by Dante Steel
“Other gamers or other girls?” Nicoletta asked, but she allowed him to grab her wrist and pull her along to one of the other rooms above the tavern. Once he closed the door behind them, she said, “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Well, it’s kinda complicated. You see, we…”
“We meaning who? You and…”
Gary bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck. “I did celebrate a little.”
“How? With who?”
“Jealous?” he asked, trying to aim for a teasing tone, most likely failing.
“Why would I be jealous?” she asked. “I’m the one you’ve slept with.”
He did his best not to wince. “Nicoletta…”
“Tell me what’s going on.” She sashayed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Please?”
“It’s Elena,” he said haltingly.
“What about her?” Nicoletta asked, stilling.
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. He couldn’t help himself. He had to touch her. She was so beautiful, even more fire than Elena, all passion, all warmth. She was reckless and fierce. Both of them, no, all three of them, were forces to be reckoned with.
Gary opened his mouth to explain but couldn’t bring himself to admit what he and Elena had done over and over and over again. Instead, he blurted out, “I’m not the only one in the game.”
Nicoletta gasped and jerked back, her arms falling to her sides. “Elena is too? How? When? Why?”
“The developers know I’m in the game, and they thought that maybe if someone came into the game, they could figure out how to get us out.”
“And clearly they haven’t, have they?” Nicoletta looked ready to cry or maybe ready to rip out her hair. “Why Elena, though? Why not me?”
“I… don’t know,” Gary mumbled.
She was pacing so hopefully she didn’t realize how unsure he sounded. He hated to lie to her, but he did not want to upset her any more than she already was.
“I can’t tell you the last time I was this offended,” she cried. “Or furious. What the hell were they thinking allowing someone else into the game? I mean Smaug is still out there!”
“I know.”
“They need to get him out of the game almost as badly as they need to get you out. And now Elena too.” Nicoletta turned toward him and then rushed back into his arms. She cupped his face. “I want you out now.”
“Believe me. I want—”
Her soft lips pressed against his. Kissing her avatar felt real, yet it was different from kissing Elena. Gary couldn’t explain it, but it didn’t matter whether it was real or not because the way her—her avatar—was touching him was enough to make him extremely hard.
Gary’s hand dropped down to her tit, his other to her ass, and he rubbed against her. Nicoletta moaned and opened her mouth. His tongue slipped inside when the door banged open. Gary jerked away from Nicoletta and turned to see Elena there.
Her eyes were wide, and her jaw dropped. “What is going on here?” Elena screeched.
Nicoletta patted her hair. It was a little messed up. Gary must’ve run his fingers through it without him realizing. Her patting fixed her hair back into place.
“We were kissing,” Nicoletta said calmly. “You do know what kissing is, don’t you?”
“Don’t you talk all condescending to me,” Elena warned.
“Ladies,” Gary said evenly, but the two women were like rabid animals, ready to draw blood.
Animals or vampires? Or sirens?
“Gary and I—” Elena started.
“We’re both in the game,” Gary said. “I told her already.”
Elena wouldn’t even look at him. “Did he tell you anything else?”
“I can’t remember everything when he kisses me like that,” Nicoletta said.
Gary groaned. She was making matters worse, and she was doing it on purpose.
“Please, ladies, let’s not argue,” Gary said.
“Maybe you should’ve thought about the consequences of your actions,” Elena said. “You really aren’t any different from the rest, either of you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nicoletta asked.
“Well, for starter’s, you’re a tramp, and he’s a male whore.”
“I am not a tramp!” Nicoletta said. “You don’t know me. You don’t know the first thing about me. Gary and I have known each other for a long time and in the real world. Not just in some stupid game.”
“If the game is so stupid, why don’t you stop playing it?” Elena asked.
“You aren’t getting rid of me so easily,” Nicoletta said.
Gary gulped. He didn’t want either of them to realize the other had had sex with him. Maybe he shouldn’t have done that, but he was weak, he was in love, and he was a guy. Yeah, that was terrible of him, but he hadn’t been able to help himself. As much as he wanted to blame it on being in love, he couldn’t, not really. He was being selfish, and now, they were starting to get hurt because of it, because of him.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, but neither of them appeared to hear him as they were too busy verbally abusing each other.
Could today get any worse?
Chapter Five
For the next few minutes, Gary tried to calm the girls down, but they would not listen. Eventually, Nicoletta blinked out of the game. As for Elena, she didn’t hang around. She fled the room.
Gary wasn’t about to stay in the room all by himself. That seemed like it would be asking for trouble, so he left it behind, went downstairs, and exited the tavern. The bright sun beat down on him, and he walked around town, meandering about, not really sure where to go or what to do. He couldn’t find Elena anywhere, and he wasn’t even shocked to realize he was looking for her.
His stomach tightened with sudden worry, and he renewed his search in earnest. What if Samuel August was trying to hunt them and found Elena all alone? He would kill her!
Once he was certain Elena wasn’t in the town, he left and widened his search to the surrounding areas. Gary saw a few other gamers. One girl whose boobs were the size of melons tossed him a knife. He fumbled but caught it.
She smirked. “It’s dangerous out there alone.”
“I can handle things just fine,” he said stiffly, not in the mood.
“Want to tag along?” she asked.
In answer, he stalked away, and he overheard her mutter, “Ungrateful bastard.” Whatever. The knife wasn’t even a decent one. If she would’ve sold it in town, she would’ve gained only a few rupas in exchange.
As he searched, Gary grabbed a stone and tried to sharpen the blade. He was too anxious to walk around without something to preoccupy his mind. Otherwise, he’d be far too worried.
Because Murphy wanted to fuck with him, Gary stumbled upon a massive dragon. Its light brown skin made the beast look like rocks. He started to walk by when he noticed the tail and the head beside it. Then, he spied the rocks breathing.
For a second, he hesitated. The dragon hadn’t noticed him yet. He could walk away.
But Gary was furious. Furious that he had fucked things up with the girls. Fucked up Elena’s life by her being in the game. Resentful that Haru had allowed her in. That they weren’t close to being rescued. Infuriated. Incensed. Irate.
So Gary stomped onto the dragon’s tail and jumped onto its back.
Maybe not the smartest of ideas but Gary needed to release some of his anger, and he was going to fuck up this dragon.
With a terrible roar, the dragon spread its wings and took flight. It zoomed fast enough to make Gary’s cheeks blubber. The winged monster did a flip, but Gary had a tight hold on the dragon’s neck, plus he shoved the knife into the dragon’s eye and held on for dear life.
The dragon belched fire and tried to turn its neck around to blast him, but Gary sliced its gums before it could release more flames. Distracted by its pain, the dragon brushed against the tops of several. Its speed slowed, and Gary tried to stab its neck, but
the knife slid over the scales instead of piercing its hide.
Okay, time for a new tactic.
The dragon’s flight was haphazard. Maybe it was in too much pain, or maybe its depth perception was off. Either way, the dragon wasn’t flying the fastest.
Gary crawled to its back and then toward its left wing. The dragon slammed into the side of a tree, and Gary flew off. He clasped the knife with both hands and managed to stab the wing to halt his fall. For a few perilous seconds, the wind bit at him, but he managed to hold on long enough that he grabbed the top of the wing, the bony part, for added security. He yanked out the knife and punctured the wing. This time, he sliced through it, carving a large hole.
Immediately, the dragon’s altitude dropped, and it crashed into a few trees. Gradually, it flapped its good wing enough to rise above the forest.
Using his knife as leverage, Gary climbed the ruined wing and crawled onto the dragon’s back. Time to slice up the other wing.
The dragon flew crooked, favoring its wounded side, and Gary had a hell of a time reaching the good wing. He was almost surfing on the dragon’s back before he leaped onto the other wing. Swiftly, he ripped and tore it to shreds.
The dragon tried to flap its worthless wings, but they were barely gliding. Gary spied a small pond up ahead. He waited, hoping to time things correctly, and then, he jumped onto the bone of the first wing.
Instantly, the dragon plummeted. A huge splash resulted, and the dragon submerged.
Gary swam to the surface and dragged himself onto the bank. He had lost the knife. It had been a worthwhile weapon after all. Thanks, chick.
Breathing heavily, Gary whirled around and watched the water. Several large bubbles popped, but the dragon did not move. Experience points flooded Gary, and he grinned.
Take that, dragonfucker.
Maybe a little less angry than before, Gary resumed his search for Elena, heading closer toward town. The sun was hot, and it wasn’t long before he was completely dry, but he found no signs of the metal superhero anywhere.
Just then, a soft hand touched Gary’s shoulder. He whirled around, hoping to see Elena. Instead, before him stood Olivia.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Olivia, but not today.”
“Not today?” she asked, confused. “Why not today? What’s going on? Why do you look like you’re on the warpath? Relax, dude. We won.”
“Won?” he asked dryly, lifting his eyebrows.
“Well, we won the battle, right? Yeah, we’re at war, but each battle we win brings us that much closer to what we need.”
“And what is it that we need?” he asked.
“I need you to tell me what’s going on.”
“Huh? That doesn’t follow at all what we were talking about!”
“So?” She shrugged. “I want to know what happened to you. Why are you so uptight and tense?”
“No reason. I’m just… I’m not in a good mood. I just need some alone time.”
“Alone time?” She eyed him suspiciously. “Alone time with whom?”
“Alone time means alone. No one else,” he assured her.
“Yeah, I’m calling bullshit on that, Gary. You don’t ever want to be alone. All you do is talk.”
“That’s not true,” he protested.
“Yes, it is. Well, I can think of one way to shut you up.” She grinned and puckered her lips.
“Not right now,” he said firmly.
Olivia blinked and backed away. “Seriously? You’re being an ass. You’re running me off why? And do you know me at all? Do you really think I would just go and leave because you’re being mean to me? Get real and get over yourself.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said.
“I’m not hurt.”
He gave her a look.
“Maybe a little,” she allowed. “I just don’t like to be brushed aside.”
“No, because you like to be in the spotlight. You want to be the leader, the singer.”
“Ah, sure,” she said.
“Nicoletta is the lead guitarist. She’s the fire and the passion.”
“And Elena?”
“She’s the drummer, leading the way with the beat, a song that only she can hear.”
Olivia shook her head. “And you, what are you in all of this craziness?”
“Pianist.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I always wanted to learn how to play one.”
“That’s nice.” Olivia stepped forward as if to hug him but then reached out and down and grabbed his balls. To torture him? To coerce him? He wasn’t sure, but, fuck, was this distracting. “I don’t want to hear about how we’re some kind of pathetic rock band. I want to know what happened.”
“Fine, you want to know so badly? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you all of it. Nicoletta and I had sex before. A bit ago. Last night, Elena came to me. I thought it was a dream, but it wasn’t. She really was there and not just as an avatar. As herself. She’s real. I mean really here.” Gary took a deep breath and waited for her reaction.
“Is that all of it?” Olivia asked.
“Ah…”
“You thought it was a dream when Elena came to you. Did you ‘dream’ about having sex with her?”
“Fine, fine,” he muttered. “If you must know, then, yes, Elena and I had sex too. And now, she’s pissed at me and so is Nicoletta, and I doubt they’re happy with each other.”
“Why is that?” Olivia crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.
“It’s just that Elena walked in on Nicoletta and I…”
“You went from sleeping with one to the other without talking to them yet,” Olivia said disapprovingly.
“No,” he protested weakly. “We were just kissing.”
“You upset Elena. And Nicoletta, does she know you slept with Elena?”
“I don’t know,” he said miserably.
“Ugh.” Olivia rolled her eyes. “Honestly, the other two need to put on their big girl panties. Sometimes, love doesn’t have to be quote unquote normal.”
“Yeah, I know, but I’m not handling this well.”
“You have to start if you want it to work.” Olivia brushed her brown hair back over her shoulders. Her green eyes were bright, but she wasn’t smiling. “Is it love?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitating. “Which is why I don’t understand why it’s so hard.”
“Come on now. If you aren’t honest with yourself, you can’t be honest with the girls, and if you aren’t honest with them, it’ll never happen.”
“It,” he muttered.
Olivia smirked. “‘It’ meaning your harem. That is what you want, isn’t it?”
“Why are you okay with that?” Gary asked. He couldn’t help thinking about to the kiss between Nicoletta and Olivia. Nicoletta had done it to tease him. It had meant more to Olivia. His cock hardened at the memory.
She shrugged. “Honestly, I was involved in a threesome before.”
Gary’s heart sped up, and he grew even harder thinking about Olivia and another girl getting it on. He did not want to think of her having sex with another guy though.
“You and another woman,” he said slowly, grinning.
“Actually, it was me and two guys.”
He blinked a few times. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry. It didn’t work out. We tried to, but… honestly, double penetration generally means only one guy moves, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Better to use a dildo or a vibrator or fingers or a mouth…” Olivia grinned and then shrugged. “Until you talk to them and explain how you feel so they can figure out their own feelings, I suggest you don’t get involved with any of them.”
“That’s… actually good advice,” he muttered.
Maybe for the first time ever, he saw Olivia frown. “I have good ideas from time to time,” she said, a hint of anger in her tone.
“I’m sorry,” he rushed to say. “I didn’t mean to—”
“I
know. I just didn’t expect all of this. I thought we could all celebrate and be happy. I even thought… I knew it would be a long shot, but…”
“What did you want?”
“You know what I wanted. All of us together, finally. Look, at least you have me, always. I understand why you want the others. They’re strong, capable, powerful, hot… They turn me on, too. Not everyone is willing to being open to threesomes, let alone foursomes. And some girls don’t like to share or aren’t willing to admit they’re curious about kissing and touching and being with another woman. They’ll need to warm up to the idea of sharing you and experiencing the others. That is, if it’s gonna be a true harem. Otherwise, I guess it could be more like a polygamous situation in that you’re with each of us separately.” She shrugged. “Not what you want, I take it, and honestly, not what I want either, but maybe that’s how it can start?”
“Maybe,” Gary said, sounding dazed. As much as he wanted them all to be together, he wasn’t sure how it would all work out.
“Until then, no kisses from me.” Olivia smirked. “To think that the only one you haven’t had sex with so far is me. I’m holding out. Not until the others are kosher with us all being together will you get even a kiss from me. Sorry.”
“You aren’t serious, are you?” He gaped at her, “Now, that’s just not fair!”
Olivia, outside, in the middle of the town where other gamers could see, where Gary could definitely see, had pulled down her black leotard to flash him and was proceeding to squeeze and yank on her nipples.
“It’s fair to me,” Olivia said. “I’m not gonna wait around and not have sex or not masturbate because you’re too much of a coward to get what you want.”
“Don’t have sex with anyone else,” he begged.
“Why not?” she demanded. “You’ve slept with both of them but not me.”
“Olivia…” He swallowed hard. “Please. You’ve accepted this even more than I have, but I… just the three of you and me. No one else.”
“So, if I could convince Elena or Nicoletta to…” She grinned and puckered up, blowing him a kiss.
He needed to readjust, but he didn’t since he knew Olivia would make a comment about that. She wasn’t touching herself any longer, but her massive boobs were hanging out for him to see, her hands on her hips, and she was breathing hard. Shit, he wanted to suck her nipples or to fuck them…