The Light Within the Darkness

by H M Wolfe

  Vincent went into the hallway to greet the master of the house. And, in a whispered voice, explained everything once again. Most likely alerted by his father, Aubrey also came downstairs, bringing a thick blanket and giving it to Ian. He thanked him with a pale smile. Carefully, the man draped it around Warrick's shoulders the best he could, and sat next to the sub, waiting for him to become aware of his presence.

  Gradually, the warmth from the blanket and radiating from Ian's body had the desired effect. The younger man soon became considerably less rigid. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and let the tears flow and stream down his pale cheeks. From time to time, Warrick's chest rose and fell with long sobs escaping from his lips from time to time.

  ''Shhh, don”t cry, my beautiful, most beloved, intelligent pet.'' Ian lightly kissed him on the temple. ''You're safe now. Everything's over. I'm here, and so are your brothers and fathers. We will all take good care of you.'' Ian started to put his arms around Warrick's shoulders.

  Warrick started at the feel of Ian's arms. ''Master, please. Don't touch me! Don't let my filth get you dirty, too!'' He pleaded, and his voice was breaking everyone's heart. ''You, too. Turn your backs on me and walk away before my ugliness can stain your souls. All of you are good men. You don't deserve something like me. Albert Richards has friends in high places, and he won't hesitate to use them, especially if he feels threatened.''

  ''That's why you didn't go to the police after the...'' Vinson cut himself short, unable to say the word. He was afraid that it would trigger his brother for a second time. He couldn't do that to Warrick again.

  ''When Master Ian and I first talked about boundaries, I was amazed how much freedom and control over my decisions that kind of relationship offered me. The hardest limit I set was for him to never come inside me. I was a virgin before, all Eric and I had ever shared was a shy kiss. And then they gang-raped me, all of them. Professor Richards was the first and worst. He even joked about the possibility of me getting pregnant.'' Warrick stopped, covering his eyes, while the shame and guilt washed over him.

  ''From the very first time I met your brother, I knew he was hurting badly. I could almost hear his silent cry for help. However, I couldn't come to you and start to talk about his problems. You were already set against me as it was.'' Ian looked at Vincent, Sebastian, and Joraan, who lowered their heads in shame.

  ''I tried to kill myself right after the birthday party. But then, I heard your voices.'' Warrick turned to his brothers. ''I then thought about how much my death would affect you, and ultimately mom. And there was, of course, another aspect to consider: Vale's safety. I had to do my damndest to make sure he wouldn't be put through the same hell I had been put through.''

  Inhaling sharply, Vinson closed his eyes. He realized the dimensions of Warrick's sacrifice. His brotherly affection and care were hidden so well behind his cold and calculating exterior. His jock reputation shielded him from any attempt on him physically, but Vale had been openly gay since junior year. Over half of their schoolmates had known about his sexual orientation.

  All three of them enrolled at the same university, mainly for financial reasons. Warrick a year ahead of him and Vale. It now appeared that was so he had time to smooth the path and get ready for his protection plan. Vinson couldn't even imagine how hard it must have been for his brother to live with that shame. He had to face his tormentors' snickers, evil grins, and nasty remarks, day in and day out. While he and Vale, especially, got to waltz through their classes with no such problems.

  Warrick must have worked and studied harder than all of them combined. And most likely, the bastard who'd taken his innocence also gave him lower grades. But he'd never complained because Vale was safe. Only then, in the light of his brother's revelations, Vinson had finally figured out why his reaction to his marriage announcement was so virulent and so full of bitterness.

  He, the man who'd paraded his love for Vale in front of Warrick, had abandoned him in the cruelest of ways. Meanwhile, instead, Warrick had taken his broken heart and picked up the pieces. It was about time, the man thought, to give back at least a fraction of what he owed to the man who'd never given up on them. It was about time to build the future Warrick had dreamed for him, with the right partner at his side.

  CHAPTER 22

  T

  he weeks following Warrick's confession were difficult for everyone, as they watched him struggling to rebuild himself all over again. It seemed that the man had taken a giant step backward, with all the progress he'd made vanishing into thin air. The only moment of the day when he acted a little more lively was in the morning when Aubrey was getting ready to go to school.

  However, as soon as the boy stepped outside the house, the mask fell. And an empty stare quickly replaced the smile. Warrick carried on his duties around the house, then drowned himself in work until Ian came home, and Aubrey joined them for dinner. As soon as the last plate was washed and the kitchen spotlessly clean, he returned to his small office, working himself to exhaustion.

  If it weren't for Ian coming and carrying him to bed, Warrick would have spent the nights sleeping with his head on the desk. He didn't see himself worthy of sharing the bed with his dominant. However, deep inside, the sub was waiting for the moment when the older man came into the small office and carried him back to the bedroom, bridal style.

  They didn't talk very much, just a simple exchange of looks or a small gesture being more than enough to understand each other. Ian showered his sub with affection, showing him how precious and vital he was. Although at first, he avoided them, Warrick ended up accepting all his Dom's demonstrations of love. He was secretly yearning for them and hoped Ian wouldn't stop.

  ''Pet, I love you now, and I will love you always.'' Ian dared to speak out one evening, moving closer to the younger man and caressing his cheek. ''You are everything I've ever wanted in a submissive. Scratch that, you are the perfect partner for me. I could care less if you were submissive or not.''

  ''Don't say that, Master.'' His reply came in a sad voice. ''A man with a broken, tainted body and shattered soul is the last thing you need in your life. At a certain point, you will become bored with me. You'll become tired of picking up the pieces, and you will cast me aside. Better let me go now, while...'' Warrick cut his words off with a sob.

  ''You know, pet. Every time we went to the club, and you knelt at my feet, I could hear the other Doms' as they whispered their words of admiration. I could see the envy in their eyes. My heart soared, swollen with pride. Because I had the luck to have you, the one they admired and wanted so much, by my side.''

  ''That was then, Master. That was when you and the others weren't aware of the ugliness inside me, or of the filth staining my body. Let me go before the news spreads. Before you lose the respect of the community.'' Warrick pleaded.

  ''OK, if that's what you want, pet.'' Ian sighed and smiled as he caressed the younger man's face with his fingertips. ''But first, we're going to the club for the last time. We need to go for Vinson and Valeran's confirmation as Dom and sub, respectively. It's my last wish as your Dom before I let you go.''

  ''Thank you, Master.'' Warrick closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. ''Someday, you will make a sub the happiest, luckiest man alive.''

  ''I'm sure I will,'' Ian answered in a dreamy voice. ''And he will make me feel the same. Good night, pet, and sweet dreams.'' the man sweetly whispered.

  Vinson was pounding into his lover's tight, welcoming ass. His short, hard thrusts were driving the other man crazy with lust. Slowly he was bringing him to the edge of insanity. He was dangerously close to falling into the abyss of pleasure. With each new thrust that hit his sweet spot, Valeran saw stars. Each thrust made him clench his hole around the steel-hard cock invading it. It wasn't going to take much more to tip him over that edge to completion.

  A mischievous grin spread on Vinson's face at the sight of the other man's dick. It was standing proud and tall, calling for attention. Each of his thrusts
made the hard cock slap against Vale's stomach. The head, dark purple and swollen, was looking like it was angry with the beating it was receiving. The little droplets of precum had started to form at the tip. They splattered at each slap and puddled in the concave of his navel. Licking his lips, Vinson swiped up some of those drops and, using them as a lubricant, slowly began to stroke his lover's cock. Tightly gripping him at the base, he grabbed Vale's balls with his free hand and tugged hard, making him whimper in need. Teasing Valeran, he slowed down the rhythm of his thrusts, then used that hand to play with the man's nipples, alternately twisting and pinching them.

  ''I so love seeing you all hard for me, babe,'' Vinson said between pants. He may have been teasing Vale, but it was also affecting him. He was so close to climax, he fought hard to hold it back. ''To hold your perfect cock in my hand. Feeling it swell and growing bigger and bigger...Nothing...can...beat...that...'' His words punctuated with each hard thrust. ''Well...maybe the sound of you begging for release. I could go like this for hours.'' He smirked, as he started to pound harder and harder into that sweet, little, perfect hole.

  ''You...wouldn't...do...something...like...that to me....''He, too, was panting out his words. He was so close to going over the edge, and he wasn't sure of the words he was hearing. ''That's...a... joke...? Right?'' Valeran's eyes widened in shock, a pleading expression on his face. Vin wouldn't be that sadistic, would he? ''I mean come on, Vin...''

  ''It's Master Vinson! You better learn to use that honorary when you speak to me,'' the other one replied sternly. Vin lightly tugged at Vale's cock, then gave it a firm squeeze, causing Vale to groan in pleasure/pain. ''We have our confirmation ceremony two weeks from now. Or have you changed your mind about that?'' He asked as he lightly caressed Valeran's cheek. Wanting to prolong the tension, he also slowed his thrusting. That was good for him as it backed his climax from building in his lower back. He hadn't realized how close he was from exploding into Vale's tight channel.

  ''No, of course not. I'm very sorry, Master. I'll...I'll have to practice self-restraint more, so I won't embarrass you in front of the other Doms.'' Valeran swore to himself, Vin was teaching him that self-restraint by slowing down his pounding as he spoke. His cock was painfully hard, and his swollen hole was gripping Vin's steel rod as if it was going to fall out at any moment. Dropped his legs from around Vinson's back and placing his feet against the mattress, thrust up against the other man's hips. Unconscientiously, he was trying to goad Vin into moving faster and more profound.

  ''Good,'' Vinson's answer came between his pants, while he thrust inside his lover with renewed force. ''Ah, that feels good, soooooo gooood...'' He groaned, quickly filling Valeran's tight channel with pulse after pulse of his hot, sticky cum. Slowing his thrusts once more, he was soon ready to collapse on top of Vale's body. Moaning as he felt himself slip out of Vale, he rolled over until he was on his side facing his lover, perched on his elbow. He slowly ran his hand down Vale's chest, following the dark trail of fine hairs to the curls surrounding his lover's angry cock. Gripping it once again, he calmly stroked it.

  Knowing Vale had to be close to his own completion, Vin leaned over and swiped his tongue up Vale's length. Swirling the point around the head, he teased the slit and burrowed into it as far as he could. Vale shouted out some incomprehensible words and jerked his hips off the bed, driving his hardness deep into Vin's throat. Vin taking him down with no problem, swallowed around him and sucked hard.

  ''Master, please....may I...come, toooooo...?'' Vin's lover's voice was meek and small, as he fought to hold on to what little control he had over his body. ''I don't...think...I can...hold...on...much longer....pleeeease, Sir!'' Vale couldn't tell if he'd actually said the words out loud or not. He was floating on a cloud of pleasure with a lining of pain. The pain of holding back the explosion about to erupt from a cock so hard, he thought it would snap in two.

  ''Come for me, pet.'' Vinson's deep rumble was music to the other man's ears. His hand was rapidly bringing Vale closer to the edge. ''Show me how much cum you can give me, love.'' Those words were the ones to push him over that edge. ''Yes, that's my sweet sub.'' Vin purred a satisfied look on his face at the sight of the white strings of pearly, sticky substance spurting from Vale's dick. Leaning over again, he suckled on the head, swallowing down the rest of the bitter, sweet flavor of his lover. The cum that had managed to shoot across Vale's stomach and chest, he rubbed into his skin.

  Once the post-orgasmic haze dissipated a little, and some of his energy had returned, Vinson left the bed, stepping into the bathroom. With Ian's words in his head, he brought Vale a glass of water and tenderly washed his partner's torso. There were tender words of praise and love flowing from his lips, and they zoomed straight into Valeran's heart, making it dance with joy.

  A bright smile never leaving his lips, Vinson joined his beloved in the bed once more. He pulled the covers up over their naked forms and enveloped Valeran into his powerful embrace. In two weeks, he thought, the bond between him and his mirrored image would become even tighter, and permanent. Being a dominant, Ian explained, wasn't only about taking pleasure from his submissive. Neither was disciplining and punishing him when the situation required. Being a good dom involved giving the sub the control to submit themself to him with complete trust.

  The older man also said this kind of relationship involved a lot of care and consideration of the sub's needs. You needed to have excellent communication skills and total openness and honesty. Vinson was prepared to give all those to Valeran, and more. As he ardently wanted to make up for all his mistakes in the past. He needed to see the other man thrive under his guidance. Vin had to ignore his wants and needs for once.

  ''Will he ever be alright? At least at the level, he was before all this chaos?' The sadness-filled voice of his beloved made Vinson's heart wrench in pain. Vale ultimately cared for his brother's welfare. Vin realized he had to care too.

  ''Yes, you should never doubt that.'' He rolled onto one side and cupping Valeran's face with both hands. ''Our brother is the strongest one of us. He's always managed to rise from the ashes, even stronger than before.

  ''I don't know about that.'' Valeran continued, in the same defeated voice. ''The other day, when I went to see him, we hardly spoke and the look in his eyes...Vin, I want our brother back. I need his presence, his words of wisdom, and that trademark grumpiness...''

  ''Even if the two of us disagreed a lot during my marriage, Warrick never truly left my side. He was there, waiting for me to realize I was wrong or to need his help. Damn, I'm so stupid!'' Vinson cursed, but his eyes were shining. ''It was under my nose the whole time, but I only see it now!''

  ''What are you talking about, Sir?'' Valeran's eyes widened at the sight of his lover's expression. There was a mix of joy, frustration, and relief in it, and Vale was surprised. ''What didn't you see until now?'' he asked, confused.

  ''I know how to bring Warrick back. It's a perfect plan, but first, I have something to tell you. That all depends on if you trust me or not.'' Vinson looked into the other man's eyes, looking for the truth in Valeran. ''I need you with me in this.''

  Valeran solemnly nodded. ''I don't care what I have to do, say, or believe. It doesn't matter, as long as I can see that little shine and a barely-there smile that brightened our brother's face before all this, again.'' He stated in a determination-filled voice. Vale would do anything for Warrick, and Vin could see that. He also observed that truth in Vale's eyes.

  ''Warrick's sole purpose in life was our happiness. He didn't care what happened to himself, as long as we were living our dreams.'' Vinson whispered, tears welling in his eyes. He'd never felt so selfish in his life until now. Warrick had sacrificed so much for him and Vale.

  ''The only way to make him react and end his state of apathy is to make him believe that we are not happy anymore.'' Vinson wiped the tears that had managed to leak from his eyes away with the back of his hand.

  In a low, shaky voice, the m
an started to tell his lover about the plan. He, Warrick, Ian, and the dads, as Vincent, Sebastian, Joraan, and Nicholas were known, had concocted it to put Isobel and Chester Hoskins behind bars once and for all. Vinson also told Valeran about the things he'd come across while he was working his ass off for that soulless bastard's company.

  However, except for some random pieces of paper that had accidentally fallen into his hands, he had nothing to back up the suspicions that slowly arose. Especially those that occurred during his stay at the Institute. During that time frame, Vinson had desperately needed something else to focus on. He had to have something to keep all his negative thoughts at bay, so he put two and two together. The result was a fraud of enormous proportions, which was then confirmed by Ian.

  The prosecutor had spent ten years working on this case. He was building it up from scraps, gathering the evidence piece by piece until he finally got to the bottom of it. Still, despite their significant numbers, the documents could be quickly be deemed as circumstantial by the horde of attorneys Hoskins could hire to defend him.

  The whole custody battle game was meant to reduce Vinson to nothing, in case he had figured out the scheme behind the construction company. But Ian was going to use it to their advantage. Helped by Tarquin and the girls from the Special Team's tech department, they planted a sophisticated surveillance system at Vinson's house. Motion sensor recording equipment was everywhere. They weren't going to let Hopkins and Isobel get away with anything.