ACTAEON

John and Bryant were nearly inseparable. As if getting Bryant caught up in class wasn’t enough of an excuse, the two stole every opportunity they could to makeout around campus. John was happy to pass each day talking with Bryant about anything and everything! He felt a kinship with him that was unlike anything else.

Everything felt so delightfully new and unexpected! John had no idea he could feel this way about a mortal man ever again. He was sure he’d seen every kind of man before, believing that there were only ever a few types of men out there at most. And over the centuries, echoes of these men were found all over.

From generation to generation, he felt he’d had every type of conversation, every type of romance, every type of infatuation. And for years, that was true… But now, he was suddenly experiencing something unique and different! This was something he’d never had. He didn’t want to spoil it by over thinking or worrying about time. He was caught up in every moment he shared with him, eager for the next!

As Bryant tried to keep John’s attention in books and on studying, John kept his gaze focused on the young man’s eyes and lips, wanting to kiss him, but knowing that the public quad wasn’t the place. But whenever Bryant looked up from his notes to look at John, he could tell what he wanted to do. Bryant couldn’t help but smile, blushing a bright red as he continued to read aloud to his partner.

Everything was easy, they were happy and without a worry. That is, until John felt the familiar buzzing of his flesh…

John felt himself grow hotter as he became aroused; he was excited and worked up as if he’d just stopped running on the edge of a throbbing erection! He didn’t know what was happening, and tried his best to hide his reaction. Bryant looked up and noticed he was agitated, stopping to inquire if he was okay. But before he could say a word, Bryant looked up and saw Professor Smith coming toward them.

“Hey, Professor!” Bryant waved.

John looked over to where Bryant gestured and saw the silver-haired man walking toward him. The two locked eyes as John felt a pulse working through his body, it was as if the feeling was sent directly from the older man’s gaze! It was then that he put it together. Professor Smith wasn’t just an ordinary educator, as he appeared. There was something special about him. Something powerful and ancient… He realized then that the professor was a Theban!

“How are you boys getting on?” Smith asked, coming up to the boy’s apparent study session. He could see the textbook from his class and their notebooks out. He was impressed that the two were taking the time to focus on studying when the weather was so nice out. “I hope you’re not spending all day in the books.”

“We were just wrapping up,” Bryant replied. “John is almost caught up. Luckily he’s only coming in a couple weeks behind.”

“Is that so, John?” The way that the professor said his name made his ears perk up. He could almost feel fur sprouting on them, stimulated by the man’s voice. John wondered if he was going to out him in front of Bryant. It had been a while since John had encountered a Theban…

He’d almost forgotten why he was sent to college in the first place… His mission and his purpose. Time had a way of slipping away for John, getting lost in small moments. Days become years and years become decades so easily. And now, with the close presence of this powerful figure, it all came back into focus.

“Yeah,” he answered. “I think I’ve got it now.”

Smith smiled, giving John a subtle, knowing smile. As if he could read his thoughts and discern his past, Smith’s power over him seemed to settle, allowing the Promethean a chance to get his wits about him.

“You know, it would be a lot easier if you had your own books, John. Don’t tell the other students, but I have a few extra copies back at my place I could loan you. It’ll save you some money and then you can start taking your own notes.”

John wasn’t sure what game Smith was playing at, but he knew it was best to go along. “Sure, that would be great.”

“It’s not too far away, you could come get them now. You should come too, Bryant.”

There it is, John thought… Thebans are known to move among humans, putting themselves into positions of influence and authority, seeking out young men they can turn into Prometheans. Having experienced it himself, he knew well what that seduction was like!

It was clear Smith had an interest in Bryant, but who could blame him? And clearly, Bryant felt some kind of connection with him as well. A slight tinge of jealousy came over John, but he also knew his place.

“Sure, I’ve got time… Bryant?”

“Yeah, I guess, if it’s not too far.”

“Fantastic,” Professor Smith smiled. “I’ll lead the way…”

John and Bryant packed up their things and followed behind Professor Smith through the paths of the campus. They stayed close together, brushing their arms into each other to feel the other’s presence, if even for a second. As they walked further, John could feel himself becoming more and more aroused in the wake of the professor’s scent.

His pheromones set him off like a wild animal. His senses were heightened, his loins became hot with desire, and even his thoughts veered into the hypersexual. He knew this was the professor working his power over him. And from the way Smith looked back at the two of them trying to hide their affection, it seemed as if he wanted them to give in to their desires.

Once they arrived at the professor’s home, Bryant and John were impressed with its collegiate charm. The home was well-lived, filled with books and antiquities from all over the world. It was fairly large, considering Smith wasn’t married. He didn’t even have pets, but he had plenty of room for entertaining!

The two boys followed him into his study, eyeing every detail as they carried on with their pleasant conversation. Bryant was his usual talkative self while John only spoke when he was spoken to. John wanted to see just what the Theban had in store for them.

“You boys make yourselves comfortable,” said Professor Smith, heading into the hallway as he continued. “I just need to grab those books and I’ll be right back.”

John and Bryant sat on a couch, alone for the first time in a couple days. The two had spent plenty of time together, but always around others, it was hard for them to be on their own without anyone watching or wondering where they were. Bryant immediately planted a kiss on John’s lips with a devilish grin.

“What was that for?” John asked, smiling.

“I could tell the way you were looking at my lips. I figured I had to take the chance to give you what you wanted.”

“Oh, you think that’s all I wanted?” John flirted. Looking up to the hallway, John quickly pulled Bryant close to him, kissing him deeper and grabbing his ass. “That’s just the start!”

The two continued to make out, forgetting where they were as they pressed their bodies closer together. John knew they didn’t have long before Smith returned, but quickly began to lose his inhibitions. His body was excited and alive, practically vibrating with energy and desire. He felt his cock swell up in his pants, making it ache as it rubbed up against Bryant’s on the couch. He could have stripped down and fucked him right there…

John felt himself breathing heavier, beginning to perspire as he became ravenous for his lover. Bryant, too, was in rare form, responding to John’s advances and grabbing back at him. It was a sudden and surprising turn of events, but neither seemed able to pull themselves away. Their kissing and caressing was so intense, neither one of them noticed Smith return to the room, books in hand.

Bryant looked up shocked, his pants clearly tented from his erection. John’s face was flushed, still reacting to the sexual energy coursing through him. Just then, he realized what had happened. The Professor was doing this! The Professor had put them in this state. He was making them horny as fuck! It was a clever trick the Thebans had, but not something John wanted to fight.

“Don’t stop on my account, boys. It looked like you were just getting to the good stuff.”

Bryant was speechless, possibly for the first time since John met him. He didn’t know what to say. His eyes stayed locked on Professor Smith, unsure of what to do next. As if to answer the silence in the air, Smith stepped forward, unbuttoning his shirt as he gave them a wicked smile!

John watched as the older man came closer to Bryant, enticing him with his seductive gaze. Bryant stood to meet him, entranced by his good looks and powerful presence. Smith leaned in and gave Bryant a deep kiss, running his tongue inside his sweet mouth. John could see Smith pressing his mouth where he had just kissed. And to his surprise, he found himself incredibly turned on! He could see how much Bryant wanted him, and seeing him so aroused was a special thrill…

Smith turned to John, holding out a hand to him. John stood up, taking him by the hand and following his lead. Smith pulled him in close and whispered in his ear, “You’ve done very, very well, my boy.”

Bryant was so fixated on Smith that he seemed unaware of their exchange. John could tell he was locked in hypnotic seduction, caught in a bliss that was unlike anything else. He knew well what that was like and there was no breaking it.

John wanted to speak up and tell Smith about his feelings, but without uttering a word, Smith answered, “Don’t worry. He can be ours.”

Something about that made John feel better, but still wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Smith took Bryant and led him toward a bookshelf in the study, it was full of old canvas and leather bound books. The professor pulled on one of the books, it hung angled and locked in place. And with that, the bookshelf moved forward, revealing a doorway leading to a set of stairs!

John knew this place was huge, but he could now see that there were depths that no one else had ever seen before. John followed Smith as he led Bryant down the stairs, bringing him into a dark, warm cavern with a softly lit bed. Satyrs were known to keep secret lairs, but John never knew just how secret they were.

In the dark, John watched as Smith began to take off Bryant’s clothes, lifting his shirt over his head and unbuckling his belt. Before taking off his pants, Smith turned to John.

“I want you to be a part of this too, John. I know how much he means to you.”

Nodding as he felt his cock swell up even more, John stepped forward, running his hands over Bryant’s body as Smith continued to remove his clothes. Bryant looked happily into John’s eyes, blissfully unaware of the magical moment about to happen…

John watched as Bryant took the Theban’s throbbing cock. His body pulsed with incredible sensations of pleasure, reacting to the feeling of the professor’s seed. Bryant gazed upon the older man’s horned face for the first time, unsure of what to make of it and unable to fully process his thoughts. He was looking into the face of a world he’d never known before. A world older and bigger than he ever imagined.

John knew what that was like. A paradigm shift of that size is hard to forget and stays with you forever. Before John was ever made into a Promethean, he had a similar change of his world…

Following his clandestine evening with Etienne and the servant boy, John felt like he’d found himself truly free and uninhibited. For all the excitement of The Stag, that secret, underground party was everything he wanted; beautiful people, amazing sex, and the promise of anonymity.

He couldn’t wait to return. The very next evening, he set out to find the secret door that Etienne had brought him to. He followed the same roads, coming upon the large, dark building. No one was around, and under the cover of night, he stepped up to the entrance. He knocked, waiting to be let in, only to find silence. He didn’t know what the official protocol was, but he’d hoped that he would be recognized from the night before and be let in…

He stood for a while, hearing nothing stir behind the door. The wind whistled past him, almost making him miss the sound of footsteps coming toward him.

As he turned around, he saw a familiar face, casually walking toward him.

“I don’t know if I should be offended,” Etienne said playfully. “Was my company not to your liking?”

“No,” John replied, caught off guard. “No, it’s not that. I just — I had to come back. I had to see this place again.”

“Quite a marvel, isn’t it?” Etienne walked around him slowly, looking up at the thick walls of the building, every so often meeting John’s eyes. “Very few have the privilege of tasting such delicate delights.”

John couldn’t understand what was happening. Etienne was not coming across as friendly and helpful as he had before. Something about his manner and stance seemed less like a colleague making small talk, and more like a lion approaching a gazelle. Slowly circling before going in for the kill. He tried to change the tenor of the moment.

“Well, it looks like the doorman is taking a piss or something. I can’t seem to get in. Perhaps we could go in together. I’d love to have your company again.”

“Oh, tsk tsk tsk,” Etienne began, a wicked tone in his voice. “I’m afraid that door won’t open for you again. And sadly, it appears a great number of doors are closing for you.”

“Pardon?”

“You see, mon ami, you’re not here by coincidence. I saw you at the Stag that night, this you know. But what I haven’t told you is that I’ve been watching you for some time. In fact, many people have been watching you.”

“Watching me? Who else has been watching me?” John felt his face flush. He felt trapped. He didn’t know what he’d stepped into.

“A beautiful face can be very tempting. Especially one that flatters and beguiles you. That man you met that night in the tavern. Did he ask you for payment?”

John stood still. He recalled the passionate sex he had with the young man. It was clear he was a prostitute, but no money was ever exchanged. In fact, he had his own room. John felt foolish. Of course!

“You sent him. You paid for him to seduce me.”

“Well not me, personally. But I have friends who like to take an interest in others. They see it as an investment.”

“An investment in what?”

“A future servant.”

“Servant?! Like hell would I do anything for them. Or for you! Why would I do anything of the sort?”

John went to walk away, but Etienne’s raised voice stopped him in his tracks.

“I don’t think you have much of a choice in the matter, mon ami! You see, you’re just a small little insect to them. And they are the great spider whose web you’ve fallen into. They have you where they want you. It wouldn’t take much for them to share the nature of your exploits…”

John looked down at his fists. They were clenched with anger. He wanted to punch Etienne. But he knew he was right! He had been careless. He was so caught up in his desires that he didn’t see the clear trap he’d stepped into. And now his life was at his mercy. He turned around, trying to hold back his fury.

“What am I to do?”

Etienne smiled, seeing that John understood his position more clearly. “Oh, don’t put on such a somber face. I think you’ll find their plans for you are more to your liking than you realize.”

He gestured to the dark, cold building beside them. “This place, John? It’s nothing compared to what’s out there. There’s a whole new world being discovered. Free from the purity of the French bourgeois. A wild, exciting place where people can live their lives as they choose… With whomever they choose.”

John’s fist relaxed. He could see he was being blackmailed, but the coercion was beginning to sound a little better.

“It seems strange here that a man of your wealth and station is still unmarried, no? Well you’ve now got a chance to forge ahead into a world where that won’t matter.”

“You want me to go to… America?”

“Oui, oui, John. Our mutual friends would like you to help fund a voyage to this new world. They’ll take care of the arrangements. All you need to do is give yourself over to them completely. I promise you, mon ami, you will be very well cared for.”

“By the spiders,” John scoffed.

“… Better to be their pet than their prey,” Etienne replied with a hint of caution.

Weeks passed as John was advised by Etienne how to make payments to his anonymous captors. He still walked freely, living his life as he normally would. To passersby, no one would ever suspect he was secretly being blackmailed and held under close surveillance by a cabal of powerful, unknown forces.

All John knew for sure was that he’d be leaving his life behind and that he would have the finest accommodations on the ship to the new world. He knew this basically amounted to having the nicest cell in a floating prison, but he tried to look at the alternatives. If he was exposed, he could end up in a real cell for life, if not worse… Besides, as he looked around his house and his city, it felt less like home with each passing day.

Something about the freedom of leaving France was exciting to him. He wanted to see more of the world and to find his place in it. Perhaps the spiders’ web wasn’t an altogether bad thing. He just wished he could have come to it on his own. But he knew well that without this prompting, he’d live out his entire life never knowing true happiness. Maybe now he had a chance!

When the day finally came for him to set sail, he felt lighter as he stepped onto the pier. All his belongings were stowed aboard and he was about to take his first look of the ship he’d put all his money into.

The large vessel was called the Actaeon, named for a greek mythological hero. It was one of the largest ships he’d ever seen, bigger than those of the official navy. He knew the captain only by name but he’d never met him, and the same went for the crew. In fact, the only person he knew aboard was himself. He could see other passengers making their way aboard, all of a similar station as himself. He imagined he wasn’t the only person blackmailed into this voyage.

As he came aboard, the captain directed him to his quarters, showing him where he’d be staying for the duration. It was a fair sized room with a good bed and a desk with plenty of room for him to work and read. It was smaller than his previous home, but he figured he’d spend most of his time on the deck, taking in the ocean air with his fellow prisoners.

“I trust you can make yourself comfortable? We’re about to set off,” the captain said, heading for the cabin door.

“I don’t suppose you can tell me where exactly we’re going?”

“Sorry, sir. I have my orders the same as you. But I think you’ll be pleased when we get there.”

“So I keep hearing.”

“Should you need anything else, we have a dependable crew on board. And I’m told you’ll have a personal valet… Let me fetch him.”

The captain stepped out of the room and signaled to someone on deck. Within an instant, a handsome young man stepped into John’s cabin, dressed finely in a crimson top and leggings. He couldn’t have been much older than eighteen, with barely a sign of hair on his face.

“This is Julian,” the captain explained. “He will be here to take care of you every need, at any time of day or night. Of course you can request anything from anyone, but Julian has been hand-selected to accompany you on your journey. And if you don’t mind, I must set our heading.”

The captain left, leaving Julian and John alone to become acquainted.

“Is there anything you need, sir?” Julian asked. His eyes were a tempting chestnut brown, deep and full of desire. He had a similar manner as the young man from the secret, underground party. John was sure that he was a part of his anonymous captors’ plans.

“No, I think I should be fine for now. I mean to get settled on my own, thank you.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary. I’m happy to assist however you need me to.”

“I’m not really getting much of a choice here, am I?”

“On the contrary, sir. I can be as present or scarce as you desire.”

Two men walked into the cabin, knocking as they came in.

“Pleasure to meet you,” the first man remarked, taking off his hat. “My apologies for the interruption, I was just looking for Julian.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll be right with you. I just need to settle things here.”

The two men could see John looking around, getting used to his new surroundings. “I’m sorry, sir, we’ll let you get settled. Julian, when you can?” And with that, the men nodded and walked out.

John looked at Julian. “Friends of yours?”

“Others in my care. As much as I am to look out for you, I’m also responsible for the needs of others as well.”

“Must be a lot to take on.”

“I actually quite enjoy it, sir.”

Julian looked closely at John, trying to assess him. He could tell John was a little anxious, feeling the ship began to rock as it touched off from the shore and headed out. It was really happening. John was leaving everything behind! All he had was what fit into this small room. And now Julian, of course…

“If I may, sir, you seem… Uneasy.”

“You could say that. It’s been a while since I’ve been to sea. And hardly under these circumstances.”

“What circumstances would that be, sir?”

John didn’t answer. It seemed silly to lie, knowing that Julian was probably well aware of his situation. And it seemed even less appropriate to expound on the strange predicament he found himself in.

“You know, Julian, I actually think I just need to lie down for a while. I need to calm down.”

“Well I can certainly help you with that. If I may…”

Julian bowed in deference to John, awaiting his approval to continue. John didn’t know what he was about to do, but knew that he wouldn’t likely leave until he did. He didn’t mind Julian, but he also wasn’t sure of himself or how he fit into the situation.

“As you wish,” John replied.

Julian took John’s hand, kissing it to show his subservience. John liked how the young man’s lips felt on his fingers. It was warm and soft, sending a tingle up his spine. It was like an instant salve and a distraction that he desperately needed.

John retrieved his hand in order to take off his coat. He dressed for the cool sea air, but now, he felt a rising heat. He looked into Julian’s eyes, watching a smile come across his face. John could see the way his lips curled, making him desperate to kiss him.

“Lie back, sir. I can help you relax.”

John felt his cock swell up in his pants. The air suddenly changed and became incredibly intimate. John worried someone might come in and find out what was going on, but not even he was sure what Julian was up to. All the same, he hadn’t been touched by another man since the night he and Etienne explored the sex party…

John loosened his clothing, lying back on his bed, feeling it beneath him for the first time. It was surprisingly soft for a ship bed. It was possibly even more comfortable than the one he’d had before. As he leaned back on it, he could see the prominent rise in his pants. Julian looked down on it, too, without a moment’s surprise or hesitation.

Propping himself up, John watched as Julian moved closer toward him, reaching for the top of his pants, loosening the strings to pull them down. And just like that, John could see his erection. Out in the open, held up by his swollen nuts, his cock pointed up; it ached to be massaged!

Julian reached his hand out, taking it in his grip. He began to stroke it as John closed his eyes with delight. It felt so good that John could hardly control his expressions. Julian’s hands were so soft and smooth, it calmed him to his core as his shaft was worked up and down, leaking pre-cum as it stiffened and grew.

Julian leaned in closer, looking at the glistening tip of John’s member. His breath was warm and passionate, breathing down on John’s cock as he trembled. Julian’s soft lips lowered, coming up to the tip of his cock and kissing it gently. John nearly lurched from the sensation, but Julian managed to keep him still with his grip.

The young valet let his tongue escape his mouth, running over the end of John’s manhood, tasting the delicious nectar that flowed out. Julian’s eyes closed, savoring the flavor, opening only to look up at John to see his reaction. His tongue moved around the head of his cock, sending wave after wave of pleasure through his body. His toes curled and his fingers grasped at the bedding, holding himself in place as Julian’s mouth worked its magic.

Julian’s tongue extended out more, running town the length of John’s shaft until it met his heavy balls. The young valet licked them up, around, and in between, taking in every bit of his ballsack. Julian knew just how to get John’s mind off the voyage!

Julian moved his hands from the shaft, cradling John’s balls as he swallowed him down his throat. John’s hips arched up, clenching his ass as he felt his manhood fill Julian’s mouth…

John held off as long as he could, feeling the skilled tongue of his sexy servant working him over. It was like heaven on the high seas, flowing through him as his balls churned up a fresh batch of his seed. John breathed heavily, closing his eyes and keeping himself focused on the satisfaction of the blowjob, but despite his better efforts, he knew he was on the edge of bursting!

Grabbing onto Julian’s head, John ran his fingers through his beautiful, brown hair, gripping onto him and holding him in place as he began to thrust his cock into his mouth. The slight choking and gagging sounds that Julian made were too much for John to bear, forcing a chain reaction within him that pushed him past the point of no return!

With a sharp tightening of his muscles and a push of his cock, John poured out a massive flow of cum into the young man’s mouth. It surged with a force that John had never experienced. He needed the release badly and Julian’s mouth was the perfect catalyst and vessel! Julian tried as best he could to take it all into his mouth, but the sheer volume forced a substantial amount out of his lips and onto his chin.

John, having fully expelled his semen, collapsed into his bed, barely able to move his quaking muscles as he felt a satisfied malaise take him over. Julian, ever attentive, swallowed what he had in his mouth, watching with delight as John’s anxiety was temporarily relieved.

John was sure he’d fallen asleep, closing his eyes and feeling the full weight of his body. But when he opened them once more, he looked down and saw Julian still kneeling between his legs. His lips glistened with the remnants of John’s load. John was grateful to have him, knowing that he was likely able to look forward to many more acts of servitude.

Taking his hand back into his hair, he caressed the boy’s head and gave him a smile.

Julian looked up with his chestnut eyes and asked, “Anything else I can do for you, sir?”

“That’ll be all, Julian. Thank you.”