Relief

With Reyna so caught up in figuring out whatever her sister was planning, some of the others decided to find a better method of occupying her time. What was that method, you ask? By turning her into a tour guide of course.

Admittedly, Calypso had behaved herself all day and desperately wanted to explore the valley a bit. The same could be said for Mrs. O'Leary, who used the Field of Mars like a private playground with Hannibal. Likewise, Rachel wanted to see how things worked with the auguries. So that's how we found ourselves traveling up the temple hill; a journey made much more enjoyable by Calypso bubbling with energy and excitement at not only seeing a new place, not to mention different architecture styles which Annabeth still fawned over, but because her new dress just… wow.

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for a pretty girl. Guilty as charged. I'm a practical guy, so I will happily take a tee shirt, jeans, and sneakers any day of the week. But on the off chance someone decides to wear a nice dress… Despite everything the two of us have done together, Calypso left me tongue tied and quite possibly panting a bit.

The dress captured a more ethereal feminine charm about her, not that she ever lacked any. A dazzling rainbow shimmered through the stark white fabric with every movement. I couldn't tell if that was because of magic or the sunlight. And that golden laurel wreath tied around her waist… Well, she certainly never lacked in the hips department, but everything accentuated her form so well, even Annabeth started to get shy.

"You're staring," I whispered to her.

"Am not!" Her face went tomato red.

"Like what you see?"

Lip curled, she huffed and looked away. "It's not important."

"Oh, come on." I pulled her into my side, which she certainly preened a bit over. "You've seen it all with her. You're likely going to do more than just look, given enough time. What's wrong with admitting you like it?"

"It's a matter of principle! I'm your wife. She's your mistress. I can't afford to let my mind wander like that."

"I'm sure Piper would disagree."

She stormed off, ears bright red while I simply laughed.

Not five seconds later, Rachel fell in stride with me and took my hand in her own. The two of us watched Calypso as she skipped around, singing her heart out and revitalizing various flower offerings to Ceres' temple.

"She's jealous. You realize that, right?"

I quirked an eyebrow. "Of what?"

"Still clueless as ever." She sighed to herself. "Calypso. She's jealous of Calypso. Her beauty. Her charm. Her femininity. Her ability to find joy in even the most stressful situations. And above all else, the absolute trust she has in you to be the man of her dreams."

"That's… a lot to unpack. Everyone is different though. She has nothing to be jealous of. I've seen the way some of the other campers looked at her."

She snorted. "You don't need to convince me. If Annabeth ever started wearing short-shorts, she'd start making straight girls question themselves. But that doesn't make her jealousy any less real."

"It's not realistic."

"Isn't it?" She paused and squeezed my hand. "She's your wife. The alpha of every girl here. But let's be honest with ourselves, objectively, there are prettier girls than her in this harem. Silena, Calypso, Piper. Annabeth can stack up against them and hold her own, but for her to actually do that… She'd have an identity crisis the first time she styles her hair."

Honestly, the thought of that made me laugh despite the depressing truth underlying it.

"You've put a lot of thought into this."

We continued walking.

"It's easy to do from the outside."

"Outside?"

"Outside of everyone else. You're in the middle of it. It's like a tornado. You can't tell what's going on when you're in the center of it, but when you're watching it from the outside, you can actually take it all in."

"You do realize you're a part of that tornado, right?"

"Pfft. Right."

I frowned. "Hold on. You picked up on her feelings because you're going through the same thing."

She smirked, not looking at me and exaggeratedly swinging our arms back and forth as we walked. "Looks like there's hope for you after all."

"What's there to be jealous of? We literally kissed before almost everyone here. Even Calypso only did that on my forehead before all of this happened."

"And I'm sure she would have happily gone for the lips. Look, I know how complicated things were between us. I'd like to think we had a real chance at being together. But look at the harem. You have demigoddesses. Basically superhumans. Not to mention a literal goddess. And before we forget, you have half a dozen gorgeous nymphs, trained to do things with you that nobody else would ever be brave enough to try; most of whom would do just about anything you asked of them.

"Even outside of the harem, just look in front of us. Annabeth, Calypso, Reyna. All of them wanted you for themselves before this, and I couldn't hold a candle to them. I'm just… mortal. No special powers. No godly good looks. Even my prophetic powers aren't my own. So compared to them—"

I grabbed her shoulders, turned her to face me, and stared into her startled eyes. "You're Rachel Elizabeth Dare. So far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters."

She didn't have a chance to muster a retort before I stole it straight out of her mouth.

Her body quivered when I kissed her. Both eyes grew cloudy and unfocused, flickering shut. One of her feet pawed at the ground.

By the time I pulled back, she was panting and licking her lips.

"That wasn't fair."

"Neither is beating yourself up over something you can't control. You're the best you there is. That's all that matters. Now stop moping or I'm going to kiss you again, and this time, I'll drag you into Apollo's temple."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," she replied with a dopey smile.

Mrs. O'Leary decided to join us, and I guess she picked up on Rachel's bad mood. Though, instead of resorting to her usual tactic of licking her, she laid down and whimpered. Rachel couldn't help but give in and pet her face.

We followed the others up the hill. Much to Rachel's dismay, the Romans had yet to replace the auger. So no stuffed animal entrails were present. On the upside, the view of the city was unparalleled. I may not like Zeus… Jupiter… whatever. But even I have to admit his temple certainly had prime real estate.

Calypso took a deep breath. "Mmm. Feel that breeze on your face! It's absolutely marvelous! And the city! It's gorgeous!"

Reyna gave a begrudging smile. "Roman architecture at its finest."

"You can say that again," Annabeth mumbled.

"I could do without the breeze honestly," Rachel said, her curly red hair flying into her face. "And how could you guys not already have replaced the auger? Isn't communicating with the gods supposed to be sacred for you?"

Reyna pursed her lips. "As an oracle, I'm not sure how to reply to such a comment. But you should know it's not that simple. Few are bestowed the gift of communion. Or curse, depending on your point of view.

"Odds are no one with that gift is around. So they will wait until one arrives."

Calypso went unbothered by the chatter, simply taking in the sights and windblown smells. Under the baking summer sun, a distinct floral and fruity scent mixed with the baked goods and roasting meats of New Rome's market district. With a satisfied grin, she turned to the rest of us and took in our mixed expressions.

She frowned. "Is it really not that good?"

"It's great," Rachel said. "I think we're all just a bit worn out."

Her eyes narrowed. "It has been eventful recently… But I don't believe you're telling the truth. You don't seem tired. Just… uncomfortable."

"Calypso," Reyna said softly. "I'm going to try and put this as delicately as I can. You just have that effect on people. Not in a bad way. But you make everything look so effortless. Being excited and radiant and just… you. And… simply put, given our shared history…"

Calypso's frown deepened, only for a look of realization to dawn upon her.

"This is about Percy."

I straightened out, taken aback.

None of the girls refuted her claim, and she broke down in a fit of laughter.

"You… you all think I'm just going to steal him away from you?! Hahaha!" She doubled over, and collected her breath. Meanwhile, the others shared uncomfortable glances with one another.

"And here I was, worried about losing him again." She wiped away a tear, her breaths choppy from the laughing fit. "Why are you all so hard on yourselves? He's just as lucky to have you as you are to have him."

She skipped over to Reyna. "You told me Venus cursed you to never have the love you want. I went through the exact same thing. Now we both have our chance. You're strong, you're brave, you're beautiful. You hold people together. Give someone else a chance to do the same for you."

Reyna didn't have time to reply before Calypso pulled her into a tight bear hug and danced away just as quickly. This time, she selected Rachel as her victim.

"You have a creative eye that took me centuries to develop. You see the world in a way I can only hope to reach one day. But you're caught up in potentials, and I'm not talking about the Oracle. You're so focused on what to do in the future or what may have been in the past. But guess what—" she grabbed Rachel's chin and turned her head to face me "—here's someone very real right now who you've wanted and denied yourself for too long. Stop worrying about what could have been and spend that time building what you want it to be."

Rachel's face went as red as her hair when Calypso pressed a kiss to her cheek. While she bashfully rubbed her face, Calypso made her way to Annabeth, who shied away from the demi-titaness like a caged bird from a housecat.

"Annabeth." She smiled. "We've had some bad blood between us. When Percy left me for you, all I could think about was how much it hurt to watch him go. I wished for things I now regret. But after meeting you, after seeing you, I understood why. You're an incredible woman! I'm thousands of years older than you, but you can still make me feel like a child at times. And lately these nights, I've found myself saying 'If none of this ever happened; if this harem were to disappear, and I were forced back to Ogygia, then I'll at least be happy knowing Percy is safely and happily in your hands.'"

Despite her attempt at a neutral expression, Annabeth looked like she was trying to swallow a particularly large frog. Coupled with her misty eyes, and I wanted to do nothing more than hug her.

Calypso beat me to it. She wrapped her arms around Annabeth, who stubbornly refused to return the favor… for all of three seconds. At which point, she broke down into tears and cried into her neck.

Rachel and Reyna didn't look much better, though Reyna was doing a much better job at hiding it… all while she approached the other two and turned their hug into a group hug. Rachel lasted a couple seconds more before joining in. All of them pressed their heads together.

I stood there at the side, just a witness to all of this. Tempted as I was to join them, I decided it'd be in poor taste. This was their moment, so I happily let them have it.

When they all settled and separated, Calypso was beaming at them all, while each returned teary smiles of their own. Annabeth's was cut off when Calypso promptly stood on her tiptoes and kissed her right on the lips.

My body couldn't tell you how it wanted to react, and even I don't have a clue. But watching Annabeth melt into Calypso's kiss and return the affection, innocent as it was, stirred up emotions and feelings I couldn't begin to describe. I'm sure I'd sort through things later… with both of them in my bed.

I shook off the thoughts and simply let them have this.

Calypso pulled away, her lips still stretched in a coy smile. "See? It doesn't take much. You just need to know what you want…" She turned to me and licked her lips. "And believe in yourselves enough to act on it."

Events carried on rather smoothly. An unseen animosity melted away from the girls, and they slipped into an odd manner of kinship. There'd definitely be some awkward passings between them, but in a harem environment, that kind of situation was unavoidable.

Granted, I can't say things were awkward when nighttime rolled around. They'd been more at ease while we ate dinner, spreading across some more tables to get comfortable. Admittedly, we had to bring some leftovers for Zoë and Khione, both of whom stayed with the nymphs in the barracks.

By the time we all started to turn in for the night, getting sleeping arrangements in order turned out to be a nightmare. Calypso's motivational speech seemed to spur the other three into a less than tactful attempt at getting in bed with them, but Calypso simply shoved another bunk to the pseudo-queen size bed we'd developed, and ordered all of us to share.

I'll admit this much, having Rachel and Reyna to either side of me was bizarre. Not unwelcome. Gods, they felt great. Reyna finally managed a genuine, if slight, smile as she rested her head on my shoulder. Rachel contented herself with wrapping one of my arms around her and tangling our legs together. Despite her feet freezing my skin, I didn't have the heart to push them away. Annabeth and Calypso took to the opposite sides of Rachel and Reyna respectively. Though shy about the contact, neither girl holding onto me outright rejected them.

Off to the other bunks, Piper and Thalia struggled to contain their laughter at the change of bed partners. I honestly expected Thalia to get a little miffed at me stealing away her… girlfriend? But instead, she simply said it was about time we settled things.

So there I was, comfortable in my own little nest of warmth. All four girls who'd taken a genuine interest in me before all of this started pressed to me from all sides. In the pleasant simmering warmth of their body heat, all was right in the world, and we could easily drift off to sleep.

Save for one slight problem.

Over the course of the following hour, a very distinct whimpering grew louder and louder. I tried to shut it out. Tried burying my head in Rachel's mass of curly hair to drown out the noise. It didn't help. And I wasn't the only one struggling to sleep because of it.

"She needs your help," Rachel whispered. "You can postpone this forever, but she won't last until then."

"She doesn't want it," I replied. "I'm not the only one who's tried to reason with her."

"You don't want it either," Reyna said, squeezing my hand. "But a hard part of leading is making the right decisions even when everyone else is pushing you to do what's wrong."

"No one is really pushing me to hold things off except for Sierra. And what would everyone think if I just got up, walked over to her, then had sex with her against her will. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself."

"I'd think you were trying to help," Reyna said. "I know very well what it's like to be in such a difficult position." Her eyes darted away. "Whatever you choose, I'll support you."

"Whatever you choose, you better do it quickly," Annabeth said, squeezing my arm. "She isn't going to last much longer. It's not just the curse. But whatever Phorcys did to her, she never had the time to really recover from it. Her mind will break long before her body gives out."

I balled my trembling fists. Why did I have to be the one to make this decision? Why did I have to be the one with no correct answer?

What did all of this boil down to? Safety versus autonomy? Security versus freedom? What did freedom even constitute in our position? None of us were free! The girls were stuck with me because of some curses and drugged up pheromones. I was stuck with them because of course I'd never abandon them! The gods knew it. Aphrodite knew it. And that's exactly what she was hoping to break. She wanted to build up my apathy. My indifference. It'd make it so much easier to tear me away from everyone if she took my ability to care.

"Can you all scoot over a bit?"

Each of them gave me room to sit up. I wiped my hands down my face and groaned. Despite a shaky resolve, I climbed out of bed and approached the room.

Zoë stood guard outside of the two rooms, her expression grim.

"Why don't you get some sleep?"

"I can remain awake for a week if necessary. This is nothing."

"Be that as it may, I'll take over from here. Or maybe you can watch the others. I'm not sure it'd be best for them if they saw this."

Her expression darkened. "Thou art going to claim her."

"I'm going to urge her towards it, yes."

"And if she refuses?"

"Then I'll refuse to leave her side. One of us will have to break first."

She grimaced. "If not for our history and my trust for thee, I'd castrate thee for even suggesting such a notion. But… thou hast garnered my support. Just… don't hurt her."

Not even I saw my next words coming. "I will try my best not to. I swear upon the river Styx."

Despite her initial shock, she relaxed her posture, nodded, and left to prepare for bed.

Taking a breath, I passed the threshold and entered the room.

All the nymphs, bar Juniper, crammed themselves in one way or another. Ashe laid at Sierra's side, shivering alongside her on the bed of snow. Nimba, Rose, and Thŷella occupied the other bed while Palírroia stood at the back of the room. At the foot of the bed, Khione knelt with her hands pressed into the snow.

"No progress?"

Khione slumped forward, breaths labored. "I… haven't done this… for a while. And not for this long. Furthermore… trying to… keep her from… freezing to death…"

"The returns are diminishing," Palírroia said. "Even now her pain continues to grow."

I sighed and turned to Sierra. Her body twitched. Muffled as they were, buried in the snow, her soft whimpers couldn't go ignored.

"Look, I know you don't want this. I don't either, but—"

She gasped.

I recoiled. Shortsighted as I was, I mistakenly placed my hand on her exposed shoulder. Ashe affixed me with an expression of equal parts worry and contempt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Why… why didn't that… hurt?"

Everyone went silent. All eyes turned to Sierra, who shied away in her snow mound.

Di immortales!

Tempted as I was to punch a wall, I restrained myself. Of course my touch wouldn't hurt her! She needs me to touch her… and more.

I used what little space there was on the bed to sit down. Face buried in my hands, I groaned.

"It's a part of the curse. There's only one way to end it. Other people can try, but at the end of the day, only I can help you. You're rewarded for letting me touch you, and punished for avoiding it."

Cloudy as her eyes were, they regained some of their edge when she glared down at me.

"Of course I am…"

"He did not ordain this," Palírroia said. "Were it not for him, we would still be in the depths of our training dungeons. Our wounds have long since been closed, and he was the one to close them."

Sierra turned away, unable to shed any tears, still shivering. Whether it was from fear, pain, or even the snow, I didn't know.

Ashe leaned over to her and whispered into her ear. As the seconds passed, Sierra let out a choked sob and buried her face in the bed.

"Fine! You win! Just get it over with!"

It took a moment for everyone to register what she said.

"We shall take our leave then," Palírroia said, letting out a breath of relief. "Come. There are still beds available for us."

"Wait."

All eyes turned to Sierra.

"Nimba… please stay."

Nimba straightened, taken aback, then turned to me. I simply raised my hands in surrender. That wasn't my call to make.

"Okay," Nimba said. "Can Rose stay as well?" She tightened her grip on Rose's hand.

Sierra's scowl deepened. As for the cause, I couldn't begin to say.

"Fine."

The remaining nymphs filed out of the room, with Ashe as the last of them. She pulled me in for a quick hug and whispered for me to be gentle. As if I had any other plans.

While Rose and Nimba made themselves a bit more comfortable on the opposite bed, Khione let out a deep exhale and stood.

"The snow is under a mild permafrost. It shouldn't melt… in theory. But it likely won't hold forever. Even I have limits when I'm asleep."

I nodded in understanding. "Thank you. I'll try to keep this brief."

She too nodded and took her leave.

Still half buried in the snow, Sierra watched my approach with no short amount of wariness. I held out my hand to pull her from the snow. Though she attempted to lift her arm, the cold chill numbing it wavered away, leaving her exposed limb wavering and twitchy.

Rather than prolong her pain, I reached into the mound and scooped her out. She yelped in response, but couldn't muster the ability to fight me as I laid her on top of the snow bed. Ironically, she whimpered more as I let her go.

She never really looked at me. Instead, her eyes were locked on Nimba. That didn't stop her from shivering, though I doubted it was from the cold.

I pulled her ever so slightly closer to the edge by her ankles, and slid my hands up her legs. There wasn't any point in removing her clothes, as the snow seemed to have already addressed that manner.

Just like Nimba, her pale figure all but blended in with the snow. Even her hair appeared to curl and flutter about like gentle wisps of steam buffeting off the icy powder. She lacked the curvature of any others, even among the nymphs. Her hips were narrow and her breasts were small, almost like a ballerina, though lacking the lean musculature required for such a daunting title.

As I peered between her legs, I couldn't help but notice one small but important detail. For the first time I could recall, the lips pressed together with thin petals peeking out from her core were dry. Not a drip of arousal in sight.

Just a slight hit to the ego, but completely understandable.

Be that as it may, I wasn't about to just stick it in without warming her up. Gods only know how much further such an act would traumatize her.

Much to her evident concern, I knelt between her twitching legs.

"This is probably the most difficult thing I'm ever going to ask you to do, but please try to relax."

She gave me a cursory glance and said nothing. Meanwhile, Nimba and Rose practically gnawed on their nails while watching us.

I lowered my head and brushed my tongue over her folds.

On contact, Sierra gasped and thrust her hips upward, though quite unintentionally if her petrified expression were anything to go by.

Her legs spread against her will. Quite a lovely view in all honesty, what with her pale skin and light pink center.

Unfortunately, the action also revealed a troubling aspect about her suffering. Much like Palírroia, she too had scars of her own. Not on her back. At least, not that I could see. Instead, small pinpricks dotted the back of her thighs, along with the occasional crescent shaped gouge.

The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel judged or self-conscious. At least beyond what she was already enduring. So, in spite of my urge to show sympathy and attempt to console her for past traumas, I kept silent and dipped my tongue down once more.

Off to the side, Rose and Nimba watched with mixed expressions. While Nimba watched her twin's ordeal with equal parts concern and fascination, Rose, bless her delicate heart, couldn't hide the deep green blush in her cheeks. Granted, Rose's building anxiety may also have been in part due to Nimba, who was rubbing the inside of her light green thighs.

Whereas Rose may have some trepidation over her growing arousal, she barely scratched the surface of Sierra's anxiety. My gentle licks pulled more and more dribbles of her watery juices. Sierra didn't seem to appreciate that, pressing her hand to my forehead to push me away.

"Did I hurt you?"

She whimpered. "N-no. Just… Why are you doing it like that?"

"Like what?"

"With your mouth."

Ignorant as ever, I see.

"Because I want you to at least somewhat enjoy this. And you were dry. If I went the whole way without getting you ready, it wouldn't be comfortable for either of us."

She mumbled to herself. What she said exactly, I have no clue, but I doubted it was anything pleasant about me.

"Well? Are you just going to sit there?"

I smirked. "It would help if you stopped pushing my head away."

Little did she realize that her hand was still pressed against my forehead. With a squeak, she pulled away and cursed softly. While I situated myself once more, she spread her legs further of her own accord.

My tongue once more dipped into her folds. Sierra's breath hitched ever so slightly. With a cursory glance, I took notice of her clawing at the snow pile. Likewise, though she gave no indication of realizing it, her legs began to close around my head.

Just like Nimba, she tasted and smelled of fresh rain. Not at all unpleasant, and admittedly, I wouldn't mind going to bed with her flavor lingering on my tongue.

Unlike Nimba, she fought against the pleasure clearly growing in her core. Cursing and writhing under me, she masked her euphoria with bitterness and disdain. A permanent scowl quivered on her lips. Meanwhile, her hips and folds told a more honest tale of her reluctant joy.

On the nearby bed, both Nimba and Rose elected to go down a more open and honest route.

Rose's chiton bunched at her waist, giving the appearance of a belt more than a dress. Nimba's hands explored her body, one hand buried between her girlfriend's legs while the other toyed with one of her nipples. All the while she nibbled on one of Rose's ears, whispering sweet nothings.

That's not to say Rose was completely innocent. She too went knuckle deep into Nimba's moist folds, though at a fairly slower pace. The strain on her face wasn't from an attempt to withhold her moans, but rather because she was trying so hard to kiss Nimba, who wouldn't let her stop watching us.

All I could do was smile as I observed the two of them enjoying themselves.

Sierra continued to quiver as my tongue brought her closer and closer to her peak. Her fingers clawed desperately at the snow. Breaths labored, she chewed her lip and fought desperately against the growing need to have an orgasm.

"You're almost there," I whispered, taking a long vertical lick. "Just relax and let go."

My slow lick dashed away and found itself replaced by a series of quick swipes. I wildly lashed at her delicate folds, drinking down her arousal, eager to push her over the edge.

Just a little—

"Stop!"

I froze.

Sierra drew a quick series of sharp and haggard breaths. All the while, she eyed me with growing terror.

"What's wrong?"

"You're trying to manipulate me!" she barked. "Just do what you need to do and get this over with!"

An uncomfortable chill clenched my stomach. That wasn't at all what my intent was, but somehow, she jumped to a pretty harsh conclusion.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

"If that's what you want."

"I want this to be over with," she spat. "I want none of this to have ever happened! I want to go home! I want my life back!"

Silence.

Even Nimba and Rose went quiet, going from sixty to zero in a matter of seconds.

"Sierra…" Nimba cooed.

My shoulders slumped. "I can't give you all of that. I wish I could. If I even knew where you lived before all of this, I'd happily take you back. You could see your family and friends from before this nightmare."

I turned to Nimba. "Is that what you would like as well?"

She shook her head without a second of hesitation. "I miss my family, but I've made a new one. I don't want to give that up."

As if to emphasize her point, she wrapped her arms and legs around a perplexed Rose.

I returned my attention to Sierra. "Would you be willing to leave your sister with us? I can't promise that we'll find your past family, but if we manage to, you might be able to remain with them despite still being a part of the harem. Aphrodite's magic has expired. Unlike everyone else, you're the first I'll be with who can really be free after it's over."

"No I won't." If she could manage to cry at this point, I'm sure she would have. "I can't abandon her. Not again. Even if we found our family, I couldn't leave her with the likes of you."

"There's nothing I can say or do to convince you otherwise, is there?" I deflated. "Look, you said to just get this over with. Okay. I'd rather be with someone who wants it. Neither of us want this, so let's agree to just make this quick, get rid of the curse, then leave each other alone when it's all done. Does that sound okay to you?"

With the ball in her court, Sierra couldn't muster an honest reply. The hurt in her eyes. The betrayal she felt. The suffering she'd endured. All was blatant and out in the open. But when I handed her the best option, she couldn't take it.

She simply turned her head away from me, locked eyes with her sister, and laid back down on the snow.

"I think we have one more step." Her legs spread.

With a sigh, I took a thigh in each hand. I hadn't quite realized I still had my pants on, but Nimba made short work of that.

"Please help her enjoy herself. She'll see the truth." She pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and returned to Rose, who managed to collect herself and removed her dress completely.

Sierra was right therewith her. Granted, the bottom half twitchy and kicked with uncertainty. As far as her upper body though, her pale nipples had long since pebbled on her slight breasts.

In spite of her anxious rage, her delicate folds glimmered in the soft light. My attempt to warm her up, despite her protests, had been successful.

Unfortunately, there was an additional problem that came from all of this. When I said I wanted a willing partner, I meant it. Despite the pretty and slender woman in front of me, I couldn't get an erection.

"Most guys have to wait until their forties for this to happen," I joked, mostly to myself.

"Let us help you, Master."

Before I had a chance to refuse, Nimba and Rose took up posts at either side of me, each placing a hand on my groin. While Rose stroked the length, Nimba lowered her hand a bit to caress the sensitive balls beneath it.

"You're almost there," Rose whispered, pressing a soft kiss on my lips. "Just relax and let go."

Nimba giggled slightly, but my attention was rather scattered. Not only from their actions, but because of Rose's hair. I was more than familiar with her pheromones at this point, but clearly Nimba did a number on her, because her arousal left my head swimming. The smell alone eased the tension from my body, and their soft hands managed to get me more ready than I ever would have managed alone.

Their work left me erect and panting.

"Thank you," I huffed.

"Of course, Master. We would do anything for you," Nimba stated.

Just as quick as they were to jump to my aid, both nymphs returned to their bed, naked and far more eager to witness the act than Sierra and I were to perform it.

Unfortunately, my absence affected Sierra in a rather negative manner. Once more, the pains of the curse began to wrack her body. Soft whimpers escaped her lips while she tugged at her hair and screamed silently.

I approached the tremulous nebulae, resting my knees on the edge of the bed. Her legs spread to either side of mine, their center dewy with faint arousal. As I leaned over her small body, she shuddered, but did not attempt to run away. Far more than I could ever bring myself to ask of her.

She yelped and glanced down to see what brushed between her thighs. Her lip tucked between her teeth. Whether by curiosity, awe, or anxiety, she couldn't look away as I positioned myself at the entrance of her damp folds.

If I waited any longer, both her pain and my anxiety would only get worse. So I did the only thing there was left to do. I grabbed her hips, then parted her lips. In a slow and achingly pleasurable thrust, I buried myself inside her.

"Mmmf!"

Her back arched, bridging over the snow while my hands kept her hips in place. Involuntary as her moan may have been, it at least offered some reprieve from the notion of this physically hurting her.

Inch by inch, I tried to stay as gentle as possible while sliding into her. Every twitch and pulse within her left me shaky and drawing sharper breaths. Once our hips touched, I pulled out just as slowly, rubbing along her walls while they attempted to suck me back in. Quite contrary to the mortified expression on her face.

"Wha… why does it…?"

A soft shudder overtook her body before she could finish her words. In fact, she even moaned. Her hands clamped over her mouth, but couldn't quite catch the sound before it escaped her lips.

As I moved, she clamped down around me, drawing a short grunt from my throat. I raised an eyebrow, but her wide eyes and quivering lips told me all I needed to know.

Though she wasn't as wet as her sister when we shared our first time, I found a comfortable familiarity with how good she felt. Guilty as that pleasure may have been, I attempted to hold back too many noises as I began to change things up for her. Rather than simply thrust in and out, every time I brought our hips together, I ground my pelvis over hers. Though she attempted to hide behind her hands, whenever my body rubbed over her little clit, she reduced herself to a frenzied shiver and gentle squeals.

I kept the pace slow and steady, focusing on her pleasure alone. My hand pressed down on her mons, applying a double sided pressure to the most sensitive spots inside her. Much to her reluctant pleasure, the act resulted in fresh wetness spilling out of her and streaming onto the snow.

When her eyes began to roll up, and her head collapsed onto the bed, I knew I had her. She may not admit it, but she was beginning to enjoy herself.

"Just relax," Rose said. "Close your eyes and let your body do what feels natural."

I sped up just a tad, and offered our two voyeurs a glance.

Nimba laid on her back, head hanging off the side of the bed. She rubbed one of her breasts while the other threaded through Rose's hair. The dryad in question had Nimba's legs spread to either side of her head, while she lovingly slurped on Nimba's slit, much like I'd done with Sierra earlier.

Sierra squeezed down on me once more. Panting, she gazed down at me with unfocused and lidded eyes. Her fingers curled around her collarbones. Though she may not have noticed it, her body began to roll up in time with my movements, meeting me thrust for thrust.

"Unnh!"

Much to my shock, her legs wrapped around my back and pulled me forward. A blink later, I found myself face to face with the nebulae. Though her eyes were sealed and her voice was caught in delirium, I could feel her hot breaths on my face.

But I didn't stop.

Sweat began to bead on my brow as I held myself above her. My shoulders and back strained against her tight grip pulling me closer and closer. That difficulty went up when she blindly wrapped her arms around my back.

I tried to stay gentle, but fighting her clenching body and gravity made the act difficult. It begrudges me to admit my hips began falling into hers harder than before, but I couldn't find any sign that she wasn't enjoying it. In fact, she lost herself so far in the moment, her nails began scraping thin white lines into my back.

Wet arousal began splashing over our thighs as I slapped down into her. The bed bounced under the force.

Our bodies molded together, her pale pink nipples scraped over my body, hard enough to scratch me almost as well as her fingers. Despite the snow, her body ran flush with warmth, steaming in the white bed.

My own desires began catching up with me. As I shifted my arms to try and hold her, I raised my hips up and drove them down in a particularly deep thrust. The act forced her eyes wide open and a gasp to punch out of her lungs. Those dark gray eyes locked on my own while her body began to clench up and quiver.

One more thrust and she'd—

"Stop!"

I stopped. Frozen above her, I met her frantic gaze.

"G-get off me."

I smirked. "It would help if you let go."

Only then did she realize she was wrapping me up completely with her arms and legs. With a squeak, she let go and fell back into the snow. As such, I pulled out of her and rested back on my knees.

My angry erection bobbed about in front of me, matching the pouting and drooling need of her folds. I still had quite a ways to go before finishing, but she just needed a little push over the edge.

"Did I hurt you?"

She glanced away. "N-no… But… but I think the curse is gone. I don't feel it anymore. So we don't need to do this any longer."

I let out a soft breath from my nose. My shoulders relaxed. Finally, I had some good news, even if it came at the expense of some blue balls.

The same couldn't be said for Nimba, who finished right there on the spot, if her high pitched moan was any indication. Both Sierra and I locked our gazes on the two lovers occupying the opposite bed. Rose pulled away from the shivering nebulae, licking her lips with an uncharacteristically sultry smile. Only when her eyes gazed up did her shyness return.

"That's good to hear," I finally said, redirecting the conversation away from the other two. "I'm only as good as my word. I won't bother you again."

She crossed her arms and glanced at the wall. "... Good."

I relented any further efforts to push the conversation further and climbed out of the bed. While I attempted to redress, the other two decided to intervene.

"I'll take care of you, Master."

Rose grabbed my hand and pulled me into the adjacent room while Nimba slipped her dress back on and joined her sister.

"You don't have to do this. I'll survive without getting off."

"Maybe," she said, closing the door behind us and locking her smoldering eyes with me. "But you earned this. And…" She once more flushed a deep green, glancing away.

"...And?"

Her eyes returned to me. "I want to make up for our first time. You didn't finish then either."

I blanched. She had a point. Among the nymphs, she's the only one who didn't manage to get me off. While I didn't have a problem with that, if they talked about what we did with one another, Rose's ego must have taken a massive blow.

"In that case, I'd be more than happy to have you. How would you like to do this?"

She knelt down in front of me and held her hands behind her back.

"I… I want you to use me. Like you did before. I want you to use my mouth any way you see fit." Her shy gaze belied the crass statement. Doubly so when she added the final line. "You can be as rough as you'd like."

Rather than wait for a reply, she opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. She kept her eyes locked on me, which put me in an awkward position. This wasn't a matter of her feeling like she owed me. Nor was this simply a matter of pride. She wanted me to use her. This delicate little flower had a kink for being throat fucked.

Who was I to question her desires?

I curled my fingers in her hair. She shivered, shaking a few petals from her locks. Unlike almost every other time she trembled in front of me, it wasn't nervousness in her expression. Every glimmer in her eyes and twitch of her cheeks showed nothing but adoration and excitement.

Just like she requested, I didn't move gently. Instead, the moment my cock touched her tongue, I shoved my hips forward and slammed into her throat.

"Hrnmm!"

Rose went wide-eyed, staring up at me while I stretched out her esophagus. I towered over her lithe body, steadying myself as she instinctively swallowed around me.

Just as quickly, I ripped my cock out of her mouth only to plunge into her once again. My fingers curled and twisted in her hair, tugging far more softly than my hips were moving. Though I moved her head in time with my bucking hips, she proved far more eager, bobbing ever so slightly while I fucked her throat.

Though other girls seemed to enjoy blowing me, none seemed to match Rose's eager little mouth. None save for Palírroia perhaps, though that may have been a result of her experience from training. Rose was all enthusiasm. All joy. Not very much in the way of skill though.

Granted, she didn't need much skill for her warm wet throat to feel wonderful.

Nor did I need to do much to make her feel that way either, it would seem. Her body trembled and shook as I used her mouth. She relaxed into the sensation of a hot throbbing cock stretching her mouth and throat. One of her hands slipped down her body and dipped into her dewy slit while the other toyed with her nipple. Whether her moans were from her actions or my own, I didn't know. All I knew was how great the vibrations felt as I pressed my balls against her chin.

And so our rhythm continued. I pulled out of her mouth. She tickled my head with her tongue. I slammed into her throat. She gurgled and hummed in delight. The fragrant pheromones wafting from her hair danced around us both, driving me into a dizzying frenzy to fuck her mouth the same way I fucked Zoë.

If all of that wasn't enough, the oils on her skin extended to her lips, simultaneously trapping my cock in a mixture of burning and cooling with every thrust.

"Hllk! Glurk! Garg! Mmmphg!"

I sped up my pace, relishing in the sensations brought on by this ever eager little dryad. While my time with Sierra may have left a great deal to be desired, Rose certainly made up for it, long since stripping herself and enjoying the throatfucking almost as much as I was.

Drool spilled down her chin and floral juices trickled down her thighs. She busied herself, masturbating furiously as I used her just like she asked. And she simply let it happen. There was no attempt to stop me or slow me down. Only a primal and feral desire in her eyes as she stared up at me. She had one very particular goal in mind. One reward. And I would most certainly give it to her.

As my balls slapped into her face, they began to throb and tighten up. While I bulged in her throat, the ever encroaching need to finish crept up on me before inevitably finding its way to whisper its seductive request in my ear.

Her muffled moan was all it took for me to give in.

Without a word of warning, I forced myself down to the hilt and began throbbing in her throat. Her nostrils flared as I buried her nose into my pelvis. My balls tightened and pulsed, unleashing a very deserved torrent of steaming and creamy cum right down her eager little throat.

She swallowed without a blink of hesitation. In fact, she didn't even blink. Her eyes locked on mine while she gulped down every subsequent spurt of pearly fluid, only whining as they gradually grew weaker.

She wanted a taste.

As the last couple ropes began to empty out of my balls, I pulled back just enough to deposit them right on her tongue. The second she tasted her reward, her eyes rolled up and her entire body shuddered. A trickle of juices dripped on the floor, despite both of her hands cupping and squeezing my balls.

She came from getting throatfucked alone.

"That's a good little handmaiden," I cooed, running my fingers through her hair as she continued to slurp and swallow the last traces of my cum. "See what you can do with just a little confidence?"

The hum in delight sent my nerves into overdrive, leaving me twitching in her mouth while she continued to suck. Granted, she may have simply been trying to clean me up, but the glimmer in her eyes told me this was just as much for her pleasure as it was for mine.

She could have pulled away a dozen times over, but long after I was clean, she continued to suckle and lick me, her doe eyed gaze locked on me while she casually played with herself. By the time she pulled away, I was almost beginning to stir up again.

"I hope you enjoyed that, Master. I know I did."

I tilted up her chin and rubbed my thumb over her cheek. "We'll have to see about arranging more meetings in the future. I know I could do with a massage every now and then. Maybe Nimba would like to join us as well."

Her smile broadened, and she jumped to her feet to hug me. "Yes, please."

I returned the hug, using her powerful pheromones to help put my mind at ease. Here I was, emptying myself into Rose's throat while Sierra laid in the next room, possibly traumatized by what I'd done with her. Where things would go with her, I didn't know. But I was a man of my word. I'd leave her alone from this point on. Anything that happens between us, she'd have to initiate it.

A/N: In spite of the current circumstances that is my work life, I present to you all yet another chapter. Sierra, after a couple chapters now, is the last of the initial harem members to finally lay with Percy, albeit under less than ideal circumstances. On top of that, no more pheromones or aphrodisiacs to concern one's self with. Anyone who gets involved with him from this point on will be completely of their own volition (looking at you, Juniper).

I wish I could go on a longer spiel about how I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, but my work life is currently absorbing any essence of time I have currently. So I gotta go and work another ten and a half hour shift.

As always, feel free to leave your thoughts. Join the Discord server if you so wish, and perhaps even head over to P atreon if you'd like to get early access to the chapters. I look forward to seeing you there. This is Ronin signing off.