Page 10 of Reforging Onyx

Onyx would only get out when one of them was dead.

“What happens to me when you die?” Onyx asked abruptly. “If one of your other games backfires and you end up dead.”

Dominic silently assessed Onyx for a few moments before he replied, “If I die and nothing nefarious is involved, then you will go to my sister. She will come over from England to dispose of my estate according to my will.”

Onyx’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of person is your sister? Am I going to want to set her on fire too? Or is she the only decent person in your life, or whatever?”

Dominic chuckled, lightly stroking Onyx’s hipbones. “She is a Bancroft. Some would say that that alone precludes any of us from being ‘decent.’ I would say that of the three of us — my sister, my brother, and I — she is the one where that descriptor might apply. I am not a good person; I make no claim to be. Nor is my brother. My sister at times is.”

Onyx shook his head. No, there were no “decent” Bancroft witches. No decent supes, really, except… Except he’d thought maybe Shane could be, and that was debatable considering what he’d done to Onyx and what he might do to others if he was given the order.

Shane, who he hadn’t seen since that day — who Dominic was dodging questions about.

He had mixed feelings about the whole thing, unsure of whether he hated Shane so much he never wanted to see him again or if he wanted to resolve things between them.

But today wasn’t the day to think about that. Today was the day to think about having his magic, if only for a short period of time, and he shifted restlessly, tugging back away from Dominic’s touch.

“Can we leave now?” Onyx didn't want to think about Shane, or Dominic’s family, or what his fate might be if Dominic continued to play his crazy fucking games…

With someone else.

Someone else who wasn’t Onyx.

Someone else who could be what Onyx wasn’t.

Someone better than Onyx, who wouldn’t crack beneath the pressure of it all.

His eyes darkened.

Dominic chuckled and patted Onyx’s hip. “Soon." He nudged Onyx back and turned to his laptop again. “Things are still being finalized, and I have work to finish first. Sit.”

He indicated the spot next to his desk, then got Onyx’s headphones out of his drawer and held them out to him.

Onyx looked at the headphones, then back at Dominic. He wanted to throw a fit, to say that he didn’t want to wait, but he didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize his chances of getting to use his magic later. He didn’t think he was going to be able to sit still or quietly, though.

“Can you just get Shane to run me through some training?” he wheedled, the words escaping before he really thought them through. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to sit still.”

And the last thing he needed was to get in trouble right at the finish line.

Dominic considered Onyx silently for several long moments, a slight frown on his lips, before nodding slowly. “Very well,” he said at last. He reached out to press the intercom button on his desk. “Send Shane to my quarters.”

Onyx had been quick to think of a solution to his restlessness, but he had potentially been too rash, because it meant he hadn’t thought it through completely. Maybe he’d just assumed Dominic would deny him, or maybe he hadn’t thought about the fact that then he’d have to face the wolf.

Either way, once Dominic actually sent for Shane, he realized he was going to have to see him. Talk to him. Exercise with him.

Try to kick his ass, too, probably, because what the fuck, Shane had called Dominic when he should’ve just let Onyx die. And now Dominic was acting crazy and possessive and doing things like kissing him, and it was all Shane’s fault.

But he wasn’t going to retract the request, either. He sat on the edge of the chair, trying not to pace and annoy Dominic so much that he changed his mind on the trip to the warehouse. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Dominic smiled faintly before going back to his laptop and typing more.

Fuck, Onyx was bored.

He twitched and fidgeted while Dominic worked on his document, peering at it without actually paying any attention to what was being typed. He just needed something to do, both to keep his mind working and to keep himself from getting up and starting to pace across the room again. Now he was both doubly agitated, from being made to wait and from being allowed to see Shane again.

In reality, he hadn’t thought Dominic would ever let him see the wolf again, and he was a little surprised that the Bancroft witch had chosen to allow it.

Maybe there really was something to be said for the insanity that made him want to give Onyx anything he wanted.