A Trial of Strength

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 359 By Rob Williams

CHAPTER 359 – "ZACK'S PENANCE"

IN THIS CHAPTER:

Zack has insulted all the men of the tribe and must be punished by all of them in turn in a feat of endurance that challenges the staying power even of a man as rugged as Zack. "The sculpted black leather-master was powerless, bound naked, head bowed in submission, tears streaming down his cum-splashed face." But later Zack reasserts his top-man status in the flawless ass of the young blond jock Tommy. _____________________________________________________________________

************ In the previous chapter *************

Zack had fucked up badly. Normally the macho black muscle-stud, one of the tribe's senior men, was a self-assured dominant alpha male, but he had gone through a phase of insecurity that made him doubt his own masculinity as compared to the tribe's other senior men.

His frustration and animosity had been mostly directed at Randy, the tribe's founder and leader, even though the two powerful men worked together on the construction site as best buddies, almost like brothers. When the pressure inside Zack had finally erupted he had beaten Randy in an unprovoked attack and savage butt-fuck that left the rugged gypsy unconscious in the dirt.

Randy could have defended himself, of course, and would probably have won the fight but, seeing the hurt and confusion in his friend's eyes he did not retaliate and just took the beating.

After the fight, in a daze of guilt and remorse, Zack sought counselling from Doctor Steve, the tribe's therapist, who explained his problem this way. "To yourself and to others, Zack, you are defined by your supreme masculinity. You are a man's man, strong, handsome, confident – second to no man. But, Zack, that's a hard pose to maintain, and doubts sometimes creep in, almost like a man of religion who, in a moment of weakness, doubts his faith.

For whatever reason, you have recently been feeling emasculated, weakened, your manhood threatened. For what it's worth, I don't think it really had anything to do with Randy. He was just the guy you measured yourself against, and in your state of self-doubt you fell short, which is why you resented him and his moments of glory. But this is all temporary and you can regain your status – in your eyes and in the eyes of your buddies."

"I have to pay for it," Zack said impulsively. "I gotta pay for what I did, I gotta be punished."

Steve chuckled. "Zack, that would never be my professional advice, but I've been around this tribe long enough to know its rules and rituals, so of course you're right. Right now you're in disgrace. By insulting one man of tribe you insulted them all, and your punishment has to be big enough to restore everyone's respect."

Steve had recommended that Zack spend the night here in the large house shared by Steve and his lover Lloyd. But Steve thought he should not be alone so, after some soul searching, Steve had agreed that Zack would share the room of Tommy, the house manager. Lying in bed the two were a contrasting pair, the muscular black construction boss and the handsome young gymnast, generally known to the tribe as the Golden Boy.

It seemed almost inevitable that Zack would end up fucking the jock's flawless ass, though by contrast with the savage way he had fucked Randy, this time he made gentle love to Tommy. As Zack eased his cock slowly in and out of the beautiful blond gymnast he had an epiphany, a sudden realization that manhood was not about a display of force, but a restraint of that force. Randy, for instance, had never been as macho as when he had restrained himself from fighting back and endured a beating when Zack attacked him.

And so, as Zack made tender love to this beautiful boy, his recent wild, irrational behavior and tormented thoughts faded into a mist of remorse, humiliation and a fierce desire to restore his standing in the tribe by taking his punishment like a man and to pay whatever price the tribe determined. He was calm now, his masculine self-confidence was restored.

After the two men had finally reached their sexual climax Zack lay pressed behind Tommy, his cock still firmly buried in his ass. Zack folded his arm over him and said, "Thank you, Tommy. That is just what I needed. I see everything clearly now, and I'm ready to face the tribe."

********************* CHAPTER 359 *********************

In the morning as Zack eased into wakefulness his first thought was of the beautiful boy he had made love to and held in his arms all night. He reached out to feel him – but he was gone.

Disappointed, Zack blinked hard and other less pleasant thoughts crowded his mind – his irrational attack on Randy, a man he loved ... his loss of face and respect in the tribe ... his need to assuage his self-inflicted humiliation by subjecting himself to whatever punishment they devised, according to the customs of the tribe.

His tangled thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and the welcome appearance of Tommy. Now dressed in his house uniform of tight black pants and gray T-shirt he had evidently cleaned up after spending the night with Zack's dick in his ass.

"Good morning, sir. I hope you slept well." The smile that had charmed Zack the night before still had a trace of shyness, but now it was mixed with a gleam of conspiratorial mischief.

"Sorry I had to leave, sir, but I had to make breakfast. It'll be ready in twenty minutes. Perhaps you would care to shower and then join Steve, Lloyd and me for breakfast out by the pool."

Tommy had clothes folded over his arm that he now laid on the bed. Here are your jeans and boxer shorts that I washed, and a T-shirt of mine for you to wear in place of the one Steve lent you. It may be a bit tight on you, sir, but ..." He smiled again with more than a hint of mischief this time and, as Zack noticed, a swelling bulge in his pants at the thought of the muscular black man wearing his shirt.

"Gee," Zack grinned, "service in this place is like a five-star hotel, or maybe I should add a star after last night's ..." He shrugged and let the memory hang there. "I wanna thank you for that, Tommy, it was awesome and did me more good than you can imagine."

"The pleasure was all, mine, sir I assure you."

Zack flashed a roguish smile. "No chance of a little help in the shower, I suppose? Nah, sorry kid, that's crazy talk. You gotta get back to the kitchen, I know."

"Another time, perhaps, sir," Tommy said. Neither of them could know that that possibility would arise sooner than they might have expected, but right now Tommy returned to the kitchen.

Steve and Lloyd were outside on the terrace by the pool, and while Lloyd read the newspaper Steve was having a long phone conversation with Bob. Steve wanted to make some fairly elaborate arrangements and knew that Bob, as Randy's lover and the admired and respected founder of the tribe, was the man to turn to. People rarely said no to Bob.

Steve had only just hung up from Bob when Zack appeared on the terrace. "Hey, Zack," Steve smiled, "you look good and rested. You sleep well?"

Zack sat at the table and said, "Steve, I gotta confess something. I slept with my dick in Tommy's ass all night, after fucking him for a long time. I hope that's OK with you."

Steve laughed. "Zack, you don't think I imagined, when a sexy top-man like you sleeps with a handsome young jock with the buns of death, that nothing would happen. Tommy's his own man and, provided he was OK with it, that's great. It seems to have done you a power of good. And by the way, Tommy's T-shirt looks real hot on you."

"Steve, making love to Tommy made me see myself clearly for the first time in weeks. Look into my eyes, doc. You see crazy Zack in there? No, the crazy's all gone. The old Zack is back ... ready to make love, not war ... and ready to face the music. I realize I'm pretty much still a pariah with the tribe and you gotta help me there, Steve. You any idea how I can make amends to them? I'll do anything, doc."

"As a matter of fact I've been working on it, Zack. I spoke at some length with Bob just now and he's going to set things in motion. First of all, I want to limit this to the men in the tribe not the boys. Doing what you did offended your peers, so this is a man thing. As a therapist I understand the mental turmoil you were in so I would give you a break and not come down on you too hard, but that's just me, the bleeding-heart liberal.

"However, the men of this tribe have a simpler code of ethics. If one man humiliates another he humiliates them all and has to pay the price. So we're stuck with that. And the way I see it, Zack, this is all about humiliation as a crude tool of exerting dominance by a man who felt his manhood threatened.

"Of course, the tables were turned by Randy who, instead of proving his masculinity by fighting back, chose to prove his strength by submitting to the beating and brutal fuck. And he came out of it with even greater awe and respect from the tribe. So you have to do the same, undergo humiliation and use your undoubted strength and toughness to regain your place in the tribe.

"What Bob is doing right now is rounding up the men of the tribe and inviting them up here to dinner. It would not be the first time we've held a dinner exclusively for the men of the tribe. But before dinner we will stage a scene that I hope will resolve the issues and help us all put this upsetting experience behind us, allowing you to regain your stature as one of the most senior and admired of the men."

Steve leveled his gaze at Zack. "Of course, like everything in this clan, it's voluntary, so are you sure you want us to proceed with this?"

"Absolutely, doc. My own self-respect is at stake too so, like I said, I'll do anything, Steve – whatever it takes."

"Good. I want you to stay here today. Take time for reflection, hang out by the pool, take it easy. Tommy will be here all day to take care of your needs ..." he smiled ... "though I would advise resisting the urge to fuck him again despite that splendid ass of his. It would not set the right tone of contrition and remorse. Ah, and talking of beautiful boys, here comes Tommy now with breakfast. You'll join us as usual, of course, Tommy."

Lloyd jumped up and helped Tommy with the big serving tray and soon breakfast was spread out on the table. Conversation turned away from the rigors of the upcoming event, and the genial company helped Zack relax.

Truth be told, far from feeling fearful of the trial of strength to come Zack looked forward to it as a way of proving his manhood, to himself and the men. Unlike before, though, he would demonstrate his virility this time not by forcing a man to surrender to him, but by submitting himself to humiliation at the hands of others.

After breakfast Lloyd went to work as the construction company's architect. Steve had already alerted Randy that Zack would be taking the day off and Randy was privately relieved that he would not have to face his old buddy today, not before the tribe's retribution had run its course.

Then Steve had another conversation with Bob, who had already arranged for all the men of the tribe to come to Steve's in the late afternoon, except for Grady and Mario who were travelling on another movie-promotion trip. Bob added, "I have asked the twins to come and help prepare the meal with Tommy, and also Danny, as Grady and Mario are away."

"Yeah, well that'll please Tommy," Steve grinned. "Let's just hope those two can keep their hands off each other for five minutes at a time. Also, Bob, I suggest you have all the boys spend the afternoon and evening at your house there. It'll be support for Darius while his man is doing his penance up here. You know how all of the boys circle the wagons when one of them is under stress. It's something I love about them."

So it seemed that everything was under way and Steve went indoors to his office to deal with his first patient of the day. Tommy acted as receptionist ensuring a smooth flow of patients in and out.

Meanwhile Zack took Steve's advice and sat by the pool in the sun, relaxing, reading, but mostly just letting his mind run over the last few weeks. That inner reflection supplemented Steve's therapy the day before and helped him fully comprehend the root of the insecurity he had experienced that had caused him to lose control and act so wildly and irrationally.

His guilt was even sharper now and he was impatient for his retribution to begin so he could demonstrate to the guys the full sincerity of his remorse. He knew from Steve that he had to be torn down in order to be built up anew.

In between his duties in the house Tommy came out from time to time to check on Zack and see if there was anything he needed. The first time he came out he gasped and stood still, gazing down at Zack lying spread out on a chaise on his back, eyes closed, wearing only his thin boxer shorts that Tommy had washed for him.

With his muscular black body gleaming in the sun, his handsome face falling to one side, he looked truly magnificent, a homoerotic icon of manhood. One leg was raised casually, bent at the knee, which made his shorts slide back and reveal part of his long cock hanging loose from under them. Tommy wanted to stand there and just gaze down at him as he felt his own cock stiffen in his tight black pants.

Reflexively he rubbed his hand over the bulge in his pants, when suddenly Zack opened his eyes. He raised a hand to shield his face from the sun, squinted and gazed up at the tall, blond gymnast. "Hey, kiddo, you're a welcome sight, sexy as ever." He raised up on his elbows, which made his shoulders and chest flex hard, and grinned. "And that sure looks like a boner you're nursing there."

Tommy blushed, which Zack thought always made him look even sexier. "I, er, just came out to see if there is anything you needed, sir."

"Well the easy answer to that is `your ass'," Zack laughed, "but doc Steve says we shouldn't muddy the waters by fucking again. And he's right – the water is cloudy enough as it is. So my reluctant answer is no thanks, Tommy, there's nothing I need right now."

Tommy shifted uneasily from foot to foot and stammered, "Er, I know that this afternoon's ... event ... is strictly for the masters only, but I asked Steve's permission to attend in case they ... or you, even ... need any help ... during or afterwards. He said that would be OK, in fact he thought it was a good idea. That is if you don't object."

Zack smiled at him. "Tommy, you're a great kid and I thank you for making the offer. Knowing you're around will help a lot."

Tommy smiled and left the terrace, leaving Zack gazing after the mounds of his classic butt flexing as he walked.

The twins arrived in the afternoon about the same time as Danny, and Tommy took them to the kitchen where they set about the daunting task of preparing dinner for ten hungry guys – all the senior men of the tribe on fact.

Lloyd had come home from work early and Steve's last patient had left, and the two of them set up everything in the basement gym, which doubled as a playroom as most of the gyms in the tribe's various houses did.

Hassan was the first of the other guys to arrive. The strong, silent Marine lived just down the path in Steve's guesthouse and often stopped by for a drink after work. He sat by the pool with Steve and Lloyd, and Tommy brought out drinks. They were soon joined by the hunky fireman Jason who had driven up with the handsome Aussie Adam.

The newcomers were surprised that Zack was nowhere to be seen but, even though they all wondered where he was, they discreetly avoided the subject. They all knew that Steve had made the arrangements but they were pretty much in the dark as to what was expected of them. Of course, they did know the whole story of Zack and had all been surprised and disappointed by his irrational behavior. The unprovoked and vicious attack on Randy, who had refused to fight back, was an act that could not go unpunished, they all agreed on that.

Pete showed up next and was warmly greeted by the group. The easy going Forest Ranger and his lovable boy Brandon were a popular couple in the tribe, though of course Brandon had stayed behind with the other boys in the tribe's main house.

Last to arrive together were Bob, Randy and the cop Mark, a threesome in more ways than one, ever since Randy and Mark had buried the hatchet and come to terms with the fact that all three alpha males loved each other. They, of course, were now greeted enthusiastically, though Randy was uncharacteristically subdued on this occasion. Randy loved Zack and this whole experience had been painful for him, watching his super-confident buddy give way to self-doubt, frustration and anger.

All of the men had come straight from work and Steve had made a rather unusual request. He had asked them not to change out of their work clothes – uniforms in several cases – before they came here. Steve understood better than anyone the ritualistic nature of the tribe's punishment of one of its members.

Furthermore, he realized that, in this tribe of alpha males, the current issue was all about masculinity. Zack had felt his masculinity threatened and, racked by doubt, had tried to reassert it in anger and physical violence. The goal now was to help him regain his confidence by doing the very opposite – by submitting to this group of supremely masculine, dominant men.

When the whole group was assembled Steve lost no time in putting his plan into action. He stood and the group fell silent. "Gentlemen, I invited you here for one of our men-only dinners where we can all get together, relax and renew our solidarity and brotherhood. But on this occasion we have some business to attend to first. I know you are eager to get out of your work clothes, change and relax, which we'll do when the business is over.

"I don't need to explain the events that led up to this and I have to say, as a therapist, I find this kind of ritualistic group retribution distasteful, as it involves our good buddy Zack a man we all have long admired. However, those are your rules – insults cannot go unpunished, so here we are. In case you were wondering, Zack is down in our basement and all I would ask you to do is follow Lloyd's lead. The rest will be self-explanatory. OK, guys, let's get this thing over with."

When the nine men trooped down the stairs to Steve and Lloyd's basement gym/playroom they were stunned by the remarkable sight that met their eyes. In the middle of the large, mirrored room Zack sat in an upright, high-backed wooden chair with arms. The muscular black leather-master was naked, his wrists strapped to the arms of the chair and his ankles strapped to the legs.

Many of the men had expected Zack to be standing, bound and spread-eagled, ready to take a whip across his back or a succession of cocks in his ass. But clearly Steve's misgivings about the whole ritual had led him to cut Zack some slack and avoid a beating, focusing more on the humiliation of the macho construction worker. Even so, this trial of strength was to be a feat of endurance that would test the staying power of even a man as rugged as Zack.

The men stood or sat in a rough circle around the captive and there was a heavy silence in the room. As the silence wore on the humiliation of the bound and naked man in their midst became even more striking, surrounded as he was by a group of ultra-masculine men ... the uniformed lawmen – the cop, Marine, fireman, Ranger ... the authoritative professionals – the business executive, doctor, architect ... the rugged Aussie ... and the gypsy construction boss still in grease-stained work gear.

In contrast to those authoritarian alpha males, the sculpted black muscle-stud was powerless, helplessly bound, his shaved head bowed before them in total subjection awaiting his fate.

And finally it came. As Steve had promised, it was his lover Lloyd who took the lead. He walked over to Zack and stood in front of him, wearing jeans and the white dress shirt and tie he had worn to work. He reached forward, put his finger under Zack's chin and lifted his face up.

"Look at me, stud. Shit damn, you look so fucking gorgeous like that." Lloyd was known for his obsession with beautiful men and he was now looking down at one of the finest. As Zack leaned his head against the high backrest and gazed up at the handsome architect, the first of his tormenters, Lloyd loosened his tie, opened his shirt, pulled it out of his pants and shrugged it off. He stroked his own chest with his left hand while he unzipped his pants with the other and pulled out his stiff cock.

There was little doubt in Zack or the other guys what came next. Lloyd leaned forward and slapped Zack's face from side to side with his cock. Then he said, "You know what to do now, man ... the first of many." The helpless leather master obediently opened his mouth wide and Lloyd pushed his shaft deep inside, making him gag. "That feels so damn good, big guy. Wow, I'm so fucking stoked this ain't gonna take long at all."

Steve had asked him beforehand not to be rough on Zack, knowing the long haul ahead of him, and Lloyd was so turned on he couldn't have delayed even if he had wanted too. Gazing down at the sculpted black face, and his own rod driving in between the full lips, Lloyd was soon breathing hard, beads of sweat formed on his brow and he gasped, "Fuck, man, this is so damn hot ... I can't take any more ... my balls are bursting. Here it comes, big guy, I'm gonna cum ... I'm gonna cum."

His cock exploded deep in Zack's throat and his jizz blasted out with such force that Zack was forced to gulp down stream after stream. Lloyd pulled out at last and sprayed the last jets of cum over the grimacing black face. Lloyd glanced at Steve who nodded to him and Lloyd rejoined the group, to be instantly replaced by Steve, towering over the cum-splashed captive.

"You know this would not be my choice, Zack," Steve said quietly.

"Do it, man," Zack said hoarsely. "I need it."

Steve did as Lloyd had done – he pushed his shaft into Zack's open mouth and down his throat. Steve's cock was as long and thick as his brother Randy's so he took care not to damage the victim's throat.

And he followed the advice he had given to Lloyd to make it quick, which wasn't difficult as the hot mouth, lubed by Lloyd's copious cum, was a perfect receptacle for Steve's jizz. But, quick as the face-fuck was, the swelling cock made Zack gag and choke as sperm filled his mouth. At the end Steve pulled out and spurted the last of his juice on the face already soaked with cum.

That was to be the pattern that the other men followed. Next up came Jason, looking as stunning as ever in his fireman's dark blue serge pants and T-shirt and heavy work boots. Jason's narcissism always aroused and amused the other guys and, true to form, he pulled off his T-shirt and flexed the muscles of his torso. But as he looked at their reflections in the mirror he concentrated on Zack rather than himself.

As he unzipped his pants Jason said, "Man, you look so fucking hot like that ... such a stud. Fucking that face is a privilege." Jason pulled out his cock and drove it straight into Zack's mouth. This fuck lasted longer as Jason was so turned on by the sight of his long rod driving in and out of the handsome black face.

Zack rested his head against the high back of the chair and stared up at the shirtless blond fireman fucking him. He had always been turned on by the sight of the muscular jock and now was no different, despite his predicament strapped the chair. As he saw Jason's muscles ripple and bulge when he reached his climax, the homoerotic image, coupled with the sensation of the fireman's shaft down his throat, made him lose control.

He screamed into the gag of Jason's cock and his own cock erupted even as he drank yet another load of semen from the young fireman. He felt shame at not being able to restrain his own lust and as Jason pulled his cock out his head slumped forward. So when Jason blasted out the last of his cum it landed not on Zack's face but on his shaved head and ran down over his eyes, down his cheeks, his chin and his neck.

Jason resumed his place with the others and a silence ensued as they all gazed in awe at the pornographic sight of the black muscle-god strapped naked to the chair, his face and body streaming with the semen of three men and his own cock swinging between his spread legs dripping cum onto the pool on the floor.

Somehow the fact that this normally controlled man had lost his own load completed the picture of total humiliation as his head hung down in submission. But then they gasped as Zack raised his head, leaned it back against the chair with a look of square-jawed determination and pride, and waited for the next man.

That was Adam who now faced him, wearing jeans and a white V-neck T-shirt. Like the others, he pulled off his T to expose his beautifully gym-honed torso with a light covering of hair over the mounds of his chest. He looked down at Zack with admiration and said in his Australian drawl, "Good on ya, mate. You're a real man's man."

Adam was an independent man who walked to the sound of his own drummer. His easy-going Aussie sense of fair play was not compatible with what he saw as a `ganging up of nine blokes against one' as he would put it, no matter what the circumstances. But he was part of this clan so he lost no time in pulling out his already rigid cock and shoving it in Zack's mouth.

Yet again Zack endured another cock driving down his throat, trying to relax his throat muscles so as not to gag. And once again he felt the cock swell in his mouth and heard the Aussie shout, "Here it comes, mate ... now ...!" Zack gulped frantically as warm jizz poured down his throat and then, as Adam pulled out, splashed on his face.

He watched through a film of cum as the rugged Aussie buttoned his jeans and walked away, to be replaced by Pete, still in his Forest Ranger uniform.

The handsome Ranger was by nature a gentle man. He worked in nature, after all, in the parks and forests of sprawling L.A. County, and the only discipline he was called on to exert was on hikers in off-limits woodland trails. So as he looked down at the cum-smothered naked man, bound to a chair with semen flowing from the corners of his mouth, he had little appetite for retribution. In a strangely discordant impulse he flashed on his own boy Brandon confined to a wheelchair, which aroused his tenderest instincts.

But, like Adam, Pete knew he was expected to follow the tribe's rules so he quickly unzipped his uniform pants and pulled out his cock. He reached forward, held Zack's face in his hands and said softly, "Sorry, buddy," as he pushed his cock gently into his mouth. Reluctant though he was Pete was not immune to the sensuous feeling of Zack's mouth, fiery by now, the tender membrane lubed by the viscous warmth of semen that seemed to flow everywhere.

So it was not hard for Pete to quickly reach his climax. When it came, he did not plunge deep in Zack's battered throat but poured his sperm just inside his mouth, then over his face. Quickly, and feeling no satisfaction, Pete zipped his pants and resumed his place in the shadows.

Hassan, who came next, was a different story. For the rugged Marine captain discipline was a part of his life, bred in the bone of every soldier, and he was called upon to discipline young marines, individually and collectively, every day. So it was with crisp military precision that he now strode up to Zack.

Zack had always admired the dark, exotically handsome Arab/Asian Marine, his strength and pride, and identified with him as one of the toughest alpha males in the tribe. And now he gazed up with awe at the tall, muscular soldier, in his combat gear of fatigue pants and boots and a khaki tank top stretched over his muscled chest.

Living by strict disciplinary rules Hassan had been disappointed to hear of Zack's lapse into emotional weakness. If one of his Marines had attacked another as Zack had attacked Randy, his punishment would be swift and painful. Hassan was used to carrying out summary justice, which he proceeded to do now. A man of few words he was silent and grim-faced as he pushed his hand against Zack's forehead and pressed his head back against the high-backed chair.

This is what Zack needed to demonstrate his strength and resilience. He knew he had let down Hassan's expectations especially and needed his harsh form of punishment. And he got it. With no hesitation Hassan pulled his huge shaft out of his fatigue pants and slammed it in the captive's mouth and down his throat.

It was a savage face-fuck, matching the savagery of Zack's attack on Randy, with the Marine's cock pile-driving in the naked black leather-master's agonized face. Tears spurted from his eyes as the assault intensified. With his head pressed back against the chair Zack was able to look up at the Marine's muscular physique and his dark, exotic features, high cheek bones, slanted dark eyes and jet black hair.

Yeah, this is what he needed – to be disciplined by a military officer such as this. He locked eyes with Hassan and that bond of masculinity unique to men of their type united them – the dominant Marine captain and the naked black construction boss who had betrayed that unspoken code of honor that such men adhered to.

The assault went on and on, with tears pouring from Zack's eyes, his body writhing, struggling against his restraints. And yet his eyes never left the Marine's, willing him on to even heavier punishment. Several times he thought he would pass out, but he steeled himself against the ramrod driving in his mouth.

A steely master of discipline the captain knew when his victim had reached his limit ... and that time had come. With no warning shout, no indication of what was coming, Hassan suddenly unleashed a torrent of thick liquid that poured down Zack's throat, overwhelming his gag reflexes and choking him no matter how fast he swallowed. He felt he was drowning in the soldier's sperm and for a few seconds everything went blank.

Hassan pulled his cock out and slammed his remaining jizz into the face of the semi-conscious bodybuilder. The captain had done his job with steely determination and now impassively zipped up his pants and walked away to rejoin the men.

There was an awed silence as they gazed at the spectacle of the once-proud leather master, an alpha top-man, now stripped naked, his bound body shuddering, his muscular ebony physique smothered in semen, tears streaming from his eyes and running down his cum-splashed face as the broken man sobbed in total degradation.

There still remained the big three – Randy, Bob and Mark.

As a cop Mark was a disciplinarian like Hassan, used to demanding obedience and getting it, though of course his world was not as regimented as that of the Marine Corps. But he was a strict lawman so, as he stood up now to take his turn, the notion of a man paying the price for acting unlawfully was just as it should be.

But there was more to it than that. Mark was in love with Bob and Randy, and he had been fueled with anger when he had received the call to rush to the house after Zack's attack and seen Bob bending over his lover lying bruised and beaten in the dirt. That cried out for vengeance.

Mark knew that gentle Bob would be reluctant to punish Zack and he loved Bob for that. And Randy, always fiercely loyal to men he loved, had always treated Zack like a brother and had refused to defend himself when the crazed man attacked him, so he might again resist harsh retaliation. So the revenge fell to Mark.

As he approached Zack now the cop again flashed on the memory of his fallen comrade and his anger stirred anew. Still, as he stared down at the broken muscle-stud sobbing in bondage and humiliation he hesitated. He had to call on his professional police officer discipline to sublimate his own feelings and do what was necessary.

Zack raised his head and gazed up at the blond cop, looking magnificent in his cop uniform of black pants tucked into high, shiny, motorcycle boots, his shirt tucked in at the tight waist, the neck open to reveal a flash of white T-shirt at the neck. Slowly Mark unbuttoned the shirt all the way down, pulled it out of his pants and shrugged it off.

Zack stared up at Mark, his muscled torso bulging against the cotton of his T-shirt that hugged the slabs of his chest and gripped tight round his bulging biceps. "I have to do this Zack, you know that," Mark said. "You trashed my buddy, a man I love. I love you too, man, but I can't let that go."

"I know, Mark." Zack stammered hoarsely. "I love you, man ... I have to make it right with you ... so do what you have to – and don't hold back."

Mark unzipped his pants, pulled out his rock-hard cock and stroked it. As an act of total submission Zack opened his mouth and Mark leaned forward and braced his hands on the back of the chair above Zack's head. He eased his cock into the mouth and down the throat, paused and said again, "I have to do it, man."

There followed a ferocious face fuck almost as savage as the pounding Zack had endured from the Marine. Again his ravaged throat felt the iron-hard shaft piston in deep, pulling back slowly and then driving in again. He breathed desperately through his nose swallowing in a reflexive but futile attempt to ease the pain.

The onlookers gasped at the sight of the powerful, uniformed blond cop, stripped down to his T-shirt leaning over the naked prisoner, his body bucking and struggling against his restraints, tears again flowing down his face. Mark put all his strength into the fuck, but as it continued his steely resolve, based on his anger, began to crack. Suddenly he saw this for what it was – one powerful man inflicting pain on a buddy, a man tied and helpless who had willingly submitted to the judgement of his brothers.

It was enough. Mark's cock had been on the verge or orgasm several times and this time he let it go. "Here it comes, Zack ... hold on, buddy. Here it comes." Mark released only a few jets of cum in in his mouth and then, in an act of mercy, pulled out and poured the rest of his pent-up load over the agonized man, the streams of semen splashing hard on his face, his neck and his heaving body.

So now it was up to Bob and Randy. All eyes turned from Zack, sobbing in abject humiliation, to Bob who would come next. But when Randy looked at him he saw tears in Bob's eyes and a look of anguish on his face. Randy glanced back at Tommy who had been standing back in the shadows all this time, and tears were running down his face too.

Randy touched Bob's face, turned it toward him and kissed him on the lips. "Don't worry, buddy, you don't have to do anything. I'll take care of it. Don't I always take care of you?"

He stood up, walked over to Zack and stared down at him. Zack raised his tear-stained, cum-splashed face and steeled himself for the assault he expected and felt he deserved from the man he had so badly abused.

But instead he saw a smile spread over the dark gypsy face. "You are one helluva a man, Zack. It's an honor to call you my friend."

The spectators gasped as Randy sank to his knees, looked up at Zack and said, "I love you brother." He bent down and eased Zack's cock into his mouth. Gently he sucked it all the way down, then gulped repeatedly, massaging the cock with his throat muscles until he felt it stirring to life. He reached up, ran his hands over Zack's cum-drenched chest and rolled his fingers lightly over his nipples.

The captive man's cock started to swell and relief flooded through his body. As Zack looked down at Randy's face moving up and down on his cock he knew what he was witnessing. This was absolution as only Randy could bestow it – equal parts forgiveness, admiration and love for a man who had suffered mightily to prove his manhood and restore his status as one of the tribe's leaders.

As the men watched in awed silence Tommy came out of the shadows and sat next to Bob. "Sir, is it gonna be OK?" he whispered.

"It is now, Tommy. Randy has taken charge and made everything come right. And afterwards I want you to take care of Zack. Will you do that?"

"Absolutely, sir. I think Zack is a wonderful man."

In the middle of the room things were coming to a head. Randy had momentarily pulled off Zack's cock and said, "Please, Zack, show me that everything's OK between us – back to the way it always was."

Zack knew what he meant. And it was Randy's plea, the fiery sensation in his cock and the sight of his buddy's handsome gypsy face that suffused his whole body with warmth, made his balls bulge and his cock erupt deep in Randy's mouth. Randy swallowed once, then pulled off, held Zack's cock so it pointed at him and spurted jizz over his dark, stubbled face. As cum ran down his face Randy grinned, "That's it bro – now we're equal."

Quickly he unbuckled the straps round Zack's wrists and ankles and eased him up out of the chair and into his arms. He held him tight, supporting his limp body, and licked the cum of so many men from his face. When Zack could support himself Randy released him, grabbed his wrist and held his arm in the air like a victorious prizefighter. "Gentlemen, give it up for Zack, an incredible man and our brother. He's one of us."

The other men stood and cheered, then gathered round Zack, shaking his hand with expressions of awe and respect. They separated to make way for Bob who held Zack's face in his hands, kissed him long and tenderly and then smiled. "Magnificent, Zack. Welcome back."

Steve had a quiet word with Tommy who picked up the bathrobe he had brought down with him. He came forward shyly to Zack, draped the robe round his shoulders and said, "Sir, if you would allow me, I would like to take you back up to my room where you can shower and rest."

Zack grinned weakly. "Best offer I've had all day, kid. Lead the way." Tommy curled a supporting arm round Zack's waist and together they haltingly left the room.

Steve smiled at Randy. "Well done, Randy, that was a class act. You sealed the deal."

Randy chuckled, "Guess you worked that old shrink magic again, doc."

"Nah, I just set the stage. You guys did all the heavy lifting."

"Hey, Steve, Lloyd," Mark said. "Unless I'm wrong I think I remember something about dinner being included in this tour package."

"You sure did, officer," Lloyd said. OK, fellas, let's all adjourn upstairs for cocktails and see what magic the twins and Danny have been working in the kitchen. Drinking semen can be real tasty – I should know. But now it's martini time."

In Tommy's bedroom Zack stood gathering his wits, still looking a bit dazed. Tommy pulled the bathrobe off his shoulders, grabbed a towel and began to wipe the cum, sweat and dried tears from his face and body.

"Hey, Tommy, how about we do this in the shower?"

"You mean ... you want me in the shower too, sir?"

"Sure, if you don't mind. `Course, I understand if you don't want to after what just happened ..."

"Oh no," Tommy said hastily, "I do, sir – I mean I will ... I want to ..." He trailed off nervously and pulled off his T-shirt, then dropped his pants and briefs. Zack instinctively looked down at his perfect ice-skater ass and patted it. "Ah, the buns of death ... the sight of that gorgeous butt is enough to make a guy forget all his pain. Come on, kid, let's hit the shower."

A few minutes later they were both standing enveloped in steam and Tommy was soaping Zack down, running his hands lovingly over the muscular body. "Thanks for being there, Tommy," Zack said. "I know we had a great night in bed last night but I wasn't sure you'd want anything to do with me after seeing me, the big muscle-stud, tied down, humiliated, and forced to suck one dick after another. Not exactly the image of a super-macho top man."

"Oh no, you're wrong, sir. You've never looked hotter to me ... taking all that abuse from so many guys without giving up. To me you were tougher and more macho than ever." He blushed amid the steam and streaming water. "And when you took that brutal pounding from Hassan you looked so incredible, sir, that I ... I couldn't help it ... I creamed my shorts. But after all that – after proving what a real man's man you were – I thought you would be so far above me you wouldn't even notice me again."

"Kid," Zack said, "you gotta lose that insecurity. That's exactly what got me into trouble, losing my self-esteem and doubting my masculinity. Not notice you?! Hell, boy, you could never walk through a room without making heads turn. You're fucking gorgeous, and I don't mean only your butt ..." he grinned ... "although that is fucking primo I gotta say. I don't want you to be nervous of me, Tommy. What can I do to convince you?"

"Sir, I know what you've just been through, and you came a couple of times already but ... sir, I kept thinking about last night and ..." His soapy hand strayed down over Zack's ripped abs, over his pubic hair and lightly touched his long, thick club swinging between his legs."

"You mean you want me to fuck you again? See that's it, boy. You don't have to ask to get butt-fucked. With an ass like yours guys should be lining up begging to put their dick in it. Come to think of it, after all that stuff downstairs I could use the reassurance that I can still perform up to my old level. Turn around."

He gently pushed Tommy face first against the mirrored shower wall and pressed against him, his cock rubbing against the crack between the solid globes of his ass. "Oh, shit, boy, that feels so fucking beautiful. I don't care how bad I got worked over downstairs, that ass could always make me hard." He reached up, wiped the steam off the mirror, and smiled over Tommy's shoulder at their reflections. "You sure you want this, boy?" Zack teased.

"Oh, sir," Tommy whimpered, "after watching you downstairs, such a strong, macho hunk, I could only dream of taking your cock in my ass."

"That so eh?" Zack grinned. "Well dream no more, kiddo. This is the real thing." Zack scooped the foam off his body and rubbed it over his already iron-hard shaft. He eased the tip between the ass cheeks and eased it slowly over the sphincter and deep, deeper inside him.

Once again Tommy had that wild feeling that the long pole would never stop as it pushed endlessly inside him. Then at last the head passed over the inner sphincter and came to rest in the most sensitive fiery depths of his ass. Tommy gasped, and there they stood, motionless as the hot water sprayed down on the naked bodies, joined together in the steam-filled shower.

Again Zack wiped the mirror clear and grinned at Tommy. "Feels great, eh kid? Tell me what you want. I like to hear it ... turns me on. What are you thinking about, Tommy? What's your fantasy?"

Zack's deep inviting voice made Tommy lose all his shyness and inhibitions. "Sir, I'm thinking of the macho black leather master, one of the tribe's bosses, tied to a naked chair and getting face-fucked in turn by all the men of the tribe. I see his body writhing, his muscles gleaming with sweat and semen. Jizz is streaming from his shaved head down over the handsome face and his jaw is sagging open, cum oozing from it, waiting for the next cock.

"The black muscle-god is sobbing in pain and humiliation ... but he survives it all. He triumphs, and in the end he is more powerful than ever, stronger than any of them. And then, I get to take care of him. I can hardly believe it as he tells me to strip and service him in the shower. I soap him down, running my hands all over his beautiful body, a bodybuilder's physique.

"And he praises my ass, turns me to the wall and ... and he actually wants to fuck me, to push that massive black rod in my ass! And now he's there, deep, deep inside me. And I'm trying not to cum, waiting for him to fuck me ... fuck my ass. Please, sir ... please fuck my ass. I wanna get fucked by that muscle-god who was tied naked to the chair, tortured by the whole tribe and smothered in cum. Please sir," he shouted, "fuck me!"

Zack grinned. "That's it, Tommy. That was beautiful. See, a man as gorgeous as you has the confidence to say anything, do anything ... even take a leather master's black dick up his ass ... like this ..."

Zack pulled almost all the way out, and Tommy's scream reverberated round the walls of the shower as the shaft drove back in, even deeper than before, the start of a firm but gentle fuck that made Tommy go weak at the knees feeling the hard-muscled body press against his back making him slide against the soapy mirrored wall, his arms stretched up, clawing at the glass..

"You feel sensational, kiddo," Zack breathed in his ear as he fucked him. "Last night you restored my confidence in myself and now I'm returning the favor. I want you to always be a proud, self-assured guy who's kind and generous to others." Zack smiled at him in the mirror. "Tell you what, Tommy, you promise me you'll be that boy, and I'll cum in your ass. Deal?"

"It's a deal, sir. It feels so great. Are you really fucking my ass, sir? Are you really gonna shoot your sperm in my ass?"

"You bet, kid. This is not fantasy. This is real – the master's huge black cock in the young blond gymnast's sweet ass. OK, kid ... here it comes." Zack turned up the pressure, pressing harder against Tommy's back, his shaft like a piston now, driving into his butt.

Tommy turned his head and Zack bent forward and kissed his mouth hard until neither man could hold back any longer. Their mouths separated and Zack howled, "Fuck! I'm gonna cum boy ... I'm gonna bust my load in the jock's gorgeous ass. You ready, boy? You ready to cum for the master? Let's do it, stud ... now ...!!"

Tommy felt the massive cock bulge and explode in his ass as his own cock sprayed jizz all the way up the mirror. Load after load pumped out of them until Zack felt Tommy go limp against the mirror. He pulled his cock all the way out and, with a huge sigh, Tommy sank to his knees.

Zack knelt down facing him and they kissed hungrily. When finally Zack pulled off his mouth he smiled. "So this is the new Tommy, like I said – proud, self-assured, kind and generous. A man blessed with beauty like yours owes it to the world to be all those things."

Zack laughed. "So now we have restored each other's self-esteem, let's show the world eh? At least that part of the world that's waiting dinner for us outside."

Dinner was being served by the twins and Danny out on the terrace at a big round table that seated ten hungry men and four boys. The men were already gathered round the table when Zack appeared with Tommy.

The men rose and gave Zack a standing ovation, a signal that they had all followed Randy's lead, as usual, and made their peace with their newly-empowered buddy. They also observed Randy's long-established rule that when a man fucks up, he's punished and that's the end of it. That ship has sailed. It's all in the past.

Tommy ran over to Danny who was just emerging from the kitchen. They hugged tight and Danny said, "You OK, dude? Everything go OK?"

"Sure, Danny. Listen, Zack just fucked me again in the shower. Are you OK with that?"

Danny laughed, "Of course I am – except you should have called me so I could watch. But from now on you're in my bed, OK? I have to be back up at the Grady House tonight `cos the guys are still away and they don't like the house to be left empty. Can you come with me?"

"Try keeping me away, dude. But I warn you, I'm feeling real stoked right now, so you better be ready." They hugged again then went back in the kitchen to help the twins – and to gossip about what had happened downstairs. A bit later Tommy asked Zack, "Sir, is it OK if I call the boys at the house. They'll all be wondering what happened."

"Great idea, Tommy. Tell Darius I'm fine and I'll see him when I get back tonight."

The dinner was a festive affair, a boisterous celebration of the return of Zack into their midst, restored to his former macho self. "So, that was a long shower, dude," Mark chuckled. "I guess there was a bit more to it than soap and water."

Zack grinned broadly. "Well let's just say we weren't exactly swapping recipes."

"Hey, don't knock it, sir," said Kyle. "Us twins and Danny swap recipes all the time." His brother Kevin added, "Yeah, and the result is what you're eating right now."

"Is that so?" Mark laughed. "Well if this is the result, guys, you just carry on swapping away."

The wine flowed, food was devoured, and the noise and laughter grew louder. Randy and Bob chatted together for a while, then Randy said, "Hey, Zack, how about next weekend you and me take our boys fishing up at the lake, just the four of us?"

"Sounds like a plan, buddy. Long time since we did that."

"Long time since we did a lot of stuff, buddy," Randy smiled with a roguish look in his eye. "Oh, and Bob has something he wants to ask you."

Bob shrugged, "Oh, just an idea I had. I was wondering if, when we get back to the house tonight, you would, er, like to spend the night sleeping with Randy and me."

"Seriously?" Zack said, casting a glance at Randy who nodded encouragingly. "Well sure, that sounds great."

"Like I said," Randy grinned, "long time since we did a lot of stuff." Zack realized there was more to the invitation than met the eye. It was Bob's way of putting the final seal of approval on Zack's rehabilitation.

When at last the party finally broke up the men of the tribe had never been closer. Crises and their resolution, no matter how painful, always served to reinforce their tight-knit brotherhood. So the farewells were even more heartfelt than ever as the men took their leave of their hosts, offered a round of applause to the chefs, Kyle, Kevin and Danny, and headed for home. Danny and Tommy went together to the Grady House and the twins drove back with Bob and Randy, followed by Zack.

Back home the boys were anxiously waiting for their return, having already learned all the details of the day's events from Tommy's phone call. Zack hugged his boy Darius who was brimming with pride and relief that his master had survived his ordeal and was back as one of the tribe's bosses. Pablo was with Darius and Zack said, "Couple of things – Randy and me wanna take you guys up to the lake fishing – just the four of us. Sound good?"

"You bet, sir," they said in chorus, eyes gleaming.

"Also, Darius, I don't know if you two were planning to spend the night together but Bob and Randy have asked me to sleep with them. I don't want you to think I'm neglecting you."

Darius grinned, "Spend the night with those two in the inner sanctum? That's an offer no-one refuses. I say got for it, sir. Get to know them all over again. And don't worry about me. My hot mechanic here will take good care of me."

And so it was settled and they all went to their respective beds. Zack went up to the master suite, tapped on the bedroom door and poked his head inside. "Hey Randy, reporting for duty as ordered."

Randy smiled, "Not an order, buddy. Be a long time before I try to give you an order after what happened last time." Something they could laugh about now. "Bob's in the shower ... he'll be done soon."

Zack became serious. "Randy, so much has gone down that I wanna make sure that we are solid again. I mean, for a while there I know I lost your respect and trust. I want you to be certain you can still trust me completely."

"I know I can, big guy. And to prove it I'm gonna entrust you in this room with the thing that's most precious to me in the world."

At that moment the bathroom door opened and, emerging from a cloud of steam, was Bob, naked except for a towel wrapped round his waist. As always when he saw Bob naked Zack gasped. There he stood, his spectacular body gleaming after the shower, his dark hair tousled, a dazzling smile spread over his Superman features.

He walked up to Zack, put his hand behind his head, pulled his face toward him and kissed him lovingly. Randy said, "I was just telling our good buddy here that I'm gonna trust him with my most precious thing in the world."

Bob broke away. "That's right Zack. It's something we both want." He dropped the towel and threw himself on his back on the bed, buck naked.

Zack stared down at Randy's beautiful lover in awe, then turned to Randy. "You mean ... you're asking me to ... you trust me to ...?"

"Hey, it's what he wanted," Randy shrugged, "and you know I can never refuse my guy anything. Oh don't worry, dude, I'll be here watching all the time – may even grab a piece of the action myself. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 360

Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can read the whole story, all the many chapters, with extras, including pictures and biographies of all the characters. Click on the `Our Story' tab to read the current chapter, or click on the green button to browse all the chapter synopses. Enjoy