The throne room emptied slowly, the courtiers vanishing like smoke one by one. Some bowed to Elias mockingly. Some looked at him like prey. None of them questioned Varian's claim.
Elias stood beside the demon, body tense, his lips still tingling from the public kiss. It had been humiliating—and worse, somewhere in the pit of his stomach, it had stirred something.
He hated that.
"That was unnecessary," he muttered.
Varian leaned on his throne like a lounging cat. "It was mine. And you wear it well."
"Stop calling me yours."
"You wear my collar," Varian said, eyes glowing. "You eat my food. You sleep in my bed. And I've kissed you more times than I can count—"
"Because you force me!"
"Do I?" Varian stood. "Or do you let me?"
Elias turned away, jaw clenched.
The demon walked behind him slowly, circling like a wolf. "You struggle. You curse me. You tell yourself I'm a monster. But when I touch you…" He ran one claw lightly down Elias's spine, making him shiver. "You don't stop me."
"Because I can't!" Elias exploded, spinning around. "I'm not free. You've bound me with this—this thing!"
He grabbed at the collar again, fingers scrabbling against it.
Varian's expression darkened—not with anger, but something far older. "You think I want your obedience because of a chain?"
"Don't you?"
There was a long pause. Then Varian walked up to him, slow, deliberate, until they stood nose to nose.
"I could break you, Elias," he whispered. "I could make you crawl. I could put you on your knees and have the whole void watch you beg. But I don't."
His hand curled around Elias's throat, gentle, almost affectionate. "Because I want something real. Even from you."
"You kissed me in front of all of them," Elias said hoarsely.
"I wanted them to know you were mine."
"You don't own me."
"I don't yet." Varian's eyes burned. "But you're starting to taste like submission."
Before Elias could speak, Varian kissed him again—hard and slow. Not a request. A statement.
Elias's hands pushed weakly at his chest, but his lips parted anyway, traitorously, and the kiss deepened. Hot. Wrong. Addictive.
When Varian pulled away, Elias looked dazed.
"You'll never break me," Elias whispered, ashamed of how breathless he sounded.
Varian smiled.
"I don't want to break you, Elias. I want to tame you."
And with that, he vanished—leaving Elias alone in the dark hall, heart pounding, collar glowing faintly red, and confusion clawing at his soul.
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