Page 88 of Reforging Onyx

Onyx closed his eyes, his hand moving up to touch the collar at his throat. Why had he helped Dominic? Why hadn’t he gone with Ambrose — no, that one was easy; he didn’t trust any supes.

The big question was why he hadn’t killed Dominic, and he had a feeling that one would be haunting him for a while.[10]

Chapter 36

Dominic

The entire way back to the house, Dominic was in a state of heightened awareness and paranoia as well as fighting off the effects of blood loss. His vision swam and at times threatened to black out entirely, but he would not allow himself to be further incapacitated before Onyx was properly contained within the extensive security systems — both technological and magical — at his house.

Dominic considered casting the sleep spell on Onyx again, but he held off even though he couldn’t pinpoint as to precisely why. The chances of Onyx attempting to escape weren’t gone by any means. They were, perhaps, even higher because he’d already had those moments of freedom.

Freedom that the Rayne witch had turned away from so he could return to Dominic — return to him willingly.

Dominic owned him, far beyond the legalese of slavery and ownership, and he would possess the younger witch in every way that he could. It was beyond time for Onyx to accept that he would submit to Dominic in every way that Dominic wanted him to. He’d been delaying and postponing, and Dominic had allowed it, amused by the dance of it.

A waltz, each slow and stately step toward the inevitable conclusion as Onyx twisted and turned within his grasp, never able to break free.

Knowing he would never be able to break free.

Dominic would have him.

He was almost startled when the car came to a stop, realizing that he’d been further adrift in his thoughts than he should have been. “Good,” he said calmly, though he didn’t manage to hide the wince or the hiss of pain as he opened the vehicle door to leave the car.

Blood stained the seat where he had been sitting. He needed vampire blood, immediately.

“Come,” Dominic ordered Onyx, waiting for Shane to shadow the Rayne witch into the house.

Onyx climbed out of the car, scanning his surroundings. He shrugged unashamedly when he was caught looking around in such a measured way, but he allowed himself to be ushered inside and to Dominic’s bedroom.

Dominic went straight to his desk, unlocking and opening the drawer that contained the stashes of vampire blood and the aphrodisiac. He picked up one of the vials of vampire blood and drank it quickly. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief as the pain immediately eased when the wound began to seal itself together and the vibrancy of the world leaped into stark detail.

He held out a second vial to Onyx. After experiencing the effects of being re-collared while conscious, the Rayne witch would need the boost to his senses to combat the effects of the collar, and Dominic fully intended to take advantage of the effects of the arousal that also came along with the dose.

Arousal that he was already feeling burning through his veins.

“I need a shower,” Onyx announced without taking the vial.

Yes, Onyx needed to get clean. They both needed to get clean.

“Drink.”

Onyx eyed the vial. “I’m not hurt,” he pointed out, but he finally reached out to take it anyway. He downed it, handed the empty vial back, then headed in the direction of the bathroom, already starting to shed his clothes before he even reached the door.

Dominic put the empty vials back into the desk drawer, hand lingering over the vials of aphrodisiac. He’d said that he wouldn’t dose the boy unaware, and he hadn’t. But making Onyx drink a dose while aware he was doing so wasn’t a violation of his word. It would, in many ways, make things easier for both of them if Onyx was responding to the aphrodisiac, and not just relying on Dominic’s skill.

He took the vial out of the drawer before locking it, setting the potent drug on the nightstand.

Shedding his clothing quickly, Dominic entered the bathroom to join Onyx in the shower, each step a predatory prowl.

He stepped into the shower, ignoring the hot spray of the water to instead crowd Onyx back against the tile until he could cage the Rayne witch between his arms. “Onyx,” he murmured possessively. “My Onyx Rayne.”

He dipped his head to press his face into the curve of Onyx’s neck, teeth skating over the skin where his throat met his jaw.

“Mine.”

Onyx was still as Dominic’s teeth grazed his skin, and he didn’t argue.

One of Dominic’s hands left the wall to curl possessively around the back of Onyx’s neck as he pulled away just far enough to look Onyx in the eyes.