Chapter 242: The Retreat

The Retreat

Jeff's team, along with Security, filed into the Retreat, all in their dress uniforms. On-duty Security continued to man their posts, but they could still view the weddings via their helmets. Those personnel would swap out when the first group had enjoyed refreshments after the wedding. Extra personnel at the base supplemented and backed up Security electronically. Anyone who thought that an attack might be successful because of the distractions of the weddings would be wrong – dead wrong. Not only were they protecting the Prime and his family, but the General and his wives were present, also. Now was not the time for a drunk or a joyrider to decide to try out the driveway, or a plane to buzz the Retreat.

Nor would an attack of any kind catch the troops at the wedding weaponless. As usual during a wedding, their weapons were stacked in two suites, one on either side of the living room. Those rooms were protected by the watchful eye of the Retreat AI in addition to alert troops standing guard.

With Colonel Matthews' permission, the likeness of all Security personnel as well as Jeff's team had been added to the Retreat AI's database. (All the Alphas and their wives as well as all the Matthews' friends were already in the database.) In a millisecond, both computer systems would alert Security if anyone coming into the area was not in that database.

Now, as the sun was setting, there was the murmur of numerous people quietly chatting as they waited for the weddings to begin.

Hope, Angel and Courtney, in their wedding dresses, their makeup and hair perfect, checked themselves out in the mirror yet again.

"I'm scared to death," Hope told Angel.

"You are? I'm marrying my own father. Of course, it's something I wish had happened years ago, but that doesn't make the flutter in my stomach any less."

"I keep thinking I'm not good enough for Art. All those men who used me..."

Courtney and Angel both turned to stare at Hope. "That's bullshit," Angel hissed out.

"And I second that," Courtney agreed, then added, "Art is a lucky guy to get you, and ... you can bet he knows it. Just look at you; you're beautiful."

"I'm not," Hope said, "but I like to hear it, anyway," she finished with a strained giggle.

Courtney smiled at the other two women. "Matt and I are just renewing our wedding vows, but I'm as uptight as I was when we were married the first time. Diana says we'll feel it when she and the Prime marry us, though."

"Yeah, Bobby and Sandra say the same thing," Hope agreed.

"My family, too," Angel commented.

"Ten minutes," Laura called out as she and Ann walked in – Laura with a still camera and Ann with a video camera already recording.

"You still have time to run like crazy," Ann teased.

"I don't think I could run even if I wanted to," Angel responded dryly.

"Think our grooms are as uptight as we are?" Courtney wondered aloud.

Hope looked at herself in the mirror one more time. "I don't know, but I'm glad I just went to the bathroom. At least I don't have to worry about peeing on myself."

Although she had tried to joke, the other two quickly agreed.

"Okay," Laura said, "just like we practiced. Hope goes first, followed twenty feet behind by Angel, and Courtney comes in last with the same interval. Angel and Hope, your sister-wives will be standing with your groom waiting for you. After Jeff and Diana marry each bride to the groom and the rest of his wives, the Prime and Queen will introduce the newlyweds to the audience. Then that group will step aside and wait for the next group to be married. Everyone still okay with this?"

When the brides agreed, Laura glanced at her watch. "Two minutes. We need to move out to the back of the balcony. Be careful going down the stairs, and the best of luck to everyone. I hope your marriages will be as wonderful as mine."

Hope's heart skipped a beat as Evie blasted out the beginning bars of the Bridal March on the piano, Dave accompanying her on his amplified twelve string acoustic guitar. It was the most beautiful music Hope had ever heard – music she thought would never be played for her.

She was at the bottom of the grand stairway before she dredged up the courage to look toward the front – toward the man who would soon be her husband. She never remembered walking the length of the living room, nor passing by the crowd of men and women in their dress uniforms who were standing to honor her. All her focus was on Art. Her world stood with a smile of pride on his face, his eyes never leaving hers as she neared him.

As they came together, he turned and she slipped her arm through his to take the final steps to the low stage by the big windows where the Prime and the Clan Queen waited. Tomorrow, she would watch the high-res video of her coming down the stairs and her approach to her husband, and marvel that she had no memory of that walk. Obviously, she had been a wee bit uptight.

Matt and Courtney stood waiting as first Hope, then Angel were married to their respective spouses and his wives. Courtney kept telling herself that this was only a reaffirmation of their wedding vows. Something that was apropos now that she and Matt had gotten back together. She knew that Matt wasn't enthusiastic about reaffirming their vows, and realized that he was going through with it because he loved her. But when it was their turn to stand before Jeff and Diana, the vows became more than just a renewal. When the Prime and Queen declared in unison, "We now pronounce you Alpha and wife," and each put their hands on the couple's shoulders, both Courtney and Matt felt a deep throb of energy go through their bodies, not totally unlike a low-level electric shock.

Wide-eyed, Courtney stood as Matt raised her veil, took her in his arms and kissed her. Diana said I would feel it when she and Jeff married us. That must have been the understatement of the year, she thought as they broke the kiss to stare into each other's eyes.

"Oh, Matt," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know," he answered, simply.

There were pictures, hugs, congratulations, more pictures, more hugs and more congratulations. All through it, though not touching, Courtney felt her husband standing beside her. She caught Diana's eye for a second and the Queen mouthed, "I told you."

Courtney nodded to the Queen, suddenly realizing that she could actually feel Diana's presence as well. She really is a Queen, she thought in wonder, and I now know with certainty there will never be a divorce involving me and my husband, nor will I ever leave him again for any reason. I truly am bound to him until death parts us, and I suspect neither of us would live long without the other. Matt and I are a part of each other now. Diana said the bond could never be broken; now I can feel what she means.

Suddenly, tears of joy trickled down Courtney's face. Diana quickly stepped over to press a tissue against Courtney's cheeks, drying the tears before her makeup could be destroyed. After a moment, the Queen pulled Courtney into a hug and whispered into her ear, "Hush. Tears later. Rejoice with us as we eat and drink so you will have energy for your wedding night. That husband of yours is feeling the same thing you are. You're going to need all the energy you can get. He's going to fuck your brains out."

As Diana uttered the crude comment with an accompanying naughty grin, Courtney could not keep from giggling, and that set Diana off. Jeff looked over at them and raised an eyebrow. "Tell you later," the Queen said, then hugged Courtney again before leaving to circulate with her guests.

Personnel who had already eaten relieved those who were on-duty, the laughter and congratulations seemingly endless to Hope, who clung to her husband's arm as if she were afraid he would disappear.

I'm married. I'm actually married, she kept telling herself. Each time someone referred to Art as her husband, she felt a small jolt go through her body. I never thought it could happen to me. Who would want to marry a whore? Being forced to be a whore, doesn't change the facts. I was still a whore. But Art married me, anyway. I love him so much.

Bobby and Sandra hovered around Hope, laughing, teasing, making her feel wanted more than she had ever felt before. It's getting close to the time we're to go to our honeymoon suite as Arlene and the others call it. Oh, gosh, how should I act? I've seen and felt the cocks of many men. Most of the time I was instructed to act even younger than I was. Some of those men hurt me. All used me as a whore. What do I do with Art? Do I suck his cock? I have my hymen back. Do I act virginal? Sandra and Bobby say to act like myself, but I've never made love, only play acted for those evil men and fucked them. Oh, what am I going to do?

As if reading her mind, Sandra leaned to whisper into Hope's ear, "As these military people would say, 'at ease, ' my sister-wife. No use worrying. You've just married the greatest man on Earth and he's going to be making love to you shortly. All your worries are going to evaporate and be replaced by the most wonderful feeling you could ever imagine."

"But I've never made love," Hope whispered back, even as her eyes tracked Art who was chatting with the training Sergeant. "I'm scared to death I'll do something wrong."

Bobby added her input. "You can't do anything wrong. Just love him. Everything else will happen just the way it's supposed to."

"Trust us," the two said in unison as they both hugged their new sister-wife.

Art came back, tilted Hope's chin up with a fingertip and gently kissed her for a couple of seconds. "Almost time for us to consummate our marriage, Wife."

Hope could feel her face heat as she blushed. He kissed her again, this time the kiss was deeper, stirring things within her. She felt her nipples react and wondered if they were showing through her bra and dress.

"Get a room," a female voice called out, teasing. Hope wasn't sure who it was, but she fully agreed with whoever it was. She might be scared, but that didn't mean she didn't want to be in bed with her husband.

"It's time," Jeff called out. "Does everyone have their bag of rice?"

"Uh-oh," Art said. "I was hoping they would forget that."

Fred's group had led out. Well down the hallway, laughing, Fred remarked. "Well, that wasn't bad at all." But the ambushers were waiting. Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, doors opened on either side of the hall and all the younger wives stepped out with small buckets of rice. Of course, the women weren't targeted nearly as much as the men were, and the tormentors generally tried for the groom's backs rather than hitting anyone in the face, but the next hundred feet, until the buckets were exhausted, were interesting ones for all the newlyweds.

Still laughing a little, Art, Hope, Bobby and Sandra stood in the sitting room of their honeymoon suite shaking rice out of their clothing. "I swear," Art said past his laughter, "if any of those girls are ever involved in another wedding, I'm going to bring a five gallon bucket of rice and dump it over their heads. Darnit, some of them throw hard, and they didn't stick to the little packets that Diana was handing out. They had a lot more rice than that."

Art had already tossed his jacket and cummerbund on the back of the couch. Sandra whispered into Hope's ear, "You're his wife now. Take his tie off and unbutton his shirt so he can get the rice out. Take care of your man."

Art, with his enhanced hearing, was aware of what Sandra had said, but he pretended that he hadn't heard.

Gathering her courage, "Here, let me help," Hope said, her face flaming as she reached for his tie. That off, with trembling fingers, she unbuttoned his shirt. Behind her, Sandra and Bobby winked at their husband. Hope pushed the shirt off his shoulders to reveal the broad expanse of his muscular chest straining against his tee shirt.

Art held his arms out for her to remove his cufflinks so the shirt could come off. Bobby took the cufflinks from her and put them on the coffee table as Hope stood staring at her husband. He reached back to grab the neck of his tee shirt and pulled it over his head. Sandra brushed the rice from his neck and back as Hope got a few grains from his front. Oh, my, Hope thought as she watched the play of his muscles, none of the men that fucked me ever looked like this. Most of them were old and flabby. I knew Art was a great looking guy, but I had never seen him without a shirt. His body is absolutely perfect. I can feel myself getting wet, but I'm scared to do anything more. Oh, goodness, I hope he doesn't smell me.

Indeed, Art did smell her, but it certainly wasn't a smell he disliked.

Bobby, Sandra and Art had discussed this moment, and Art, well aware of Hope's problems, simply picked her up in his arms, gently touched his lips to hers, said, "I love you, my Darling," and carried her into the bedroom.

By the bed, he allowed her to stand, then put his hands on the sides of her face and gently kissed her again. Sandra ran the zipper down the back of Hope's off-the-shoulder wedding dress, then unhooked the strapless bra. Hope dropped her arms and the dress and bra slid softly to the floor to pool around her feet.

"Step out of it," Bobby said, holding Hope's hand as the teenager carefully stepped out of her dress.

"Now, sit on the bed, Sweetie," Sandra instructed. As Hope complied with her sister-wife's request, the two women slipped Hope's heels off, leaving the new bride wearing only hose, a tiny white thong, and a deep blush.

As Hope lay on her back on the bed, her young breasts hardly moved, jutting up proudly on her chest. "Oh, you are truly beautiful," Art quietly said as he smiled down at her.

While Bobby hung Hope's dress and bra in the closet, Sandra unbuckled Art's pants as he stepped out of his shoes. A few moments later, he was wearing nothing but his shorts. His cock had swollen, but he had managed to keep a full erection from happening, not wanting to scare Hope with a hard cock practically sticking in her face, but now that she was fully revealed to him, nature took over.