"Where are they?" August asked one of the maids she encountered in the hallway. She didn't need to mention who she was talking about.
The maid hesitated for a moment before answering. "Master Alexander and Master Elijah aren't here, miss. But Master Lucian...he's in his room."
August's heart skipped a beat. Lucian was the most volatile of the brothers, a man whose temper was as unpredictable as it was deadly.
The thought of confronting him sent a shiver down her spine, but she squared her shoulders.
If she was going to be dragged to hell, she would not let Aiden be dragged with her.
"Thank you," she said to the maid, who gave her a sympathetic look before leading her to Lucian's door.
Standing before the heavy wooden door, August hesitated, her hand hovering over the handle.
She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the fear clawing at her insides. But then she thought of Aiden, of his sweet, innocent face and the terror that had taken root in his soul, and her resolve hardened.
She knocked, the sound echoing ominously in the silent corridor.
"Come in," came the deep, commanding voice from within.
August pushed the door open and stepped inside, her breath catching in her throat. Lucian was seated at a large oak desk, his attention fixed on the laptop before him. He didn't bother to look up, mistaking her for a maid.
"Just put the coffee on the table and leave," he said, his tone dismissive.
August stood frozen, her fists clenched at her sides as she fought to keep her emotions in check. When she didn't move, Lucian finally looked up, his dark eyes narrowing in confusion before a slow smile spread across his lips.
For a moment, he simply stared at her, as if she were some mirage that had materialized out of thin air. Looking into her eyes was enough to turn him into a stone, as if she was medusa only she wasn't, it was his gorgeous little doll. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said, "Beautiful."
He rose from his seat, crossing the room in a few long strides. "You should know this doll, you're so much more radiant than the sun itself. What are you? A witch?" He chuckled, his hand reaching out to caress her cheek.
August remained still, her face a mask of indifference as his fingers brushed the curve of her cheek. She forced herself not to flinch, not to recoil from his touch, even though every instinct in her screamed to pull away. Her fists remained clenched at her sides, the nails digging into her palms as she struggled to maintain her composure.
She couldn't dare to ruin his mood, unlike his brothers, his fist talked more.
Lucian's presence was suffocating, his mere proximity like a dark cloud that blotted out any trace of hope or light. She knew better than to react, to give him any indication that his words or touch affected her. He thrived on power, on control, and any sign of weakness would be an invitation for him to exert both.
"Not going to answer me, doll?" Lucian's voice was a low murmur, dangerously soft. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were dark, almost black, and they held a mix of curiosity and something far more sinister. "You're a quiet one, aren't you? Or maybe you're just smart enough to know when to keep your mouth shut."
August swallowed hard, her throat dry. She could feel the weight of his gaze, the way his eyes seemed to strip away her defenses layer by layer. She was trapped in this moment, a deer caught in the hunter's sights. But she couldn't afford to show fear—not when she had Aiden to protect.
"It's about Aiden," August finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. The mention of the boy's name was like a trigger, and she saw the immediate shift in Lucian's demeanor. He stopped what he was doing, his broad shoulders tensing as he closed his eyes, trying to rein in the fury that had been simmering just beneath the surface.
"Of course," Lucian hissed, his voice dripping with disdain as he opened his eyes, now cold and hard. "It's that leech again. He's the only reason you would even bother to speak to me or any of us."
August felt the temperature in the room drop, a chill that settled deep in her bones. Lucian's tone changed from deceptively calm to seething anger, each word laced with venom. She could see the hatred in his eyes, the kind of loathing that had been festering for far too long.
"Come on, now," he sneered, his voice rising with each word. "Speak. What does that little shit want to suck on now, my soul?"
August flinched at the cruel words, her stomach churning with a mix of fear and disgust. She hated the way Lucian spoke about Aiden, as though he was nothing more than an inconvenience, a burden to be discarded. But she had to tread carefully—one wrong move, and things could spiral out of control.
"Pl-please, don't," she pleaded, her voice trembling as she struggled to keep her composure. "He's just a small child. He doesn't deserve this."
Her words, meant to reason, had the opposite effect. Lucian's rage only intensified, and before she could react, his hand shot out, grabbing her arm in a vice-like grip. August gasped, a sharp whimper of pain escaping her lips as he pulled her closer to him, their faces inches apart.
"He deserves it. Every fucking but of it. He is lucky enough to be alive atleast" Lucian snarled, his voice low and dangerous, his grip tightening until she could feel the bruises forming beneath his fingers. His breath was hot against her face, his eyes burning with an anger that threatened to consume them both.
"I still regret not torturing that bastard enough before Elijah had stabbed him to death. Now someone has to pay for it, right?" A tear rolled down her eyes as she listened about Noah.
August's heart plummeted, a cold dread settling in her chest. His words were like a death sentence, a promise of what would happen if she ever failed to protect Aiden.
She realized then that if she ever tried to run, if she ever made a move to escape, she couldn't afford to get caught. Because if she did, the one who would suffer the most wouldn't be her—it would be Aiden.
Her mind raced, searching for a way to defuse the situation, to divert Lucian's wrath away from the innocent child she had sworn to protect. And in that moment of desperation, she did the only thing she could think of—the most unexpected, most dangerous thing she could do.
She leaned forward and rested her head against Lucian's chest, her heart pounding in her ears. Disgust coiled in the pit of her stomach, but she forced herself to stay still, to hold her breath, to remain vulnerable in a way that she knew would disarm him.
Lucian's anger dissipated like smoke in the wind. The tension in his body eased, his grip on her arm loosening as he stood there, stunned and uncertain. He didn't know what to do, how to react to the sudden shift. The only sound in the room was the rhythmic thudding of his heart beneath her ear, a steady, unfamiliar beat that echoed in the silence.
"Please," August whispered, her voice barely audible, "let me give him a normal childhood. I've already accepted the deal. I'm ready to submit."
Date Published - 08/16/2024
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CAGED - A prisoner to their obsession
General Fiction"please, I'm sorry, I won't do it aga-" She screamed in pain only to get cut off by another slash from the whip. "I know you won't doll" Lucian smiled grabbing her hair in his fist. "but bad girls needs punishment" August cried as she was pushed w...
