Chapter Four

Niko

D inner was unusually quiet.

I had my own reasons for not speaking. My mind was elsewhere, daydreaming of the beauty with long raven hair. Her eyes were deep blue and full of sweetness.

My definition of perfect had changed in the past twenty-four hours.

From the moment my gaze landed on her, it only took three short minutes for me to realize who she was. I didn’t mean a student that’d been in my class. I mean, who she was to us. Who she was going to be. I’d never been more confident about anything in my life.

Wyatt had already scolded me for ‘being too flirty,’ which I rolled my eyes at. He hadn’t figured it out yet. Deep down, I knew he knew exactly who she was. I saw the way he looked at her and how he was somehow always in the same room as her.

Dominic was hesitant, too, not wanting to admit finding her was as easy as this. She walked right through our front door. It was almost ironic, in a way, how hard we searched just for her to find us.

Last night, Dominic entered my room, his expression calm yet confused. Until then, I’d never seen him look so unsettled, so unsure of himself. I recalled the conversation in my mind.

“She has to go,” Dominic pointed toward the door, his voice low.

I sat up, pausing from grading assignments. “What?” I cocked an eyebrow, tired and not understanding. “Is everything alright?”

“No,” he huffed. He ran his hand through his hair. “I heard footsteps an hour ago, so I checked downstairs. Odette was sleeping on the ground by the fire, so I moved her to the couch,” he started. “When I held her, Niko, it felt right. For the first time in years, I felt hope,” he admitted, his arms crossed over his chest.

That caught my interest. Of course, he felt it, too; how couldn’t he. It was so obvious, wasn’t it? Didn’t we all know it was bound to happen, like some unspoken agreement? “Took you long enough,” I smirked.

Dominic cringed and turned away from me. “Don’t say that. This can’t happen. You know that as well as I do. We can’t feel this way. She needs to leave,” he said again.

Always with the dramatics. I didn’t think it was that complicated. I cocked an eyebrow. “Or... we allow ourselves to have everything we’ve ever wanted—”

“And risk her not graduating? Our careers? Our reputation? You can’t assume she feels anything for any of us, let alone all of us,” he shot back. “It will be easier if she leaves now. I can’t be around her for another second,” his face turned into a glare.

He was right—but just barely. We’d never push a polyamorous relationship as much as we desire one. Not to mention the minor and major kinks we all came with. That might not be what she wanted. She seemed innocent and shy... but those are usually the most fun.

“We’re in the perfect situation. The board knows she’s living with us; they fucking handed her to us! She’s graduating in spring; after that, there’s nothing that will restrict us,” I explained.

His jaw clenched. “She’s still a student. And she will be for another four months. This conversation alone is entirely unethical,” he shook his head. “Please, you or Wyatt need to convince her to leave,” he pleaded.

Dominic was scared of getting hurt. Possibly, for the first time in his life, there was someone he wanted, and he couldn’t have her. It went against every moral and ethical bone in his body, but he wanted her all the same.

Unfortunately for his pleading, my mind was already made up. “Nope, sorry,” I smirked, knowing my carefree answer irked him. “You’re being selfish. You might want her to go, but I don’t. Wyatt doesn’t, either. You’re worried about your job. I’m worried about letting her slip away.”

He stood still for a few long moments, my decision sinking in. A deep look of defeat overtook his features as he turned to the door. “Then I hope she doesn’t feel anything... for everyone’s sake,” he husked. “Because none of us will be able to stay away if she does,” he finished, leaving my room.

I smirked. “That’s the plan,” I whispered to myself after he was gone.

I looked away from Dominic, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He’d been one of my best friends for... ever? I was willing to bet anything that his plan was to ignore her—push her away with his cold exterior.

Aiden narrowed his eyes on the seat next to me, the one she sat at yesterday. He was always planning, thinking ten moves ahead. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking; I’d never been able to read him.

As for me, I wasn’t holding back. I couldn’t care less that she was a student, especially with her graduating in mere months. Why would I hesitate? She was everything I wanted and needed for years; I wasn’t letting her slip away.

With the one exception, she didn’t feel the same way. But I’d seen her shivers. I noticed her eyes lingering where they shouldn’t be.

Deciding to bring up the elephant in the room, I straightened in my chair. “So, how was everyone’s day?” I smirked, adding a playful, teasing edge to my tone.

Dominic let out a breath, rolling his eyes at me.

Aiden’s gaze moved to me, but he didn’t comment.

“Fine?” Wyatt gave me a tentative stare. “Don’t start, Niko. We’re not discussing this.”

“Why not?” I questioned. “We’re all thinking the same thing; it’s not a secret.”

“No, I don’t think we are,” Aiden corrected. He looked at each of us as he spoke. “Wyatt is in deep denial, trying to convince himself that Odette isn’t exactly what we’ve been searching for. Dominic is pissed off because he won’t let himself catch feelings for a student. You have already convinced yourself that some kind of relationship with her is inevitable. And I am trying to come up with a scenario where this doesn’t end horribly,” he said matter-of-factly.

I pushed my head back, taken back by his confidence. So, there was a part of him that was also convinced this was going to happen.

Wyatt shook his head. “Why are you so convinced?” He asked. “Yes, she’s beautiful; a blind man could see that. She has attributes that we’ve been looking for and more...” he mumbled the last part. “But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s young, a student, and probably has no clue about the lifestyle we want.”

Aiden perked up, looking intrigued. “Actually, I think you’re wrong about that,” he raised his eyebrows. “I’ve been trying to figure her out. Someone is rarely as submissive as she is without some training, for lack of better phrasing,” he shrugged. “I think she’s had a dominant.”

That caught everyone’s attention. Aiden was rarely wrong about these things.

I didn’t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, great , she had experience. On the other, I hated that some douchebag got to be that for her. Was it serious? She was obviously single now; was there trauma? Was it a bad experience? Was she misled? Were we going to have to show her our way of doing things and have her unlearn what she may have been taught?

“I don’t know; I think you’re wrong about this one, Aiden,” Wyatt shook his head, deep in thought.

Aiden shrugged, not looking for an argument. “Ask her,” he smirked.

I grinned, too, imagining how frazzled she’d look if any of us were to ask her that very personal question.

Wyatt rolled his eyes, dismissing us. A few minutes later, he glanced at Aiden. “I wish you wouldn’t have said anything. I can’t stop thinking of some fake wannabe dom teaching her all the wrong things,” he admitted.

“My thoughts exactly,” I agreed. I shouldn’t be jealous of a man who may not exist. Or a relationship that may not have happened. But I was.

In the past, experience was something that we looked for in a submissive. But the thought of another man’s grubby hands on her soft skin made my blood boil.

“She gives a lot away when she speaks. Her facial expressions and body language have no filter. I’ll see what else I can decipher,” Aiden decided.

“It’s none of our business,” Dominic said sternly, still convinced he could stay away.

“Not yet,” Aiden responded quickly, a sly grin on his lips.

“Some people are too stupid for their own good,” Aiden mumbled, marking a test in red pen.

Looking back at one of my students’ assignments, I chuckled at his bitterness. We all sat around the living room, grading our students’ work for the past week. I preferred getting all my work done by Saturday night so I could relax on Sunday.

For the fifth time in the past hour, I glanced down at my watch. It was almost midnight, and I was getting nervous. Odette said she’d be back before midnight, and I hadn’t heard from her.

I pulled out my phone to text her. Maybe she needed a ride home? I’d be more than happy to go get her. When I opened my messages, I saw a text bubble before it disappeared.

I raised my eyebrows, relieved she was going to send me some kind of update. I felt like a teenager again, excited about a pretty girl texting me. The bubble kept popping up and going away as she wrote and erased whatever she planned to say.

“What are you looking at?” Wyatt asked, gesturing to my phone.

I held up my phone, hoping he could see my screen across the room. “She’s been typing for about three minutes,” I explained.

Wyatt pulled out his own phone like he expected a text from her himself. His shoulders dropped, probably noticing there wasn’t a notification from her. “She’s probably heading home soon, then,” he assumed.

Hopefully.

My phone started ringing, her name at the top of the screen. I answered eagerly, placing it on speaker, knowing Aiden, Wyatt, and Dominic would want to hear.

“Odette?” I began, ready to be out the door to pick her up.

“Hello?” She said back in a confused tone like I was the one who had called her.

“You’re the one who called me?” I cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh,” she breathed out. “Sorry, I tried to—with the buttons, but they’re blurry, and I couldn’t see,” she slurred.

“Are you drunk?” I chuckled. Music played in the background, but I didn’t hear anyone else, so I didn’t think she was at a party. Wyatt said she went to her friend’s house.

“I think so.”

“Do you want me to come get you?” I asked, selfishly hoping the answer was yes.

“No,” she said quickly. “I think I’m just going to spend the night here; I don’t feel good,” she explained. Her words were slow like she was concentrating on speaking clearly.

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind,” I tried again.

“It’s not that. Henry can drive me,” she said quietly.

I pushed my eyebrows together, sharing a confused look with the guys. If she had a ride, why wouldn’t she come home? “What is it then?” I questioned.

It was quiet for a few seconds, and I heard rustling before she sighed. “Dominic already thinks I’m some crazy partier who will tell other students answers to questions,” she said quickly.

Dominic’s eyes softened, looking at my phone.

“Coming home like this would not make a good impression,” she explained.

She was worried about what we’d think? I did much worse things than have a few drinks with a friend when I was twenty. I was pleased to know that she cared what we thought; I just wish it weren’t about something so dumb.

“Odette, come home. None of us will think any less of you if you’ve had a few to drink,” I said more sternly than I intended.

“Promise?” She asked softly.

“Yes.”

“I’ve got the yearbook!” I heard in the background. It was a woman’s voice, also slightly slurred and high.

There was rustling again and a slight thud, like the phone was placed on a hard surface. “It doesn’t matter what he looks like; my circumstances were a hundred times worse,” Odette slurred in response.

“Did she forget to hang up?” Wyatt whispered.

I nodded. Should we eavesdrop? No. Are we? Yes.

There were sounds of paper and pages being turned. “At least you didn’t lose your virginity to this dude in high school,” the woman chuckled.

There was a thick pause before Odette joined in her laughter. “Oh Anna...” she said in a sympathetic voice. “The mullet,” she emphasized.

“Exactly!” The woman, Anna, giggled. “Your Jimmy guy missed the hole by a mile, but at least you don’t have Billy Bob Mullet head on your track record,” she said.

Odette sighed, “It’s not just that. I was slut shamed for like two years. Charles wouldn’t even look in my direction for two months. Then Jimmy has the nerve to talk to me after three years,” she vented.

Aiden told us at dinner about what she shared today. I watched the video; it was horrible. I was surprised someone got away with publishing a news story about two underage high schoolers having sex.

“Yeah, that’s pretty shitty,” Anna agreed. “But hey, you can only go up from there, right? I’m sure the other guys you’ve been with weren’t as disappointing,” I heard the teasing in her tone.

It was quiet for a while, and I waited anxiously for her response. I didn’t know if I wanted to hear about other men who pleased her.

“What?” Anna voiced skeptically. “Wait, Odette, there have been other guys… right?” She asked hopefully.

Aiden shifted in his seat, leaning closer, the gears in his head turning. Was she a virgin? No... That wouldn’t make sense. She was beautiful, bright, and a perfect ten. There was no way—her friend must be wrong. I couldn’t think of a reason someone her age wouldn’t be having sex unless she was waiting until marriage.

After another pause, her friend gasped. “How?!” She asked in disbelief. “I mean, no judgment, but come on. I know you have frat boys lined up,” she deadpanned.

“I’m just not interested in that,” Odette said shyly, not wanting to discuss the topic.

I muted the phone and gave Aiden a pointed look. “You were wrong.”

“About a few things,” he mumbled to himself.

“We definitely should not be listening to this,” Wyatt said, surprise in his tone.

“What do you mean?” Anna asked.

“I don’t know? I was normal before that night. Then after... nothing,” Odette explained.

“What? So you don’t get wet?” Anna pushed.

“Hang up the phone, Niko,” Dominic warned.

“Shh,” I dismissed. Was he insane? This was getting good.

“Nope. I don’t know what happened. It’s like a switch was flipped, and I just can’t,” Odette’s voice was unsure.

“Not even solo stuff?” Anna pried.

Another long pause.

“Girl, no wonder you’re always so tense,” Anna laughed.

“Hey, can you give me a ride home?” Odette’s voice changed from shy and hushed to friendly. Her slur was still very prominent.

“Do I finally get my wife back?” A man’s voice came through the speaker. “Absolutely,” he agreed happily.

“Shotgun!” Anna called.

I quickly hung up the phone, not wanting Odette to know we were listening.

It was quiet for a few minutes as we collected our thoughts.

No dominant.

Naturally submissive.

Eager to please.

Daddy issues.

Drop dead gorgeous.

I didn’t believe she felt nothing like she claimed to. This morning, she seemed frazzled, to say the least, when she saw me in little to nothing. The way she eyed me gave me chills; that wasn’t nothing.

Odette wasn’t as simple as I thought. She was different from any girl I’d ever met. There was obviously some attraction towards us, but she didn’t throw herself at us like most women did.

One thing I was sure of after my little eavesdropping session was that I was going to do everything in my power to drive her crazy. She was a virgin who’d never touched herself—that alone was tempting. Her little drought issue wouldn’t be a problem for much longer.

I was going to make her little pussy wet. Once I had her squirming, I’d play dumb and leave her wanting more. After a few days of toying with her, she’d be the one to give in.

I smirked. This was going to be fun.

“I’m glad I was wrong,” Aiden admitted.

“Me too,” Dominic agreed lowly, his mind clearly elsewhere.

I could see the intrigue as clear as day on each of their faces now. If they weren’t already fantasizing about her in the way I did, they were now.

She was such a sweet girl, innocent and caring. It was going to be so much fun to ruin her.

I could picture it now. All of us standing around her. She’d be kneeling on the floor, hands and arms restrained behind her back. Knees spread, gag in her mouth. The attribute I could picture most clearly was her eyes. Her deep blue, eager-to-please, begging eyes.

I never wanted someone to the point where it physically hurt. This feeling was new to me, and it lit me on fire.

I hope she felt the same way about us.

The biggest challenge will be patience, which I lacked. I’d understand if she didn’t feel the same way or didn’t want to be in a relationship with four men.

At the end of the day, we could charm and seduce her all we wanted, but if she wasn’t interested, that was all that mattered.

I’d wait however long she needed. I waited years, wasting time chasing the wrong women because we hadn’t met her yet. I may not like it, but I could wait.

The front door slowly creaked open, and my eyes immediately zoned in on Odette. She was waving out the door as she closed it, probably to Anna and Henry, who dropped her off.

She was wearing athletic leggings and a black top. The ponytail she had in earlier had dropped lower from the weight of her heavy hair.

I was genuinely glad she decided to come home. She’d feel better in her own bed rather than staying at someone else’s house with nothing packed.

“Hey,” Wyatt greeted, his voice casual, like we didn’t just learn things about her that interested us. “How was your volleyball match?” He asked.

She swayed gently, blinking slowly a few times before walking over, concentrating on not stumbling. “It was fun. We won,” she answered vaguely, trying to hide her slur.

Was she trying to act sober? She was very obviously drunk; her attempts to play it off were adorable. She earned an A for effort.

“What’d you do after?” Aiden chimed in, not hiding the teasing tone as well as Wyatt did.

She rubbed her eyes. “Um,” she thought. “I went to Anna’s house. We watched movies for a few hours, and then Henry asked us to play Dungeons and Dragons. After half an hour of him trying to get us to understand the rules, Anna got the wine. The game got a lot more fun after that,” she explained.

“It sounds like you had fun. I’m glad you decided to come home,” I smiled.

Heat rose to her cheeks, painting them pink. “I’m just worried about tackling the stairs,” she quickly changed the subject.

“You’ve been drunk before, haven’t you?” Aiden questioned.

Her expression changed to amused, and she giggled. “No,” she responded. Her tone sounded obvious like his question was silly. “I’ve never drank before. I only had two glasses; I wasn’t expecting the world to start spinning,” she admitted.

I wasn’t surprised. She was thin and tall—it wouldn’t take much alcohol to get her drunk.

I stood up, making my way to the kitchen. “Take some painkillers before bed. You might have a headache in the morning, but this should help,” I informed, grabbing two tablets and handing them to her with water.

She placed the two pills in her mouth but struggled to open the bottle of water. I grinned, holding my hand out to help her. “Thank you,” she looked up at me, her intoxicated gaze making my skin prick with goosebumps.

I handed her the water back, and she looked away, taking a drink and swallowing the pills. “I’m going to go to bed,” she decided.

Her eyes roamed the area, looking for something. “Um,” she hummed before her eyes landed on Dominic. She slowly walked to the back of the couch he was sitting on. She kept her distance from him, standing on the opposite end as she looked down at Cat. He was sitting on the blanket next to Dominic.

She looked conflicted, looking between Cat and Dominic. I wanted to tell her if she wanted something, all she had to do was ask. Dominic intimidated her; that was clear. She bit her lip, nervously leaning over the couch. “Dominic?” She said in a whisper.

He was still grading papers or pretending to. I knew he noticed her; he probably knew she wanted to take Cat with her, too.

He glanced up at her. “Yes?” He responded.

She pointed to the ball of fur. “Can I take him?” She asked hesitantly.

“You can always take Cat. You don’t have to ask,” he answered before returning to his work.

Odette grabbed Cat, holding his large, sleeping body in her arms. “Hello,” she greeted softly.

The beast started purring in her arms, looking all too happy to see his new favorite person.

“Awe, I missed you too,” she cooed, beginning to walk away.

“Don’t emasculate him; he’s supposed to be a feral barn cat. Not some fat house Cat,” Aiden called after her.

She giggled, “Too late.”