Chapter 21

Chapter 21
King
"Quit splashin' me, kid," I mutter, trying to block another wave of bathwater as Eden kicks like she's in training for the goddamn Olympics.
She squeals—high, defiant—a baby-sized fuck you. And I can't even be mad.
She's mine. Chaos wrapped in pink skin and ten perfect fingers.
Her eyes—my eyes—lock on me, bright and wild, already knowing she's had me wrapped around her finger since the second she came screaming into this world.
There's so much raw, untainted life in her it damn near hurts to look at. Innocence like that doesn't survive long where I come from. And I'll burn the world down before I let that toxicity touch her.
No one lays a hand on my girls.
And if they try?
They'll die choking on the same hand that built their coffin.
The vow settles heavy in my chest as I lift Eden from the tub, wrapping her in a towel almost bigger than she is. She's warm, slippery, and smells like soap and that built-in baby scent that smells like fucking heaven.
I carry her into the bedroom. Mason is already there, rocking Sage, who is half-asleep in his arms. The sight hits deep—him quiet and steady, her safe and dreaming.
I set Eden on the changing table, keeping a heavy hand on her chest so she doesn't roll. She's fast, fearless, all fight and no sense. The first time she flipped off this thing, my heart damn near stopped.
"Stay still, you little menace," I grumble, reaching for a fresh diaper.
She just laughs, grabs a tab, and rips it clean off.
"Stop fightin' me, baby girl," I growl, but it just makes her giggle harder, her kicks proud and triumphant. 
It's ridiculous how much strength she houses in her little body. My forearms are tense, and she's still squirming like we're locked in a title match.
"Jesus, kid," I mutter. "You're four months old, not a cage fighter."
Mason chuckles softly from the rocking chair. "She's stubborn like you."
"Yeah, and Alyssa's got nothin' to do with it, right?" I shoot back, though we know that attitude runs clean through the family line.
He just smiles, brushing a thumb over Sage's cheek. The man's got patience carved into his DNA. He doesn't need shared blood to be a father—he just is one.
I finally get Eden dressed and carry her to the crib beside her twin sister. She fights sleep for a brief second, her eyes catching mine before they flutter closed. I kiss her forehead, then Sage's. The same ritual I performed for Zuri earlier.
After Mason does the same, we stand in front of the cribs for a long moment, simply watching them breathe. 
"They're beautiful," he murmurs, his voice barely a rasp.
"Yeah," I agree, my own throat suddenly tight. "They are."
The quiet stretches between us, soft and full—the profound peace we fight so damn hard to keep locked within these walls.
And I refuse to ever lose it.
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Once we're sure the girls are down for the night, Mason and I head for the bedroom. The silence in the hall feels deceptive—soft on the surface, sharp underneath.
The time for talking is over.
I push the door open. My breath catches, just a fraction.
Niko did exactly what I told him to: Alyssa is restrained on the bed, her arms and legs spread wide, her pussy glistening and on full display for us.
Her head snaps toward us the second we enter, eyes narrowing, the frantic pulse visible in her throat.
I shut the door quietly behind us. Mason checks the baby monitors, making sure they're live, while I keep my focus entirely on her.
I arch a slow brow. "Ready to learn your lesson, kitten?"
Her jaw tightens, that familiar flash of defiance igniting in her eyes. She tugs once on the restraints, the leather creaking under the tension. "I said I was sorry, King. I-I should've asked before assuming you'd hide it from me."
Sorry.
Yeah. That word doesn't do a damn thing for me tonight.
She still needs to understand what trust means in our world—what happens when emotion drowns out reason. She came to the clubhouse ready to rip our heads off, all because Gray told Ashley something before he told us.
It was a misunderstanding.
But instead of asking, she attacked.
That's not something we'll forgive easily.
She needs to earn it—starting with a reminder she won't forget anytime soon.
I glance at Niko and Mason. "That explanation work for you?"
Niko's grin turns razor-sharp. "Not even close."
Mason's eyes darken, his voice dropping low, gravelly. "Nah. Ashley was a bad influence today. I think our little warrior needs a firm reminder of who she belongs to."
I look back at her, stepping closer until the air between us tightens like a pulled string. "Then tonight, we give her a lesson on trust. A refresher."
I grab the hem of my shirt and tug it over my head, letting it fall to the floor.
Alyssa's gaze drops down my chest, slow, hungry, and not nearly as defiant as she wants it to be.
I can practically hear her pussy weep from here.
My lips twitch. "What punishment do you think fits your crime, kitten?"
She bites her lip, pretending to think it over. "Umm... bedtime without dinner?"
I freeze for half a second. Damn. I should've known that was coming. 
Alyssa Sterling doesn't quit. She doesn't surrender until she's been stripped of every last ounce of fight—until she's trembling, begging, crying.
But I'll make sure that happens tonight.
A dark chuckle rumbles out of me as I stalk toward the dresser, my hand closing around the black riding crop hanging from the wall. The smirk slips right off her face, replaced by pure anticipation. 
"You just never fuckin' learn, do you, kitten?" I growl.
I circle the bed slow, deliberate—making sure she feels every inch of distance closing between us. The crop brushes her thigh, a whisper of warning before I even touch her.
"Tell me what you did wrong," I command.
Her lips part, hesitation flickering. "I—"
"Don't think," I cut in. "Say it."
"I didn't trust you."
"That's right." I stop beside her, close enough to smell her skin, to feel her breath stutter. "And why does it matter?"
Her answer comes out softer this time. "Because I'm supposed to."
"Because you do," I correct, my tone sharper now. "You just forgot."
For a long, heavy beat, I let the silence hang—let her breathe in, feel it. 
The weight of what we are. What we've built.
It's the reminder she needs before the pain hits.
"You don't get punished because we're angry," I murmur near her ear. "You get punished so you remember who you are—our queen. And we don't keep secrets from our queen. Not ones that could hurt her."
Her breath catches. The fight drains out of her in one slow, trembling exhale, leaving something raw and quiet in its place. 
The same trust she forgot earlier now shows in the way she holds perfectly still, waiting for what's next.
"Good girl," I murmur, dragging the crop higher up her thigh. "What's your safe word?"
Her voice is small but steady. "Red."
I nod once. "Good. Use it if you need to."
That's the only warning she gets.
The first strike lands clean across her pussy—a quick, stinging crack that resonates through the room.
Alyssa gasps, her head snapping back against the pillow. Her body immediately arches, the sudden, unexpected pain momentarily stunning her into perfect submission. 
Perfect.
Niko groans low, rubbing his erection. "Fuck, King. Spank her pussy raw."
I ignore him. My attention stays locked on her—the way she trembles, the way the tension rolls off her like a wave receding after impact.
I teasingly drag the crop back over the mark I just left. She shudders.
"H-How many are we doing?" she asks, her voice thin and shaking.
I pause, the crop heavy in my hand. "As many as I feel you need."
Usually, I make her count. But tonight isn't about control—it's about trust. It's about reminding her that I'll always know her limits before she reaches them. 
She needs to fully surrender the thinking to me.
I watch Mason move beside her on the bed, his green eyes dark and focused, watching intently. Niko climbs to the top of the mattress on his knees, positioning himself near her head with his hard cock in his hand.
Niko leans down, his voice a low growl of temptation. "I wanna fuck your throat. You'd let me do that right, sweet girl?"
Without hesitation, she opens her mouth, her pink tongue sticking out.
Niko's grin stretches. He grabs a handful of her hair, thrusting home.
She gags softly, but quickly recovers, her lips sealing expertly around him. Her eyes gaze up at him as he wastes no time in fucking her mouth at the pace he wants.
I raise the crop high, the sound of him working her throat nearly fucking undoing me.
The next strike lands with a punishing smack.
She cries out, but it's muffled by Niko's cock.
I smack her again. And again. And again.
When I pause again, her pussy is red and puffy, the skin glistening. Her thighs shake, covered in her arousal.
The musky scent of it floods the room, tightening my already hard cock into pure steel.
After a few more slaps, I can't fucking take it anymore. The line between punishment and raw need snaps.
I drop the crop and bury my face between her legs.
"Your pussy's on fire, isn't it, kitten?" I murmur, watching her as Niko keeps fucking her face.
She can't say a word, but I see the urgency in her eyes, desperate, practically begging me to rewrite the pain I just caused.
I lick a stripe of her swollen pussy, gathering her juices on my tongue.
Her hips buck immediately, but I push them back down, focusing my attention entirely on the sweet, angry flesh I just punished.
"Shh," I croon. "Be a good girl and stay still for me."
I swirl my tongue in small, tight circles around her clit before moving lower, teasing her entrance with the tip of my tongue. The way she's pulling on the restraints tells me she wants to touch me. She wants to pull my hair, to control the pace I fuck her with my tongue.  
She wants to take back power. 
But she's had enough of that today.
Mason distracts her, pinching her nipples, getting them hard before he sucks them into his mouth.
Meanwhile, I slip two fingers inside her. She's slick, hot, and so fucking tight around my entry. I instantly find her spot, hitting it repeatedly as I kiss her and suck her clit.
She can't move. Can't speak. Can't control the pleasure. Every nerve ending is ours to command, and I can tell by her muffled cries and moans she's loving it. 
"Fuck, Alyssa. I won't last much longer," Niko groans, his face strained with concentration.
I chuckle. "Neither will she."
I find that hard, swollen nub of her clit again, giving it one final hard suck. The sound reverberates through the room—a powerful trigger.
Her entire body seizes around my fingers, and her muffled scream is swallowed entirely by Niko's cock. She shatters against the restraints, her hips bucking with final, spasming energy. I feel the ripple of her orgasm deep in my mouth. 
Niko grunts, his own release hitting the back of her throat. Mason groans loudly, and I look down to see that he's also come, his release soaking his sweatpants. 
Damn. Even our passive observer for tonight couldn't hold back.
I keep sucking, demanding every last drop of her shuddering release until she collapses against the bed, gasping for breath. The taste of her surrender is fucking heaven, and I can't help but want to share it.
The victory is ours; the reward should be too. 
I grab the back of Mason's head, bringing him in for a kiss. My tongue presses into his mouth, spreading her taste around. He groans, his eyes squeezing shut as he accepts the offering. 
Then I do the same with Niko. I take his jaw, force his head down, and claim his mouth. He lets out a needy sound, chasing every trace of Alyssa from me.
Meanwhile, Alyssa's legs are still trembling, a residual quake of pleasure and exhaustion. She watches us, breathless, her punishment now complete.
"King, you didn't come. Are you gonna fuck me?" she whispers.
I shake my head, smirking. "Nah. That would be turning this into a reward."
And as much as I'd love that? Those dark circles under her eyes won't fix themselves. 
She's exhausted.
Disappointment flickers across her face, but I only tsk softly. "You need to get some rest, kitten." I run my thumb along her bottom lip. "And the nanny will be here at five tomorrow, so you can sleep in as long as you need."
Her eyes narrow for just a second—a final spark of fight—but then she sighs, giving up any retort. She already agreed to the extra help, and we were more than happy to finally bring it in. 
Even though she only dropped the girls off so she could yell at us, I could tell she needed the break. Desperately.
And we want her to have more. Whenever she wants.
Once Niko and Mason release her from the restraints, they massage the faint red marks from her skin, murmuring soft praises meant only for her as she drifts off to sleep.
My lips twitch.
"Good girl, kitten," I murmur, brushing her hair from her face. 
And I mean it.
She might be the feistiest, stubborn woman I've ever met—but she's still our good girl.
Always will be. 
Even when she needs a reminder.