Chapter Text
You returned to your senses in the same room you had escaped just earlier – or yesterday? What day was it? You weren’t quite sure. The curtains were drawn closed, yet the N109 Zone was never not dark, anyway.
The satin black blanket on you was quickly thrown off as you gripped his damned sheets and thrashed around. You kicked the blanket off, some pillows went flying and the sheets started slipping off.
Your little tantrum hadn’t gone unnoticed – one lonely caw making you halt in your movements.
Mephisto was perched on his usual bird spot near the door that led to the bathroom and for a second you stopped to listen. Sylus didn’t seem to be here. So, your gaze fixed on Mephisto - that damned spy.
You remembered Xavier and hoped he was okay. The thought of him leaving in shambles was filling you with guilt and dread. Sylus was right; Xavier had been your link to the N109 Zone. He had smuggled you inside and now you felt trapped in his vicinity with no way out.
Maybe, once you found a solution to your sticky situation, he would let you go. Perhaps, he just really wanted to have this bond gone but when you looked around his room, not even you were convinced of that naïve thought.
After all, he had revealed himself to you and with that some secrets of his, that you never really took too seriously. Now, having to rethink and analyze these same patterns, seemed necessary. Telling you about his private life, giving you his card to spend as much money as you saw fit, revealing to you that he was watching your every move and had been doing that for quite some time before you were even aware of it, was quickly alerting you about how trapped you may be.
You felt determined then, getting up, cursing his name, as you looked back at his bed that he had the audacity to put you in, and grabbed the few things of yours you saw scattered around. Both your guns and your phone were nowhere to find and you had the firm suspicion, he was holding onto them.
While looking around, trying to figure out what item would be best to behead a robotic bird, the door creaked, and all of a sudden piercing red eyes were staring at you from across the room. You tumbled backward like a deer caught in headlights, closing your eyes shut, breaking eye contact.
A wave of nausea washed over you, drowning you in that feeling till your legs gave out and your butt met the plush of his mattress as you were forced to sit down or crumble to the floor. Never in your life did you feel as weak as when this man was staring at you with a resolve in his eyes, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
“Awake, are we?” You heard him speak. That deep voice was as monotone as ever, revealing a tint of playfulness. “I see, you’re still feeling dizzy.”
You opened your eyes and the world started spinning again, making you squeeze them shut again. The sound of his steps coming towards you was making your heart thump so hard in your chest, you were scared it was going to jump out of your chest – a grim imagination, you were sure, he would like.
“Don’t do that.” You screeched out, your own voice sounding miles away. “Don’t pretend to care.”
You felt a warm touch on your cheek, his hand cupping your face gently, making you open your eyes again.
“Oh, but I do. Don’t I? Have I ever given you the impression I didn’t? I looked after you, didn’t I? I fed you, protected you, let you sleep in my home – in my bed. Was I that cruel to you?”
Your head turned the other way, away from his touch and away from him but he was quicker than you, grabbing you by the chin, forcing you to look up at him. From this sitting position, he looked so much taller, so much more intimidating. A shiver ran over your body.
He wasn’t wrong. He had taken care of you, he had done all of those things, yet…
“I am not your pet. I demand to go home. I can take care of myself.” You said, standing again, facing him with fake bravery that he saw right through.
“This is your home. Here. And with me.” He told you, a smirk on his face. “I enjoy your contradicting little emotions. They look so pretty on you, kitten.”
His fingers reached all the way to the back of your neck, stroking the tiny hairs that had escaped your ponytail, angling you to the side as he watched you side to side like you were his to do so.
“I don’t understand what you want from me. If this is about the bond –“
“The bond is only step one. The safety of knowing you will never be able to stray far. I’ve never liked outdoor cats, you see.”
You blinked – dumbfounded as you were. A shaky sigh escaped your lips and he reveled in it, knowing it was his doing. You looked at Mephisto instead, forcing yourself to look away from the crimson red his eyes were.
Sylus took a step forward, bullying himself in between your legs, forcing them open as he stood there towering over you. He didn’t like it when you didn’t give him your full attention so he was eager to take it forcefully if he had to.
You quickly shuffled back, further over the bed until you understood your mistake and it dawned upon you that by wanting to be away from him, you gave him an opening. His arrogant chuckle was the confirmation you didn’t need to hear, as he leaned forward, dipping his knee on the mattress right in between your spread legs.
Just when you were about to pull away, his hand on your neck slipped down, stroking over your shoulder, your arm, settling on your waist as he squeezed and held you in place with a grip you were sure would leave bruises.
“Don’t move now.” His voice was nothing but a whisper in your ear. You felt his breath tickle the side of your neck as you focused on his words, staying put. “There are things much bigger than our little predicament right now. Some things are impossible to stop, impossible to change and these things – with you and me in the middle – are predicted long ago. Written in stone. They’re perpetual, abiding to the depths of time and their undying order of things. There are situations you will not be able to understand, yet, feral little kitten, extracting your claws at me for the very wrong reasons. You best keep them hidden before I feel the need to remove them.”
Then he stood again, letting up all at once. His whole presence and his warmth were gone as you noticed him look around to shake his head at the mess you made.
“Are we feeling rebellious? Have I been too harsh with you?” He asked now – another big hand coming back into your view to tuck a lonely strand of hair behind your ear. “You are free to move around my home as you see fit. I would remind you, though, not to play around with Luke and Kieran too much. I am awfully bad-mannered when I am jealous. I apologize in advance, kitten.”
You gaped at him like a fish out of water, confused beyond comprehension. Nothing he had said had made sense. You were left with more questions than answers, but it was okay. There wasn’t anything he could say to you that would make you submit to his plans and ideas – to his words even.
If he wanted to paint you as this weak kitten whose claws were too sharp for its own good, perhaps it was best to make him believe that was the case until you could show him you were much more than that. You were a trained hunter after all.
“Why?” You spoke with an unfamiliar coarse voice. “Why keep me here against my will? Why go to all these lengths to do that?”
His head tilted. Looking down at you with an odd look was suddenly making you feel exposed and scrubbed raw. You felt the strange need to wrap your arms around yourself to keep yourself from spiraling, but you decided not to. His soft sheets, crumpled and wrinkled at the most parts, helped keep you grounded while you sank your nails and fingers inside of it.
Yet, his red eyes looked you up and down, seemingly noticing the way you reacted to his many quirks, understanding your uneasiness and a slight smirk grazed his face.
You swallowed hard, looking away – focusing on his shoulders that were way too broad, his body that was too powerful, and you shook off those thoughts, for a split second looking off into the distance again but you remembered his words and the way his touch had forced you to look at him. You didn’t need him to do all that again, even though, it felt like a small loss and a win for him over you. With all these new touches added to your interactions, he seemed to have already trained you into obeying him or facing the consequences but you didn’t want him to touch you again, not now, not today, not ever again, but you were a mess already.
You yielded. This time at least.
Forcing yourself not to glance away, you stared at him, your eyebrows furrowed together and your mouth in a scowl.
Another chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. The sound low and rich enough to send your hair on edge. You could only watch as he once again crept closer, grabbing the sides of your face and forcing you to continue the eye contact.
You felt the grip of his long fingers on your skull, pushing your head upwards to expose your throat to him as you felt your breaths come in short little puffs.
He gently caressed your throat, sliding his right hand over your skin and the throbbing pulse at the side of your neck, leaving a burning trail of heat where his long fingers had touched you. You held in a shaky breath.
You tried to keep as still as possible but your skin felt like it was on fire – burning up by the heat emitting from him. He was hellfire and you were nothing but a droplet of water extinguishing and drowning by his mere presence.
“So easy to rile up.” He said, his voice nothing but a rough whisper. You felt the bed dip under his weight as he lowered his head to your neck, his nose nuzzling your skin. “You smell of fear and panic. Of confusion and anger – of smoke and ashes. My poor little hunter.”
You flinched, your heart beating faster in your chest as you felt the hot air of his breath against your skin. He smelled like soap and perfume, spearmint breath with a tint of a smoky smell you weren’t quite sure where it came from. Maybe he did in fact step right out of hell to torment you?
“Stay away from me.” You said, a sudden resolve in your tone that seemed to halt him in his movements. Trying to get away from his hands and distance yourself seemed futile, you were well and truly stuck underneath him, his legs trapping you against the bed.
“Stay away?” He repeated, moving his head slightly away from your neck to look down at you. The smirk on his face turned devilishly playful, and you saw a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Why should I?” He murmured, his index finger tracing your jawline, caressing your skin with every single one of his words. You felt like burning up, biting down on your lip as not to make a sound and give him that satisfaction of hearing you. “I can feel you shuddering you so deliciously underneath me. Do you know what that does to me?”
“Just let me go. I don’t need you to… keep me here and take care of me. We are not kids. I am not going to play house with you.”
Another laugh escaped him, a low rumble that left you feeling strangely breathless.
“You are making demands once again.” He said. “You are quite adorable when you’re like this. So feisty, struggling against someone who clearly has you exactly where he wants you.”
“And I will not stop struggling. I obviously want to leave. So let me go while I’m asking nicely.”
“Oh, I am sure you do want that.” He teased, not taking you seriously for one second. “But look at you now, so desperate and helpless.”
You really wanted to show him the opposite, to kick him in the groin so he would shut up about you but he knew your strength, didn’t he? He saw you fight, he knew what you were capable of. He just seemed to not see you as a threat.
His left hand left the back of your neck to slide further down. He was hovering over your body until he reached your knee, holding onto it and looking down at it as if he was in awe at how easily you fit into his hand.
“You are going nowhere. I’m taking care of you. Unlike the other ones, I won’t let you get hurt.”
As you were trying to pull your knee out of his grasp, you halted to realize the depth of his words. The other ones… Xavier, Rafayel and Zayne? So, it was true.
He had been watching you for probably way longer than you would have guessed before.
“Again, I don’t need you to take care of me. I really would prefer to go home.” You tried convincing him one more time.
He lifted his hand, grabbing ahold of your chin and forcing you to look up at him again. The smirk on his face turned into something darker.
“You keep repeating yourself, kitten. You should know by now that this is your home now. You’re living here. With me.”
His grip on your chin was tightening, and he pushed himself closer, his whole body hovering over you. His body head becoming unbearable.
“But why? What good does this bring? Why keep me here? What do you want from me?” You felt your own strength leave you, frustrated from the whole interaction. He seemed to dodge most of your questions, only answering the parts he felt were necessary. It was shallow and none of them satisfied your curiosity. “If it’s about your aether core – “
He tilted his head slightly, feigning confusion, as if your question was the most ridiculous thing to ever come from your mouth.
“Haven’t you been listening? I’ve told you before – you’re staying here so I can take care of you. No buts or what’s. You are mine. That was what your nod to Xavier signaled, no? I’ve marked you and you will remain here.”
He brought his hands down to your hips now. Your head fell back until it met the soft plush of the mattress as he pulled you closer until you were firmly pushed against his body.
You shook your head, a few hair strands getting stuck on your face as you did so.
“I am an established hunter. I don’t need you to stay safe. I really don’t buy this excuse of yours. There’s another reason you’re not telling me.”
He clicked his tongue in disapproval, the way he would with an unruly child, which seemed to be exactly the way he was seeing you.
“Bit impatient, aren’t we?”
He lowered his head again, his lips brushing against your ear.
“You’re adorable when you’re all worked up. So determined to find everything out, but so clueless as well. It’s very entertaining to watch you.”
Something in you stirred then – a warmth filling you, flushing your face. Were you blushing? You didn’t know how exactly he hit that chord within you to tickle that reaction out of your body without you consenting but he noticed it rather quickly.
“Explain it to me then, if I am so clueless.”
He pulled you even closer, his whole body pushing against yours as if he were fighting the air that dared to stand between your bodies. You could feel every inch of him, his hardness, the heat of his skin through the clothes, his breath against the side of your face. It felt like you were truly drowning.
“I do not like to spoil the fun. But you enjoy this, don’t you, kitten? Trying to break my resolve. It’s written on your face and its shown by how you squirm that you’re enjoying this struggle.”
His thumbs dug into your hips, his fingers applying a bruising pressure as he kept you pinned underneath him – his body completely enveloping yours. His weight forcing you even more into the plush of the mattress.
“You like it when I have you like this. So, you should be quiet now and stop asking me unnecessary questions.”
You laughed. A hollow laugh with nothing to back it up but it came out of you before you could stop to think.
“Maybe this is exactly why I should be asking more questions. You know what I think? I think you’re the one enjoying this situation way too much – not me.” You felt bold suddenly, your knee moving to accidentally brush against his hardness.
The reaction was immediate. He stiffened up, a low growl coming from him as he pulled away slightly to look down at you. That eyebrow raise you knew to be his signature mark.
He took in a slow breath, attempting to gather himself, but his dilated pupils gave him away and you felt regret at once.
“That…” He said, “was a dangerous move, little hunter. Keep that up and you might see how deep the rabbit hole goes.”
He pinned both your hands above your head, holding them down as he leaned his upper body forward.
“You don’t really know what you’re getting yourself into, kitten.” He muttered, his lips brushing against that pulse of yours, one single fang grazing over it. Maybe he was a Vampire after all?
“You can’t possibly imagine the way I want you right now, how I plan to have you.”
Then his lips, delicate and soft, latched onto the soft part underneath your earlobe. Your heart felt like it was going to jump out of your chest and your eyes were squeezed shut so hard you started seeing weird shapes and patterns behind your eyelids.
Seconds, then minutes passed until you noticed his mouth had left your neck and nothing else was happening. He was still holding you down, yet he wasn’t moving and with one careful eye, you looked up at him to see why he had stopped at all.
The expression on his face was one you had never seen before and it surprised you so much that a tiny gasp escaped you.
He was calculating something, his eyes fixated on you, although they were looking at you with a soft glint, the furrowed eyebrows scared you.
“You’re not ready.” He finally muttered, after what had felt like an eternity, slowly letting up from you and getting up to stand before you. With the patience of a saint, he started straightening his clothes as a hand went through his hair to fix that messy look.
You tried not to look, tried desperately to focus elsewhere, yet the way he was ignoring the stiffness in his pants nonchalantly was making your head spin.
“I need to go out for work. Mephisto is here to keep an eye on you. If you need anything, Luke and Kieran are close by. And if you feel lonely, let me know, I will be here in a heartbeat.”
He began walking towards the door, and you sat up straight, your hands still shaking slightly. The heat of what had just happened hung in the air like a thick cloud, almost suffocating you.
He stopped right by the door, turning around to look back at you.
“Be good.” He said.
Then he was out the door and you felt your damned face heat up once more, the blush settling down without him being able to see.