Unity and Destiny Pt. 07

But when Kat pulled Grace's shirt off, he swallowed. Grace looked at him nervously, and then leaned back, sighing, letting Kat suckle on her fat nipples, the way Javier wished he could. He shifted slightly, trying not to be too obvious about it. When Kat stood up and began to undo her pants, his mouth dropped open.

"Want to watch us fuck, Javier?" Kat asked. "Want to see Grace come all over my face?"

He licked his lips and swallowed as Kat stepped out of her pants. She ran a finger quickly along her fully shaved slit, then moved to Grace, who happily began licking the finger.

Now Grace was struggling out of her pants, and Javier was frozen.

"Javier," Kat said. "There's just a little price of admission here. Why don't you pull out your cock and give both of us a little extra to enjoy?"

Javier found himself standing up, undoing his jeans. And by the time Kat knelt between Grace's legs, he was jacking off in earnest. Grace had her hands in Kat's hair, but she was watching him. And Javier was torn between watching Grace's perfect breasts, and Kat's round ass shaking slightly as she masturbated with one hand.

"Closer," Grace said softly, and Javier finally realized she was talking to him. He took an uncertain step towards the pair, and Grace nodded.

Another step. He could smell Kat now, and he stared at her ass. He'd fucked her just that one time. It hardly even felt like a memory now.

"Condom in her bag," Grace said, breathing hard now.

Javier abruptly stopped masturbating, trying to slow himself. Grace's dark eyes were locked on his, pleading.

She wanted him to fuck Kat. Javier wanted both of them, but this was a lot more than he'd expected from the pair. Trembling, he knelt behind Kat, digging through her bag. She waggled her ass at him, and so he put his hand on her butt cheek.

By the time he found the condom, she'd stopped masturbating, and was pulling his hand to her slit. She was like a furnace, and practically dripping.

Getting the condom on was a little awkward, which was just as well. When he knelt upright and met Grace's eyes again, his heart hammered.

Kat moaned into Grace's pussy when he touched the tip of his dick against Kat's opening. When Grace realized he'd begun to push inside, she gave a tiny yelp and finally closed her eyes, bucking her hips against Kat's eager mouth. Javier plunged in and out of Kat, timing himself with Grace's orgasmic spasms, continuing on after Grace finished. He felt disconnected, dreamy, floating in a place of pleasure that might last forever. Soon Kat groaned and began shoving back against him, her pussy convulsing rhythmically. But Javier was flying, his body oddly at peace, his excitement building, but only at a distance. When Kat finished, she was wetter than ever, and made a few appreciative noises as he kept going. He settled in like a piston, his ass clenching and his hamstrings starting to tremble with the position. But he was in good shape. A machine, and right now all he wanted was to keep fucking all night.

Grace sat up with a groan, blinking and smiling blearily at Javier. Then she wordlessly stood up, moving the side to get a better view. To Javier's surprise, she put a gentle hand on his shoulder, stroking Kat's back with the other.

He wanted to stare at Grace's body, but her proximity alone threatened to disrupt the wonderful equilibrium he'd found. He wanted to fuck Kat until she was worn out, and maybe beyond. Kat was masturbating rapidly now, her hand furiously working, sometimes bumping his dick. He closed his eyes and held Kat's wide hips. In, out, in, out. The minutes passed, and Kat was making more noise now. The hand gripping his shoulder tensed, and he opened his eyes.

Grace was masturbating, her fingers plunging into her bush not a foot from him. She saw him looking and reflexively pulled her hand away, but then she looked down, at his cock driving into her lover, and she nervously started up again.

Kat let out a deep moan, and braced herself harder against the couch. This time her entire body spasmed, her pussy gripping him so hard that it disrupted his rhythm, which was probably just as well given how close he was. It went on an on, Kat's moans mixing with the squelching noises of his cock driving deep inside her, the slapping of his thighs against her ass. When it was finally done, Kat sagged slightly, but Javier just kept fucking her. His balls were aching, but he still had some energy left, and with Kat not squeezing so tightly he could keep this up.

"Jesus, Javier," Kat wheezed. "Just go for it. Can't keep this up much more."

Grace squeezed him tighter, and he looked up at her, sweating and shaking and beautiful. And then he felt something inside relax into the inevitable, and the dam burst.

Javier didn't often make much noise when he came, but he had an audience this time. And he'd barely been masturbating of late. He couldn't remember the last time he came so much. Over and over, spurting into Kat, or rather the condom. Even after he was dry his dick kept trying to push more out. When it was all over, he had just enough wherewithal to get the condom out intact and collapse back on his heels.

Grace made a little noise next to him, but then she breathed deeply and sat down next to Kat, leaning over to stroke her head and whispering in her ear.

By the time Kat groaned and turned to sit on the floor, Javier finally had the energy to unroll the condom. His dick was still pretty hard, but he was done for a while. He tied off the condom and stared for a moment at the shocking amount of cum inside.

"My God, Javier," said Kat, laughing softly. "What a fucking stud. Lucky I brought the condoms or you'd probably have gotten me pregnant twice over."

Grace smiled uncomfortably and intertwined her fingers with Kat's. Javier wondered if either of them wanted kids some day, how that would work. An anonymous donor, he supposed.

And all of a sudden Javier couldn't think of anything except how much he missed Esther. Esther, who might never become pregnant, who was worried sick about him and Mark and the entire goddamned world, because that was who she was.

"Thank you so much," Javier said, and to his embarrassment he started to cry.

A warm body moved against his side, and then another, hugging him. Not asking questions. Not judging him for his stupidity, for what he'd done to the assassin who had nearly killed them all. Esther said she didn't judge him for it, and he had to believe it. Because in this strange moment he finally understood something about the horrible way he'd beat Castillo. It hadn't been a murderous rage; it had been an overwhelming, horrible fear of losing the one person he could never live without.

"This was wonderful," he whispered, feeling sick. "I have to go back to her."

"We know," Grace said, stroking his hair.

"She's Esther," said Kat, as though that explained it all, because it did. "She needs all of us. But you, most of all."

* * *

Nicola paced the room. Esther squeezed against the wall, wondering if she should leave. But Mark had wanted all of them there.

"Surely there's another option," Nicola said.

Mark shook his head, looking down, anywhere but Nicola. His eyes found Javier's.

"I need someone who can teach me properly," he said. "Someone who understands how to use his skills against other Changed people. I was much stronger than Henry, but he knew these things and fought me well. And perhaps Diana knows them as well. She is very, very fast."

"And both are more than a match for you right now," said Selena. "Mark, you need to be a lot more recovered before you think of doing something like this. Those Chosen are incredibly dangerous. Surely you understand that."

"Yes," Mark said. "But I believe they were honest, weren't they? In their own way. If they promise they will not try to push me into Unity, the other dangers are not of concern."

"They'd have to promise more than that," said Javier. "You know how insidious it was for Nicola. Even without the ancient place reinforcing them, they'd have to promise they wouldn't allow you to enter Unity even if you said you wanted to."

"I hate them," Nicola said. "I don't even want to see their faces again."

"I didn't expect you to come with me," said Mark, nodding.

Nicola looked like she'd been slapped. "What the fuck do you mean? Of course I'm coming with you. I said I didn't want to see them, but if you're intent, someone has to keep a watch on those fanatics."

"You would hate it," said Mark, looking confused. "And I am not providing you much as a partner."

Nicola turned red, and breathed deeply a few times.

"Everyone, leave us alone," she said. They didn't need to be told twice.

Selena quickly disappeared on a run. Esther followed Javier out of the house, sitting on the little bench Nicola had built under a huge pine.

"I would go with him," Javier said. "And you said you needed to talk to Diana. We could help keep Mark safe, and prevent Nicola from going crazy."

Esther nodded. "Mark's not wrong. She would hate it. But she'd hate it so much more if he was there by himself."

Javier paused, obviously trying to phrase something delicately. Esther sighed and saved him the embarrassment.

"Yes, that's one of the things that hasn't started working again. And Mark's obviously stuck on it. I think his body has always been completely reliable in that respect, so he's never needed to learn what I assume everyone else is forced to learn some point, that sex is about more than whether everything is anatomically functional."

Javier kissed her, and for a while she fantasized about what that would be like, to have everything just work without worrying. Javier had come back from Kat and Grace's place two weeks ago, so much happier and more relaxed than he'd been. But with everything so tense here in the Shack, their few attempts at sex had been awkward and only partly successful.

"It's more than that, though," said Javier after a while. "You saw how Nicola looked. It was like he'd dismissed their whole relationship, just because sex wasn't working. As though that's all she wants from him."

Esther nodded unhappily and wrapped her arms tighter around Javier. "We're not just talking about the two of them, are we?"

"I guess not," said Javier with a sigh. "Never hurts to be reminded of it. I guess we should go tell them we're willing to come along?"

Esther let her attention slide briefly towards the other pair, and she winced when she lingered too long. Nicola knelt next to Mark, holding his hand while she masturbated and tried not to cry.

"I think they need more time," Esther said.

* * *

Diana came out to meet them within twenty minutes of their arrival. She wasn't attempting to disguise herself, which Esther supposed was a sort of courtesy. She turned her car onto the highway and then pulled into the gravel shoulder behind their minivan. Diana turned off her car and waited warily, no doubt nervous about the crowd they'd brought. As agreed, Esther got out along with Selena, and Diana gestured for them to join her in the car.

"Hello again," Diana said, turning in her seat. "I expected a visit, I suppose."

"Diana," Esther said. "How are things with you? We hope there aren't any problems—"

Diana scowled and interrupted. "Esther, we remain completely in your debt for the children and for Peter. But I'm sure you know that the others left us here, with too few supplies and too little labor. Yes, it was somewhat related to the help you gave us, and no, I prefer not to discuss it. Is there something else you would like to ask about?"

And so Esther gave the speech she'd prepared. It had sounded a lot better when she'd recited it in the car. But Diana nodded slowly.

"He was hurt terribly, wasn't he?" she said, glancing back towards the other vehicle. "A broken neck?"

Esther nodded. Diana's perception was even better than she realized.

"You found the man who killed Aaron," said Diana. It wasn't a question. "He must have been a terror to have hurt Mark like that."

"He was a monster," said Selena. "He's dead now."

Diana watched her for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose you still wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't forced you to. Well, I consider you and your friends welcome to our hospitality. For what you have done for us, and for removing a monster from the world. Your conditions are strange, and of course I have to seek the agreement of the other elders. But I suspect they will welcome you as well, as long as you're willing to work without complaint. It would probably not go as smoothly if we were still sharing Harmony with those who returned to the ancient place, but we can only follow the Way as we best understand it."

"Do you think you could teach Mark, then?" Esther asked.

Diana nodded. "Henry is the one with more formal training. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he calls it. It is quite effective, and he has been teaching me. But I have learned many other techniques over the years. No doubt Mark has plenty to teach as well."

Esther nodded. As she got out of the car, Diana spoke again.

"You are doing something extremely clever," she said. "I know who you are, and what you can do. And yet I sense only an ordinary woman, perhaps one with the slightest of Blessings. It is a very subtle disguise, and perfectly executed."

Diana paused, and Esther knew what she wanted to ask.

"I am not entirely comfortable teaching it," Esther said. "If I even could. I would prefer to remain anonymous among your fellow Chosen."

Diana nodded. "I understand. I have kept your secret and will continue to do so."

As the other woman drove off, Selena nodded. "She is hard to read, but not the way you are. She was sincere."

"I know," Esther said.

* * *

Living space wasn't a problem at the farm. Scattered around the property were several cottages, converted barns, and a large central house with an attached dormitory, where all the Chosen currently lived. Diana said the full community had been smaller back when they lived here, before moving to the ancient place over a decade ago. But their splinter group had only ten adults and two children, and Peter needed as much care as a child. As Diana predicted, the five newcomers were welcomed with a wary relief.

The two children were the younger pair of those they'd rescued with Peter. They were siblings, Shaun and Meredith, and their parents were much less reserved than the rest in their welcome.

"We owe everything to you," said Elizabeth, a short woman with pink cheeks and tired brown eyes. She held Shaun's hand while Meredith peeked shyly around her legs. "Our thanks that the Way has brought you near again."

Tyrone was a medium-height, slightly overweight black man. He took Javier's hand in both of his, gripping tightly. Javier vaguely recognized both parents from their previous visit, and he tried to smile reassuringly. Nicola was hanging back, looking like she'd rather lock herself in a room for the duration of their visit. He could hardly blame her.

"Are we going to see the Owl this time?" Shaun asked eagerly.

"Ssh," Tyrone said. "That's not polite. The Owl probably has other people to worry about. Each of us serves the Way as best we can. We will meet the Owl if it is Harmonious."

Shaun nodded solemnly.

Henry looked uncomfortable through the introductions, and his brow furrowed more when Javier introduced himself with his true name. But it was the two younger adults whose presence really irked Javier: obnoxious Mateo, and over-friendly Eva.

Mateo merely grunted through the introductions, and he pointedly ignored both Javier and Nicola. But he fixed Esther with a look that pissed Javier off. Eva looked—well, tired. She didn't look nearly as young as she had just a few months ago. She gave Javier a tentative nod.

Most of the people here were somewhat understandable: Diana and her son Samuel, Peter, the kids, the children's grateful family. Henry was a surprise, but he'd been the newest member of the group, and maybe felt closer to Diana than the others. A tall, powerfully built woman introduced herself as Carla, and she was clearly the woman Henry had become close to. The last man Javier didn't know turned out to be Elizabeth's father, Raymond.

But what could have put Eva, and especially Mateo, on the wrong side of whatever schism had happened? It might be important to know. If Diana wouldn't talk, no doubt someone else would. And Javier was depressed to realize that might mean spending more time with Eva.

When they dispersed, however, Eva left with Mateo, chatting with apparent ease. Well, good for them. Maybe Mateo wasn't an asshole to everyone.

Samuel came with them to help them get settled. Selena waved away his assistance and went jogging off to look over the more distant cabins, while the rest of them were happy enough to take an unoccupied cottage that was still in good repair.

"I know my mother has thanked you," Samuel said to Javier. "I have to do the same. There is no chance we could have found Peter and the children, not in time. But I suspect she hasn't given you and Nicola an apology, for the way we abducted you the last time. And so I apologize for both of us."

"Thank you," said Javier. "Do you at least understand why we went through the charade we did? Hoping desperately to escape? Do you understand how terrible it was for Nicola? I know this is your world, but it isn't ours."

"Yes," Samuel said. "I accept that, though it saddens me. And I have some idea how it might have hurt Nicola to feel the call to Unity and not be able to join it fully. I hope you will all still consider joining us as true companions. We have so few, it would be a joy to have others to share in our devotions."

"No," Nicola spat. "Never. Don't you even think about Unity when I'm around."

Samuel blinked, taken aback. But then he nodded. "It is what we agreed, of course. We will not allow any of you, even if you are so inclined. I should take your words more to heart. The Way is seldom as clear as we wish it to be."

* * *

Esther looked over her shoulder again. She'd expected Javier and the others to join her for dinner with the Chosen, if only to be polite. But instead they'd all gathered at a table across the room. Javier kept trying to sneak glances at her, as though she might have trouble on her own. Well, she knew how to be polite. Though Mateo was making her uncomfortable, smiling a little too often, as if he wanted something from her.

Eva seemed as though she wanted to talk, but she waited until her elders were engrossed in discussion.

"Are you good friends with José and Nicola?"

Esther smiled and nodded. "His real name's Javier. Yes, I'm very close friends with them."

"Javier," Eva said quietly. "Right. Why did he give the wrong name? And are he and Nicola having a fight?"

Esther shook her head. "He and Nicola didn't trust anyone much last time. They were kidnapped, after all. And they only pretended to be a couple, because they were worried about being separated. They're good friends, but Nicola really doesn't like being back here."

She watched Eva's expressions change quickly, as she tried to make sense of the revelations.

"So he's not almost Bonded," she said finally. It was obvious where her mind was going. Javier had complained about Eva's attention, so Esther might as well try to clear things up a bit. It wasn't as though they'd be trying to hide any of this.

"Actually," she said, "Javier and I are extremely close. As are Nicola and Mark."

Eva blinked in surprise, and glanced over towards the others. Across the table, Mateo's smile had disappeared.

"Eva, you shouldn't pry about our guests," said Elizabeth. "You know their customs are different from ours."

All in all it was an uncomfortable dinner, and it wasn't improved when Esther explained that her passion was for mathematics. Before she knew it, she found herself agreeing to give some instruction to the children, and to Eva as well. Apparently math was one of the subjects the adults had felt least capable of teaching, ever since someone named Piotr had passed away.