The Fox and the Wizard Pt. 05

Oh. Fuck.

The protective numbness she'd cloaked herself in these last few days burned away into nothing. In its place was shame that she'd considered, however briefly, giving up. Fear for the three men chained on the floor. And rage at the bruises and blood that covered them.

She started to take a step forward to run to them, but Xanth's hard grip on her hand stopped her. It was a stark reminder that she wasn't free to act on impulse and that, whatever happened in the next few minutes, she needed to be very, very careful. For her sake as well as theirs.

The healer in her took over as she studied their wounds. She couldn't tell without a proper examination, but some of those bruises looked days old, some of the blood dried, some of it fresh. None of it appeared to be life-threatening. Gryff's long, dark hair hung in front of his face, clearly in need of a wash. She could see him sniff the air and immediately look up, noticing her first. His posture straightened as he nudged Coen.

"Not quite the daring rescue you were hoping for, I imagine." Coen's voice sounded dry and strained, like he'd been too long without water. His crooked smile warmed her heart.

Her eyes met Beckett's as he looked up. His entire body went tense. Alayna felt the entire world slip away until it was only the two of them staring at each other.

"Alayna." The relief in his voice was palpable. He tried to stand. It wasn't until a giant fist came out of nowhere to strike him in the stomach that she realized the twins were standing on either side of the little group, holding their chains. Beckett grunted and doubled over.

Realization nearly made her stumble. Xanth had let the twins have her as a reward for torturing her friends. The... the people she loved. She'd come on the twins' cocks time and time again, because they'd beaten some of the people who meant the most to her in the entire world. White hot rage began building inside her. Her eyes went to Vaughn as she recalled Xanth telling her he was the one who usually gave the beatings. Her gaze narrowed on him.

"I understand you're all very well acquainted with my pet."

She bristled at that, and then realized what they must be seeing right now. Oh, Xanth had planned this too well. She'd thought he had cornered her outside the room because he just wanted to touch her, but there had been an ulterior motive. She'd walked into this room wearing silks that barely concealed her body, so thin they could see the outline of her hard nipples. Xanth had mussed her hair in the hallway, making the curls wild, and kissed her so hard her lips were still swollen. And he'd stroked her pussy until she was dripping wet, Gryff no doubt scenting her arousal at this very moment.

That fucking bastard.

She wanted to tell them that she'd been forced into all of this, that none of it was what she wanted. Wanted to tell them about the potion and how he'd conditioned her body to respond. But she wasn't free to say any of that.

Xanth tugged her further into the room. He took a seat on the large, ornate throne at the head of the room and made her stop beside him.

"Somehow these three brave souls made it almost all the way through the Greenfrost. Almost. They stumbled upon one of the outlier farms and were apprehended by the guards stationed there. It caused quite the uproar." Alayna had to school her expression so she didn't frown. "I had them imprisoned in the dungeon while I decided what to do with them. Naturally, my first inclination was to torture and kill them for having the audacity to think they could come steal what is rightfully mine."

He placed a hand on her backside in a clear demonstration of ownership.

"But gossip travels fast in this castle and I knew it would only be a matter of time before you found out I had your former lovers put to death. You sucked my cock so obediently in the city and then again while the twins were having their way with you that I thought this could serve as a reward."

She wanted to slap him for the words coming out of his mouth, for the clear message he was sending to the chained men on the floor: While you were being savagely beaten, she was willingly sucking my cock.

"It doesn't happen often, but we usually give uninvited guests two choices: If they have valuable skills, they can stay here and forsake the outside world in favor of working for me. Or they can die."

"Doesn't sound like much of a choice," Coen said. One of the twins hit him on the back of the head.

"Today, however, Alayna will be making the decision for you. To demonstrate my benevolence, I'll even give her a third option: To set you free."

She tore her gaze away from Beckett to look over at Xanth. "Truly?"

He nodded. "If that's what you want, I'll release them. I'll even have my guards escort them to the edge of the Greenfrost. But if they ever step foot on my lands again, I'll have them executed immediately."

"How will I know they've been safely released?" How will I know you haven't killed them and lied to me about it?

"It hurts that you still don't trust me. I'll scry so you can watch them leave the Greenfrost."

She worried her lower lip between her teeth. There had to be some kind of catch, an angle she hadn't found yet, but Alayna couldn't see it.

"Release them."

"Very well." He looked to one of the twins. "Vaughn, round up an off-duty patrol and have them escort these men out of our home. Unharmed, with enough supplies to see them safely on their way."

"I'm Victor," Victor grumbled.

"Whatever. See that it's done— "

"What about what we want?"

All eyes turned to Beckett. His dark black hair stuck to the blood crusted on the side of his head, his skin a touch sallow from being denied sunlight, but his gaze was hard on Xanth. Alayna felt dread curling in the pit of her stomach.

Xanth sat forward on the throne, his full attention on Beckett. "You aren't in a position to bargain."

"You said you give trespassers two choices: Death or to work for you. What if we..." he trailed off for a moment, looking at Gryff and Coen, before turning his attention back to Xanth. "What if I want to stay here and work for you?"

"Beckett, no- "

"Quiet," Xanth snapped at Alayna. He turned back to Beckett. "This is interesting. You would truly give up your one chance at freedom and remain here? There won't be another opportunity to walk free."

Beckett looked at Alayna for a long, tense moment. She couldn't read the thoughts behind his eyes, couldn't understand what madness possessed him right now. She gave an imperceptible shake of her head, silently urging him to stop.

"Yes."

Her shoulders slumped.

"I will stay, as well," Gryff rumbled. Alayna's eyes shot to him, her mouth falling open.

"Oh, fuck it," Coen said. "If you're all staying, then so will I. There's no way I'm facing Shegar alone."

"No." Alayna spoke before she could stop herself. She turned to Xanth, tears pricking her lashes. "Don't let them stay. Please send them home. They have nothing of value to offer you, no skills you would find useful. Let them go."

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Fox. When I first learned of your existence, I did a little research into the men around you. That one," he pointed at Coen, "was once the champion of the fighting pits of the Iron Knuckle. He nearly broke the record for most fights won, until his escape."

Coen had once confided in her that he'd been a slave, commanded to fight night after night for the enjoyment of a crowd. Almost all of the scars he bore were from his time in the fighting pits.

"This one- "he inclined his head to Gryff, "-is a werewolf, with complete control of his shifting abilities. You have no idea how rare that is."

Xanth's gaze turned to Beckett. "And him. He's the son of a lord, trained to fight and lead armies since he could pick up a sword. At least until his father disowned him. Tell me, lordling. Why did your father renounce his only heir?"

"We were at war with a kingdom to the north. They invaded our lands and were on their way to an unprotected village. We were less than a day's ride away but were ordered to stand down."

"And you didn't."

"No. There were innocent people there who didn't have time to evacuate. I led my men into battle despite the order."

"And you won. You stood against a force larger than your own and triumphed. Coincidentally, this also kept that northern kingdom from establishing a supply line, which led to their total defeat when they couldn't feed their armies. But your father still disinherited you."

"I went against orders. I defied a direct command."

"A man who can see what needs to be done and has the testicular fortitude to carry it out regardless of the consequences. That is exactly the kind of man I want serving in my army." He turned back to Alayna. "As you can see, all three of them have value. My apologies, Fox, but I'm going to accept their offer."

She went to her knees beside his chair, gripping his hands in her own. Pride be damned, she couldn't let this happen. "Please. Please, I am begging you, let them leave. Don't keep them here."

"It's too late, Fox. The deal is struck. They'll remain and serve me. But not before they understand a few things. Come sit in my lap."

"What?" The sudden command caught her off guard.

"Sit in my lap." His tone grew a little harder.

Alayna swallowed. She'd come to recognize that tone and knew it was best not to push him. She walked around the chair and sat, legs pressed tightly together.

"Straddle me."

She gritted her teeth, eyes on the floor in front of her so she wouldn't have to see their reactions as she spread her legs on either side of Xanth's knees. He gripped her hips and hauled her further into his lap, so that her backside was pressed right up against his pelvis.

He leaned in close so that his lips brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered to her, "Do you think he's here because he's in love with you?"

She didn't need to follow his gaze to know he was speaking of Beckett.

"He isn't. The only thing he loves is this." He brushed aside the folds of silk to bare her pussy to the three men kneeling across from them. She heard Beckett make a rumbling growl of warning, followed by the sharp sound of another blow, but never raised her gaze to look at him. She didn't want them to see her like this, but begging Xanth to stop would only make it worse.

He raised his voice so the others could hear him, but still spoke to her. "All three of them risked life and limb for your pussy, Fox. They've all had a taste of you, haven't they?"

"Actually- "Coen began, but was silenced with a hard blow.

"I bet they don't even realize one taste of your pussy is the most addictive aphrodisiac." His fingers ran in lazy circles across her bare thighs. "I bet the sickness of not having you for so long is already upon them. The bone-deep craving to have your nectar on their lips. It's enough to drive three desperate men straight into the Greenfrost to experience again."

She knew what he was doing. Telling her whatever she thought had grown between her and Beckett was all a lie, that it was lust that drove him. Unable to help herself, she looked at Beckett. His eyes were fastened between her legs, body tense.

Perhaps... perhaps Xanth wasn't lying. She'd had lovers pursue her before, unwilling to let her go when she'd grown tired and left them. Was Beckett any different? Could that be why no words of love had ever been exchanged between them? She couldn't imagine what other kind of madness would drive him to stay here.

"You can't blame sweet Alayna," Xanth continued, speaking to the chained men. "She didn't know what she was. She had no idea her body was literally made to please men. That she was carefully bred to be the perfect whore."

Beckett's eyes rose to meet hers. As if asking her to deny what Xanth was saying. She looked away.

Xanth's lazy circles had moved higher up her thighs the more he spoke. Without warning, the pad of his thumb stroked across her clit. Unprepared, Alayna couldn't stop the way she jerked in his lap, the moan that fell from her lips.

"If you three stay here, I need you to understand one thing: Alayna is mine." He used one finger to stroke her clit rapidly, making her cry out again. She tried to squirm away from him, but he wrapped one arm around her waist, keeping her firmly seated on his lap. Beneath her backside, she could feel his growing erection.

She couldn't bring herself to look at them, to see if they were watching. Couldn't look them in the eyes as Xanth toyed with her pussy. She realized now why he hadn't come to her early in the day. He'd wanted her body primed and ready for this moment.

Alayna closed her eyes as she tried to fight it, but he knew her body too well. He stroked her mercilessly until her entire body went tense, then shattered as she climaxed. Her soft moans filled the otherwise silent room as she gripped the arm rests of his throne, hips rocking.

"She has everything here she could ever want. She's well cared for, with servants at her beck and call, an army of soldiers to keep her safe, and more men than she can handle to fuck her."

He shifted her still trembling body slightly so he could work at the laces of his breeches. He pulled his cock free, fully erect and straining for attention.

"What did you give her? A run-down room, meals better served in an army camp and danger at every turn. And you think she wants to return to that? When she has all this?"

He gripped her by her hips and lifted, positioning her so that the tip of him nudged at her entrance.

"This is her home now."

He lowered her slowly on his cock. Alayna pressed her lips tightly together to avoid making a sound as he penetrated her, stretching her wide. Her toes curled when the head of his cock brushed passed that bundle of nerves inside her, sweat beading on her brow from the effort of remaining silent when those ridges followed. But she managed not to moan once as he finally sheathed that full length inside her.

She still couldn't look at them, not when she had another man's cock stretching her pussy wide open in front of them.

"Cum, Fox."

"AH!" She cried out loudly as her body instantly responded to that command, pleasure and shame filling her in equal measures. Could they see how her pussy was spasming around his length, how the muscles in her thighs trembled?

"She is mine to use as I see fit," Xanth said, his voice a shade huskier. "Or to allow others to use her. If you stay, you will not interfere with that in any way. Ride me, pet."

Alayna braced her bare feet on their side of his. If she didn't do this now, if she showed any hesitation, she knew he would only make her do worse. Slowly, she began lifting and lowering herself on him, wishing she could hide the wet sounds it made, wishing she could ignore how good it felt despite the humiliation.

While she rode him, Xanth continued speaking. "You are not to interact with her in any way without my permission. Mmph, fuck." He reached around her, drawing the silk away from her breasts. His fingers toyed with her erect nipples, wringing a moan from her. "You're to lay down your lives in service to me, to this place. To the reclamation of my true home, if that is my wish."

Alayna chanced a glance at them from beneath her lashes. All three watched her fuck herself on Xanth's massive cock, their expressions unreadable masks. She thought she saw a muscle twitch in Beckett's jaw, the only outward sign of his anger. Anger at Xanth, or anger at her?

"Serve me well," Xanth's voice was becoming breathless as he started moving his hips beneath her, driving his cock deeper inside her. She bit her lower lip to muffle the sounds she was making and failed miserably. "And perhaps I'll reward you with her for a night. You'll find I'm quite generous."

He slid one hand from her breast, between her legs. Alayna was already fighting an orgasm with everything she had, but the brush of his fingers over her clit sent her tumbling over the edge. She cried out, the sound echoing in the room. Her pussy squeezed him tightly and she couldn't move for several long moments, her body awash in pleasure.

Unsatisfied with her movements, Xanth grabbed her hips and lifted her high before slamming her back down on his cock. He did it again, the movements making her breasts bounce, before settling into a steady rhythm as he moved her in just the way he wanted. His cock speared her pussy over and over again, pushing her into one orgasm after another. For a long while, the wet noises their bodies made were the only sounds in the room, interrupted at random intervals by her frenzied moans as she climaxed.

Behind her, his breaths were growing more labored and she knew he was close. She could feel his massive cock twitching inside her as he fought it. He leaned forward slightly to rumble in her ear, "Look him in the eyes. Don't look away."

Alayna forced herself to look at Beckett. His face was an unreadable mask as he watched Xanth fuck her on the throne.

Louder, he said, "Fuck, pet, your pussy is so wet." His grip on her hips tightened as he spoke to the men in front of them. "I won't make the... Mmph... offer to send you home again. Do you still wish to stay?"

Beckett looked right at her and she prayed to all the gods he could read the desperation in her face, the silent message to escape while he could.

"Yes."

Xanth slammed her down on his cock a final time with a guttural groan. His cock swelled. "Cum, Fox!"

Alayna came in the same moment he exploded inside her, painting her inner walls with his seed. Each time her pussy spasmed around him, his cock pulsed with a fresh wave of cum. He held her still in his lap as her orgasm waned, still spurting inside her.

Then he lifted her off of his cock and unceremoniously dropped her in the floor. She was too boneless to catch herself.

"Clean me."

On shaking arms, Alayna forced herself to turn and rise onto her knees. She took his cock between both hands and began licking it, tasting his cum and her arousal. She hoped Beckett couldn't see Xanth's seed dripping down her thighs.

Once his cock was thoroughly cleaned, he placed a hand on her head to stop her, but left her kneeling at his feet.

"Geir."

The door they'd entered through opened and Xanth's manservant stepped inside.

"Have the twins escort them to the barracks. Tell the commander I want them under guard until I say otherwise. I'll meet with him later to discuss their assignments."

The chains rattled as the twins forced the three men to their feet.

"Alayna. Turn around and get on your hands and knees. We aren't finished yet."

Alayna didn't argue, just turned so that her backside was facing Xanth. She didn't dare look up to see if any of them watched her. As they were led from the room, they were followed by the sounds of her cries and moans as Xanth fed his still-hard cock into her ass.

***

Many things changed in the following month.

The hopelessness she'd felt before was gone, replaced by a driving need to figure some way out of this mess, to free her friends. Even if she couldn't escape, she could at least make sure they were free. Alayna practiced calling on her magic every moment she had a little free time. More often than not, it ended with her sobbing in pain on the floor, but there were precious few times she was able to maintain a steady hold on just a whisper of her power. It wasn't much. Just enough to light a candle from across the room or unlatch her window while lying in bed. It was enough to make the pain worth it.

Though admittedly, she had less and less free time as the month wore on. Xanth kept his promise of allowing her to work in the kitchens. Alayna cherished the freedom, even as she despised the work. Within the first day, the head cook (a no-nonsense type of woman who ruled her kitchen with an iron fist) declared her completely incompetent and had her peeling potatoes or fetching buckets of water. It might not have been so unpleasant if Xanth hadn't insisted upon two things.