Page 46 of Crown of Steel

Go get him.

Needlessly, I take a step forward, but when the first heads tilt my way, I freeze. And then, right when I get my limbs to move—move!—someone else does.

A brother breaks the silence and rustles all the way forward, until he stands right next to a kneeling Régis. Sliding down onto his haunches, he tilts his chin and reaches a gloved hand across Monsieur Z’s crotch, visibly waiting for permission. Both predators seem to be taken aback for a flitting second—this isnotpart of the procedure.

Monsieur Z dips his head, chest heaving from arousal as he watches the stranger cup his cock. Yet, nobody moves.

“Sacrifice.” Elder Jacques finally rasps. He jerks his chin and my anonymous brother carefully opens the cloak. I can’t help but wonder who it is. “Watch him.” He pushes the guy, who haslifted his mask to reveal his mouth, forward with his cane. I can’t see his face, just the back of his hood. And Monsieur Z, as he grabs hold of his thick shaft, then pushes it into the waiting mouth. Elder Jacques pats the kneeling brother’s head, then peers up at us again. “This is also confraternity,” he decides, sounding pleased. “To help out a brother in need. Sex is power, Régis. And power is what this brotherhood stands for. Sharing values and respecting those, is what has made Alpha Fraternarii big and powerful. Get your hands dirty. Your mouth.” He turns his gaze back to Régis and lets out a dirty chuckle. “Who wants to show our pupil how much we value our traditions?” This time I don’t hesitate. I’m already halfway there by the time the others realize what has been offered.

When he sees me coming, the Elder dips his head. “You hungry, brother?”

We both turn to face the ground where my little stepbrother is still kneeling, and my cock leaks behind its restraints. Régis doesn’t look up, but that doesn’t stop the shudder from running through my body. Hungry for him? Fuck yeah.

I give Elder Jacques one firm nod.

“Very well.” He reaches out to get Régis up, then places his smaller hand in my gloved one. Even through the velvet material I can feel that his is ice cold. He won’t look at me, not even when I guide him toward the furthest, flickering corner of the room while Elder Jacques continues talking to the other pupils.

It’s not until I sit him down on the pillows that he looks up, his eyes large with fear. Gone is the earlier bravado. Honestly, I can’t blame him. “Do I know you?” He whispers.

Something clenches around my heart. I should tell him it’s me, but I can’t. Tens and tens of eyes are on us—watching, calculating, judging. They don’t know who I am, although they probably suspect, since they know who he is.

The only guy who logically stands between me and my future. Régis is smart, angry, and traumatized. That makes himunpredictable. And that, ultimately, makes him dangerous. He reaches out a hand and brushes gently over my covered, black lips, making my heart hammer in my chest.

“You’re not going to talk, are you?”

I shake my head. Incense is set alive around us, creating clouds of sandalwood and dragon’s blood. Somewhere a bell rings, this one a high-pitched sound that indicates the end of the formal part of tonight. Pushing Régis flush onto the pillows, his back colliding with the plush material as he lays down, I widen his legs and place myself on my knees between him, then stretch my gloved fingers around his neck. They instantly know how tight to squeeze, having already mapped out those delicate curves leading down to his collarbone. He swallows thickly, the feel of his Adam’s apple bob deliciously wicked.

“What’s going to happen now?” He licks his bottom lip as he watches the scene behind me through hooded eyes. I don’t need to turn to know what’s going on there. Sex. Raw, unforgiving sex. Escorts come to entertain us during our nights with our brothers, and pupils are more than welcome to join. Normally I enjoy having some time with our favorite boy, but tonight he can be all Louis’s. I have more than enough on my hands with my little stepbrother. Leisurely tracing a velvet finger down his clavicle and between the sides of his cloak, I take in every single flicker in Régis’s stare. His eyes are on mine, wide and curious, nervous as he flutters his lashes. When my fingers finally reach his stomach, he shivers.

“W-what are you doing?” He whispers. He looks so young like this, so innocent. All brothers are scarcely dressed below their cloak, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Régis was too fucking stubborn to take off his pants. The thought makes me growl in impatience, and I practically rip off my glove, feeling famished. This is what I wanted tonight. Fuckinghimatmymercy. Not with that old fart, or that twisted dickhead who only ever comes to get his cock sucked. I want Régis for myself.

My stepbrother.

My obstacle.

My rival.

Carefully teasing the silky sides a little further apart, I catch a glimpse of light, glimmering skin and smooth valleys of sculpted muscles. Around us people openly moan and hiss, chatter and croon, but when I slide the cloak a little further open, Régis grabs my hands.

“No! I mean—” He nibbles his lip and looks away. I don’t catch his flush in the dim light, but I’m sure it must be something fierce. When he looks back I tilt my head, silently asking for more. “Arthur?” He whispers. “Is that you?”

Don’t let him get to you.

I snarl at him, then place my fingers on the warm, naked skin of his stomach. Fuck, he feels good, all warm and soft. Hard in the right places, though his body isn’t as muscular as mine. His is more slender, more lithe, pearly white and delicate. I need to swallow a guttural groan. He’s taken my instructions to heart and is only wearing black boxers that reveal his thickened length, his crown already peeking out from the material.

“Please. I’ve never, I mean I have s-sucked, but I have never—” Been touched before. Apart from that one time in the woods when I got us both off simultaneously.

He stands between you and your future.

Ripping off his underwear with a snatch of my fingers, I wrap my hand around his engorged cock. Fuck, he is hard for me, his slit wet with pre-cum. I start stroking. Slowly, from tip to base, my fingers curl around his soft balls as they rest in my palm. Régis’s breath hitches and he flutters his lashes some more.

“You don’t have to—” He chokes, and then his hips start to move. Fuck me, if that isn’t the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Sitting on my haunches between his spread legs, I watch Régis slowly lose control. He’s so responsive to my slightest touch, it’sfucking mesmerizing. I lean in and trace his balls with the coolness of my mask, and he shudders. I grab hold of them while my bare fingers work his cock, and he keeps on gyrating into my palm, his head writhing on the cushions as he does so. He’s restless, wet lips parted, as his head goes from left to right. He has closed his eyes now, but his voice, soft and breathy, form the sweetest of sounds.

“Oh my god—oh…” he stifles. His eyes pop open, hooded and glassy. “I’m going to come if you k-keep, oh fuck…” I don’t need another single warning to dive forward, rip the mask from my face and pull my mouth on his cock, eagerly sucking him into the back of my throat. Hot fucking damn, he tastes amazing. All slick and sweet, aroused and desperate as he convulses around me with unintelligible shouts. His hips come up one last time and he stutters, then fills my mouth. I swallow around him, and milk him until he spills his last drop. Slowly pulling off, I make sure that he can see me, lips on his dick, before we finally part. Quickly, I slide my mask back on my face, not wanting to risk any suspicion around me. I look up, but the other brothers are still too busy pleasing themselves. Elder Jacques sits on his chair, two red cloaks lapping at his cock.

When I look back at my little stepbrother, he looks dazed, mouth agape, nostrils flared. Then, surprise turns into anger. “It’syou.” It no longer sounds like a relief, more like an accusation, and I narrow my gaze, inwardly backtracking.

“Yeah, well, who did you think?” His cheeks flush, and his lips pinch close, eyes shiny with irritation. “What, you wanted me to be someone else?” Now that thought has me fuming.

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