Rich Boy: Awakening - 13. Chapter 13

“He really kissed you?” Jamie asked again as Michael turned the corner in his car and headed through the light before it could turn red. Michael ignored the whiteness of Jamie’s face. For some reason what didn’t bother him on the back of Michael’s bike made him go pale in the car.

“Yes, one more time, he really kissed me.” Michael said with a little exasperation. He’d meant to tell Jamie before, but hadn’t really had any alone time with him since he’d come home that night. Now they were heading to the Friday night football game, and had a few minutes. Brandon was riding his bike to the game with Tom and some of the other guys. Jeremy was at home, watching his brothers while his parents went out. Michael understood that. His parents worked hard, and had so little time for themselves that he thought it was very good of Jeremy to stay with his brothers. They both had tomorrow off too, and would be at the school to watch Jeremy wrestle.

“Wow.” Jamie said with a silly little smile on his face as they approached the school. “So, you like him, don’t you? I mean, for more than sex?”

“Yes.” Michael said with a frown. Not that he didn’t feel all tingly inside every time he thought about Jeremy now, but it also worried him to feel this strongly for someone. He had not felt this obsessive about Jeremy before that kiss, and he never thought a kiss, a kiss with no tongue even, could make him feel this way.

“Relax.” Jamie laughed at him. “It’s a good thing, right?”

“I hope so.” Michael said, and didn’t voice what was going on his head. Ever since the last round of integration with Worthington, there had been a voice in his head that equated ‘love’ with ‘weak’, and it was starting to piss him off.

“This is about the other night, the integration.” Jamie said and Michael wondered if he’d leaked that.

“No, I didn’t pick it up from you.” Jamie said with a little laugh that turned into a gasp as Michael turned sharply into the school parking lot. “You better get the shocks on this thing checked if you’re going to drive like that.”

“I’m not the one who failed his driving test for the second time.” Michael teased Jamie as they parked.

“The bitch had it in for me!” Jamie protested, but then he smiled. “Look, loving someone is not weakness. If it was, Light Mages would not ever get anything done. Most of our magic is based on one form of love or another. Love can be a strength, too, if you use it right.”

“If you say so.” Michael said sourly, but the words were filtering into him, and turning into new forms of thought that directly combated that dreaded little voice. With a deep breath, he let the sourness drain from him, and smiled. Tonight was going to be a good night. He’d watch Josh and the rest of the team on the field, hopefully beating the stupid creeps from McDowell, and then there’d be a party afterwards.

Their team did win, and the party was every bit as fun as he’d hoped it would be. Their curfew was late this night, and Michael enjoyed dancing with several girls, although he privately wished he’d been dancing with Jeremy. He had called Jeremy after the game, and told him about it, and enjoyed hearing Jeremy’s voice. Jeremy had seemed happy to hear from him too.

He didn’t drink that night, mostly because of the upcoming wrestling match. He wasn’t as fanatical about it as the rest of the team, and the coach seemed to sense that, but then again he didn’t have to be as fanatical. He enjoyed wrestling, and as he suited up in the gym the next morning, he felt himself getting excited about the upcoming competition.

That was what he liked, the actual competition. There was something that appealed to him about the sport, pitting his strength and his ingenuity against another person who was a real challenge. This was real competition, and nothing was ever easy. Brute strength could only go so far, and skill could only go so far too. It took both to succeed.

After the weigh-in, he stood in his sweats and talked easily with Jeremy. He had worried they would be different, but the truth was that Jeremy was too nervous about the scouts in the audience. Two of the seniors were just as nervous, and Michael concentrated on taking Jeremy’s mind off that aspect of the match as they sized up the competition.

Their opponents looked ready, psyching themselves up for a tough match. The blue and silver clad members from the other team had been looking forward to this match as much as anyone. The fact that their football team had been defeated the night before only made them more hungry for victory, and Michael turned to getting Jeremy and the others as motivated.

“Okay, they’re out for blood, boys.” Coach Vanderbilt told them in his pep talk. “We can take them though. Be smart, be quick, and take ‘em down!”

As the matches progressed, things went back and forth between the two schools. The two teams did seem to be fairly evenly matched. Several of their opponents had placed in state finals the year before, and were out for blood. Michael’s team was out to prove itself, and wanted to show that football wasn’t the only team that could win. Things were fairly evenly matched in score, though, when it came Jeremy’s turn for his match. He’d been loosening up with Michael, and was bouncing on the soles of his feet as the match started.

The first round went to Jeremy on points alone. He’d simply outwitted his hulking opponent, a blond with a square face that Michael imagined as being brutish. It was like watching Light meet Dark, the difference in the two opponent’s hair, and skin. The blond was as pale as Michael was before coming to Phoenix, which was very odd in this place. On the second round, Jeremy barely evaded a pin, and escaped with losing just enough points that things were even.

“He just moved here from out of state.” A strange voice said as Michael watched the next round begin with excitement. Both of the contestants looked to be out for blood. Michael turned and saw a guy in the other side’s blue and silver singlet. They were almost the same size, and Michael realized this must be the guy he was going to face next.

“So did I.” Michael said with a shrug as Jeremy escaped from a neat little trap and managed to drop the other guy. The two of them were tangled together now, rolling around on the mat, trying to gain dominance.

“Yeah well, Rob’s a weird one.” The stranger said. “Sometimes, it’ll look like he’s about to lose, and the other guy will just freeze up and Rob’ll end up on top. It’s freaky sometimes.”

“Huh?” Michael said but at that moment his head rang with alarms. He tasted them, and they told him someone was invading Jeremy’s mind, and he twisted back around to watch the match with alarm. Even to his mage senses he couldn’t see anything happening, but Jeremy’s face had gone slack, and Rob was getting ready to pin him.

“See?” The stranger said and fury took Michael. He still had enough sense, though, to not erupt in a halo of mage-fire and blast the fucker who was touching his love’s mind, but he did strike out with a blast of pure mental energy. It was low magic, and he doubted Stacy and Elizabeth, or the others in the stands would see it.

“That’s weird.” The stranger said as Jeremy’s opponent stiffened and froze. The alarms ringing in Michael’s mind faded as the stranger pulled his mind back, and looked up as if searching for whoever had struck him. It hadn’t been a hard blow, just enough to rattle him, and give Jeremy time to recover. Jeremy did recover, far more quickly than someone who had been mind-stunned should have, most likely because of the protections Michael had woven into him the other night, and while his opponent was still looking for whoever attacked him, Jeremy flipped him. When the guy had struggled, and started another mental assault, Michael ‘rapped’ him with his own power.

The boy’s gaze had jerked to his, and Michael let a little smile play over his face as Jeremy pinned him. So, here was another gifted, and one who didn’t have a qualm about using his powers to his own advantage in a sport. That infuriated Michael beyond no end. Wrestling was a competition, a contest of honor between two men, matched in body and ingenuity. It was not for some Gifted to demean by cheating!

“Guess it’s our turn.” The stranger said with a smile, holding out his hand. “I’m Mike.”

“That’s interesting.” Michael said and gave the guy a smile. “My name’s Michael.”

“Cool.” The guy grinned, and went back to his side of the gym to get ready. Jeremy reached Michael that time, and they got away with a hug filled with manly back-slapping.

“I thought I was so dead.” Jeremy said as they hugged. “He did something to me and I just froze. It was like, you know, the other night, except not as nice.”

“He’s a mage and he tried to cheat.” Michael growled. “The bastard cheated. I stopped him though, gave him a taste of his own medicine.”

“I thought so.” Jeremy grinned. “Thanks.”

“I’ve got your back.” Michael assured him.

“I’ll cover yours, if I can.” Jeremy grinned back, and a quick check showed that Jeremy was fine. No obvious damage had been done, but he’d check more, deeper, later. For now he had his own match to face off.

“So, no tricks like Rob’s from you, right?” Mike asked with a grin.

“What do you know about it?” Michael asked as they got into their standing position and waited for the ref. Their whispers couldn’t be overheard.

“I don’t know how he does it, but I know he’s doing something.” Mike growled softly. “It pisses me off. He’s not that good, but he wins because he’s doing something. I don’t like cheaters.”

“Neither do I.” Michael agreed. “Look, think you can get him alone after the match?”

“Sure.” Mike grinned as the ref whistled. Then they were no longer friendly. Mike was doing his best to win, and he was good. Too bad for him, Michael was every bit as good. Part of his skill was because he’d taken it, stolen it from someone who likely could have been a world-class wrestler. As it was, even after Michael had taken part of his skill, the guy was still good enough to win most of his college meets. He just wasn’t good enough to take it to the next level. Mike, though, his current opponent, might be of just that quality, if he worked hard enough.

He was certainly good enough to win the first round on points, but both of them were breathing hard as they got in the down position, with Mike on top.

“After the meet, get him alone.” Michael said softly. “I’ll make sure he never cheats again.”

“Deal.” Mike said as their next round began. He tried an escape, but Mike flipped him over, and Michael forgot all about Rob in the contest of strength and mind that he was in. He wanted to win, he needed to win, and he managed to throw Mike off long enough to escape, and then they were standing. Mike managed to take him down again, but this time Michael flipped as he was falling, and landed on top of Mike. Before he could make use of that, Mike flipped again, and he was almost pinning Michael. Just as Michael gathered his strength to push back, his shields rang as if a hammer had struck them. This was no low magic thrust, but a full magical assault. Any mage in the room had to have seen it, and from the cries of alarm he heard, his family was reacting. So was Mike. All of a sudden he stopped trying to pin Michael just as the ref pounded the mat once.

“Damn it, not this way.” Mike growled in Michael’s ear. “If I’m going to win, I’m going to do it properly.”

“Let’s wrestle.” Michael growled as he expanded his core energies. The mundanes would see it as a slight shimmer over the two of them, but if Rob dared strike again, it would create a flare seen by hundreds of mundanes. It would be a big mess, and he counted on the desire for holding secrecy to stop the fucker. Then Mike was pushing him, trying to get that pin, and he was squirming out. He was locked in physical battle with Mike, and while he still held the shield, his focus was on the fight against the brown-haired Mike. This was why he had fallen in love with wrestling. Here was a challenge he could face without life or death being involved, where it was just the two of them, and no matter who won or lost, both would walk away.

“Damn.” Mike groaned as the referee called the match with Michael having pinned him. Both of them were breathing hard, and both of them had erections that were still grinding into each other. Apparently neither of them bothered with jock or cup. “You’re good.”

“So are you.” Michael said with a grin as he first sat up on his knees, and then stood up. He held out a hand to Mike, who grinned as he accepted it.

“Nice cock.” Mike whispered as they hugged for a moment and Michael dispelled the shield. “After you deal with Rob, wanna exchange numbers?”

“I’m taken, but thanks.” Michael grinned and Mike’s eyes flickered to Jeremy who was shouting.

“Damn, all the good ones are taken by the time I find them.” Mike growled, but grinned back. Then Michael saw Rob, and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Mike asked.

“Don’t worry about Rob, he’s taken care of.” Michael said as he nodded to where Rob was in a staring match with Jamie, Elizabeth and Stacy.

“Way to go.” Jeremy congratulated Michael, giving him another hug. “What were you two whispering about?”

“He was asking me on a date.” Michael couldn’t help it.

“Damn, he’s not bad.” Jeremy said with a hint of hurt in his voice.

“I told him I was taken.” Michael said and Jeremy practically melted into him.

“Something happened didn’t it, during the match?” Jeremy asked after he’d recovered.

“Yes.” Michael said. “I need to go deal with it.”

“You need me?” Jeremy asked nervously.

“Nope, I’ll be right back.” Michael said with a loving tone. He separated from Jeremy, accepted congratulations from teammates who had already shrugged off anything odd about the match, and headed to where Stacy and the others were standing guard over Rob, who looked very nervous.

“Let’s go into the locker room.” Michael growled as he approached them and both women nodded. Jamie pushed Rob, who glared at Michael for a moment before following him.

“We’ve got him firmly shielded.” Stacy said when they were safely in the locker room.

“I distracted anyone who noticed us leaving the gym.” Elizabeth added.

“We saw him attack you.” Jamie added. “Do you know why?”

“Because he’s a fucking cheat.” Michael sneered at the guy, letting his anger go for a moment. Rob flinched, his blond hair trying to shake in a silent denial.

“I didn’t do nothing.” Rob denied. “I mean… I can’t do anything. Right? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Quit wasting our time, boy.” Stacy snarled as she held up her hand and called fire into it. This wasn’t a ball of light, but a tongue of flame as tall as her forearm was long. Rob turned white at that, and a large wet spot appeared on the front of his singlet.

“Oh shit, I don’t think he even understands.” Richie said with surprise.

“What’s your family name, boy?” Elizabeth growled and Rob started shaking as he stared at the flame.

“M–Mu–McKenzie.” He stuttered. “How… I mean… you mean… I… uh… I didn’t mean to do it! I just…”

“Calm down, boy.” Stacy growled as she extinguished the fire. “Let me guess, a few years ago you realized you could hear thoughts, or if you pushed real hard you could make someone do something.”

“They’d freeze in the match and then I could pin them, and maybe a few other things.” The boy admitted in a rush, and then he blushed. “Sometimes, I’d hear voices in my head and it’d hurt until I imagined a wall around me. I’m a telepath, right? That’s what they call it?”

“Not quite.” Stacy growled and then she looked at Michael. “I can’t, make that won’t, teach him. He’s gone a few years with his gift already, and the way he uses it is closer to what you do, Michael. He’s yours.”

“I can’t teach someone!” Michael exclaimed in surprise.

“I’m not talking about teaching him everything.” She murmured. “Teach him enough to not harm others and then send him to that school you went to before. He’s meant for your path, not mine.”

“Are you sure about that?” Michael asked.

“Yes, he feels it.” She said sourly. “I’m taking the shield off him. He’s yours to deal with.”

“Okay.” Michael said with a frown, and the four of them left the room. Rob looked at him with a worried expression.

“What are you going to do with me?” Rob said weakly, looking at his feet, and trying to ignore the wet spot on his outfit. It wasn’t much, but he had peed himself, so he was at least scared.

“Lower your shields.” Michael growled.

“Huh?” Rob grunted as Michael moved to stand in front of him. He was handsome, in a brutish sort of way, this close.

“The barriers to keep out other thoughts; get rid of them.” Michael growled, and Rob visibly gulped before closing his eyes. The guy’s shields were down, and Michael swarmed into his mind without mercy.

Michael found himself in the mind of an immature bully. He was careful, and fairly ruthless as he invaded Rob’s mind. The blond was an inch taller than him, but cried out in pain as Michael entered his mind with a vise grip, and Rob fell to his knees. There was no sharing in this rapport. Michael was in control, and took what he wanted, what he needed.

Rob’s abilities had manifested two years ago. Before then he’d been the ‘run of the mill’ bully, beating up those smaller than him, but all that changed when he started being able to force others to his will. It had started with a small boy, two years younger than him, and involved what Michael considered to be the rape of that boy. From there Rob had expanded his repertoire. His near-failing grades had been inched upwards to B’s and C’s. The bully wasn’t particularly smart, but he was smart enough to know that suddenly getting A’s would be too suspicious.

Girls had come easier to him, and guys as well when the mood struck him. It was easy for him to touch them and force his mind into them. He believed he was limited to doing it when he touched someone, and so that limited his own ability. He’d never tried anything more than low magic, the magic of the mind until today, when Michael’s blocking him had infuriated him. Rob hadn’t understood what he did, and had been blocked by Stacy and the others before he could do more.

Michael went back to what he’d done sexually with his abilities, and felt like retching. Rob enjoyed dominating others, including Mike, the guy Michael had just faced. Rob’s parents weren’t exactly wealthy but they had a nice home, and a basement that Rob used to his advantage. He’d gotten quite a few toys down there, and enjoyed using them on his victims. He reveled in the power he felt when he stood over someone, bound, gagged, and unable to resist whatever he wanted to do to them.

Not that Rob was stupid about it, but he was clumsy. He made his victims forget afterwards, but his efforts were clumsy and sometimes left holes. People at his school feared him, and he had few real friends as a result. Rob did have toadies, bootlickers who craved his attention, but forgot what he did to them in the basement of his home.

Stacy had been right, this person was not remotely anyone who would be interested in the Light Mage’s path. He was definitely Dark. The only thing was, Michael wasn’t sure he wanted anything to do with this person. His stomach was revolted just thinking about some of the things that excited Rob. Further, he was also quite certain that Rob was nowhere near intelligent enough for his old boarding school.

What was he to do?

“Please.” Rob whispered. There were tears in his eyes. “It hurts.”

“Like a little pain should bother you.” Michael scoffed, and was taken totally unaware as the geas stirred in its cage, surging against it, threatening to break it. He couldn’t release Rob, there was no telling what it would do, but Brandon was close by. He’d been in the gym, and was close enough now. The mental summons of Michael brought him running, and just before the sphere collapsed, he entered the locker room and Michael pulled power from him in great torrents. Brandon had some warning, and managed to stay on his feet, although he crossed over and put his hands on Rob’s shoulders from behind him. He extended his own controls with his weak gift into the guy, freeing Michael up to cage the geas again.

He was too late, and part of the geas was already free even as the sphere hardened, cutting off most of it before it could escape. There was no choice for Michael, he seized up the piece of Worthington and began to consume it even as he hardened the crystal even further. Suddenly he was flung into a memory that at first he thought had come from Rob.

His cock was hard, erect, yearning for that precious rose bud hole stretched wide before him. That hole belonged to Willie Sanchez, one of the gardeners from the service company his father hired, but he’d not ended up here because of Worthington. No, Worthington’s father had called the company and had them send the young man out to ‘do a bit of a touch-up’ on a hedge. When the man had arrived, Worthington’s father had becalmed his mind with a spell, and brought him inside the manor.. Then he’d called fourteen-year old Worthington downstairs.

“You like your men like this one, don’t you?” His father had asked, and a stunned Worthington had looked at the brown-skinned worker standing nude in the middle of what looked like a dungeon and stammered out a denial. His father had laughed and waved his hand, releasing the compulsions that kept his son safely fettered. Yes, his son was powerful, but he had his weaknesses, and until they were fully driven out of him, he could not risk his son going the wrong way.

“Yes, father, I do.” Worthington answered when the compulsions were lifted, and he could remember everything. He remembered other events in this chamber. It had been women last time.

“Tonight we will learn something new.” His father said clinically. “This is part of the Sinclair Heritage, you understand, and not to be shared with anyone but a Sinclair.”

“I understand.” Worthington said as he got excited. He loved it when his father taught him things over the summer. The lesson that day was about pain, and pulling power from pain, as well as using pain to reshape someone. It was possible to use pain and pleasure to take even the most strong-willed mundane and reshape him. This was part spell, part torture, and part low magic, all worked in unison. The final touch was, with the subject tied, bound, bent over on himself and crying for release from the torture he had endured, and being told he had to submit, to give up his body to pleasure Worthington. When the laborer had called out his surrender, Worthington had entered his pink rosebud, and at the same time set the last spells. When he was done, and his seed shot inside the man, no trace would be left of the magic. He’d used many spells that night, including several new healing spells. That was an unusual approach for his father. Healing was not something he’d ever thought to learn from his father, but when you could crush a man’s hands, and then heal them, it frightened the man even more. Now, as he finished fucking this man, and casting his spells, they settled deeply into the man, and disappeared so deep into his mind that no one would ever be able to find them.

“He’s yours now, son.” Worthington the Fourth whispered with pride. “He will do anything for you, and he will never understand why. No mage in the world will be able to find any trace of what you have done to him. It takes an entire day and night to make this work, so it is not done lightly. You must be tired.”

“I am.” Worthington admitted.

“You did well.” His father said proudly. “Now, what do you think we should do with him?”

“I don’t really need him.” Worthington said. “He might as well kill himself, when he gets home of course.”

“Very good.” His father said with a grin. “Properly ruthless. Even one who is yours so utterly is just a tool.”

“Yes, Father.” Worthington said with pride. He waited though, until his father put the compulsions and other spells back into place. Then he walked out of the room, forgetting every thing except a boring lesson about proper family behavior, until now.

“Oh fuck.” Michael gasped as he nearly sank to his knees. He’d been comforting himself that he’d never killed anyone, but he knew without a doubt that the man in his vision was now dead. Rob was looking at him with glazed eyes, and the piece of memory had made sense. Was he really any different than this dredge in front of him? How could he condemn Rob when he’d…

“No.” Michael whispered and Brandon looked at him with concern.

“Are you okay?” Brandon asked, and Michael drew him into a quick rapport to share what he’d just… integrated into himself. Brandon was far from being shocked. He actually seemed happy, until he felt Michael’s revulsion, and instead shrugged, physically and mentally. While Michael had been busy integrating the memory, he’d scanned Rob for himself, and so there was no need to share that with him. It was clear from what Brandon sent him what Brandon thought.

“How long has it been?” Michael asked.

“Nearly an hour.” Brandon said with a hint of worry. “The meet will be over soon and people will be coming in here.”

“Yes, we need to hurry, whatever we do.” Michael said. “Go ahead, release him.”

“You sure?” Brandon asked worriedly.

“I’m sure.” Michael said, and silently he though ‘God help me’. The memory had given him an idea, and try as he might, he felt in this situation it might be for the best. He would never use what he’d learned from his father, but it had set the idea for this, and God help him because it was bad enough. Rob blinked as Brandon released him, and then blinked again, pulling back, away from Michael.

“What are you going to do?” Rob’s voice quivered as he spoke, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of the erection that was showing clearly through the tight singlet Michael wore. That erection had started as soon as he began to integrate the memory and it had not subsided. He was a Dark Mage, he knew, and had done evil things in the past. He was about to do another evil thing, and would probably do more. Certainly, he would not do some things, no matter what, but this was what he was. He was a fool to think he could love Jeremy. Jeremy deserved better. With no emotion showing on his face, Michael shrugged out of the straps of his singlet and pulled it down until his cock bobbed free, pointing directly at Rob like a sword.

“What’s going on?” Rob repeated.

“You’ve got two choices here, Rob.” Michael’s voice was flat, filled with iron as he looked down at the blond. Rob really was too dumb to make it at the boarding school, but he could not be allowed to go free. He was also strong in power, even if untrained. Michael knew he could use that strength at his side, but Rob was also a bully, and would need a firm hand. He had to know in the depths of his soul that he answered to Michael in all things.

No, not Michael. He would answer to Worthington.

“What choices?” Rob asked weakly as Brandon held him. Brandon was half his size, but right now Rob couldn’t fight him off.

“You can serve me, Rob, or you can be stripped of your powers forever.” Worthington said coldly. He was lying, but there was no way Rob could tell. “You will enter into my service, willingly, and I will train you. I will show you how to use your powers in ways you never imagined, but you will use them as I tell you. I am Worthington Michael Sinclair, the Fifth. You will be happy, and wealthy beyond your wildest dreams in my service.”

“What if I don’t want that?” Rob asked numbly, still staring at the hard cock pulsing in front of him.

“I will burn your powers out of you right here and now.” Worthington said in a growl. “You’ll survive, but you won’t be more than a vegetable. Your mother will spend the rest of her life wiping the drool off your face and spoon feeding you.”

“No!” Rob shouted, and there were tears in his eyes. He tried to struggle, but Brandon held him fast. It was an illusion, mostly, but the spell Brandon wove was subtle, yet it made Rob believe he was held tight. He started sobbing.

“Choose, but choose quickly.” Worthington said in a deadly calm voice.

“I don’t want to be a fucking vegetable.” Rob whined. “Please. Anything but that.”

“You will do what I tell you, when I tell you?” Worthington demanded.

“Yes!” Rob gasped out.

“Repeat after me.” Brandon said in a cruel voice. “I, Robert McKenzie, do hereby pledge to serve Worthington Michael Sinclair the Fifth in all things. I will dedicate my life, my powers, and all that I have to him and his, for now and forever.”

Rob repeated the words as Worthington’s stomach did a slow, queasy roll. He let the spell he had crafted go, and watched as it settled into Rob. It would do several things, including act as a leash on him. Another mage might be able to break it, except for what he was about to do. It required something more to seal it, some part of himself.

“Now, seal yourself to me.” Worthington said and stepped forward so his cock was just in front of Rob’s mouth. Tears leaked onto the blond teenager’s cheek, and he sobbed once before leaning forward and taking Worthington’s cock into his mouth. At first, he just stayed there, not moving, but then Worthington grabbed his hair and began to pump in and out of his mouth, letting another spell weave around Rob’s mind. This one inflamed his senses, and made Rob increase his tempo, and begin to move on his own with no encouragement. Time was pressing, and Worthington knew it, so he let himself move quickly to orgasm, spilling his sperm into Rob’s mouth with a grunt. The spell settled deeply as the body began to absorb the semen, and he smiled as he pulled his cock out of Rob’s mouth.

“Oh God, I can feel it.” Rob shivered as Brandon stepped back, and Worthington began to replace his singlet. “It’s inside of me, settling all over me.”

“Here is my phone number.” Michael said coolly as he sent his telephone number mentally into Rob’s mind. The blond would not forget that. “Call me tonight. You will be ready to meet me where I tell you to meet me.”

“Yes, sir.” Rob said as he began to shake slightly.

“Get to your feet.” Michael ordered coldly, and Rob got slowly to his feet. With his orgasm, Worthington was receding from his mind, and he was feeling more like Michael. He wanted to retch, but he didn’t dare show that in front of Rob. “Tonight I will begin teaching you what you need to know. From now on, you will not use your powers, except to save your life unless I tell you to use them. Do you understand?”

“Yes, master.” Rob said softly, hanging his head down. He would not look Michael in the eyes, and he knew why. He’d seen enough of Rob’s memories to know the guy’s master/slave fantasies, and it was obvious he now thought of himself as a slave to Michael. Well, that would hold him at least until he could really decide what to do with him besides teach him enough so he was not a danger.

Oh god, Jeremy. How was he to explain this to Jeremy? No, he’d been right earlier. Jeremy deserved better than him. As much as he cared about Jeremy, he knew there would be other times that he would be unfaithful to Jeremy, no matter how much he cared about Jeremy. Fidelity was not something that was a part of him.

He’d have to let Jeremy down gently. He still wanted him as a friend, but a lover was out of the question. It had been boyish fantasy to think he could have a lover. He was a Sinclair, and Sinclairs were never known for fidelity. Even one like Michael, who would walk a slightly different path than the traditional Sinclair.

“Rob, if you serve me well, you will be happy.” Michael said in a moment of weakness, and was nearly repulsed by the smile that formed on Rob’s face.

“I already feel better, sir.” Rob said quietly.

“Turn around.” Michael ordered and Rob obeyed. “That is Brandon. He is my right hand. Anything he tells you is as if I told you myself. Do you understand?”

“Yes, master.” Rob said meekly. Yes, he was beaten now. The spells set on him would hold him now; hold him to his word at least.

“Good, now go rejoin your teammates.” Michael ordered and Rob actually turned to bow at him before leaving. That set Brandon to laughing.

“Oh shut up.” Michael said irritably, but Brandon laughed harder. He, at least, had no problem with this, but Michael had to wonder what he was going to do with Rob.

Life was just too complicated.