by Simon Archer
City Master smiled, clearly pleased with my answer. “And that is what separates a hero from a villain.”
“Yes, sir,” I added firmly.
There was still a stagnant silence in the room, save for a couple of gasps and soft whispers, but I couldn’t care less about those. I stood my ground, proud of my statement.
“Mr. Barbur, since you’ve clearly done a number on Mr. Maneru, please escort him to the infirmary,” City Master instructed.
Matt looked heated, but there was something soft in his eyes that was attempting to cope with what had happened in there. He must have known that there was no way Niji could have known about what happened with Brad, too. Before he left, he hugged Kristen tightly and breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s okay,” I heard Kristen whisper to him, and he nodded as he righted himself again.
As the left, City Master looked about and clapped his hands in front of himself. “I think that is all the excitement we can handle in the classroom for one day. Class dismissed.”
A few of the students, myself included, were thankful for the early cut, though I noticed that there were a few people who were hesitant to leave, as though they had been waiting for more lectures. They did eventually get up, but by the time that happened, Kara, Kristen and I were already halfway out the gymnasium doors.
“Do you think she’s going to become a problem?” Kara asked as she hooked her arm around mine.
“If she does, I’ll take care of it,” Kristen snapped, then reeled back with a sigh. “Sorry. She really got under my skin.”
“It was a low blow,” I admitted. If there were two things that the Barbur twins were sensitive about, it was their parents and each other. “Akemi had no right to call you that. Still, it would have made things easier to deal with if you hadn’t lost your cool as well.”
“It’s fine,” Kristen huffed after a moment. “I’ve been called worse… and I should have known better. I think… well, when Matt is in full wolf form, I feel it over the power link we share and…” She sighed. “It’s still no excuse.”
“Regardless of that, it shouldn’t be fine,” Kara argued. “It was an awful thing to say, and Akemi should apologize.”
“She won’t.” I shook my head. “At least not right away.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kristen interjected. “I’m just worried about Matt. He really freaked out in there.”
Kara nodded. “He thought he was saving you. Even though it wasn’t really you, I’d take comfort in knowing that if I were in any real danger, he’d come to my rescue without a second thought.”
Kristen did smile a little at that. “It was endearing, I suppose, but not as moving as Nick’s speech in there.”
“I just had to get it off my chest, I guess.” I chuckled and slung my other arm over Kristen’s shoulders. I wasn’t sure if what I had said would have any effect on the Brand kids at all, but I hoped that me using my title, whatever that meant, allowed me to make a point.
Life was beautiful, even with all of the bad that was in the world, and each life was worth saving.
17
A couple of weeks had passed since my altercation with Akemi in the gym during class. We hadn’t spoken about it, and in fact, she treated me as though it hadn’t happened in the first place. I didn’t mind, so long as Kristen received an apology, which she had, so I was fine with whatever happened from here on out.
In fact, a lot of the Brand kids looked at me differently now, and I wasn’t sure that it was a bad thing.
Before, most of them only whispered behind my back, terrified that I was like my father and would snap at them if they said something I didn’t like. Now, however, many of them said hi to me in the halls and during dining hours, and referred to me by name, not title. It was a wonderful change of pace, and I started to think maybe my speech had an effect on them after all.
Winter had started to give way to Spring, but a chill still lingered in the air. There was something poetic about warmth giving life to the cold, dead trees and filling the day with liveliness. At least, that’s what Kristen would have said, seeing as she was a writer, which was what brought me to having a video call with my girls on Inferno Island.
“So, I was thinking that I want to take Kristen out,” I paused for a beat. “Like, on an actual date.”
“Nick, hear me when I say this,” Andie said as she squeezed into the frame of the video-phone with Aylin. “I am surprised you haven’t taken Kristen out already.”
“Are you sure this is okay?” I smiled at the pair of them. “Because if it isn’t…”
“Yessss, Nick,” Andie drawled for the hundredth time.
“We have already given you our blessings, Starlight,” Aylin practically sang, her eyes bright and glowing. “Why do you hesitate?”
“I know, I know.” I laughed as I paced in front of my bed, eyes locked on their beautiful images on my phone’s screen. “I just want to make sure that everyone is on board with this. We’re all in this together, remember?”
“You’re sweet,” Andie cooed. “Now, go get ready and show her a good time.”
“Don’t I always?” I grinned.
“Best of luck, Starlight,” Aylin wished. “Do let us know how it turns out in the morning.”
“I will,” I agreed.
“Bye!” they said simultaneously.
“Bye,” I repeated back before hanging up.
As I turned towards Kara, sitting on my bed as she watched the call, she smirked. “See? I told you they would be fine with it.”
“Are you okay with it?” I shot back.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Nick.” Kara laughed and hooked her fingers into my belt loops. Her smile was radiant, more confident than I’d seen it in ages. Maybe Andie did wear off on her a little. I was glad for that.
“You’re not jealous?” I teased, but I already knew the answer.
“Nick, if I haven’t been jealous yet, what makes you think I’m going to start now?” She pulled me closer and leaned up to kiss me full on the lips.
I relished in the feel of her against me and sighed as she pulled away. “Well, this time is a little different.”
“How do you figure?” Kara unhooked her fingers from my pants to run her hands over my chest. She always liked to feel my heartbeat when she could as though it were a sign that this was real, like it calmed her to feel my pulse. It was flattering, honestly, that I was what grounded her when she needed a balm.
“We grew up with Kristen,” I reminded her.
“Do you look at her as a sister?” she questioned.
“No,” I said immediately, then retracted a bit. “Well, not anymore.”
Kara laughed and shook her head. “It’s fine, Nick. I think she’ll be a great addition to our strange circle.”
“Oh, we’re strange now?” I joked.
“We’re a little strange,” she said with a nod, but the smile never left her lips.
I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, we are a little strange.”
The two of us shared a laugh, and we kissed again. I was so grateful to have three amazing girls in my life, and tonight, I was hoping to have another.
“Go, you’re going to be late,” Kara insisted and started to push me out the door of my own room.
“I’d listen to her if I were you, pal,” Buttons muttered from his newly adopted spot atop of my pillows. “She drives a hard bargain, especially for treats. Can you believe I have to work to get some good eats around here? Treats me like a trick pony!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin when he spoke. I still wasn’t used to having a cat, much less a cat with cognitive thought and speech. It certainly made intimate moments more… difficult, but Buttons was otherwise a good cat, I thought.
“You have a perfectly good bowl of cat food right there!” Kara pointed dramatically to the bowl of dry food on the floor next to the TV stand.
“That garbage?” Buttons rolled his eyes and laid his head back down. “Humans get to ea
t pizza and hot dogs and sushi. Meanwhile, little ol’ Buttons has to eat dried shit.”
“It can’t be that bad,” I reasoned, but I was only met with a scoff before he turned his back to me and swished his tail in annoyance.
“Anyway, go have fun.” Kara turned back to me and started pushing me out the door. “And maybe take things over to her place tonight?”
She motioned to Buttons, who only huffed in response. Apparently, he was done talking to us.
“Good idea.” I chuckled then kissed her once more. “If you get lonely, I hear there’s a cat that likes snuggles around here.”
“I’ll look into that.” She laughed, then waved as I winked at her and head down the hall to the girls’ dormitories.
I wouldn’t necessarily say I was dressed to impress, but I did put on something a little nicer than cargo shorts and an old tank top. A fitted black shirt and light wash blue jeans did the trick, and I made sure to mess up my hair properly and spray the nicest cologne I had before I left my room.
By now, I knew the way to Kristen’s room since Judgment and I had picked her up for ride-alongs. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her door and knocking. I bounced on my heels as I waited for her to open it, and to my surprise, when she did, she was only half-dressed.
It was the most I’d seen of her, and I definitely took a moment to drink in how gorgeous she was. Pale skin was stretched over her athletic body, and her curves were smooth and sexy. Her definition was perfect in all the right places, and I had to force myself to look away.
“Don’t act like you haven’t seen a girl in her underwear before, Nick,” she scolded as she rolled her eyes.
“Sorry, I just…” I tried to find the right words, but the only one that came to mind was, “Wow.”
Kristen laughed a little and opened the door for me to come in. “So what brings you here? You must be bored if you actually stopped by on your own.”
I looked around her room as I stepped through the threshold. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I walked in, but it wasn’t dark furniture with blue accents. I felt as though I had walked into a dark ice palace of sorts. I knew that Kristen wasn’t always the sunniest person, but this said so much about her.
All of her furnishings were black, ornate, and coated in what looked like bright blue glitter. Kristen didn’t strike me as the glittery type, but I supposed it did add a bit of shimmer. Star maps and runes lied on her desk, and her walls were covered with fantastic creatures, specifically fairies and dragons.
“Too much for you to handle?” Kristen asked when I didn’t respond to her right away.
I cleared my throat and grinned. “Not at all. It isn’t what I thought it would be, though.”
“What were you expecting?” She crossed her arms with a smirk and leaned against the door.
I shrugged. Kristen didn’t strike me as the type to allow herself to be carried away with fantasies. She always seemed to be down to earth, almost too much so. This seemed out of place for her mature attitude, but then again, we all had our escapes. I knew she was a writer, so maybe this was all an extension of that.
“You know what? This suits you,” I backtracked. “I like it.”
“I’m glad you approve.” She laughed lightly. “Now, answer my question. Why are you here?”
“Well, if you must know, I’m finally here to cash in on that promise from last semester,” I answered with a cocky tone.
Kristen’s eyes went wide, and I could tell even under the low light her small lamp emitted that she was blushing. She ran her hands through her hair, then stood upright.
“Oh, um, that date, right?” she replied shortly.
I tilted my head to the side and cocked my brow. That wasn’t the reaction I was prepared for. “Is something wrong with that?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “No, that’s really nice of you, Nick.”
Kristen chewed on her bottom lip and took a deep breath. Something was troubling her about the idea of going on a date, and I wanted to know what it was.
“I was thinking about that ice cream parlor we found Diamond in, the Creamatory? You said you wanted to try it.” I tried to assure her that I wasn’t going to take her anywhere that she didn’t want to go and hoped that would be enough to ease whatever was keeping her on edge.
Finally, she smiled, but there was something different in her eyes. It wasn’t bad, I didn’t think. In fact, it was really sexy.
“Nick, I need to be upfront with you,” she started as she took a step towards me. “I would absolutely love to go on a date with you, but I need to finish something before we go anywhere.”
I blinked, confused. “Okay? Maybe I can help?”
“I hope you can.”
She smirked and stopped in front of me. The scent of incense wafted from her blonde strands, and I was instinctively drawn closer. It was a woodsy smell mixed with something floral, though I wasn’t about to claim any knowledge to what kind it was. Our eyes met, and it brought our lips mere inches apart. It was so hard to resist temptation when she was in nothing but black and lace panties and bra.
“What do you need to finish?” I asked, and I dropped my tone from the heat that had started to prick at my skin.
“Myself,” Kristen revealed, and she licked her lips suggestively as she placed her hands on the waistband of my jeans.
I swallowed down a groan and curled my fingers into the hem of her panties. “I can most certainly help out with that, if that’s what you want.”
“Oh, it is,” Kristen purred as her lashes fluttered against her cheeks. “I was just getting myself all worked up to you when you came knocking.”
“Is that right?” I grinned wickedly, and in one fluid motion, I flipped her around and pulled her against me.
“Nick,” she gasped and pressed her ass against me, already able to feel how stiff she was making me.
“Show me,” I commanded. “I want to watch you get worked up over me.”
I relished in the way her body delighted at just the suggestion of showing off to me. Goosebumps raced down her spine and spread over her perfect, creamy skin, and heat rolled off of her body with excitement.
I pressed an encouraging kiss to her neck before she pried herself away from me to lie back on her bed. She situated herself on her back, her head on the pillows and her legs spread wide, offering me the best view in the house. She turned off the light on her bedside table and allowed the candles that she had lit on her desk to illuminate the room. It created a sort of surreal ambiance that I could see myself getting lost in like meditation in a way.
Kristen was slow to start at first. Naturally, it was always a little nerve-wracking to do something some intimate with someone new, even if we had known each other since childhood. It was enough time that we lost touch and had to rebuild the friendship before it blossomed into something more. I was lucky with Kara. There was no grudge there to speak of, but I had to be a little more patient with Kristen. I’m glad I was, too, because she was worth the wait.
Her hand slid over her vagina through her panties, lightly rubbing her lips and creating a slow friction. Even in the flicker of the candlelight, I could see her chest stutter with her breath and the damp spot that had already formed on her panties. She was very eager, indeed, and I was growing harder and harder with anticipation.
I watched as she kept one hand working on her pussy while the other reached beneath her pillow. I had expected a toy or lubricant to be pulled out, but I was very, very off the mark. A short dagger, intricate in design and jewel-encrusted on the hilt. Upon appearance, the blade looked sharp, but as Kristen eyed me and pressed the blade to the inside of her thigh, it was very obvious that it was relatively blunt.
“You like a little bit of edge, huh?” I teased.
Her response was more of a gasping purr than anything intelligible, and she ran the tip of the dagger over the front of her panties, causing the lace to scratch and snag. I had to admit that this was the last
thing that I had envisioned as far as tonight went, but I could not have been more pleased about this turn of events.
I loved how each of the girls I had been with had different approaches in their lovemaking. Andie was fun, loved to laugh, and passionate. Kara was reserved, but once she opened up, she was a lewd mess in her own right. Aylin was romantic, not quite as adventurous, but she was tender and vocal.
And here was Kristen, straight to the point, edgy, and seemed to like things a bit darker. I could roll with that.
I stripped my t-shirt and undid my pants to relieve some of the pressure in my groin before I laid between her legs and gently pried the dagger from her fingers. She winced, shame-faced, and looked away from me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately switching gears to comfort her.
“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Kristen mumbled, and her legs started to pull away from me in an attempt to curl up and shut me out.
I put a stop to that immediately and pressed the blade carefully to her stomach. “If it bothered me I would have said something.”
She halted, but it took a little more coaxing to convince her, so I eased the tip of the dagger around her belly button and back over the front of her panties. Involuntary twitches moved under her soft flesh, and she slid her legs back out around me, giving me permission to continue.
I brought the blade up to my own hand and tested the sharpness. I didn’t want to push her too far and needed to know how much pressure needed to be applied before I broke skin. I pushed the pad of my thumb against the edge, and it took a decent amount of pressure to make blood rise from the prick. Good. I could get away with a little more than I thought I could.
Kristen’s eyes were hooded as I slid the dagger over her stomach again, this time blade down, and pressed lightly on her skin. She shivered under the cool steel, and her back arched with pleasure. I was fascinated by the way she moved and kept the trail going until I reached the lace of her panties. There, I pressed a little harder, just enough that the lace not only snagged, but it snapped. One by one, the design became marred, and the blade danced dangerously close to her slick folds.
