow of his hood. Rumor is, he’s never been seen, except by those close to him.

“What do you have?” I ask.

He holds up a flip phone screen. On it are several text messages, the same from the unknown number Pen received.

“This was his?”

“Mitch McCloud purchased this from the gas station on the corner of Northview and Johnson on August eighth of this year. Video footage is on file if you need it.”

“No, I just wanted confirmation he was the one who sent them. What do I owe you?”

Vanq Wysh Veil , typed in various letters and numbers on screen, is all I know him as. His figure straightens to full height as he backs away one step. “Nothing.”

My brow furrows. “No way. I don’t do this for favors. Tell me how much it costs, and I’ll pay.”

If there was more light, I think I’d see his shoulders shudder with a shake. Like he’s laughing. “Let’s say I owed you one.”

It doesn’t set right with me and my chest twists into a knot at the thought of not paying a fucking hacker. He’s the best, though. Or so I’ve been told. If I could find something on him, maybe I wouldn’t have to return a future favor.

Vanq… Hmm…

“Valen. Valen Von Dovish. Pippi’s cousin?”

Without acknowledging my statement, he’s already gone between the trees, as if I hadn’t said a word. Like we never met.

Acid fills my stomach when I realize he’s the one who showed Adal and Nico my video of Pen…

If so, we’re definitely not even. Not yet.

The Sigma house is aglow with exterior lights when I reach it. Like a gentleman, I knock on the front door, and the house mom answers. “Mr. Cardell… The sisters just adjourned their meeting. Come in.”

As I’m escorted into the small front parlor, she asks, “Are you here for someone in particular?” It amuses me that she’s careful to avoid naming names.

“My appointed, Penelope Freidenberg.”

“Ah. I see. Wait here, please.”

Several of the sisters burst out of the far room’s double doors with laughter and loud conversations as they disperse for the evening. They call out their house motto as they exit. “Sly by your eyes!”

I wander back to the entry and wait for Pen to emerge. Elina doesn’t see me at first, but lifts her eyes without any inflection on her face. Stilling her expression into an icy facade, she turns and heads up the stairs.

Amelia and Pen are the last to leave the room, both gawking over something on Pen’s lapel.

“Cardell!” Pen says with a giant smile on her face. “I told you not to do this!”

I laugh as she gallops toward me and leaps into my arms. “But I love you. And you deserve it,” I say, pressing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Nice going, Ryan. Well done telling the senate she earned us points in Massacre Monday. She got an award in front of everyone, and they had to eat their words,” Amelia says. “ Sigma’s Savior is back on. Especially if she competes on Thriller Thursday.”

Pen slips down my body and shakes her head rapidly. “Oh no. I’m done with Sanguine House for good.”

My chest surges with pride. Thank god . There was no way I wanted any other fuck to touch her during the event. But if I, as her Viscount, tell her she can’t participate, she has to obey. I just hate to pull that card…

Unless I have to.

We bid Amelia a good night and I glance toward the second story. “Want to fuck in your room, for old time’s sake?”

“No. I’d rather go home.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Why do you have that secretive grin on your face?”

“Oh, no reason. Just figured you’d pick to go to the apartment.”

“What do you have planned?”

“Let’s go,” I say as I grab her hand.

She’s silently nervous during the entire walk to our building, and even when we get inside. After we shed our coats, I dim the lights and put on some soft music through the speakers.

Pen spins slowly around the room, taking it all in, and I help her undress, pulling off her sweater. My lips sweep over her bare shoulder until she shivers, an eruption of goosebumps coating her skin. “Do you trust me?”

A satisfied sigh parts her mouth. “Absolutely, I do.”

“Get naked and on the bed. Lie on your stomach.”

She does exactly what I say, and I wait for her to get into position, then grab the strap from one end of the headboard and attach her right wrist. Then one ankle to the footboard. I do the same on the other side until she’s face down and spread eagle.

“Ryan…”

“Shh. You can take this.” I drizzle some lube on her backside, and she shivers and whimpers as it hits her skin.

Moving to the bedside table, I pull out both her rose toy and one I’ve been dying to try.

With my slick palm, I saturate it completely with the liquid, then part Pen’s butt cheeks and press it on her asshole.

She bucks. “Ryan!”

“Surprise!”

“Seriously?”

“Said I would fuck you back here. And now, I have you tied up and you don’t get to say no.”

“I can say no.”

“Of course you can say no,” I tell her. “In fact, I hope you scream it several times as I come inside your ass.”

Instead of telling me not to, she growls and slides herself back more until the plug slips past her tight ring. “Th-that’s big.”

I chuckle. “Baby, that’s nothing compared to my dick.” Twisting it, I push it in more.

She gasps. “Wait, wait!”

My wrist freezes with it still at the apex of the toy. “Pink cheeks, if I don’t get it settled in there, it will hurt worse. You’re almost done.” I thrust in until it’s all the way to home base.

“ Fuckkkk… ”

As she flips her head to the side, I get the joy of seeing her face go through nine emotions rapidly. Pain, anguish, fear, uncertainty, discomfort, terror, anger, then resolve and even…pleasure.

“You like it?”

“Uhm. I don’t know. It’s weird.”

“There’s enough slack to raise a knee up if that’s more comfortable.”

The band around her right ankle grows taut as she moves. “Yeah, that’s actually… I-I think that will work.”

I turn on her vibrator and slip it into the right spot, then stand back and watch the show while peeling off my clothes.

“Oh my god.” Her hips swivel against the bed, working herself up. Dark hair gets tossed down her back as she arches her face to the ceiling. “I’m so full .”

“Not yet.” My cock seeps pre-cum as she dances around, her whimpers growing louder and her thrusts more frantic.

“I think I’m going to come.”

Hurriedly, I kneel behind her and slip the head of my dick inside her pussy. “Do it, pink cheeks. Come with a toy in your ass and me in your cunt so you’ll learn to love it.”

She’s gasping for air, bucking against me while I hardly move. A tiny shift of my hips settles my length farther inside her. Her fingers tighten against the ties holding her wrists, as if she’s struggling to fall over the edge.

Using my hands, I lift her pelvis off the bed and plunge in deeper, then spank her hard. “Whose girl are you?”

“Y-yours…” she moans, pushing back against me.

The front of her neck fits perfectly in my grip when I hold her head up and grit out, “Say that again.”

“Y—”

I cut off her air as she chokes, pushing back on my dick as much as she can.

“Come for me, my slut. Obey your Viscount and come.”

The vibrations of her scream warm my palm, and I release her throat, letting the sound wail into the room. As she writhes against the bindings, she bears down on my cock and convulses.

“Good girl…”

I reach up and release her wrists, then her ankles. Slipping out of her, I flip her onto her side as she continues to shake with surges of ecstasy. With a pop, I pull the plug out of her ass, then fit the head of my still slick cock against it.

Easing myself in, she inhales quickly and tenses. “No, shh. Relax, baby. Let me inside.” It’s the best feeling in the world, being in her taut virgin ass.

One of my arms cups her torso, then massages her breast as I press my lips to her temple and murmur soothing sounds. “You can take it, Pen.”

“I-it’s so big, Ryan.”

“I know. Look, I’m an inch in…”

“There’s, like, seven more to go!” she cries out.

I smirk. “Yeah… Want to count them with me?”

Scooping my hips, I shove more in. “That must have been twelve,” she says through a gritty voice.

“No, that was like half.”

“Wait…”

I hold in place until she relaxes again. “Take a deep breath.”

When she does, I put the vibrator up to maximum speed, then plunge all the way inside as a wanton moan tears from her chest. “Fuck! That’s my girl. Taking it like a champ.”

Her nipple hardens beneath my hand, and I twist one until she squeals. “Yes!”

“Tell me you want me to fuck you hard.”

“I don’t know?—”

I cut off her reply with a formidable shove inside before dragging myself back out. Without hesitation, I pummel her ass with force. Every smack of my abs against her generous butt makes her gasp.

“I’m turning you into my nasty anal whore now.” My hand on her breast moves up to cup her chin and turn it toward my face. “Look at me. Tell me what a filthy girl you are for me. Beg me to fill your ass with my come.”

Tears track down her cheeks as she closes her eyes. When I smack her thigh, she opens them again. “Yes… Please… Come in my ass, Ryan. I think I want it.”

“ Think ? You don’t think. You’re just my mindless anal fuck toy now. Spreading yourself whenever I want your hole. Isn’t that right? You want me to use your holes whenever I please?”

“Mm…” is all she can say while clinging to the comforter.

I spank her again. “If I tell you to bend over, you’ll do it, right?

No matter where we are. You’ll fuck my cock to show everyone how much I own your body.

I’ll have you sitting on my dick during class.

In front of all the Thetas. Taking me at every restaurant in town, no matter who is at the table. ”

“Please.”

“Please what, pink cheeks?”

“Fill my ass.”

A wide grin tugs at the corners of my lips as she latches her golden eyes onto my face and comes hard . Her pussy clamps down so tight, my dick gets locked in her ass.

“Oh, fuck, baby. Here you go.”

Unadulterated pleasure spreads through every nerve ending as I erupt deep inside her. With a choked moan, I spasm with an endless swell of rapture, my vision nearly blacking out. Reams of cum spurt from the tip for what feels like minutes, until Pen’s wiggling brings me back to reality.

I slip out along with a trail of heated liquid and flop onto my back.

Pen flips around to lay her face on my chest, and I caress her head.

“You’re not really going to do that, are you?” she asks.

“Do what?”

“Make me fuck you in front of everyone.”

I chuckle. “Of course I will.”

She presses her chin against my sternum and sneers. “Ryan…”

“What?”

With a contented sigh through her nose, she says, “You’re deranged.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” My fingers trace through her soft hair as I press my lips to the top of her head. “Besides. It’s too late. You’re appointed to me, and there’s no turning back.”

With a casual shrug, she presses her cheek to my chest and says, “No bother. I’m sure you’ll love it when everyone sees me naked.”

My eyes snap wide open. “Well…” Maybe I spoke too soon.

Glancing down, I see the satisfied smirk on her lips, and I can’t help but match it with my own.