Lucifer enlisted aid

Na hissed as a particularly deep cut was ed back together. "Ḫajäkńčłgř, my liege. Lucifer called up the Ḫajäkńčłgř." Pain filled her eyes and she turned and snapped at Lal as Lal pulled out a claw from her rib cage.

Lal glared at Na.

Na growled softly and bent her head to lick at the wound and hissed when Lal gently pushed her face away from the wound.

Seamus consciously forced himself to ease his hug around Hanae and let out a breath he'd been holding. 'Lord, I pray. Protect my wife. Keep her safe. Heal her. Thank you for returning her to me.' "Are you up to telling me what happened?"

Na replied: "They are hunters of souls, guardians of the dead, trackers..."

Lal said: "King's Cat, answer his question please. The shocks are distracting me."

Na growled and forced out. "I need rest, my liege. I've been leaping more in the past days than usual and not taking in enough food to counteract the energy drain."

Seamus's eyes sharpened. "Lal."

Lal replied without looking up from her work. "Your Majesty?"

"You, and Na. Get rest. Summon the other guard to tend to Na, the one with all the sigils on her corset. One of the sigils matched yours, and had a set of knots and three colors whereas yours has two. I assume that means she's a healer with greater training than you?" Seamus asked. His watch buzzed and he looked down but gave it little attention.

Lal looked like she was about to protest, but then replied: "I hear and obey, Your Majesty. Yes, she is a Master of the healers guild of the Velvet Midnight."

Na hissed and protested: "My liege. Please. There is too much going on for me to..."

Seamus cut her off. "Sireah, if Na refuses to rest..." He smirked, "See if one of the cages in this room can handle an annoyed Miz."

Sireah smiled, her tail swishing happily. "Yes, Your Majesty." She turned and folded her arms, looking at Na with a stern look.

Na stood, swaying, fuming. And licked her paw and smoothed her fur on her head down. Her tail snapped against the floor with a loud thump. And then she hissed again as another claw was pulled from her side. A long pause, "Yes, my liege." She said. "Put me in the cage."

Seamus chuckled. 'Of course.' "Na?"

"Yes, my liege?" Na put her paws on her hips, hissed as her right paw encountered unhealed skin and instead placed her right paw behind her head, arching her back sensually and growled at the same pain from a different avenue.

"I will put you in the cage if you refuse to rest on your own." Seamus said.

Na smiled, her sharp teeth glinting in the candlelight of the room. "I understand, my liege. I will get rest as you ordered, my liege. But... wouldn't you find it more enticing coming in here and knowing I'm always there, available for you to mount at your pleasure while I do so?"

Seamus sighed.

Hanae let out a soft snort into his chest.

Seamus asked Na: "Will these...Hajkng, Hak, Hk." He growled. "Repeat it."

"Ḫajäkńčłgř, my liege. No, they won't track me here. I killed the one nosing around my operative, almost before it knew I was there." A small, self satisfied smile was on her face.

"Ḫajäkńslr?" Seamus tried again.

Na smiled in amusement. "Nice attempt, my liege. Your mouth won't make the ending no matter how you try."

Seamus growled, annoyed. 'I bet I could get it close if I really...'

Hanae carefully, slowly kissed his chest.

Seamus smiled. New wife, recently met, Hanae knew how to read him...maybe not the way Alice did, but give her enough time and he bet Hanae could give her a run for her money. "Fine." He smiled and shrugged. "Cage for Na, bed for Lal."

At Lal's tail twitch, Seamus said to her: "Not my bed." Looking Na carefully in the eyes, "The hunter trackers can wait, correct, Na?"

At Na's grimace and nod, Seamus thought for a long moment, debating with himself, and sighed. He looked at Na and tried communicating with her with his tail, asking if she was okay with a ceremony and a group of people in the room while she was being healed.

Na looked at him confused.

Seamus started using ASL and asking her then rolled his eyes and started berating himself for assuming but was shocked when Na smiled and moved her right paw to a vertical configuration in an A- hand shape and deliberately angled it down and back up twice. Seamus grinned and started g to her, asking how long she'd known sign...hold, later, he signed.

Na bowed her head and smiled, her eyes flicking to Sireah with calm calculation.

Seamus took a steadying breath and then continued: "I need to spend time with Hanae, and before midnight I have to spank Alice, but first: Sireah."

Clicking of heels heralded the approach and arrival of Alice and her guards, including the guard who was a Master of the healing guild.

"Thank you for bringing everyone, Alice." Seamus said.

Alice smiled at him as she turned the corner into the room, stumbled slightly, put her hand on the doorjam, and came the rest of the way in the room.

Sireah had already snapped to attention and turned to face him, her eyes flicking back and forth between him and the long stream of people filing through the doorway. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Seamus paused as about half the people from the harem had entered the room, each person shooting a worried look at Na before finding space in the room to stand. He felt Hanae start trembling, then freeze before relaxing back against his chest at his rubbing her back gently.

Seamus relaxed the pressure of his arms and pulled his knee back from between her legs a little, but Hanae froze again before kissing his chest through his suit jacket again. So he pulled her tight to him and slid his knee all the way between her legs, using his tail and wing tips to brace himself. Hanae relaxed minutely. Seamus looked around the room now very full of people and smiled.

Seamus chuckled as one of the cheerleaders had hopped up on the wooden horse sideways and was eyeing the leather ankle loops speculatively, her right knee bending as she slowly shifted it closer to the apex, her left foot almost in the loop. Her fingers were tapping the smooth wood rapidly, her cheer top rising and falling swiftly before she suddenly froze and her eyes shot up to him, blushed, and her eyes widened as her bracing hands flew up and yanked her top up and over her breasts. With the loss of bracing, her left foot finished sliding into the leather loop and it tightened automatically. She blushed, then looked at him deliberately, swung her right leg up and over the apex, used her knee to hook the apex, and pulled herself up onto the horse, wincing as the apex dug into a sensitive bit of anatomy. She paused, trembling, smiled, and put her right foot down and into the right loop, and it also tightened automatically. Now her hands moved again and she pulled her top down over her breasts and she pushed down on the horse, lifting herself just slightly and resettled back down with a wince and trembling smile. Slowly, she pulled her hands up and moved them behind her back and rested there, and watched the proceedings.

Seamus had to tear his eyes away, and caught sight as Helen's lips twitched in a smile as she entered the room, glancing around with interest, one of her hands shifting to block someone's tail from catching her in the face and she yelped as she pulled too far, yanking on her nipples. She laughed, wincing, and rubbed her nipples under the short slip on top. She waved off assistance from Maya with a quick, low voiced query.

Maya shook her head and inclined her head to Seamus and then Sireah and shrugged.

Seamus caught the eye of one of the guards and inclined his head to the cheerleader on the horse.

She came close.

"Check in on her. The moment she wants down, help her off please." Seamus ordered.

She bowed, and wound her way through the crowd to the horse.

Seamus looked around, but he didn't see Nazps-Odo. Disappointed, but unsurprised, Seamus turned to Sireah who was eyeing him with a hopeful expression.

"I promised you a collar." Seamus said.

Sireah's eyes snapped to Hanae curled against his chest and he saw her eyes soften. He saw her back straighten from its sudden relaxation and her eyes glimmered for a moment before she looked at him flirtatiously. "Yes, Your Majesty." Her tail stilled and her wings folded in tight against her back. She held her head high. The hope had faded, and she seemed to have resigned understanding in her expression.

Seamus held out his hand and concentrated. The transport process took him someplace, he had an idea now of how to call it. He felt the energy in his cells start moving, and heard his guards wings start rustling as they turned in alarm. He focused on the doorstep of his house back on Earth, the home he knew so well, and watched as indigo and violet fog seeped from his pores and gathered above his hand.

Hanae gasped and held him tighter. Blues and cyans streaked through the fog and he struggled to concentrate, the energy in his cells surging for a moment until he recognized the pattern of the wave and matched the periods of thought to the wave form. The cyan streaks ebbed and the indigo deepened until...pop. A rush of air blasted out from his hand and he winced. But the package from his front door as seen by the message on his watch was in his hand.

Gasps filled the room from multiple people.

Seamus looked up, giddy. And then felt a wave of exhaustion and now Hanae was holding him up.

Sireah started to move forward but paused at a quick word from Alice.

Seamus smiled gratefully at Alice, kissed Hanae on the head, checked that the healer was nearly done helping Na, two more claws on the ground beside her, closed his eyes, and concentrated on breathing. Then frowned because he felt Hanae's hands undoing his pants buttons. 'Really, Hanae? You too? And with everyone in the room?'

'Honeybear, Lal told her it would help.' Alice thought at him.

Sighing, Seamus mentally rolled his eyes. 'Why?'

'Erogen.' Alice replied. 'This many people...should fill your reserves quickly.'

Seamus groaned, feeling a bit tired of sex being the answer to everything lately.

'Then get some sleep, dear.' Alice thought dryly.

'I have too much to...ooh that felt nice. To do.' Seamus thought back.

Alice snickered.

Seamus opened his eyes, actually feeling better now. He groused mentally.

Alice kept her thoughts quiet.

Seamus looked over at Sireah. "This ceremony should be entered into with appropriate pomp and circumstance, and time to prepare."

Sireah closed her eyes briefly and Seamus saw relief cross her face before a small smile replaced the flirtatious one.

Seamus's eyes flicked over to Na and frowned but Na smiled and her tail, ear, and scent told him that this was a pleasant distraction and she really wanted to see the end. Her tail curved in a complicated pattern: before she got locked away. Seamus rolled his eyes.

"But if the past days are anything to go by, it will be a while before we can have the ceremony I want you to be able to have. We can wait for a more appropriate..." Seamus began.

"No!" Sireah froze. "Apologies, Your Majesty." She knelt.

Seamus smiled. "I understand." He grinned, kissed Hanae on the head again and stepped back a step and caught her eye.

Hanae bowed slightly and knelt down, then crawled over to Alice.

Seamus turned and walked over to Sireah, a trifle unsteadily. He slipped his pocketknife out and opened the package, then put his pocketknife back in his right pocket. He handed the packaging to another guard. He examined the titanium eternity collar he had ordered. He tested the metal, making sure no sharp edges were on it, then opened the attached package and pulled out the allen wrench. He undid the set screw, opened the hinge, and slid the matching metal o-ring onto the collar. He looked back up at Sireah who was smiling at him.

Sireah looked at two of the other guards who came close. Sireah removed her sword belt and handed it to the one on her left carefully. Then removed her gun belt and did the same. After, she reached behind her, slipped a leather and metal bangle off of her tail and handed it to the guard on her right. She leaned forward and undid the straps on her left high heel, removed it, and set it on the floor to her right. She wiggled the toes of her left foot, then set her foot flat on the ground slowly, pushing down at the end, her calf muscles trembling.

Sireah paused, undid the stays of her hose attached to her corset, then slipped her hose and garter down her leg and carefully placed the garter in the waiting hand of the guard on her right. The hose she folded and set on the ground.

Seamus could feel his cells humming and he had to close his eyes, breath carefully, anchoring himself in this place, to the stone floor. To the myriad scents in the room, to the air currents of wings and tails and soft murmurs. He heard the wings rustling, feathers sliding across feathers as his guards, his wife, his family felt the same humming he did.

Sireah was unmoved from before he'd closed his eyes, smiling patiently. She slid both hands to her hips, hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her panties, lowered her left knee to the ground, and then slowly drew the lace panties down her legs, pausing for a split second in the downward travel before it revealed her pink folds.

Sireah unhurriedly slipped the panties down over her left knee, then her right. Rocking forward, she slid the bit of lace back along her calves and over her left foot and right heel. She folded the bit of lace and placed it gently in the waiting hands of the guard to her right. Sireah moved her right leg forward to remove her right heel and placed it on the floor beside the left one. Hooking her thumbs into the band of her hose, she slid it down and off her leg, folded it and placed it on the ground alongside the other one.

Last, Sireah kept her eyes steadily on Seamus and undid the stays of her corset one slow toggle at a time, the fabric slowly giving away to an ever lengthening line of skin until two twin pebbled nipples peeked around the edges, and Sireah smiled mischievously as his still visible shaft poking out of his tros twitched his appreciative response to the sight.

Seamus cleared his throat, looked around the group, and started to tuck himself back in but at several disappointed sounds, frowned and rolled his eyes but stopped and refocused his attention fully on the beautiful woman before him.

Coming to the last stay, Sireah finally undid it and slid her corset carefully back along her tail, angling down to avoid her wings. She folded it lengthwise carefully, and handed it to the guard on her right. At that she nodded to both guards in turn and they bowed slightly, and retreated, their heels clicking softly on the stone as they did so.

Seamus stepped forward before Sireah, who now had both knees back on the ground, her wings spread and back, the tips pressed lightly on the floor, her tail a sensuous sine wave behind her.

Sireah leaned forward and kissed the tip of his penis as Seamus opened his mouth to ask her something important. She leaned back and blinked her eyes up at him innocently.

Seamus sighed. Then smiled inwardly, concentrating hard on not letting the smile go to his face. "Do you, Sireah...hmm." He looked at Vavnagal standing in the doorway.

Vavnagal smiled back at him and asked carefully: "We only have the two names, husband. Did you want her other one?"

"No!" Seamus barked. Then his eyes flicked down to Sireah who looked pained and he softened his tone. "No." He spoke to Sireah more than Vavnagal: "If she wishes to give that to me, she can give it to me in private."

Sireah looked up at him and the slight pain left her eyes. Her eyes suddenly widened and then she swiftly drew her hair into a quick three second bun before putting her hands behind her back, grasping the opposite elbow. Then she bowed slightly before straightening her back again, schooling her expression.

Seamus smiled. Then schooled his expression as well. "Do you, Sireah, freely give yourself into my keeping, and swear yourself to me as your Master: to obey me, to serve beside me, to trust me with your submission, and to remain faithful to me from this day forward, under the Most High??"

Sireah smiled and bowed her head. "I do. Master."

Seamus heard several people "aah" in delight.

A thrill ran through him as Seamus continued: "Then I, Seamus Alastair Malone..."

Seamus could somehow hear Nazps-Odo grinding her teeth from the corridor. 'Oh, thank you Lord. She's here as well.'

"... swear before the Most High to receive what you freely give me; to cherish you, protect you, provide for you, and honor the trust you place in my hands; to command you with discernment and never treat your submission lightly; and to keep you as my loved and cherished submissive from this day forth..." Seamus continued...

More "aah's".

'And wife. Don't forget wife, dear one.' Alice thought at him.

Seamus pursed his lips and was about to continue when Alice interrupted again. 'Face it honey, you love her and she loves you. This isn't just a typical BDSM relationship.'

Seamus whipped his tail toward Alice in a shushing motion.

The guards snickered.

"...and I love you. So if you will have me, not only as your Master but as your husband, I ask you to become my wife, with this collar as a symbol of both bonds before all who see it." Seamus finished to widened, happy eyes from Sireah.

Sireah bowed her head, nodded, looked back up with a happy smile and tears, and arched her head to the right, exposing her neck. Her tail thumped happily on the floor.

Seamus smiled back. He leaned over, slipped the collar around her neck, looked at her in the eyes and paused.

"I do. Master. I do." Sireah said. "In every way. I am yours." She paused. "Master, I wish to bind myself to you as well. May I wait until after we have completed the marital rites before I give you that part of myself?"

Seamus froze. He stared at her in panicked shock. He felt his hands trembling, but at the steady trust in her eyes, Seamus breathed steadily, calming himself. "I do not demand it of you, love, but if it is your wish...I pray the cost is light."

Sireah closed her eyes and a tension in her neck eased. She opened her eyes. "Thank you, Master."

Seamus stilled his hand, pulled out the Allen wrench, and was about to start locking the collar when a hand from a guard appeared in his view with threadlocker.

Seamus looked up at Lal. "Didn't I order you to bed?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm on my way there." Lal blinked at him innocently.

Seamus ground his teeth, but looking back down at the happy, accepting eyes of Sireah, sighed with a small smile and nodded.

Lal placed a drop of threadlocker on the threads, and Seamus turned the Allen wrench, and locked the collar in place. Then it clicked. The threadlocker label...high strength...

Seamus turned and glared at Lal, opening his mouth.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm on my way to bed." Lal turned and swiftly clicked her way out of the room.

Seamus pursed his lips, thought of ordering her back but sighed and turned back to Sireah, was about to undo the set screw before the threadlocker cured but paused and looked at Sireah's calm eyes.

Sireah nodded, smiling.

Seamus slumped, chuckled. And left the set screw where it was.

Sireah's eyes narrowed, an impish look crossed her face and she glanced over at Hanae briefly, looked back at Seamus, and before Seamus could do anything, she flapped her wings for balance and half rose as she crossed the remaining distance swiftly and took him into her mouth, sliding all the way to the hilt and she held the position as her hands reached around and gently applied light pressure to the backs of his thighs.

Cheers from the succubi, and startled gasps from a few other people accompanied the move. And that was when Seamus ed the marital rites with Vavnagal...rites he was sure Alice had ed...

Sireah held the position for thirty seconds before sliding back and kneeling, her eyes smiling at him while her face was serious.

Seamus smiled back. "We're going to finish that rite. But first..." Seamus heard a clang from behind him and he turned to see Na in one of the cages and he froze. Then laughed. "You're not staying in that cage." He looked back down to see an easily smiling Sireah, her eyes glinting with planned mischief.

"What's the matter, my liege? This is likely the only one that can hold me...and the only one that allows you to use me while I rest in my cage." Na purred as her tail swished lazily, her wings held in place and unable to move between several bars. Her neck was surrounded by a round, padded metal portion at one end of the cage, her paws through two holes that kept her arms at a comfortable bend with elbows resting on cushions. Her butt was outside the cage, but her thighs and ankles were through four other holes in the metal with padding there as well.

Seamus growled, but Na smirked at him. So he smirked back. "Fine. That was your choice. So be it. Sireah, Hanae, come. I have a promise to fulfill to Sireah and we don't have enough time before midnight for me to split our time as I'd prefer."

He turned to see Sireah bow, stand, and wince as her feet went flat on the floor. She went up on tip toe and her tension eased. She maintained her ready smile, not once glancing at the floor where her heels lay waiting until the guard holding her clothes picked them up.

Seamus turned and started walking toward the door, followed by Sireah.

Hanae bowed from her crawling position and crawled to him.

Seamus bent down and picked up Hanae's leash, letting her stand to follow. Then he made a face and tucked himself back into his pants. He looked back, saw the cheerleader had been helped down from the horse, and everyone else was smiling and chatting happily.

And then they left Na in her cage to rest. Surrounded by people, at least until everyone cleared out.

Fifty steps down the hallway and hopefully out of Na's earshot, Seamus slowed his walk. He leaned over to one of the guards and murmured. "Post a watch. Rotate the watch every few hours. Ensure the watch stays out of earshot until it's likely she's asleep, then sneak closer until they can keep a close enough watch to make sure her rest is actually restful, without waking her up, and without being in the same room." He was about to leave it at that but then he added: "And when she wakes up, have someone feed her, but don't let her out." He grinned.

"At once, Your Majesty." The guard continued walking for a few paces, jumped lightly and grabbed onto a column, slipped off her high heels, and carefully slid to the floor before turning around and murmured into a long, dangling earring as she crept back towards the dungeon, slipping into a hidden door in the age just a few feet back from where they were.

Nazps-Odo came up behind them and spoke softly. "I'll never understand why humans give out their full names to everyone."

Seamus slowed again and let her come alongside. He shrugged. "Old habits die hard."

Nazps-Odo nodded solemnly and said: "True. But better the habit than you."

Seamus looked at her as they walked. "Is that a hint I should be more careful with how I word permissions? I trust you now."

Nazps-Odo looked at him with haunted eyes. "You shouldn't."

Seamus thought a moment and weighed his response. "Are you likely to ally against the Most High again?"

Nazps-Odo looked pained and hurt. She shuddered. Her eyes cleared. "No. But it's not impossible. It happened once before. And you're not the Most High."

Seamus stopped walking and turned to face her. "Did your oath to me that your life and death are now mine, change?"

Nazps-Odo looked at him steadily. "No. My King. No." Pain filled her eyes again. "But if you knew what I'd done..."

Seamus cocked his head. "Do you think the Most High doesn't know what you've done?"

Tears pricked her eyes. "No. He knows." Nazps-Odo's voice broke. "He always knew." The tears started falling in earnest and she looked at Sireah. "This is not the time for..."

Seamus stopped her with a kiss. "I'll make the time, ma faucheuse."

Nazps-Odo looked at him strangely. "I'm not a reaper."

Seamus was about to reach up to caress her face when a guard handed him a vial. He glared.

Nazps-Odo smiled and chuckled, the tears still falling. "No, she's right. Take my tears, husband. I offer them as well." Her smile turned wry. "We Angels don't cry often."

Behind him, Seamus heard Hanae gasp. 'Oh, right...I need to tell her about Nazps-Odo.' He accepted the vial and handed it to Nazps-Odo who began to collect her tears as they fell.

Seamus placed his left hand below her ear away from the tears and spoke softly. "I know you're not a reaper...and I know the proper French is perfectly fine using masculine for a woman...but I'm weird in that I like using feminine for a woman."

Still collecting her tears, Nazps-Odo looked at him and said: "Then why not say: shi no tenshi?"

Hanae gasped and stepped back, yanking at the leash. Seamus looked back but she stepped forward and bowed swiftly. Seamus held his attention on her for a moment before turning back to the still speaking Nazps-Odo.

"Or ferešte-ye marg, or ölüm meleği, or kuoleman enkeli, or a halál angyala?" Nazps-Odo had continued.

Seamus looked at her quizzically. "Uhh...I have no clue what languages you just said, other than the first is probably Japanese."

Nazps-Odo nodded and replied: "Japanese, Persian, Turkish, Finnish, and Hungarian."

Seamus felt suddenly ridiculous. Trying to find a pet name in another language for an Angel of Death that probably spoke every language... smart. He shook his head. "Topic for another day."

Nazps-Odo looked resigned but nodded. "I understand, husband. I know what you're trying to say." A brief look of frustration crossed her face. "You're improving on staying on topic."

Mock glaring at her, Seamus leaned forward and kissed her again. "Yes. Now. Explain to me why I shouldn't trust you."

"If we couldn't maintain our allegiance to the Most High...how can I expect you to trust me?" Nazps-Odo shuddered.

Seamus smiled. And put his forehead against hers. "Because without the Most High, I couldn't have healed your body. It's the only thing that makes sense. Nothing sexual about healing your organs. Nothing. But the option existed. That app is sex on wheels. But that option had next to no sex? No. God's hand was there."

Nazps-Odo finished crying and then handed him the vial with both hands.

Seamus carefully accepted it back and placed it in a pocket. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Especially given your miraculous return back to an Angel of Death."

Hanae still jerked a little but she was standing straight again and Seamus curled his tail around her, attempting to comfort her, but she froze stiffly. He tried to unwind his tail but Hanae gently placed a hand on the end of the tail so he left it there.

"And God forgave you. Who am I to continue to hold against you that which He forgave? No." At Nazps-Odo's mouth opening, Seamus shrugged. "I know, but it bears repeating. Until you it."

A strange look crossed her face. "I everything you say, husband." Nazps-Odo said.

Seamus's mouth opened and closed. "Okay. It bears repeating until you feel it. And I'll repeat it as often as you need until you do feel it."

Nazps-Odo looked at Sireah and smiled softly. "Thank you, husband. Your new wife and submissive is eager for you to stick your penis in her."

Hanae choked. And coughed.

Seamus nodded and smiled. "I'll stick my penis in you in the morning, feathers."

Nazps-Odo looked askance at the term but replied: "I'm looking forward to it. See you in a couple of hours." And she kissed him again. And walked away, deep in thought.

Seamus sighed, watching Nazps-Odo depart. "I don't suppose I can convince you not to do the binding, Sireah."

Sireah was extremely quiet. So quiet Seamus spun and he saw the look of immense pain in her eyes before she cleared it away and replied. "Just ask, Master, and I'll never ask it of you."

Seamus closed his eyes, tears prickling. "Why? Why does it mean so much?" He whispered.

"Because it's ours, Master. Regardless of what Lucifer did to it. It's ours. And he can't take it away from us. He can only make the price more expensive." Sireah said quietly.

Seamus slumped. "So I let Lucifer win, or risk you turning into a sex toy just so I can bloody well talk to you?!" He bit out.

Seamus felt a hand on his arm.

"It's not so bad. My seventeen greats grandmother got that binding. She never had to work a day in her life again, Master." Sireah said quietly.

Seamus snorted and looked at her, hoping to see a smile. But he didn't see one.

"She was still able to get pregnant, and she still had lovely talks with her husband. They were just more inconsistent than they were before." Sireah paused, smirked, and said: "And her husband got great arm muscles."

Hanae choked and snorted behind them. "Heika, Secon...submissive-wife, apologies."

Seamus sighed and felt the tension and anger drain out of him. "I hate Lucifer."

"I understand, Master." Sireah was quiet. "He still has free will, he chooses his path."

Seamus nodded. "I know, that's why it is hard to let go of the hate and follow where God leads." He closed his eyes, opened them. "Okay. Again, I do not demand it of you. But if you choose it..." Seamus struggled with the words and finally said them: "...I choose it with you."

Sireah bowed deeply, her wings folded and the tips touching the small of her back, her arms out wide and back. "Thank you, Master."

Seamus ducked under the tops of her wings and put a single finger under her chin and raised her face to his. Kissed her. "You can call me husband sometimes too..."

Sireah's eyes glinted with mirth: "Yes, Master husband."

Seamus sighed as Hanae giggled. Seamus glanced back and smiled at Hanae. "Sure you still want to this household?" He joked.

Hanae froze. She bowed deeply. "Heika, hai. Hai. A hundred times hai."

It was Seamus's turn to freeze. He saw Hanae holding her bow and finally felt like he was seeing her. "Okay. I accept that. I also recognize we've known each other for an egregiously short time. But I see you. And not just because of the fact your clothes are sheerer than my grandmother's curtains. Please, stand straight for a moment."

Hanae immediately stood up straight, a blush in her cheeks, but her hands stayed on her thighs, her eyes cast down.

Seamus sniffed. He listened. He shifted his eyes to peer into the infrared. He focused on her and thought hard. "It's more than the app, isn't it, Hanae?"

"Hai." Hanae said quietly.

"I did this with Alice too. And Sireah." Seamus sighed. And closed his eyes. "And Na...and now you." Seamus opened his eyes and looked at her again. "God has some sense of humor. My mother would be horrified."

Hanae froze, then nodded.

Seamus took a deep breath and said: "I think I finally am beginning to understand how quickly it can happen for Saul, for David, for Solomon. I used to think it was an absurd problem to have, that no one could ever even get to fifty wives, much less three hundred or more."

Seamus looked at her gently. "I can't promise what the future holds. I can't promise it will be easy. I can't promise this won't become a normal type of day. I pray...I pray."

Hanae raised her eyes and met his briefly. "Heika...I understand."

Seamus squared his shoulders and said with an easy smile. "We are on our way to my bedroom. You can choose to have someone else lead you elsewhere. You will always have my protection from this day forward. You didn't choose to have sex with me before, that was an app forcing that choice on both of us."

Seamus looked around at the guards surrounding them. "This is about as private as we will ever get. The app took choices away from you that should have been yours. I still consider us married, but I will not force you to abide by my feelings."

Seamus saw Hanae start trembling a little before she stilled with an abruptness that hurt to see it.

"Don't misunderstand me. Alice saw right through me when you arrived. All the succubi in that room felt my response. I find you incredibly attractive. You hit so many kinks I've had for years. But...I see you. Not the kinks." Seamus watched her carefully.

Hanae relaxed.

"I sense a lot about you. We need to talk soon about what you've gone through recently. And the bedroom is not going to be quiet for a bit." Seamus purposefully let a lip rise in a rakish grin, and gave her an appreciative glance, before turning and glancing back at Sireah as well before returning his attention to Hanae.

"I'm going to release this leash now. I will stand here until you either put the leash handle in my hand or in someone else's hand. But Hanae, if you put the leash in my hand...I expect you to keep the leash taut as we walk." Seamus said. And he released the leash. He turned, signaled Sireah to face towards the corridor leading to the bedroom antechamber, and waited.

Less than ten seconds later, the leash was in his hand.

Seamus started walking forward. And the leash went taut.