blood orange sky (bwwm horror)

water bound

His Callie was beautiful—too beautiful for her own good, Lucas thought. The way she'd wedge a blanket between them in bed made him smirk. As if that flimsy barrier would keep him from taking what was his, from their marriage. But he allowed her that small act of defiance, knowing it wouldn't last.

A soft chuckle escaped him as he watched her. "You know, you're a beautiful woman," he murmured, his voice low.

Calliope said nothing, her silence louder than any response she could have given.

Lucas leaned in slightly, his eyes fixed on her. "You cook, you clean—you're obedient. You're everything a man could want in a wife."

Calliope didn't react beyond a quick roll of her eyes, a gesture that only amused him further.

He smiled, undeterred. "You're a very pretty woman, Callie."

But she remained quiet, her silence speaking volumes in the heavy, suffocating air between them.

Lucas's smile faded as Calliope's silence stretched on, the tension between them thickening with every second. He didn't like being ignored—especially not by her. His jaw tightened, and the air in the cabin felt heavy, oppressive.

"Don't pretend like you don't hear me," he said, his tone sharpening. "I'm talking to you, Callie."

She kept her eyes fixed on the far wall, refusing to engage, which only made the frustration simmering inside him begin to boil over.

"I said, you're a beautiful woman," he repeated, his voice louder now, demanding a reaction. "And you're lucky, Calliope. Most women don't get a husband who takes care of them the way I take care of you."

At that, she finally looked at him, her eyes narrowing in defiance. "Takes care of me?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You think trapping me here is taking care of me?"

Lucas's eyes darkened, his patience slipping. "You're my wife. This is your home. Everything I do is for you and Noah."

Calliope's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "For me? You won't even let me leave the cabin without you. You control everything—my life, my choices, my body. That's not love, Lucas."

His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the words hitting him harder than they should have. "You don't understand what I'm doing for you. You don't appreciate it," he growled. "You think the world out there is better? That you'd be happier somewhere else? With someone else?"

She didn't flinch, her voice steady as she glared at him. "I'd be happier anywhere but here. With anyone but you."

The words cut deep, and Lucas felt his control slipping, anger flaring in his chest. "You're my wife," he said through gritted teeth, his voice low and dangerous. "You'll learn to be grateful for what you have here. For what I've given you."

Calliope shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I never asked for this. I never asked for you."

Lucas stepped closer, his presence towering over her. "You're my wife, Callie. And I'll decide what's best for you. You should know better than to talk to me like that."

"Or what?" she shot back, her voice rising, her fear momentarily buried beneath her anger. "What will you do, Lucas? Lock me up in the cabin forever? Hit me? You think that'll make me love you? That'll make me stay?"

His eyes flickered with something dark and menacing. "You're not leaving. Ever. You can fight me all you want, but this is your life now."

Calliope's chest heaved as she stared him down, the weight of her words finally spilling out. "You're not a husband, Lucas. And I'll never—never—be the wife you want."