Dr. Eloise Vandenberg massaged her neck as she searched the scene below her top floor perch at the Citadel, one of the world’s foremost military colleges. Bumper to bumper in Charleston blocked a flashing ambulance as evening rainstorms erupted. If you were a war strategist but didn’t want the confines of the military like Eloise, this was the club you longed to be in. And if you had a taste for war game experimentation that touched on the sadistic, this was a place to practice your craft with a veneer of credibility.

As a professor, Eloise taught, researched, and was fucking bored most of the time. True, there was never a dearth of work or ideas. Hell, she’d formulated a defense plan the Marines were adapting. If it worked, the implications were endless. Yet she missed the old days. The adrenaline rushing through her veins. Existing with zero rules imposed upon her. These people had no idea what it was to live freely, with no constraints.

The ring of her desk phone jolted her from her reverie as a wall of driving water splattered the window. “Vandenberg,” she answered, her voice formal and deep into the receiver.

“Hey Vandie! It’s Hal.” She despised this personal nickname her boss had devised. He seemed tickled every time he used it.

“Hello Henry.” Running her red manicured nails through waved auburn tresses she wondered what it would be this time. How many beats did he take to answer? She waited..four..five..six… Maybe dementia really was setting in. She remembered the days when she waited for no man.

Rustle of papers on a desk then, “Listen, I got a student interviewing for the graduate program. Everything’s run late today. Mike was supposed to take him next, but he wants to meet you cause of your research. Would you talk to the kid?”

Fuck. The last thing she needed was another graduate student to mentor. More teaching responsibilities on top of her workload. It was a good thing she naturally didn’t need sleep. If this kid was interested in her and wanted to interview, she knew where it was going. The last three grad students she took in entered this way.  Granted they’d satisfied her very specific needs but still.

Henry broke the silence. “Interview him. You don’t have to take every pretty face that comes your way, now do you Vandie?”

I never have Henry. You just don’t know it. “Fine. Send him over but you owe me.”

“Let them keep piling up. I won’t mind paying.” Click.

Rolling her eyes, Eloise laughed at the elderly man’s audacity. She retrieved a lipstick from her laptop case and approached the full-length mirror on the back of her office door. A precision reapplication of cranberry to full lips was followed by a smoothing of tight lapis lazuli blue silk over ample curves. Her exterior modulated to that of an active middle-aged woman who took great care with her appearance.

Contented, she opened the door to sit askew and returned to her computer screen. With cursor pressed, she scrolled down row upon row of raw data, the numbers flashing so they blurred silvery white. Her immediate absorption of information allowed her to formulate trends and discern anomalies long before statisticians could slog through it.

A solid knock on her door and from silvered white data she turned to see a young man staring at her. His eyes a bright arresting blue. His handsome youthful face was framed in silver blond curls. A breath caught in her throat.

“Are you THE Dr. Vandenberg?” he asked as the young man made his way in, extending his hand out for a firm shake.

“That’s me.”

His hand sliding into hers felt good, but she was fooling herself. It always started this way. She could feel that little spark of electricity as their skin touched. His hand grasping hers tightly. The flattery never failed to make her flutter regardless the source.

“Close the door and sit down. Tell me your name.”

“Patrick Nolan. I’ve read your work.”

“A lot of people do. That’s the point of publishing it,” she said.

 “I’ve done some of my own. May I show you?”

After a regal nod of her head, he dug into his messenger bag and withdrew papers outlining his own research along with his grad school app and handed them over. Eloise took both with a boulder of salt but as she read, her jaw grew slack. She asked what school he went to and whose strategy team he worked with. A quick google search to confirm and she was around the desk sitting beside him and the two were pouring over Patrick’s ideas.

“How did you get involved in this kind of research? This sort of strategic thought exercise? I could understand a summer internship project, but you’ve accomplished so much work already!” she said.

“I’m fascinated by puzzles, especially the unsolvable ones. I get obsessed and need to figure things out. Is that why you do it too?” he asked.

Eloise touched his forearm, her fingers making an infinitesimal stroke. Her curiosity piqued by this new brainteaser before her. “Honestly, I just like trying to achieve the hardest things possible.”

“I admire people who are smart enough to solve the grueling problems.” Patrick looked down at the papers spread out on her desk before looking into her eyes. “I think your work is brilliant. You’re the whole reason I applied here.” His voice was quiet, like he was confessing his deepest secret. He reached his hand to cover hers. At the contact she started to pull away, but he twined his fingers with hers.

“Don’t,” he said. “Here. Let me show you something.” He unbuttoned his dress shirt, slipped his hand in, and pulled out a multicolored stone hanging from a chain around his neck. He placed it in her hand. “Someone special gave this to me. I never take it off.”

The warmth of his body seeped from the stone into her fingers, sending tingles up her arm. Lightheadedness flooded her as she studied the beaming glints off the prismatic talisman then turned to him in confusion. A tsunami of thoughts struck at the walls of her mind, shouting, screaming through her. A second or two more of brutal cacophony until his hand came up to caress her cheek as he pulled the stone away. Then her body relaxed. Her mind became soothed. The touch of his fingertips along her skin eased her, allowing any remaining qualms to disappear.

“You want me to kiss you, don’t you?” he asked.

“God yes,” she said.

She slid her hands up his shoulders as their lips came together. He pressed against her; his mouth passionate as his tongue searched to enter her. She met him willingly, their tongues tangling as their bodies were drawn to one another. She felt herself falling deeper and deeper into him. Patrick’s hands explored her silken curves, pulling her closer until he broke the kiss.

“Show me how you love young cock,” he demanded.

Eloise nodded and with care went to her knees. Taking her time to allow his anticipation to grow. It would be a once in a lifetime chance for a boy like him to feel the lips of a goddess kiss the tip of his cock. Which is what she did once she unzipped his suit pants.

His long thick member sprang into her hands as she looked up into his eyes with her own emerald ones. He moaned as she kissed the very tip then swirled around the young warrior’s crown with her tongue, making sure to play along his slit as she did. His changes of breath as she toyed with him fed her aching pussy. She tongued him round and round until she focused on the most sensitive spot on his underside making him gasp.

She just smiled, running that smile up and down against the velvety skin of his shaft before running her tongue along his length making him squirm. She cradled his balls as the queen worshipped her subject. It won’t be much longer now she judged from how he’d tightened. But then his hands came up. His fingers threaded through her hair, making her feel adored in return until he gripped harder. He grabbed fistfuls of hair now and controlled her head, guiding her back to suck his cock, making it clear to her what he wanted.

She suctioned him in. The sweet boy was close to losing control, she could tell. It had always been satisfying to bring men to an edge and see how long it would take them to lose control. Especially these young ones. It was delicious to drive them wild so quickly. If she were in a particularly naughty unkind mood, she might take her mouth away unexpectedly. If she knew the young warrior well, it was something she relished inflicting.

Gain his trust.

Bring him to the edge.

Deny.

Over and Over.

Then eventually reward the sweet one and send him off to battle. Though that had been mostly the old days. But this young one? She didn’t have the heart. Even though they may have only met, he touched something deep inside her. An unknown connection existed that she wanted to explore with him. And she wanted more of this gorgeous cock, that she knew instinctively.

His hands gripped her head tight and in the space of a heartbeat her reality fractured. He was now fucking her mouth and she melted inside. Her pussy ached and sliding a hand past her pantyhose, into her black lace panties, she found herself soaked. She’d longed for a man who could raise this kind of excitement in her. Rubbing a finger around her clit, it swelled beneath her touch, sending Eloise close to her own edge. In the millennia she existed, few men ever took the lead. Few had the bravery to consider trying. Yet this one didn’t even think. He just did and it sent her into a wealth of ecstasy.

As Patrick shoved his cock deeper into her throat, her juices seeped to cover her fingers. A bit more pressure on her clit and she was there, humming the joy of her orgasm onto the cock stretching her mouth wide. That earned his attention, as their eyes locked. He pulled his cock from her and lifted her up by her hair with a swift pull.

“Owwww,” she exclaimed, shocked by the pain. Stunned that he’d dare to handle her so roughly.

“You didn’t like that did you?”

Her mouth struggled to form words; lips moved but no sound emerged. Her body vibrated with excitement.

Still holding her by the hair he gave her a little shake. “I didn’t like you cumming like that. I never gave you permission. From now on I’m the one who makes you cum,” he growled through gritted teeth.

Eloise’s eyes went wide. He wanted to make her cum. A dazed feeling came over her. He thought he could control when she came. He imagined he could wield that kind of power over her? Breaths rushed into her chest with more speed as adrenaline coursed through her.

He cradled her face in his palms and altered from harsh master to dominant lover. She loved the feel of him tilting her head back to lower his mouth to hers. Their lips touched then he whispered, “Hand the reins over to me. Now sit on your desk and spread your legs.”

Would she do it? Follow his command? There was hesitation yet her aching nipples, the wetness of her pussy, the yearning of her psyche clarified that being dominated was what she secretly longed for. Somewhere inside she knew this was her ultimate weakness. An unacknowledged internal desire that no deadly warrior goddess should ever allow.  And yet this beautiful young man, someone whose education she could help mold even if she didn’t teach him herself, certainly he would be safe to free herself with.

No longer thinking, she melted inside as he nudged her to step backwards until the desk edge pressed against her cheeks. He shoved papers aside, pushed her dress up and lifted her to the surface.

Putting his face right to hers he ordered, “Open them.”

Shivering she obediently spread her thighs. Thrilled by the anticipation, she watched mesmerized as he grasped her pantyhose in both hands. He pulled apart, tearing them, revealing her soaked black lace thong.

He smiled. “That’s easy to deal with.” He shucked off his own pants then pulled the scrap to the side and pressed his head against her opening. She pushed her pussy forward to meet him, ready for him to fill her.

“Uh Uh Uh. You don’t get it yet,” he said as he smacked her clit with his hard cock.

Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes flew down to watch what he was doing. Over and over until she was close again. But then his palm replaced his cock and a new kind of smack brought tears to her eyes. Not because it hurt. But because she’d been close to coming. She hadn’t been denied before. Never experienced the agony of wanting something so badly and having it ripped from her.

“Please,” she whispered, glistening tears falling over her smooth cheeks.

“Why should I?”

“Because I feel like I’ll die if I can’t have it,” she said, undulating her hips forward.

“You beg beautifully.” He thrust his cock in hard, grunting as he did, and nothing felt more satisfying to her. His filling her was like experiencing a literal relief, the desire that had built was so great. Patrick thrust at an angle hitting her in that perfect spot. The longer he thrust she could feel it building.

“May I cum?” she asked.

“No. We’ll experience it together when we do.”

“Cum together?”

“Something like that. Do you believe in chakras?”

“Huh?” It was hard to keep track of what he was saying. His cock stretching her pussy like this felt incredible even if he did slow down a little. His one hand came around to support her back as his other played in her hair at the top. She wished he’d pull it instead of his finger making that circle motion on the crown.

As he started thrusting harder, that ideal spot was being rubbed again, making her build, driving her wild. His index finger circled faster over her crown, a purple light now beginning to glow as he did. Her moans of passions filled the room.

He sucked her lower lip into his mouth and bit hard before he released it. “We’re both close, baby. I want your last orgasm to be the best ever.”

“What do you mean last?” she panicked, but he thrust faster in that perfect way. She began to explode. Her back arched as warm liquid gushed from her pussy as she repeatedly clenched tight around his cock. Yet her ecstasy was interrupted by a driving pressure that started at the top of her head.

The room was suddenly bathed entirely in purple light. Then the sharpest of pains in her head and the blond young man before her transformed into the familiar face of her young warrior from ages ago. His skin streaked with blood, his eyes vengeful. Without speaking, he transferred his thoughts and memories to her through the light.

“Do you remember me?”

Fear making her mute she simply nodded.

“I was your fiercest warrior. I fought and died for you. You resurrected me over and over to win your battles. And when there were no wars to fight you tortured me for your amusement.”

He began to thrust again, this time putting his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. “Now it’s time for you to pay.” He pistoned hard inside her until he shot rope after rope of cum. She disintegrated as he held her in his hands. Flakes of her ash sifted through the air floating down to her desk and the floor. The talisman’s justice worked better than he would have ever imagined.

He stepped back and dusted off his clothes, trying to clean himself up as best he could. Then turning to his messenger bag, he removed a sleek incendiary device. He pressed a password into its keypad to activate it and placed it into the pile of dust that had been Dr. Eloise Vandenberg. It was strong enough to destroy the evidence without taking out the structure. Plus, it was the end of the day and they’d spent long enough fucking that no one was left considering the rainstorm.

###

Patrick took his time walking out and once on the street beneath the portico of the famous building that housed the school of government, he dialed 911 on her own phone.

“I’d like to report an explosion.” He recited the address and against the advice of the operator hung up. He carefully wiped it of his prints and left it on the steps. His ride was waiting at the curb.

“Excellent work, gentlemen,” Patrick said as he entered a blacked-out SUV holding three other men. Three twenty somethings who had in fact all been Eloise’s graduate students. The vehicle sped away as Patrick pulled out his own phone and they all watched his shaking fingertip press detonate.  A collective exhale of satisfaction and relief released as a small-scale explosion rocked the top of a building receding in their rearview.

“Superb efforts undertaken by all of you to weaken her. When I attempted the kill shot, no defenses remained.” Gratified nods in response to the praise as he thumbed contacts and stabbed Arachne to dial.

“Yo,” a teenage feminine voice answered.

“Target’s been achieved.”

“Aight.”

“Are you in place?”

“Yep. Here in Mountain View. ‘Bouta head in.”

“You don’t need to do the teenage chatter when you talk to me, you know.” Patrick could hear more voices in the background now. She probably had a point.

“Gotchu but I like it.”

He smiled. “Anyway, we don’t know how well the ground team has done with Athena yet. You getting this internship with her is key to the whole operation. We’re counting on you. The more gods we topple the greater power we amass.”

“Chill. I got this.”

Patrick heard a beep then a whooshing slide before the line fell dead. He pictured Arachne holding her brand-new Google security ID reading Charnae Williams. With a flip of her woven braids, she’d place it against the scanner and pass by the guards before rising to the inner Alphabet sanctum.

Athena hadn’t allowed Arachne to fall dead. Instead Athena issued her a fate worse than death until they’d rescued her.

He couldn’t imagine what Arachne had in store for her god’s comeuppance. As Athena’s victim, it was her choice how to dispense retribution.  And he was so looking forward to finding out.

###

Centuries from now, legends would be told of how the gods’ playthings achieved their revenge and became gods themselves.