TSS 3: Knight's Son Ch. 10

But if he took it from me after I died, wouldn't I have to kill him to get its protection back? I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me. This conversation was getting uncomfortable.

I don't know... I could tell Charlotte was deep in thought, and I tried to focus on Doctor Bin's lesson until she continued. As the original owner, it might still work for you. But the truth is that it's yours and was taken from you. It might not know that you're alive and is still protecting that asshole.

You're making it sound like it's alive, I thought back to her as I tried to figure out what Doctor Bins was teaching.

Don't stress about this class. I can memorize everything for you and relay it back to you later. Not like I don't already know most of this anyway, Charlotte informed me with a smug tone. And god-tier artifacts like that one do have a life of their own. The ancient god that created it put a piece of her soul into it.

Before I could even begin to formulate a response to information like that, Elly tapped my leg. I looked down to see her holding a folded piece of paper.

I took my second note of the day and read the simple message as surreptitiously as possible.

"Prove it."

It took me a moment to switch gears back to the previous conversation, and I grinned. I'd be happy to prove that I was genuinely interested in Elly as an individual.

I dropped my hand next to hers and laced our fingers together. I noticed Elly smile out of the corner of my eyes, though I focused on our instructor. As warm as my heart felt, I didn't miss how Shayna all but ignored us.

Class ended without any further incidents. Shayna shot from her seat and was out the door before I could say a word.

"Don't worry about her," Elly consoled me, leaning close and pressing one palm against my chest. "She likes you, but she drank the purple kool-aid of the Knights more than I did. She's still sorting out her thoughts and emotions. I don't like your extra baggage, but I can tolerate her."

I'd be offended at being called extra baggage if I couldn't read her mind, Charlotte informed me.

Many things leaped to the front of my thoughts on how to respond to the succubus--most of them insulting--but I chose not to play that game.

Ah, I am growing on you!

I wish she didn't sound so triumphant.

"Thank you," I told Elly, meeting her soft gaze. "Got any plans right now? I'd be happy to start proving it."

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled, but instead of agreeing, she planted a soft kiss on my lips and pulled away. "I'd love to, but I have to get to my next class. So I'll see you at home?" I saw worry dampen her spirit at turning me down.

"I'll make dinner tonight," I told her, offering my warmest smile.

Now she looked suspicious. "I lost the bet with Shayna, so it's my responsibility to cook. Besides, I don't remember seeing that you were a great cook. Did your file actually miss that?"

I chuckled before responding. "Hey, now! I know how to read instructions on a box. Who doesn't like mac and cheese?"

"Uh-huh," she gave me a worried look, but I could see the smile behind it. "I'll have poison control on speed dial just in case."

"And I'll have you happily eating more than just those words tonight," I teased. Only after her eyes grew large did I realize the double-entendre.

She fled before I could correct the misunderstanding, her cheeks burning red.

"I know you can't cook," Charlotte spoke through my mouth.

"That's where you'll finally come in handy," I told her, feeling smug. "It's about time you started pulling your own weight."

* * * *

Josh found me at lunch and badgered me until I told him most of what happened with Adam. I lied and said that when Adam went to punch me, I dodged, and he hit the doorframe, which broke his hand. We talked about a few other things and what it was like to date two women before getting to our following classes.

After my last class, Jenny caught up with me, walking back to Shayna's truck.

"I don't know what's going on with you," Jenny said as a way of greeting. Her tone was severe, but her expression remained neutral. "There have been many rumors the last few months, ranging from you being celibate or gay to talking about a blurse or something. You look a bit different than a few weeks ago, and now you're somehow dating the Ice Queen herself... I don't know what to believe, but I'll say this. Stay away from Serina. She's a good woman and doesn't need you mucking up her life."

"I'm not chasing after her," I replied, meaning it. Despite my reticence earlier, having Jenny order me to stay away made me want to take out her friend's number and call it. Remembering that I had Serina's number on me, I reached into my pocket and pulled it out. "In fact, here. I've got enough on my plate to--" before I could finish my sentence, my legs stepped closer to her, and my arms pulled her tight against my body.

"What the hell?" Jenny demanded just as something thumped the ground where she'd stood a moment earlier.

We both stared at the baseball that would have hit her.

"Watch out!" a voice called way too late, and we turned to see Adam standing there, looking annoyed as he walked up to us. "Sorry, I guess I'm still trying to figure out how to throw with my left hand since someone broke my good one."

I didn't need Charlotte telling me he'd meant to hit me with that ball.

"You should be more careful," I said, lowering my voice in warning. "You never know when something you throw will hit something it shouldn't."

I saw Adam pale slightly at my words, though he tried to hide it behind bravado.

"Yeah? Well, you never know who's watching," Adam chuckled. "I'm sure your other women wouldn't appreciate seeing you holding that tramp so closely."

Realizing the compromising position we were in, Jenny pushed against my chest. As she took a step back, her right foot fell on the baseball. Arms pinwheeling, she started to fall back, but my body reacted again, and I caught her wrist and pulled her back against my chest. We were right back where we started. Jenny stared up at me, dark brown eyes wide in shock.

I heard the click of a camera, and we looked in time to see Adam take a few more pictures.

"Now to post these on the campus webpage... Done." Adam chuckled evilly as he gave me a smug grin.

My heart dropped as I realized I was too late to do anything. Sure, I could kick Adam's ass, but if the pictures were already uploaded, there was no pulling them back. Besides, with his arm in a sling, it'd look like I was beating up a crippled person.

"Serina is going to kill me," Jenny growled before pushing out of my arms again. She avoided slipping on the baseball as she faced the other man. "I'm going to kill you first!"

Adam just then seemed to realize that he was facing two people that he'd just wronged. So, turning on his heels, he took off running.

Rather than chase after him, Jenny bent over and picked up the baseball. Then, with two super quick spins of her arm, she underhand threw it. I barely tracked it with my enhanced senses as it flew unerringly to Adam's skull. I then wished I didn't have my superior hearing as I heard a sickening crack, followed by Adam's face crashing into the ground with another nauseating crunch.

"Twelve years of fast-pitch softball," Jenny chuckled in a way that made dry ice appear warm. "I guess he's out. Shit! I need to go find Serina. Good luck with your girlfriends. Or not. I don't really care." She took off, walking fast as she pulled her phone out and made a call, but not before I heard her whisper, "Why the hell does he smell so good?".

While it was satisfying to see someone else dish out some pain on Adam, I knew I had my own damage control to chase after. My stomach wanted to empty the remains from lunch as I tried to figure out what to say or do.

Neither of my wives answered their phones when I tried calling, which added to my rising anxiety. What would they think after all my talk of wanting to prove that I desired them, only to be seen holding another woman? Sure, I could explain what really happened, but would they believe me? Would they have any reason to believe me?

Charlotte tried to console me, but nothing she said made me feel better until she reminded me that I planned on cooking dinner. Maybe... Just maybe, if I cooked a decent enough meal, they'd listen to me long enough to explain. If nothing else, it'd show that I'm willing to put effort into skills that I don't usually have since they already knew I was no chef.

For the first time since getting stuck with Charlotte in my head, I listened to everything she told me. I grabbed every ingredient she wanted at the grocery store, swallowing the shock of spending well over my previous monthly food budget for just one meal. Good thing I was spending the Knight's money.

Once home, I looked around, but the house A.I. informed me that the ladies weren't there. So I got to work, cutting, dicing, and doing other things I didn't know the terms for as Charlotte educated me.

* * * *

Two hours later--and more times of Charlotte taking direct control of my body than I want to count--I placed the finishing touches on dinner. I was just in time, as I heard the garage open and close, and then my wives were in the kitchen, staring at me.

"Ladies," I greeted them with a hopeful smile. "I promised Elly I'd make you dinner tonight, and I hope you like it."

Shayna and Elly shared a look that I couldn't read. My stomach twisted, and even though dinner smelled terrific, I had no appetite. Any insight into how they're feeling or what they're thinking? I asked my passenger.

Oh, now you want me to read minds? Charlotte's tone informed me of how she felt about that. She was more than helpful this afternoon, but I felt a different emotion coming from her now. I think I'm just going to sit back and let you sink or swim on your own. I've already helped your ungrateful ass out enough.

Had I said or done something to annoy her in the last five minutes? Did she read something in their minds to cause the change in her attitude? I didn't know, and she wasn't answering.

"It smells edible," Elly said with caution as she approached the table. "But then again, so does cyanide."

"I'm pretty sure he just ordered something in," Shayna said as she looked over the offering.

"Then he's a master at ruses," Elly chuckled, looking back into the kitchen and the mess I hadn't cleaned up yet. "I think he may have actually made this."

Both women then looked up at me. I felt sweat leak down my neck. I couldn't tell if they were angry with me or even knew about the photos. Would they be teasing me like that if they'd seen them?

I thought about asking for Charlotte's help again, but she was right. I shouldn't use her like that. I also shouldn't be digging through other people's minds, no matter how desperately I wanted to know their thoughts.

"For my lovely wives, I decided to try my hand at making this," I said and swept my hand across the table. "I only had a few hours, so I hope the meat is seasoned well enough, but I made us some bacon-wrapped pork tenderloins. In that dish, we have some lemon parmesan roasted broccoli. I also made some buttermilk biscuits and a lemon chiffon compote to spread on them. I truly hope you enjoy."

I held my breath and waited. Would they sit down and dig in before it got cold? Would they bring up the pictures on the campus website? I'd verified they were uploaded to the social media site and had well over a thousand views by the time I got home. Did they even know about them? I couldn't believe that neither one could know. But then, why weren't they already yelling at me? And why wouldn't they meet my gaze?

Finally, Shayna spoke. "How much, um... help did you get in making this?"

I knew what she was asking and wasn't going to lie. "I had a lot of help. I've done things to make this that I don't even know the name of." I watched Shayna's gaze turn flat at my words, and I rushed on. "But I wanted to show that I'm willing to go the extra mile or outside of my normal comfort zone for you."

"I think it's sweet," Elly said, eyes lighting up but still not meeting mine.

Shayna let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "We might as well eat it before it gets cold. If it's poisoned, at least it'll put an end to this..." she trailed off with another shake of her head. Sitting down, she reached for the tongs, but I beat her to them.

"Please, allow me," I told her and dished up a plate for her.

"I'm guessing you still haven't read my file?" I looked up as I set the plate down and almost wished I hadn't. Her blue eyes held great pain and sadness as she met my gaze.

"I haven't had much opportunity," I said. "I glanced at it this morning and planned on looking at it more this evening. Was there something I should know?

"Well," Shayna stirred her plate with her fork as she thought. "If you had, you'd know that I absolutely hate broccoli."

"Shayna!" Elly snapped, anger filling the normally chipper woman's sweet voice as my heart sunk to new levels.

I swear I didn't know! Charlotte was quick to inform me as I stared at the offending vegetable. Admittedly, I'd spent the least amount of time on the broccoli, but her words still pierced me.

"What?" Shayna stood, pushing back her chair and staring at her friend. "I've been trying really hard to be okay with everything, but I don't know if I can do this. It's... How can you trust him? You saw the pictures. He obviously can't control himself."

"It wasn't like that," I cut in. "Adam set that up and twisted the whole thing. I was going to tell you after dinner, I swear!"

"Right... Adam set that up. And were you hoping that this farce of an effort would make us forget how easily your hormones control you? Or did you add something into this food to make us your willing sex slaves again?" My short wife glared at the food as if it were to blame for every one of her complaints.

"Shayna, that's enough!" Elly shouted. Shayna's head snapped back as though slapped, and I saw tears. "You know I would never mislead you. We talked about this last night. He's trying his best, and he doesn't have much reason to."

I actually had plenty of reasons to try, but I didn't think that was the moment to bring them up.

"Yes, I know you would never mislead me, but how do I know he hasn't gotten inside your head or twisted you around? I love you, but I also know how much you want this to work." Shayna stared defiantly at Elly until the taller woman looked away.

Now it was Elly's turn to sprout tears. Finally, after a few tense moments, Elly spoke in a soft tone backed with iron. "If that's how you feel, I can say nothing to convince you. If, after all these years, you still don't know me well enough to know when I'm being genuine, then maybe this was a mistake after all."

I watched as Elly's words physically struck Shayna's core.

Raising a shaking hand, Shayna's voice came out barely above a whisper. "Elly... No, I..."

"Go!" Elly's arm snapped like a whip as she pointed. She wasn't pointing to the garage or the front door but back towards their bedroom.

At the time, I didn't think about it, but as I write this, it seems odd to have the quiet and reserved Elly so domineering. And to see Shayna meekly walk away, her dinner untouched.

When we heard the bedroom door close, Elly turned to me. Any softness in her voice was gone, leaving only the iron.

"Now, I think you'd better explain why there are pictures of my husband holding another woman plastered all over social media."

* * * *

1072 A.D.

Ardin stepped out of the hot water and sniffed at his skin. He smelled like the flowery petals floating on the steaming surface.

He no longer suspected his new owner intended to eat him, but he didn't know the purpose of the fragrant bath. Sure, he needed to be washed, but did the water have to be so hot or smell like that? All he'd needed was simple soap, and he would have been fine.

Two men and one woman came up to him. He shied away, noting that all were as naked as him. While the woman was comely, he was a married man and refused to look at her. Despite his best efforts to keep them away, he was still weak from the forced marches and lack of proper nutrition. The men subdued him with ease, holding him on his back as the woman approached. It was the same pale-haired slave cooling off their mistress when she purchased him.

She offered him a smile, but he couldn't understand her when she spoke. However, there was no mistaking her intentions when her hand moved toward his groin.

"No! This isn't right!" he protested, though she couldn't understand him. "I'm a married man. I must remain faithful. Please, unh... please... stop...."

She ignored him, taking him in her hands and stroking his length. He struggled with all his flagging might, but the two men were much stronger and healthier. He prayed that she would stop her depraved act and violation, but his body betrayed him instead.

Whether it was the expert way in which she coaxed his member to betray him or the amount of time since he last lay with his wife, Ardin's protests weakened. It wasn't that he wanted this to happen. On the contrary, his soul cried out at the injustice of what was being done to him. But after weeks of celibacy, coupled with the grueling ordeals since leaving home, the pain of his back, wrists, and ankles, and the exhaustion plaguing his limbs, pleasure--any pleasure--overwhelmed him.

When she took him in her mouth, her tongue swirling around the tip--even though she couldn't compare to Venita's technique--Ardin lost all will to resist. It was Venita's pale hair bobbing up and down his length in his mind. It was his wife's sweet lips bringing him to the brink of climax, only to pull away. It was the love of his soul stroking his length while her tongue fondled his scrotum.

Ardin lost all sense of time as the slave woman teased, played, and brought him to the edge before pulling away and leaving him unsatisfied. He didn't even notice when another female entered and spoke his language.

"Oh, Zeus has blessed you well, my new toy," the lady said as Ardin writhed in bliss while still held by the other men. "Such stamina. Such length and girth. Once we put a little more meat on you, I look forward to devouring that delicious body of yours."

Her words changed to the other language with a giggle, but Ardin was lost in it all. Even as the sensations changed, he continued to imagine his beloved wife there with him.

Then, finally--blissfully--he was allowed to finish. His eyes shot open, and his elation turned to one of horror. He found the slave woman impaled on his member as he fired deep into her.

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From the Author

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Will Bobby ever catch a break? If he did, would this still be an interesting story? I will say that both Bobby and Ardin have a long road before them.