"YOU WERE MINE, YOU'RE MINE, AND YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MINE, " he declared, his voice a low growl as he thrust deeper into me.
"Ahh, I h-hate you," I managed to gasp, the intensity of the moment making it hard to think straight.
"SAY THAT AGAIN AND SE...
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I stood frozen in front of Darius, my mind swirling with a confusing mix of fear, anger, and something darker I couldn’t name. His eyes locked on mine, the weight of his presence pressing down on me like a vice. I could feel the authority radiating from him, a tangible force that stole the air from the room.
He had listed the rules—rules that would dictate my every breath, every movement. There was no room for freedom here, no escape from his dominance. And yet, the worst part was the part of me that couldn’t tear my gaze away from his, the part that felt drawn to his control, even as I fought it.
“You understand what I expect from you,” Darius’s voice was low, a dark promise laced in each word. “You’ll obey. Without question.”
I swallowed hard, every fiber of my being screaming at me to defy him. But the memory of his punishments—public and humiliating—still lingered, burned into my skin. I couldn’t bear it again. The punishment in front of the maids had stripped me bare, not just physically but emotionally. I had never felt so exposed, so utterly vulnerable, and the knowledge that he had done it to break me left me feeling both furious and strangely… dependent.
“What if I don’t follow them?” My voice came out shakier than I intended, betraying my fear.
His lips curled into a dark smile, one that sent chills down my spine. “Then you’ll suffer the consequences. And believe me, Aurelia, the punishments you’ve endured so far will seem like mercy compared to what I have planned if you disobey me again.”
I wanted to recoil from him, to lash out, but my feet remained rooted to the ground. His presence consumed the space around me, dominating not just my body but my very thoughts. How had I let it come to this? How had he twisted me into this shadow of myself, both terrified and captivated by him?
He stepped closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over me, his hand sliding under my chin and forcing me to meet his gaze. His touch was firm, inescapable, reminding me just how powerless I was under his control.
“Repeat the rules,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for defiance.
My heart raced, every beat thudding against my chest like a drum. I tried to focus, tried to recall the words he had spoken earlier, but the pressure of his dominance clouded my mind.
“I…” My voice faltered, and I saw the flicker of amusement in his eyes. He enjoyed this—seeing me struggle, watching the confusion and helplessness dance across my face.
“Say them,” he ordered again, his grip tightening ever so slightly.
I swallowed hard, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “I will not run. I will not disobey your commands. I will not… I will not speak unless spoken to.”
He nodded, satisfied. “Good girl.”
The praise sent an unexpected shiver through me, though I hated myself for it. Every word he spoke, every touch he offered, was designed to break me down, to reduce me to something pliable—something his.
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Her fear was intoxicating, but it was the quiet struggle in her eyes that truly captivated me. She wanted to fight, wanted to run, but every time she hesitated, every time her breath hitched under my command, it was a victory. Aurelia was mine, whether she admitted it yet or not.
I saw the confusion in her gaze, the unspoken question she’d been wrestling with since the day I punished her in front of the maids. She didn’t understand, couldn’t fathom why I had exposed her so cruelly only to eliminate the witnesses afterward.
“Why did you kill them?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “If they weren’t allowed to look at me… why did you humiliate me like that in front of them?”
I leaned in, my lips brushing the shell of her ear as I spoke. “Because you needed to learn what it means to be mine. To feel the weight of your position. You needed to understand the consequences of your defiance, and public humiliation is a powerful tool. I punished you in front of them so you would never forget the price of disobedience.”
Her body stiffened, her breath catching as the realization hit her. I smiled against her skin, enjoying the way she trembled under my control.
“But they saw me—” she started, her voice laced with both anger and confusion.
“And that’s why they’re dead,” I cut her off, my tone matter-of-fact. “No one is allowed to see what belongs to me. They were mere pawns, Aurelia, their lives insignificant compared to the lesson you needed to learn.”
I pulled back slightly, enough to meet her gaze, my fingers still gripping her chin with a possessive firmness. “You are mine. Every inch of you, every thought, every breath. No one else has the right to see you, to touch you. Only me.”
I could see the war raging in her eyes, the mix of fear and something deeper. She wanted to rebel, but the weight of my dominance pressed down on her, smothering any chance of resistance. She was slowly beginning to understand—there was no escape from me. I would be her world, her every thought consumed by the rules I set, the punishments I delivered, the rewards I chose to bestow.
“You’ll follow my rules, not because you’re afraid, but because you’ll come to crave my approval,” I whispered, my hand trailing down her neck, stopping just above her collarbone. “And if you break them… well, you already know how that ends.”
I could feel her pulse quicken beneath my fingertips, her body responding to the tension between us even as her mind fought to resist. She didn’t want this—didn’t want to be controlled—but she couldn’t deny the pull, the intoxicating mix of fear and desire that came with my dominance.
“There will be consequences, Aurelia,” I murmured, leaning closer, my lips ghosting over hers. “And you will learn to love them. You will learn to love the control, the pain, the pleasure. It’s all connected.”
Her breath hitched, and I could see the battle in her eyes, the internal struggle that was slowly tipping in my favor. She was beginning to break, and I would be there to catch her when she did, to mold her into something perfect—something that belonged entirely to me.
“Do you understand?” I asked, my voice a dark whisper.
She nodded slowly, her eyes wide, her body betraying her mind’s rebellion.
“Good,” I said, pressing my lips against her ear once more. “Now, let’s see how well you can follow those rules.”
The storm brewing inside her wasn’t just defiance—it was a hunger, a deep-seated need for control, for order. She didn’t realize it yet, but I did. I could see it in the way she responded to me, the way her body tensed and softened under my touch.
This was the beginning of her true submission, the first step toward breaking her completely. And I would savor every moment of it.
