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Chapter Ten
Nathan wakes up feeling ten times better than the day before. The overwhelming guilt in his chest is just a little lighter, making it easier to breathe.
Maybe he can do this after all. Maybe he can keep Carter safeandkeep him somewhat happy. Just like Maison had suggested, Nathan can pretend to be falling in love. He can give Carter gentle and kind as often as he can. He can make this life bearable for the sweet boy.
He rolls over on the bed, a smile on his face, only to find the mattress empty where Carter should be. Nathan pushes up on one hand and scans the room before his eyes fall on the door to the bathroom. It’s open, the light turned off.
“Fuck.” Nathan shoves off the bed and stumbles towards the bathroom, praying the boy is in there with the lights off for some reason. He flips the switch to turn the light on, checking the shower, the tub, the cabinets beneath the sink. Nothing. “Fuck.”
He gets desperate. He checks the corners of the bedroom. Behind the lounge chair.Beneaththe fucking lounge chair. He rifles through the chest of blankets. He –
The closet.
“Oh god, please,” he mutters to himself as he heads to the obvious place where he’s hoping Carter went to hide. His heart pounds in his chest as he tries to keep his hopes down. As he tries to keep hisfeardown.
If Carter isn’t in the closet, he doesn’t know what-
Nathan deflates in relief.
There he is. His boy. Curled up on the floor of Nathan’s huge ass walk-in closet, one of Nathan’s dress shirts draped over him like a blanket. The tiny stuffed moose is tucked beneath his chin.
He leans against the doorframe and tries to pull himself together. This needs to be punished. Nathan knows that. It’s a rule.Carter broke a rule.
Why?
Why the fuck would he do that? Why the fuck is he making Nathan punish him? Wasn’t last night fucking good for him?
Nathan asks himself what the true Nathan would do. The character he’s built over the years. Themonster. He hates the answer. He can’t dothat.
But he has to dosomething. Carter broke a rule. If Nathan lets that slide, he’s going to break more. Nathan can’t risk giving him too much rope to hang himself with. Especially if he hangs himself in front of an audience.
It’s best he learns his lesson now.
One harsh punishment to make it stick, then they’ll be done with this. The boy won’t disobey again. He’ll be safe.
How fucked up is it that Nathan has to hurt him to keep him safe?
Growling in frustration, Nathan pushes off the doorframe and walks forward, stepping into theNathanmindset as he does so. He rips his shirt off Carter, the action startling the boy awake. Nathan doesn’t give him time to understand what’s happening, grabbing his small biceps and lifting him to his feet. Carter cries out, eyes shooting wide open as Nathan presses him against the nearest wall.
He should haveslammedhim against it.
This boy has made him weak.
“I-”
“Shut. Up.” Fisting one hand in Carter’s hair, Nathan uses the other to clamp down on Carter’s throat. He squeezes at just the right angle to cut off Carter’s air completely. He sees the moment Carter realizes it. The moment he tries to breathe and can’t. His pretty blue eyes go wide, terror flashing in them. “You fucked up. Big time. Are you a fucking idiot? Did you not process the very clear, very fuckingsimplerules I gave you? Or did you disobey me on purpose?”
Nathan eases his grip just enough for Carter to suck in air. The boy coughs and sputters, crying out when Nathan tugs his hair sharply. “You can answer now, slave.”
“I – I – I didn’t – I couldn’t-”
“Stop fucking stuttering,” Nathan growls, pulling at Carter’s hair again. “Answer the question. Are you an idiot, or are you disobedient?”
“D-disobedient, sir,” he rasps, tears filling his pretty blue eyes. “Sor-”
Nathan squeezes his throat again, cutting off his words. “I have no interest in your apologies.None. I gave you a good fucking night, and you didthis? Are you fucking kidding me?”
Carter shakes his head the best he can, tears spilling over his cheeks. Travis tries to peek out from behind the curtain Nathan uses to hide him. Travis wants to hold Carter close. To kiss him better. To whisper that it’s okay, that he understands, that he knows Carter probably just got too overwhelmed, or scared, or confused, and he ran.
