Page 71 of Unfettered

I hold him so tight that he’s probably going to have bruises, but neither of us cares. “It was never about you, Cucciolo. I needed to apologize to them all, for not being what they needed me to be. I wasn’t avoiding you, I promise. I just…I was terrified to face you because you hold such an important part of me. I was scared you were going to tell me it was over for you.”

He pulls away and looks me in the eye. “You’re my Angel. The one who was there for me when I had nothing to hold onto. You kept me sane when I was missing such an integral part of me. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you, but I did, and being without you felt as if I was missing part of my soul. You’re mine, Angel. My Owner who tells me what I deserve, the person who carried me through the darkest parts of time, and the one who gave me a Daddy, my Master, and my stabby soulmate.

“It hurt. So fucking much to not have you. I…would have walked away from you had I come in here and you weren’t sorry for what you did, if I believed you didn’t respect me or the gift of my submission. But…that didn’t happen. Because you’re my Owner, and you know what I need better than I do.”

I wipe the tears from his cheeks. “I’ll always support you, Baby. I would have understood had you told me you couldn’t do it anymore. But I am so fucking grateful and thankful for you giving me another chance.”

He lets out a shaky breath. “I love you.”

I kiss him softly. “I love you too, Pup. So fucking much.”

He chews on his lip for a moment before saying, “Sir? Would it be okay if I…” His words seem to get stuck in his throat, but I smile gently.

“On your knees, Pup.”

He complies instantly, folding himself down so gracefully that it takes my breath away.

With a hand to his cheek, I lift his face up to meet my gaze. “You never have to ask, Cucciolo. Whenever you need to, you’re free to go to your knees for me. What happens after that is for me to decide, but I will always welcome you at my feet.”

His breath catches. “Thank you.”

Bending over, I kiss his lips softly. “You’re welcome. I wish I could take you apart. I want to see your pretty flesh marked up by my hands, my mouth, and whatever other instrument of pain and pleasure I feel like… But I’m not in the right headspace, and the last thing I want is to hurt you. So, I’m sorry for not being able to give you that, but you can stay here for as long as you need. Don’t think, don’t worry, just breathe and rest. I’ve got you.”

His entire being shudders and his eyes close. Removing my hand, I guide him so he can rest his head against my thigh. Spreading my legs, I encase him between them, letting him relax against me.

It happens in slow increments, but bit by bit, every line of tension eases from him, and his breathing evens out. So much so, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was sleeping. But he simply trusts me enough to let go completely, falling deep into that warm, safe place that comes with handing his well-being and care over to me.

It makes my eyes burn with tears, because I sure as fuck don’t deserve it, but I’ll cherish it anyway.

Never again will I ever take this Boy for granted, because the day he walked out of my office? I got a clear vision of what my future would look like. Even surrounded by my lovers, it would be bleak and colorless without my sweet, loving, big-hearted Pup. And that is something I refuse to ever allow.

Emilio is mine. He has been since he all but dared me to put him in his place, and as he kneels for me now, I vow to never make him regret trusting me.

He showed he will choose himself above all others, and I am proud of him for that, but I will make sure he never has to. Running my fingers softly through his hair, breathing with him, I relax in the love a Pup has for his Owner.

Owner and Cucciolo, as it was always meant to be.

Iescort my Sweet Boy to his room. Though he casts a longing look toward the medical room where Cristian is stuck for now. Or perhaps in wonder of where Lio may be. Either way, it’s been a long night and he needs to sleep, even if it’s still early for us.

The roller coaster of the last few hours… It’s certainly not what I expected. And yet, it peeled back more layers to who this man is. I can’t deny the way I want to dig in, to own him and unravel every inch of him. It’s an odd feeling. Completely different from the way I am with my other lovers in some ways.

The need to master him, to control him, is more powerful for some reason. Perhaps because he only shows his vulnerability to me. It’s a conundrum that I’ll solve—eventually. For now, I can be patient, even as my mind spins with the knowledge that this was the first date either of us has had. At our age.

Our backgrounds didn’t lend us to flowers and chocolates… just guns and knives. Crimson has always been our love language. Part of me wants more of this odd romance, and the other… Well, I may need some time to process. As much as that irks me.

After tucking my Sweet Boy in with a kiss, and a note to do wicked things to him later, I walk out of his room and into the hallway. Taking out my phone, I send a message to Leandro to investigate Gerald. It wouldn’t surprise me if he goes crying to the Senator, and if so, he needs to be taken out. Really, that needs to happen just for the way he talked to my Boy.

So little time, though… Maybe I can give that task to Chaos to deal with. Now that he’s doing better, it’s time for him to start pulling his weight.

After receiving an acknowledgment, I shove my phone into my pocket and head toward my other Boy. It’s been a while since I’ve spent quality time with my Topolino, and what I was working on is finally complete. The idea might have formed because of Ignacio—not that I'd ever tell him that—but I made it my own. Something for my Topolino to enjoy and remember how much I care about him, especially when he feels alone.

Ignacio needs to avoid interfering with my Benjamin. I’ll mark my Topolino all he wants, and make sure his ex sees the results—ridiculous “bestie” status or not, Ignacio is not touching what’s mine in this case. It’s bad enough that Chaos spoils Roman.

This place is somewhat of a maze, with people moving every which way and playing musical rooms, but Benjamin’s bedroom has remained the same. Part of me hopes that eventually I’ll be able to drag him into the orgy bed that Roman talks about, but I know we have to rebuild trust. My poor Topolino has struggled too hard, for too long. The low burning irritation is still there at how I could have missed all the signs, but I shove them away, because tonight? Tonight, I’ll start making up for it.

Knocking on the door, I wait for it to open. Curbing the instinct to just walk straight in is difficult, but it’s part of my plan to re-earn his trust and pretend he has some autonomy. Thankfully, he doesn’t keep me waiting.

My Topolino is captivating, and the dark urge to mark him rises as soon as the door opens. Truthfully, Ignacio was right to call him a little mouse. He manages to activate my prey drive without any effort…