“How so?”

  I rolled her nipples with authority, and she clenched around me, her body bucked, and she cried out as another orgasm rolled through her body, just a little stronger and longer than the first one. Her eyes wide and vulnerable, as she looked into mine from just inches away.

  “Well, I didn’t really know what you’d bring on the personal and family side to our relationship. I was sure we could manage your mantel in a way that would make it a benefit to you as well as us, and I knew you were a brilliant and driven woman of loyalty that would enhance our business. For our intimate relationship, I had hopes for compatibility that way, not expectations.

  “Your warm serenity and open loving heart kind of evens us out. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Lianne, Aubrey, and I are a little intense?”

  She giggled at the understatement.

  “Cerise is like that too.”

  I nodded, “But she’s too submissive to do what you do for us, you are in the bedroom, but out there you’re not submissive like she is. When you’re not seducing us, you have a bold serenity and generous calm, and a strength that makes it set the tone. I don’t know if I’m doing it justice, maybe I should just say you’re the steady loving heart of the family that makes us stop and smell the roses as one. Personally, you awe me, gorgeous. Everything about you, and far too much to list with my mind fogged in pleasure.”

  She bit her lip, “You make me feel that way, that anything is possible. Finding love, finding all the things I’d thought I’d never get, and you just handed it to me and made it look easy. I’m quite,” she panted a little harder as her body quivered over mine, “Besotted with you, Liam. I am all yours.”

  I set her off with another firm nipple roll as I swirled and bit down on the other one with tongue and teeth, all while grounding up into her with authority.

  She cried out, “Sir!” as she went over, so much pleasure as her sex gripped and convulsed around me, sending waves of blissful sensations through me as I watched her cum hard that third time.

  “So sexy and beautiful, gorgeous, when you cum for me.”

  When she came down, she started to work me harder. Clench, gyrate, and grind with far more strength and intensity, she also added a shallow yet delicious milking rise and fall. The look in her eyes so intensely loving, but also filled with determination and a needy lust. After a couple of cycles, I started a counter grind and thrust to complement hers and to increase both our pleasure.

  “Need something, gorgeous?” I half teased, but also prompted because I wanted to hear it.

  She panted, “Your baby, sir. Give it to me. Cum with me, I need it. Need to feel it filling me, warming me.”

  The pleasure of her body had almost certainly already had that happening with her new and intense sensual assault I was already straining and at the edge, but with that added mental fodder and the wild look in her eyes there was no way I was holding back.

  Her words also made me twitch violently in her silken depths, which made her smile widely.

  “So close, yes, yes, yes, Liam! Goddess!”

  Watching her go over, the symphony of pleasure rolling through my body as she writhed and quivered around my cock, and the idea of putting Faith with child all conspired and ripped away my controls.

  I roared my pleasure, “Love you, gorgeous,” and the pleasure exploded up from the depths of my being. It was so intense, looking into her eyes, lost in vulnerable and potent pleasure, as I filled her fertile body with the bounty of our pleasure.

  It seemed to last forever, and it was far too short. We kissed languidly even as we tried to catch our breaths, sensually sweet and loving, while the decadent sensation of her paradise embracing my flagging cock sent gentle waves of pleasure and satiation through me.

  I was entirely mesmerized, as the kiss broke.

  Her green eyes sparkled and were moist with joyous unshed tears. It was a hell of a powerful moment for both of us.

  We just stayed that way for a quite a while, as I held her and existed in the intimate moment of our mating commitment and first attempt to have a child together.

  Chapter Three

  It was a couple of hours later, and my concentration and focus was absolute as the complicated spell rolled off my tongue. It’d take a couple of months, well a week really, but I’d tested it exhaustively on another computer first. A non-sentient computer, so it wouldn’t overly matter if I broke the thing. I’d done everything I could do to minimize the risks, and it was the moment of truth as I released the spell that would modify the spells controlling Misty’s computer.

  Misty tilted her head with a cute alluring smile, then disappeared for a moment, before reappearing. She looked almost shy but also a bit naughty as she got on the couch and snuggled into me. That part wasn’t really new, the new part was my body and clothes actually moved, it wasn’t just the tactile illusion of touch any longer, she was really touching me. Technically, still an illusion spell, but one that was solid and could truly interact in the world.

  Solid enough that it felt natural as I put my arm around her. I could even feel the warmth and heat of her supple body, and her scent was absolutely content and maybe just a little bit wicked given the strength of her arousal scent. The spell was intricate enough for her to get feedback sensations as well. That kind of thing was important, for judging the weight of things, grip strength, and so on.

  “What are you plotting in that head of mine?”

  She giggled, “It’s called planning, sir. Clearly, plotting is what you do against enemies.”

  I snorted, “Out with it.”

  She laughed, “Thank you for this. Actually, I was just trying to inspire tempting thoughts in you, it’s what you want and expect of me. Do you, find me tempting, sir?” she asked that last with a naughty teasing lilt, already knowing the answer since she was in my head.

  More than I was comfortable with actually, but that was nothing new. Just because we could have sex now it didn’t change the equation in my mind, it would still be relatively empty on her side so it wouldn’t be happening. No, the only good thing in my mind was I could cuddle her properly now, like family and pack.

  She smiled up at me, “I’m loving this too, sir. Do you need anything?”

  Of course she was loving it, nothing made her happier than being the center of my attention or serving me. It was what she was, her purpose in life.

  She said, “That too, but you really see me as family, pack, a person. There’s a satisfaction in me beyond merely fulfilling my purpose in life from that.”

  “To answer your question, you’re in my head. Just anticipate and fulfill my physical needs as you do all the other ones.”

  She bit her lip, “All your physical needs?” and she looked so hopeful, but I knew she was just fucking with me. Even she thought it would be bad for me, to use her in that way. In the long term nothing good would come from it.

  It wouldn’t be completely empty, because she took pleasure in all her service, but it would be shallow and any deeper feelings I grew as a result would be one sided. She was incapable of experiencing direct pleasure and feeling passionate love and desire. Not without programming it into herself, which would change her, and make me a little pathetic. Programming her to be a love servant I mean. So… just no, hell no.

  Not to mention the damage it would do to my relationships with my mates.

  I laughed, “Not that one, I have mates for that, vixen.”

  She pouted, then I heard her voice behind me.

  “Here you go, sir.”

  I blinked at the mischievous look on her face, then turned around to see an identical mischievous look on a second Misty, who was holding an iced tea out to me.

  Evil vixen. She started to giggle as several twin fantasies raced through my mind.

  I cleared my throat and took the iced tea, and her doppelganger winked out of existence.

  “So that’s what you were plotting.”

  She just smirked, sighed in contentment, and burrowed deeper into my side. Clearly not wanting to admit it, yet totally incapable of lying. Of course, if I’d asked it as a question, she’d have had no choice but to answer, but I’d made it a statement.

  I also had to note the fact it was all on me. She was designed, her personality, to my preferences. That her teasing was mostly of a sensual nature, said far more about me than it did her.

  “So, it’s all working as expected?”

  She nodded, “Yes, no issues. The modified interface is working perfectly. While I admit your last thought is mostly true, the teasing flirt thing is also just low hanging fruit and the easiest considering my body type and face are your ideals that way. You like it, are stirred up by it, but it’s not hard for you to resist.”

  That was true, it was also true it’d be more frustrating than fun if I didn’t have four mates taking care of me that way, to drain off that tension several times a day, that they of course greatly added to themselves.

  Lianne and Aubrey appeared in a flash of golden light, then the former snuggled into my other side while the latter took Misty’s other side. They’d been shopping, while Cerise and Faith were in their offices working, which had made it the perfect time to do the spell upgrade.

  Aubrey sighed, “First time cuddle, took long enough.”

  Misty beamed, “Worth the wait, mistress.”

  “Did you get anything?”

  Lianne snuggled deeper, “Yes, sent the bags straight to our room. A couple of new skirt suits, and a new dress for our next group date.”

  Aubrey snickered, “And six pairs of shoes.”

  Lianne blushed, then kissed my cheek.

  Aubrey said, “I got a few more outfits too, skirt, shorts, and a couple of mix and match halter tops. Plus, a new dress for that next group date too.”

  “How many new shoes?”

  Aubrey snorted, “I have enough already, a few pairs that would go with the new clothes perfectly.”

  Lianne sighed, “She’s helpless. A woman can never have enough pairs of shoes.”

  I laughed. Shifter women tended to be more practical about clothes, more concerned with how fast they could come off for a shift, though how they looked was important too. Relatively more practical.

  A part of that was also that she didn’t like to spend money unless she had too. Her shifter instincts were fine with the arrangement, but I didn’t think she felt she contributed enough compared to the others. Her judgement, not mine.

  She was our homemaker, and she felt safe and content in my care and under my guidance, but all she really did was cook our meals. The house wards kept the house clean and in order.

  She’d have far more to do once kids were in the house, which would settle her, and she knew that. But right now, I think she was a little restless with the lack of responsibilities in proportion to how well she was taken care of. So, of course she was going balk against being spoiled on shopping expeditions.

  It wasn’t something I could fix either, it was her issue to come to terms with, but other than that, things were going great between us all from her perspective.

  “Meeting is coming up, but I don’t want to move.”

  Misty teased, “A king’s work is never done.”

  I chuckled, “It’s really not.”

  She patted my leg, “You can cuddle me and perv on me some more later.”

  Lianne snicker giggled, “You can hang with me outside this time, so I’m not bored. The only thing I really do is glare at Darrell, the god of war.”

  “Yes, and stay with me while in augmented reality version form, apparently all at the same time.”

  Misty smiled, “Two of me barely touches the quantum processor, I’m usually in hundreds of places and doing a thousand things at once. Adding an extra illusion of me barely registers on that.”

  That was true enough, she was in all the security systems, automated devices, and such in both houses, the camera systems. Also protecting the datacenter in the foundation building, since she’d created a link to the router there so she no longer had to be physically present to protect it.

  So she had a good point.

  Aubrey said, “So, you could totally be hot triplets then.”

  I mock gasped in horror, “Don’t give her more ideas to torture me with her hotness.”

  That made them all laugh.

  Lianne said, “She could probably be hot triplets for all of us, at the same time. Maybe we should rethink the whole off the table thing.”

  I laughed, and then spanked her, which made her sigh in contentment and rub against me.

  Misty said casually, “Fifteen of me doing intricately and independently naughty things to the five of you all at the same time? No problem. Though I think anything past that would be pushing the limits of the spell itself, if not really impacting my processing power.”

  Yeah, I was trying really hard not to visualize that. Her three on one overwhelming us all at the same time with pleasure. It didn’t happen a lot, but my ego was secure enough to enjoy them all teasing me at the same time as well. It wasn’t apparent in the words of the teasing conversation, but there was a lot of love in the room, in all their scents.

  Save Misty of course, who was only capable of subtly shaded pleasure, arousal, and fear. But it’d been weeks since I’d scented an ounce of fear on her, Misty was very sure of her place with me, and how much I valued her as a woman and person, if a unique and nonbiological one. Which was how I wanted it.

  “Sexist valuation of my hot petite body,” she whispered teasingly, and clearly in private so the others didn’t hear her.

  I snorted, and then gave Aubrey a long kiss before reluctantly getting up while taking Lianne’s hand. It’d be rude to be late to the council meeting, since I’d called it.

  There was of course a measure of truth in her statement since she couldn’t lie. But it was also deeper than that and she knew it. I wouldn’t tolerate another sentient being sharing my thoughts and desires constantly just for eye candy and flirting.

  Despite being five minutes early, I was the last one in the room as I took my seat at the head of the table. The love and darkness trio was on my right, with Mandy on the other side of them and separated by just one seat. Nadia was on my left, which was an interesting enough choice for her that I checked her ambition with my power. No new plotting, outside of a desire to make it seem like she trusted me, when she really didn’t.

  On the other side of her, a few seats down, was Freda and Teresa.

  “Good morning. Mandy will get us started.”

  Mandy smiled nervously, “Things are getting worse, even if it’s not overly apparent due to Mark calling me in the pre-dawn hours every day. There are more and more incidents for my people to prevent happening at all, due to bumping noses with the Norse pantheon. It’s not just independent troublemakers, there’s too many attempts at trouble to think the new Thor, Matthew Avery, isn’t encouraging it out of a desire for vengeance.

  “The skirmishes between them and the Egyptians have also been on the rise, though with the arrival of their seer, and the last few weeks to polish off the rough edges of his power, they’re starting to take preventive measures as well. As far as I know, they’ve been leaving the Hindu pantheon alone.”

  Nadia interjected, “That last is true. A few head bumps, but what we could expect from random meetings with normal troublemakers involved. Not nearly as many issues as there have been between them and us, and them and the Egyptians.”

  I nodded, “Which leads us to the purpose of this council. It’s my call, but I want you all to have input and be comfortable with it. I don’t want this to escalate into war, but as long as we continue to just prevent the attacks, they’ll keep escalating because they aren’t reaping the consequences of those planned attacks. Our current policy was perfect to prevent independent troublemakers from causing violence to our people, but now that Matthew is planning and backing those attacks it’s not enough.

  “In essence, I think we need to escalate our response to ultimately deescalate the situation. Matthew is getting arrogant, thinking we want to avoid war at all costs. They need to feel the bite of consequence for their planned attacks, or they’ll keep escalating until they attack in mass and declare war.”

  Natasha asked, “How do you see us doing that?”

  “Tomorrow if they set up five small incidents, we prevent four, and allow one to start, then annihilate the god involved. If they set up five more the next day, we prevent three, and let two happen and annihilate them. We have no agreement with them like the other two pantheons, so we obviously can’t turn them back over for punishment, we need to claim justice ourselves if there’s to be any.

  “After that, depending on their response to paying for their attacks, we’ll reassess. I won’t lie, it could start a war, tomorrow, just by removing one of their sponsored troublemakers with overwhelming force. But as things stand, we’re looking weak. To truly prevent war, we need to look strong and willing to exercise one.

  “Regardless, if war comes, we’ll all need to participate. They have five tier ones now, and we only have seven with Steven and Bruce on ice, and the goddess of light in hiding. If they go to war over it, we need to take down at least two or three of them, even if they back off or surrender first. Or we’ll be doing it all over again in three more months when they have nine tier ones, and we will be far more hard-pressed as a result.”

  Gary said, “More than hard pressed, I’d imagine.”

  I nodded, “Possibly, but not likely. Viktor could’ve called them all under a single banner, but Matthew will not have that much clout. They won’t fight as a single team. We’ll have to avoid a typical battlefield and use guerilla ambush tactics. We could take on a group of two or three at a time. If we weaken them that much, kill three or four more at most, they’ll pull back for a generation. They’re warlike, far more than our pantheon or the others, but they won’t leave their gods without any tier-one leadership. They’d sue for peace at that point. So hard pressed, but not beaten if we don’t fight on their terms. Still, it’s a great enough danger that we really want to avoid another round of this in three months by weakening them.