Page 65 of Reforging Onyx

Onyx scowled at Dominic. “You could’ve told me that before,” he muttered. “I didn’t know you were going to change the rules just because I got onto the bed. If it had been up to me, I’d have just gone to the bathroom and taken it out. But I was trying to play by your rules.”

“I wasn’t aware that you needed a reminder,” Dominic said, his voice droll. “So, let us be perfectly clear to avoid future misunderstandings. Outside of this bedroom, there is a measure of decorum that I expect we both will hold to, which will include courtesy, honesty, and a lack of any overt displays, whether in front of staff or guests.

“Within this bedroom, a separate set of rules apply, in which aforementioned overt displays may well be a part. And within my bed, I am bound by what word I have given you, that I will not harm you nor intentionally hurt you, among the others I have given, and you might well argue with me or contradict me, but you cannot deny me. Understood?”

Onyx grabbed the blanket and pulled it over himself from the waist down. “Yeah,” he said unenthusiastically. “I understand.”

Dominic sighed. “I have work to finish." He stood up. “Get dressed.”

Onyx got up and quickly obeyed. “Can I stay in here while you work?” he asked.

Dominic frowned. “I have another meeting, so I can’t work from here.”

“You can leave me in the crate,” Onyx said quietly. “Please.”

Dominic paused. “You wish to stay in the crate while I work in the office?” he asked for clarity. “Why?”

“Because you’re not going to let me go to the rec room alone,” Onyx replied. “And I really want to be alone right now.”

And there it was. Onyx was trying to put more space between them again, after he’d said he wouldn’t. But Dominic supposed that was to be expected, really. “Very well."

Wordlessly, Onyx went over to the crate and got inside.

Dominic kept his face dispassionate as he watched Onyx get into the crate, only moving to latch and lock the door once the witch was inside. That done, he turned and headed out of the bedroom to get back to the office and finish working.

He was tempted to cancel his final meeting of the day. He was certainly in no mood to be sitting listening to business updates while seething on the inside about disrespectful pets, but it was something that really couldn’t be put off. He’d canceled this particular meeting once before due to unfortunate circumstances.

So, needs must.

He would permit Onyx to have this distance — for now.

Chapter 27

Onyx

Onyx sagged back against the crate, closing his eyes before taking a deep, shuddering breath. All he’d wanted was for the plug to come out. That was all. It hadn’t been a big thing to ask for…! But Dominic had made it abundantly clear that the rules in his bedroom dictated that Onyx submit to him each and every time, and while he knew that in theory…

Maybe he forgot sometimes. Maybe he thought he was more than he actually was sometimes. Maybe that was partially why he’d wanted to be left in the crate, where he couldn’t pretend to be anything more than a pet, couldn’t forget for even a few minutes that what he wanted didn’t matter — because that was all he was now.

He curled up in the corner of the small crate and closed his eyes. At least the light had been left on, and there had been no spell to isolate him from sight and sound. All things considered, Dominic had been generous in allowing it and not retaliating against him for asking for his time alone.

He just wished he didn’t think he was going to regret it later on.

Falling into an uneasy sleep not long after Dominic left the bedroom, he woke up immediately when he heard the door open some time later. He glanced up to see Dominic — his master — unlocking the crate, but the other witch said nothing.

“Can I come out?” Onyx asked when Dominic went back to his desk and pulled his laptop out.

Dominic paused in his typing. “The door is unlocked,” he noted.

That wasn’t an actual answer. Obviously, Dominic still wasn’t happy with him. Fuck. Unease bubbled up within him, along with the strange urge to fix things, or at least to bring them back to their usual norm.

He got out of the crate and went to sit on the floor by Dominic, leaning against his thigh without a word.

Dominic went back to typing, not acknowledging Onyx at all at first. It wasn’t until several minutes had passed that he sighed and stroked his fingers through Onyx’s hair.

Onyx wasn’t going to apologize because he didn’t feel like he had done anything wrong. But he’d be willing to make a few gestures to smooth things out, and that included leaning into the touch and closing his eyes.

Dominic didn’t say anything further, just running his fingers through Onyx’s hair until a servant arrived with their dinner plates. “Leave them on the desk,” he instructed, not moving from his seat. He waited until the servant was gone before squeezing Onyx’s shoulder lightly. “Come eat."