The morning sun filtered through the cabin windows, casting sharp, revealing beams of light across the wooden floor. For Elara, the light felt judgmental.
She moved through the cabin like a ghost, her eyes red-rimmed from a sleepless night.
Every time she looked at her right hand, she remembered the sticky warmth of Kael's release.
She had scrubbed it raw in the washbasin, but the phantom sensation remained, a ghostly brand of infidelity.
Bram, largely oblivious to the tension thick enough to cut with a knife, was in high spirits.
He had spent the morning skinning the Bone-Bear and was now enjoying a post-lunch slump.
"Ah, that stew was even better the second day, Elara!" Bram groaned comfortably, patting his stomach.
He was sprawled in his large armchair by the hearth, legs stretched out toward the dying fire.
"I'm going to rest my eyes for a bit before I salt the pelt. Don't let me sleep past midday."
"I... I won't," Elara murmured, scrubbing a wooden plate with more force than necessary.
Kael sat at the table, watching the dynamic. He looked refreshed, his skin glowing with the vitality he had stolen from Elara the night before. He checked his interface.
[Domination Points: 50]
[Shop Accessed]
[Purchase: Sound Dampening Field (Rank F)]
• Effect: Reduces sound transmission within a 3-meter radius by 80%.
• Cost: 40 DP.
Kael smiled. It was an expensive purchase, draining almost all his points, but it was necessary for what he had planned.
Within ten minutes, Bram's breathing deepened into a heavy, rhythmic snore.
His head lolled back against the chair, mouth slightly open.
He was out cold, a hunter's exhaustion running deep in his bones.
Kael stood up silently. The wooden chair didn't squeak.
Elara was at the washbasin, her back to the room.
She froze when she felt a presence behind her, the heat of a body radiating against her spine.
"Elara," Kael whispered.
She spun around, water dripping from her hands onto the floor. "Kael! Don't... don't sneak up on me."
She glanced frantically at the sleeping Bram, then back to Kael, dropping her voice to a harsh whisper.
"He's right there. Please, sit down."
Kael didn't sit. He stepped closer, crowding her against the counter.
"I can't sit. The pain is back."
Elara's face paled. "No. No, Kael. I helped you last night. You said that would fix it."
"It was a temporary relief," Kael lied, boxing her in by placing his hands on the counter on either side of her hips.
"The toxicity accumulates fast. It's the magic. It needs... a deeper vessel."
"I can't," Elara pleaded, tears springing to her eyes.
"I'm a married woman, Kael. What we did last night... it was a mistake. A sin."
"Was it?" Kael tilted his head.
"You didn't seem to think so when you were milking me dry. You seemed... eager."
"Stop it!" she hissed, her face burning.
"Does Bram know?" Kael asked casually, glancing over his shoulder at the sleeping husband.
"Does he know his wife has such talented hands? Or is that our little secret?"
The threat hung in the air. Blackmail.
"Please," Elara whimpered.
"Don't tell him. He... he would kill you. He would kill me."
"I won't tell him," Kael soothed, moving one hand to stroke her cheek.
He activated [Sensory Amplification].
"I would never hurt you, Elara. I just need you to help me again. If you don't drain the pressure, I might lose control of my magic. It could burst out. It could hurt Bram."
Elara trembled under his touch. Her logic was fracturing.
If I refuse, he tells Bram. If I refuse, the magic hurts Bram. I have to do this to protect my family.
"What... what do you need?" she whispered, defeated.
"Turn around," Kael commanded. "Bend over the counter."
"Here?" Her eyes widened in horror. "Bram is ten feet away!"
"He's asleep," Kael said calmly. "And if you're quiet, he'll stay asleep."
He spun her around. Elara gripped the edge of the washbasin, her knuckles white.
She was terrified, but beneath the fear, the Sensory Amplification was igniting a fire in her belly.
Kael lifted her skirt. She wasn't wearing much as today was laundry day.
"Perfect," Kael purred.
He saw her thighs tremble. They were thick, creamy, and soft.
He stepped between her legs, pressing his erection against her buttocks.
"Kael, no," she sobbed softly. "Not that. Please, not that."
"Shh." Kael activated the [Sound Dampening Field]. A subtle hum filled the air around them, invisible but effective.
"He can't hear us. Only I can hear you."
He didn't wait for permission. He spat into his hand, rubbed it onto himself to provide slickness, and guided the tip to her entrance.
She was tight, but wet. Her body betrayed her mind; the arousal from last night, combined with the fear and Kael's skills, had left her primed.
He pushed forward.
Elara's head threw back, her mouth opening in a silent scream. She bit her lip to stifle the sound, tasting blood.
Kael sank into her, inch by inch. She felt incredibly hot, gripping him tight. It was different from Bram.
Bram was a battering ram; Kael was a precision instrument. He filled her completely, hitting spots deep inside that she didn't know existed.
"So good," Kael whispered in her ear, his hands gripping her wide hips.
"You were made for this, Elara. Look at you. Taking another man while your husband sleeps in the same room."
"I'm sorry, Bram... I'm sorry..." Elara muttered, tears streaming down her face and dripping into the dishwater.
Kael began to move. Slow, deliberate thrusts. Slap. Slap. Slap.
The sound of skin against skin was loud to them, but the Dampening Field kept it contained.
"Look at him," Kael commanded, grabbing her hair and forcing her head up so she had to look at Bram.
Through her tears, she saw her husband. His chest rose and fell peacefully.
He looked so innocent. And here she was, skirt hiked up, legs spread, taking a stranger deep inside her womb.
"Does seeing him make it tighter?" Kael asked cruelly. He felt her internal muscles clamp down on him.
"It does. You perverted woman."
"No... ah! No!" Elara gasped as Kael picked up the pace.
He hit her cervix, hard. A jolt of electric pleasure shattered her guilt.
Her toes curled on the wooden floor. She stopped crying and started panting.
Her hips began to move on their own, meeting his thrusts.
"That's it," Kael growled. "Accept it. You belong to the me now."
"Kael... Kael, it's too deep!"
"Good."
He slammed into her, faster and faster. The table shook, rattling the dishes.
Elara clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming.
The thrill was intoxicating. The danger of Bram waking up was the ultimate aphrodisiac.
"I'm going to fill you," Kael hissed, his breath hot against her neck.
"I'm going to leave my mark right where Bram puts his."
"No, don't—ah! God!" Elara's eyes rolled back. The pleasure overwhelmed the fear.
She was cumming. Her walls convulsed around him, milking him just as her hand had done, but with a thousand times more intensity.
Kael groaned, feeling the Sovereign Will surge. He drove into her one final time, burying himself to the hilt, and released.
He didn't pull out. He held her there, pinned against the counter, pumping wave after wave of seed deep inside her.
Elara slumped forward, her arms giving out. She rested her chest on the wet counter, panting brokenly.
She could feel him pulsing inside her. She could feel the warm fluid filling her up.
Kael stayed there for a long moment, savoring the victory.
[Corruption Progress: Elara]
• Current Level: 55% (Broken / Dependent)
• Status: Adulteress.
• System Reward: +100 DP.
He slowly pulled out. Elara made a small, empty sound of loss.
He rearranged her skirt, covering the evidence, though he knew the mess between her legs would remind her of him with every step she took today.
"Clean yourself up," Kael whispered, kissing her damp cheek.
"And Elara? Make sure you wash the dishes quietly. We wouldn't want to wake Bram."
He walked away, stepping casually back to the table and sitting down. He picked up a book he had found earlier.
A moment later, Bram snorted and shifted. He opened one bleary eye.
"Mmph. Did I sleep long?" Bram mumbled, rubbing his face.
Kael looked up, smiling calmly. "Not long, Bram. Just enough to recharge."
At the sink, Elara stood frozen, her back to them. She was trembling violently. She tightened her legs, feeling Kael's fluids leak slightly.
"Good," Bram yawned, standing up and stretching.
"Elara? You alright, love? You're quiet."
Elara took a shuddering breath. She wiped her face with her wet hands, composing herself.
When she turned around, her eyes were downcast, submissive.
"I'm fine, husband," she said, her voice hollow but steady.
"Just... finishing the chores."
She glanced at Kael. He winked.
She quickly looked away, a fresh flush of shame and heat rising in her cheeks.
She didn't hate him. God help her, she wanted him to do it again.