Blood & Bondage

Blood & Bondage
Elizabeth Jewell
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2023 Elizabeth Jewell

Seth had acquired a pair of handcuffs. Alartic didn't know how, or where, but neither of those questions were important just now. He eyed Seth, evaluating him as he stood there dangling the cuffs from one finger, a smirk curling across his mouth.

"You using these on me?" Alaric asked.

"No." Seth tossed the cuffs nonchalantly to his Sire. "You're using them on me."

Alaric caught the cuffs. They were cold, real metal, not lightweight fake plastic. Seth meant business.

Seth held his hands out to Alaric, wrists side-by-side. He really meant business. "Now," he said.

Hefting the cuffs, Alaric studied Seth's face. Alaric had no reason to believe he wasn't serious. He frowned. "Fine, then." He pointed. "There."

Seth hesitated. Alaric wondered if this was another of those exercises where Seth refused to do as he was told, just to see if he could, without being beaten or set on fire. There had been a time when Alaric would have done just that, but that was a long time ago.

After a moment, Seth went to the place Alaric had indicated, next to the footboard, and dropped to his knees, his back to the bed.

"Shirt off," said Alaric.

Seth shucked his black T-shirt, stripping it off over his head. Alaric watched. He was lean, cut, the muscles of his back and abdomen clearly defined. His wiry, coiled strength could challenge even Alaric's solid bulk. Heat pooled in Alaric's groin, pulsing. His cock pressed against the zipper of his trousers.

He knew what was happening here. It was another step along a path Seth had set the first time he'd come to Alaric's bed. Reconstructive therapy. Something like that. He was remaking his relationship with Alaric, replacing everything that had happened with Alaric -- the brutality, the humiliation, the pain -- with what Alaric had to give him. Alaric was generally happy to oblige -- he'd always enjoyed taking advantage of Seth's cleanly constructed body -- but this was new. Alaric knew what Seth wanted, but he wasn't completely sure he could do it. Not to Seth's specifications.

Seth was looking up at him, eyebrows lifted, an interrogative and slightly impatient look in his sapphire eyes.

Alaric took a step forward. "Pants, too. Now, boy."

Seth unbuckled his belt. His eyes locked to Alaric's, attention firm and unwavering, a challenge glinting in his eyes. He had looked at Alaric that way long ago, when things had been different, but with more defiance. Daring his Sire to break him. Now, Alaric thought, he dared just the opposite. Dared Alaric to walk this path again, this path of pain and blood, but with different intent.