Chapter 9C: Erica

Everyone who mattered in Smith Holdings was at the Formal. They packed the mansion or walked around outside enjoying the beautiful night.

I looked around, while sipping from a glass of seltzer water. The people waiting for the big three to make their move could be picked out easily. They kept the path between the three and Rachel clear; they were the real danger. Smith Holdings owned most of its daughter companies outright. If the parent company suffered or went down, most of them would lose their jobs, something significantly worse than working for a profitable, albeit, stagnant company.

Ambition could be tolerated, but willful stupidity was unforgivable. I watched and made decisions about their future at Smith Holdings.

Taylor wore a tight, black cocktail dress. I noticed she had the exact hair color I was hoping to add to the Coven. Julie met my eyes from across the room and winked. The girls were getting a bit too good at knowing my thoughts.

I looked around mansion and sighed. If not for Erica's choice, I would have been oblivious to the attack on my family. I toasted Erica's lover, thanking him for being the better man in her eyes.

Brittany had spoken to me as soon as I walked in to confirm everyone involved were present and accounted for. I had kissed her cheek and she touched my face gently. It was the only apology or thanks I was going to give; it was all that she wanted.

I turned to look at Michael, who was seething in a corner. His watched the members of the spearhead and Taylor. His eyes shouted to anyone who cared to see that Taylor had crossed an unforgivable line. I walked over to the piano and placed myself between Taylor and Michael, in case the drinks became an excuse for inexcusable actions.

My mother and Rachel saw me watching Michael. They moved to stand by me and made small talk. I asked for them to fill in some missing details about the three idiots.

Two of them were married, but their wives stood a few steps away from their husbands. It seemed to be what the husbands expected, as they huddled and watched Michael and Rachel.

I had plans, but someone else of my blood did too. Her plans were more personal and compelling so I allowed her the floor as soon as she walked in.

Marisa was wearing a black dress similar to Taylor's. Our eyes met across the floor; I raised my glass approving of her obvious intentions. My mother and Rachel turned around to see whom I had saluted. They broke out into huge grins and turned towards Michael. I kept looking at my baby sister. She was taller than my mother. Since the last summer, her body had made the transition to womanly curves. At sixteen, Marisa only showed the promise of what she would become, but it was a very beautiful promise. My someday-to-be brother-in-law was a very lucky man.

She hesitated in the entryway and looked around. It gave everyone the opportunity to see her for what she was, a changeling girl coming to make a woman's claim on the man whom she believed belonged to her. Her eyes touched Michael and the smile that graced her lips made people turn to see what could make a woman so happy. Michael had his back turned so he did not realize the size of the hurt coming his way.

Marisa did not bother to look at who had his attention. She was my sister; I saw the things women liked about me in her when she walked towards him. People got out of her way but turned to watch the results of the imminent collision.

Marisa only got halfway to him before Michel stood up and turned around. His eyes touched Marisa's and blazed as bright as hers. He did not consider fighting, running, or even protesting. He knew she had walked him down just like this, step by step, in her imagination many, many times. He might have said 'no' if he were the only one hurt by it, but the pain that word would cause Marisa was not something he could ever be responsible for.

She stood toe to toe with him, and I read her lips.

"Hello."

Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes to find she had gotten up on her toes. She gave him a lingering kiss that said how long she had been waiting for him to claim her. She took the glass of wine out of his hand and sipped from it, looking at him over the rim. She scrunched her nose cutely at the taste.

We had seen the look a hundred times, but it was incredibly poignant that night.

"Don't you think you should get me a drink?" I read her lips again. She gave him a brave smile; a part of Marisa was still the little girl with a crush. He smiled back with his heart in his eyes. My mother dab tears from hers. Michael moved towards the bar to get my sister something else to drink.

Marisa put the glass down and looked at me. She smiled widely and raised an eyebrow. She looked past me and the smile left her face.

I reached out and grabbed Taylor's arm as she stalked towards my sister. Taylor spun around and looked ready to unleash her anger, but she noticed the milieu she was in. I signaled my baby sister towards Michael. Marisa bowed her head, picked up the wine glass, and walked to her man. She met him as he turned and ushered him outside.

Taylor watched the maneuver and when they disappeared into the night turned to me. My mother and Rachel were looking at me with undisguised surprise, which was Taylor's first clue I had made an irrevocable change in our lives. Everyone in the room who had noticed Taylor's aborted action was stared at us.

Taylor took a step back when I let her go, but Julie and Tawny prevented any escape. They grabbed Taylor's arms; she glared at them, but they were looking to me for instructions.

"Let go of me!" Taylor hissed and was ignored. I took a sip, waiting for her to realize I was the only one who mattered in her immediate future. Taylor's teeth clicked shut when she met my eyes.

"I'd like to make one thing clear, Taylor" I said in a voice even the people near me could barely hear. "Marisa and Michael are off-limits to you."

Her chin back came up. She looked ready to retort, but her instincts stopped her.

"I will burn you on a stake in front of my house if I think you're responsible for a frown on my baby sister's face." I paused to let her see that I meant it. Marisa claimed Michael and it made him a part of her as far as I was concerned. I would not defend Michael, but I would pile bodies at Marisa's doorstep if necessary.

"Take her into the library," I told the Coven. Taylor had not noticed Brittany was standing behind the two girls; Brittany moved around and walked to the library on the first floor. Julie and Tawny turned with Taylor between them and followed.

"Wait! Goddamn it!" Taylor exclaimed. The girls stopped and turned their eyes to Taylor. She looked at each of them and said nothing when they started walking again. Taylor had enough survival instincts to know she might not win the fight and losing it publicly would be the worst thing that could happen to her.

When the girls entered the library and closed the doors, everyone faced me and waited.

I looked at Rachel. We were the same height so our eyes met as equals. Even if they had known everything non-family could know, anyone watching would have thought it was a power struggle. The pack knew though; she was looking for something that Roger had told her to expect. I let her look until she gave me the biggest smile I had seen since the year before Roger's death. She walked past me towards the library.

I turned to my right and looked at my mother. She stood up on toes and pulled me down to kiss my cheek. She did not have to look for the thing she had done her best to cultivate. She turned around and followed Rachel into the library.

I took a drink of my seltzer and waited for the room to relax. I felt the stir of restlessness, which signaled that everyone in the room thought Rachel and my mother would be handling Taylor.

I turned around and looked up at the stairs where I knew they would be. The Smith and the Lee twins were looking at me, waiting. I nodded to Sean and Patrick; they nodded back. I looked at Stephanie and Joanne; they leaned their head to the side. I nodded to the library, their eyes widened in surprise. The Smith twins put a hand on the Lee nearest them and nudged them down the steps. The girls turned to look at them; they received nods of confirmation. They walked confidently to the library with tears wetting their eyes.

I let the doors close behind them before panning the room. I made brief eye contact with Esmeralda and looked away. I twitched my head at the library; she walked towards it needing nothing else. I let the tension build for a few minutes before I nodded towards the door without looking at anyone in particular. Half of my female relatives walked into the library. As the last woman closed the doors behind her, Ovaldo led three of my uncles to stand by the doors and look menacing.

The curiosity was at a fever pitch, but I let it crash against me again and again without satisfying it. I made eye contact with everyone who decided siding with the triumvirate was a smart move. They understood would only get one chance to rethink their position, if at all; the smart ones took the opportunity to study me and consider what my actions meant to them.

I looked at the triumvirates of idiots. They smirked at me, believing it had been staged for their benefit. They communicated clearly that they would not back down. I looked at the wives; they were studied the library doors, the members of my family, and the Smith twins. I smiled at the looks they gave each other and the obvious churning going on behind their eyes. When they finally looked at me, the fear was obvious.

They were the first ones to realize what it meant; Rachel had set a wolf pack to guard her lair. If a few of the sheep fell because we were feeling peckish, Rachel was willing to live with the losses. No one else in the room, the three idiots least of all, approached that level of understanding.

Michael and Marisa walked back inside, and I met them at the bar. Michael knew something was going on, but Marisa kept guiding the conversation to safe points. The Smith twins joined us, making another buffer. I did not believe Michael would stop me, but he might have insisted on protecting Taylor.

I turned to walk to the library and had only take three paces when I heard Michael a step towards me. I stopped and turned back. The twins stepped between Michael and me. He looked at them in surprise; they met his eyes squarely. There was pride in his eyes as they committed themselves to standing against him if necessary.

"None of this was your fault, Michael," Sean told him.

"Your loyalty is not something we would trade for anything," Patrick said. Michael nodded waiting.

"You've taken care of us, and we insist you take the time to take care of yourself," Sean said looking at my sister, who blushed.

"You'll be needed to deal with the repercussions, but let's not ruin the moment. Marisa has been waiting for tonight too long for your past to ruin it."

Michael turned to look at Marisa. She kissed him gently. I felt sliver of brotherly possessiveness when he kissed her back. He touched her face and turned to look at me. He nodded, and I could have sworn the room gasped.

The bright ones moved away from the three idiots, making me take some names of my list. I walked past my uncles into the library.

The women were spread around the room; Taylor sat in a love seat with Julie on one side and Tawny on the other. Taylor looked at me nervously but sighed in relief, the roomful of silent women must have discomfited her.

I looked as I walked to the chair across from Taylor: five of my aunts, an older first cousin, the Coven, the Lee twins, my mother, and Rachel. I sat down and made a study of our problem; she had honey-brown hair and hazel eyes. Taylor was Julie's height but built like Tawny. She had a fog of emotion covering her eyes, as if the world never ceased to disappoint her.

"What am I doing here?" she asked, deciding to charge me instead of waiting for me to strike. I smiled and made as if I were thinking about it.

"You've become a problem, Taylor," I said. "When you restricted yourself to making Michael's life hell, it was an annoyance. You've widened the scope of damage you're willing to cause and made some people brave."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Taylor, I think you're a cunt... and I say that meaning no disrespect to, arguably, my favorite part of a woman's body. I don't think you're a stupid cunt though, so don't bullshit me. If I'm getting involved, it's time to save yourself."

"And who the fuck are you?" she asked but looked at Rachel whom she had expected the counter-offensive to come from. I realized the high road was not going to be possible. I had to break Taylor's resistance before she would stop her vendetta against Michael and everything he cared about.

I stared at her until she fidgeted under the pressure. I put my left elbow on the chair arm and turned my palm up to Rachel.

"Your panties, Rachel," I said. Taylor gasped when Rachel reached under the slits of her blue evening gown.

Rachel was businesslike in pulling them down her legs. She deposited her panties in my hand and stared at me, obviously waiting for my next instruction.

I brought the panties close to my face and took her scent into me. I looked at Taylor before handing the panties to Brittany, who walked over to Tawny and handed them over.

Tawny and Julie pinned Taylor to the love seat. Tawny touched Taylor's lips and nose with Rachel's panties. Taylor fought until Brittany walked around behind her and yanked back on our victim's hair. Taylor shot daggers at me with her eyes, but I noticed the deep breathing was not just from anger and fear.

I nodded to Tawny who pressed the panties against Taylor's mouth. She held them there for a minute before handing back to Brittany. Taylor's hated me.

"Mother," I said. She came to stand by the arm of my chair. "Take Rachel's clothes off."

Taylor gasped again.

Rachel's gown hugged her curves and had slits from mid-thigh down to the floor. My mother walked behind Rachel, who leaned forward and pulled her hair out of the way. My mother pulled the zipper down slowly. Rachel stretched her arms akimbo and smiled at Taylor.

Rachel made it seem like being stripped by my mother in front of a dozen women occurred every day. My mother allowed the dress to drift down Rachel's body, revealing her naked glory by inches. When the dress was low enough to show Rachel's pubic hair, my mother let it to fall to the floor. Rachel stepped out of the pool and moved closer to my chair.

Her lack of shame was understandable. She was glorious, naked in just blue heels by my side she looked...

I stared at her racing strip of blonde pubic hair and hardened. I turned to Taylor--she had not missed the possession in my eyes when I looked at Rachel.

"Why am I here, Rachel?" I asked. There was a dark tone in my voice, which made every woman in the room look flinch.

Rachel clasped her hands behind her back, pushing her chest towards me. Taylor eyes widened at the obvious attempt to placate my annoyance with nearly perfect feminine tools. Rachel sighed, accepting that her ploy had not worked.

"I made some mistakes," she said softly.

"How?" I asked.

"I should have fired those three idiots and quashed Taylor a long time ago," she said with her head down, ashamed.

"Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to hurt Michael. He also convinced me firing them would cause problems because of their affairs with Taylor." I nodded accepting it as the truth that could be spoken in front of non-family.

"You shouldn't be getting involved yet," Rachel whispered. Taylor looked around and saw that no other woman was surprised by the last part of Rachel's confession.

"I am not pleased, Rachel," I said. My jaw tightened as I said the words. Rachel nodded, almost pathetically.

I reached out and grabbed her hand. I guided her around to my right side and pulled her over my lap. Taylor's eyes could not have gotten wider without the risk of popping out of her head.

The two spanks, one on each of Rachel's cheeks, were symbolic. They were not for the other women in the room, nor for Rachel; Taylor was their intended audience.

I patted Rachel's ass, full with two abundant yet tight cheeks for me to palm and mold to the shape of my hand. Rachel had not made a noise during the two harsh contacts of my hand, but she moaned when I touched her pussy. I dipped two fingers into her; she was ready for me. I pulled my fingers out after moistening them with her juices and moved them down to her clit. I smiled at Taylor while using small, firm circles to bring Rachel to orgasm.

Rachel convulsed and whimpered. Her liquid covered my fingers and painted the inside of her thighs. I pushed the fingers into her to coat them with her being.

I had not planned it, but Brittany did not fail me. I pulled my fingers out of Rachel and stared at them. Most of my hand was covered by moisture with the fingers clearly soaked. I looked around for something to wipe my hand with and ended the search by looking at Brittany. Her eyes were burning at the sight of Rachel naked in the full splendor of her pleasure. Brittany straddled Rachel's legs, reached down to grab my forearm, and pulled my fingers into her mouth.

She licked around and between my fingers. She stuck them into her mouth and sucked before on them licking my palm. It took her five noisy minutes to make absolutely sure no part of Rachel flavored my hand. She took a couple of steps back; she took a deep breath to gain control of her labored breathing.

I winked at Taylor, which shook her.

I looked at Brittany and patted Rachel's ass. I had thought they would be lovers already, but they seemed to enjoy dancing around the edges and fantasizing. I decided I should be the one fantasizing about what they did behind a bedroom door. I took a ass cheek in each hand and spread them to give Brittany an excellent view.

"Don't you think Rachel needs cleanup?" I asked Brittany.

Rachel stuck her ass out, agreeing with me. Brittany took two steps forward and shoved my hands aside. Brittany pulled Rachel to a better angle, crouched down, and could crouch down. She licked the trails of pleasure that ran down Rachel's inner thighs.

The tableau I directed fascinated Taylor; there was a lot to be mesmerized by. Rachel was gorgeous and Brittany just as good looking.

Brittany used her teeth on Rachel's asscheeks.

Taylor pulled her eyes away to look at me. Realizing she should have been fighting, she tried to get up. Tawny and Julie did not appreciate the distraction. They tightened their grips and gave Taylor looks that promised severe punishment if their viewing pleasure was interrupted again.

Rachel covered her mouth to muffle the scream of pleasure. Brittany held on to Rachel's ass and continued licking her new lover's pussy. Brittany tried to stand up when Rachel relaxed but my hand in her hair stopped the motion. The sexual fog made it hard for her to focus on me.

"Did I say you were done?" I asked. Brittany shook her head.

I pushed up with my legs; Rachel rolled off my lap and onto the floor. She lay down on her back. She raised her knees and waited.

"Give her another... for being so beautiful," I said to Brittany. She got on her knees, an action made more enticing by the clinging black dress. She looked even better crawling up Rachel's body until their lips were inches apart.

They shared the magic of a first kiss.

Brittany pulled away; Rachel touched her face. They kissed again, a promise that it would never end.

Rachel lay back, brought her knees up, and offered her body. Brittany kissed Rachel's neck and trailed kisses to her nipples. Brittany suckled and teethed them while Rachel moaned. More kisses led the path down Rachel's tummy.

Rachel was a beautiful woman, but in the full blossom of her pleasure she was a sight to behold. Rachel arched her back seconds before her lips opened to release her fulfillment. She screamed; everyone in the mansion must have heard her full-throated expression of pleasure. She collapsed and wriggled sinuously as pleasure diffused into afterglow. Brittany moved up to give Rachel a taste of herself again. Rachel giggled happily and pulled Brittany on top of her so she could put her hands on Brittany's ass. I wondered if either woman realized their closeness would stain the dress and leave Brittany smelling like Rachel. I let them have a few minutes to themselves before continuing.

"Mother, a chair for Rachel."

Brittany and Rachel split apart, both flashing me a look that promised payback for making them stop. Brittany got up and helped Rachel to her feet. She walked Rachel to the chair my mother had placed to my right. I looked at Rachel after she sat down; she was staring at Taylor with the majesty of a woman who had gotten exactly what she wanted.

The look confirmed what I suspected; Rachel wanted me to take a defining step. She had accepted my relationship with Erica nonchalantly; it was the first time I saw that she had been the most threatened by it. Rachel was offering herself up on my terms as the reward for solidifying an allegiance made years before. I put my hand on her thigh and patted it possessively.

"Do you understand, Taylor?" I asked. She looked between Rachel and me. She stared at every woman in the room and saw something in their eyes only another woman would understand. She looked at me and shook her head, asking for an explanation to something she could not believe was possible.

"You have been operating under some unfortunate misconceptions, Taylor," I said. "Roger left Smith Holdings to his family. A significant estate. But think about Rachel and the twins."

I looked at Rachel who smiled back.

"None of them has the interest or aptitude necessary to run the family business. The twins could mange but they would not be happy."

I looked at the Lees, who were nodding.

"Rachel definitely could but..." I shrugged. My eyes moved back to Taylor.

"What's a good man to do if he knows he's going to leave his wife and sons too soon?" I asked her.

"Include the right people in their inheritance," I said, answering my own question. A grenade would not have shaken Taylor's attention.

"You ex-husband, Michael, was chosen because of his loyalty to Roger. A loyalty Roger knew would be transferred to his family when he died." I stroked the inside of Rachel's legs; she uncrossed them to give me access to anything I wanted. I played my fingers through her blonde pubic hair.

"Michael is a plodder. A caretaker. The type of fighter who can wait for a rock to make a mistake. He's also very good at seeing tasks through completion, especially when they're tasks with very specific goals."

I stroked Rachel's pussylips. I did not want to excite her; I only wanted to touch her. I moved my fingers back to her pubes.

"Michael's most important task was simple," I said, "Buy the time necessary for Rachel and her sons' inheritance to come of age."

"I have been the future of Smith Holdings since I was six years old."

I stopped so Taylor could take the statement in. Disbelief touched her face. Her mouth opened to protest, but Rachel's nod froze the words in her throat. Taylor looked around the room wildly; everyone's eyes confirmed what I said.

"Roger chose me for different reasons than Michael. We were meant to complement each other. Michael is the perfect right-hand man and I am..." I could not think of the right word.

"A predator," Rachel said, smiling at Taylor like she wanted to feed bits of her to me.

"I like that," I said stroking Rachel's pussylips to reward her.

"Predators are usually territorial. Roger made sure I would come to see Smith Holdings and his family as mine," I said with the anger I felt at the damage Taylor had tried to do slipping into my voice.

"Rachel, did you agree with Roger?" I asked, pinning Taylor's eyes to mine.

"No," Rachel replied. "You were six years old, still a baby, I didn't think he could possibly know that you were the one. I begged him to find someone older. To leave his company in firm hands and not to speculation."

"When did you change your mind?"

"Before your went on vacation to Puerto Rico," she said quietly. "I was treating my sons like my parents treated Rain and me. I already knew you were different, but after our encounter in the kitchen I talked to Michael, your coach and teachers, my sons, and spent hours on the phone with your mother. I still wasn't convinced until I kissed you."

Rachel and I looked at each other.

"Fourteen years old, kissing your crush, and you could still possess." Rachel bored her eyes into Taylor. "I called Michael to tell him that I understood how Roger knew--predators know predators."

Taylor pulled herself out of Rachel's blue eyes to look at me.

"Everyone in Roger's family, even Michael, have bound themselves to his choice," I said. "Look who stands in this room."

Taylor spent a minute studying every woman in the room.

"Seven Smith executives of my blood," I said. "And these are only the women. How many of my uncles were invited to the Smith Formal?"

I turned to Esmeralda.

"Why are only some of my female relatives here?" I asked her. She stood up straight before answering.

"They are family, but we are blood." Taylor looked between us confused.

"Explain the difference to Taylor."

Taylor's mouth opened wide where Esmeralda's dress dropped to create another pool of cloth on the library floor. Esmerelda removed everything underneath the dress, even her heels, and walked towards me wearing only jewelry. She stood in front of me to undo my belt and trousers. She knelt to take my shoes off. She pulled my pants and underwear down. She folded my underwear and pants carefully before unbuttoning the lower buttons of my shirt.

Esmeralda moved to my left side so Taylor could see the hardness caused by watching Brittany on Rachel. She stood my dick straight up out, squeezed, and stroked upwards. I oozed pre-cum, which she licked away. She savored the drop and licked the head of my dick seeking more. Her cheeks hollowed as she took me into her mouth and tried to suck more of the orgasm appetizer out. I sat back and looked at the ceiling.

Esmeralda's husband did not question his wife's closeness to her family. She was instrumental in his rapid rise at Smith Holdings; not to mention, she had several wonderful habits, which he realized his life would be empty without. Things like fucking him whenever he wanted, bringing beautiful women, some her own relatives, to fuck him senseless, and there was also her ability to perfectly read what a man needed.

She had been waiting, knowing what I would need from her, her complete surrender. The look on her face and her body language told everyone that having this part of me inside her was the fulfillment of her life. Taylor looked at the women of my family again; it was in their eyes and their bodies, if I gave the slightest gesture they would ecstatically join or replace Esmeralda.

Esmeralda felt my need for release and only played for a couple of minutes. She took my balls in her left hand and massaged them. She stroked my cock to add to the stimulation her mouth gave me. She used long, loving strokes with plenty of tongue.

It was not long before I pushed up. She took me as deep and used her right hand to get me over the top. She swallowed the first load, as was her due, but pulled up to take the second in her mouth. She applied pressure at the base of my dick and pressed up, drawing all I had to give.

She stood up and looked at her female relatives. They formed a line, my mother at the end. They each stepped up to Esmeralda and stuck their tongue in her mouth to draw some of me into them. My mother and Esmeralda shared my cum around a passionate kiss. When it ended, Esmelda moved back to original position by the pool of her dress. My mother helped me dress.

It was a clear statement between the female wolves and the pack's alpha male. The seed of my body made them mine and made me theirs. Such a statement was unnecessary among the males of the pack, they recognized the potential earlier (or maybe the women needed it to be more than potential).

Taylor was stunned, her mind tried to process what we were telling her. I gave her the time to shift the foundation of her existence. Finally, she focused on me.

"Your malice, Rachel and Michael's desire not to hurt you, and your involvement with the three idiots have forced me to step forward before my full maturity," I said allowing anger to filter into my eyes. I was Rachel had given Taylor enough rope to drag me in, but it did not absolve Taylor.

"I am not ready, Taylor." Her eyes brightened as she took the words the wrong. Her eyes dimmed when I smiled. She set herself for whatever came next. "It takes experience to see the full consequences of action; I do not have that experience. If anything I do to handle the present crisis backfires, I will have no choice but to sweep Smith Holdings clean."