Page 20 of Reforging Onyx

Dominic chuckled again, rinsing the shampoo out of Onyx’s hair before applying conditioner and then using a soft cloth to start washing the rest of his body. “I’m glad,” he said. “Because I quite enjoy kissing you and intend to do more of it.”

“Isn’t this going to like…” Onyx frowned, shifting restlessly as Dominic bathed him. “If anyone knew that you liked kissing me, they’d think you were weak.”

Dominic laughed. “They’re welcome to think so,” he said, his voice rich with his amusement. “That would likely go poorly for them.”

He rather suspected that Onyx knew very little about pleasure slaves and the ways that many supes interacted with them. He might get an odd look for kissing his, but that would be far from the worst that any might think of him.

“I mean, I don’t want them to know what we’re doing,” Onyx said quickly. “I just… They don’t have to know, right? I mean…” He let out a frustrated sound. “Never mind.”

Dominic pressed a quick kiss to Onyx’s lips. “No one is going to think I’m weak, Onyx,” he told him. “Whatever they may or may not think of me kissing you, that will not affect everything else that they know about me. And if they’re foolish enough to try to underestimate me, then I’ll destroy them.” The words, for all that they might sound like a boast, were simply factual.

He could destroy just about anyone, and he was comfortable in the knowledge.

Onyx took a deep breath, then tilted his head so he could meet Dominic’s eyes. “And you won’t get bored of me?” he asked quietly.

Dominic cupped Onyx’s face with his hand, brushing his thumb over the other witch’s wet cheek. “I don’t believe I’ll ever get bored of you, Onyx Rayne.” He paused, considering him. “You’re worried that by accepting me, that you’ll no longer be a challenge, and that my attention will waver. It won’t. You are no less my beautiful, fierce, wild tiger by your choice to allow this to be good between us. The embers of fire in your eyes are not diminished because you are not raging against me at every opportunity.”

Onyx squirmed, but he nodded, seemingly accepting the answer. “Okay."

Dominic rinsed the rest of the soap from Onyx’s body and hair before giving himself a brief and efficient wash and turning off the water.

Grabbing a towel, he started to dry the other witch off.

“What would you like to do for the rest of the day?” he asked.

Onyx blinked at him. “I don’t know."

Dominic smiled. “Today has been full,” he said. “Did you know that I have a theater here at the house? A small one, but a theater. It was here when I bought it and I haven’t used it. Perhaps we should watch a movie, and then an early dinner before bed.”

Onyx looked uncertain, but he nodded.

“Good." Dominic would be curious to see how Onyx would react to something as simple and mundane as watching a movie together — especially with Dominic’s arm around him.

With any luck, this would mark the beginning of a turning point in the right direction.

Chapter 10

Dominic

In the wake of the visit to the warehouse and the events afterwards, Onyx’s malleability remained high — enough so that for the first few days, Dominic had felt the first hints of concern that the collapse of the Rayne witch’s resistance had gone too deep. He hadn’t pressed for any further escalation of intimacy, but he continued to touch and soothe Onyx, getting him accustomed to him and for where things would eventually go.

Dominic had been perversely pleased when Onyx had balked again, the flash of resistance indicating that not all of the Rayne witch’s fire and spirit had been broken.

He hadn’t resumed Onyx’s training with Shane. He had, in fact, suspended all of the wolf’s duties as he waited to see what the outcome of these latest changes in Onyx’s state would be before deciding whether the wolf would stay or reach some other unfortunate end.

The prolonged inactivity and lack of stimulation had started to make Onyx restless, though, and Dominic considered what might need to be done to settle him again. Onyx would need some form of stimulation, some form of engagement with someone other than Dominic himself, a thought that was ironically dissatisfying. He had begrudgingly shared his tiger’s time with Shane so that the Rayne witch would stay physically adept. Now he would have to expand that to others.

“Is it time for lunch yet?” Onyx asked, breaking the silence.

Dominic glanced at the clock. It was still early to eat, and while Onyx was a bottomless pit at times, he suspected that the request had more to do with boredom than actual hunger.

“Not yet.” Dominic sat back in his chair so that he could see Onyx’s face more easily. “How is your book?”

“Boring,” Onyx replied, staring up at him from where he sat beside Dominic’s chair. “Dominic, all I do is listen to books and music. I’m fucking bored. When do I get to go back to the warehouse? Or the rec room? When do I get to train with Shane again?”

Dominic reached down and ran his fingers through Onyx’s hair as he considered the questions. For all the same reasons that the first visit to the warehouse had been risky, a second visit could prove to be equally so. His tiger would once again taste — then lose — his magic. It could set back the progress that the Rayne witch had been making, if not derail things entirely.

It was also not the first time that Onyx had asked about his training, which Dominic had been unwilling to allow. The exception made on the day of the warehouse outing had been necessary to take the edge off of Onyx’s anticipation and excitement, and he would have to determine soon whether the training would continue or not. But that was not a decision he was prepared to make at that moment.