Claimed by the Order (S-Gods, #1) (10 page)

“Fuck me!” he ordered, his breath ragged. 

Marduk smiled and kissed a nipple, his teeth biting and nipping, making Emesh squirm and mewl. While teasing Emesh’s nipples, he slid another finger in, and fucked Emesh, until Marduk could take no more. His cock was already dripping, aching to be inside. Marduk pushed the god’s legs up, pressed the head into his entrance, and sank his shaft into him with one thrust. Emesh cried out, and Marduk gasped, his cock throbbing in the god’s tight passage. He took a deep breath and drove Emesh hard, watching him the entire time. Emesh panted, the flush in his cheeks growing darker, until he came undone, delicious sounds spilling from his lips while he shuddered and shot warm liquid onto his stomach. Watching Emesh come unleashed Marduk’s own climax. He latched onto the god’s mouth, and came hard, filling Emesh’s body with his seed.

After his encounter with Emesh, Marduk slept with Emesh and Ninurta several times in secret. Shamash continued delivering him to a different god each night, but Marduk discovered he could seduce most gods. Before long, he had taken three young gods for lovers.

One night Emesh, Ninurta, and Irra were all hanging out in Marduk’s room. When their bodies were spent, and their passion had died down, they lay tangled in one another on his bed.

“Marduk, you don’t know how lucky you are,” Emesh said out of the blue.

“What do you mean?” Marduk asked, leaning up on his elbow.

“None of us had this kind of freedom as the Order’s pet. Our masters guarded us jealously, never letting us out of their sight.”

Marduk smiled weakly. He never thought of Shamash as generous.

“Well, I just told him I wouldn’t sleep in his bed anymore. He gave me a hard time at first, but then he agreed to let me stay in my own room.”

“It’s not just that,” Ninurta said, lowering his eyes. “Shamash never protected any of us from Seth. No one could refuse him like you do.”

“You know, Shamash must have had a thing for you before you were in the Order,” Irra chimed in.

“Why do you say that?” asked Marduk.

“Well, Shamash is the leader of the Order, and as far as I know, he’s never mastered any of the members. In fact, it’s rare that any of the founding members actively participate in the hunt. It surprised everyone when Seth captured Aya, and when that happened, we all came to the same conclusion—that Seth had a thing for Aya.”

Marduk remembered how Seth had claimed him first and then was thrown back. Was the outcome of the hunt fixed? Did Shamash pull some kind of rank to assure he was the one to catch him? The thought unsettled his stomach at first. Then he wondered if he should feel honored that the head of the Order wanted him.

On another day Marduk spent the night in Ninurta’s room. They were both the same age, but Ninurta had been in the Order for six years.

“I can’t believe they took you when you were just sixteen,” Marduk said, kissing Ninurta’s shoulder. “I can’t even imagine.”

“Well, I had a good master. We fell in love, and he refused to leave my side when I was with any other god.” Ninurta laughed. “In a way, he was kinda like a dad to me.”

“Who was your master?”

Ninurta lowered his eyes. “Marduk, I wish I could tell you, but we can’t discuss such things until you’re a full member. That’s why we wear masks. They don’t want you to know who is in the Order until you are close to being a member.”

Marduk thought about it for a moment.

“Well, why do Shamash, Seth, and Nanna-Sin go without masks?”

“I’m not sure why, but they are the founding members. Maybe the masks are to protect the identity of honorary members.”

“Honorary members?”

“Yeah, some members were invited by Shamash and were never required to go through induction. If they wear a mask at parties, they can blend in, and none of us will know they are there. That’s why they have different mask colors for each party. That way no one can sneak in. Only those who were invited know what garb to wear.”

“That’s fucked up! Shamash told me every member went through induction. Do you know who any of them are?”

“I wish I could say.”

Marduk rolled over on his back. The idea that there were gods fucking him who never had to endure the same torment made his blood boil.

After that night, Marduk decided he had to do something about the Order. Whenever Shamash delivered him to a new god, Marduk made a point to make subtle inquiries. Most gods would only say when they were inducted, never revealing who pledged them or who was their master. However, by keeping track of the dates, Marduk was able to piece together who pledged whom.

Shamash was a powerful god, but there were more powerful gods than him. Marduk decided that the first chance he had, he was going to expose the Order to the Council of Gods. Council members often came to the temple for meetings and different functions. Marduk just had to gain an audience with one of them. In the meantime, he would continue to collect the identities of each god as well as their status. Those who were inducted were given no choice, but he was determined to see the founding members, as well as honorary members, pay for what they were doing.

S
everal days later, Marduk walked out of his last class and found Emesh, Ninurta, and Irra waiting for him. All three of them had been kicked out of Seth’s class on the second day for not having “the gift.”

“What are you doing here?” Marduk asked.

“Well,” Emesh said, “you mentioned your troubles with Seth, and how he threatened you, so we decided we’d walk with you to and from class just in case... you know, just in case he tries something. I hope you won’t mind.”

“Of course not.” Marduk smiled. He wanted to kiss them all, and he did. They all were in the Order, but they never treated him like a toy. He wondered what he should consider them. Were they his lovers ... or maybe his friends? He wasn’t sure. As they ran through the gardens, Marduk stripped off his tunic and threw it into the air.

By the time they arrived at the lower hall, they were laughing and out of breath. Emesh and Irra plopped down in seats by the fire, but Ninurta hovered just inside the door, as if he was unsure about being there.

“You’re in the Order; you belong here,” Marduk said, grabbing his hand. “Come sit with us.”

He pulled Ninurta over to the chairs and sat down, pulling Ninurta into his lap. Marduk immediately kissed him, slipping his hand beneath his skirt. He wished in that moment that Shamash would just leave him to his lovers. He wanted them all in his bed, but Shamash would soon be there to deliver him to another god.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?”

Marduk opened his eyes, and Ninurta quickly slipped off his lap. Shamash was standing close to his chair, his expression stern.

“Not at all,” Marduk said with a smirk. “I was just warming up for the next god in line.”

“Where’s your tunic?”

Marduk just stared at him; then looked away, sighing deeply.

“Come here, Marduk.”

When Marduk approached, Shamash immediately shoved his face into the wall, hiked up his skirt, and grabbed his bare ass.

“I never imagined you would turn into such a slut, Marduk. Maybe I should start up the parties again. Is that what you want?”

“No,” Marduk replied, his chest constricting.

“Well, then I suggest you ask these gods to leave right now.”

Shamash released him from the wall just as his lovers disappeared from the hall.

“So is this why you wanted to sleep in your own room? So you could fuck every god you could get your hands on?”

“What did you expect?” Marduk shot back. “You made me a whore, but now you’re bitching about me sleeping around? I don’t understand what you want. Are you only happy if I’m groveling on my knees before you? Do you want me to cry? If that’s what you want, why don’t you just beat me right now? Go ahead and rape me. Maybe I’ll cry for you then.”

Marduk fought back tears; he didn’t want to give Shamash what he wanted. Shamash caressed Marduk’s face, wiping moisture from beneath his lashes. Marduk pushed his hand away. Then Shamash grabbed Marduk and kissed him. Marduk’s frustration boiled over as he pushed the god away again.

Shamash smiled. “I’m going to have to cancel your appointment tonight so I can have you for myself.”

That night, Shamash took Marduk to his bed, and afterward Marduk lay wrapped in the god’s arms. He wondered if there was truth to Ninurta’s comments about Shamash desiring him. Maybe Shamash was jealous.

“You know what they’re saying about you,” Shamash said. Marduk raised his head off the bed and looked down at Shamash.

“They’re calling you a sex god,” Shamash continued. “None of them have had the balls to come out and say it, but I can tell by how they act around you. I know when I send you to a god, you’re flipping the tables—seducing them into giving you whatever you want.”

Marduk sat up. “No one ever said I had to let them fuck me.”

Shamash laughed, sitting up beside him. “Marduk, I’m bringing this up because I believe you’ve come a long way. You are ready to become a full member. From this point on, you are free to search for a pledge to take your place.”

Marduk remembered how Aya had betrayed him and shot Shamash a look.

Shamash smiled. “I realize you don’t like what Aya did to you, but it’s the only way out. If you want to be a full member of the Order, you must bring us a virgin god to take your place.”

“I have to find a virgin?”

“Yes, Marduk. When you find a young virgin god who desires you enough to accept your invitation to the Order, you will be granted freedom.”

“But I wasn’t a virgin when you took me. Why the hell did you bring me into this?”

Shamash leaned back on his hand, his smile returning. “Marduk, the Order doesn’t care how many goddesses you’ve bedded. Our only concern was whether a god had laid claim to your body. Are you saying another god opened you up, and took his pleasure inside you before me?”

Marduk’s face flushed. Seth’s image flashed before him, and he looked away. Shamash was right, no god had ever fucked him before that night, but this fact did nothing to settle him. The idea of betraying another god like Aya betrayed him made his stomach clench tightly.

He abruptly rose from the bed.

“I have to go,” he said, bowing his head slightly to Shamash before leaving.

Marduk wasn’t sure what to think. He couldn’t believe Shamash was asking him to bring them a virgin. By offering him a way out, did Shamash imagine he was doing him a favor? Marduk didn’t think he could betray another god, but if everything turned out as he planned it, he wouldn’t have to. All he needed was the opportunity to gain an audience with the council. It wouldn’t be easy, but he’d find a way to make it happen. He couldn’t wait to take the Order down.

A
kad stared out at the white stone temple rising up from the mountain, and his chest filled with elation. This was the first time his father had taken him to the Temple of Power. When they drew near to the temple, the gardens came into view. A vine-thatched roof covered a large portion of the gardens, and a labyrinth of hedges extended along one side. The moment he stepped onto temple grounds, his senses came alive. He had stepped into a world of lush green plants and exotic flowers that basked in the sunshine. The song of birds filled his ears. Akad imagined he would be bothered by the absence of his powers, but the world around him drew him in.

Akad followed his father, Anshar, through the main entrance and down the long whitewashed corridors inside. After all he had heard of the temple, it was hard to believe he was actually there. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the thrill of meeting other deities. With most of his teen and young adult years spent at sea with his father, Akad knew nothing of the gods. His only knowledge of other deities came from his father’s stories. This would be the first time since Anshar killed Akad’s mortal lover, Talos, that Akad dared dream of intimacy with another. He fought to chase away the painful memories. He wanted only to focus on the adventure that lay ahead of him.

At the end of the corridor was a tall arched door with two mortal priests dressed in white standing on either side. The priests bowed as they approached, and one man opened the door. Akad stepped into the strange exotic world of gods in gleaming armor and goddesses in long flowing dresses mingling among white fur-lined chairs and ornate wooden tables. Long rays of sunlight spilled into the room through a balcony, making the gods appear to shine. They were in the council lounge, a place where the most esteemed deities gathered to socialize. As they roamed farther into the room, so many eyes seemed to gravitate toward him, and the attention from these beautiful beings made his head spin. Akad was immediately taken by their beauty, and his arousal was so extreme that he hoped his father would take no notice of his distraction.

Akad straightened his dark tunic over his chest, wondering how he appeared to other deities. He was solidly built, and mortals loved to look at him, but his father always harassed him, saying he looked like a goddess and insisting he wore his long brown hair tied back.

After greeting a few deities, Anshar approached a tall, majestic god wearing an intricate golden breastplate and white kilt. The god had a thick black braid protruding from his chin, and based on his mane of thin black braids, Akad was sure this had to be the Egyptian god Ra. When Ra turned to face them, Akad’s breath faltered. Never had he imagined standing in this great god’s presence.

“Welcome back, Anshar,” Ra said, taking Anshar’s hand in greeting. “You were missed on the council. You must have been tending to a matter of great importance.”

“You are correct in that respect,” Anshar said. “I have been at sea training my son Anu in the art of war.” Anshar glanced down at Akad, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Ra’s coal-lined eyes shifted to Akad, who instantly felt warm. Akad struggled to catch his breath as the powerful god’s stare transfixed him. He wanted to say something, but his mind went blank, and no words issued forth from his lips. Then his trance was swiftly broken by his father’s cutting words.