I woke up with the first rays of sunlight filtering through my blinds. Something felt off. Warm and wet. I blinked away the sleep fog, confused by the rhythmic sensation against my—

Oh fuck.

My eyes shot fully open. That was definitely a mouth. On my dick. Moving with enthusiastic purpose.

I looked down at Celeste, still sleeping peacefully beside me, her silver-white hair spilled across the pillow like moonlight. Her hand rested innocently on my chest, nowhere near where the action was happening.

So who the hell was—

Two black tails stood straight up from under the comforter, swaying slightly with the rhythm of whoever was working downstairs. I didn’t need three guesses.

I carefully moved Celeste’s arm and leg off me, trying not to wake her. She murmured something in her sleep and turned away, curling into herself. The Winter Queen could probably sleep through an earthquake when she was this exhausted.

Good. I needed to handle this quietly.

I lifted the comforter slowly, dreading what I’d find.

Golden eyes stared back at me, gleaming in the shadows. Maki’s mouth was wrapped around my cock, her cheeks hollowed as she sucked with single-minded focus. When she saw me looking, she didn’t even pause. Instead, she held eye contact and took me deeper, a look of smug satisfaction on her face.

I hissed through my teeth. "What the fuck are you doing?"

She pulled off with a wet pop that sounded way too loud in the quiet room. "Getting breakfast," she whispered, licking her lips. "Master’s milk tastes so good. Couldn’t help myself."

"Are you insane?" I whispered back furiously. "Celeste is right fucking here!"

Maki’s eyes flicked to Celeste’s sleeping form, then back to me. She grinned, showing her pointed canines. "Then we better be quiet."

Before I could stop her, she descended again, taking me deep enough that I felt the back of her throat. Her rough tongue swirled around the head in a way that made my toes curl.

"Maki," I growled. "Stop. Now."

She ignored me, her tails swishing happily behind her. Her hands gripped my thighs as she bobbed her head, making little pleased noises.

I grabbed one of her tails and yanked. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get her attention.

That was a mistake. She moaned around my cock, the vibrations sending a jolt through my system.

I pulled on her hair instead, forcing her to look at me. "Enough."

Maki pouted, her lips glistening. "But Master promised Maki kisses. And Maki wants Master’s milk. Inside her." She blinked up at me, eyes wide and pleading. "I’ll be a quiet good girl. Promise."

Those damn kitten eyes. If she were actually a cat, she’d be making that weird chirping sound they do when they see a bird through the window.

I checked Celeste again. Still asleep, her back to us. The Winter Queen was many things, but a heavy sleeper wasn’t usually one of them. The duel yesterday must have taken more out of her than she admitted.

My options were limited. If I kicked Maki out loudly, Celeste would wake up and find me with my dick out and an angry cat girl. If I tried to ignore Maki, she’d just get more persistent and probably wake Celeste on purpose out of spite.

"Fine," I whispered harshly. "But if you make a sound—any sound—this stops immediately. And I swear to god, Maki, I will never give you another treat again."

Her eyes lit up with victory. She knew she’d won. "Good kitty gets good treats," she purred.

I sat up carefully, moving to the edge of the bed where I could keep an eye on Celeste while dealing with my familiar’s sudden hunger. Maki slid to the floor between my legs, looking up at me with those unnervingly bright eyes.

"Hands," I said.

She tilted her head questioningly.

"Give me your hands."

She extended both wrists toward me, her expression curious. I grabbed them and pinned them behind her back with one hand. She tested my grip, then smiled when she found she couldn’t break free.

"Naughty Master," she whispered. "Maki likes this game."

"Shut up," I hissed. "Not a sound, remember?"

I slipped two fingers from my free hand into her mouth to keep her quiet. She immediately began sucking on them, her eyes never leaving mine as she slowly blinked at me. The message was clear: she’d rather it be something else.

Fine. If this was happening, I’d make sure she learned her lesson about sneaking into my room uninvited.

I stood, keeping my grip on her wrists tight, my fingers still in her mouth. Her eyes widened with excitement as I positioned her on her knees, her back against the edge of the bed.

"Not. A. Sound," I mouthed silently.

She nodded eagerly, her tails flicking with anticipation.

I lined myself up with her entrance. She was already wet—apparently giving surprise head really did it for her—and I slid in with little resistance.

Her eyes rolled back, and she bit down on my fingers to stifle a moan. I squeezed her wrists in warning, and she nodded frantically, remembering the rules.

I set a punishing pace, making her take every inch. Each thrust pushed her against the bed frame, but she kept absolutely silent except for her quickened breathing around my fingers. Her tails wrapped around my waist, pulling me deeper.

I leaned down to her ear. "This is what happens when you sneak into my room," I whispered. "This is what happens when you can’t control yourself."

She nodded frantically, her eyes glazed with pleasure.

"You think you’re so clever," I continued, punctuating each word with a thrust. "But I’m in charge here. Not you."

A tiny whimper escaped her. I immediately stopped moving.

Her eyes flew open in panic. She shook her head frantically, silently begging me not to stop.

"What did I say about noise?" I pulled my fingers from her mouth.

"Sorry Master," she whispered, so quietly I barely heard it. "Maki will be good. So good. Please don’t stop."

I hesitated, making a show of looking over at Celeste. "One more chance."

Relief flooded her face. She nodded vigorously.

I slipped my fingers back into her mouth and resumed my pace. Her inner walls clenched around me, hot and tight. For all her bratty behavior, she felt amazing, and the danger of being caught added an edge that made everything more intense.

Her body began to tremble, her eyes squeezing shut as she approached her limit. I could feel my own building, a pressure at the base of my spine that demanded release.

"Look at me," I commanded softly.

Her eyes snapped open, locking with mine. The usual mischief was gone, replaced with raw need.

"This is what you wanted," I whispered. "So take it all."

I thrust deep one final time, holding her firmly against me as I came. She shuddered violently, her body convulsing around mine as she followed me over the edge. Her teeth clamped down on my fingers hard enough that I’d probably have marks, but she didn’t make a sound.

For a moment, we stayed frozen like that, both breathing heavily but silently. Then I pulled out and released her wrists. She slumped against the bed, looking thoroughly satisfied.

I grabbed tissues from the nightstand and cleaned us both up, constantly checking to make sure Celeste was still asleep. Somehow, she hadn’t stirred at all.

Maki nuzzled against my leg like an actual cat, then transformed back into her feline form in a shimmer of golden light. She looked up at me with those same knowing eyes, stretched lazily, then padded across the floor and out the partially open door without a backward glance.

I shook my head, tucking myself back into my pants and carefully climbing back into bed. Celeste immediately rolled toward me, seeking my warmth in her sleep. I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her against my chest.

"Mmm," she murmured, still mostly asleep. "You’re warm."

"Go back to sleep," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She nodded drowsily, her breathing already evening out again.

I stared at the ceiling, trying to process what just happened. My familiar had effectively ambushed me for a quickie while the ice princess of Valoria slept inches away. And I’d gone along with it. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Nel’s voice echoed in my mind. Oh, this is GREAT content. The Audience is eating this up.

Shut up, I thought back at her.

Just wait until the ice princess finds out you defiled her royal bedchamber with the cat.

She’s not going to find out, I insisted. And this isn’t her royal bedchamber, it’s my shitty dorm room.

Details, details, Nel dismissed. The point is, you’re turning into quite the entertaining protagonist.

I ignored her, focusing instead on the woman sleeping in my arms. Celeste’s face was peaceful in sleep, all the sharp edges of her public persona softened. She trusted me enough to let her guard down completely. The knowledge settled uncomfortably in my chest.

I was playing a dangerous game. With all of them. Natalia, Skylar, Emi, Celeste, Akari—each of them connected to me through the System’s bonds, each of them believing they understood what they were getting into. And now Maki adding her own chaotic element to the mix.

How long before it all came crashing down? How long before one of them realized exactly what kind of monster they’d tied themselves to?

Ugh, the brooding is boring, Nel complained. Go back to the hot cat girl action.

I’m having a moral crisis here.

No, you’re having second thoughts, which is much less interesting, she corrected. Scumbags don’t get second thoughts.

They get results.