Page 28 of Reforging Onyx

Until he woke up.

Because he would wake up as long as the vampire blood was in his system. Fuck. Fuck!

He stopped at Dominic’s side, but he was still not calm. He had to get out of here before he lost it, before he gave Dominic a reason to punish him.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Dominic said to the others, setting down his glass and rising to his feet. His hand slid under Onyx’s hair and around the back of his neck.

Onyx flinched when Dominic touched him, but he — if only barely — kept himself from pulling away. He was on the verge of losing control, so close he could taste what it would be like to lash out without caring about the consequences. It was only when Dominic started to guide him out of the room that he felt…

Well. No. He was still on the edge of losing it; the only thing that had changed was that his potential target would be Dominic if he felt any more cornered.

“That was unfortunate,” Dominic said quietly as he guided Onyx upstairs and to his bedroom. “Still, you did well enough.”

Onyx didn’t want to have done well, because he knew that doing well meant he’d been obedient, that he’d done what the other two insipid fucks would’ve done. They were obedient; they were everything Onyx didn’t want to be.

So why wasn’t he fighting Dominic? Why was he just walking at his side, allowing himself to be walked upstairs in silence?

On the way, Dominic caught a servant, giving her instructions that Onyx didn’t even pay attention to.

“Change out of those clothes before I cuff you,” Dominic ordered once they’d gotten to the bedroom.

Onyx yanked the shirt over his head and went for a more comfortable t-shirt instead. He changed into a pair of shorts, too, the glint of the cock cage catching his attention and reminding him all over again of the things that witch had done to him.

Nathan Warwick was downstairs. Onyx should’ve killed him when he’d had the chance.

He didn’t know what would’ve happened to himself if he had, but it would’ve been better, wouldn’t it? It would be worth it to repay him tenfold for the shame and humiliation and nightmares.

Except Dominic was the real villain in all of this, wasn’t he? He was the reason Nathan had done those things to begin with.

Still breathing unsteadily, still unsure of whether he could continue to be obedient, Onyx stared at Dominic instead of going to the bed to allow himself to be quietly cuffed to the headboard. But then, if he did it, he’d be able to be alone, even for just a little while… and he wouldn’t be punished.

He didn’t want to be punished.

He ducked his head, crossing over to the bed and wordlessly offering his hand out to Dominic.

Dominic secured the cuff around Onyx’s wrist. The chain was loose enough that he would be able to have a significant range of movement while also making sure that he wouldn’t be able to go too far.

Dominic used a finger to tilt Onyx’s face up and stroked his cheek. “Dinner will be brought in for you. Would you like your headphones?”

Why was Dominic being like this? Onyx had embarrassed him in front of his guests, hadn’t he? Shouldn’t he have been angry? It would’ve been easier if he had been. He could’ve lashed out without feeling the slightest bit of remorse. But no. Dominic was pretending to be gentle, and he was treating Onyx as though he’d done everything right when he hadn’t.

Except he had. This had been a test to see if he’d act out, if he’d obey while unchained, he knew, and he’d passed that. He wished that didn’t make him feel so sick.

He nodded, his gaze averted so he wouldn’t have to meet Dominic’s eyes.

“Very well,” Dominic said. He pressed a kiss to Onyx’s forehead before going to his desk and getting the headphones out of the drawer on his desk. “I shouldn’t be much longer." He crossed back over to offer them to Onyx. “An hour, perhaps two at most.”

Onyx nodded again, taking the headphones. He didn’t know what he’d say if he did speak, but he didn’t think it would be to his benefit.

So instead of risking it, he kept silent, even as he thought about the strange piercings in Tristan’s cheeks and the fact that he’d been uncollared while out in another witch’s home.

Fuck.

Dominic had expected him to befriend them, hadn’t he? He’d thought that Onyx might like it? Well, he’d been dead wrong.

Chapter 13

Dominic