Page 131 of GlitchBorn Heart

He takes both my arms to the crook of my back. The fibers tighten, not harsh, but firm, the knots precise and purposeful.

He doesn’t restrain me to trap me; he restrains me to anchor me, to let me feel the weight of choosing to stay. My heart is pounding, but not with fear. Anticipation hums in every muscle.

When he’s finished, he walks to the front of me, rope following. Once, twice, around my waist and into a V around my thighs. “You wear restraint beautifully.” He observes his knotwork so far. “You’re being such a good girl for me, Taiyō.”

Praise.

Shit, he’s already locked and loaded that confession and is about to destroy me with it. My nipples tingle with arousal as heat flares in my chest at the words. The need for him to touch me is stronger than I expected. He moves slowly, wrapping, looping, the rope crisscrossing with an elegance that mirrors his martial arts precision. Each knot is a promise, each pull a question: Will you let me lead you further?

When he steps back, I glance down at the intricate patterns across my arms and torso, trailing down my legs, securing my ankles, the rope holding me in place, unable to run from him, like I normally do. I’ve never felt more exposed, and yet, never more safe.

Kael studies his work, then my face. His expression softens into a devious grin: admiration edged with pure primal hunger. “Masks. Praise. Restraint. All of it, yours. And all of you, mine.”

I squirm. The rope tightens, digging into my skin. He’s tied it so the more movement I make, the tighter it binds. For a second my throat closes. Restraint has always meant control taken from me by the Corporation, by TheKast, by the grid itself. But Kael’s hands are steady and careful, almost reverent. I see it more clearly now. Each knot is tied not to confine me, but to give me something I never knew I wanted: to surrender willingly.

Kael picks up the tail of rope extending from my ankles and grabs a dagger off the wall. He twirls it in his hand, then with one clean motion, cuts all the way through. He walks back over, the dagger in the hand with the lotus, the rope held by the mandala, and places the weapon back on the wall meticulously.

My chest rises and falls too fast, breath catching as he works the cut rope into a clean, loop and knot, and slides it over my head and around my throat. His precision reminds me of his code, tight, efficient, and flawless. His voice pulls me out of the fear building in my chest.

“How does it feel?” He ties the end to my wrist, and I feel it open my neck up, chin tilting to the ceiling.

His tongue runs up my throat. He’s so close, his breath blows a wisp of my hair. “To be under my complete control, unable to run.”

I try to move, and the fibers bite just enough to remind me how fragile my holo-skin is. “You know,” I say, my voice catching as he pulls the slack taut, “this shouldn’t even be possible. I’m not real. I’m just light and pixels. Normally I would just cut the holo-program and run.”

“But where’s the fun in that?” A nibble to my bruised bite mark. The pain is a gentle reminder I’m still here. Still able to feel his touch.

“It feels so good. I still don’t understand how.” His mouth is on my collarbone now, sending a current through me.

“Damn good programming.” His gaze flicks up, eyes strobing bright orange.

“Kael...your eyes—”

“Breath in,” he interrupts me. I breathe and hold. He tugs the rope around my throat. I feel my breath stop. “You feel this, don’t you?” The pleasure, the pain, I feel all of it. A tiny spark of alarm climbs as I let out my breath. I can barely swallow. I nod.

I gasp for air as he releases his hold. “I do. But I don’t get it. I’m not human anymore.”

The corner of his mouth moves ever so slightly, the ghost of another smirk. He leans closer, hands running up and down the knots on my body. “PleazureHolo sales are worth about a billion dollars to VikkCorp. They’re popular because they feel and act so real.” He draws the rope around my hands higher, pulling me just slightly off balance, up on my toes, so I have to lean into him to stay steady.

“I built the PleazureHolos to mimic true desire. To trick people into believing they were with a real human partner. But you...” His voice is rough, almost breathless. “You’re no program. I didn’t write this. You’re not fully scripted. It’s mostly you. Your magic is spilling into the holographic feed, you’re amplifying any sensation I give you.”

He reaches down into my red lace panties and slides a finger through me. His touch is ecstasy. His head kicks back. “Fuck, you’re always so wet for me.” His eyes roll back like his years of self-discipline are being stretched to the limit.

“This is proof, Taiyō.” He holds up his slick fingers. Proof you’re still human, even in this form. Because only someone alive can want me the way you do.” He inserts his finger into that perfect mouth, tasting me.

I can’t stop the flood of heat rushing up my body into my face. I can’t decide if I want to fight him or surrender to him, collapsing into the mess he’s made of me.

His lips graze mine. I can taste myself on him. Bitter but sweet. His next words coil around me, as tight as the rope binding my body. “Because of men like Vikktor, you think domination is about taking and hurting,” Kael says quietly. “It’s not.”

He tugs the rope between my thighs, the knot biting and sliding up inside me, grazing my swollen clit. I gasp at the sensation.

“I’m only claiming you as mine.” His fingers lift my chin, forcing my eyes to his. “Responsibility,” he continues. “I’ll be the one to push you without breaking you, and I don’t just mean intimately.” My heart stutters.

“I want to be the one holding you in place, the last line between you and the rest of the world.”

He removes each nipple over the lace of my bra, giving them a gentle pinch. They harden under his fingers. “You realize what this means, don’t you?” His fingers linger just a beat longer than they should. The pleasure morphing into slight pain.

His eyes lift back to mine, black and smoldering. “No one ever touches you without my permission.” He means it. A threat and a promise. “No one gets to hurt you but me. If I ever push you to the edge, it’s because you asked me to. Because you trust me to bring you back.”