“Well, I want you to stop this madness. I'm asking you. No, no, I'm begging you. Please, please spare John's life.” Her mouth parted, features appalled. She grazed her wet cheek with the tip of her fingertips, her eyes never leaving his. Her request fueled a new wave of rage within him.A storm brewed beneath the surface of his awareness. A fury of raging wind and clashing hot and cold, creating a vortex in his head. His entire body battled the singular urge not to break down this fucking cage. He couldn’t stand to hear her uttering that name. Muscles tensed, willpower strained, he braced his hands to the bars as he stood on the other side, listening to her tears. 

Marlena. 

He shut down the voice inside his head, “Don't ask this, Marlena.”

“I know what you want.” she said quickly “It's what you've always wanted. It's me.” 

 

Fear and lust. 

The two most powerful, primitive emotions. She hasn’t had much sleep, as evident by the dark blotches under her widened hazel eyes. Temptation tensed his muscles, making it painful to simply stand there, when the urge to push her against the cage, and take her straight to bed was so damn demanding. He knew where she was going with this.

 

“Before this is over, Marlena” he thought, “you’re going to beg me to fuck you right out of your mind.”

 

Hearing her begging him was music to the darkest, most depraved parts of him. She was tantalizing. Her body was made for sin and just begging to be broken. He wanted to enforce his pain on her, to possess the beauty within her.

“All right. All right.” she continued, not a coherent thought in her mind, “I'll sleep with you. I'll do anything that you want. 

Anything. 

Anywhere. 

Just please. Please don't kill John. No please…” 

Her eyes grew wide with fear, her pleading broken and slobbery. Her beautiful eyes blinked up at him, thick lashes darkened with makeup and fresh tears. He could take her just like this. He could have her…fuck her raw and hard…and satisfy the craving. He could even break her, and the way she was looking up at him. 

His fingers fumbled with the key, and unlocked the cage.The sound of the door opening reverberated against the darkness in her mind, then he appeared in front of her.

​

He didn’t speak.

He stood there, patiently watching her.

​

“What are you doing, Stefano?” Breath bated, she held his intense stare as he coasted toward her, close enough that when she was forced to take a breath, his scent of spicy sandalwood burnt in her lungs. Stefano’s mouth tipped into a devastating smile. He swept his thumb over her delicate jawline, a dark urgency thrumming through his pulse.

She turned her head to look away, but he clasped her jaw, forcing her eyes on him. Inhaling a sharp breath, she said, “I’m tired of games,” a hint of exhaustion deflating her shoulders.

“Then don’t play them.”

That tendril of fear coiled tighter, and she wrapped an arm around her waist.

She shook her head, appall evident in her pretty features. ““Please reconsider—” 

He placed a finger over her mouth, stopping her words. Shock prevented her from pushing him away as she stared up at him, silence fueling the anticipation between them. He kept his finger pressed to her mouth a beat longer, then gently dragged it down, letting the pad taste the softness of her lips. “As much as you enjoy making me your devil, I didn’t have to hurt him,” he said, his tone urging her to listen. “You ran away.”

“You’re a monster,” she said, barely above a whisper. Her eyes trapped he’s, and the fire he glimpsed behind those flaring embers ignited a challenge.

 

A thick veil of silence descended as she stared at him. The room had darkened.

Daring to break the silence between them, she said, “why are you doing this, Stefano?” intense liquid in her eyes .To her huge surprise, her voice sounded almost normal. He lifted his hand and touched her face. His fingers were gentle on her skin, his touch almost tender. In contrast to the monster he really was. It was such a stark contrast to the whole situation. She startled, shifting her head to the other side.

“Because I don’t like seeing you with him,” Stefano said, and she could hear the barely suppressed rage in his voice. “Because he touched you, laid his hands on you.” 

Marlena could barely think. 

“Not….John…” she whispered, trying to figure out what he was going to say next. 

“Yes, Marlena,” he said darkly. “John.” 

“Stefano..please, if you care about me at all…please tell me how John is…Is he—” she didn’t know if she could even say it out loud. “Is he… alive?” 

“For now,” he said, his eyes burning into hers. “He's unconscious in the dungeon.” 

She was so relieved she slumped back to sit on the bed. And then the full meaning of his words hit her. 

“What do you mean, for now?” 

He shrugged. “His life is entirely dependent on you.”

 

“What do you want from me?” her voice quivered, and when he flashed a devilish grin, she gripped the bars to keep from bolting. 

Stefano got closer.

His body overshadowed hers as he knelt beside her. A line of stubble darkened his jaw, giving him an undeniable hint of danger. 

“I want you as my slave for one night.” 

“Your slave?” Her jaw dropped. 

Did she even want to know what that meant? 

“Hmm, yes. My queen.” He lowered his gaze to her mouth, then lingered on her breasts, and his inspection burned a hole through her blouse. 

“You’ve got to be joking…” her eyes shut with contempt.

“Surely you’ve heard of BDSM,” he continued. His consuming presence drew near, and she was forced to open her eyes.

Marlena screwed her mouth shut. She didn’t like where this conversation was going at all. 

“Bondage, discipline,” he said, inching closer, “punishment.” The last word he savored, as if fine wine dampened his lips. “I’d say you’ve earned quite a bit. Wouldn’t you agree?” 

 

“Don’t do this,” she whispered. 

“You offered yourself to me. These are my terms” Warm and minty breath whiskey crossed her lips. She edged away and clung to the side of the bed. “I want your submission, Marlena,” he continued, “absolute ownership of you and your body. That’s what I want.” 

 

She worked her jaw, searching for the words to express her disbelief, but only ended up staring at him in stunned silence. 

“Why this?...why are you doing this?” 

His face darkened. “I have my reasons.”

“You’re crazy if you think I’ll agree to this.” 

“You can also refuse me, and bear the consequences.” He placed a hand on her leg, right above her knee. She tensed, afraid to move, afraid he’d push his possession further if she resisted. 

 

“You know”—he gently slid his palm upwards—“there are worse ways to die than an overdose.” 

Marlena’s breath hitched as he grazed the skin underneath the hem of her skirt. 

“Don’t.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “No?” Stefano reached for the phone in his pocket. 

“Are you sure?” The futility of her situation spilled from her eyes. Upset with herself for displaying weakness, or ever suggested those terms. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. 

 

“Don’t call.” As if she’d given him permission, he uncrossed her legs and wedged them apart. “I knew it was worth waiting for you, Marlena.” He slipped his fingers under the edge of her panties and smoothed them over her crotch. 

“Remember I told you, there would come a day you would beg me to take you?” he asked. With a nod, she closed her eyes. Her entire body tingled, and not in a good way. She couldn’t believe he was doing this to her…the villain who hurt her children, John, her. 

“I want to see you.” 

​​Mortified, her anger latched on to her nerves, and her teeth sank violently into her lip. The coppery taste coated her tongue as she met his vicious gaze. Her face burned, and it took everything she had to keep her legs apart. She balled her hands until her fingernails bit into skin. “This is sexual harassment, you bastard. It’s illegal, and so is blackmail.” 

He withdrew his hand, and by the time she looked up, Stefano had reclaimed his seat. 

 

“Don’t think of it as blackmail. Think of it as an alternative to this cage, and John’s life. I can punish John, but I’d much rather punish you.” he stared at her. “You either submit to me or damn John and stay here in this cage, with me. Either way, the decision is yours.” 

 

With unsteady fingers, she shifted hair from her face. “What exactly do you want from me?” 

“You’ll be my submissive tonight.” He leaned back in bed and kept a steady gaze on her. 

If she could shoot daggers with a single glance, he’d feel her pain, but something already told her he was more than aware of it. She kept silent. 

“I expect absolute obedience.” The corner of his mouth curled. “I won’t hesitate to punish you when necessary. Of course, you’ll choose a safe word.” He frowned, as if the idea didn’t please him. “However, should you decide to use it, our deal will become null and void, and you’ll stay here forever, with me. And of course, there’s John.”

 

Tears of desolation dripped down her cheeks, and she no longer cared about hiding them. 

His ultimatum terrified her. 

Being Stefano’s slave—in every sense of the word—was a terrifying concept.  

 

He leaned forward with a smirk. “I have vested interest in you, Marlena.. You’re desperate, and I know you’ll give me what I want because even though I’m giving you a choice, your love for John won’t.” 

The bastard had her, and he knew it. “What will you do to me?” 

He leaned forward with a glimmer of excitement in the depths of his eyes —“whatever I damn please.” 

 

“You mentioned BDSM. You’re going to hurt me” 

“Yes,” he lowered his voice, and something about his deep timbre shot through her, “but there’s a flimsy line between pain and pleasure.”

“I think you’re sick.” 

“Decide now. I’m growing impatient.” He shook his head. With an impatient groan, he added, “I probably won’t kill him right away. Just wound a limb, make him suffer. Feel better?” 

“You’re the devil.” 

“And you’re the one who’s going to fuck with him.”

“Please, Stefano..” she swallowed down her nerves. She sealed her eyes shut.

“You’ll save your begging for later, preferably while on your knees.” He leaned forward. “But either way, decide.” 

 

She glared at him. “You left me no choice” 

“Of course you have a choice, just as you have the option of backing out of our agreement whenever you wish.” He tapped his finger against the mattes. “That’s the beauty of this. The choice is yours.” 

“Only if I don’t agree, you’ll let them execute John.”  she pressed.

“Correct.” 

“That doesn’t sound like much of a choice. That sounds like coercion.” 

“I want you, and I’m willing to cross a line to get what I want. Just as you did to save John tonight.” 

 

She nodded heavily. Her eyes stung. 

 

“You’ll address me as My King tonight.” He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. “Is that clear?” 

“You’re kidding, right?” 

“No, I assure you, I am definitely not kidding, and the sooner you accept your place here, the easier it’ll be on you. You’ve just started and already you’ve got a strike against you, Marlena.” 

“Oh, please” she huffed, “For what?” 

“Disobeying me. You ran away from me tonight.” He gestured for her to the interior of the cage. Releasing her roughly, allowing her to break away, and she stumbled back from him.

He flipped a switch with a remote control, and the room flooded with soft light. It was dark and windowless, she hated that; Stefano had opened a suitcase he snagged from under the bed. A rack of cuffs, chains, whips, paddles, and God only knew what else. She tore her gaze from the terrifying sight. 

Stefano fisted her hair and yanked her against him. “These are my rules. Remember them.” He trailed a hand down her throat, and his fingers settled on the buttons of her blouse. “Number one, don’t fight me. If you do, you'll be punished and you can say goodbye to John.” He slowly unfastened each one, taking the time to brush his fingers against her skin. 

She shivered. 

Her eyes closed.

“Two, unless I’ve given you permission to speak freely, always call me, My King.” He slid his hand inside and palmed her breast. 

Eyes wide and mouth pinched in fury, she yanked out of his hold.

 

He reached out and grabbed her arm, drawing her to a stop. As if awakened from a trance, she stared at him through dazed eyes and long lashes, her chest heaving from exertion. Shock tore her back to reality, and as she regained her bearings, she attempted to struggle to free herself. 

“Release me,” she said. A dark monster nestled beneath his skin wanted to demand the same of her. “I give the orders.” His fingers dug into her soft flesh. Marlena gasped loudly. This was not the easy going slow technique he used on her a few nights ago. This was a whole different dance.

“Which brings me to the last one. Obey without hesitation. Do you understand these rules?” 

She hissed.

“I asked you a question. Do.You.understand.These.Rules?”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “Fuck.You”

His hand whipped out fast, surprising even himself as he snatched her hair. He brought her face close to his, so she heard the deliberate warning in his tone. “Talk back once more, and you can say goodbye to John.” 

Her body trembled next to his, her breaths ragged. Her lips purse in contempt, but as she held his stare. Stefano set her hair free and watched as her body shook. A whimper escaped her mouth, “I-I understand.” She forced the words past her quivering lips. 

 

He let out a low chuckle. “I don’t think you do. I think it’s time for your first punishment.” He gripped her hair even tighter. “Before we go any further, you need to choose a safe word.” “And if I say this word…you’ll stop?” 

“Yes. And then I’ll let them kill John.I don’t think you want that.” 

“You bastard… what’s the point in choosing a safe word? You know I won’t use it.” 

“Because what happens here will be on my terms, but ultimately your choice. I won’t move forward without it, so choose wisely, something you won’t forget or accidentally say.” He withdrew his hand from her breast and put a few inches between them. 

Her body shook with adrenaline, she could barely breathe. His hands…they were on her skin…she would never forget his touch…

“It’s the only word that will save you from your punishment. Screaming, crying, begging me to stop…none of those tactics will work.” 

“You sick bastard.” 

“You might consider showing me some respect—I’m the only person standing between John and death.” 

“Kallem.” 

“Kellam what?” 

“Kellam is my safe word.” 

“Who is Kellam?” 

She wrapped her arms around herself. “Someone I don’t like to talk about.” 

“Answer the question. You’ll withhold nothing from me.” 

“He was my boss once…he-he raped me.” 

He stared at her, her eyes shimmered with fresh tears. “An interesting choice for a safe word. Why’d you choose it?” 

“Because I don’t like to think about him, much less speak his name. Could we please stop talking about it?” 

 

He whirled her around making her gasp ,and curled his fingers around her wrists, then forced them to her sides. “Don’t ever close yourself off to me again. I want your legs open and your arms at your sides. Always.” He parted her blouse, and the material slid down her arms and floated to the floor. 

Stefano grabbed a thin strip of leather from the suitcase. “A collar to mark you as mine.” He encircled her neck before reaching for a set of leather cuffs.

“Stand up and give me your hands.” 

Instinctively, she shook her head. “Stefano, what are you going to do?” 

His startling eyes pinned her to a standing position. “I’ve been lenient. Until you agree to address me as My King, you’ll not be allowed to speak.” He grasped an odd ball contraption and mashed it against her lips. “Open your mouth.” 

Trepidation set in. “You don’t need to do this. I’ll call you My King.” 

“Yes you will. Now open your mouth, Marlena.” 

She feared the command in his tone, the underlying threat that if she didn’t do as told, being gagged would be the least of her worries. Marlena parted her lips, and the taste of rubber assaulted her tongue. He fastened the straps tight enough to make her jaw ache. “Whenever your mouth is otherwise engaged”—his lips curved into a wicked grin, and she could only imagine what he was thinking—“you can snap your fingers in lieu of saying your safe word.” He grabbed her hands and yanked them up, hooking them above her head. 

“Spread your legs.” 

Her skirt bunched around her thighs as she obeyed, revealing a scrap of white panties. Her pulse drummed in her ears, drowning out everything else as he kneeled down and fastened two more cuffs around her ankles. He placed a bar between them, ensuring she remained spread out for him. He stood and slowly pulled on a tether. 

“On your toes.” 

Her eyes grew wide as he hoisted her up, and an unintelligible sound escaped her. The position made her breasts jut out and caused her legs to wobble until she was able to gain balance. She shifted her wrists, but they wouldn’t budge. Her arms and shoulders burned. 

 

How long was he going to make her stand like this? 

Better yet, what was he going to do? 

She had her answer a moment later. 

 

He grabbed a pair of scissors and moved toward her. Marlena panicked and let out a muffled cry as he came closer. “Relax. I’m not going to hurt you. I want you naked.” He slid the cool metal along her skin and cut away her bra. Tears overflowed her eyes as her breasts spilled free, right into the warmth of his waiting palms. 

He fondled them, weighed them in his hands, and his gaze zeroed in on her hardened peaks. “Perfect, just the right size.” He flicked his thumbs back and forth. She gasped for breath, vacillating between shame, disgust, and arousal as every touch zinged to her core. Unable to take anymore, she tried to jerk away. 

He pinched each nipple and twisted, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut against the pain. “Look at me, Marlena.” He increased the pinch. 

 

She lifted her lashes and silently begged him to stop. 

“You’ve got spirit, and you’re stubborn. The more you resist, the more it turns me on.” He released her and bent to his knees again. She couldn’t stop trembling as he cut the skirt and panties from her body. 

“You’re so gorgeous strung up like that, Marlena…helpless and open. Naked.” His gaze journeyed over her, finally arriving at the juncture between her thighs. “Beautiful.” He delved a finger inside, and she shot to the very tips of her toes. 

“God, darling, you’re so tight.” 

She sobbed.

His warm hand smoothed across her abdomen, he traced the wounds left behind from the twin C-section. “What happened here?” The question was a rhetorical one, since she couldn’t answer him verbally. 

“They look like knife wounds.” He thrust another finger inside, gliding in and out, never breaking eye contact. She was helpless to do anything but accept his invasion. 

Her eyes drifted shut. “Don’t.” Another hard pinch of her nipple reminded her of his power. “I want you to watch me.” With a twitch of a smile, Stefano circled her clit with precision. 

Her belly clenched, and she throbbed deep within as liquid heat ignited between her legs. 

 

“You’re not allowed to hide your shame from me.” He closed his mouth over a nipple and teased with his tongue, lightly nipped. She squirmed as the fire in her body spread and intensified. 

God, it’d been so long. 

She had waited for John for years.

Years.

Too long. 

It was the only explanation for her reaction. 

She hated it.

“You don’t want to want me, but you do.” He stroked her languidly, caressing in a sensual rhythm that drove her out of her mind. “I’ve been watching you, Marlena… If I didn’t think this would work between us, I would’ve had John die already.” 

She let out a pitiful cry.

Her muscles tightened, and she shamefully moved against his hand. She hadn’t expected this, for him to make her want to come. A low moan escaped, and she almost did. He pulled away abruptly. 

“You’re not allowed to orgasm without my explicit permission. Like clothing, sexual gratification is a gift you must earn.” He grabbed her chin and brought his face close to hers.

 

Oh God…. 

Fear enveloped her like a stifling blanket.

 

Time had no measure. 

Seconds, minutes…they all bled into each other until the only thing that mattered was the rampant ache in her muscles, the dimming of the room, the goose bumps forming on her skin as the chill set in. 

After a while she became numb. 

Lifeless. 

Found a place outside herself where she could tolerate existing. It was a familiar place, one she hadn’t visited in a long time. She sagged toward the floor a little more with each minute, heels refusing to touch ground, wrists taking the burden off her weight. And then she felt the warmth of his hands, grazing her ankles as he removed the bar from between her legs, circling her wrists and lifting…until they dropped like noodles at her sides. 

In a dizzying whirl, she slumped toward the floor. 

He engulfed her in his arms.

“Open your eyes, Marlena.” His breath whisked across her face, tinted with alcohol. She stared into his dark gaze…and felt nothing. He held her up with one hand and removed the gag with the other. “Have you learned your lesson?” 

She worked her aching jaw, and only then did she realize she had drool trailing down her chin. “Answer me. Have you learned your lesson?” 

“Yes.” 

“I’m giving you one chance, because I know your punishment wasn’t easy. Show me the respect I’m owed.” 

Her apathetic state diminished; swift anger welled and overflowed. 

She hated him. 

Truly despised him. “Go to hell, Stefano.” 

 

He swept her up, threw her over his shoulder, and stalked to the bed. 

“What are you doing?” She cried. 

Ignoring her question, he dropped her to her feet. She grabbed onto the bed to keep from falling, which was a bad idea because her actions only helped him position her. Stefano pressed onto her back and wedged her knees apart. He strapped her hands, knees, and ankles in place, and then adjusted her until her butt tilted up for easy access. 

The snap of leather sent ice through her blood. 

 

“What is that?” she cranked her neck around to see. 

“A whip.” 

“Don’t you dare hit me with that!” She couldn’t breathe. 

Everything flooded back; Kellam’s hands, the bruises. Her broken soul. “I told you what I expect from you, yet you continue to disobey me. If you can’t take your punishment, say your word and end it.” He punctuated his words with a swift strike to her ass. She jerked and cried out, as the whip whistled through the air again, a split second warning before he struck her a second time.

 

Crack! 

 

He hit her again and again, never giving her a moment to catch her breath, never allowing the sting to alleviate before he escalated the pain with another strike. She sobbed and pleaded with every blow, and eventually she found that place again—the place she’d lived in for the duration of that event. 

Stop, stop, stop, stop… 

Finally he did. 

Tears drenched her face, and she couldn’t see him, though the sound of his breath, coming fast and hard, told her he wasn’t far. She ticked off the seconds in her mind and stopped counting when his legs came into view. 

“Who am I, Marlena?” 

She lifted her head. 

He still had a death grip on the whip; his knuckles had gone white around the handle. 

“You’re My King.” 

“That’s right. Don’t you forget it.” He put the whip away and freed her from the restraints. “Don’t move yet.” He disappeared, only to reappear a few seconds later with a bottle of massage oil. 

She could feel him dripping some onto her back. His hand followed. His fingers glided over her back and down her legs. 

She felt herself sinking, losing herself to the allure of her cloudy mind. Confusion niggled on the outskirts, and she vaguely wondered why he’d beat her only to massage away some of the pain afterward. 

“Who am I?” His voice drifted above, rich and warm like hot chocolate. His hands chased the chills away from her skin. 

“My King,” she mumbled. 

Hating herself.

He gripped her hand. “You can get up.” Stefano helped her to her feet and steadied her when she stumbled. “If you behave, I won’t restrain you.” He pointed back to the bed. “Stand at the end and bend over the mattress.” 

He reached for the button of his slacks. The fog cleared, unveiling fear in its wake. “Please…My King…” she faltered. 

“Do it now, Marlena.” Her legs shook as she moved clumsily across the room. He pressed a hand against her back, and her breasts and stomach slid along the satiny comforter. “Spread your legs.” 

On the verge of tears, she obeyed and opened for him. Chills traveled the length of her body; she couldn’t stop shaking. She jumped when he grabbed her hips. “Arms straight out in front of you.” He massaged her sore ass. “Good, just like that. I want you to remain in this position, do you understand?” 

She rested her cheek on the mattress as the tears escaped. 

“Yes, My King,” her voice cracked, and she heard the distinctive slide of a zipper. For several seconds she waited, barely breathing, muscles tense in preparation for his intrusion. He glided his fingers between her thighs. Keeping perfectly still, she bit down on her lower lip. Unwelcome warmth flared again, and she prayed he’d stop caressing and just get it over with already. 

“Please, My King, just do it.” 

“Oh, no, I’m not about to make this easy for you.” He probed her with his fingers. “Do you know how many times I had to get myself off after watching you prance around in your skirts?” He groaned. “You’re getting wet, darling.” 

 

She arched her spine and bit back a moan. “God, you’re so responsive. I’ve wanted you for such a long time, wet and on the brink, begging for release.” He plunged in, filling her with his pulsating heat, slowly stretching until she felt nothing but disgust. 

 

Marlena dug her fingernails into the bedding and closed her eyes in shame. “If you come, I’ll punish you.” His breath fanned across her back. “Don’t disobey me.” 

Yet the bastard took his time. 

She locked her jaw to keep quiet and trembled from the effort of holding back as he pumped in and out. She hated her body for betraying her. 

It’s only biology. 

She knew it.

She held onto that thought as he pushed deeper. 

“You feel so good, My Queen,” he groaned. He increased his thrusts, exploiting a rhythm designed to send her spiraling out of control. She fisted the comforter and unwittingly let out a long moan. 

“My King…” 

“Don’t come, Marlena.” 

She gritted her teeth and did the only thing she could think of to cool the fire. She thought of Kellem; replayed the day he barged into her apartment.

 

After a while Stefano tensed and shuddered, and she knew it was over. 

He withdrew.

“You’ve got impressive restraint. Not many women can hold back so well, not that they come here under your circumstances. I suspect that might have more to do with it. You feel forced.” 

Her emotions were too close to the surface.

Her rage exploded. 

She whirled around and pushed him. “That’s because you did force me! My King,” She bit out the last two words as if it were poison. “You might be able to elicit a reaction from my body, but you’ll never get the one you’re truly after. You’ll never have my eager participation, I will never be yours! Never!” She took a step forward, emboldened by the stunned expression on his face. “It was easy to control myself. All I had to do was think of Kellam and how he raped me.” 

Stefano pressed his hand over her mouth. “I’d watch your tone. Don’t villains me—you’re the one who offered yourself in exchange for John's life. You.” 

She pushed his hand away. “What you’re doing is wrong, Stefano. Punish me if you wish. Do your worst. Just release John.” She turned her back on him, mostly because she figured it would piss him off. 

She wasn’t prepared for his laughter. “I do love a challenge, Marlena.” She hugged herself. Wanted to curl into a ball and cry herself to sleep, but there were important things to deal with first

 

“Let me go to John. Release us.” She cranked her neck and glared at him. “Right now, Stefano. I’m not kidding.” 

He backed away, and she bolted. Tears threatened to spill over. Hysteria rushed up and lodged under her breastbone, and she could hardly breathe. 

He dug his fingers into her arm and dragged her to him. Her face was already wet with tears. “Please, Stefano—” 

“Shut up.” He swiped on his remote, the light flickered. 

“I’m saying no,” She said as soon as he shoved her back deeper into the cage. 

“Wha…whatever”—she swallowed the vomit rising in her throat—“whatever you’re gonna do, stop.” 

He pushed her against the bars behind her. “I said shut up.” His hands shook, which only intensified the terror fisting her heart. 

“What I’m going to do,” he said, his gaze dropping to her mouth, “is kiss the fuck out of you.” He tangled his hands in her golden hair, leaned in, sighing against her lips. “Do you have a problem with that?” 

Yes. 

It was her only thought as he took control of her mouth. He swirled his hot tongues against hers, as she tried to resist him, the taste of rum on his lips, the way he moaned her name before sucking her lower lip between his teeth, and his fingers tightening in her hair, pulling against her scalp—every sensation zipped through her like a firefly. 

 

She couldn’t recall the space of time between the bars and the bed, but the mattress welcomed the weight of her body, and Stefano blanketed her, his mouth never leaving hers, never failing to suck the free will from her soul with the poison of his kiss. 

His frantic fingers clutched handfuls of her; her hips, her thighs, shoving her legs wide open, pushing her knees up an instant before he slammed into her. 

He was like a beast, and she came apart under his lethal need. 

“Stefano!” She cried. He pressed high into her, so high all she could feel was him. He grunted, his forearms shaking on either side as he pumped.

“Who am I, Marlena?” He plunged one more time, violently, and then went still. She met his gaze—maniacal eyes possessing her—and shuddered. Her heart feared him, but her sexual need was owned by him. And he knew it. 

“Say it, or I’ll stop right now and cuff your hands to the headboard. I’ll make you edge all night until you’re begging me to fuck you.” 

“Please, Stefano...” She tilted her hips deeper into the mattress, trying to get away.

"SAY IT"

“You’re My King.”

 

With a growl, his body engulfed hers, smothering and consuming, and the only thing more painful than being devoured so thoroughly was the sound of her unrestrained moans, a traitorous testimony of his control over her. Her need for release ripped from her throat and poured from her being with every thrust. 

“Please…Oh, God…Please, stop…Oh, please…”

He was getting off on every sexual plea. 

She dug her nails into his shoulders and scratched her unbridled desperation down his back, on the cusp of splintering. It was right there for the taking—and with stunned frustration, she scratched his skin. 

“Beg me to let you come, Marlena”

“No!” she urged

“Say it…say it..say it….” his thrust got quicker, to the point of physical pain. One to match the emotional one.

“Let me come, My King.” her tearful plea filled the room

He groaned. “Say it again. Tell me how bad you want it.” 

Marlena grabbed fistfuls of bedding, and a pitiful, keening cry broke loose,“Please! Make me come, My King!” 

He groaned again, an unrestrained sound that vibrated to her core. 

“Fuck, woman, I’m never letting you go....Oh, God...never” He gripped her head and forced her gaze to his. “Come for me.” 

 

She fell into oblivion. 

 

His dark eyes drank her in as she came undone, holding her prisoner in his depths until the last wave carried her deeper into despair. 

She was gasping, struggling just to breathe, when his control began to slip. 

 

He buried himself to the hilt, and his forehead fell against hers. “Marlena…” He squeezed his eyes shut and moaned. “My Queen…” He cried out, hoarse and powerful, a sound of unstoppable release that poured out of him as he spilled into her.

 

He stilled, his gaze watching her closely, and a strange mix between lust and morbid curiosity crossed his features. His attention slipped down to inspect the tremor of her lips. He brought his thumb to his mouth and, after a beat where she stared at him numbed, he sucked his thumb into his mouth. His deviant action did something torturous to her body, and she gasped a breath into her aching lungs, starved of oxygen. 

He braces his palm on the mattress beside her head, placing his mouth near the shell of her ear, lips grazing as he said, “I hope John has enjoyed the show..."

Her eyes snapped at him, her features a mask of horror. "You did what?" her voice trembled. 

"Don't worry, Marlena, he was released a few minutes ago. He’s well.” 

 

A hard shiver racked her body.

Before she could measure a response, the feel of his hand prowling down her thigh stole the air from her lungs. “But you’re staying here, with me” he demanded. She shook her head, adamant, the mask on her face slipping loose. 

“John will never give up on finding me. Never.” Her eyes closed.

He could take whatever else he wanted—but he couldn’t have her soul.