No Way Out

The Intruder's Identity

A plan formed in the duke's twisted mind. After that night, he found his pet to be far more obedient and during the day, he would even allow the male outside of the bedroom. He would order his pet to remain on the floor by his chair as he worked in his office. The male's pretty face, which was decorated with bruises, was constantly bound, and gagged. The gag during the day was a simple strip of cloth tied tightly, as was the blindfold. He didn't even need to bind him during the day, but liked the way the shackles looked around his delicate wrists, thus he had them shackled at all times during the day. The duke stroked his pet's hair as if he were a dog, or a cat, taking pleasure in any reactions the male had to the touch. During the day, the duke's treatment was rather tame, but once the light drained from the sky, he dragged his pet back to the bedroom to torment him yet again. Every order was obeyed with complete obedience, which satisfied the duke during the day.

His new favorite instrument was the candles, and the scorching wax that dripped from them. That night, he tied Taylen to a chair. The male's wrists were tied behind his back. Ropes squeezed at his arms, torso, and abdomen. They pulled his knees back, securing them in a position that allowed for easy access to his sensitive rear. His ankles were tied to the arms of the chair, rendering them useless as usual. The duke took his time letting the wax drop onto the male's bare chest. The wax stuck, and seeped into Taylen's wounds, and eventually onto his most sensitive part. The duke took the part into his fingers, kissing it lightly as the wax dripped onto the shaft. It wasn't long before the duke was pounding his the way he always did.

Any human would have completely crumbled under the shear force of the duke's torture and torment, but not Taylen. The very collar that the duke locked around his neck from day one had black crystals embedded on the outside. These crystals supplied Taylen's body with a sort of life support. They bound his soul to the world of the living, and prevented his wounds from becoming fatal. The duke's own magic was keeping him alive through the many nights he beat him to the ground. He would never allow Taylen to die on him. Not when he still had plenty of savory reactions. The duke had his whole being wound around the male, like the snakes that terrorized Taylen in his visions. His fangs dug into the male, preventing him from escaping from his grasp while delivering the poisonous torment.

A few weeks later, the duke sent out another letter of invitation to all of the same guests he'd invited the night his pet was visited by a mysterious figure. He made sure not to leave anyone out. The duke led a blindfolded and gagged Taylen into the exact room he'd placed him before. He lit the candles with his magic, and allowed the violet mist to lightly envelope the room. The very mist that amplified Taylen's senses the last time it had been used. This time, it was not nearly as strong as it had been that night, but was sure to draw a reaction should the unidentified intruder so much as touch the male. The duke laid Taylen down on the floor, and bound the male into a very strict hogtie, tugging at the knots to make sure they were secure. The hogtie crossed his ankles, and wound around his hips. They squeezed at his torso, and arms, leaving no wiggle room. He then tightly bound the most sensitive part of his body, and kissed the tip. The duke sat beside the male, caressing his tightly bound arms as the mist worked to amplify that touch. He chuckled as his hand rested on the male's rear. There was still time before the party, and the duke could not help but play with his dear pet until then. The duke rose to his feet, and gazed down at the helpless form beneath him. How he loved the sight of the male tied up and powerless, robbed of both his sight and his voice. A golden flower that he'd obtained one evening.

"Be a good boy now. We wouldn't want a repeat of last time, now would we?" The duke chuckled, pushing at the male's body to roll him onto his side before departing to greet his guests. He left, however, one more detail. A small black snake that slithered its way up one of the bookcases, and rested in the shadows between dusty volumes. There, it simply observed the scene below, relaying any pieces of information back to its master.

The guests were having the time of their lives as usual with the duke at the center of it all. Ravus, as usual, arrived in place of the prince. He, unaware of what had happened to the male since the last time he'd seen him, and of what was to come, began searching once he thought the duke was too drunk to notice his absence. There were multiple rooms being used for the party on the first floor, and so he figured it would take a while for the duke to notice his absence. Ravus searched yet again for the male, and it didn't take long.

He glanced around cautiously before entering the room. It didn't take long to find Taylen, and this time, he could see the full extent of his physical condition. There was no chair backing to obscure the view. Ravus, yet again, stared in shock, and horror. The male's condition hadn't changed one bit. A silent curse lodged itself in the nobleman's throat as he knelt down. Wasn't there anything he could do? He lightly rested his hand against Taylen's upper arm. He was far too young to be subjected to this sort of treatment. In fact, Ravus thought no one deserved something like this. This time, he didn't touch the gag, nor the blindfold. Any tampering with the binds would be a risk, though he was unaware that it didn't matter what he did now. The duke knew his identity.

From the shadows, the serpent watched carefully. The duke almost laughed at the news delivered to him. Of all the people to have found his dear pet. He couldn't act yet now that he knew the identity of the man who removed the blindfold the other night, considering his position. If something happened to the man while attending the duke's party, it could draw attention to him.

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A/N: Early update because we hit 3k views 😎